United States · United States Congress · 4 April 1990
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the implementation of sanctions against a hospital for violating Medicare emergency medical condition screening and treatment requirements until a peer review organization makes a finding as to whether such a violation has occurred.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 1990
Medicare Physician Regulation Relief Amendments of 1990 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require carriers and peer review organizations to release the medical review screen or the associated screening parameter to a physician before notifying such physician that payment for his or her service has been denied. Permits Medicare reimbursement of a patient's regular physician for services provided to such patient by another physician who occasionally covers for the regular physician. Requires Medicare carriers to provide physicians, upon request and without charge, with carrier-generated information which physicians need to submit a payment claim or respond to a carrier inquiry. Allows a medical society or other professional organization representing physicians to represent a group or class of physicians in Medicare payment determinations, reconsiderations, or appeals. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to appoint, based on nominations submitted by national medical organizations representing physicians, a Practicing Physicians Advisory Council with which the Secretary must consult concerning changes in the Medicare program and proposed changes in regulations and carrier operation policies.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 1990
Amends rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives to require that each committee report accompanying a public bill or joint resolution contain a statement setting forth the estimated cost incurred by each taxpayer in carrying out the measure for the first three fiscal years of its enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1990
Tourism Policy and Export Promotion Act of 1990 - Declares it to be the national goal to increase U.S. export earnings from U.S. tourism and transportation services with an eye toward: (1) the elimination of the travel and tourism export deficit of the United States and the U.S trade deficit; and (2) the achievement of a travel and tourism export surplus. Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to require the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to identify foreign trade barriers to U.S. travel and tourism. Requires the USTR to submit the National Trade Estimate to the President and the Senate Committees on Finance and Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Amends the International Trade Act of 1961 to require each annual tourism trade development plan to focus on those countries in which tourism trade development has the greatest potential for increasing travel and tourism export revenues. Declares that the Congress finds that increased efforts directed at the promotion of rural tourism will contribute to the economic development of rural America. Establishes the Rural Tourism Foundation. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 1990
Calls for the United States to: (1) continue to give the highest priority to accounting for Americans still missing or unaccounted for in Southeast Asia and to securing the return of Americans still held captive; (2) ensure cooperation with Vietnam and Laos to achieve credible answers for the families of such Americans, including primary-next-of-kin access to all records and information resulting from joint investigations, surveys, and excavations; (3) develop a means of accounting for Americans unaccounted for in Cambodia that is consistent with U.S. efforts to obtain a political settlement to the Cambodian situation; and (4) heighten responsible public awareness of Americans unaccounted for in Southeast Asia through the dissemination of factual data.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1990
Authorizes any State in which more than 25 percent of the land is federally-owned to disapprove the designation of wilderness areas in such State. Authorizes the Congress to override such disapproval by joint resolution.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1990
Medicare Rehabilitation and Long-Term Hospital Rebasing Act of 1990 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to adjust the base year applied in determining the amount of payments to be made to rehabilitation and long-term hospitals under part A (Hospital Insurance) of the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1990
Antarctic Environmental Protection, Clean-Up, and Liability Act of 1990 - Amends the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 to require the Director of the National Science Foundation to: (1) prepare and annually update a waste management plan for wastes produced or disposed of in Antarctica by U.S. citizens; and (2) issue regulations requiring U.S. citizens engaged in activities in Antarctica to comply with specified waste disposal practices. Requires the Director to establish a long-term program for the removal of specified wastes produced or disposed of in Antarctica by U.S. citizens. Directs the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to issue regulations: (1) requiring all vessels engaged in U.S. activities in Antarctica, including tourist expeditions, to be equipped with compaction, storage, and incineration facilities (or stockpiling facilities for vessels not capable of being fitted with waste disposal facilities); and (2) prohibiting U.S. citizens from employing any vessel in Antarctica unless such vessel contains such facilities. Makes it unlawful for any individual in charge of a vessel or any U.S. citizen employing a vessel in Antarctica to: (1) intentionally discharge oil or dispose of plastic in the Antarctic marine environment; (2) dispose of dunnage, lining, or packing materials less than 25 nautical miles from the closest land or ice shelf; (3) dispose of food waste or other garbage less than 12 nautical miles from the closest land or ice shelf; or (4) discharge sewage within 12 nautical miles of the closest land or ice shelf. Prescribes civil penalties for disposal violations or for violations of waste disposal facility requirements. Makes vessels committing disposal violations or violations concerning compliance with specified international shipping conventions liable in rem for such penalties. Requires all vessels supporting U.S. activities in Antarctica to comply with specified international conventions relating to pollution prevention and ship safety. Directs the Secretary to issue regulations requiring all vessels supporting U.S. activities in Antarctica and all U.S. facilities in Antarctica where oil is stored to have contingency plans and the capability and equipment to respond, prevent, and clean up oil spills. Makes such parties liable for the removal of oil and for the restoration of any natural resources, specially-protected areas, or sites of special scientific interest. Prescribes civil penalties if such restoration is not feasible. Requires the President to direct the Secretary of State to initiate actions within the International Maritime Organization to secure designation of the waters south of 60 degrees south latitude as a special area under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 and the Protocol of 1978 Relating Thereto. Directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to develop and implement an environmental monitoring program for Antarctica. Requires regulations promulgated pursuant to the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 to include requirements for specially-protected areas. Requires the Director to issue regulations designating as a pollutant any substance which is liable, if introduced into Antarctica, to: (1) create health hazards or harm living resources; or (2) damage amenities or interfere with other legitimate uses of Antarctica. Provides for the issuance of permits to regulate the discharge of such pollutants into the Antarctic environment by U.S. citizens. Applies the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to all Federal activities in Antarctica. Requires the Secretary of State, before submitting the Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities to the Senate for ratification, to prepare an environmental impact statement on the Convention and alternative regimes for protecting the Antarctic environment. Sets forth provisions concerning citizen suits. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1990
Designates the week of July 22 to July 29, 1990, as National Week of Recognition and Remembrance for Those Who Served in the Korean War. Authorizes and requests the President to urge that the American flag be flown at half staff on July 27, 1990, in honor of those Americans who died as a result of their service in Korea.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1990
Urges the President and the United States Trade Representative: (1) not to include civil air transport services under the General Agreement on Trade in Services that is being negotiated under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; nor (2) to require future negotiations to include such services under such Agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 1990
Office of Inspector General Law Enforcement Act of 1990 - Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to grant criminal investigators of the Offices of Inspector General who perform any duty of a law enforcement officer the authority to: (1) obtain and execute search and arrest warrants and serve subpoenas and summonses; (2) make felony arrests and arrests without warrant for offenses against the United States committed in their presence; and (3) carry and use firearms.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1990
Designates the week of June 24 through June 30, 1990, as National Sheriffs' Week in honor of the 50th anniversary of the National Sheriffs' Association.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1990
Student Loan Default Reduction Amendments of 1990 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 with respect to reduction of student loan defaults. Requires provision for graduated repayment of student loans under federally insured student loans and the insurance program under the guaranteed student (or Stafford) loan program. Restricts certain institutional promotional activities. Sets forth wage garnishment requirements for collection of student loan repayments. Requires that students admitted on the basis of ability to benefit pass certain tests prior to enrollment. Requires eligible institutions participating in student loan and assistance programs to have certain tuition refund policies.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 1990
National Drug and Crime Emergency Act - Declares a National Drug and Crime Emergency for a five-year period, during which time it shall be U.S. policy that: (1) every person convicted in a Federal court of a crime of violence against a person or a drug trafficking felony (other than simple possession) shall serve no less than five years' imprisonment without release; (2) prisoners may be housed in tents and other temporary facilities; and (3) the Federal courts may limit the inmate population of a Federal or State prison or jail only when an inmate proves that crowding has resulted in cruel and unusual punishment and no other remedy exists. Title I: Elimination of Crime Without Punishment - Subtitle A: National Drug and Crime Emergency Policies - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit the Federal courts, during such emergency, from: (1) holding prison crowding unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment except to the extent that an individual plaintiff inmate proves that the crowding causes the infliction of cruel and unusual punishment; and (2) placing an inmate ceiling on any Federal, State, or local detention facility as an equitable measure for conditions that violate the Eighth Amendment unless crowding itself is inflicting cruel and unusual punishment on individual prisoners. Requires that each Federal court order seeking to remedy an Eighth Amendment violation be reopened at the behest of a defendant for recommended alteration at a minimum of two-year intervals. Applies this title to all outstanding court orders on the date of enactment of this Act. Permits any State or municipality to seek modification of any outstanding Eighth Amendment decree pursuant to this Act. Directs the Attorney General to take steps, consistent with security considerations, to ensure that sufficient facilities exist to house individuals whom the courts have ordered incarcerated, including consideration of tent housing or other shelters placed on available military bases and at other locations. Authorizes the President to direct the National Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers to design and construct temporary detention facilities. Requires: (1) the Secretary of Defense, the Commission on Alternative Utilization of Military Facilities, and the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to identify suitable military installations and examine the feasibility of using tent housing; and (2) the Director to report to the Congress within 90 days. Amends the Defense Authorization Amendments and Base Closure and Realignment Act to require the Secretary to notify the Attorney General and the Governor of each of the U.S. territories and possessions (currently, all departments and instrumentalities within the Department of Defense (DOD)) of the availability of any real property or facility located at a military installation to be closed. Authorizes the transfer of such property to the Attorney General, a State, territory, or possession, or the District of Columbia for use as a correctional institution. Requires the Director to: (1) review current construction standards and methods used in building Federal prisons; (2) examine and recommend cost cutting measures that could be employed in prison construction; and (3) submit the results to the Congress. Authorizes the Attorney General to contract for private construction and operation of Federal prisons. Requires the use of creative and cost-effective private financing alternatives and private prison construction and operation where possible. Specifies that operating costs of privately-operated prisons shall be covered through rent charged to Government units placing inmates in prisons. Requires the Administrator of the General Services Administration to identify at least 20 parcels of surplus Federal property which the Attorney General has certified are not needed for Federal correctional facilities but which may be suitable for State or local correctional facilities. Makes property determined to be in excess of Federal needs that may be suitable for use as correctional facilities available during such Emergency to the Attorney General, or secondarily, to a State, the District of Columbia, or a local government. Permits State and local governments to use Federal temporary incarceration facilities, when they are not needed to accommodate Federal prisoners, for incarcerating prisoners at a per diem fee payable to the Bureau of Prisons. Requires every person who, during the Emergency, is convicted in Federal court of committing a crime of violence against a person or a drug trafficking crime (other than simple possession), to be sentenced to and serve no less than five years' imprisonment. Prohibits any such person from being released from custody for any reason prior to completion of the sentence unless the sentence imposed is greater than five years and is not a mandatory minimum sentence without release. Subtitle B: Imposition of Mandatory Minimum Sentences Without Release - Amends the Federal criminal code to establish the following penalties for offenses committed during and in relation to any crime of violence or drug trafficking crime, in addition to the punishment provided for such crime. Provides that whoever: (1) possesses a firearm shall be sentenced to imprisonment for ten years without release; (2) discharges a firearm with intent to injure another person shall be sentenced to imprisonment for 20 years without release; or (3) possesses a firearm that is a machinegun or is equipped with a firearm silencer or muffler shall be sentenced to imprisonment for 30 years without release. Sets penalties for second, third, and subsequent convictions. Prohibits the release of any person convicted for any reason during a term of imprisonment imposed under this subtitle. Amends the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to: (1) mandate life imprisonment without release for individuals convicted after two or more felony drug offenses or for a crime of violence; (2) increase the sentences for distributing illegal drugs to persons under age 21 and for employing persons under 18 years of age in drug operations to up to ten years without release for a first offense and up to 20 years without release for a second offense. Prohibits the court from placing such persons on probation or suspending the sentence. Prohibits their release during the term of the sentence. Increases prison sentences for trafficking in marihuana and specified categories of controlled substances. Establishes mandatory sentences, in addition to any other sentence imposed for the underlying possession or distribution, of: (1) one year imprisonment without release in a case involving possession of a controlled substance within a Federal prison or other Federal detention facility; and (2) ten years without release in a case involving the smuggling of a controlled substance within such prison or facility. Prohibits the court from placing such individuals on probation or suspending the sentence. Prohibits such person from being eligible for parole during such term of imprisonment. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) require the deportation of aliens convicted of drug trafficking crimes or crimes of violence; and (2) increase the penalty (currently, 15 years for individuals whose deportation was subsequent to certain felony convictions) to 20 years without release, and to life imprisonment without release for a second violation, without probation, suspension of sentence, or early release, for reentry of a deported alien whose deportation was subsequent to a conviction for a drug trafficking crime or crime of violence. Grants priority for Federal drug law enforcement assistance funds from Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Grant Programs to States having laws providing for mandatory minimum sentences, elimination of early release, and payment of trial costs and mandatory fines by individuals convicted of specified controlled substance violations. Revises the formula for determining the amount distributed from the Drug Control and System Improvement Grant Program. Subtitle C: Mandatory Work Requirements for Prisoners, Withholding Federal Benefits, and Drug Testing of Prisoners - Expresses Federal policy that: (1) prisoners shall work absent medical certification of 100 percent disability, security considerations, or disciplinary action; and (2) States and local governments have the same authority to require all convicted prisoners to work. Provides for the deposit in a separate fund in the Treasury of funds generated from prison labor for prison construction and operating expenses or payment of judgments. Specifies that prisoners shall be paid a share of funds generated by their labor. Repeals provisions establishing penalties for transportation or importation of prison-made goods. Authorizes the Federal Prison Industries to sell such goods to the public. Amends the Walsh-Healy Act to permit convict labor under specified conditions. Requires the Attorney General to submit to the Congress a report making recommendations for legislation to: (1) ensure that businesses and labor do not suffer unfair consequences from such repeal; and (2) encourage greater private sector participation in prison industries. Authorizes the Attorney General to enter into contracts with private businesses for the use of inmate skills that may be of commercial use to such businesses. Sets forth provisions with respect to security requirements involved in the use of convict labor. Provides for the withholding of prisoners' Federal benefits to offset incarceration costs. Directs the Attorney General to establish a program of drug testing of targeted classes of arrestees, prisoners, and persons on release. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to bar Federal funding under the drug control and system improvement grant program for States failing to have an analogous State program. Subtitle D: Judicial Reform to Protect the Innocent and Punish the Guilty - Specifies that: (1) evidence obtained as a result of a search or seizure shall not be excluded in any Federal court proceeding on the ground that the search or seizure was in violation of the Fourth Amendment, if the search or seizure was carried out in circumstances justifying an objectively reasonable belief that it was in conformity with the Fourth Amendment; and (2) the fact that evidence was obtained pursuant to and within the scope of a warrant constitutes prima facie evidence of the existence of such circumstances. Prohibits the exclusion of evidence in any Federal court proceeding on the ground that it was obtained in violation of a statute, administrative rule or regulation, or rule of procedure unless exclusion is expressly authorized by statute or by Supreme Court rule. Amends the Federal judicial code to condition consideration of a habeas corpus claim by a State prisoner on a showing of actual prejudice resulting from the denial of a Federal right, and that: (1) State action precluded assertion of the right; (2) the Federal right asserted was newly recognized; or (3) the factual basis of the claim could not have been discovered through the exercise of reasonable diligence prior to the procedural default. Establishes a one-year statute of limitations for habeas corpus actions brought by State prisoners. Vests authority to issue certificates for probable cause for appeal of habeas corpus orders exclusively in the courts of appeals. Permits denial on the merits of habeas corpus writs notwithstanding the failure to exhaust State remedies. Prohibits the granting of a habeas corpus writ with respect to any claim which has been fully and fairly adjudicated in State proceedings. Amends the CSA to require: (1) the court, prior to sentencing on a conviction in a Federal court of a felony under such Act, to compile a list of assets owned by the defendant not subject to forfeiture; and (2) upon request of the Attorney General, the court to direct the defendant to provide proof that any asset owned by the defendant not on such list was legally obtained. Authorizes the Attorney General to seize assets that the defendant does not prove were legally obtained. Requires the proceeds from such assets to be deposited in the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund and to be available for transfer to the building and facilities account of the Federal prison system. Sets forth provisions regarding the term of appointment, authority, and jurisdiction of special masters. Requires the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to publish annually a report on the sentencing patterns of Federal judges. Title II: Achieving a Drug-Free America by 1995 - Requires individuals convicted of a CSA violation of possession of a controlled substance to pay to the Treasury the cost of the trial or, where defendant has insufficient income and property, an appropriate amount as determined by the court. Limits such payment to 25 percent of such person's annual income. Provides for mandatory fines of at least ten percent of income for a first offense and 25 percent for subsequent offenses. Subjects such person's property to forfeiture where there is insufficient income to pay such fines. Amends the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 to eliminate the judge's discretion in making individuals convicted of State offenses for the distribution of controlled substances ineligible for unearned Federal benefits, with exceptions for persons who: (1) declare and show by clear and convincing (currently, a reasonable body of) evidence that they are addicts and submit to long-term treatment; or (2) are determined to be rehabilitated. Makes similar changes with respect to individuals convicted of Federal or State drug possession offenses. Authorizes the court to reduce the period of ineligibility for such benefits to three months if the individual: (1) successfully completes a supervised drug rehabilitation program which includes periodic, random drug testing; or (2) completes a period of community service and passes such testing. Grants priority for Federal drug law enforcement assistance funds from BJA Grant Programs to States having laws providing for revocation of drivers' licenses for individuals convicted of specified controlled substances violations. Revises the formula for determining the amount distributed from the Drug Control and System Improvement Grant Program to reduce allocations to States which do not have such laws. Sets forth conditions for reinstatement. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to cause the Federal Aviation Administration to amend its regulations to revoke pilots' licenses for such violations. Amends the Public Health Service Act to make a State's receipt of Federal drug abuse allotments contingent upon the State submitting: (1) Statewide Drug Treatment Plan annually that meets certain specifications; and (2) periodic progress reports. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to bar institutions of higher education from eligibility for Federal assistance unless they certify that they have adopted and implemented an alcohol and drug abuse prevention program for students and employees meeting specified requirements. Amends the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1986 to bar local educational agencies from eligibility for Federal assistance unless they make a similar certification. Transportation Employee Testing Act - Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to: (1) establish a program requiring foreign and domestic air carriers to conduct preemployment, reasonable suspicion, random, and post-accident testing for illegal drug and alcohol use of air carrier personnel responsible for safety-sensitive functions and providing for periodic recurring testing of such employees; and (2) require the suspension or revocation of any certification issued to such person, or disqualification or dismissal, where such illegal drug or alcohol use has been confirmed. Bars air carrier personnel responsible for safety-sensitive functions from serving in such positions without having completed a rehabilitation program. Requires the Administrator to prescribe regulations for such programs which: (1) provide for the identification and opportunity for treatment of employees needing assistance; (2) specify the circumstances under which such employees shall be required to participate; (3) promote individual privacy in the collection of specimen samples; and (4) with respect to laboratories and testing procedures, incorporate Department of Health and Human Services scientific and technical guidelines intended to assure accuracy, confidentiality, and nondiscriminatory methods. Directs the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Transportation to jointly call upon member countries of the International Civil Aviation Organization to strengthen and enforce existing standards to prohibit illegal drug and alcohol use by crewmembers in international civil aviation. Amends the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970, the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act (CMVSA), and the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 to establish programs similar to the Federal Aviation Act program for drug and alcohol testing. Provides for a pilot program, under the CMVSA, for the random testing of commercial motor vehicle operators and requires the Secretary to report on the results to the Congress. Makes funds from the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 available for the CMVSA program. Requires the Secretary to determine appropriate sanctions for mass transportation vehicle operators who are determined to have used alcohol or controlled substances in violation of law or Federal regulation but who are not under the influence of such substances. Amends the Federal judicial code to provide for the payment of awards to persons providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals for the unlawful sale, or possession for sale, of a controlled substance or controlled substance analogue. Title III: Authorization of Appropriations - Authorizes appropriations to carry out this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 1990
Benjamin Franklin Memorial Fire Service Bill of Rights Act - Title I: Minting of Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Commemorative Coin - Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Commemorative Coin Act - Provides for the sale of Benjamin Franklin commemorative coins at a surcharge of which 25 percent shall be paid to the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial and the remainder be distributed in specified percentages to the National Fire Center and Museum Account, the National Hero Scholarship Account, the Firefighter Tuition Assistance Account, the Hazardous Materials Response Computer Account, the Research and Education Account, and the Burn Research Grant Account of the Firefighter Assistance Trust Fund (Fund). Prohibits the issuance of such coins from resulting in any net cost to the Federal government. Title II: Fire Service Bill of Rights - Fire Service Bill of Rights Act - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to establish a fire service bill of rights. Establishes the National Fire Center and Museum in the District of Columbia to provide information about the fire service and safety to the public and fire services. Establishes a National Hero Scholarship to fund the higher education of a child, spouse, or dependent parent of a deceased firefighter. Establishes a scholarship providing tuition assistance to firefighters for higher education in fire safety or protection. Authorizes the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration to use amounts in the Research and Education Account of the Fund to fund other specified programs under the Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 and the provision of information concerning surplus Federal property and infectious diseases pursuant to this Act. Establishes the Firefighter Assistance Trust Fund. Places the National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control within the United States Fire Administration. Directs the Administrator to provide States with funds from the Hazardous Materials Response Computer Account of the fund for distribution to local fire services that wish to purchase computer equipment. Directs the Administrator to make a grant from the Burn Research Grant Account of the Fund to one national firefighter's burn foundation dedicated to reducing burn injuries. Requires the Administrator to prepare and make available to fire services, upon request, a manual describing Federal procedures for disposing of surplus property and highlighting how fire services could obtain such property. Directs the Administrator to distribute to such marshals information on the infectious diseases to which firefighters are particularly vulnerable. Permits the Administrator, in certain circumstances, to award to a domestic firm a contract that, under the use of competitive procedures, would be awarded to a foreign firm.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1990
Savings and Economic Growth Act of 1990 - Title I: Capital Gains Provisions - Subtitle A: Reduction in Capital Gains Tax - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce the capital gains rate for noncorporate taxpayers through a deduction of: (1) 30 percent for assets held at least three years; (2) 20 percent for assets held at least two years; and (3) ten percent for assets held at least one year. Provides for the treatment of collectibles as short-term gains or losses (making them ineligible for such deduction). Disallows the capital gains deduction in computing the alternative minimum tax. Subtitle B: Depreciation Recapture - Provides for the treatment of gain from the disposition of certain depreciable realty as ordinary income. Title II: Home Ownership and Savings Incentives - Allows an exemption from the ten-percent additional tax on early distributions from qualified retirement plans up to $10,000, if the distribution is used to make a first-home purchase at a cost of no more than 110 percent of the median home price in the geographic area where the residence is located. Allows an individual (other than a dependent) to establish a family savings account for the exclusive benefit of an individual and the individual's beneficiaries. Limits contributions to such accounts to $2,500 for the taxable year, if the individual's adjusted income does not exceed $60,000 ($120,000 in the case of joint returns). Subjects the family savings account to the tax imposed on unrelated business income of tax-exempt organizations. Provides that distributions paid out of such accounts shall not be included in gross income, except for earnings on contributions held less than seven years. Establishes a ten-percent additional tax on earnings on contributions held less than three years.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1990
Calls upon the President to urge Soviet President Gorbachev to publicly condemn the emergence of popular anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union and to protect Soviet Jews from harassment and violence.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1990
Designates September 21, 1990, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Recognizes the National League of Families POW/MIA flag as the official symbol of the United States' commitment to resolving the fates of Americans still prisoner or missing in action in Southeast Asia.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 1990
Social Security Protection Act of 1990 - Title I: Financial Integrity of the Social Security Trust Funds - Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 and the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to exclude the Federal Old Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund (OASDI trust funds) from Federal budget deficit calculations. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to suspend the 1990 increase in social security taxes. Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to require the Board of Trustees of the OASDI trust funds to include in their annual report to the Congress on the actuarial status of such funds two alternative analyses of the actuarial present values of expected future income to and disbursements from such funds over the ensuing 75 fiscal years, basing one analyses on the assumption that those who have not attained age 15 as of the valuation date will not receive wages or self-employment income thereafter. Directs the Board of Trustees to conduct a study on safely increasing the rate of return on OASDI trust fund assets in the interest of OASDI beneficiaries. Increases the amount of outside income which beneficiaries who have attained retirement age may earn without incurring a reduction in benefits. Title II: Establishment of the Social Security Administration as an Independent Agency - Amends title VII (Administration) of the Social Security Act to establish as an independent executive agency a Social Security Administration, governed by an Administrator of Social Security. Provides that it shall be the duty of the Administration to administer the OASDI and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (title XVI of the Social Security Act) programs. Transfers to the Administration all functions carried out by the Secretary of Health and Human Services pertaining to such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1990
Provides for all Federal civilian and military retirees to receive the full cost-of-living adjustment in annuities payable under Federal retirement systems for FY 1991. (Includes benefits payable under the Civil Service Retirement and Disability System, military retirement and survivor benefit programs, the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System, the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and railroad retirement programs.)
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1990
Congressional Commitment to Long-Term Care Concurrent Resolution - Expresses the sense of the Congress that payments to long-term care providers under titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act be sufficient to maintain the highest quality of patient care in nursing homes.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1990
Calls upon the United Nations to repeal General Assembly Resolution 3379 (equating Zionism with racism). Commends the President for his commitment to this goal and requires progress reports to the Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 1989
National Forest Hunter Safety and Protection Act of 1989 - Prescribes civil penalties for knowingly interfering with the conduct of a lawful hunt in a national forest or on lands affected with a Federal interest. Authorizes injunctive relief, the recovery of actual and punitive damages, and the awarding of attorney's fees. Grants hunting and sportsman's organizations standing under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1989
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for the treatment of rental and nonrental real estate activities under the limitations on losses from passive activities.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 1989
Amends the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to require the Council on Environmental Quality to promulgate regulations governing the implementation of such Act by Federal agencies, to include requirements for notification procedures for, and public review and cost-effective preparation and dissemination of, environmental impact statements.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1989
Emergency Drug Abuse Treatment Expansion Act of 1989 - Title I: Separate Authorizations of Appropriations for Block Grants with Respect to Substance Abuse and Mental Health - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations: (1) with respect to alcohol and drug abuse, under specified provisions; and (2) with respect to mental health, under specified provisions. Title II: Categorical Grants with Respect to Substance Abuse - Establishes in the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA) the Office for Treatment Improvement (Treatment Office) to: (1) collaborate with the Director of the Office for Substance Abuse Prevention and the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); (2) evaluate State plans and carry out programs under existing provisions; (3) train providers of prehospital emergency medical services; (4) conduct or support described programs; and (5) take other actions with regard to treatment. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the treatment Office Director, to make a demonstration grant for the establishment, within the national capital area, of a model program for comprehensive treatment services for drug abuse. Requires local governmental participation. Directs the Secretary to reserve, from appropriations for FY 1990, amounts for programs administered by the Treatment Office. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1991. Transfers authority from the Administrator of ADAMHA to the Director of the Treatment Office for an existing grant program for reduction of the waiting period for drug abuse treatment. Removes provisions prohibiting more than one grant for any treatment program. Allows a grantee to spend not more than 50 percent of the grant for follow-up services. Increases the authorization of appropriations. Revises requirements and other matters relating to an existing program regarding drug and alcohol abuse model projects for pregnant and postpartum women and their infants. Authorizes appropriations. Transfers authority from the Administrator of ADAMHA to the Director of NIDA to make grants for drug abuse demonstration projects of national significance. Removes authority to make grants for drug abuse treatment for pregnant and postpartum women and their infants. Directs the Secretary to act through the Treatment Office Director in establishing demonstration projects that provide grants for treatment and referrals for treatment. Allows the grants to be made to public and nonprofit private entities as well as to States. Increases the authorization of appropriations. Title III: Separate Formulas in Block Grants with Respect to Substance Abuse and Mental Health - Establishes separate formulas for allotments with respect to: (1) alcohol and drug abuse; and (2) mental health. Requires States to: (1) use at least 25 percent (currently, at least ten percent) of allotments for alcohol and drug abuse residential treatment services for pregnant women; (2) ensure that treatment services are available to each pregnant woman who seeks and would benefit from such services; and (3) ensure that a newborn infant of any woman determined to be abusing alcohol or any drug be tested and evaluated for fetal alcohol syndrome, physical drug dependency, or other congenital condition caused by substance abuse, provide for the health and safety of the infant, and provide health care to the infant and mother. Directs the Secretary, of FY 1990 appropriations with respect to alcohol and drug abuse under specified provisions of the Public Health Service Act, to make available a specified amount, notwithstanding specified other provisions of this Act, for prevention and treatment of alcohol and drug abuse. Title IV: Statewide Substance Abuse Treatment Plan - Requires States to develop and submit to the Secretary annually for review and approval a statewide Substance Abuse Treatment Plan. Requires the Director of the Treatment Office to establish a model State treatment plan. Directs the Secretary to issue standards for plans.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1989
Amends the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act to direct the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate regulations with respect to the isolation in transportation of hazardous materials, solid waste, and certain other commodities from food, food additives, drugs, devices, and cosmetics and packages containing such items.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 1989
Authorizes the President, on behalf of the Congress, to present a gold medal to Laurance Spelman Rockefeller in recognition of his leadership on behalf of natural resource conservation and historic preservation. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to provide for the sale of bronze duplicates of the medal.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 1989
Directs the heads of Federal departments or agencies which hold or receive records and information which have or could possibly have been correlated to U.S. personnel listed as prisoners of war or missing in action in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts to publicly disclose such records and information, except where such disclosure would compromise national security. Requires the Department of Defense to publicly disclose a complete list of such personnel including those killed in action (body not returned) in such hostilities with each service member's current classification as well as any changes in such classification occurring during or after such hostilities.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 1989
Benjamin Franklin Memorial Fire Service Bill of Rights Act - Title I: Minting of Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Commemorative Coin - Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Commemorative Coin Act - Provides for the sale of Benjamin Franklin commemorative coins at a surcharge of which 25 percent shall be paid to the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial and the remainder be distributed in specified percentages to the National Fire Center and Museum Account, the National Hero Scholarship Account, the Firefighter's Tuition Assistance Account, the Hazardous Materials Response Computer Account, the In Search of Excellence Research and Education Account, and the Burn Research Grant Account of the Firefighter Assistance Trust Fund (Fund). Prohibits the issuance of such coins from resulting in any net cost to the Federal government. Title II: Fire Service Bill of Rights - Fire Service Bill of Rights Act - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to establish a fire service bill of rights. Establishes the National Fire Center and Museum in the District of Columbia to provide information about the fire service and safety to the public and fire services. Funds such museum exclusively through the Fund. Establishes a National Hero Scholarship to fund the higher education of the children or spouse of a deceased firefighter. Establishes a scholarship providing tuition assistance to firefighters for higher education in fire safety or protection. Authorizes the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration to use amounts in the In Search of Excellence Research and Education Account of the Fund to fund other specified programs under the Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974. Establishes the Firefighters Assistance Trust Fund. Places the National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control within the United States Fire Administration. Directs the Administrator to use funds from the Hazardous Materials Response Computer Account of the fund to procure computer equipment for fire services that want such equipment. Directs the Administrator to make a grant from the Burn Research Grant Account of the Fund to one national firefighter's burn foundation dedicated to reducing burn injuries. Requires the Administrator to prepare and make available to State fire marshals, upon request, a manual describing Federal procedures for disposing of surplus property and highlighting how fire services could obtain such property. Directs the Administrator to distribute to such marshals information on the infectious diseases to which firefighters are particularly vulnerable.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 1989
Expresses the sense of the Congress that railroad retirement benefits are exempt from reduction under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) and that supplemental annuities payable under the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 and sequestered under a specified presidential order should be restored.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 1989
Recommends that the President: (1) invite President-elect Guillermo Endara and Vice-Presidents-elect Ricardo Arias Calderon and Guillermo Ford of Panama to seek full diplomatic recognition from the United States; (2) upon receipt of such a request, accord such recognition; (3) encourage other nations, particularly members of the Organization of American States, to confer such recognition; and (4) accord such Government all appropriate diplomatic, political, economic, and moral support in its efforts to achieve full governing authority over Panama.
![Official portrait of Rep. Schaefer, Dan [R-CO-6]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000109_200.jpg)