United States · United States Congress · 10 July 1991
Military Child Care Act of 1991 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure that child-care services are available to all active-duty members of the armed forces who desire such services through the development and implementation of a child-care service plan. Requires that members with lower income levels receive first priority in the provision of such services. Directs the Secretary to establish a voucher system for partial payment by the Department of Defense (DOD) of the expenses of such services provided by an entity other than DOD. Sets voucher amounts as the difference between the amount paid for such services by the member and the amount that would have been paid had such services been provided at a military child development center. Requires FY 1992 DOD funding levels to be adjusted so that the total amount appropriated for national defense does not exceed required Federal spending limits.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 1991
Irwin Rutman Retired Safety Officers Benefits Act - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide: (1) death benefits to the families of retired public safety officers who die as the direct result of a personal injury sustained while responding to a fire, rescue, or police emergency; and (2) benefits to such officers who become permanently and totally disabled as the direct result of a catastrophic injury sustained while responding to such an emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 1991
Condemns the Government of Mauritania's persecution of non-Hassaniya-speaking black Mauritanians and the continued practice of slavery in Mauritania. Calls upon such Government to: (1) abide by its international obligations and the Mauritanian constitution to protect the rights of all Mauritanians; (2) permit an impartial investigation by independent Mauritanian organizations into the death in detention of hundreds of black Mauritanians and to bring those responsible to justice; (3) permit international human rights and humanitarian organizations to conduct fact-finding missions to Mauritania; and (4) take immediate steps to enforce Mauritanian law and end the practice of slavery. Welcomes: (1) recent actions by such Government, including the amnesty and release in April 1991 of hundreds of political prisoners; (2) President Taya's announcement on April 15, 1991, promising legislative elections and allowing political parties to be formed; and (3) the diminution of tensions between Senegal and Mauritania. Commends the U.S. Department of State for its thorough reporting on human rights abuses in Mauritania in the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1990. Calls upon the President to convey U.S. concern about human rights violations in Mauritania by: (1) publicly condemning human rights abuses, such as killings and imprisonment of Mauritanians and the continued practice of slavery; (2) encouraging the appointment of a special rapporteur on Mauritania at the United Nations Human Rights Commission; (3) opposing loans to Mauritania in the World Bank and the African Development Fund; and (4) encouraging the Governments of France, Spain, and Germany to oppose such loans and to limit assistance to Mauritania to humanitarian assistance provided through private voluntary organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 1991
Drug Treatment and Prevention Act of 1991 - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish a capacity expansion program that will provide grants to assist States to expand their capacity to provide effective and comprehensive treatment to individuals who use illegal drugs; and (2) award such grants to States in which a demand for drug treatment services exceeds the capacity of organizations operating in those States to provide such services. Sets forth application procedures, Federal funding limitations, and other requirements with respect to such program. Specifies that funds provided under this Act for such program shall supplement, not supplant, existing or planned drug treatment services in a State and shall be available only for the provision of direct treatment services. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1986 to revise provisions with respect to emergency grants to authorize the Secretary to make drug-free schools emergency target grants to eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) and consortia of LEAs (currently, limited to LEAs) that: (1) demonstrate significant need for additional assistance for purposes of reducing and preventing drug and alcohol use and drug-related crime among students served by such agencies (currently, to combat drug and alcohol use among such students); (2) support projects that require cooperative linkages between schools and communities to reduce and prevent drug and alcohol use among schoolchildren; (3) demonstrate the most effective approaches to reducing and preventing drug and alcohol use among schoolchildren; and (4) promote the goal that every school in America will be free of drugs and violence and will offer a discipined environment conducive to learning. Specifies: (1) authorized activities by LEAs with grant funds; and (2) eligibility and application requirements for such grants by LEAs and consortia of LEAs. Directs the Secretary, in awarding grants, to give special preference to applications that: (1) hold particular promise for reducing and preventing the incidence of drug and alcohol use and drug-related violence in elementary and secondary schools; (2) are based on a rigorous and comprehensive research design; and (3) have demonstrated that they will integrate the resources of families, community groups, and the media into an effective, community-based assault on drug and alcohol use in schools. Requires the Secretary to conduct an evaluation of this program. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) grant amounts and distribution of funds; and (2) set-asides from appropriations to conduct such evaluation, provide training and technical assistance to LEAs, and disseminate the results of the program. Authorizes approriations. Requires a local or intermediate educational agency or consortium to include in any application to the State educational agency for a drug and alcohol abuse prevention grant a statement of how any emergency target grants funded by the Government under this Act are integrated into the overall prevention plan set forth in the application. Amends the PHSA to require a State, in order to receive specified Federal funds, to develop, implement, and submit for approval a statewide drug treatment and prevention plan, which shall designate a single State agency for developing and implementing the plan. Sets forth plan and reporting requirements. Requires States to maintain expenditures for drug-related services at a level equal to not less than the average amount of such expenditures for the preceding two years to qualify for grants, subject to waiver by the Secretary under specified circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 1991
Rural Schools of America (RSA) Act of 1991 - Title I: Rural School Improvement - Authorizes appropriations for this title. Directs the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to reserve five percent of specified funds for competitive grant awards to exemplary school programs. Directs the Secretary to allot, from remaining amounts, to each eligible local educational agency (LEA) with an approved application an amount based on that LEA's relative allocation under certain provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 for education of disadvantaged children (ESEA title I chapter 1). Provides for annual payments to eligible LEAs with approved applications if they comply with certain data collection requirements to monitor progress toward meeting national education goals, and demonstrate such progress. Requires each such LEA to reserve up to five percent of its allotment to make as many grants as practicable, for authorized activities, to community-based organizations or nonprofit partnerships between the LEA and an area-wide collaborative of private sector businesses. Sets limits on the time and the amount of funds to be used for planning purposes. Requires LEAs to use funds under this title to meet national education goals through programs designed to: (1) increase the academic achievement of rural school children to at least the national average; (2) prepare all rural children for school; (3) increase the graduation rates of rural students to at least the national average; (4) prepare rural school graduates to enter higher education, pursue careers, and exercise their responsibilities as citizens; (5) recruit and retain qualified teachers; and (6) decrease the use of drugs and alcohol by rural students, and enhance their physical and emotional health. Sets forth program accountability requirements: (1) in general, for initial grants, renewal grants, and renewal of school participation; (2) for achievement, including demonstration of improvement; and (3) for data collection certification and to monitor progress in achieving national education goals. Authorizes the Secretary to make, from reserved funds, competitive incentive awards to individual schools participating in projects assisted under this title that demonstrate exemplary progress in meeting specified program requirements. Directs the Secretary, by January 1, 1993, to report on the impact of Federal regulations, guidelines, and policies on rural public schools. Requires LEAs desiring to receive an allotment under this Act to establish a local advisory group to: (1) advise on design and conduct of a needs assessment for participating schools; (2) assist in planning for community-wide collaboration in service delivery for youths in participating schools; (3) advise the LEA and the community on how they can work together to use multiple service providers; and (4) advise and assist program implementation and review program evaluation; (5) review and approve community-based organizations' applications; (6) advise on strategies for increasing parental involvement and the number of school volunteers and role models; and (7) review community-based programs' progress or national education goals. Allows use of a comparable existing local advisory group to comply with such requirement. Sets forth special rules relating to ranking of schools to determine relative need, in general, on the basis of achievement, poverty, and racial isolation. Requires each LEA receiving a grant to serve between ten and 20 percent of its schools. Requires eligible LEAs to have flexibility to serve homeless children, desegregating students, immigrants, migrants, or other highly mobile populations, within the program assisted under this title. Deems any approved program for any school served under certain ESEA title I chapter 1 provisions to be sufficient to meet the application and program accountability requirements of this title. Title II: School Building Repair and Renovation - Authorizes appropriations to assist eligible LEAs in repairing and renovating instructional facilities in rural schools. Directs the Secretary to make allotments to State educational agencies based on relative allocations to LEAs under ESEA title I chapter 1. Directs each SEA after after being allowed to reserve one percent of such funds for administrative expenses, to allot the remainder to eligible LEAs, which shall use half of such allotment for programs for school building repair and renovation, and half for programs for school environmental concerns and safety improvements. (Authorizes the SEA to waive such 50 percent division in certain cases.) Directs the SEA to allocate such funds on the basis of the number of: (1) children from families below the poverty line; (2) school buildings used for instructional purposes; and (3) school buildings more than 25 years old used for instructional purposes. Limits the period covered by a grant application to three years, and requires annual review. Lists types of programs eligible LEAs must conduct with their allotments for: (1) repair and renovation of school buildings; and (2) improvements related to environmental concerns and safety. Title III: Evaluation of Results - Subtitle A: Assistant Secretary - Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to establish an Assistant Secretary for Rural Education in the Department of Education. Subtitle B: Rural School Research and Evaluation - Authorizes appropriations to carry out this subtitle. Directs the Secretary to establish for each region a National Rural Regional Education Research Center (Center), to be operated by the appropriate regional educational laboratory. Requires each Center to: (1) conduct independent research in rural education and distance learning technologies; (2) evaluate progress toward the national education goals of rural schools receivng funds under title I of this Act; (3) be rural education clearinghouses for research findings, policies, and practices; (4) develop measurements of rural schools' progress; (5) disseminate evaluation and research results to other centers and rural school districts and parents; (6) arrange collaboration and consortia among rural schools in the region for joint research and evaluation; (7) replicate successful models and program approaches; (8) provide technical assistance and outreach services for schools; (9) provide staff training; and (10) develop curricula to assist rural schools in moving toward meeting the national education goals. Requires each Center to reserve 25 percent of funds received under this subtitle for direct grants to rural eligible LEAs within its region, which are participating in a program assisted under title I of this Act, to conduct local school district research and evaluation of efforts toward meeting the national education goals. Title IV: General Provisions - Establishes the Interagency Council on Rural Schools to: (1) review Federal programs to determine effects on and rural schools' ability to meet national education goals; (2) track school progress toward and such goals; (3) solicit advice and information for rural education experts and rural school representatives on improvement of Federal programs; (4) review Federal regulations for duplication or contradiction; (5) report annually to the Congress and the President on rural school progress; (6) review and recommend improvement for streamlining of Federal data collection in rural schools; and (7) conduct research to help rural school practitioners improve school performance. Directs the President to conduct a White House Conference on Rural Education before October 30, 1994. Requires the Conference to: (1) develop recommendations and strategies for improving rural education; (2) marshal the forces of the private sector, governmental agencies at all levels, parents, teachers, communities, and education officials to assist rural schools in meeting national goals; and (3) conduct initial planning for a permanent national advisory commission on rural education. Requires reports to the President. Authorizes appropriations for such Conference. Establishes the Carl D. Perkins National Commission on Rural Education (the Commission). Directs the Commission to: (1) study specified issues relating to rural schools; and (2) report, and recommend changes in Federal legislation, to the President and appropriate congressional committees. Terminates the Commission three years after its first meeting. Authorizes appropriations for the Commission. Requires eligible LEAs to use Federal funds received under this Act only to supplement but not supplant non-Federal funds.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 1991
Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1991 - Prohibits any agency, department, or official of the United States or any State (the government) from burdening a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except that the government may burden a person's exercise of religion only if it demonstrates that application of the burden to the person: (1) is essential to further a compelling governmental interest; and (2) is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest. Sets forth provisions pertaining to judicial relief, attorney's fees, and applicability.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 1991
Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide that title I (Protection of Employee Benefit Rights) does not preempt any State law which provides for: (1) the payment of prevailing wages; or (2) standards or other requirements relating to apprenticeship or other training programs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 1991
Elderly and Handicapped Transportation Improvement Act - Amends the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to make grants and loans to private nonprofit corporations and associations to be used to pay operating expenses related to new and existing mass transportation services for elderly and handicapped persons. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992-1996.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 1991
Community Economic Adjustment Funding Act of 1991 - Requires payments to counties by defense contractors that change the place of performance of defense contracts away from such counties. Requires a defense contractor to make such a payment equal to ten percent of the value of all Department of Defense (DOD) contracts held by it and performed at a plant or facility on the day before the contractor makes any change in the place of contract performance that results in the closing of, or severe curtailment of operations at, such plant or facility. Exempts the contractor from such a payment if the Secretary of Labor determines that the change is the direct result of the cancellation or termination of such contractor or the failure of the DOD to proceed with a previously approved major defense acquisition program. Directs the Secretary of Labor to make community economic adjustment grants to counties adversely affected by terminations or layoffs of employees at military bases or facities of defense contractors as a result of reductions in DOD spending, base closures or realignments, cancellation or termination of a DOD contract, or the failure to proceed with a previously approved major defense acquisition program. Sets forth requirements for such grant amounts, uses, and applications, and deadlines for consideration of such applications. Authorizes appropriations for such grants for a fiscal year in amounts equal to: (1) 20 percent of the value in the immediately preceding fiscal year of the payroll of employees terminated or laid off in the United States as a result of the described actions; and (2) ten percent of such value in the second preceding fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 1991
Title I: Amendments To The Older Americans Act of 1965 - National Older Americans Advocacy and Protection Amendments of 1991 - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to establish in the Administration on Aging (Administration) an Office on Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs headed by an Associate Commissioner For Ombudsman Services who shall serve as the Federal advocate on behalf of older individuals who reside in long-term care facilities. Requires the Administration to establish and operate the National Ombudsman Resource Center to assist State Long-Term Care Ombudsmen and to carry out State long-term care ombudsman programs. Extends the deadline for the annual Administration report to the Congress on complaints and conditions in long-term care facilities. Requires a Commission study of the effectiveness of State long-term care ombudsman programs. Provides for greater accountability in the State and local long-term care ombudsman programs. Requires long-term care ombudsmen to have immediate access to residents of long-term care facilities. Expands the authority of long-term care ombudsmen to include representing such residents' interests before governmental agencies and seeking administrative, legal, and other actions to protect the rights and well-being of such residents. Requires long-term care ombudsman programs to: (1) inform such residents about ombudsman services; and (2) ensure that such residents have regular and timely access to such services and receive timely responses to requests for such services. Defines "conflict of interest" for purposes of such Act as: (1) a direct involvement in the licensing or certification of a long-term care facility or of a provider of a long-term care service; (2) an ownership or investment interest in the operation of a long-term care facility; (3) employment by, or participation in the management of, a long-term care facility; or (4) the receipt, or right to receive, directly or indirectly, remuneration under a compensation arrangement with an owner or operator of a long-term care facility. Requires States to establish, and specify in writing, mechanisms to identify and remove conflicts of interest. Title II: Elder Abuse - Prevention, Identification, and Treatment of Elder Abuse Act of 1991 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an office known as the National Center on Elder Abuse to: (1) compile an annual summary of recently conducted research on elder abuse; (2) develop and maintain an information clearinghouse on all programs for the prevention and treatment of such abuse; (3) compile training materials for personnel engaged in elder abuse prevention; (4) provide technical assistance for the planning and implementation of programs relating to the problems of elder abuse; and (5) investigate the causes and national incidence of elder abuse. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, public agencies or nonprofit organizations for demonstration projects designed to prevent and treat elder abuse. Sets forth the terms and conditions for such grants. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to States for the development and implementation of elder abuse prevention and treatment programs. Requires such States to have in effect a State elder abuse laws. Sets forth other requirements for eligibility. Prohibits the use of assistance for construction of facilities. Directs the Secretary to establish criteria to achieve equitable distribution of assistance among the States. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Board and Care Facility Quality - National Commission on Board and Care Facility Quality Act of 1991 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to arrange for the establishment of a National Commission on Board and Care Facility Quality to: (1) examine existing quality, health, and safety requirements for board and care facilities and the enforcement of such requirements for their adequacy and effectiveness; (2) examine and make recommendations with respect to the appropriate role of Federal, State, and local governments in assuring the health and safety of residents of board and care facilities; and (3) make specific recommendations to the Congress and the Secretary concerning the establishment of minimum national standards for the health and safety of residents of such facilities and the enforcement of such standards. Title IV: Effective Dates - Sets forth the effective dates of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 1991
World Cup USA 1994 Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue a specified number of five-dollar gold coins, one-dollar silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 1994 World Cup and the unique appeal of soccer. Sets forth certain features of such coins and provides for their design, issuance, and sale. Requires that all sales include a surcharge of $35 per coin for the five-dollar coins, $7 per coin for the one-dollar coins, and $1 per coin for the half-dollar coins. Requires that all surcharges be paid to the Organizing Committee to organize and stage the 1994 World Cup. Requires that ten percent of such funds shall be made available through the U.S. Soccer Federation Foundation, Inc., for distribution to institutions for scholastic scholarships to qualified students.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 1991
Amends the Federal judicial code to require that not less than half of the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund be used for community-based crime control programs for drug education, prevention, and demand reduction, giving priority to the communities in which the assets involved are seized. Limits administrative and contracting expenses to ten percent of the total amounts paid from the Fund in a given fiscal year. Directs the Attorney General to report to the Congress for such fiscal year with respect to such expenses. Amends the Controlled Substances Act to require the Attorney General to offer civilly or criminally forfeited property of low value located in a metropolitan statistical area for sale, for nominal consideration, to tax exempt organizations that provide direct services furthering community-based crime control, housing, or educational efforts in such area.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 1991
Declares that the House of Representatives commends the reserve components of the U.S. armed forces who were called to active duty within the United States during the Persian Gulf conflict for their devoted service, efforts, and contributions to the achievement of victory in it.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1991
United States Savings Bond Availability Act of 1991 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make an adequate supply of United States Savings Bonds available to an issuing agent for immediate, over-the-counter delivery to the public at the point of purchase.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1991
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should act on an emergency basis to lift the economic embargo of Iraq to save innocent Iraqi civilians, especially children, from death by disease and starvation.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 1991
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, upon request of the survivors, to repatriate to the United States for burial in a national cemetery the remains of a member of the armed forces who: (1) died while serving on active duty; (2) received the Medal of Honor or distinguished service cross during such duty; and (3) is buried in an American cemetery outside the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 1991
Ethnic and Minority Affairs Clearinghouse Act of 1991 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to establish, within the Federal Communications Commission, within 90 days, an ethnic and minority affairs section which shall: (1) establish a clearinghouse for complaints, grievances, and opinions relating to radio, television (TV), and cable TV broadcast programming and their depiction of ethnic and minority groups; (2) collect, analyze, and prepare information relating to the portrayal of those groups by such media and furnish such information, upon request and without charge, to public and private agencies serving the needs and interests of those groups; (3) conduct an annual conference designed to focus public attention upon the images of ethnic and minority groups depicted by such media, discuss the impact which these images have on those groups, and encourage the participation of such individuals and public and private organizations that serve the interests of those groups; and (4) prepare and transmit to the Congress an annual report which details the activities of such section, including a compilation of all complaints, grievances, and opinions filed. Directs the chairman of the Commission to establish an advisory committee to assist the section in implementing the annual conference. Specifies the composition of such committee.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 1991
Older Women's Breast Cancer Prevention Act of 1991 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) repeal the limit on payment amounts for screening mammography under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of the Medicare program; and (2) permit payment under such part to the physician who supervises such procedure but does not interpret its results.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 1991
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Residential Treatment Grants Act of 1991 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Office of Substance Abuse Prevention, to make grants to public and nonprofit private entities for purposes of providing specified alcohol and drug abuse residential treatment services to: (1) pregnant women and their minor children; (2) women who have given birth within 12 months of requesting treatment services and their minor children; and (3) other parents with whom a dependent child lives and their minor children, at the option of the applicant (except that such parents shall not be given priority in admission over the other eligible individuals). Authorizes grant applicants to restrict the age and number of children (but not to less than one unless all children are over age 13) that each parent may bring to the facility. Requires the Director to give priority to applicants that assure that they will give priority to providing services to pregnant women, mothers, and children eligible for Medicaid or who are low-income and do not have insurance covering such services. Describes the residential treatment services. Prohibits the awarding of a grant unless the applicant agrees that: (1) services will be provided to an individual for such period as is therapeutically required, except that such services may be limited to 12 months; and (2) services will be provided free of charge to individuals eligible for Medicaid and their minor children. Prohibits the awarding of a grant unless the facility: (1) is certified to provide such services and meets all applicable State licensure or certification requirements; and (2) has a certain amount of beds. Prohibits the awarding of a grant unless the applicant submits an application and reports regarding services and agrees that the grant will be used to supplement non-Federal funds for such services. Provides for evaluations of such services. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Social Security Act to make medical assistance grants under title XIX of such Act (Medicaid) available for individuals receiving services under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 1991
C02 Offsets Policy Efficiency Act of 1991 - Amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit new major sources of carbon dioxide from operating without a permit issued under this Act. Provides that such permits shall require source owners or operators to: (1) demonstrate possession of certified carbon dioxide credits equal to the carbon dioxide emissions expected to occur between the commencement of operations and December 31 of the year in which operations begin; and (2) make annual deposits of sufficient carbon dioxide credits into the National Carbon Dioxide Offset Bank to compensate for annual carbon dioxide emissions. Exempts from credit requirements new major sources that use as a fuel trees that are replaced through replanting and that have not been grown as carbon dioxide offsets. Makes owners or operators of sources emitting excess carbon dioxide liable for an excess emissions penalty. Requires such sources to offset the excess emissions by an equal tonnage amount in the following calendar year. Provides for annual adjustments of the penalty, based on the Consumer Price Index. Makes it unlawful to fail to pay the penalty or to offset emissions. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations concerning the certification of carbon dioxide offset credits. Lists as eligible ways to obtain credits, and directs the Administrator to promulgate regulations for: (1) the certification of carbon dioxide emissions reductions by sources subject to title IV of the Clean Air Act to the extent that such reductions occur from switching to less carbon intensive fuels; (2) regional average annual per acre carbon dioxide fixation rates by tree species over a 100-year period (sets forth eligibility requirements for offset credits for new forests, improved forest management, and old growth forests); (3) the certification of carbon dioxide credits from new vehicle fleet fuel efficiency improvements; (4) the certification of carbon dioxide credits from appliance efficiency improvements; (5) the certification of carbon dioxide credits for energy conservation investments; (6) the certification of carbon dioxide equivalent credits from the capture and use of methane from coalbeds, municipal landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, and sewage sludge facilities; (7) the certification of carbon dioxide credits created by the construction and operation of cogeneration facilities that replace existing industrial boilers or other thermal power not produced by cogeneration; (8) the certification of carbon dioxide equivalent credits for the capture and destruction of chlorofluorocarbons in the United States and other nations; (9) carbon dioxide credits for manufacturers of alternative fuel vehicles that use less carbon intensive fuels than gasoline; (10) the certification of carbon dioxide credits for utility sources that achieve more efficient heat rates through the repowering or replacement of an existing unit; and (11) the certification of carbon dioxide credits for renewable energy sources that replace existing utility sources that emit carbon dioxide. Requires the Administrator to establish a baseline for sources subject to certification, to be set according to actual performances of such sources during a specified baseline year. Prohibits certification from being granted for a utility shutdown for purposes of repowering or refurbishing an existing facility. Authorizes the Administrator to provide for expedited certification carbon dioxide credits. Authorizes reductions in air pollutants that contribute to global warming to be certified as carbon dioxide offset credits if such reductions meet regulation criteria, except that the amounts of such credits may be reduced or increased based on radiative differences and atmospheric lifetime to reflect the global warming potential of such air pollutants. Requires the Administrator to establish the minimum elements of a permit program to be administered by any air pollution control agency. Requires State Governors to submit permit programs to the Administrator for approval. Directs the Administrator to enforce programs for States failing to make such submission. Requires permits to set forth inspection, entry, monitoring, compliance certification, and reporting requirements. Directs the Administrator to create a National Carbon Dioxide Offset Bank to ensure adequate supplies of carbon dioxide offsets and to create procedures for the tracking and retirement of used credits.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 1991
James Madison-Bill of Rights Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury (the Secretary) to mint and issue five-dollar gold coins emblematic of the Bill of Rights, and one-dollar silver coins emblematic of James Madison. Sets forth guidelines for their sale and issuance, and for financial assurances. Mandates that the surcharges received by the Secretary shall be transmitted to the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Trust Fund. Authorizes audits by the Comptroller General. Provides a general waiver of procurement regulations when implementing this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should ask the United Nations (UN) to release through UNICEF a portion of Iraq's frozen assets to provide medical and humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people, particularly children, with release of the funds contingent on Iraqi Government acceptance of UN oversight and control.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 1991
Contraception and Infertility Research Centers Act of 1991 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Institute of Child Health and Human Development to make grants or enter into contracts for centers for improving methods of contraception and centers for diagnosing and treating infertility. Requires the Director, subject to appropriations, to provide for three centers with respect to contraception and two centers with respect to infertility. Requires each center to: (1) conduct clinical and other applied research; (2) develop training protocols for and conduct training of physicians, scientists, nurses, and other health and allied health professionals; (3) develop model continuing education programs; and (4) disseminate information to professionals. Allows a center to use the funds to provide: (1) stipends for health and allied health professionals enrolled in the training programs; and (2) fees to individuals serving as subjects in the clinical trials. Requires each center to use the facilities of a single institution, or be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions, meeting requirements as prescribed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Allows support for a center to be for a period of up to five years, with extensions of one or more periods of up to five years if the center's operations have been reviewed by a peer review group and the group has so recommended. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary to establish a program of entering into agreements with health professionals, including graduate students, under which the professionals agree to conduct research with respect to contraception or infertility in consideration of the Government agreeing to repay, for each year of such service, not more than a specified amount of the principal and interest of their educational loans. Applies provisions of the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program to this program, except as inconsistent. Authorizes appropriations. Requires amounts appropriated to remain available until the end of the second fiscal year after they are appropriated.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 1991
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program which provides grants to State programs for advising and assisting veterans in matters concerning veterans' benefits. Outlines State grant application requirements, including the submission of a plan for the coordination of State veterans' services assistance programs with activities and programs of local veterans' service organizations. Requires such plan to assure that local veterans' service authorities will: (1) manage and deliver the services under the program; (2) determine the specific advice and assistance to be provided to veterans under the program; and (3) assume a portion of program costs. Requires States, as a condition of grant approval, to match Federal grant funding on a prorated basis for the first two fiscal years, and to match equally such funding for the third and subsequent fiscal years. Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations to be used in: (1) evaluating State grant applications; and (2) the administration of the program. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1994.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 1991
Declares that the Congress should: (1) establish a program of research for the development of methods of contraception and methods of diagnosing and treating infertility; (2) provide adequate long-term resources for the program; (3) ensure that Federal programs with respect to sexually transmitted diseases adequately respond to the role of such diseases in infertility; (4) ensure public education on contraception and infertility; (5) establish as Federal goals the development, by the year 2010, of improved barrier methods to protect against pregnancy and diseases, new methods of contraception for use by men, a vaccine-like drug for women that prevents pregnancy for a significant period of time without other specified effects, and new and improved techniques of diagnosing and treating infertility; (6) require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to reestablish the Ethical Advisory Board in order to facilitate research with respect to infertility; (7) review the policies and procedures of the Food and Drug Administration with respect to expediting approval of drugs and devices for use by the public, especially with respect to contraception and infertility; and (8) determine to what extent measures can be implemented by public or private entities to resolve liability issues involved with drugs and devices concerned with contraception and infertility.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 1991
Technology Preservation Act of 1991 - Amends the Defense Production Act of 1950 to authorize the President to conduct a review to determine whether an investigation should be conducted to determine the effects on national security of certain mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers (takeovers) by foreign persons which could result in foreign control of persons or activities engaged in interstate commerce in the United States. (Currently, there is no review process prior to such investigation.) Designates as an interagency committee to act as the President's designee the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, chaired by the Secretary of Commerce. Authorizes the President or the Committee, as part of its review and investigation, to seek assurances from the foreign person involved that the plans and intentions for the future operation of the U.S. person will not impair national security. Directs the Chairman of the Committee to inform the congressional representatives of the U.S. person subject to a review and investigation under these provisions. Requires the Committee to conduct an ongoing review of all Federal programs, including research and development programs and Federal contracts currently being offered, and, if requested, provide information and assistance to U.S. firms concerning such programs and contracts for which such firms may be eligible. Directs the Secretaries of Commerce and Defense to collect and analyze such takeover proposals, identify the plans of the acquiring foreign persons with respect to the transfer of technology, and make recommendations to the Committee concerning the need to conduct an investigation. Requires the Secretaries to: (1) submit to each member of the Committee a report concerning the impact of the takeover being reviewed, as well as information and views submitted by Federal agencies concerning such matter; and (2) if the Committee does investigate, report to each member concerning investigation results and recommendations to be made to the President. Requires an investigation to be initiated if any member of the Committee so recommends. Requires the Secretaries, in connection with any takeover, to identify any critical technology involved, and, if there is a critical technology involved, to conduct an investigation and solicit appropriate assurances from the foreign person involved that national security is not impaired. Requires the Secretaries to conduct annual reviews to determine whether such assurances are being implemented and complied with and report the results to the Congress. Requires the President to inform the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate whenever an investigation of a takeover is conducted and no action is taken to require the foreign firm involved to provide assurances that national security is not impaired by such action. Authorizes the President, when an investigation has revealed that a takeover would impair national security, to take appropriate action to nullify the takeover and to restore the parties to the positions held before the takeover occurred. Authorizes the President to suspend or prohibit any takeover by a foreign person in the United States if the President believes that national security might be impaired by the impact such takeover could have on the industrial and technology base of the United States. Adds to the factors required (currently, authorized) to be considered by the President or his designee in determining the impact on national security of a proposed takeover: (1) the concentration of foreign direct investment in the industry in question and the impact of additional investment in such industry; (2) the U.S. and world market position of the U.S. person engaged in interstate commerce and the foreign person involved in the transaction; (3) the effects on critical technologies included under the most recent plan submitted to the Congress; and (4) whether the U.S. person engaged in interstate commerce in the United States has received Government grants or contracts during the last ten years, and the dollar amount of such funding. Exempts the provisions concerning presidential reviews of takeovers for national security purposes from termination under a specified provision of the Defense Production Act of 1950. Requires the President to report to the Congress the results of a study to identify trends in foreign direct investment in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 1991
Provides that immigration judges shall, for purposes of determining their pay, be treated in the same manner as administrative law judges. Specifies that in making initial pay adjustments for immigration judges after this Act takes effect, the rate of basic pay for any such judge shall, upon conversion to the new pay system, be at least equal to the rate which was payable to that individual immediately before such conversion.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 1991
Authorizes the Go for Broke National Veterans Association to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia or its environs to honor Japanese American Veterans. Prohibits any Federal funds from being used to pay any expense of the establishment of the memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 1991
Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to require: (1) States receiving drug control and system improvement grant program (program) funds to distribute to a unit or combination of units of local government (local unit) in such State that portion which bears the same ratio to the aggregate amount of such funds as the amount expended by such local unit for criminal justice in the preceding fiscal year bears to the aggregate amount expended by the State and all local units in such State for criminal justice in such preceding fiscal year; and (2) each local unit that receives funds under such provision to make a good faith effort to participate in the development, and comply with the principles, of the State plan and priorities. Makes local units ineligible to receive such funds if the aggregate amount distributable to such unit or combination of local units is less than $50,000. Specifies that a local unit is ineligible in a fiscal year to receive funds both in its capacity as a single local unit and as part of a combination of local units. Authorizes the direct distribution of program funds to local units. Directs the chief executive of a local unit to submit to the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance an application for receipt of such funds by local units, including: (1) a certification that Federal funds made available will not be used to supplant State or local funds, but will be used to increase the amounts of such funds that would otherwise be made available for drug law enforcement activities, and that funds required to pay the non-Federal portion of the cost of each program and project for which such grant is made shall be in addition to funds that would otherwise be made available for drug law enforcement by the recipient of the grant; and (2) an assurance that the applicant has submitted a copy of the application to the appropriate State office and that such application and any amendment thereto was made public before submission to the Bureau (and, to the extent provided under State or local law or established procedure, that such applicant provided an opportunity for comment by citizens and neighborhood and community groups). Sets forth: (1) analogous provisions with respect to the allocation and distribution of funds to eligible local units (i.e., those submitting an application for a fiscal year not later than 90 days after the expiration of the preference period for such fiscal year) where a State fails to submit an application; and (2) the preference period for specified fiscal years. Requires applicants (currently, States) to comply with reporting requirements under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 1991
Food, Drug, Cosmetic, and Device Enforcement Amendments of 1991 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) to authorize any U.S. district court to order the recall of a food, drug, device, or cosmetic which is in violation of the FDCA if the violation involves fraud or presents a significant risk to human or animal health. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to order a recall of a food, drug, or cosmetic for the same reasons. Declares a recall order by the Secretary to be a final agency action. Requires manufacturers and distributors of foods, drugs, devices, or cosmetics to report to the Secretary any recall initiated by the manufacturer or distributor or ordered by a district court. Allows the Secretary to issue regulations requiring manufacturers and distributors of food, drugs, and cosmetics to adopt a method of tracking to facilitate recalls. Adds failure to take certain actions required by this Act to the list of prohibited acts. Authorizes seizure and detention of any food, drug, device, or cosmetic that is in violation of the FDCA. (Current law authorizes seizure of any food, drug, or cosmetic for specified reasons and detention of any device for specified reasons.) Modifies certain procedures regarding detention. Grants the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration subpoena power with regard to proceedings and investigations under the FDCA. Adds failure or refusal to obey a subpoena to the list of prohibited acts. Provides for civil monetary penalties for various acts, including violating any provision of the FDCA, making false statements, bribes, and obstruction of investigations. Repeals provisions relating to civil monetary penalties for violations relating to devices. Modifies the authority of the Secretary to inspect establishments and vehicles with regard to violations of the FDCA concerning food, drugs, devices, or cosmetics including adding authority to retain samples and to copy records. Declares that an inspection shall extend to all things, including equipment, finished and unfinished materials, containers, labeling, records, files, papers, processes, controls, and facilities, bearing on whether articles are in violation of the FDCA. (Current law declares that an inspection relating to drugs or devices extends to all things bearing on violation of the FDCA.) Removes provisions relating to inspections to enforce provisions concerning infant formulas. Requires each manufacturer, importer, and distributor of products regulated under the FDCA and each owner, operator, or agent in charge of an establishment subject to inspection under certain provisions of the FDCA to maintain records and make reports as the Secretary determines to be necessary. Extends to all officers and employees of the Department of Health and Human Services conducting examinations, investigations, or inspections under the FDCA the enforcement powers currently granted to those involved with counterfeit drug matters. Requires refusal of admission for import of any article which is in violation of the FDCA. (Current law requires refusal of admission if adulterated, misbranded, or in violation of provisions relating to new drugs.) Replaces provisions requiring the destruction or exporting of articles refused admission with provisions requiring refused articles to be marked, before export, as refused entry into the United States. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services of food, drugs, devices, and cosmetics being imported into the United States. Requires that the bond which is required, pending decision on the admission of an article, in order to release the article to the owner or consignee, be at least three times the invoice value of the article. Requires destruction within 30 days, without option to relabel or export, of any article that presents a significant risk to human or animal health. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, on request of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to refuse to authorize delivery of an article to the owner or consignee. Prohibits the owner or consignee of an article, a sample of which was delivered or examined, from making a claim for payment for the sample. Includes in the definition of "interstate commerce," as used in the FDCA, commerce involving an article or activity which affects interstate commerce. Makes a similar inclusion in definitional provisions relating to electronic product radiation control. Presumes the existence of the connection with interstate commerce required for jurisdiction in any action to enforce the FDCA respecting a food, drug, device, or cosmetic. (Current law presumes such existence in an action respecting a device.) Transfers provisions of the Public Health Service Act relating to regulation of biological products to the FDCA and removes from the transferred material provisions relating to recalls and penalties for offenses. Adds violation of the transferred provisions to the FDCA list of prohibited acts.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 1991
Diversity in Education Act of 1991 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide that a scholarship program, if its purpose is to promote diversity in the relevant student body, shall not be found to violate the requirements of such Act or any other Act on the basis that it allocates funds based on race, color, or national origin.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 1991
Desert Storm Military Service Academy Eligibility Extension Act of 1991 - Revises the current age limit for admission to the military service academies to allow admission to members of the armed forces between the ages of 22 and 25 who: (1) serve a tour of duty in a combat zone; and (2) are accepted for admission within a one-year period following release from such duty. Provides transition provisions for persons serving a tour of duty in the Persian Gulf.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 1991
Family Preservation Act of 1991 - Title I: Child Welfare Services - Amends part B (Child Welfare Services) of title IV of the Social Security Act to convert the Child Welfare program from an authorization to a capped entitlement program. Requires maintenance of State effort under such program. Sets forth a new formula for allotments to States under such program. Repeals provisions for incentive payments to States which maintain a foster care inventory, information system, and case review system, but requires States to provide such protections and other services designed to keep families together or reunify them, or to place children for adoption, with a legal guardian, or in some other planned, permanent living arrangement. Requires States to submit the following types of reports on child welfare services and expenditures: (1) pre-expenditure reports; (2) post-expenditure reports; and (3) comparative financial contributions reports. Reserves funds for entitlement grants to States to plan for and provide child welfare services designed to strengthen and preserve families. Requires use of part of such funds to develop or expand specialized child welfare services programs, for families in crisis due to substance abuse, that: (1) emphasize comprehensive services geared to the whole family; and (2) support or expand availability of programs for pregnant women and programs that allow mothers (and other caretaker relatives) to reside with their children while receiving services or treatment. Requires uses of the remaining part of such funds to develop or expand: (1) service programs to help children, where appropriate, return to families from which they have been removed, or be placed for adoption, with a legal guardian, or in some other planned, permanent living arrangement; (2) preplacement preventive services programs to help children at risk of foster care placement remain with their families; or (3) service programs for follow-up care for families to whom a child has been returned after a foster care placement. Reserves funds for grants to State court systems to assess and improve procedures in child welfare cases, in carrying out the Child Welfare Services program and part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act. Sets forth application requirements and formulas for determining the amount of such grants for FY 1993 through 1997. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) to submit interim and final reports to the Congress on the information obtained from assessments conducted with such grants and the impact of such grant program on State court procedures and functions. Requires each State to compile annually a detailed directory of programs designed to keep families together or reunify them or place children permanently, identifying which of such programs provides specialized child welfare services to families in crisis due to substance abuse. Title II: Foster Care and Adoption Assistance - Amends title IV (Grants to States for Aid and Services to Needy Families with Children and for Child Welfare Services) of the Social Security Act to add a new part C, Comprehensive Service Projects to grant States flexibility and resources to develop comprehensive and coordinated services designed to: (1) preserve and strengthen families with children at risk of placement outside their homes; (2) reunite children with their families expeditiously if an out-of-home placement is found to be necessary; and (3) place children in adoptive homes or other permanent arrangements in a timely fashion if reunification with their families is not appropriate. Permits any State to apply to the Secretary for permission to: (1) conduct a comprehensive service project in a selected area or areas; and (2) suspend certain child welfare services and foster care and adoption assistance requirements with respect to State activities in such area or areas during the project. Sets forth application requirements and administrative provisions for such projects. Prohibits the Secretary of HHS from requiring as a condition of approval of a project application: (1) the State to select any area or areas in which to conduct the project; or (2) the project to comply with any requirements not specified in the project authorization. Sets forth those requirements with which such a project must comply. Provides for determining the expenses for which a State might properly seek reimbursement, for purposes of calculating such grant amount. Authorizes the Secretary to increase such grant amount, to the extent appropriate, by taking specified factors into account. Sets forth requirements for notification to States of grant amounts, and for grant payments in equal quarterly installments. Prohibits a State from carrying out such a project in a manner that impairs the entitlement of any child to the foster care benefits he or she would have received if the Secretary had approved the State plan for the fiscal year and had not authorized the State to conduct such a project. Deems a State to have in effect an approved foster care and adoption assistance plan during the period in which it conducts such a project for purposes of a State plan requirements under part A (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) of title IV of the Social Security Act. Requires States to report annually on funds expended under such projects to the Secretary and the Advisory Commission on Children and Families. Provides for project termination. Requires a State to discontinue the project at the end of a fiscal year: (1) if it has notified the Secretary that it intends to do so; or (2) if the Secretary has determined that the State is not conducting the project in accordance with requirements and is not making satisfactory progress toward achieving the State plans. Applies Federal child welfare and foster care and adoption assistance requirements with respect to the population of and the State activities in the project area or areas upon such project discontinuance. Prohibits a State from conducting another such project for five years after project discontinuance. Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to eliminate means tests and reduce certain reimbursement rates. Expands eligibility for foster care maintenance payments in certain cases. Covers respite care for foster parents with children who have special needs. Expands the definition of children with special needs, for purposes of the adoption assistance program, to include: (1) those children for whom information is known and available about their genetic or social history indicating a high risk of medical conditions or physical, mental or emotional handicaps (which makes, it reasonable to conclude they cannot be placed for adoption without providing part E adoption assistance or Medicaid medical assistance under title XIX (Grants to States for Medical Assistance Programs) of the Social Security Act; and (2) those children that have been adopted and have a medical condition, or a mental, physical, or emotional handicap that either existed before the adoption but was not diagnosed until afterwards or first manifests itself after the adoption but is congenital or was caused beforehand. Includes relatives (as well as foster parents) who are prospective adoptive parents and with whom the child has significant emotional ties while in their care for purposes of an exception to the requirement that an effort be made to place special needs children with appropriate adoptive parents without providing adoption assistance or Medicaid assistance. Requires each States to submit to the Secretary the factors and conditions it uses to identify children with special needs, for purposes of the adoption assistance program, and any modifications to such factors and conditions. Directs the Secretary to establish an Advisory Committee on Foster Care Placement to study and report to the Secretary and the Congress on the implementation of specified requirements, under State plans for foster care and adoption assistance, that reasonable efforts be made: (1) prior to placement of a child in a foster home, to prevent or eliminate the need for removal of the child from the child's home; and (2) to make it possible for the child to return to the child's home. Provides Federal coverage of 90 percent of State costs in developing and installing statewide mechanized data collection and information retrieval systems which: (1) the Secretary determines are likely to enhance the administration of such programs; (2) are capable of interfacing with the State data collection system for information on child abuse and neglect; and (3) meet other specified requirements. Covers 50 percent of State costs for operation of such systems. Provides that all State expenditures for development, installation, and operation of such systems shall be treated as necessary for proper and efficient administration of the State plan, without regard as to whether the systems may be used with respect to children other than those on behalf of whom payments may be made for foster care maintenance or adoption assistance. Reduces, after three years, from 90 to 50 percent the Federal matching payment for development and installation of such systems. Defers a deadline for implementation of automated systems until one year after certain regulations are promulgated. Directs the Secretary to establish a work group, including representatives of specified organizations to advise on planning and implementation of the system to be used for collection of data relating to adoption and foster care in the United States. Requires the State plan to provide for: (1) a triennial review of the amounts paid as foster care maintenance payments and adoption assistance to assure their continuing appropriateness; and (2) a report to the Secretary on the results. Requires that the dispositional hearing to determine the final status of a foster child occur within 12 months of his or her original placement, rather than the current 18 months. Revises the time frame for judicial determinations on voluntary placements. Sets forth case plan requirements for placement of children in out-of-State foster care, including a finding that the child needs services not available in the State. Requires annual review, with the child present, of the status of children in out-of-State foster care placements. Requires States to collect data on the numbers of children in out-of-State foster care placements. Requires a State, in order to receive payments for expenditures after FY 1993 for foster care maintenance payments made with respect to a child placed in foster care outside the State, to conduct and submit a study to the Secretary by the end of such fiscal year, identifying the number and common characteristics of such children and the reason why they were not placed in foster care in the State. Eliminates the ceilings on Federal foster care payments to States and the States' authority to transfer unused foster care funds to the Child Welfare Services program. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish an advisory committee; and (2) issue final regulations for training of staff of agencies responsible for administering foster care and adoption assistance programs and for training of foster and adoptive parents. Requires such committee to include representatives of public agencies and private nonprofit organizations with an interest in child welfare. Directs the Secretary to annually publish information, on a State-by-State basis, on expenditures for, and the operation of, the Child Welfare Services program, the Foster Care and Adoption Assistance program, and Comprehensive Service Projects. Amends title IV of the Social Security Act to add a new part G, Child Welfare Review System. Directs the Secretary to establish such system to: (1) review each State child welfare program to assess whether the requirements of such Act are being carried out; (2) impose financial penalties in cases of substantial failure to comply; and (3) provide technical assistance to any such program. Requires the Secretary to complete such a review for each State program once every three years. Sets forth provisions relating to effects of noncompliance, suspension of financial penalties, and administrative and judicial review. Requires that all State child welfare programs be reviewed at least once by the end of FY 1996. Prohibits the Secretary from reducing or withholding any payment or seeking any repayment from any State under part B or E by reason of a determination made in connection with specified reviews or audits for certain periods. Title III: Emergency Assistance - Amends part A (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) (AFDC) of title IV of the Social Security Act to require States to provide emergency assistance to needy families with children, including services designed to prevent homelessness. Title IV: Social Services Block Grant - Amends title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services) of the Social Security Act to authorize increased appropriations under such program for FY 1992 and 1993 and thereafter. Title V: Research, Demonstration, and Evaluation Activities - Amends part A (General Provisions) of title XI (General Provisions and Professional Standards Review) of the Social Security Act to require the Director of the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) to establish an Advisory Commission on Children and Families (the Commission). Requires the Commission to collect and assess specified types of information in order to identify cost-effective approaches to protect and enhance the physical, mental, emotional, and financial well-being of children and their families. Directs OTA to report annually to the Congress on the Commission and its assessment. Requires the Commission to conduct, through contracts with independent research organizations, the following research and evaluation projects: (1) an evaluation of child welfare service programs, including intensive family preservation programs; (2) foster care evaluations; (3) longitudinal child welfare data bases, and studies of child welfare population dynamics; and (4) comprehensive service projects evaluations. Directs the Secretary to conduct the following research and evaluations: (1) a study (under contract with an independent research organization) to assess the prevalence and nature of risks to the safety of employees of child welfare systems; and (2) a three-year study (under contract with an organization with demonstrated appropriate experience) to examine methodologies for measuring the workloads of providers of child welfare services and community mental health services. Directs the Secretary to authorize the following types of child welfare demonstration projects: (1) abandoned infants permanent placement; (2) termination of parental rights; (3) child welfare worker training in U.S. areas that border on Mexico; (4) staff recruitment and retention; and (5) joint training for staff of child welfare, mental health, and juvenile justice agencies. Directs the Secretary to provide technical assistance to States for: (1) interpreting and implementing parts B, C, and E; (2) disseminating information on innovative child welfare agencies; (3) correcting problems identified through Federal audits and reviews and carrying out corrective action plans under part E; (4) implementing the foster care and adoption data collection system; and (5) addressing other matters identified by such Secretary. Title VI: Credit for Certain Adoption Expenses - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income tax credit for certain expenses related to the adoption of a child with special needs.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 1991
Medicare Preventive Benefits Act of 1991 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of fecal-occult blood tests (FOBTs) and screening flexible sigmoidoscopies for the early detection of colorectal cancer. Covers FOBTs on an annual basis for individuals aged 50 or over. Covers screening sigmoidoscopies provided every five years for individuals aged 50 or over. Provides payment for FOBTs under the laboratory fee schedule, subject to a five dollar limit in 1992. Provides payment for screening sigmoidoscopies under the relative value scale in 1992. Permits the Secretary to modify the frequency criteria after 1994. Provides for Medicare coverage of annual influenza vaccinations and for tetanus-diptheria vaccinations administered every ten years. Provides for Medicare coverage up to age seven according to a frequency schedule to be established by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) in consultation with appropriate entities. Provides for Medicare coverage of annual screening mammography for the early detection of breast cancer for women over age 64. (Currently, such women are covered for such screening performed every other year.) Requires HHS demonstration projects for the coverage of additional specified preventive care services and reports to specified congressional committees on such projects. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes an Office of Technology Assessment study and report to the Congress on the development of a process evaluating possible Medicare coverage of other preventive care services.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 1991
Waste Export and Import Prohibition Act - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to prohibit the export from, or import into, the United States of solid waste. Excludes from such prohibition small quantities of household waste carried by individuals traveling abroad and baled waste paper, scrap textiles, or waste glass if such wastes: (1) are exported or imported for recycling purposes; (2) are separated from the waste stream; and (3) do not contain any substances whose storage, treatment, or disposal is regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act or that are identified as having characteristics of hazardous waste. Includes within the definition of "solid waste": (1) low-level radioactive waste and waste mixed with low-level radioactive waste; and (2) all wastes covered by the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. Prescribes criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Repeals provisions concerning the export of hazardous wastes.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 1991
Federal Council on Women Act - Establishes the Federal Council on Women to: (1) collect and evaluate information on a wide range of issues relating to U.S. women (including poverty, health care, violence, employment, education, and aging); (2) review current and proposed Federal policy relating to those issues and the impact of those issues on women; (3) coordinate Council activities with other public and private organizations; and (4) make recommendations to the Congress. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1991
National Child Abuser Registration Act of 1991 - Authorizes a State child abuse information repository (State repository) to report child abuser information to the National Crime Information Center. Directs the Attorney General to establish guidelines for the reporting of such information. Specifies that such guidelines shall require that: (1) a reporting State ensure that reports of all convictions under the criminal child abuse law of the State are maintained by a State repository; and (2) a State repository maintain close liaison with the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for the exchange of information and technical assistance in cases of child abuse. Requires the Attorney General to publish an annual statistical summary of the child abuser information reported under this Act. Makes compliance with this Act a condition to the receipt by a State of any grant, cooperative agreement, or other assistance under the Victims of Crime Act and the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1991
Middle Income Student Assistance Act of 1991 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for student eligibility for Stafford loans without regard to an expected family contribution in the determination of need. Provides that any Stafford loan may be counted as part of the expected family contribution in the determination of need for certain other types of student assistance. Revises Pell Grant provisions relating to borrowing authority for adjustments for insufficient appropriations. Directs the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to expend, from the next succeeding fiscal year's appropriation for Pell Grants, necessary sums to meet any insufficiencies to satisfy full Pell Grant entitlements for the preceding fiscal year. Excludes, for Pell Grant and other student assistance program need analysis, the net value of the family's principal place of residence or a farm on which the family resides. Directs the Secretary to recommend to the Congress any changes necessary to achieve an equitable assessment of income and assets after the exclusion of such assets.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1991
Youth Summer Camp and Conservation Act of 1991 - Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture (the Secretaries) to jointly establish a summer camp program for children from low-income families in areas eligible for assistance under the urban park and recreation recovery program under the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act of 1978 (which is title X of the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978). Requires such program to provide for contracts with private, nonprofit youth-oriented organizations under which funding will be provided to assist eligible children to attend summer camps, operated by such organizations, for recreational enjoyment and environmental education. Directs the Secretaries to expand the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) program to offer youth opportunities for summer employment in a healthful outdoor atmosphere of the National Park System, the National Forest System, or other public land and water areas. Allows such program expansion to include both residential and non-residential camp opportunities. Requires allocation of such program expansion funding: (1) by the Secretary of the Interior among agencies of the Department of the Interior operating a YCC program, giving priority to those with existing programs; and (2) by the Secretary of Agriculture to the Forest Service to expand its existing YCC program. Provides for funding of programs under this Act by requiring additional fees to be paid by concession contractors of the National Park Service and special use permittees of the Forest Service, if their annual gross receipts or sales to the recreating public exceed $2,000,000. Sets such additional fees at two percent of the annual gross receipts or sales. Divides such funds as follows: (1) two-thirds for the summer camp program; and (2) one-third for the YCC program expansion for summer employment.
![Official portrait of Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-15]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000053_200.jpg)