United States · United States Congress · 27 September 1990
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center located at 113 Holland Avenue in Albany, New York, as the Samuel S. Stratton Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 1990
Declares that: (1) the President should withdraw his request for authority to forgive the military assistance debts owed to the United States by the Egyptian Government; (2) if the President fails to withdraw that request, the Congress should reject it; and (3) the President should develop a plan for the sharing of the costs and responsibilities of checking Iraq's aggression.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 1990
Veterans' Judicial Review Amendments of 1990 - Repeals certain provisions relating to decisions made by the Court of Veterans Appeals in veterans' benefits determinations. Authorizes the Chief Judge of the Court to annually summon the judges of such Court to a judicial conference in order to consider business of the Court and to improve the administration of justice within the Court's jurisdiction. Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to release veterans' medical records to the U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals and any other Federal court for use in connection with veterans' appeals under the jurisdiction of such courts.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 1990
Plastic Recycling Assistance Act of 1990 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to require plastic containers manufactured or offered for sale in the United States to be coded to identify the principal plastic resin used in such containers. Establishes a symbol and numbers identifying specific types of resins, including degradable resins, for such codes. Prohibits States or political subdivisions from: (1) enforcing any law applicable to plastic coding unless requirements are the same as requirements under this Act; and (2) enforcing any ban on plastic containers coded in compliance with this Act. Prescribes civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Requires the Administrator to study and report to the Congress on technology to facilitate the automated sorting of municipal solid waste from nonrecyclable wastes and to separate such wastes by type or category. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 1990
Amends the Railroad Retirement Solvency Act of 1983 to extend for two years provisions for the transfer of tier 2 railroad retirement benefit taxation revenues from the general fund of the Treasury to the Railroad Retirement Account.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 1990
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to accept from the owners the donation of all right, title, and interest in and to certain land in Macon, Georgia (known as Drake Field), to be added to the Ocmulgee National Monument in Macon.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 1990
Transfers custody and control of Pershing Hall, a memorial in Paris, France, owned by the United States, to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to administer, develop, and improve Pershing Hall and its site, as appropriate. Establishes the Pershing Hall Revolving Fund. Provides for the transfer of monies to the Fund for the construction of major projects. Abolishes the Pershing Hall Memorial Fund and transfers the corpus of the Memorial Fund to the Revolving Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 1990
Airline Passengers Defense Act of 1990 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish in the Department of Transportation an Office of Airline Passenger Advocacy. Establishes the Office of Airline Passenger Advocacy Advisory Group. Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to prohibit air carriers from cancelling a flight within 72 hours of its scheduled departure time for any reason, except for safety reasons or the absence of any passengers at such departure time. Requires air carriers which cancel such flights for safety-related reasons to report to the Secretary on the cancellation, the reasons for it, and actions taken to resolve the safety-related problem. Requires air carriers to notify their passengers of any delays of 15 minutes or more in the departure or arrival of scheduled flights. Requires an air carrier which cancels a flight in violation of this Act, or alters stopping places of such flight for any reason other than safety, to compensate passengers. Prohibits on-time performance of regularly scheduled flights from being 30 percent or less in any consecutive three-month period. Requires the Secretary to establish in the Office of Airline Passenger Advocacy a toll-free telephone number system for receiving passenger complaints relating to air service. Sets forth requirements relating to: (1) ticket information; and (2) lost or damaged baggage claims. Sets forth civil penalties for economic cancellations and consistently delayed flights by air carriers.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 1990
Financial Crimes Prosecution and Recovery Act of 1990 as Reported By the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives - Title I: Enhanced Criminal Penalties - Amends Federal criminal law to establish criminal penalties (including imprisonment) for the concealment of assets from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (acting as conservator or receiver) and the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) acting as conservator or receiver. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to prohibit certain felons convicted of dishonesty or breach of trust from controlling or participating in the affairs of a depository institution for a minimum ten-year period. Amends Federal criminal law to establish criminal penalties (including imprisonment) for obstructing any examination of a financial institution. Increases to 30 years (currently, 20 years) the maximum prison term for bank fraud and embezzlement. Establishes a ten-year statute of limitations for the prosecution of racketeering offenses involving financial institutions. Extends money laundering prohibitions to include funds from specified bank crimes. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to promulgate guidelines for increased penalties for certain bank crime convictions in which the defendant derived more than $1,000,000 in gross receipts from the offense. Provides for restoration of forfeited property and for restitution to bank crime victims. Sets forth maximum criminal fines and minimum imprisonment terms for certain continuing financial crime enterprises (i.e., certain violations committed by at least four persons acting in concert). Title II: Protecting Assets from Wrongful Disposition - Authorizes the Attorney General to obtain a court order enjoining or restraining the alienation of disposition of property obtained as a result of a banking law violation. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to set forth attachment procedures. Amends Federal bankruptcy law to provide that the trustee shall be deemed to have assumed a debtor's commitment to a Federal depository institution regulatory agency to maintain the capital of an insured depository institution (thus precluding the trustee from rejecting such commitment as an executory contract which can be avoided as a discharge in bankruptcy). Exempts a Federal depository institution regulatory agency acting as conservator for an insured depository institution from the requirement of proving reasonable reliance upon a false writing supplied by a debtor who is an institution-affiliated party. Prohibits a discharge in bankruptcy for debts resulting from the debtor's failure to fulfill a commitment to a Federal financial institution regulatory agency to maintain the capital of an insured depository institution. Exempts a Federal depository institution regulatory agency acting as conservator for an insured depository institution from the requirement of a timely nondischargeability request (including notice and hearing) when seeking to recover a debt relating to malfeasance. Declares that for specified cases of deceitful conduct, any institution-affiliated party of an insured depository institution (or credit union) shall be deemed to have been acting in a fiduciary capacity with respect to any debt owed to a Federal banking regulatory agency (thus making such debt nondischargeable in bankruptcy). Makes it a prerequisite of a bankruptcy reorganization plan that the debtor will: (1) maintain any commitment to a Federal banking regulatory agency to maintain the capital of an insured depository institution; and (2) continue to be obligated for any debt to such agency for failure to fulfill such commitment. Makes certain debts owed by an institution-affiliated party to an insured depository institution under Federal receivership nondischargeable under a consumer debt bankruptcy plan. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to empower the FDIC (acting as conservator) to avoid fraudulent conveyances by a debtor institution-affiliated party. Prohibits an insured depository institution which does not meet minimum Federal capitalization requirements from making golden parachute payments, covered benefit payments, or certain payments in anticipation of insolvency to an institution-affiliated party without prior written Federal agency approval. Cites conditions under which insured depository institutions may make golden parachute payments and covered benefits payments with FDIC approval. Amends the Federal criminal code to revise civil and criminal forfeiture guidelines for: (1) property affecting a financial institution; and (2) fraudulent offenses involving the sale of assets held by Federal banking regulatory agencies. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to prohibit certain convicted felony debtors whose default to an insured financial institution in receivership will cause substantial loss from acquiring any asset of the institution (except with respect to repayment). Title III: Improved Procedures for Handling Banking-Related Cases - Amends Federal criminal law to authorize wiretaps for bank fraud and related offenses. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to set forth reciprocal assistance guidelines for foreign investigations by Federal banking agencies and investigations on behalf of foreign banking authorities. Amends the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA) to extend to ten years (currently, five years) the statute of limitations for commencing a civil action for Federal bank law violations. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the National Credit Union Act to grant the FDIC, the RTC, and the NCUA subpoena authority. Title IV: Structural Reforms to Improve the Federal Response to Crimes Affecting Financial Institutions - Establishes within the Office of the Deputy Attorney General in the Department of Justice a Financial Institutions Fraud Unit, headed by a Special Counsel who shall report directly to the Deputy Attorney General. Terminates such Office five years after enactment of this Act. Empowers the Special Counsel to investigate and prosecute criminal activity involving the financial services industry. Directs the Attorney General to establish: (1) financial institutions fraud task forces; and (2) a senior interagency group to assist in identifying the most significant financial institution fraud cases, to allocate investigative and prosecutorial resources, and to expedite interagency coordination and prosecution of financial institutions fraud. Amends Federal criminal law to authorize the Secret Service (under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury) to detect and arrest persons who violate banking laws with respect to financial institutions and the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC). Title V: Reporting Requirements - Directs the Attorney General to report quarterly to the Congress regarding financial institution crimes. Requires the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to present annual statistical tables to the Congress on the business imposed on the Federal courts by the savings and loan crisis. Title VI: National Commission on Financial Institution Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement - Establishes the National Commission on Financial Institution Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement to make investigations and recommendations regarding specified aspects of the savings and loan crisis. Requires the Commission to submit a final report to the President and the Congress within one year after enactment of this Act. Terminates the Commission 30 days after the submission of such final report. Authorizes appropriations. Title VII: Authorizations - Amends the FIRREA to authorize appropriations to the Attorney General and the Federal Court System for bank crime cases.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 1990
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide that its coverage shall extend only to employees of enterprises engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 1990
State Thrift Deposit Insurance Premium Act of 1990 - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to direct the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to determine and apportion among the States the cumulative cost of Federal assistance provided to State-chartered savings associations for case resolutions. Declares as "high risk" any State whose share of State resolution costs exceeds twice its share of 1980 State deposits. Mandates that each high risk State pay to the Savings Association Insurance Fund prescribed premiums reflecting such risk. Sets forth insurance termination procedures if a State fails to pay the required premium. Requires depositor notification of such insurance termination.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 1990
Savings and Loan Asset Recovery Act - Amends the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 to allow a person to bring a civil action for a violation with respect to a federally insured financial institution in the same manner and subject to the same procedures as a person may bring an action under Federal law with respect to civil actions for false claims.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 1990
Rural Law Enforcement Drug Act of 1990 - Makes funds available from the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund to the Attorney General for the Rural Law Enforcement Drug Grant Program. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants of up to $50,000 each to rural law enforcement agencies in rural counties where the population does not exceed 25,000 for: (1) conduct of training programs for law enforcement officers; (2) acquisition of vehicles and communications and other equipment; (3) special prevention and education programs for children; and (4) other programs that will reduce drug use in the county. Requires the Attorney General to prescribe criteria for the allocation of grant amounts among applicants and to prescribe program requirements for such grants. Requires reports to the Attorney General describing grant activities.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 1990
Urges the President to enter into negotiations with the President of Romania to reach an agreement that would allow American families to adopt Romanian children.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 1990
Account Closing Act of 1990 - Amends Federal law to revise the procedure for closing appropriation accounts that are available for definite periods by rescinding obligated balances at the end of the two-fiscal-year grace period for expired appropriations instead of transferring them (as currently) into "merged surplus" accounts.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 1990
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the memory of Walt Disney should be honored on the 35th anniversary of his contribution to the American dream (the opening of Disneyland).
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 1990
Department of Veterans Affairs Codification Act - Revises provisions of Federal law which established the Department of Veterans Affairs as an executive department. Redesignates the Veterans Health Services and Research Administration as the Veterans Health Administration. Includes the Veterans' Canteen Service and the Board of Contract Appeals within the Department. Establishes within the Department an Under Secretary for Health, who shall be the head of the Veterans Health Administration. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a commission to recommend individuals to the President whenever a vacancy occurs in the position of the Under Secretary. Redesignates the Chief Benefits Director of the Veterans Benefits Administration as the Under Secretary for Benefits Administration. Requires the Secretary to establish a commission to recommend individuals to the President whenever a vacancy occurs in the position of the Under Secretary. Revises and codifies provisions relating to the authority and various duties of the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to prescribe all rules and regulations necessary or appropriate to carry out the laws administered by the Department. Provides for judicial review of such rules and regulations. States that the Veterans Benefits Administration shall be operated by the Under Secretary for Benefits Administration and that the Administration shall be responsible for the following programs: compensation and pension; vocational rehabilitation and educational assistance; veterans' home loan; veterans' and service members' life insurance programs; and outreach and other veterans' services programs. Revises and reorganizes provisions relating to the organization and functions of the Veterans Health Administration. Directs the Under Secretary of the Administration to prescribe all regulations necessary for its administration. Provides specific experience criteria for several of the Assistant Under Secretaries appointed to the Administration. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish and conduct a comprehensive program to monitor and evaluate the quality of health care furnished by the Administration; and (2) delineate the responsibilities of the Under Secretary with respect to the quality-assurance program. Requires the Under Secretary to periodically evaluate the mortality and morbidity rates for surgical procedures performed by the Administration against prevailing national standards and to explain and report on any significant deviations. Provides that a person may not serve as Chief of Staff of a Department health-care facility if the person is not serving on a full-time basis. Makes technical and conforming amendments. Adds savings provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 1990
Korean War Veterans Memorial Thirty-Eighth Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should recognize the 38th anniversary of the Korean War by minting and issuing a silver dollar coin. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue one-dollar silver coins to commemorate the 38th anniversary of the ending of the Korean War. Terminates such authority after December 31, 1991. Mandates that surcharges from the sale of such coins be used for the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 1990
Housing and Memorial Affairs Amendments of 1990 - Makes eligible for various veterans' home loan benefits any individual not otherwise eligible for benefits who has completed a total of at least six years of service in the Selected Reserve and who was discharged honorably, placed on the retired list, or transferred to an element of the Ready Reserve other than the Selected Reserve. Defines the amount of loan fee to be paid by a veteran qualifying under the Selected Reserve eligibility provisions. Provides that, as of October 1, 1990: (1) the limitation on the number of homes purchased by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for which loan guaranty defaults occurred which may be financed by a loan made by the Secretary shall cease to have effect; and (2) the Secretary may sell any note evidencing such a loan with or without recourse if the amount received is not less than the unpaid balance of such loan. Prohibits the Secretary from selling any note evidencing a loan for which the Guaranty and Indemnity Fund is available. Extends such property management provisions through December 31, 1993. Makes permanent (current law expires on March 1, 1991) the authority of the Secretary for default procedures for loans made, guaranteed, or insured by the Department. Extends through FY 1993 (currently, FY 1990) the procedure for real estate appraisals to be followed by the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out an administrative reorganization that involves closing the loan guaranty division at the Togus Veteran Affairs Medical and Regional Office Center, Togus, Maine, and transferring such functions to the Manchester Veterans Affairs Regional Office, Manchester, New Hampshire. Provides that, in the making of a claim on a manufactured home on which a loan was made or guaranteed by the Department, the holder of the loan shall have the election of submitting a claim to the Secretary based on the value of the property securing the loan as determined by the Secretary, or on the actual proceeds from the liquidation sale of the property securing the loan. Allows payments of a claim on a guaranty to be made only after the filing of an accounting with the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to provide for flat grave markers in the section of the Florida National Cemetery in which replaced grave liners were installed before July 30, 1988. Directs the Secretary, at the request of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, to certify whether an applicant for assistance under any law administered by HUD is a veteran. Provides that an applicant for a loan made, guaranteed, or insured by the Department shall not be subject to reporting requirements applicable to requests for, or receipts of, Federal contracts, grants, loans, or cooperative agreements except to the extent that such requirements are provided for in or by the Secretary pursuant to the veterans' housing loan guaranty program. Directs the Secretary to carry out a demonstration project, during FY 1991 and 1992 and in at least two but not more than ten regional offices, for guaranteeing loans in a manner similar to which the Secretary of HUD insures adjustable rate mortgages under applicable provisions of the National Housing Act. Requires a report from the Secretary to the Congress on the implementation of such project.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 1990
Urges the President to instruct the Attorney General to appoint an independent counsel to investigate the involvement of Government officials in the savings and loan scandal.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1990
1992 Olympic Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue 1992 Olympic Games commemorative five-dollar gold coins and one-dollar silver coins. Prescribes guidelines for the sale and pricing of such coins and directs the Secretary to ensure that their issuance will not result in any net cost to the United States. Mandates that surcharges be paid to the U.S. Olympic Committee.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1990
Biomedical and Behavioral Facilities Construction Act of 1990 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the Director of Research Resources (Director), to award grants to public or nonprofit private institutions, under provisions relating to biomedical and behavioral research facilities, to expand, remodel, renovate, or alter existing research facilities or construct new research facilities. Establishes in the Division of Research Resources of the NIH a Technical Review Board on Biomedical and Behavioral Research Facilities to: (1) advise the Director and the Advisory Council (established under existing law) on matters concerning the construction of facilities; and (2) conduct the peer review of applications under this title. Sets forth requirements for application and selection of grants. Limits the amount of any grant to 50 percent of the cost of construction or, in the case of a multipurpose facility, 50 percent of the cost of construction proportionate to the contemplated use. Allows the Director to waive these limitations for institutions of emerging excellence in biomedical or behavioral research. Provides for recapture of payments in certain circumstances for 20 years after completion of construction. Requires the Director to prescribe regulations with respect to the grants. Requires the Director to mandate peer review of applications for grants under these provisions in accordance with existing peer review provisions. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 1990
Increases from 30 to 40 years after a veteran last participated in radiation-risk activities the period during which the manifestation of leukemia shall be presumed to be service-connected for purposes of eligibility for veterans' disability compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 1990
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 1990 - Title I: Amendments to Acts - Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) to set a 12-month deadline, subject to extension, on the issuance of any proposed consumer product safety rule after the date of publication of an advance notice of proposed rulemaking. Requires a feasibility study on requiring entities subject to the CPSA to pay amounts to the Consumer Product Safety Commission to defray the costs of Commission services to the entities. Amends the CPSA, the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA), and the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) (the Acts) to: (1) allow the Commission to terminate a rulemaking or regulation proceeding and rely on a voluntary standard only if such standard is in existence; (2) allow (in some circumstances require) the Commission to devise procedures to monitor voluntary standards compliance; and (3) require the Commission to grant or deny a petition to initiate a rulemaking within a reasonable time after the petition is filed, with the Commission prohibited from denying a petition on the basis of a voluntary standard unless the standard is in existence and other requirements are met. Amends the CPSA to direct the President, in making appointments to the Commission, to at least consider individuals with experience in the safety of consumer products or in related fields. Revises quorum requirements applicable to periods in which there are vacancies on the Commission. Creates the position of Director of Compliance, makes the Director an officer of the Commission, and requires the Director to be an attorney. Makes certain existing positions officers of the Commission and removes the pay cap on those positions. Allows the Chairman, with the approval of the Commission, to remove officers. Amends the FHSA and the FFA to empower an attorney general of a State who alleges a violation under those Acts to bring a civil action for enforcement. Amends the CPSA to add to the list of reasons a manufacturer is required to notify the Commission that of: (1) apparent failure to comply with a voluntary standard; and (2) the product being the subject of a civil action. Prohibits the Commission from disclosing information about a civil action. Amends the CPSA to increase, and the FHSA and the FFA to establish, basic and maximum civil monetary penalties for prohibited acts. Requires increases in the maximum penalties for inflation. Amends the CPSA to require the Commission to annually establish an agenda and priorities for Commission action under the Acts under its jurisdiction. Requires, subject to exception, a presiding hearing officer to transmit any settlement offer to the Commission. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Related Provisions - Directs the Commission to: (1) study and report to the Congress on whether a special flammability standard is needed for sleepwear (other than for children); and (2) pursue its pending proceedings to establish a safety standard for cigarette lighters. Revises the CPSA definition of "amusement ride." Includes amusement rides expressly within the framework of such Act, subjecting them to public disclosure and inspection requirements and to notification and remedy provisions applicable to substantial product hazards when serious injury occurs. Directs the Commission to issue rules in this regard by July 1, 1991. Directs the Commission to: (1) report to the Congress on its activities to reduce exposure of individuals to an enumerated list of indoor air pollutants; (2) issue a consumer product safety standard to require cautionary labeling in connection with certain toys intended for use by children at least three years old; (3) submit to the Congress a report including specified information about particular products that pose a major hazard to children; and (4) conduct a survey to determine compliance with voluntary industry manufacturing guidelines designed to reduce the entrapment of children in reclining chairs and report the results to the Congress. Requires the Commission to initiate proceedings to establish a safety standard for reclining chairs if a substantial lack of compliance is found.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1990
Designates June 25, 1990, as Korean War Remembrance Day. Authorizes and requests the President to urge that the American flag be flown at half staff on such day in honor of the Americans who died as a result of their service in the Korean War.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1990
Emergency Food and Drug Enforcement Act of 1990 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to debar an individual from submitting any application for approval of a new drug, or for a different or additional use of a previously approved drug, if the individual has been convicted of a Federal felony in connection with the development or approval of any drug. Prohibits the Secretary from taking any action on any application submitted by such an individual. Authorizes the Secretary to debar an individual and take no action on an application if the individual: (1) has been convicted of a Federal or State criminal offense in connection with the development or approval of a drug under such provisions, or involving bribery, fraud, or a similar crime, or obstruction of justice; (2) was named by a U.S. Attorney or a Federal grand jury as an unindicted coconspirator involving such an act; or (3) knowingly used the services of a debarred person. Provides for temporary denial of approval upon probable cause to believe that there has been an actual or attempted bribe or illegal gratuity, or that there has been a pattern of false statements, or a knowing and serious endangering of the public health or safety through multiple violations of the FDCA. Prohibits discrimination by an employer against any employee because the employee participated in the implementation of the debarment or temporary denial provisions of this Act. Requires drug approval applications to certify that the applicant did not and will not use the services of a debarred person in connection with the application. Sets forth civil monetary penalties for false statements, bribes, destruction, or alteration of evidence, obstruction, use of (or actions by) a debarred person, and other acts. Directs the Secretary to suspend for three years the distribution of drugs under any application of the person involved if the Secretary finds a pattern or practice of offenses or acts, for which this Act provides civil penalties, in connection with the development, approval, manufacturing, or distribution of two or more drugs. Prohibits such a finding if the person demonstrates that the offenses or acts did not influence the development, approval, manufacturing, or distribution. Allows the Secretary to waive the suspension if necessary to protect the public health. Directs the Secretary to withdraw approval if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the application was approved, expedited, or otherwise facilited, in whole or in part, through actual or attempted bribery, fraud, or false statement. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury: (1) to destroy any food, drugs, devices, or cosmetics being imported or offered for import if the article presents a threat to the public health; and (2) pending decision on the admission of an article, on request of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, refuse to authorize delivery of the article to the owner or consignee. Prohibits claims for payment for any samples collected, delivered, or examined. Requires manufacturers of low-acid foods for export to the United States, and importers of such foods, to register with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Directs the Secretary to establish procedures for the registering of identifying marks used by food processing establishments producing such foods. Adds failure to register to the list of prohibited acts under the FDCA. Authorizes the Inspector General to investigate various matters involving the Food and Drug Administration, including allegations of employee misconduct; false or fraudulent materials or records; fraud, false claims, waste, or abuse; felony violations of the FDCA; and illegal sale under Federal law of a drug which is not a controlled substance. Includes agents of the Inspector General in the delineation of powers under the FDCA of enforcement personnel conducting examinations, investigations, or inspections. Removes the requirement that those examinations, investigations, or inspections relate to counterfeit drugs. Declares that provisions prohibiting the disclosure of trade secrets do not authorize the withholding of information from the Congress or its committees or subcommittees. Directs the Secretary to maintain for public inspection certain information concerning applications for drug approval, including the names of the persons conducting the chemistry and bioequivalence reviews.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 1990
Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act of 1990 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, to make grants to States, with regard to breast and cervical cancers, for screening, referrals and follow-up services, public information and education programs, education and training for health professionals, quality monitoring of screening, and evaluations of such activities. Sets forth preferences in making the grants and requires equitable geographical distribution. Requires matching non-Federal funds in a specified ratio. Requires that States agree to: (1) provide all of certain services by a specified date; (2) switch to any improved screening procedures which become available; and (3) assure the quality of any screening procedures used. Directs the Secretary to establish guidelines for assuring the quality of mammography and cytological screening conducted under these provisions. Requires that low-income women be given priority in the provision of services. Requires that a charge for services, if any: (1) be made according to a public schedule; (2) be adjusted for income of the women involved; and (3) not be imposed on women with an income below the poverty line. Requires services to be provided throughout a State, including to members of any Indian tribe or tribal organization. Prohibits using grant funds for inpatient services. Authorizes the Secretary to provide training and technical assistance. Directs the Secretary to provide for annual evaluations of programs carried out under this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Limits the number of grants made to seven in FY 1991.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 1990
Declares that the Congress acknowledges and appreciates the commitment, devotion, and sacrifices of present and former military families. Designates November 19, 1990, as National Military Families Recognition Day.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 1990
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that the Congress and the States shall have power to prohibit the act of physical desecration of the U.S. flag and to set criminal penalties for such act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1990
Provides that members of the Reserve or National Guard who participated in atmospheric nuclear detonation testing during active duty for training or inactive-duty training and who have contracted certain radiation-related diseases within specified periods following such testing shall be deemed to have contracted such diseases during active military services for purposes of eligibility for the following benefits administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs: (1) disability compensation; (2) dependency and indemnity compensation; (3) hospital, nursing home, domiciliary, and medical care; (4) burial, cemetery, and memorial benefits; and (5) survivors' and dependents' educational benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1990
Calls immediately for Greyhound Lines, Inc., and the Amalgamated Transit Union to resume negotiations under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and the Secretary of Labor.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 1990
Department of Veterans Affairs Health Professionals Compensation and Labor-Relations Act of 1990 - Title I: Physicians and Dentists Special Pay - Revises provisions of Federal law relating to special pay for health-care professionals of the Veterans Health Services and Research Administration (HSRA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (Department). Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in order to recruit and retain highly qualified physicians and dentists, to provide special pay upon the execution of a written agreement between the Secretary and the individual involved providing that the individual shall serve a required period of obligated service within the HSRA. Provides that such an individual is not entitled to such special pay during the first three years of such service, except at the discretion of the Secretary for full-time services. Prohibits the payment of special pay to those physician and dentist positions for which there is no significant recruitment and retention problem. Outlines requirements of a written agreement, including provisions providing for: (1) a covered period of one to four years; (2) refunding of special pay for unfulfilled service; (3) the waiver of such refund requirement due to circumstances beyond the control of the physician or dentist; and (4) submission to the Secretary of agreements where an individual is entering into a second or subsequent agreement for a specified amount of special pay. Authorizes the Secretary to adjust amounts of special pay to reflect changes in the status of a physician or dentist. Directs the Secretary to provide special pay to eligible full-time physicians based upon specified factors, including: (1) tenure within the HSRA; (2) service in a medical specialty for which it is extremely difficult to recruit and retain qualified professionals; (3) service in certain executive positions; (4) specialty or board certifications; and (5) service in a geographic location for which there are extraordinary difficulties in the recruitment or retention of qualified personnel. Requires the maximum amount of special pay to be paid to the Chief Medical Director (CMD) and the Deputy Chief Medical Director (DCMD). Directs the Secretary to provide special pay to part-time eligible physicians based upon similar factors. Requires the Secretary to pay each such physician an amount of special pay equal to the proportion of full-time service that a physician performs. Directs the Secretary to provide special pay to eligible full-time and part-time dentists based upon similar factors. Prohibits physicians and dentists provided special pay and serving in certain executive positions from being paid scarce specialty pay (another form of special pay that rewards scarce specialty areas of practice). Requires, with regard to the payment of special pay, determinations: (1) that there are extraordinary difficulties in recruitment or retention; (2) of the amount of special pay based upon the special pay factors for each individual; and (3) of whether there are extraordinary difficulties in a specific geographic location in the recruitment or retention of qualified physicians or dentists. Outlines considerations for determinations with respect to extraordinary recruitment and retention difficulties and the payment of scarce specialty pay for individual medical facilities of the Department. Outlines the manner in which special pay is to be considered for purposes of other benefits laws for Federal employees. States that it is the policy of the Congress to assure that total pay for HSRA physicians and dentists is comparable to total pay of other Government physicians and dentists and to the income of non-Federal physicians and dentists. Directs the Secretary: (1) in order to assist in implementing such policy, to obtain measures of income of such non-Department physicians and dentists and to define the bases for pay distinctions; (2) to report to the President quadrennially on appropriate amounts of special pay to HSRA physicians and dentists to carry out such policy; and (3) to report to specified congressional committees annually on the use of authorities under this title. Directs the Secretary to reimburse any full-time board-certified physician or dentist appointed in the HSRA for expenses incurred, up to $1,000 per year, for continuing professional education. Title II: Nurses Pay Grades and Pay Administration - Directs the Secretary to restructure the current nurse pay grades so as to provide four grade levels (entry, intermediate, senior, and director grade levels). Requires the Secretary to maintain the four new grade levels established for nurses employed in the Department. Provides GS-levels for each nurse grade, with appropriate step increments. Requires Department nurses serving as head nurses to receive basic pay at a rate two steps above the otherwise applicable rate. Authorizes the director of a medical center of the Department to provide step promotions or cash bonuses to nurses who have qualifications, experience, or achievements which the director determines exceed the standards for the nurse's current grade. Outlines factors to be considered by the director in making such determinations. Directs the Secretary to provide that the director of a medical center of the Department may appoint a nurse at a basic pay rate in excess of the minimum rate otherwise applicable if necessary to obtain the services of qualified nurses at that medical center. Requires the director to document and include the reasons for taking such action in his or her next budget submission. Repeals a current limitation on the hourly rate of overtime pay permissible for nurses within the Department. Title III: Labor-Management Relations - Revises Federal provisions concerning personnel administration and collective bargaining procedures within the Department. Includes all employees appointed in the HSRA under such provisions. Provides that the authority of the Secretary to prescribe regulations with regard to such employees is subject to the right of Federal employees to engage in the collective bargaining process with respect to conditions of employment. States that such collective bargaining may not cover, or have any applicability to, any matter or question arising out of professional conduct or competence. Provides that the issue of whether a matter concerns or arises out of professional conduct or competence shall be decided by the Secretary and is not subject to collective bargaining. Authorizes the Secretary to prescribe regulations establishing conditions under which employees of the HSRA who are nationally recognized in the area of medical research may be permitted to accept payment from non-Federal entities and individuals for travel and reasonable expenses for attending meetings, performing advisory services, and accepting awards. Requires any person who engages in such extra-professional activities to work a minimum 80-hour biweekly amount. Outlines activities and responsibilities that such a person may not engage in or take on while an employee of the Department. Provides that whenever the CMD brings charges against a Department employee based on conduct or performance and, as a result of those charges, an adverse (disciplinary) action is taken against the employee, the employee shall have the right to appeal the action, either through: (1) a Disciplinary Appeals Board; (2) Department procedures; or (3) grievance procedures provided through collective bargaining, depending on the type of action involved. Requires the Secretary to publish in the Federal Register any proposed regulations concerning the collective bargaining or adverse action procedures. States that Disciplinary Appeals Boards shall have exclusive jurisdiction to review any case: (1) which arises out of a question of professional conduct or competence of an employee of the Department employed on a full-time basis under a permanent appointment; and (2) in which a major adverse action was taken (suspension, transfer, reduction in grade or pay, or discharge). Gives employees involved in such a case the right to: (1) advance written notice of the charges and actions that could be taken if the charges are sustained; and (2) an opportunity to be heard both orally and in writing on such charges. Requires a decision on such case by a deciding official within 21 days after the employee's response to the charges. Allows for a delay in a proposed action for up to one year while an employee seeks counseling or treatment for a condition covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Allows the Secretary to require an employee to make a written or oral response to the charges within 30 days of receipt, with extension for good cause shown. Outlines further administrative action to be taken by the Board in a major adverse action appeals procedure, together with time limitations involved in each step. States that the Secretary's execution of the Board's decision shall be the final administrative action in the case, with the affected employee entitled to judicial review of the order or decision. Requires the Secretary to prescribe procedures for the consideration of grievances of Department employees arising from adverse actions in which each action taken either: (1) is not a major adverse action; or (2) does not arise out of a question of professional conduct or competence. States that Disciplinary Appeals Boards shall not have jurisdiction to review such matters. States that review of an adverse action shall be provided through either Department procedures or through grievance procedures provided through collective bargaining. Outlines the rights of employees under the Department procedures to: (1) a formal review by an impartial examiner within the Department; (2) a prompt report of findings; (3) a prompt review of the examiner's findings by a higher official; and (4) legal or other representation. Requires the Secretary to appoint Disciplinary Appeals Boards to hear appeals of major adverse actions taken against full-time Department employees based on professional conduct or performance. Authorizes the chairman of such a Board to authorize disclosure to the affected employee of records or information to be reviewed during an appeal procedure. Provides for the protection of the privacy of the individuals whose records are involved. Requires the Secretary to periodically designate Department employees qualified to serve on Disciplinary Appeals Boards and to announce that a list of such qualified employees is available to any person requesting such list. Requires the Secretary to provide training in the functions and duties of such Boards and grievance procedures for employees selected to be on the panel. Title IV: Miscellaneous - Exempts the Veterans Health Services and Research Administration, Medical Care Account from sequestration or reduction under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). Authorizes the Secretary to carry out certain administrative reorganizations of regional and district offices as described in a prior communication to the Congress. Requires judges of the U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals to receive the salary rate received by judges of the U.S. Court of Military Appeals. Makes licensed practical nurses, vocational nurses, and nurse assistants eligible for premium pay on the same basis as registered nurses.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 1990
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) review the list of dangerous contagious diseases used, under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act, for determining the admissibility of aliens to the United States; (2) publish a revised list of such diseases; (3) provide for public comment; and (4) publish a rule containing a final revised list. Authorizes the Secretary, from time to time, to conduct additional reviews and effect additional revisions. Directs the Secretary to base the review and revision on the protection of the health of the general U.S. public and consider the impact of the list on international travel and the comments of interested parties.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 1990
National Health Service Corps Revitalization Amendments of 1990 - Title I: Revisions in General Program for National Health Service Corps - Amends the Public Health Service Act provisions relating to the purpose of the National Health Service Corps to require that the Secretary of Health and Human Services use the Corps to provide primary health services in health manpower shortage areas. Removes a limitation on the dollar amount of pay increases which may be granted to a Corps member during the first 36 months of service. Removes provisions directing the Secretary, in assigning Corps members, to: (1) give priority to meeting Indian Health Service and other indian tribe or tribal organization needs; and (2) provide special consideration to homeless populations who do not have access to primary health care services. Applies certain definitions to provisions relating to Corps scholarship and loan programs as well as to provisions relating directly to the Corps. Requires that a complete descriptive list of health manpower shortage areas be published in the Federal Register by specified deadlines. Includes in the definition of "medical facility": (1) health programs or facilities operated by a tribe or tribal organization; and (2) facilities used in connection with provisions relating to health services for homeless individuals. Allows the Secretary to assign members of the Corps to an entity to provide health services in a health manpower shortage area only if there has been (currently, will be) appropriate and efficient use of Corps members assigned to that entity for the area. Removes certain provisions relating to priorities and considerations in assigning Corps personnel, replacing some such provisions with similarly worded provisions. Sets forth the exclusive factors the Secretary may consider in determining the areas with the greatest shortages. Requires annual publication in the Federal Register of a list of areas that are to be given priority in the assignment of Corps members and, for FY 1991, a list of entities authorized to receive assignments of Corps members. Replaces provisions relating to grants and contracts for programs respecting preparation for practice of individuals subject to a service obligation with provisions: (1) concerning consideration of characteristics of Corps members in making assignments; (2) requiring certain types of counseling of Corps members; (3) requiring assistance to Corps members in establishing local professional relationships; (4) directing the Secretary to provide assistance regarding temporary relief from Corps duties in order to pursue continuing education or other interests, including vacations; and (5) directing the Secretary to carry out activities to determine the characteristics of health professionals who are more likely to remain in shortage areas after completion of Corps service, and to determine the appropriate conditions for the assignment of certified nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Scholarship and Loan Repayment Programs of National Health Service Corps - Replaces measures providing for the establishment of the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program with similar provisions directing the Secretary to establish such a Scholarship Program to assure, with respect to primary health services, an adequate supply of health professionals. (Current law makes no reference to primary health services.) Requires that an agreement to work as a provider of primary health services in a shortage area (currently, an agreement to work in a shortage area) be a part of the scholarship contract. Alters the priorities in providing contracts under the Scholarship Program to include an individual with characteristics that increase the probability that the individual will continue to serve in a shortage area after completion of obligated service. Changes the required contents of an annual report mandated by current law regarding the Scholarship Program. Replaces measures providing for the establishment of the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program with similar provisions directing the Secretary to establish such a Loan Repayment Program to assure, with respect to the provision of primary health services, an adequate supply of health professionals. (Current law makes no reference to primary health services.) Requires that an agreement to work as a provider of primary health services in a shortage area (currently, an agreement to work in a shortage area) be a part of the loan repayment contract. Changes eligibility procedures for the Loan Repayment Program. Replaces provisions governing priorities in providing loan repayment contracts with provisions directing the Secretary to give priority to an individual who has characteristics that increase the probability that the individual will continue to serve in a shortage area after completion of obligated service. Increases the limit on the amount the Secretary may pay for each year of obligated service. Removes provisions allowing fulfillment of a service obligation in the Indian Health Service or in a program or facility operated by a tribe or a tribal organization. Requires (currently, allows) the Secretary to pay all (currently, part or all) of any increase in Federal income tax liability of an individual which arises as a result of the loan repayments. Changes the required contents of an annual report mandated by current law regarding the Loan Repayment Program. Requires that an annual report concerning the Scholarship Program and the Loan Repayment Program cover the next five years rather than the next three years. Authorizes appropriations, requiring set-asides in certain percentages for new applicants and for applicants in specified fields. Title III: State Offices of Rural Health - Authorizes the Secretary, through the Director of the Office of Rural Health Policy, to make grants to States for improving health care in rural areas through the operation of State offices of rural health. Requires recipient States to agree that such office will be provided with a minimum annual budget. Authorizes appropriations. Prohibits making grants under this program after the aggregate amounts appropriated reach a specified level. Title IV: General Provisions - Specifies the effective dates of provisions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 1990
Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to provide that the definition of "owner or operator" (for purposes of liability) does not include: (1) a designated lending institution which acquires control of a facility pursuant to the terms of a security interest held by the person in such facility or in connection with a lease subject to Federal or State banking authorities; (2) a corporate fiduciary which operates or has legal title to a facility pursuant to the terms of an estate or trust; (3) an individual or institution that serves as an indenture trustee and acquires control of a facility as the result of default on a financing document between the trustee and the issuing entity; and (4) an individual fiduciary who has legal title to a facility for purposes of administering an estate or trust.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 1990
Medicare Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Payment Amendments of 1990 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish uniform national fee schedule payment rates for certified registered nurse anesthetist services.