United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1999
Commends Emir Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah of Kuwait for his commitment to Kuwaiti womens' right to vote and run for public office, as reflected in his decision of May 16, 1999, to grant such right. Congratulates the Kuwaiti women for this achievement. Urges: (1) the Kuwaiti Parliament to support this landmark decision; and (2) President Clinton to support further democratic development in the Persian Gulf region.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1999
National Discovery Trails Act of 1999 - Amends the National Trails System Act to provide for the establishment, as components of the National Trails System, of national discovery trails which shall be extended, continuous interstate trails located so as to provide for outdoor recreation and travel and to connect representative examples of America's trails and communities. Requires the appropriate Secretary for each national discovery trail to administer the trail in cooperation with a competent trailwide nonprofit organization. Prohibits a trail from being considered feasible and desirable for designation as a national discovery trail unless it: (1) links to one or more areas within the boundaries of a metropolitan area and joins with other trails, tying the National Trails System to significant recreation and resources areas; (2) is supported by a competent trailwide volunteer-based organization and has extensive local and trailwide support by the public, user groups, and affected State and local governments; and (3) extends and passes through more than one State and, at a minimum, is a continuous, walkable route. Requires the responsible Secretary, within three complete fiscal years after enactment of legislation designating a national discovery trail, to submit to specified congressional committees a comprehensive plan: (1) for the protection, management, development, and use of the Federal portions of the trail; and (2) for technical assistance to States, local governments, and private landowners, as requested, for non-Federal portions of the trail. Designates as a national discovery trail the 6,000-mile American Discovery Trail which shall extend from Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware to Point Reyes National Seashore in California, traveling northern and southern routes from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Denver, Colorado.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1999
Safety Net Preservation Act of 1999 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to establish a new prospective payment system for federally-qualified health centers and rural health clinics.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1999
Resolves that the House of Representatives: (1) condemns the attacks against three Jewish places of worship in the Sacramento, California, area on June 18, 1999; (2) commends the citizens from California and across the country who have provided moral support to Sacramento's Jewish community and who have offered money, labor, books, and other materials to help rebuild the three synagogues; (3) supports all Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies' efforts to bring the perpetrators of these attacks to justice; and (4) reaffirms its commitment to a society that fully respects and protects all places of worship and reaffirms the right of individuals of all religious convictions freely to practice their religion.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1999
History of the House Awareness and Preservation Act - Directs the Librarian of Congress to: (1) prepare a new and complete written history of the U.S. House of Representatives; (2) in preparing the history, consult, commission, or engage the services or participation of eminent historians and Members or former Members of the House; (3) arrange for the printing of the history and the dissemination of excerpts of the history over the Internet; (4) make the history available for sale to the public; and (5) make available, free of charge, a limited number of copies to each Member of the House of Representatives and to the Senate. Sets forth guidelines for the history. Authorizes the Librarian to solicit and accept private funding for the publication, marketing, and public distribution of the history. Directs the Librarian to accept for deposit, preserve, maintain, and make accessible, an oral history of the House as told by its Members and former Members, compiled and updated (on a voluntary or contract basis) by the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress or other outside organization. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) orientation programs for freshman Members of the House should contain a seminar on the history of the House; and (2) the Speaker of the House should conduct a series of forums on the topic of such history.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that all people in the United States should reach out across our differences in ethnicity, race, and religion to respect each other and to celebrate, in friendship and unity, one America.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 1999
Code of Conduct on Arms Transfers Act of 1999 - Prohibits U.S. military assistance and arms transfers to a foreign government unless the President certifies to Congress that such government: (1) meets specified conditions regarding democracy, including that it was chosen by free and fair elections and promotes civilian control of the military, the rule of law, and respect for individual rights; (2) does not engage in human rights violations, investigates and prosecutes those responsible for human rights violations, permits access to political prisoners by international organizations, and provides access to such organizations in situations of conflict or famine; (3) is not engaged in acts of armed aggression in violation of international law; and (4) is participating in the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms. Authorizes the President to request from Congress an exemption from such prohibition, stating that: (1) it is in the national security interest to provide military assistance and arms transfers to a government; or (2) an emergency exists under which it is vital to the U.S. interest to do so. Makes the exemption effective upon such request, unless disapproved by Congress. Directs the President to: (1) compile a list of countries that do not meet the requirements of this Act; (2) notify the governments participating in the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual Use Goods and Technologies, done at Vienna, July 11 and 12, 1996, that the listed countries are ineligible to receive U.S. arms sales and military assistance; and (3) request that the notified countries also declare the listed countries as ineligible for arms sales and military assistance. Requires the President to continue efforts through the United Nations and other international fora, such as the Wassenaar Arrangement, to limit arms transfers worldwide, particularly transfers to the listed countries, for the purpose of establishing a permanent multilateral regime to govern the transfer of conventional arms. Directs the President, in conjunction with the submission of the annual congressional presentation documents for foreign assistance programs, to report to Congress on progress made toward establishing such regime.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1999
Bear Protection Act of 1999 - Prohibits any person from: (1) importing bear viscera into, or exporting it from, the United States; or (2) selling bear viscera, bartering, offering it for sale or barter, or purchasing, possessing, transporting, delivering, or receiving it in interstate or foreign commerce. Subjects persons who violate such prohibitions to specified penalties. Waives such prohibition for wildlife law enforcement purposes where a valid permit has been issued. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of State to discuss issues involving such trade with the appropriate representatives of countries that are the leading importers, exporters, or consumers of such products. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to report to Congress on the progress of efforts to end illegal trade in bear viscera.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1999
Young American Workers' Bill of Rights - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to revise and increase requirements relating to child labor standards, including: (1) reporting, recordkeeping, and certification; (2) orders and regulations; (3) penalties; (4) coverage regardless of sales volume; (5) civil actions; and (6) migrant or seasonal agricultural labor. Directs the Secretary of Labor to: (1) compile (jointly with the Census Bureau) annual child labor data with respect to individuals under age 18; (2) provide for coordination among enforcement personnel for Federal and State labor standards, occupational health and safety laws, and Federal immigration laws; (3) establish an Advisory Committee for Child Labor; and (4) publicize violators of child labor laws. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1999
Requires any amounts appropriated for a representational allowance for a Member of the House of Representatives which remain after all payments are made under such allowance to be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction or, in fiscal years for which there is no Federal budget deficit, to reduce the Federal debt.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1999
Directs the Secretary of State to report to the appropriate congressional committees on: (1) formal commitments the Palestinian Authority has made to combat terrorism; (2) terrorist attacks that have occurred, between October 1, 1992, and the date of the report, against Israeli or U.S. citizens in Israel, in territory administered by Israel, or in territory administered by the Palestinian Authority; and (3) certain information on the suspects who have been implicated in such attacks and detained by Palestinian or Israeli authorities.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Bureau of the Census should enumerate all U.S. citizens residing overseas in the 2000 decennial census; and (2) legislation authorizing and appropriating the funds to carry out such an enumeration should be enacted.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1999
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that all fire fighters who risk their lives and die in the line of duty should be honored and recognized.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1999
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Clinton administration should: (1) be commended for supporting United Nations Commission on Human Rights Resolution 1999-13 (concerning continued discrimination against religious minorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran), and should continue to work through the United Nations to assure that Iran implements that resolution's recommendations; (2) condemn the recent arrest of members of Iran's Jewish minority and urge their immediate release; (3) urge all nations having relations with Iran to condemn the treatment of religious minorities in Iran and call for the release of all prisoners held on the basis of their religious beliefs; and (4) maintain the current U.S. policy toward Iran unless and until that country moderates its treatment of religious minorities.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Export Enhancement Act of 1999 - Sets forth policy recommendations for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the International Trade Administration (ITA). Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to extend through FY 2003 OPIC's authority to issue investment insurance and guarantees. Revises the purposes of the Trade and Development Agency to include, with respect to the promotion of U.S. private sector participation in development projects in developing and middle-income countries, special emphasis on economic sectors with significant U.S. export potential, such as energy, transportation, telecommunications, and environment. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes appropriations to the ITA for its Market Access and Compliance program, Trade Development program, and Commercial Service program. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to take steps to ensure the appointment of United States and Foreign Commercial Service employees in no fewer than ten sub-Saharan African countries, including the adequate appointment of personnel for South and Central America and the Caribbean, in order that U.S. businesses are made aware of existing market opportunities for goods and services. Directs the ITA to undertake the Global Diversity and Urban Export Initiative in order to increase exports from minority-owned businesses, focusing on businesses in under-served areas, including inner-city urban enterprise zones. Authorizes the ITA to advertise in newspapers, business journals, and other relevant publications and related media to inform businesses about ITA services. Revises the composition of the OPIC Board of Directors. Amends the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 to require the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC) to develop a Federal trade promotion plan that, among other things, shall: (1) ensure that all export promotion activities of the U.S. Agency for International Development are fully coordinated and consistent with those of other agencies; (2) identify the means for providing more coordinated export promotion services to small and medium-sized businesses; and (3) establish a set of priorities to promote U.S. exports to, and free market reforms in, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and other emerging markets, that are designed to stimulate job growth both in the United States and those regions and emerging markets. Requires the TPCC to: (1) report on actions taken to eliminate the areas of overlap and duplication identified among Federal export promotion activities; (2) coordinate efforts to sponsor or promote any trade show or trade fair; (3) work with all relevant State and national organizations, including the National Governors' Association, that have established trade promotion offices; and (4) report to Congress on actions taken to promote better coordination among State, Federal, and private sector export promotion activities.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Nation should celebrate the victory of the United States in the cold war and the tenth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall by: (1) promoting education about the cold war and its historical significance; (2) celebrating peace, freedom, and the principles of democratic government; (3) honoring and reflecting upon the role of the United States in the international struggle for individual human rights and the evolution of the free enterprise system; and (4) recognizing the veterans who served during the cold war.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1999
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the President should instruct the U.S. representative to the United Nations (UN) to use all appropriate means to prevent the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan from obtaining the seat in the UN General Assembly reserved for Afghanistan as long as gross violations of internationally recognized human rights against women and girls persist; and (2) the U.S. should refuse to recognize any such government which is not taking actions to achieve specified goals in Afghanistan, including the effective participation of women in all civil, economic, and social life, the right of women and girls to an education without discrimination, and equal access of women and girls to health facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1999
Commends the Department of State for the vote of the United States against United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution ES-10-6, Illegal Israeli Actions In Occupied East Jerusalem And The Rest Of The Occupied Palestinian Territory, to convene a conference of the participants of the Fourth Geneva Convention for the Protection of Civilians in Time of War. Urges: (1) the Department of State to continue its efforts against convening and participating in the conference; (2) the member states of the UN to vigorously oppose any and all efforts to manipulate the Fourth Geneva Convention for the purpose of attacking Israel; and (3) UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Switzerland, which serves as the depository of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to refrain from assisting in the convening of the conference.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should: (1) publicly declare that it considers the assault on the people of Kosovo to meet the definition of genocide as defined by the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; (2) publicly declare that it considers there to be reason to believe that Slobodan Milosevic, President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, has committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide; (3) make collection of information that can be supplied to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for use as evidence to support his indictment and trial a higher priority; (4) provide a fair share of any additional financial or personnel resources that may be required by the Tribunal for the adjudication of Milosevic and others arising from the conflict in the former Yugoslavia; (5) engage in a discussion with other member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other interested states of information any such state may hold regarding such matters and of measures to be taken to apprehend persons indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity; and (6) urge the Tribunal to promptly review all information relating to Milosevic's possible criminal culpability, with a view toward prompt issuance of a public indictment.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 1999
Iran Nonproliferation Act of 1999 - Directs the President to report periodically to specified congressional committees on foreign persons who, on or after January 22, 1998, have transferred to Iran: (1) controlled goods, services, or technology; or (2) non-controlled goods, services, or technology that would nevertheless would be, if they were U.S. goods, services, or technology, prohibited for export to Iran because of their potential contribution to the development of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, or ballistic missile systems. Excludes from identification in such reports any such persons who were previously identified, or who have acted on behalf of, or in concert with, the U.S. Government. Authorizes the President, with specified exceptions, to apply to such foreign person certain measures: (1) set forth in Executive Order 12938 prohibitions; (2) prohibiting the sale to such persons of defense items on the United States Munitions List and defense articles and defense services, or design and construction services under the Arms Export Control Act; and (3) prohibiting the export to such persons of controlled goods and technology under the Export Administration Act of 1979. Prohibits any U.S. agency from making extraordinary payments to the Russian Space Agency in connection with the International Space Station, or any other organization or entity of the Government of the Russian Federation, unless the President has determined, and reported to specified congressional committees, that: (1) it is the policy of the Government of the Russian Federation to oppose the proliferation to Iran of weapons of mass destruction and missile systems capable of delivering such weapons; (2) such government is taking the necessary steps to prevent the transfer from Russia to Iran of goods, services, and technology useful in the development of such weapons and systems; and (3) neither the Russian Space Agency, nor any organization under its control, has, during the one-year period prior to the determination, made transfers to Iran of controlled goods, services, or technology or non-controlled goods, services, or technology that has potential to contribute to Iran's development of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, or of ballistic missile systems.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that the 30th Anniversary of the first lunar landing should be a day of celebration and reflection on the Apollo-11 mission to the moon and the accomplishments of the Apollo program throughout the 1960's and 1970's.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1999
Declares two named individuals to be eligible for issuance of an immigrant visa or for adjustment of status to that of an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Denies preferential immigration treatment for certain relatives of the individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1999
Sugar Program Reform Act - Amends the Agricultural Market Transition Act with respect to the sugar program to: (1) reduce sugarcane loan rates through crop year 2002; (2) revise the sugar beet loan rate; (3) eliminate nonrecourse loans; and (4) eliminate sugar price supports after crop year 2002. Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 to repeal sugar and crystalline fructose marketing quota and allotment provisions. Amends the Food Security Act of 1985, beginning after the 1998- 1999 quota year, to direct the President to use all available authority to ensure that U.S. market raw sugar shall be available at not more than the higher of the world sugar price or the U.S. loan rate.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1999
Expresses sympathy to the families of those killed as a result of their participation in the democracy protests of 1989 in the People's Republic of China, as well as to the families of those killed and to those who have suffered for their efforts to keep that struggle alive. Commends all Chinese citizens who are peacefully advocating for democracy and human rights. Condemns the ongoing and egregious human rights abuses by the Chinese Government and calls on that Government to: (1) reevaluate the official verdict on the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen prodemocracy activities and open formal investigations to bring those responsible to justice; (2) establish a June Fourth Investigation Committee, the proceedings and findings of which should be accessible to the public, to make a just and independent inquiry into all matters related to June 4, 1989; (3) release all prisoners of conscience, provide just compensation to the families of those killed in those protests, and allow those exiled for their activities in 1989 to return and live in freedom in China; (4) put an immediate end to harassment, detention, and imprisonment of Chinese citizens exercising their legitimate rights to the freedom of expression, association, and religion; and (5) proceed quickly to ratify and implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1999
Commends the people of Israel for reaffirming, in the May 17 election, Israel's dedication to democratic ideals. Congratulates Ehud Barak on his election as Prime Minister of Israel. Pledges that Congress will work with the President of the United States and the new Israeli Government to strengthen the bonds between the United States and Israel and to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 1999
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the present Government of Laos should: (1) respect international norms of human rights and democratic freedoms for the Lao people and fully honor its commitments to those norms and freedoms as embodied in its constitution and international agreements and in the 1962 Declaration on the Neutrality of Laos and its Protocol and the 1973 Vientiane Agreement on Laos; (2) issue a public statement specifically reaffirming its commitment to protecting religious freedom and other basic human rights; (3) fully institute a process of democracy, human rights, and openly contested free and fair elections in Laos and ensure specifically that the National Assembly elections are openly contested; and (4) allow access for international human rights monitors to Lao prisons and to all regions of the country.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Estuary Habitat Restoration Title II: Chesapeake Bay Program Estuary Habitat Restoration Partnership Act of 1999 - Title I: Estuary Habitat Restoration - Establishes the Estuary Habitat Restoration Council (Council), which shall: (1) develop a national strategy for estuary habitat restoration; and (2) review project applications. (Sec. 105) Establishes six Regional Councils to represent the: (1) Gulf region; (2) Middle Atlantic region; (3) Northeast region; (4) Northwest region; (5) Southeast region; and (6) Southwest region. States that such Councils shall: (1) be made up of the Governors and their appointees for each member State; (2) develop regional strategies for project prioritization and selection; and (3) evaluate and forward project applications to the Council. Directs the Secretary of the Army to coordinate technical support and provide, upon request, administrative support to the Councils. (Sec. 106) Directs the Council to develop an estuary restoration strategy within a specified time which shall provide for the integration of estuary restoration plans, programs, and partnerships. (Sec. 107) Sets forth project application and administrative provisions, including Federal cost-sharing limits. (Sec. 109) Directs the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere of the Department of Commerce to develop a project monitoring database. (Sec. 110) Authorizes appropriations for: (1) estuary restoration activities; and (2) database monitoring. Obligates administrative funds for the Council and Regional Councils. Title II: Chesapeake Bay Program - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize appropriations for the Chesapeake Bay Program, with an annual limitation on funds available for the Program office in the Environmental Protection Agency.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1999
Conduit Contribution Prevention Act of 1999 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to increase civil money and criminal penalties for knowing and willful violations of the prohibition against making or accepting contributions in the name of another. Sets both civil and criminal fines at not less than 300 percent of the amount involved in the violation and not more than the greater of $50,000 or 1,000 percent of such amount. Mandates a criminal fine or two years' imprisonment, or both. Limits criminal penalties to violations involving an amount aggregating $1,000 or more during a calendar year. Changes from discretionary to mandatory the authority of the Federal Election Commission to refer to the Attorney General any instance of probable cause that a violation of such prohibition has occurred. Revises the current ban on contributions by foreign nationals to encompass all disbursements by foreign nationals, including any disbursement to a political committee of a political party and any disbursement for an independent expenditure.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Designation of Wilderness Areas Title II: Administrative Provisions America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 1999 - Title I: Designation of Wilderness Areas - 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) Grand Staircase-Escalante wilderness areas; (4) Moab-LaSal Canyons wilderness areas; (5) Henry Mountains wilderness areas; (6) Glen Canyon wilderness areas; (7) San Juan-Anasazi wilderness areas; (8) Canyonlands Basin 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 file a map and a legal description of each designated wilderness area with appropriate congressional committees. (Sec. 203) Provides that if State-owned land is included within a designated wilderness area, then the Secretary shall offer to exchange U.S. lands in the State of approximate equal value (prohibits the transfer of associated mineral interests) in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the Wilderness Act. (Sec. 204) Reserves the Federal Government's rights to a quantity of water determined by the Secretary to be sufficient for each wilderness area designated by this Act. (Sec. 205) Sets forth provisions for the measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness. (Sec. 206) Permits authorized grazing of livestock within the designated wilderness areas to continue subject to such regulations and procedures as the Secretary considers necessary, as long as they are consistent with: (1) the Wilderness Act; and (2) the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act of 1990. (Sec. 209) Withdraws such Federal land, subject to valid rights existing on the enactment of this Act, from all forms of: (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under public law; (2) location, entry, and patent under mining law; and (3) disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials. (Sec. 210) Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1999
Commends President Glafcos Clerides of Cyprus for his decision to cancel the deployment of the S-300 antiaircraft missiles in Cyprus. Urges the President of the United States to use the influence of the U.S. Government to persuade Turkey to comply with United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1217 and 1218 and to cooperate for a solution to the Cyprus problem.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1999
Human Rights Information Act - Requires certain Federal agencies to identify and organize all human rights records regarding activities occurring in Guatemala and Honduras after 1944 for declassification and disclosure purposes, and to make them available to the public. Instructs the President to report to Congress regarding agency compliance. Prescribes guidelines under which the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel shall review agency determinations to postpone public disclosure of any human rights record. Authorizes postponement of such public disclosures on specified grounds. Requires any U.S. agency, upon request by an entity created by the United Nations, the Organization of American States (or similar entity), a national truth commission (or similar entity), or from the principal justice or human rights official of a country that is investigating a pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, to review, declassify, and publicly disclose any human pertinent rights records. Directs the Information Security Policy Advisory Council to report to Congress on declassification of human rights records relating to other countries and to make such report available to the public. Creates two additional positions in the Panel in order to implement this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1999
Amends the National Labor Relations Act to provide for inflation adjustments to the mandatory jurisdiction thresholds of the National Labor Relations Board.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1999
Teenage Pregnancy Reduction Act of 1999 - Mandates evaluation (directly or through grants or contracts) of a wide variety of existing promising programs to prevent adolescent pregnancy, including programs that do not receive Federal grants. Mandates scientific peer review of evaluation proposals. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes an operating grant to a program found (by the evaluation under this Act) to be effective. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the court-martial charges against then-Captain Charles McVay, U.S. Navy, arising from the sinking of the USS INDIANAPOLIS on July 30, 1945, while under his command were not morally sustainable; (2) Captain McVay's conviction was a miscarriage of justice; (3) the American people should now recognize Captain McVay's lack of culpability for the loss of such ship and the lives of the men who died as the result of her sinking; and (4) the President should award a Unit Citation to the final crew of the INDIANAPOLIS in recognition of their courage and fortitude in the face of tremendous hardship and adversity after their ship was torpedoed and sunk.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 1999
United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution - Calls upon the President to: (1) provide in a collection all U.S. records related to the Armenian genocide and the consequences of the failure to enforce the judgments of the Turkish courts against the responsible officials; and (2) provide such collection to the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum library for incorporation into its holdings of official documentation on genocide and for purposes of public awareness and education, and the Armenian Genocide Museum in Yerevan, Armenia, in order to document and affirm the U.S. record of protest and recognition of this crime against humanity.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 1999
Prohibits the import, export, or shipment in interstate commerce of conventional steel jawed 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 informers (other than Government employees performing official duties) 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 · 27 April 1999
Children's Hospitals Education and Research Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make payment as specified to each children's hospital for each hospital cost reporting period under Medicare (title XVIII of the Social Security Act (SSA)) for FY 2000 and 2001 for the direct and indirect expenses associated with operating approved medical residency training programs. Provides that such payments are in lieu of certain Medicare payments to hospitals for inpatient hospital services, but shall not affect the amounts otherwise payable to such hospitals under a State Medicaid (SSA title XIX) plan. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 1999
Recognizes and commends the commitment and dedication of those individuals serving in and working with nongovernmental organizations and private volunteer organizations of the United States in providing humanitarian relief to individuals displaced and injured by the natural disasters in Central America and by the Kosova conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 1999
Smokeless Tobacco Warning Label Act - Amends the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 to revise smokeless tobacco product warning label requirements. Includes among alternative warning statements: (1) "Smokeless Tobacco Is Addictive"; and (2) "This Product Contains Cancer Causing Chemicals." States that the Secretary of Health and Human Services may revise by a rulemaking such required statements.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 1999
Compassion for Children and Child Support Enforcement Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require employees to: (1) notify their employers of any child support obligations, including the monthly amount; and (2) file a withholding certificate with such information, updated with any pertinent changes. Requires every employer who receives such a certificate to deduct and withhold from the employee's wages an additional amount equal to the amount of such obligation. Requires payment of child support obligations with the employee's income tax return. Mandates treatment of such obligations as taxes for purposes of penalties and interest related to failure to deduct and withhold them. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to disburse amounts collected under this Act to the family for whom the employee is obligated to pay child support. Repeals Federal law relating to State enforcement of child support obligations other than medical support. Prescribes criminal penalties for willful failure to pay child support to the Internal Revenue Service. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to submit to Congress a plan for implementing this Act. Directs the Attorney General to study and report to specified congressional committees on the impact of this Act on the Department of Justice and the Federal courts, including workload, personnel staffing, and budget resources.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1999
Truth in Employment Act of 1999 - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to provide that nothing in specified prohibitions against unfair labor practices by employers shall be construed as requiring an employer to employ any person who is not a bona fide employee applicant, in that such person seeks or has sought employment with the employer with the primary purpose of furthering another employment or agency status.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1999
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Act - Establishes the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission to study and recommend to Congress the most appropriate Government activities that may be carried out to honor Abraham Lincoln on the bicentennial anniversary of his birth. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1999
Designates the U.S. Postal Service facility located at 13234 South Baltimore Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, as the John J. Buchanan Post Office Building.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 1999
Quality Health-Care Coalition Act of 1999 - Entitles any health care professionals negotiating with a health plan regarding contract terms under which they provide health care items or services for which plan benefits are provided to the same treatment under antitrust laws as that accorded to a collective bargaining unit recognized under the National Labor Relations Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 1999
Fairness in Asbestos Compensation Act of 1999 - Title I: Asbestos Resolution Corporation - Establishes the Asbestos Resolution Corporation which shall: (1) have exclusive authority to adopt rules for cost recovery, physician qualifications, alternative dispute resolution, exceptional medical cases, and disease eligibility; and (2) appoint a Medical Advisory Board. Title II: Medical Eligibility Determinations - Sets forth claimant medical eligibility determination criteria for: (1) nonmalignant conditions; (2) mesothelioma; (3) lung cancer; and (4) other cancer. (Sec. 205) Sets forth procedures for Corporation determination of a claimant's certificate of medical eligibility. (Sec. 206) Directs the Corporation to establish one or more exceptional medical claims panels. Sets forth application and acceptance provisions. (Sec. 207) Provides for: (1) confidentiality; and (2) U.S. district court review, following exhaustion of administrative remedies, of Corporation determinations that a claimant fails to meet medical criteria or that a claim does not qualify as an exceptional medical claim. Title III: Alternative Dispute Resolution - Directs the Board to establish procedural rules for an alternative dispute resolution process. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) motions officers; (2) respondent notification; (3) additional respondents; (4) grace period; (5) mediation and arbitration; and (6) subpoena powers. Title IV: Civil Actions - Prohibits: (1) a civil asbestos action unless the plaintiff has obtained a certificate of medical eligibility and release from mediation; and (2) a class action or other collective action without the consent of each defendant. (Sec. 404) Requires a penalty for a final offer made by a respondent in mediation if such offer is below a certain amount assigned by the jury or fact-finder. Title V: Rules Applicable to Arbitrations and Civil Actions - Sets forth arbitration and civil action rules with respect to: (1) relief; (2) timeliness defenses; (3) attorney's fees; and (4) nonpreclusion of nonmalignant claims upon subsequent malignancy claims. Title VI: Funding - Directs the Corporation to estimate its annual medical review and administrative and overhead costs and allocate proportionate cost shares among the previous year's respondents. Provides monetary penalties for noncooperation with the Corporation. (Sec. 602) Provides for mediation and arbitration costs to be charged on a per capita basis to participating respondents. (Sec. 603) Directs the Corporation to establish procedures for informal resolution of cost assessment disputes. Provides for U.S. district court review of cost assessment disputes. Title VII: Applicability; Pending Civil Actions - Makes this Act applicable to any civil asbestos action that has not resulted in a final, nonappealable judgment, with specified conditions applicable to pending civil actions. Title VIII: Miscellaneous Provisions - Defines specified terms. (Sec. 804) Makes this Act inapplicable to: (1) existing asbestos trusts, with an elective trust exception; and (2) any settlement agreement or related agreement concerning asbestos claims entered into by claimants, defendants, or their counsel.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Brownfields Revitalization Title II: Community Participation and Human Health Subtitle A: Community Participation Subtitle B: Human Health Title III: Liability Reform Title IV: Remedy Selection Title V: General Provisions Title VI: Funding Subtitle A: Expenditures From the Hazardous Substance Superfund Subtitle B: Extension of Hazardous Substance Superfund Recycle America's Land Act of 1999 - Title I: Brownfields Revitalization - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to direct the President to establish a program to provide grants to eligible States or political subdivisions, including Indian tribes, for: (1) inventory and assessment of brownfield facilities; and (2) capitalization of revolving loan funds for remedial actions at such facilities. Defines a "brownfield facility" as real property with respect to which expansion or redevelopment is complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 103) Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide technical and other assistance to States to establish and expand State voluntary cleanup programs. Makes limited amounts available from Superfund for FY 2000 through 2004 for such assistance. (Sec. 104) Bars the President or any person (other than a State), with respect to a facility that is not listed or proposed for listing on the National Priorities List (NPL) at which there is a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance, from taking an administrative or judicial enforcement action or bringing a civil action against any person who is conducting or has completed a response action in compliance with State law. Makes exceptions to this prohibition if the State requests the President to take action or in certain cases of emergency, risk, or migration of contamination across State lines. (Sec. 105) Requires the President to defer listing a facility on the NPL if: (1) long-term remedial action will be conducted under other Federal authorities; (2) remedial action that will provide long-term protection of human health and the environment is underway at that facility under a State response program; or (3) at a State's request, the State is attempting to obtain an agreement from a person to perform a remedial action under a State response program. Authorizes the President to place a facility described in (3) above on the NPL if, after one year, the President finds that the State is not making reasonable progress toward obtaining an agreement. Title II: Community Participation and Human Health - Subtitle A: Community Participation - Requires the President to take specified actions to provide for meaningful public participation in every significant phase of a response action at a facility listed or proposed for listing on the NPL (covered facilities). Permits affected Indian tribes and communities, local government officials, and State and local health officials to propose remedial alternatives to the President. (Sec. 202) Requires the President to make records relating to response actions at covered facilities available to the public throughout all phases of an action. Sets forth minimum requirements for documents made available to the public which describe risk to human health. (Sec. 203) Revises provisions regarding grants for technical assistance to authorize the Administrator to make such grants to affected communities with respect to: (1) covered facilities; (2) facilities at which the Administrator is undertaking a response action anticipated to exceed one year; or (3) facilities at which a specified funding limit is anticipated to be reached. (Sec. 205) Sets forth specific notice and comment requirements to provide for public participation in removal actions. (Sec. 206) Directs the Administrator to submit to Congress a community study that includes an analysis of: (1) the duration of time between the discovery and listing of a facility; (2) the timing and nature of response actions; (3) the degree to which public views are reflected in response actions; (3) future land use determinations and use of institutional controls; (4) the population, race, ethnicity, and income characteristics of communities affected by facilities listed or proposed for listing on the NPL; and (5) the risk presented by each such facility. Requires periodic updates of such study. Directs the Administrator to institute necessary improvements or modifications to address any deficiencies identified by the study. Subtitle B: Human Health - Requires the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Administrator to develop and distribute educational materials on human health effects of hazardous substances to the public. Authorizes the ATSDR Administrator to provide grant or contract assistance to individuals who may be affected by releases or threatened releases when: (1) a public health assessment is conducted at an NPL facility; or (2) a facility is being evaluated for inclusion on the NPL. Authorizes and directs the ATSDR Administrator, pursuant to such grants or contracts, to provide diagnostic services, health data registries, and preventative public health education to communities affected by such releases. (Sec. 223) Requires the President, in setting priorities for remedial action under the national hazardous substance response plan (part of the national contingency plan for the removal of oil and hazardous substances), to place highest priority on facilities with releases resulting in actual ongoing human exposures at levels of public health concern or demonstrated adverse effects. (Sec. 224) Requires the Administrator to evaluate areas such as Indian reservations or poor rural communities that warrant special attention and identify up to five facilities in each EPA region that are likely to warrant inclusion on the NPL. Accords such facilities a priority in evaluation for NPL listing and scoring. Title III: Liability Reform - Bars the President from issuing orders in connection with abatement actions to protect public health and the environment against any person who would not be liable for damages and costs described under general liability provisions. Prohibits Federal agencies with authority to use the imminent hazard, enforcement, and emergency response authorities under provisions governing abatement actions from using such authorities with respect to releases for which they are potentially responsible parties (PRPs). (Sec. 303) Absolves of liability for response costs and damages certain owners or operators, including persons who inherited the property concerned and government entities that acquired property involuntarily, or through eminent domain or the granting of a license or permit to conduct business, if such persons: (1) acquired the affected facility after the disposal or placement of the hazardous substance for which liability is alleged; (2) did not cause or contribute to the hazardous substance release; and (3) exercised appropriate care with respect to such substance. Limits liability for owners or operators who meet such conditions and received the property as a charitable donation. Exempts from liability: (1) owners or operators of rights-of-way over which hazardous substances are transported if such persons did not cause or contribute to the release concerned; (2) railroad owners or operators of spur tracks whose tracks meet specified conditions and who did not cause or contribute to the release concerned; and (3) construction contractors whose liability is based solely on construction contract activities and who did not know of the presence of hazardous substances and exercised appropriate care with respect to such substances. Grants the United States a lien for unrecovered response costs on a facility for which the owner is not liable by reason of meeting the conditions described above. Prescribes conditions for such liens. Bars liens with respect to property: (1) for which the property owner preceding the current owner is not liable or has resolved liability; or (2) where an environmental assessment gave the owner or operator no reason to know of the release of hazardous substances. Makes applicable to tribal governments an exemption from liability for States or local governments for costs or damages resulting from actions taken in response to an emergency created by a release generated by a facility owned by another person. Expands such exemption to include actions to improve water quality protection at abandoned mine sites and adjacent lands owned by others if such actions are taken in accordance with a Federal or State-approved response action. Excludes certain contiguous property owners from the definition of "owner or operator" for purposes of creating an exemption to liability. (Sec. 306) Exempts certain small business concerns from liability under provisions governing arrangement, acceptance, or transport of hazardous substances for response costs or damages at an NPL facility with respect to actions taken before March 25, 1999. Provides an additional exemption from liability under such provisions if the materials that were arranged or transported for disposal at the NPL facility consist of municipal solid waste (MSW) or sewage sludge. Absolves municipalities that participate in a qualified household hazardous waste collection program from liability under such provisions, with respect to actions taken 36 months after this Act's enactment date, for the arrangement or transport of materials consisting of MSW or sewage sludge to an NPL facility. Limits liability response costs for facilities that received MSW, were proposed for NPL listing before March 25, 1999, are owned by municipalities, and are not subject to certain criteria for solid waste landfills under the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Requires the Hazardous Substance Superfund (Superfund) to assume the liability for certain exempt parties or those subject to limited liability for releases from NPL facilities. Directs the Administrator to establish a small business Superfund assistance section within the EPA small business ombudsman office to provide assistance and information regarding CERCLA and the allocation and settlement processes. (Sec. 307) Limits the right to seek contribution from other parties where: (1) the person asserting the right has waived such right in a settlement; (2) the person from whom the contribution is sought is not liable under CERCLA; or (3) the person from whom the contribution is sought has entered into a final settlement with the United States. Makes any person who commences a contribution action liable to the person against whom the action is brought for all reasonable costs of defending against the claim if the action: (1) is barred for the reasons stated above; (2) is brought against a person who is protected from suits by reason of settlement with the United States; or (3) is brought during a specified moratorium period. (Sec. 308) Expands the exemption from liability for response action contractors to include exemption from liability under State or local law unless a State has enacted a law determining liability of such contractors. Extends certain indemnification agreements made by the President with respect to negligence of response action contractors to any claims for negligence arising under State or local law. Bars actions against contractors more than six years after the completion of work. Makes such prohibition inapplicable in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct or in States or political subdivisions where the State has enacted a statute determining liability for such contractors. (Sec. 309) Requires (current law authorizes) the President to offer PRPs (currently, any person) who enter into settlement agreements that are in the public interest a final covenant not to sue concerning liability to the United States for response actions or costs, provided that: (1) the settling party agrees to perform a final remedial action for the release that is the subject of the settlement; (2) the agreement has been reached prior to the commencement of litigation against the settling party; (3) the settling party waives all contribution rights against other PRPs at the facility; (4) the settling party, other than a small business, pays a premium that compensates for the risks of remedy failure, future liability, and unanticipated increases in the cost of any uncompleted action (unless the party is performing the action); (5) the remedial action does not rely on institutional controls to ensure continued health and environmental protection; and (6) the settlement is otherwise acceptable to the United States. Authorizes the President, for settlements for which covenants are unavailable, to provide any person with a covenant not to sue concerning any liability to the United States if the covenant not to sue is in the public interest. Makes PRPs who are natural persons, small businesses, or municipalities with a demonstrated limited ability to pay response costs eligible for expedited settlements. Absolves a party of liability if the President does not make a settlement offer within the later of 180 days of determining that such party is eligible for an expedited settlement or of this Act's enactment date. (Sec. 310) Absolves persons (other than owners or operators) who arranged for the recycling of recyclable material or who transported such material from general liability under CERCLA. Deems transactions involving recyclable materials that consist of scrap plastic, glass, textiles, or rubber (other than whole tires) to be arranging for recycling if the person who arranged the transaction demonstrates that the following criteria were met: (1) the recyclable material met a commercial specification grade and a market existed for the material; (2) a substantial portion of the material was made available for use as a feedstock for the manufacture of a new saleable product; (3) the material (or product made from the material) could have been a replacement for a virgin raw material; and (4) with respect to transactions occurring 90 days after this Act's enactment, the person exercised reasonable care to determine that the facility where the material would be managed by another was in compliance with Federal, State, or local environmental laws or regulations. Deems transactions involving recyclable materials that consist of scrap metal to be arranging for recycling if the person who arranged the transaction demonstrates that: (1) the criteria for scrap materials were met; (2) he or she complied with applicable standards regarding activities associated with the recycling of scrap metals; and (3) the scrap metal was not melted prior to the transaction. Deems transactions involving recyclable materials that consist of spent lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, or other batteries to be arranging for recycling if the person involved demonstrates that: (1) the criteria for scrap materials were met; and (2) he or she complied with applicable Federal environmental standards regarding such batteries. Deems transactions involving recyclable materials that consist of used oil to be arranging for recycling if the person involved did not mix such materials with a hazardous substance following the removal of the oil from service and demonstrates that: (1) the recyclable material was sent to a facility that recycled used oil by using it as a feedstock for the manufacture of a new saleable product; (2) the material (or product made from the material) could have been a replacement for a virgin raw material; (3) with respect to transactions occurring 90 days after this Act's enactment, the person exercised reasonable care to determine that the facility where the material would be managed by another was in compliance with Federal, State, or local environmental laws or regulations; and (4) he or she was in compliance with standards for the management of used oil under the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Makes the exemptions from liability inapplicable if the person: (1) had an objectively reasonable basis to believe at the time of the recycling transaction that the recyclable material would not be recycled or would be burned as fuel or for energy recovery or incineration (in the case of materials other than used oil) or that the consuming facility was not in compliance with Federal, State, or local environmental laws or regulations; (2) had reason to believe that hazardous substances had been added to the material for purposes other than processing for recycling; or (3) failed to exercise reasonable care with respect to the management of the material. (Sec. 311) Sets forth provisions regarding an allocation process to determine equitable shares of liability for costs of performing response actions. Makes an action eligible for allocation if: (1) the performance of such action is not the subject of a consent decree or an administrative order as of March 25, 1999; and (2) the President's estimate of the cost of such action exceeds $2 million. Sets forth requirements for the President in initiating the allocation process. Stays litigation of eligible actions until 150 days after the issuance of the allocator's report unless the court determines that a stay will result in manifest injustice. Grants the court jurisdiction to ensure that a neutral allocator is selected. Authorizes the President to initiate an allocation for any response action. Requires the President to provide an estimate of the aggregate Superfund share prior to selection of an allocator and to offer to contribute to a settlement of liability on the basis of such estimate. Entitles the Administrator or the Attorney General, as representatives of Superfund, and any State that may be responsible for costs, to participate in allocation proceedings. Places a moratorium on litigation seeking recovery of response costs or contributions in connection with actions for which the President has initiated allocations until 150 days after issuance of the allocator's report or of a report under this section. Stays pending actions or claims, including those under State law, until such prescribed period unless the court determines that a stay will result in manifest injustice. Sets forth procedures for the allocation of response costs to Superfund by the allocator. Divides unattributable shares pro rata among the PRPs and Superfund. Sets forth requirements for accepting settlements based on allocations. Makes such requirements inapplicable if the Administrator and the Attorney General reject the allocation report. Sets forth conditions under which parties who satisfactorily perform work under an administrative abatement action order with respect to a remedial action for which an allocation is required shall be entitled to reimbursement for the costs of work performed in excess of the share allocated. Title IV: Remedy Selection - Revises provisions regarding general rules for remedy selection. Requires exposure assessments to be consistent with the current and reasonably anticipated uses of land, water, and other resources identified by the President. Directs the President, for purposes of selecting appropriate methods of remediation for a given facility, to identify current and reasonably anticipated uses of land, water, and other resources at and around the facility and the timing of such uses. Permits land use assumptions restricting future use to be used in evaluating remedial alternatives only to the extent that institutional controls meeting specified criteria have been or will be adopted in the final remedy. Directs the President to use site-specific risk assessment to: (1) determine the nature and extent of risk to human health and the environment; (2) assist in establishing remedial objectives for the facility respecting releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances and in identifying geographic areas or exposure pathways of concern; and (3) evaluate alternative remedial actions for a facility to determine their risk reduction benefits. Lists factors to be balanced by the President in selecting an appropriate remedy. Requires the President to give preference to remedies that include a treatment component for facilities with source materials that constitute a principal threat. Directs the President to maintain a registry of restrictions on the use of land, water, or other resources through institutional controls that are included in final records of decisions as part of the basis of decision at NPL facilities. (Sec. 402) Authorizes the President, in order to respond to a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance, to acquire a hazardous substance easement which limits or controls the use of land or other natural resources. Permits easements to be used wherever institutional controls have been selected as a component of a remedial action and the national contingency plan. Makes easements enforceable in perpetuity (unless terminated pursuant to this Act) against owners of affected property and persons who acquire interest in, or rights to use, the property. Sets forth provisions regarding the President's authority to assign easements to other parties. (Sec. 403) Requires risk assessments and characterizations conducted under CERCLA to: (1) provide objective assessments, estimates, and characterizations which neither minimize nor exaggerate the nature and magnitude of health and environmental risks; (2) distinguish scientific findings from other considerations; (3) be based on the best, relevant, and current scientific and technical information; and (4) be based on an analysis of the weight of scientific evidence that supports conclusions about a problem's potential health and environmental risk. Title V: General Provisions - Expands CERCLA provisions regarding treatment of Indian tribes to afford Indian tribes the same treatment as States with respect to provisions regarding public participation and remedy selection. Deems references to State facilities under CERCLA to mean facilities on Federal Indian reservations as well. Requires the President to conduct a study of, and report to Congress on, the health impacts on Indian tribes of pollutants, contaminants, and hazardous substances released from facilities listed on or proposed for listing on the NPL. (Sec. 503) Amends the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 to require certain grants for the training and education of workers engaged in hazardous waste removal or containment or emergency response activities to be made from Superfund. Allocates at least 20 percent of funds for such purposes to the training of minority and other community-based workers who are involved in such activities. (Sec. 504) Revises provisions requiring contracts with States before remedial actions are provided to prohibit the President from providing any remedial action unless the State enters into an agreement providing assurances that it will pay ten percent of the costs of the action and ten percent of the costs of operation and maintenance. (Sec. 505) Extends certain provisions authorizing reimbursements by the President to local governments affected by releases or threatened releases to affected States as well. (Sec. 506) Sets forth provisions regarding enforcement and dispute resolution regarding remedy selection at Federal facilities for which authorities have been delegated to a State. (Sec. 507) Requires the Congressional Budget Office to conduct and submit to Congress a study of the potential costs to the Federal Government over the next 20 years from Federal liability for natural resource damages under CERCLA. (Sec. 508) Provides that CERCLA liability provisions shall not be construed to preempt any claims under State law for contribution to or recovery of costs of responding to releases of hazardous substances. Title VI: Funding - Subtitle A: Expenditures From the Hazardous Substance Superfund - Revises the list of activities for which expenditures from Superfund are authorized. Permits the President to use Superfund monies for administrative costs directly related to the costs of authorized activities. Bars the use of Superfund for response actions that are not removal actions with respect to non-NPL facilities. Repeals provisions regarding the assumption of certain liability by the Post-closure Liability Fund. (Sec. 602) Authorizes appropriations to Superfund for FY 2000 through 2004. Subtitle B: Extension of Hazardous Substance Superfund - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the environmental tax to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1999, and before January 1, 2004. Extends specified provisions regarding: (1) Superfund's financing rate; (2) limits on tax if the unobligated balance in Superfund exceeds a specified amount; and (3) the repayment deadline for advances made to Superfund. Lowers the amount of the unobligated Superfund balance required for a suspension of collection of tax on petroleum under environmental tax provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 1999
Freedom From Sexual Trafficking Act of 1999 - Declares that the purpose of this Act is to eliminate international sexual trafficking in which women and children are brought across international boundaries by means of force or fraud for purposes of forced prostitution, sexual slavery, and similar practices. (Sec. 4) Sets forth minimum international standards for the elimination of sexual trafficking. (Sec. 5) Establishes in the Office of the Secretary of State an Office for the Protection of Victims of Trafficking, to be administered by a director appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require the Secretary to include in a certain human rights report, among other things, information on sexual trafficking and the efforts of a country to prevent it. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on the status of international sexual trafficking, including a list of any countries that do not meet the minimum international standards for the elimination of such trafficking. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 6) Authorizes appropriations for assistance administered through nongovernmental organizations: (1) to foreign countries in programs and activities designed to meet the minimum international standards for the elimination of sexual trafficking, including drafting of legislation to prohibit and punish acts of sexual trafficking, investigation and prosecution of sexual trafficking, and facilities, programs, and activities for the protection of victims; and (2) for programs and activities to assist victims of sexual trafficking in the United States. (Sec. 7) Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish a nonimmigrant visa category for an alien (including spouse, married and unmarried sons and daughters, and parents of such alien) who the Attorney General determines: (1) is physically present in the United States; (2) is or has been a victim of sexual trafficking; (3) has not unreasonably refused to assist in the investigation or prosecution of acts of sexual trafficking (or has not attained age 14); and (4) would face a significant possibility of retribution or other hardship if removed from the United States. Denies such person eligibility for admission to the United States if there is substantial reason to believe that the person has committed an act of sexual trafficking. Directs the Attorney General to determine whether a ground for inadmissibility exists with respect to such nonimmigrant alien. Authorizes the Attorney General to waive the requirements of this Act if it is in the national interest. Authorizes the Attorney General to adjust the status of the nonimmigrant alien (and spouse, married and unmarried sons and daughters, and parents of such alien) to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States (provided such alien was not a participant in Nazi persecutions or genocide) if such nonimmigrant alien: (1) has been physically present in the United States for a continuous period of at least three years; (2) has, throughout such period, been a person of good moral character; (3) has not, during such period, unreasonably refused to provide assistance in the investigation or prosecution of acts of sexual trafficking; and (4) would face a significant possibility of retribution or other hardship if removed from the United States. (Sec. 8) Declares it to be U.S. policy not to provide nonhumanitarian foreign assistance to countries which do not meet minimum standards for the elimination of sexual trafficking. (Sec. 9) Amends Federal criminal law to subject to both civil (including forfeiture) and criminal penalties anyone who, whether inside or outside the United States, for the purpose of causing a person under age 18 (by fraud, force, or coercion) to engage in a commercial sexual act, knowingly does or attempts or conspires to: (1) transport the person across an international border; (2) recruit, entice, harbor, or engage in the purchase or sale of the person, who will then be or has been transported across an international border; or (3) own, manage, operate, or share in the proceeds of an enterprise in which the person has been transported across an international border.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: The Children's Firearm Safety Act of 1999 Title II: The Children's Firearms Age Limit Act of 1999 Title III: The Children's Firearm Dealer's Responsibility Act of 1999 Title IV: Children's Firearms Access Prevention Title V: The Children's Firearms Injury Surveillance Act of 1999 Title VI: Children's Gun Violence Prevention Education Children's Gun Violence Prevention Act of 1999 - Title I: Children's Firearm Safety Act of 1999 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to prohibit (beginning 18 months after this Act's enactment) the manufacture or import of an unsafe handgun, with exceptions. Defines "unsafe handgun" to mean:v (1) any handgun that fails a specified drop test; (2) any handgun without a child resistant trigger mechanism designed to prevent a child under age five from operating it; (3) any semiautomatic pistol that does not have a magazine disconnect safety; and (4) any handgun that is sold without a mechanism designed to prevent a handgun's discharge by an authorized user. (Sec. 102) Requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to conduct a study to determine how the safety of handguns can be improved so as to prevent the unauthorized use or discharge of handguns by children under age 18. Title II : Children's Firearms Age Limit Act of 1999 - Prohibits the sale, delivery, or other transfer of a semiautomatic assault weapon to a juvenile. (Sec. 202) Doubles the term of imprisonment for a person who transfers a handgun (or semiautomatic assault weapon) to a juvenile for use in a crime of violence. Title III: Children's Firearm Dealer's Responsibility Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, to revoke the license of a dealer who willfully sells a firearm to an individual who has not attained age 18. (Sec. 302) Requires two forms of identification for firearms purchasers known or believed to be under age 24. (Sec. 303) Directs the Secretary to issue final regulations that establish minimum firearm safety and security standards that apply to dealers who are issued a license. Sets penalties for licensed dealers who knowingly fail to comply with applicable regulations regarding such standards. Title IV: Children's Firearm Access Prevention - Prohibits keeping a loaded firearm, or an unloaded firearm and ammunition, within any premise under that person's control if that person knows, or reasonably should know, that a juvenile is capable of gaining access to the firearm without the permission of the parent or legal guardian, subject to specified requirements and exceptions. Imposes a fine of up to $10,000 for violations. Sets criminal penalties of up to a year in prison if a juvenile obtains access to the firearm and thereby causes death or bodily injury, or exhibits the firearm in a public place, or in violation of specified provisions, including prohibitions against the possession or use of a firearm in a school zone. Title V: Children's Firearm Injury Surveillance Act of 1999 - Children's Firearm Injury Surveillance Act of 1999 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to State and local departments of health and State and local law enforcement agencies for purposes of establishing and maintaining children's firearm-related injury surveillance systems. Authorizes appropriations. Title VI: Children's Gun Violence Prevention Education - Children's Gun Violence Prevention Education Act of 1999 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education or the State educational agency to award grants to local educational agencies for the purpose of educating children about preventing gun violence. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 603) Directs the Secretary: (1) before awarding such grants, to consult with the Attorney General to establish guidelines for gun violence prevention education programs for children; (2) to include on the Department of Education's Internet site a description of programs that receive such grants; and (3) to publicize the competitive grant program through its Internet site, publications, and public service announcements. (Sec. 605) Amends the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1994 to provide for timely counseling to, and evaluations of, any public school student who possesses a weapon on school grounds, and advice to public school students, staff, and administrators after an incident of gun-related violence on school grounds. Title VII: Children's Firearm Tracking Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to endeavor to expand the number of cities and counties directly participating in the Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative (YCGII). Requires the Secretary to: (1) utilize information provided by YCGII to facilitate the identification and prosecution of individuals illegally trafficking firearms to individuals under age 24; (2) share information derived from YCGII with State and local law enforcement agencies through on-line computer access; and (3) award grants to States, cities, and counties to assist their tracing of firearms and participation in YCGII.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 1999
United Nations Arrears Payment Act - Makes available funds appropriated for the U.S. contribution for payment of United Nations arrearages for international organizations and international peacekeeping activities for FY 1998 and 1999.
![Official portrait of Rep. Porter, John Edward [R-IL-10]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/p000444_200.jpg)