United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1978
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide identical income tax rates for single persons and married couples filing joint returns. Limits the earned income that must be reported by a married individual filing a separate return to the amount actually earned by that individual.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 1978
Department of Justice Appropriation Authorization Act - Authorizes the appropriation for fiscal year 1979 of specified sums for designated activities and agencies of the Department of Justice.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 1978
Psychotropic Substances Act - Amends the Controlled Substances Act, the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and the Public Health Service Act to meet obligations under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 1978
Customs Courts Act - Title I: Purpose - Includes among the stated purposes of this Act: (1) provision for a comprehensive system of expanded judicial review of matters affecting imports; (2) prevention of jurisdictional conflicts in civil actions pertaining to imports; and (3) granting customs courts certain plenary powers. Title II: Composition of the Customs Court and Assignment of Judges to Other Courts - Removes the restriction that not more than five of the nine judges of the United States Customs Court be of the same political party. Stipulates that the judge designated as chief judge shall serve in that capacity until reaching age 70. Authorizes temporary assignment of Customs Court judges to United States courts of appeals and the Court of Claims. Title III: Jurisdiction of the Customs Court - Revises the jurisdiction of the Customs Court to grant it exclusive jurisdiction, except as otherwise provided by law; (1) to hear all civil actions against the United States or its agents which directly affect imports and which arise under the Constitution, laws, and treaties of the United States or an Executive Agreement or Order of the President; (2) to review any final agency action which directly affects imports; and (3) to review certain findings and decisions of the International Trade Commission. Excludes from Customs Court jurisdiction actions arising under antitrust laws, the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, or the Shipping Act of 1916 and those actions relating solely to labor-management relations. Excludes certain trade-related discretionary acts of the President or the Secretary of the Treasury from any judicial review. Retains specifically present Customs Court jurisdiction over actions involving: (1) the appraised value and classification of imports; (2) the rate and amount of duties chargeable; (3) any other charges or exactions upon imports; (4) exclusion of goods from entry or delivery; (5) refusals to pay a claim or drawback; (6) liquidations or reliquidation of an entry; and (7) suits by American businesses under the Tariff Act. Details Customs Court jurisdiction and procedure relative to recovery of civil penalties, forfeitures, bonds, and customs duties. Title IV: Customs Court Procedure - Amends Customs Court procedures to accommodate the Court's expanded jurisdiction. Revises guidelines relative to standing to bring suit, commencement of actions, filing of official documents, witnesses, and fees. Sets forth exhaustion of administrative remedies requirements for various types of civil actions. Stipulates that actions relating to appraisal, classification, amount of duties, charges and exactions, exclusion, liquidation, refusal to pay a claim for a drawback, or imposition of antidumping or countervailing duties upon particular merchandise shall be decided on the basis of the record made in court. States that the scope of and the procedure for judicial review in other cases, including those related to the applicability of antidumping duties or countervailing duties to a type of goods, shall be that set forth in the Administrative Procedure Act. Title V: Court of Customs and Patent Appeals - Grants the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals jurisdiction to hear appeals from interlocutory orders of the Customs Court which pertain to injunctions. Includes within the exclusive jurisdiction of such court review of: (1) decisions of the Secretary of the Treasury to deny or revoke a customs broker's license; (2) any action challenging an order to revoke or suspend such a license; and (3) decisions of the Secretary of Labor or Secretary of Commerce relating to certification of workers, communities, or firms for trade adjustment assistance. States that the Federal Rules of Evidence shall apply in Court of Customs and Patent Appeals actions in which a decision of the Customs Court is being appealed. Amends procedures for such appeals. Title VI: Miscellaneous - Allows American firms to petition the Secretary to exclude from entry designated merchandise by the same means presently available for challenging classifications and duties. Permits the Secretary, upon making one of specified findings, to consider petitions challenging classifications, duties, or entries as requests for formal investigations into the applicability of countervailing or antidumping duties. Entitles any aggrieved person to file for judicial review of a decision on a firm's classification, duty, or entry challenge petition. Specifies procedures by means of which American firms and any other aggrieved person may challenge: (1) a discontinuance of an antidumping investigation; (2) a rejection of a petition due to insufficient allegations; or (3) certain decisions of the United States International Trade Commission regarding antidumping or countervailing duties. Sets forth procedures and standards for judicial review requested by an aggrieved person under this Act. Lists the types of persons who, except when one of certain specialized procedures is applicable, may protest a decision of a customs officer. Title VII: Technical and Conforming Amendments - Amends specified provisions in title 28 of the United States Code (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure), including those pertaining to fines, seizures, clerks, district courts jurisdiction, and Court of Claims jurisdiction, in order to conform them with changes in Customs Court and Court of Customs and Patent Appeals jurisdiction and procedure set forth in this Act. Adds a new section regarding the registration of Customs Court judgments.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 1978
Hearing Dog Training Act - Directs the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to give financial assistance to centers which train dogs to assist individuals with hearing disabilities. Directs that grants will be made to one center in each of the ten Standard Federal Regions as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. Establishes requirements for eligibility to receive grants.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 1978
Clayton Act Amendments - Amends the Clayton Act to permit suits by any indirect purchaser or seller in the chain of manufacture, production, or distribution of goods or services who proves financial injury which was not passed on to another purchaser or seller in the chain. States that the fact of injury and the amount of damages sustained or passed-on may be proven on a class-wide basis in class actions and actions brought by State attorneys general. Prohibits any foreign government or its agents or departments from bringing a suit for treble damages under the Clayton Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 1978
Interstate Land Sales Reform Act - Amends the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act to expand the exemption from the terms of the Act for the sale or lease of lots in subdivisions and to limit the exemption for the sale or lease of real estate which is not a part of a common promotional plan. Grants purchasers or lessees of subdivided real property the right to void a contract for purchase or lease during the 30-day period following the consummation of the transaction and during the three-year period after consummation under specified circumstances. Requires land developers to make public all printed promotional material, transcripts of all radio and television advertisements, and accurate summaries of all verbal representations made by a developer or his agent to promote the purchase or lease of subdivided lots. Revises the formula for determining the amount of damages awarded to purchasers or lessees prevailing in civil suits for untrue statements or omissions of material facts in statement of record to include reasonable court costs, attorneys' fees, appraisal costs, and travel expenses. Permits suits for securing specific performance of contracts or promises made by a developer in connection with a sale or lease of subdivided land. Extends the statute of limitations for such suits from one to three years after the discovery of the untrue statement or omission or after a discovery should have been made by the exercise of reasonable diligence. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to initiate administrative proceedings upon a reasonable belief that a developer is violating or had violated any provision of this Act or any rules or regulations prescribed pursuant to this Act. Grants the Secretary the power to issue temporary compliance orders if it is in the public interest to do so. Prescribes civil penalties for violations of this Act and increases the amount of criminal penalties which may be assessed.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 1978
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to provide that each State shall have at least one very high frequency commercial television station located within the State.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 1978
Thomas A. Edison Centennial Act - Establishes the Thomas A. Edison Centennial Commission to initiate and encourage the development of publications, projects, and programs, and to coordinate activities relating to the life and achievements of Thomas A. Edison. Authorizes the State University of New Jersey to apply to the Commission for grants to assist specified State and Federal agencies in the compilation and publication of "The Papers of Thomas A. Edison."
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 1978
Amends the Local Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act of 1976 to increase the amount authorized to be appropriated to carry out such Act to $10,000,000,000.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1978
Social Security Refinancing Act - Amends Title II (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) and XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to finance the payment of disability insurance benefits and hospital insurance benefits through general tax revenues, rather than through employment and self-employment tax revenues. Reduces employment and self-employment tax rates below the rates established by the Social Security Financing Amendments of 1977.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1978
Amends the Controlled Substances Act to make phencyclidine (PCP) a Schedule I (most dangerous substances) rather than a Schedule III drug. Sets forth minimum mandatory prison terms for phencyclidine traffic. Revises provisions specifying penalties for sale of controlled substances to persons under 21 to: (1) repeal the requirement that the seller be at least 18 years old; and (2) set forth separate mandatory prison terms for the sale of phencyclidine.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1978
Expresses the concern of the House of Representatives regarding the slaughter of dolphins by Japanese fishermen in the Sea of Japan on February 23, and 24, 1978. Encourages the Government of Japan to join in certain discussions and infomration exchanges in an effort to eliminate such slaughter.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1978
Title I: Establishment of Park - Establishes, in the city of Lowell, Massachusetts, the Lowell National Historical Park. Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1979 for development of such Park. Title II: Role of the Secretary - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit a park management plan to Congress. Provides for consultation with the Lowell city manager, the Lowell National Historical Park Commission, established by this Act, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in developing such plan. Sets requirements for acquisition of specified properties for the Park. Directs the Secretary to provide technical assistance in preservation, restoration, and other use of park properties. Provides for agreements with park property owners for provision of exhibits and programs. Permits withholding of park management plan funds by the Secretary if the city of Lowell fails to meet specified criteria. Title III: Role of the Commission - Establishes within the Department of the Interior the Lowell National Historical Park Commission to administer the preservation zone. Requires the Commission to file park preservation plans with the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to publish notice of the approval of park preservation plans in the Federal Register. Directs the Commission to make loans, grants, and technical assistance for the preservation, restoration, or development of specified park property. Provides for the acquisition and disposition of property by the Commission. Enumerates the powers of the Commission, including the holding of hearings, and provides for the staff of the Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1978
Prohibits commerce in contraband cigarettes. Defines "contraband cigarettes" as a quantity of more than 20,000 cigarettes, bearing no evidence of payment of applicable State cigarette taxes, which are in the possession of any person other than (1) a person licensed by the State where the cigarettes are found or by the Internal Revenue Service, (2) a common or contract carrier, or (3) a government agent in the performance of duties. Subjects dealers in cigarettes to such reporting requirements as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1978
Expresses the condemnation of the House of Representatives of the kidnapping of Aldo Moro. Declares it the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) Italy deserves the support of the United States, and (2) the President should instruct the Permanent Representative to the United Nations to press for consideration of solutions to the problem of terrorism in all appropriate forums.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1978
Expresses the condemnation of the House of Representatives of the kidnapping of Aldo Moro. Declares it the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) Italy deserves the support of the United States, and (2) the President should instruct the Permanent Representative to the United Nations to press for consideration of solutions to the problem of terrorism in all appropriate forums.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1978
Expresses the condemnation of the House of Representatives of the kidnapping of Aldo Moro. Declares it the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) Italy deserves the support of the United States, and (2) the President should instruct the Permanent Representative to the United Nations to press for consideration of solutions to the problem of terrorism in all appropriate forums.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1978
Expresses the condemnation of the House of Representatives of the kidnapping of Aldo Moro. Declares it the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) Italy deserves the support of the United States, and (2) the President should instruct the Permanent Representative to the United Nations to press for consideration of solutions to the problem of terrorism in all appropriate forums.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1978
Expresses the condemnation of the House of Representatives of the kidnapping of Aldo Moro. Declares it the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) Italy deserves the support of the United States, and (2) the President should instruct the Permanent Representative to the United Nations to press for consideration of solutions to the problem of terrorism in all appropriate forums.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1978
Expresses the condemnation of the House of Representatives of the kidnapping of Aldo Moro. Declares it the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) Italy deserves the support of the United States, and (2) the President should instruct the Permanent Representative to the United Nations to press for consideration of solutions to the problem of terrorism in all appropriate forums.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1978
Expresses the condemnation of the House of Representatives of the kidnapping of Aldo Moro. Declares it the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) Italy deserves the support of the United States, and (2) the President should instruct the Permanent Representative to the United Nations to press for consideration of solutions to the problem of terrorism in all appropriate forums.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1978
Expresses the condemnation of the House of Representatives of the kidnapping of Aldo Moro. Declares it the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) Italy deserves the support of the United States, and (2) the President should instruct the Permanent Representative to the United Nations to press for consideration of solutions to the problem of terrorism in all appropriate forums.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1978
Expresses the condemnation of the House of Representatives of the kidnapping of Aldo Moro. Declares it the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) Italy deserves the support of the United States, and (2) the President should instruct the Permanent Representative to the United Nations to press for consideration of solutions to the problem of terrorism in all appropriate forums.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1978
Expresses the condemnation of the House of Representatives of the kidnapping of Aldo Moro. Declares it the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) Italy deserves the support of the United States, and (2) the President should instruct the Permanent Representative to the United Nations to press for consideration of solutions to the problem of terrorism in all appropriate forums.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1978
Amends the Education of the Handicapped Act to: (1) change the formula for determining maximum State entitlement for the education of handicapped children under such Act; and (2) provide an alternative procedure for meeting the eligibility requirements for such entitlement in a State whose laws prohibit the general supervision required under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1978
Expresses the condemnation by the Congress of the March 11, 1978, attack on Israel by the Palestine Liberation Organization, and the expressed intention of the PLO to continue such attacks and to disrupt the peace efforts between Israel and Egypt. Requests the President to make the disapproval of the Congress known to governments approving the PLO attack. Expresses Congressional approval of the peace efforts between Israel and Egypt. Urges other Middle East countries to join such efforts. Declares negotiation to be the best way to bring peace to the Middle East.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1978
Solar Energy Bank Act - Creates a Government corporation to be known as the Solar Energy Development Bank to make long-term, low-interest loans to encourage the use of solar energy in commercial and residential dwellings. Establishes procedures governing the processing and approval of loan applications by the Bank. Prohibits conflicts of interest, on the part of officers or employees of the Bank. Prohibits the Bank or its employees from utilizing the Solar Bank to finance political activities. Imposes criminal penalties for the furnishing of false or misleading information by applicants for loans under this Act. Declares that the Solar Bank and its assets shall be exempt by Federal, State, and local taxation. Establishes a Solar Energy Fund in the Treasury of the United States to pay the expenses of the Bank. Authorizes the appropriation of $5,000,000,000 to the Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 1978
Drug Benefits for the Aged Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish: (1) a Drug Benefit Program for the Aged to pay for prescription drugs from participating pharmacies; (2) a Drug Benefits List; (3) a Drug Benefits Council to advise the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare on matters relating to this Act; and (4) penalties for abuses of the benefits program.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 1978
Delays for six months the effective date of the increase in the hospital deductible for 1978 under the hospital insurance program of Title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 1978
Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to make grants to health maintenance organizations for the construction of ambulatory services to be used by such organizations for the provision of health services to their members in medically underserved areas. Authorizes the Secretary to make loans for the same purpose to such organizations in areas which are not medically underserved. Amends Title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to set forth new regulations governing the payment of the cost of medical services incurred by a member of a health maintenance organization. Amends Title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to permit reimbursement to States for payments made to health maintenance organizations in cases where such payments would have previously been prohibited because of the eligibility of a significant percentage of the members of such an organization for medicare payments when it is determined that the health needs of the population affected are best served by such organization.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 1978
Authorizes the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to make grants for research and development of new methods of research, experimentation, and testing which minimize the use of and the pain inflicted upon, live animals. Authorizes appropriations to carry out the purposes of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1978
Elephant Protection Act - Prohibits the import, export, possession, transport, or sale of any elephant product. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to administer this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to issue permits for acts herein prohibited for scientific purposes. Establishes civil and criminal penalties for violation of this Act. Establishes rewards for persons providing information regarding violations of this Act. Requires the Secretaries of the Interior, Treasury, and the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to enforce this Act, and to promulgate regulations for such enforcement. Permits citizens suits to enforce this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 1978
Amends Title XX (Grants to States for Services) of the Social Security Act to increase the ceiling imposed upon payments for services under such Title for the fiscal years 1979, 1980, 1981 and maintains the 1981 level for succeeding years.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 1978
Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act - Title I: Tribally Controlled Community Colleges - Provides for educational grants by the Secretary of the Interior to tribally controlled Indian community colleges. Provides that schools eligible for such grants shall be: (1) formally controlled, sanctioned or chartered by an Indian tribe or tribes; (2) governed by a board of directors, a majority of whom are Indians; (3) directed by stated goals, philosophy, or plan of action aimed at meeting the needs of Indians; and (4) attended by students, a majority of whom must be Indians if the school has been in operation more than one year. Authorizes technical assistance to the schools. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to contract with the Assistant Secretary of Education of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare for feasibility studies of individual schools. Requires such studies to be conducted by the Secretary of the Interior upon tribal request. Provides for the administration, and funding of these grants, with certain rule-making authority being vested in the Secretary. Authorizes appropriations of stated amounts for three years. Directs the Secretary to make annual reports and recommendations to Congress on the program. Stipulates that assistance under this Act shall not, in itself, prevent any recipient college from receiving other educational assistance. Directs the Secretary to prepare a report, on existing and planned tribally controlled community college facilities, Bureau of Indian Affairs facilities which could reasonably be converted to such use. Excludes the Navajo Tribe from the provisions of this title, as well as any colleges which limit enrollment to specific tribes. Title II: Construction Grants - Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress by November, 1979, a survey and study on the academic facilities required by tribally controlled community colleges. Authorizes the Secretary to make planning and construction grants to the colleges upon proper applications and showings. Excludes the Navajo Tribe, as well as any colleges which limit enrollment to specific tribes, from the provisions of this title. Title III: Navajo Community College - Navajo Community College Assistance Act - Amends the Navajo Community College Act to authorize construction appropriations of $60,000,000 for the College over the three years following this enactment. Appropriates additional operating and maintenance appropriations for the College. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish procedures to control such appropriations and to segregate them from appropriations for Navajo programs historically expended by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 1978
Directs the Postmaster General to issue a commemorative postage stamp in honor of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Monmouth, and for a postal card to commemorate Molly Pitcher the heroine of such battle.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 1978
SS Life Act - Directs the Secretary of the Navy to transfer to LIFE International for 15 years the hospital ship U.S.S. Sanctuary (AH-17) to furnish health care to developing nations. Renames such ship the "SS LIFE". Authorizes the appropriation of $6,000,000 for fiscal year 1979 for modification of such ship and for maintenance and operation $494,000 for fiscal year 1979, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1980, $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1981, $3,000,000 for fiscal year 1982, $2,000,000 for fiscal year 1983, and $1,000,000 for fiscal year 1984.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 1978
Authorizes the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to acquire the Museum of African Art. Establishes a Commission for the Museum of African Art to assist the Board in the operation and development of the Museum. Authorizes appropriations to carry out the purposes of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 1978
Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to direct the Commissioner on Aging to establish a special grant program to enable States to establish community long-term care initiatives designed to assess the needs of chronically ill or disabled older persons for services and to assist in the efficient operation of a comprehensive and coordinated system for the delivery of services to older persons. Authorizes the Commissioner to permit certain agencies to apply for, and if qualified, reserve grants to develop such community long-term care initiatives. Authorizes grants made under this Act to cover up to 90 percent of the cost of a program established pursuant to this Act. Permits adversely affected grant applicants to obtain judicial review. Establishes guidelines for each agency to follow in establishing programs. Requires each administering agency to submit an annual report to the Commissioner.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 1978
Title I: Establishment of Park - Establishes, in the city of Lowell, Massachusetts, the Lowell National Cultural Park, consisting of a preservation zone and an intensive use zone, to preserve sites and structures through implementation of the plan of the Lowell Historic Canal District Commission. Title II: Role of the Secretary - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit a park management plan to Congress. Provides for consultation with the Lowell city manager and the Lowell National Cultural Park Commission, established by this Act, in setting preservation, restoration, and use standards. Sets requirements for acquisition of property within the preservation zone. Directs the Secretary to provide technical assistance in preservation, restoration, and other use of park properties. Permits withholding of park management plan funds by the Secretary if the city of Lowell fails to meet specified criteria. Title III: Role of the Commission - Establishes within the Department of the Interior the Lowell National Cultural Park Commission to administer the preservation zone. Requires the Commission to submit management plans and an index of Federal Register and other potentially significant historic cultural or architectural properties. Directs the Commission to make loans, grants, and technical assistance for the preservation, restoration, or development of the park. Provides for the acquisition and disposition of property by the Commission. Enumerates the powers of the Commission, including the holding of hearings, and provides for the staff of the Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 1978
Amends the Speedy Trial Act of 1974 to extend indefinitely the authorization for appropriations for the experimental pretrial service agencies created thereunder.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 1978
Nongame Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to make grants to any State to assist such State in developing a comprehensive fish and wildlife resource management plan. Directs the Secretary to prescribe by regulation standards to provide that management plans developed by the States under this Act result in the conservation of fish and wildlife. Sets forth the procedure by which the Secretary shall consider for approval State management plans. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to States having approved nongame fish and wildlife conservation programs to assist such States in implementing such programs. Establishes limitations on the amount of such grants and the procedure for allocation among States. Sets forth the terms and conditions of such grants.
![Official portrait of Rep. Rodino, Peter W., Jr. [D-NJ-10]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000374_200.jpg)