United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1983
Wine Equity Act of 1983 - Requires the President to direct the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to negotiate the harmonization of tariff and nontariff barriers on wine with each designated major trading country. Requires negotiations with designated major trading countries which do not export wine to the United States in order to eliminate all tariff and nontariff trade barriers of such countries to the importation of U.S. wine. Requires the President to impose tariff and nontariff trade barriers equal or substantially equivalent to the barriers applied by a designated major trading country if such country does not provide harmonization to U.S. produced-wine with 180 days of the country's designation as a designated major trading country. Provides for removing such U.S. tariff and nontariff barriers. Requires the USTR to report to specified congressional committees at the beginning and end of each negotiation. Requires the USTR to consult with such committees to identify further tariff and nontariff barriers to and potential markets for U.S. wine. Provides for assistance for the USTR from other Federal agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable income tax credit for expenses incurred in the care of elderly family members. Sets such credit at 30 percent of the expenses incurred for taxpayers with incomes of $25,000 or less. Reduces the rate of such credit, but not below 20 percent, by one percent for each $2,000 of taxpayer income in excess of $25,000. Limits such credit to taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of less than $75,000. Imposes a maximum $7,000 limit on the amount of elderly care expenses that can be taken into account. Defines "qualified family member" as any individual who: (1) is related to the taxpayer by blood or marriage; (2) is at least 70 years of age (or diagnosed with senile dementia); and (3) has a family income of $15,000 or less. Defines "qualified elderly care expenses" as payments for: (1) home health agency services; (2) homemaker services; (3) adult day care; (4) respite care; or (5) certain health care equipment and supplies.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 1983
Hunters' Protection Act of 1983 - Amends the Federal criminal code to make it a Federal offense to obstruct or impede the participation of any person in a lawful hunt or hunting season. Provides for a fine of not more than $500 and/or imprisonment for not longer than 60 days or if violence or the destruction of property occurs a fine of not more than $5,000 and/or imprisonment for not more than five years.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 1983
Amends the Federal Power Act to provide that the charge for a license issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the use of Federal dams or other structures shall not exceed $1.00 per kilowatt of installed capacity and one-half mil per kilowatt-hour of energy produced. Prohibits any other charge by any other Federal agency for the use of such dams or structures. Provides that no charge shall be assessed for the use of a Federal dam or other structure by a licensee or other entity if, before the enactment of this Act, a Federal agency has entered into a contract with such licensee or entity providing that such licensee or entity may build a power plant using Federal irrigation facilities and will retain possession and ownership of the power plant and all revenues from such power plant.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 1983
Asset Indexing Act of 1983 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require an inflation adjustment, based on the gross national product deflator, to the adjusted basis of certain assets (corporate stock and real property held for more than one year which is a capital asset or property used in a trade or business) at the time of sale or exchange, solely for the purpose of determining gain or loss on such assets. Excludes from such treatment: (1) creditors' interests; (2) options; (3) net lease property in the case of a lessor; (4) preferred stock with fixed dividends; and (5) stock in small business corporations, personal holding companies, and certain foreign corporations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 1983
Child Protection Act of 1983 - Amends the Federal criminal code dealing with the sexual exploitation of children. Increases the penalties for the sexual exploitation of children from $10,000 to $100,000 and, on a subsequent conviction from $15,000 to $200,000. Prohibits the distribution involving the sexual exploitation of minors even if the material is not found to be "obscene." Eliminates the requirement that persons distributing such material in interstate commerce do so for purposes of sale. Raises the age of a minor to include any person under the age of eighteen. Redefines "sexually explicit conduct" to exclude simulated conduct when there is little or no possibility of harm to the minor and when there is redeeming social, literary, educational, scientific or artistic value. Permits authorization for the interception of wire or oral communications in the investigation of such offenses.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1983
Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to prohibit the President from making new agricultural products or byproducts eligible articles under the Generalized System of Preferences as of January 1, 1984. Declares that no agricultural products or byproducts which are like or directly competitive with U.S. products shall be eligible under the Generalized System of Preferences after January 1, 1985.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 1983
National Archives Foundation Act of 1983 - Authorizes the establishment of the National Archives Foundation as a nonprofit foundation incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia. States that such Foundation is not an entity of the U.S. Government. Requires the Foundation to be governed by a Board of Directors. Directs the Foundation to raise funds to support activities which increase understanding of U.S. history and the documents pertaining thereto. Authorizes the Foundation to accept and administer gifts. Requires the Foundation to report annually to: (1) the National Archives Trust Fund Board; (2) the Administrator of General Services; (3) the President; and (4) Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1983
Patent Term Restoration Act of 1983 - Amends the patent laws to extend the terms of patents which encompass specified products or a method for using a product, any of which are subject to certain nonpatent regulatory review periods. Sets forth the terms and conditions of such extension, including a seven year limitation. Directs the Commissioner of Patents to issue to the owner of record of a patent a certificate of extension stating the fact and length of the extension and identifying the product and the use and the claim to which such extension is applicable. Makes such certificate a part of the original patent. Limits the application of such patent term extension to patents for products subject to regulation under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Public Health Service Act, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, and the Act of March 4, 1913 (relating to virus, serum, toxin, and analogous products).
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1983
Amends the Clean Air Act to repeal the requirement that State implementation plans for meeting the national primary ambient air quality standard provide for periodic inspection and testing of motor vehicles.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that one-half of the cost of insurance paid by a self-employed taxpayer for medical care during the taxable year will be allowed as a business deduction.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1983
Inventory Simplification and Reform Tax Act of 1983 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the qualification requirement for the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method of accounting that a taxpayer use no inventory method for financial reporting or credit purposes other than the LIFO method. Allows a taxpayer who adopts the LIFO method to spread increases in taxable income attributable to such change over a ten-year period. Increases from $2,000,000 to $8,000,000 the average annual gross receipts a small business which uses the LIFO method may receive over a three year period in order to qualify for the election to use one inventory pool for any trade or business. Permits a wholesaler or retailer who uses such method to elect the use of inventory pools based on applicable Government price index categories for all items of inventory. Allows the use of such index categories in the pricing of inventories under such dollar-value methods. Allows an election to use a link chain or index method to compute the LIFO value of dollar-value pool without regard to suitability or practicality of any other method. Limits the amount of the LIFO benefit which is subject to recapture to the extent price increases do not exceed the rate of inflation. Allows an election by small businesses which are at least half-owned by active participants in the trade or business and which have average annual gross receipts of 2,000,000 or less for the three taxable years ending with the year of election to use the cash receipts and disbursements method of accounting without regard to any inventory requirements. Permits a taxpayer to reduce the value of a portion of excess inventory items held for more than 12 months. Sets forth a schedule for such reductions.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1983
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Health and Human Services should continue to review the social security disability program in order to ensure that disability benefits are not arbitrarily terminated.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 1983
Work Opportunities and Renewed Competition Act of 1983 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a taxpayer to elect to treat an excess investment tax credit as a reinvestment tax credit. Requires a taxpayer to forfeit any investment tax credit carryover if the taxpayer elects to take a reinvestment tax credit. Sets the amount of such reinvestment tax credit at 85 percent of the taxpayer's qualified investment in reinvestment credit property. Terminates such credit after 1984. Makes such reinvestment tax credit refundable. Requires the recapture of the reinvestment tax credit under specified circumstances. Sets forth rules relating to such recapture.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 1983
Secondary Mortgage Market Equity Act - Amends the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Act and the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act to set forth a formula for increasing the maximum mortgage limitation for a one- to four- family residence in certain areas where high prevailing housing sales prices have limited housing opportunities.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1983
Prohibits the United States Postal Service from conditioning the acceptance or delivery of, or level of service for, mail on the use of any ZIP code of more than five digits. Allows the Postal Service to establish different postage rates for mail bearing such a ZIP code.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 1983
Government Printing Office Pay Reform Act of 1983 - Requires the pay of Government Printing Office employees to be administered under the prevailing rate system and the General Schedule. Provides that employees who, upon enactment of this Act, hold positions for which the pay rates are determined by conference with the Public Printer or by appeal to the Joint Committee on Printing, shall, with specified exceptions, continue to receive basic pay at a rate not below the rate in effect immediately before enactment of this Act, plus any increase payable under the prevailing rate system or the General Schedule. Repeals the limitation on the number of apprentices that the Public Printer may employ at one time.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1983
Seasonal Agricultural Foreign Worker Act of 1983 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (The Act) to add to the classification of non-immigrant aliens those foreign workers who have no intention of abandoning a foreign residence, but come to the United States for seasonal agricultural employment for a maximum of eleven consecutive months. Prohibits the admission of an alien as a non- immigrant if such alien has violated the terms or conditions of a previous admission as a non-immigrant within the past five years. Directs the Attorney General to consult with the Secretaries of Agriculture and of Labor to establish an admissions program for nonimmigrant workers entering the United States for seasonal agricultural employment which does not exceed eleven consecutive months. Requires such program to impose monthly and annual quotas upon nonimmigrant visas by agricultural employment region. Subjects the availability of such visas to a specified preference system, based upon a certain allotment formula. States that the availability of a nonimmigrant visa is not predicated upon petitions from prospective employers within the United States. Specifies exceptions. States that nonimmigrant visas shall neither limit the type of agricultural work, nor the geographical area within which aliens may be employed. Requires the Attorney General to designate up to ten agricultural employment regions within the United States. Permits employers of agricultural workers to submit petitions to the Attorney General which specify the month and agricultural employment region concerned, as well as a breakdown of the type of work needed and the availability of domestic and foreign workers to do such work. Requires the Attorney General to prescribe quotas for nonimmigrant visas based upon such petitions and other specified factors. Permits agricultural employers to apply for an increase in nonimmigration visa quotas if they can establish an emergency need based upon certain factors. Requires the Attorney General to decide such applications within seventy-two hours of the completion of such application. Requires employers to apply to the Attorney General as a condition of eligibility to employ nonimmigrants. Requires the Attorney General to approve such applications unless certain findings are made after opportunity for a hearing. Limits an employer's disqualification to a maximum of five years. Authorizes the Attorney General to impose civil monetary penalties upon employers who have committed specified violations. Makes it unlawful to hire, recruit or refer for employment in the United States a nonimmigrant alien in the absence of an approved application for such employment. Details the penalties incurred for specified violations by employers and aliens. Denies any Federal financial assistance based on financial need to aliens admitted as nonimmigrants for seasonal agricultural employment. Requires the Attorney General to report to Congress semiannually on the program. States that this Act preempts any State or local law on the same subject. Prohibits the filing of petitions for preference status for aliens defined as seasonal agricultural foreign workers. Excludes from admission into the United States any such alien workers who are not: (1) continuously employed; or (2) actively seeking employment in the agricultural labor market. Precludes the time spent by aliens in a nonimmigrant status under this Act from being counted as part of the continuous residence requirement for suspended deportation. Bars such aliens from having their status adjusted to permanent resident. Amends titles II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) and XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Managing Trustee to pay into the Treasury estimated social security taxes related to the wages of nonimmigrant aliens employed under this Act. Requires such funds to be credited to: (1) the Department of State for the purpose of making lump-sum benefit payments to such nonimmigrant aliens; and (2) the Immigration and Naturalization Service for administration and enforcement of the program established by this Act. Amends the Social Security Act to require the lump-sum repayment to nonimmigrant aliens under this Act of taxes imposed upon their wages. States that both the application and payment of such benefits may be made only at the consulate nearest the alien's foreign residence after his or her return to it. Excludes from the definition of employment, for purposes of the Social Security Act, seasonal agricultural service performed by nonimmigrant aliens under this Act. Makes technical and conforming amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should negotiate with representatives of labor source countries to establish bilateral advisory commissions to advise the Attorney General regarding problems arising under this Act. Details circumstances under which the Attorney General must waive disciplinary proceedings or penalties against employers who have violated specified law during the first year this Act is enacted.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that losses attributable to disasters determined to warrant assistance under the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 shall be allowable as an income tax deduction without regard to whether they exceed ten percent of the adjusted gross income of the taxpayer.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 1983
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the changes in the Federal estate tax laws which were made by the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 are vital to the continuation of the family farm and small business, and should not be repealed or amended.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 1983
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the continuing possibility that the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code relating to withholding of tax from interest and dividends will be repealed is creating, for all payors, an undue hardship within the meaning of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982, and that the Secretary of the Treasury should exercise his authority under such Act to delay the effective date of such provisions until December 31, 1983.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the windfall profit tax an amount of crude oil equal to residual fuel oil used in tertiary recovery processes. Defines "residual fuel oil." Disallows a depletion deduction for such exempt oil.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1983
Expresses the support of the House of Representatives for Lebanon's and Israel's agreement on arrangements for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon. Calls upon other nations to work toward the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon. Emphasizes the need of all nations to recognize the sovereignty of Lebanon. Urges Syria and the Palestine Liberation Organization to agree to the arrangements for the withdrawal of their forces from Lebanon.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow income tax deductions for contributions to private foundations on the same basis as contributions to public charities (deductible up to 50 percent of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income). Redefines "lineal descendants" to include only children and grandchildren, for purposes of private foundation penalty tax rules dealing with substantial contributors. Provides that private foundation gifts to public charities do not forfeit their tax deductibility due to the disqualification of the charity's tax exemption if: (1) the gift is made before the Secretary of the Treasury publishes a notice of disqualification or before the foundation receives actual notice of disqualification; (2) and the foundation was not responsible for or aware of the charity's change in status. Exempts a private foundation from expenditure responsibility requirements if such foundation and all related foundations contribute no more than $15,000 in grants during a taxable year. Permits the Secretary to abate first tier penalty taxes on private foundations if it is determined that a violation of private foundation rules was due to a good faith error or omission and was corrected within the statutory correction period.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1983
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits any bill for borrowing money on the credit of the United States from being presented to the President, except in time of war, unless three-fifths of the House of Representatives and the Senate have passed it.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that tax-exempt interest shall not be taken into account in determining the amount of social security benefits subject to tax.
![Official portrait of Rep. Pashayan, Charles, Jr. [R-CA-17]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/p000097_200.jpg)