United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1991
Utah BLM Wilderness Act of 1991 - Title I: Designation of Wilderness - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin wilderness areas; (2) Zion and Mojave Desert wilderness areas; (3) the Grand Staircase Wilderness and the Kaiparowits Plateau Wilderness; (4) Escalante Canyon wilderness areas; (5) the Henry Mountains Wilderness; (6) the Dirty Devil River Wilderness; (7) Cedar Mesa wilderness areas; (8) Canyonlands wilderness areas; (9) San Rafael Swell wilderness areas; and (10) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin wilderness areas. Title II: Administrative Provisions - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to administer the wilderness areas designated under this Act. Reserves the Federal Government's rights to a quantity of water sufficient for each wilderness area designated by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States and the Soviet Union should lead an effort to promptly repeal United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 (equating Zionism with racism.)
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 1991
Amends the National School Lunch Act to make a private organization providing nonresidential day care services eligible for aid under the child care food program if at least 25 percent of the individuals it serves are eligible for free or reduced price lunches.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1991
Horn of Africa Recovery and Food Security Act of 1991 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to provide assistance for civil strife relief and rehabilitation in the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan). Amends the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 to authorize the President to provide supplemental emergency food assistance for civilian victims of civil strife in the Horn of Africa. Permits the President to transfer funds from unobligated amounts in the economic support fund (ESF) and military assistance to carry out this Act. Makes available a percentage of assistance for management support activities of the Agency for International Development. Requires the President to consult with other nations, armed and unarmed parties in the Horn of Africa, and the United Nations Secretary General to bring about negotiated settlements of the wars in the region. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should: (1) direct the U.S. representative to the United Nations to take specified steps with respect to peace and the implementation of an arms embargo in the region; (2) play an active role in other fora in pressing for settlements to such wars; and (3) participate in regional and international peace consultations. Declares that development assistance in the Horn of Africa should be targeted to aid the poor. States that U.S. Government aid institutions should seek to: (1) build upon the capabilities and experiences of organizations active in local grassroots relief, rehabilitation, and development efforts; (2) consult with such organizations and incorporate their views into the policymaking process; and (3) support the expansion of their activities without compromising their private nature. Declares that current legislative provisions that restrict assistance to Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan should be retained until concrete steps toward peace, democracy, and human rights are achieved. States that development assistance should be: (1) targeted to the voluntary relocation and repatriation of displaced persons and refugees; and (2) carried out in coordination with strategies for debt relief of countries in the region and with efforts to establish an International Fund for Reconstruction of developing nations which settle civil wars. Prohibits assistance appropriated under this Act from being available for involuntary or forced resettlement of persons. Prohibits development assistance to Ethiopia, Somalia, or Sudan unless the President certifies that the government of the country has: (1) begun to implement peace or national reconciliation agreements; (2) demonstrated a commitment to human rights; (3) manifested a commitment to democracy and has held or scheduled free and fair elections; and (4) agreed to distribute development assistance without discrimination. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. executive directors of the multilateral development banks to oppose any loan or other funds, except to meet basic human needs, to or for Ethiopia, Somalia, or Sudan until the President makes such certification. Prohibits ESF assistance, grant military assistance, or international military education and training assistance to Ethiopia, Somalia, or Sudan unless the President certifies that the government of the country has: (1) begun to implement peace or national reconciliation agreements; (2) demonstrated a commitment to human rights; and (3) held or scheduled free and fair elections.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1991
Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to exclude from the definition of "owner or operator," for purposes of limiting liability for releases of hazardous substances, a person who, without participating in the management of a vessel or facility, holds indicia of ownership primarily to protect a security interest in such vessel or facility. Defines "indicia of ownership" as an interest in a vessel or facility acquired either for: (1) securing payment of a loan or indebtedness or the performance of an obligation; or (2) protecting a security interest. Makes liable for any release or threatened release of a hazardous substance attributable to their activities: (1) any person who causes the transfer of a vessel or facility subject to a security interest; or (2) a fiduciary or trustee who acquires ownership or control of a vessel or facility. Makes conforming amendments to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1991
Civil Rights Amendments Act of 1991 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of affectional or sexual orientation. Provides that this Act shall not be construed to permit a finding of discrimination based on statistical differences or the fashioning of any remedy requiring a quota.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1991
Freedom of Information Public Access Improvement Act of 1991 - Title I: Amendments to the Freedom of Information Act - Amends the Freedom of Information Act to require each agency, with respect to requests for records, to maintain a log of such requests and responses. Requires each agency to organize and maintain its records in a manner to make them easily accessible and retrievable. Revises provisions regarding fees and waivers for processing such requests. Makes eligible for reasonable standard fees or charges the document duplication requests of a nonprofit organization that intends to make the information available to the news media, to any branch or agency of Federal, State, or local government, or to the public. Allows documents to be furnished without charge or at a reduced fee if: (1) the information relates to a violation of law, inefficiency, or administrative error by an agency; or (2) the waiver or fee reduction is in the public interest because the furnishing of the information primarily benefits the general public. Declares that for purposes of reduced fees or waived charges the publication, reproduction, resale, or other dissemination of information obtained by any person from an agency is not a commercial use. Authorizes the appropriate district court to assess monetary penalties against the United States for unwarranted failure to comply with time limits for answering requests. Revises provisions relating to sanctions for such agency noncompliance. Requires that copies of recommendations on disciplinary action for any Federal employee responsible for wrongful noncompliance be submitted additionally to the court and to the House Committee on Government Operations and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. (Currently, such report is submitted only to the agency and the employee or the employee-representative.) Requires each agency to expedite access to records if the requester demonstrates a compelling need. Requires agencies to include in regulations concerning information disclosure a detailed description of the procedure used to process requests. Includes as information exempt from disclosure: (1) matters which would cause identifiable damage to the national defense; and (2) matters in which the need to protect the information outweighs the public interest. Changes the disclosure exemption for internal personnel rules and practices to an exemption for law enforcement manuals that are internal in nature to the extent that disclosure would risk circumvention of an agency investigation, a regulation, or a statute. Revises the exemption for financial reports by prohibiting disclosure if it would directly injure the financial stability of an institution. Directs each agency to make available to the public a complete list of all statutes determined to authorize the agency to withhold information under the disclosure exemption. Requires each agency, upon notification of the introduction of any bill or resolution constituting authority for that agency to withhold information, to notify the House Committee on Government Operations and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Prohibits the withholding of information in order to conceal violations of law, inefficiency, or administrative error. Directs the Archivist of the United States to supervise compliance with the Freedom of Information Act. Changes the date of the annual report by agencies under such Act to December 1. Revises information to be included in such report to conform to amendments made by this Act. Directs the Archivist of the United States to submit an annual report on or before December 1 on activities under the Freedom of Information Act. (Currently, the Attorney General makes such annual report on March 1.) Title II: Recovery of Wrongfully Removed Agency Files - Authorizes any person to commence a civil action to recover agency records removed in violation of law.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Medicaid Breast and Cervical Cancer Amendments of 1991 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require States to provide Medicaid coverage of: (1) screening mammograms for women who are at least 35, but under 65, years of age according to frequency guidelines similar to those imposed by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 under the Medicare program (title XVIII of the Social Security Act); and (2) screening pap smears. Provides for Federal assumption of 100 percent of the cost of providing such screening services.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 to declare that a foreign principal shall be considered to control a person in major part if: (1) such principal holds more than 50 percent of equitable ownership in such person; or (2) such principal, subject to rebuttal evidence, holds at least 20 percent but not more than 50 percent of equitable ownership in such person. Requires agents of foreign principals who have filed registration statements to file supplements to such statements with the Attorney General on January 31 and July 31 of each year. Authorizes agents with accounting systems using different fiscal years to petition the Attorney General to permit the filing of statements at the close of the first and seventh month of such fiscal year in lieu of the required dates. Provides that the exemption from the foreign agent registration requirement for individuals providing legal representation for a foreign principal before a U.S. agency shall apply only to representation before the Patent and Trademark Office. Imposes civil penalties upon persons who have: (1) failed to file registration statements; or (2) omitted a material fact or made false statements on registration statements. Authorizes the Attorney General to serve civil investigative demands on persons in control of material relevant to investigations concerning violations of registration requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Mickey Leland Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention and Parenthood Act of 1991 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to replace the title on adolescent family life demonstration projects with a title on adolescent pregnancy prevention, care, and research grants. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to provide, supplement, or improve the quality of care services to pregnant adolescents and their male partners and adolescent parents and prevention services to nonpregnant adolescents. Requires grantees to charge fees for services only under a fee schedule, approved by the Secretary, based on the income of the person and taking into account the difficulty adolescents face in obtaining resources to pay for services. Prohibits discrimination because of an individual's inability to pay for services. Sets forth priorities in making grants, including giving priority to applicants that: (1) serve an area with a high incidence of adolescent pregnancy; and (2) serve an area with a high proportion of low-income families and low availability of care programs. Requires that the amount of a grant be set by the Secretary. Limits a grant, subject to waiver for one year, to 75 percent of the cost of a program. Specifies the information and assurances which must accompany a grant application. Directs the Secretary to coordinate Federal policies and programs providing services relating to the prevention of initial and recurrent adolescent pregnancies and providing care services, including by requiring grantees under these provisions to report concerning Federal, State, and local policies that interfere with delivery and coordination of programs of care for pregnant adolescents and adolescent parents. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to institutions of higher education to support and disseminate the results of research relating to adolescent pregnancy. Limits grants or contracts to: (1) one year, subject to renewal for four additional one-year periods; and (2) subject to waiver, a specified dollar amount. Allows funds to be used for descriptive or explanatory surveys, evaluation studies, longitudinal studies, or limited programs for services that are for the purpose of increasing knowledge and understanding of specified matters. Directs the Secretary to establish a system for the review of grant and contract applications which is similar to the system of scientific peer review of the National Institutes of Health. Allows grants only to programs determined by the review panel to have scientific merit. Authorizes appropriations, earmarking at least two-thirds of appropriated funds for services, with no more than one-third of those amounts used for grants for prevention services. Prohibits using grant funds for the performance of an abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Medicaid AIDS and HIV Amendments of 1991 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow each State to provide Medicaid coverage of HIV-related services for individuals who have the HIV virus and an abnormally low immune function that places them at risk of contracting opportunistic diseases or life-threatening conditions related to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and whose income and resources do not exceed the maximum amounts allowed under the State Medicaid program for disabled individuals. Allows States to provide Medicaid home and community-based services to children who have the HIV virus and an abnormally low immune function for which medical intervention is indicated to prevent hospitalization. Applies the same income and resource eligibility standards as would apply if such children were hospitalized. Includes as federally-qualified health centers an entity receiving a grant under the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act of 1990 for the provision of early intervention services to individuals who have the HIV virus. Authorizes States to provide Medicaid coverage of the early intervention services provided by federally qualified health centers under such grant program to low-income individuals who have the HIV virus. Authorizes a Health and Human Services residential care facility demonstration program for certain Medicaid-eligible individuals who have the HIV virus and need housing or attendant care to allow them to remain at home.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Information Dissemination and Research Accountability Act - Establishes in the National Library of Medicine a National Center for Research Accountability to assist in eliminating duplication of effort in Federal research proposals involving live animals. Prohibits Federal agencies from carrying out or funding any research proposal involving live animals unless the proposal is submitted to the Center following agency approval. Prohibits Federal funding of any proposal the Center determines would duplicate other research completed or in process. Authorizes the Center to contract with private entities to assist in conducting comprehensive full-text literature searches. Directs the Center to report annually to the President and the Congress. Provides for modernization of biomedical information storage and dissemination by the National Library of Medicine. Authorizes the Library to award contracts to the private-sector data recording industry to improve: (1) the development of technologies for storage and dissemination of full-text biomedical information; and (2) dissemination of such information to medical libraries for research use. Requires the Library to report annually to the Congress on its progress. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Medicaid Child Health Amendments of 1991 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to permit States to provide Medicaid coverage to all children who have attained age six but not age 19 and whose family income does not exceed 185 percent of the Federal poverty level. (Currently, States are required to cover only certain children between such ages, and only those whose family income does not exceed 133 percent of the Federal poverty level.) Permits States to provide an additional 12 months (currently, 12 months total) of extended Medicaid coverage to families whose AFDC eligibility ends due to the caretaker relative's employment. Requires States which provide prospective Medicaid payments to hospitals to reimburse hospitals which serve a disproportionate share of low-income patients for exceptionally costly or lengthy stays by children up to age 19. Directs States to provide Medicaid coverage for disabled children under age 19 but who are not eligible for benefits under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act. Prohibits the discontinuance of the Medicaid benefits of a child under age 19 until he or she is determined to be ineligible for such benefits on any basis. Allows States to extend Medicaid coverage to: (1) foster care children under age 19 whose incomes are above State cash assistance eligibility levels but below the Federal poverty level; and (2) migratory agricultural workers and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Medicaid Infant Mortality Amendments of 1991 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require mandatory State coverage of pregnant women and infants whose family income is below 185 percent of the Federal poverty level. Provides 100 percent Federal financing of the costs of services to pregnant women and infants whose family income is between 133 and 185 percent of the Federal poverty level. Prohibits application of resource testing to pregnant women and infants. Authorizes States to provide Medicaid coverage of home visitation services with respect to high-risk infants. Provides for flexibility in determining the limitation on Federal payments to States for Medicaid services provided to pregnant women and infants. Requires States to include in their Medicaid benefit packages primary health services for residents of public housing provided by an entity which meets the requirements to receive a grant under the Public Health Service Act to fund the provision of such services.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Used Oil Recycling Act of 1991 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to prohibit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from listing or identifying as a hazardous waste any: (1) recycled oil; (2) used oil transferred to a person who certifies that such oil will be rerefined, processed, or reclaimed for a beneficial purpose or stored less than 12 months prior to such transfer; and (3) used oil which has been removed from the engine of a light duty motor vehicle or household appliance by the owner, transferred to a service station dealer, and stored by the dealer for less than 12 months. Requires the Administrator to determine whether to list as a hazardous waste used oil which is a solid waste and does not satisfy the above-listed criteria. Directs the Administrator to establish management standards for the storage, testing, transportation, treatment, exportation and importation, and processing of used oil. Requires such standards to be designed to protect human health and the environment by encouraging and expanding reliance on recycling of used oil. Exempts generators of used oil from recordkeeping or reporting requirements if such generators: (1) enter into an agreement for delivery of such oil to a recycling facility whose owner or operator certifies compliance with such standards or recycles such oil; (2) do not mix the oil with any hazardous wastes; and (3) maintain necessary records relating to the oil. Prohibits mixing used oil with any hazardous waste identified under such Act except where: (1) such mixing involves an identified hazardous waste and the resulting mixture does not exhibit a characteristic identified in such Act; and (2) the used oil mixture is burned to recover useful energy such that protection of human health and the environment is assured. Deems owners or operators of facilities which process used oil for fuel to have permits for recycling activities if in compliance with management standards. Directs the Administrator to conduct inspections of such facilities to determine compliance with such standards. Requires the Administrator to implement educational programs to inform the public about the environmental and safety hazards associated with improper handling of used oil and the benefits of used oil recycling. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Administrator to promulgate regulations concerning the procurement of used oil fuel by Federal agencies subject to the requirements of the Solid Waste Disposal Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Savings and Investment Incentive Act of 1991 - Title I: Retirement Savings Incentives - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to remove the limitations on deductions for individual retirement plans and provides a cost-of-living adjustment for deductible amounts. Establishes special individual retirement accounts that are nondeductible. Makes such accounts nontaxable if earnings on contributions are held for at least five years. Applies the early withdrawal penalty to distributions made before the end of the five year-period. Title II: Penalty-Free Distributions - Provides exemptions from the ten-percent penalty on early withdrawals from individual retirement plans for: (1) first home purchases; (2) higher education expenses; and (2) financially devastating medical expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that, to the extent of their involvement in the Kuwaiti reconstruction program, the President, the Secretary of Commerce, and other specified officials should: (1) solicit and provide information and assistance to small and disadvantaged, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses interested in participating in the Kuwaiti reconstruction program; (2) encourage private business concerns of the United States who are awarded contracts; and (3) encourage the Kuwaiti Government to award a significant number of contracts to such businesses of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1991
Prohibits the shipment in interstate or foreign commerce of steel jaw leghold traps and of articles of fur derived from animals trapped in such traps. Prescribes criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to reward nongovernment informers for information leading to a conviction under this Act. Empowers enforcement officials to detain, search, and seize suspected merchandise or documents and to make arrests with and without warrants. Subjects seized merchandise to forfeiture.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1991
Disaster Relief Employment Act of 1991 - Amends the Job Training Partnership Act to provide emergency disaster relief employment assistance for humanitarian assistance for disaster victims and the reconstruction of areas affected by natural disasters. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1991
Jobs Corps Amendments of 1991 - Amends the Job Training Partnership Act (the Act) to revise provisions for the Job Corps. Raises the maximum age limit for Job Corps enrollees from 22 to 25, and repeals authority to waive the age limitation for handicapped individuals. Declares that nothing in the Act prohibits participation of Job Corps participants in Training Services programs for the disadvantaged. Increases from ten to 20 percent the maximum percentage of Job Corps enrollees who may be nonresident participants in any year. Gives priority as such nonresidential participants to single parents with dependent children. Prohibits any Department of Labor funds from being used to carry out any contract with a nongovernmental entity to administer or manage a Civilian Conservation Center of the Job Corps on public land. Directs the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) to provide child care at or near Job Corps centers for the children of Job Corps participants. Requires each Job Corps Center to provide alcohol or drug abuse counseling and referral to related prevention services for enrollees. Directs the Secretary to provide all nonprofit Job Corps contractors with an equitable and negotiated management fee of not less than one percent of the contract amount.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1991
Visual Pollution Control Act of 1991 - Authorizes (current law requires) reduction of Federal highway funds by up to five (currently, equal to ten) percent of apportioned funds for States that have not made provision for effective control of outdoor signs, displays, or devices (advertising) along Federal-aid highways. Requires, as part of effective control, that: (1) each State maintain an annual inventory of such advertising, identify such advertising as illegal, nonconforming, or conforming under State law, and assure that any prohibited advertising shall be removed; and (2) no State allow or undertake any vegetation removal or other alteration of the highway right-of-way to improve visibility of such advertising or permit modification of nonconforming advertising to improve its visibility or prolong its useful life. Prohibits any new advertising from being erected under Federal highway provisions after October 1, 1991, and treats advertising erected between such date and the effective date of this Act as nonconforming. Sets forth provisions with respect to the removal and acquisition of advertising and Federal participation in costs incurred by the State for such removal. Bars outdoor advertising by Federal agencies on public lands (excluding Indian lands and reservations) that fail to conform to regulations issued by the Federal agency with jurisdiction over, or responsibility for, such land. Requires such regulations to be at least as stringent as the requirements of the State in which the land is located.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1991
Peace, Democracy and Development in El Salvador Act of 1991 - Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States shall use diplomacy to encourage the Government of El Salvador and the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) to: (1) participate in good-faith negotiations to achieve a cease-fire and permanent settlement of the conflict in El Salvador; (2) adhere to the terms of agreements signed in Geneva, Switzerland, Caracas, Venezuela, and San Jose, Costa Rica; and (3) support the role of the Secretary General of the United Nations in advancing proposals on the outstanding issues defined in the Caracas accords to resolve the conflict. Withholds from El Salvador unobligated military assistance for FY 1991 and prior fiscal years and military assistance allocated for FY 1992 and 1993 until the Congress enacts a joint resolution authorizing the provision of such assistance and the President reports to the Congress that: (1) those responsible for ordering and carrying out, or obstructing the investigation into, the November 1989 murders of certain priests and civilians have been apprehended and brought to justice; (2) internationally recognized workers' rights have been extended to Salvadoran workers; (3) the El Salvadoran Government has pursued legal avenues to bring to trial and obtain verdicts for those responsible for the murders of Archbishop Romero and certain land reformers and for the bombings of the FENASTRAS headquarters; (4) the El Salvadoran Government is complying with international standards of respect for humanitarian and medical workers; (5) steps have been taken to place the El Salvadoran military under the control of the civilian government; (6) the El Salvadoran Government is negotiating to achieve a cease-fire and a settlement of the conflict and has not rejected a plan for the settlement of the conflict put forth by the United Nations Secretary General; and (7) the El Salvadoran Government, through its military and security forces, has not engaged in assassinations of, or acts of violence against, civilians and has not failed to control such activities by elements subject to the control of such forces. Prohibits funding for: (1) the stationing of U.S. military personnel in El Salvador as trainers or advisors to the El Salvadoran armed forces; and (2) the financing of covert operations in El Salvador or for covert military assistance to the El Salvadoran Government. Establishes the Demobilization, Transition, and Reconstruction Fund to assist with the cost of monitoring a permanent settlement of the conflict, the demobilization of combatants in the conflict and their transition to peaceful pursuits, and the reconstruction of El Salvador. Makes the Fund available only upon the President's notification to the Congress that the El Salvadoran Government and the FMLN have reached a permanent settlement to the conflict. Requires the President, upon notification of a permanent settlement or on September 30, 1992, if no notification has occurred prior to such date, to transfer withheld military assistance to the Fund. Prohibits economic support fund (ESF) assistance from being obligated as balance-of-payments or cash assistance for El Salvador. Makes ESF assistance for El Salvador available only for projects for child nutrition, health, clean water, basic education, agrarian reform, and other human needs of the people of El Salvador. Requires such assistance to be used only for programs implemented solely by civilian agencies. Subjects ESF assistance for El Salvador to reprogramming notifications under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should be commended for his commitment to peace in the Middle East and should seek negotiations to achieve: (1) a regional arms control agreement; (2) a regional security agreement; (3) a regional economic development program; (4) the creation of a Palestinian homeland; and (5) a treaty or other understanding between the United States and Israel that would guarantee the security of Israel and its borders.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the President, the Secretary of Commerce, and specified other officials should cooperate in providing assistance to U.S. small businesses seeking to become involved in the rebuilding of Kuwait; (2) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration should conduct a public information campaign to advise U.S. small and minority businesses about becoming involved in such rebuilding; (3) U.S. companies that have been awarded contracts pertaining to such rebuilding should seek to subcontract with U.S. small and minority businesses; and (4) all businesses that have been awarded such contracts should seek to hire veterans of the armed forces.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Higher Education Technical Amendments of 1991 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to eliminate references to "ability-to-benefit" students in definitions of vocational school (for purposes of the Stafford loan program), proprietary institution and postsecondary institution (for purposes of all student assistance under HEA), and institution of higher education (for purposes of HEA in general). Eliminates "ability-to-benefit" provisions. Requires independent testing of students who are not high school graduates, for purposes of eligibility for any grant, loan, or work assistance under HEA student assistance provisions. Eliminates any statute of limitations for collection of student loan repayments or grant overpayments under HEA student assistance provisions. Directs the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to waive or modify any statutory or regulatory provision applicable to HEA student assistance programs to ensure that those serving on active duty in connection with Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm: (1) are not placed in a worse position financially in relation to their Stafford or Perkins loans because of such service; (2) have administrative burdens eased and avoid inadvertent technical defaults with respect to student loans under HEA title IV; and (3) do not have their future eligibility for Pell Grants reduced by the amount of assistance awarded for the instruction period they were unable to complete because of such service. Directs the Secretary to publish notice of such waivers or modifications. Expresses the sense of the Congress that all institutions offering postsecondary education should provide at least a pro rata refund or credit for tuition and fees for that portion of an instruction period that any Armed Force or Reserve member was unable to complete because of active duty service in connection with Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm. Directs the Secretary to: (1) encourage institutions to provide such refunds or credits; and (2) report to the appropriate congressional committees on their actions, including information received regarding any institutions not providing such refunds or credits. Terminates on September 30, 1997, provisions of this Act relating to Operation Desert Shield or Storm student assistance waiver authority and tuition refunds or credits. Amends the Adult Education Act (AEA) to provide for education programs for commercial drivers. Authorizes the Secretary to make competitive matching grants for adult education programs which increase the literacy skills of eligible commercial drivers so that they may successfully complete the knowledge test requirements under the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986. Requires grantees to refer individuals identified as having literacy skills problems to appropriate adult education programs. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1991 through 1993 for such grants. Directs the Secretary to treat the University of Detroit Mercy of Detroit, Michigan, as an eligible institution under part A (Strengthening Institutions) of title III (Institutional Aid) of HEA for purposes of assistance to institutions under other programs.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Emergency Supplemental Assistance for Israel Act of 1991 - Authorizes emergency supplemental appropriations for FY 1991 for economic support fund assistance for Israel for costs resulting from the Persian Gulf conflict. Designates such funds as emergency requirements pursuant to the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act).
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Universal Health Care Act of 1991 - Amends the Social Security Act to add a new title XXI (National Health Insurance) to establish a national, single-payer health insurance program under which every U.S. citizen would be eligible for enrollment. Allows individuals to choose their own health care providers from among those providers participating in the program. Provides for comprehensive health care under the program with the following benefits provided without any payment of coinsurance or deductibles: (1) inpatient hospital services; (2) nursing facility services; (3) home health services; (4) hospice care; (5) medical care; (6) prescription drugs and biologicals; (7) preventive health services; (8) home and community-based services; (9) mental health care; and (10) such other medical or health care items or services as the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines to be appropriate. Incorporates into the National Health Care program various practice guidelines and trust fund administrative provisions under the Medicare program (title XVIII of the Social Security Act) as well as Medicare-related provisions in titles XI and II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Act, including those provisions relating to outcomes of research and peer review under title XI and administration of OASDI and Medicare trust funds under title II. Outlines provisions regarding payments to providers. Provides monthly payments to hospitals and nursing homes on the basis of prospective global budgets established annually after review by the State advisory board and approval by the designated government agency. Provides payment to physicians and other health care professionals according to fee schedules established by the Secretary and adjusted by geographic region. Provides payment for health care (including hospice care) furnished outside of a hospital or nursing home on the basis of either global budgets or fee schedules, or instead on the basis of another prospective payment method (including capitation) which has been approved and reviewed as appropriate. Restricts payments to Federal health care services providers. Requires health care providers to accept payments under the program for items and services as payment in full. Changes the functions of the Prospective Payment Assessment Commission and the Physician Payment Review Commission (renamed the Professional Payment Review Commission) to require such bodies to instead furnish advice to the Secretary, concerning the global budgets of hospitals and nursing homes and fee schedules of physicians and other health care professionals. Creates the Long-Term Care Payment Review Commission and the General Health Care Payment Review Commission to furnish advice to the Secretary concerning the payment mechanism for health care (including hospice care) furnished outside of hospitals or nursing homes and fee schedules for services which have not been described above. Requires all such bodies to report annually to the Congress and the Secretary on the modification of various payment systems described above to meet its objectives. Sets forth administrative provisions. Requires administration of the program at the national level by the Secretary. Allows States to administer the program at the State level. Requires the Secretary to establish a national health budget and State health budgets specifying the amount to be spent per calendar year for health care and how revenues from the National Health Trust Fund will be used under the program. Indexes the national budget each year according to corresponding increases in the gross national product. Establishes expenditure targets to control the growth of health care costs. Requires the national budget to set aside separate amounts for capital expenses and direct medical education and to specify the manner of division among the States. Creates advisory boards representing both consumers and health care providers to advise on the implementation of the program at the national and State levels. Authorizes the Secretary or State to enter into contracts with qualified entities to process claims. Allows only one contract per State. Requires the Secretary to establish applicable reporting systems for the program. Establishes the National Health Trust Fund to finance this Act's initiatives with revenues from: (1) specified tax increases outlined below; (2) hospital insurance taxes imposed on additional State and local government employees and additional changes made to the Internal Revenue Code over time to fund the program; (3) long-term care/health care premiums imposed on elderly individuals who do not have low incomes; (4) State payments determined according to a specified formula tied to corresponding increases in the gross national product; and (5) amounts remaining in the trust funds supporting the Medicare program after the settlement of claims for payment under Medicare has been completed and amounts applicable to Medicare and OASDI trust fund provisions incorporated into the National Health Care program resulting from gifts and bequests, investments, and overpayments. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase personal and corporate income taxes, employer hospital insurance taxes, and the amount of social security benefits subject to income taxation; (2) repeal the limitation on the amount of wages subject to employee and employer hospital insurance taxes; and (3) expand the category of employees subject to hospital insurance taxes as described above. Terminates the Medicare and Medicaid (title XIX of the Social Security Act) programs, Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services, and the Department of Veterans Affairs health benefits and medical care program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Immunization Now Act of 1991 - Entitles each infant in the United States under two years old, who does not have other health insurance and who meets other requirements, to receive immunizations without charge. Requires any licensed health care professional to provide immunizations in exchange for vouchers issued through hospitals or community health centers or on direct application by the parent, with quarterly reimbursements to health care providers in amounts set by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Directs the Secretary to carry out activities to inform the public and health care providers regarding the program. Authorizes appropriations. Establishes a national immunization registry system to provide for national surveillance of childhood immunization status through age six. Mandates grants for research and demonstration projects to identify mechanisms and structures to develop the registry. Authorizes appropriations. Requires certain measures in expanding the registry from the projects to cover the Nation, including developing: (1) the capacity to link and process all birth certificate records through a central registry; and (2) mechanisms to collect information on all doses of vaccine administered to pre-school age children. Authorizes appropriations. Requires full implementation of the registry by FY 1995, including registration of all infants born in the United States and collection of information on all doses of vaccines administered to children under six. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
National African-American Museum Act - Establishes within the Smithsonian Institution the National African-American Museum to be operated as a center and location for education, research, events, and collection and display of items and materials relating to the historical, cultural, economic, political, and other aspects of the scope of experiences of African-Americans. Requires the Board of Trustees of the National African-American Museum to report to the Congress and the President annually on its activities and operations. Directs the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to: (1) provide for design and construction of the Musuem in Washington, D.C.; (2) establish a National Trust for African-American Museums within the Museum; (3) establish an affiliate program for other museums and institutions; and (4) in its own discretion, provide for cooperative research and other promotional activities with specified museums and study centers for African-American history and culture. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Illegal Dumping Prevention Act of 1991 - Amends the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 to authorize the seizure and forfeiture of vessels illegally dumping wastes into ocean waters.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Joint Manufacturing Opportunities Act of 1991 - Declares that the conduct of any individual in making or performing a contract to carry out a flexible manufacturing network shall not be deemed illegal per se under the antitrust laws, but rather shall be judged on its reasonableness considering all relevant factors affecting competition. Defines "flexible manufacturing network" (FMN) as any group of activities, including attempting to make, making, or performing a contract, carried out by two or more persons for the purpose of: (1) purchasing raw materials, services, or facilities to jointly manufacture and distribute a product; (2) collecting and sharing information on production costs and manufacturing capacity necessary to prepare a bid to sell a product jointly manufactured by such persons, or information applicable to the marketing of such product; or (3) sharing information on manufacturing and distribution capacity for the purpose of jointly manufacturing and distributing such product. Excludes activities not reasonably required to carry out a flexible manufacturing network. Limits recovery under the Clayton Act to actual damages (for private suits), the total damage sustained (in suits by States), interest calculated at a specified rate, and costs, including a reasonable attorney's fee, if such claim results from conduct that is within the scope of a notification that has been filed under this Act for an FMN and is filed after such notification becomes effective. Specifies that interest shall be awarded on the damages involved for the period between the date of injury and the date of judgment, unless the court finds that such award is unjust under the circumstances. Limits recovery under this Act if the challenged conduct of a person defending against a claim is not in violation of any decree or order entered or issued after the effective date of this Act. Provides for the award of costs and attorney's fees. Establishes procedures for the filing of a notice with the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission of a written agreement to carry out an FMN disclosing: (1) the identities of the parties; and (2) the nature and objectives of such FMN. Exempts specified information from disclosure. Provides for: (1) publication of such notice in the Federal Register; (2) withdrawal of notice; and (3) judicial review of any action by the Attorney General or the Commission with respect to notification filed under this Act. Restricts the admissibility of information disclosed or published under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Directs the Secretary of Education to make a grant to Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, to establish the Margaret Walker Alexander National African-American Research Center on its campus in recognition of, and to commemorate, the literary contributions of Margaret Walker Alexander. Requires the application for the grant to ensure that the Center will serve as a national center for the study, research, and teaching of African-American literature and history, and as a repository for papers and memorabilia relating to the lives of individuals noted for their work in African-American literature and history. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1991.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Women's Health and Mental Health Research Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish in the Office of the Administrator of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA) the Office of Research on Women's Health and Mental Health (Office) to ensure that women's health and mental health research is identified and addressed by ADAMHA. Establishes in the Office the Coordinating Committee for Research on Women's Health and the Advisory Committee for Research on Women's Health. Requires that the Administrator establish: (1) a single data system for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information regarding women's health and mental health research, including a registry of clinical trials of experimental treatments; and (2) a program to provide information on women's health and mental health research. Provides for grants or contracts for the development and operation of Centers of Excellence in Women's Health and Mental Health Research using a single institution or a consortium for each Center. Provides, subject to appropriations, for three centers, with support covering five years. Allows extension of support if recommended by a technical and scientific peer review group. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Women's Health Research Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish within the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) the Office of Research on Women's Health (Office) to ensure that women's health research is identified and addressed by NIH. Establishes in the Office the Coordinating Committee for Research on Women's Health and the Advisory Committee for Research on Women's Health. Mandates that the Director of the Office prepare and annually review a plan for establishing a program for clinical research on obstetrics and gynecology to be conducted by the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHHD). Requires the NICHHD Director to establish a program of contracts with individuals who agree to conduct obstetrics and gynecology research in return for the Federal Government paying, to a specified maximum, the educational loans of the individuals. Requires the NIH Director to establish a single data system for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information regarding women's health research conducted or supported by NIH, including a registry of clinical trials of experimental treatments. Requires the NIH Director to establish and operate a program to provide information on research and prevention activities relating to women's health research. Provides for grants or contracts for the development and operation of Centers of Excellence in Women's Health Research using a single institution or a consortium for each Center. Provides, subject to appropriations, for three centers, with support covering five years. Allows extension of support if recommended by a technical and scientific peer review group. Authorizes appropriations for specified provisions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the luxury excise tax parts for accessories installed for use of passenger vehicles by disabled individuals.
![Official portrait of Rep. Payne, Donald M. [D-NJ-10]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/p000149_200.jpg)