United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1985
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to direct the Secretary of Labor, in order to prevent curtailment of employment opportunities, to provide special certificates for the employment, at less than the minimum wage, of individuals (including those employed in agriculture) whose earning or productive capacity is impaired by age, physical or mental deficiency, or injury. Requires that, under such certificates, individuals be paid wages which are: (1) lower than the applicable minimum wage; (2) commensurate with those paid to similarly located and employed nonhandicapped workers; and (3) related to the individual's productivity.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 1985
Bank Bribery Amendments Act of 1985 - Amends the Federal criminal code to modify the state of mind requirements for certain bank bribery offenses. Requires a knowing state of mind with the intent to influence corruptly any transaction as elements of the offenses.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 1985
Amends part A (General Provisions) of title XI of the Social Security Act to extend the income and eligibility verification system so as to require an applicant or benefit recipient, as a condition of eligibility for or receipt of benefits under part A (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) of title IV of such Act, title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of such Act, title XIX (Medicaid) of such Act, the food stamp program, or the unemployment insurance compensation program, to declare in writing whether or not he or she is a U.S. citizen, and, if a U.S. citizen his or her immigration status and file number. Requires the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization to implement a verification system of immigration status to be made available to all States by October 1, 1985.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 1985
Military Drug Interdiction Assistance Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense (upon request from the head of a Federal agency with jurisdiction to enforce the Controlled Substances Act or the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act) to assign members of the armed forces under his jurisdiction to assist drug enforcement officials in drug searches, seizures, or arrests outside the land area of the United States. Allows such assistance only if: (1) the assistance will not adversely affect the military preparedness of the United States; (2) the Attorney General verifies that the drug enforcement operation may not succeed without assistance by members of the armed forces; and (3) Federal drug enforcement officials maintain ultimate control over the activities and direction of any drug enforcement operation.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 1985
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for therapeutic shoes for individuals with severe diabetic foot disease, if the shoes are prescribed by a physician and fitted and furnished by a certified orthotist. Limits such coverage to one pair of shoes annually and $375 annually.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 1985
Children's Protection Act of 1985 - Amends the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute to extend the Act's coverage to the sexual exploitation of children. Authorizes a civil suit for treble damages for any person injured personally or in his or her business or property. Amends the Federal criminal code with regard to the sexual exploitation of children. Makes it a Federal offense to print or publish any statement or advertisement to receive, buy, produce, display, photograph, film, print or publish any statement or advertisement to receive, buy, produce, display, photograph, film, print or record any visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Prohibits offering participation in sexually explicit conduct with a minor. Lists factors that may be considered in determining whether a person engaged in such conduct has attained the age of 18. Provides that the Government need not establish the identify of the alleged minor in a prosecution under this section. Increases the penalties for offenses involving the transportation of minors for prohibited sexual conduct.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1985
Federal Nuclear Waste Disposal Liability Act of 1985 - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to direct the Secretary of Energy (the Secretary) to enter into indemnification agreements with contractors implementing contractual activities under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (the Act). Requires the Secretary to indemnify persons against claims for public liability for nuclear incidents arising out of contractual activities under the Act (including the storage, disposal, and related transportation of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel). Requires the Secretary to make indemnification payments from the Nuclear Waste Fund. Limits the aggregate amount of such payments in connection with each nuclear incident to $5,000,000,000.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1985
Amends the Tariff Schedules of the United States to add Afghanistan to the list of communist countries the imports from which are subject to the column two rate of duty. Prohibits granting nondiscriminatory (most-favored-nation) treatment to the products of Afghanistan. Prohibits entering into a commercial agreement with Afghanistan pursuant to the Trade Act of 1974. Prohibits Afghanistan from participating in any program under which the United States extends credit, credit guarantees, or investment guarantees.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1985
Expedited Funds Availability Act - Requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to begin to develop a system to provide that: (1) funds deposited by checks drawn on a local depository institution shall be available for withdrawal the next business day following the day of deposit; and (2) for all other checks, not more than three business days shall pass between the day of deposit and the day on which the funds become available. Requires such system to be implemented no later than five years after the date of enactment of this Act. Requires the Board, not later than six months after the date of enactment of this Act and annually thereafter until such goal is achieved, to report to the Congress concerning the actions it has taken. Sets forth time standards for expedited check clearing in any case in which funds are deposited by check in an account at a depository institution. Requires cash deposits to be available on the next business day. Makes exceptions to such standards with respect to: (1) checks drawn on a depository institution or an office of a depository institution located outside of the United States; (2) deposits of checks aggregating more than $5,000 in any account on any business day, excluding cashier's and certified checks beginning two years after enactment of this Act; (3) deposits made by new depositors within the first 30 days after opening an account, excluding cashier's and certified checks beginning two years after enactment of this Act; (4) any account that is overdrawn three times in six months; and (5) emergencies beyond the control of the depository institution. Permits a State to require, or a depository institution to provide for, shorter time periods for deposit availability. Requires interest to accrue on funds deposited in interest-bearing accounts beginning on the business day of deposit. Requires a depository institution to meet specified disclosure requirements concerning its general policy on the availability for withdrawal of funds deposited by check. Authorizes the Board to publish model disclosure forms and clauses for common transactions. Directs the Board to establish a Payments System Advisory Council to advise and consult with it in the exercise of its functions under this Act. Sets forth provisions governing: (1) the administrative enforcement of this Act; and (2) the civil liability of institutions that fail to comply with this title.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1985
Procurement Integrity Act of 1985 - Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to provide that a civil action may be brought by an individual or by the United States against: (1) any person who submits any false cost or pricing datum in connection with a Government contract and who knew or should have known that such datum, was false; and (2) the chief executive officer of any prime contractor or subcontractor that submits any false cost or pricing datum if such officer knew or should have known that such datum was false. Provides that any person against whom a judgment is rendered in such a civil action shall be liable to the Government for: (1) a civil penalty of not more than $500,000; (2) two times the amount of the damage sustained by the Government because of such false datum; and (3) the costs of such civil action. Allows similar civil actions and provides for identical penalties in connection with military procurement contracts. Subjects to criminal penalties for the filing of false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims any person or the chief executive officer of a prime contractor who submits false cost or pricing datum in connection with a Government contract or a military procurement contract.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1985
Major Export Market Trade Equity Act of 1985 - Extends to an otherwise ineligible nonmarket economy country nondiscriminatory treatment (most-favored-nation treatment) during any market year after 1985 if the President determines that: (1) the country either has the potential to become a major export market for U.S. products which nondiscriminatory treatment will enhance, or is already such a market; (2) during the corresponding calendar year that country will not receive nondiscriminatory treatment for its products under any other U.S. law; and (3) during the preceding calendar year that country had a negative trade balance with the United States. Requires the President to determine those nonmarket economy countries eligible for such treatment before the start of each market year after 1985 and to publish a list of such countries in the Federal Register.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1985
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an individual taxpayer an income tax deduction for contributions to a savings account established to pay the educational expenses (tuition, supplies, meals, and lodging) of the taxpayer's dependent child at an institution of higher education or a vocational school. Limits the amount of such deduction to $1,000 (adjusted for inflation) for each account per calendar year. Disallows any deduction for contributions to an account for individuals who have attained age 19. Provides that no account may have more than one beneficiary and that no individual may be a beneficiary of more than one account. Permits the deferral of income tax on income accumulated in such education savings accounts as long as such amounts are used exclusively for educational expenses. Specifies penalties for the use of account funds for other than educational purposes. Requires that the trustee of an education savings account file reports with the Secretary of the Treasury on the maintenance of the account. Imposes penalties for not filing required reports. Extends the deduction for contributions to an education savings account to taxpayers who do not otherwise itemize deductions. Excludes from the gross income of account beneficiaries any distributions from the account made on their behalf which are used for educational expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1985
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual taxpayers who have attained the age of 18 an income tax deduction for contributions (cash or readily tradeable securities) to a savings account established for the exclusive purpose of financing the taxpayer's first principal residence. Limits the aggregate amount allowable as a deduction under this Act to any individual for any taxable year to 15 percent of such individual's adjusted gross income. Provides that the amount allowable as a deduction to all taxpayers for amounts paid or transferred to a house savings account may not exceed $1,500 ($3,000 for accounts of married couples). Provides for a $15,000 maximum lifetime deduction ($30,000 for joint returns), with annual inflation adjustments. Limits to ten years the period during which deductible contributions may be made to housing savings accounts. Prohibits any individual from being a beneficiary of more than one account. Excludes distributions from a housing savings account from the gross income of its beneficiary if such distributions are used exclusively for the purchase of a principal residence. Exempts a housing savings account from taxation. Provides for the forfeiture of such exemption where the taxpayer uses the account for certain prohibited purposes. Imposes a penalty on distributions from an account which are used for a prohibited purpose. Requires the trustee of a housing savings account to file a report on the maintenance of the account. Imposes a penalty for the failure to file any required report.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 1985
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that nothing in the Constitution shall abridge the right of persons to participate in voluntary prayer in public schools or institutions. States that no person shall be required by the United States or by any State to participate in prayer. Prohibits the United States or any State from composing words of prayer to be said in the public schools.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1985
National Advanced Technician Training Act - Directs the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to carry out a three-year national advanced technician training program under which accredited community and technical colleges, using matching non-Federal funds, will provide training in technical competencies in strategic fields. Requires such program to include emphasis on-the-job training intermixed with technical occupational training. Requires such program to place special recruiting emphasis on: (1) those who need retraining or upgrading to retain their jobs; (2) those who are unemployed, especially workers dislocated by plant closings and technological change; and (3) those who have recently completed high school or left high school prior to graduation. Requires the Director, in carrying out such program, to: (1) award grants on a competitive basis to accredited community and technical colleges which possess the demonstrated ability to provide competency-based occupational training; and (2) work with the Nation's network of community and technical colleges to establish and maintain, at NSF or by contract, a readily accessible inventory of advanced technician training programs which are serving public and private employers and addressing the changing workforce demands of emerging technology. Requires each community or technical college which is awarded such a grant to provide an associate degree training program in designated advanced-technology occupational fields. Sets the maximum grant award at $500,000 per year. Requires the Director, in order to assure that the program is consistent with the needs of industries, to appoint a 15-year National Advisory Council on Advanced Technician Training, which shall advise the Director on program goals and implementation, review program effectiveness, and report annually to the Director and the Congress. Requires the Council and the Director to submit to the Congress an annual report on the program, together with: (1) a program evaluation; (2) a catalog of the community and technical college programs identified by the required inventory; and (3) a recommendation on the feasibility of program expansion. Requires the national program to give special emphasis to those associate degree advanced-technician training programs which: (1) include flexibility in scheduling in order to accommodate working people and parents; and (2) take steps to meets the adaptive and training needs of handicapped young people and adults. Requires that funds appropriated under this Act be used to establish, strengthen, and expand the advanced technician training capabilities of community and technical colleges. Includes among the uses of such funds: (1) associate degree and short-cycle training program developments; (2) faculty development; (3) the development of instructional materials; (4) the lease or purchase of state-of-the-art instrumentation; (5) personnel exchanges among such colleges, the private sector, and government; (6) the development of cooperative training programs with business, industry, labor, and government; and (7) the promotion of private sector contributions to program costs, training sites, and work experience opportunities. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1988.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1985
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow construction workers to take an income tax deduction for travel expenses incurred while away from home in pursuit of a trade or business if: (1) the job site is at least 30 miles from the residence of the construction worker; and (2) the job site is a temporary job site or a remote job site.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1985
Authorizes the Inspector General of the Department of Defense to suspend payments under a contract with the Department of Defense, or revise the schedule for payments under such a contract if the Inspector General determines that: (1) based on audits there have been excessive charges; and (2) other remedies available by law and under the contract are insufficient to eliminate promptly waste, fraud, and abuse with respect to the contract. Allows the Secretary of Defense, in the interest of national security, to overrule such an action by the Inspector General. Requires the Secretary to report to specified committees of the Congress on the reasons for overruling such action.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1985
Illegal Immigration Control Act of 1985 - Title I: Control of Illegal Immigration - Part A: Employment - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make it unlawful for any person to knowingly hire, recruit, or refer any alien not authorized to work in the United States. Makes it unlawful for an employer of two or more persons to hire anyone without complying with the verification procedure set forth in this Act. Directs the Attorney General, in cooperation with the Secretaries of Labor and Health and Human Services, to establish a social security account validation system as part of such verification procedure. Sets forth a verification procedure which requires an employer to attest, under penalty of perjury, that he has examined an employee's identification papers, and requires an employee to attest to his or her citizenship or legal work status. Requires employers to keep such records for three years or one year after an employee leaves, whichever is longer. Makes following such procedure an affirmative employer defense. States that nothing in this Act shall directly or indirectly authorize the creation of a national identification card system. Prohibits employers from requiring employees to post indemnity bonds. Subjects violators of such verification procedure or hiring provisions to civil penalties. Requires notice and a hearing opportunity. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) seek injunctive relief for pattern or practice violations; and (2) sue to collect outstanding penalties. Directs the President to monitor such program and consult with the Congress every six months. States that no penalties shall be imposed for the first six months after enactment of this Act. Amends the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act to subject farm labor contractors to the requirements of this Act, beginning seven months after enactment. Makes it illegal to fraudulently misuse or manufacture entry or work documents. Sets forth penalties. Part B: Improvement of Enforcement and Services - Directs the Attorney General to develop and transmit to the Congress an Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) personnel and funding plan for FY 1986 and 1987. Authorizes FY 1986 and 1987 INS appropriations. Makes it unlawful to knowingly, or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien is not authorized to enter the United States, bring such person into the country. Sets forth penalties. Directs the Attorney General: (1) in consultation with experts and State and local governments, to develop an INS immigration emergency contingency plan; and (2) to submit such plan to the congressional judiciary committees within four months. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Attorney General: (1) jointly with the Secretary of State, to initiate discussions with Mexico and Canada on programs to prevent alien smuggling into the United States; and (2) report to the Congress within one year. Part C: Denial of Immigration Benefits to Illegal Aliens - Prohibits out-of-status aliens from adjusting to permanent resident (immigrant status). Denies immediate relative status to certain relatives of illegal aliens or Cuban/Haitian entrants. Title II: Temporary Agricultural Labor - Separates temporary agricultural labor from other temporary labor for purposes of nonimmigrant (H-2 visas) worker provisions. States that such agricultural workers' stay shall be determined by the Attorney General. Prohibits entry to temporary workers who have violated entry conditions within the previous five years. Requires the Attorney General to provide for necessary entry and exit documents. Requires an employer H-2 visa petition to certify that: (1) there are not enough local U.S. workers for the job; and (2) similarly employed U.S. workers' wages and working conditions will not be adversely affected. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to charge application fees. Prohibits the Secretary from approving such petition if: (1) the job is open because of a strike or lock-out; (2) the employer violated temporary worker admissions terms; or (3) in a case where such workers are not covered by State workers' compensation laws, the employer has not provided equivalent protection at no cost to such workers. Directs the Secretary to establish expedited review of such denied certificates. Provides with regard to agricultural worker applications that: (1) the Secretary may not require such an application to be filed more than 50 days before needed; (2) the employer shall be notified in writing within seven days if such an application requires perfecting; and (3) the Secretary shall approve an acceptable application not later than 20 days before needed. Authorizes producer associations to file such petitions. Requires the Secretary, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Agriculture, to report to the Congress annually regarding such certification program. Authorizes appropriations beginning with FY 1986 to: (1) recruit domestic workers; (2) monitor the nonimmigrant work program; (3) make determinations and certifications; and (4) permit the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out duties under such Act. Directs the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretaries of Labor and Agriculture, to establish a three-year transitional agricultural labor program to implement the H-2 temporary agricultural worker program. Requires employer registration during the first year of the program. Provides that the number of undocumented agricultural workers be reduced by one-third for each of the three years. Provides such transitional workers with the same benefits and protections as H-2 workers. Sets forth employer participation requirements. Requires a report to the Congress within 18 months regarding temporary alien worker program improvements. Authorizes the Attorney General to prohibit an employer from participating in the program for up to three years for specified hiring violations. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should establish an advisory commission to consult with Mexico and other appropriate countries and advise the Attorney General regarding the temporary worker and transitional worker programs. Prohibits such aliens from adjusting to immigrant or other nonimmigrant status. Adds to the classification of nonimmigrant aliens those foreign workers who have no intention of abandoning a foreign residence, but come to the United States for seasonal agricultural employment for a maximum of eight consecutive months. Prohibits the admission of an alien as a nonimmigrant if such alien has violated the terms or conditions of a previous admission nonimmigrant within the past five years. Directs the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretaries of Agriculture and Labor, to establish an admissions program for such workers. Requires such program to impose monthly and annual quotas upon nonimmigrant visas by agricultural employment region. Subjects the availability of such visas to a specified preference system, based upon a specified allotment formula. States that: (1) the availability of a nonimmigrant visa is not predicated upon petitions from prospective employers within the United States; and (2) nonimmigrant visas shall neither limit the type of agricultural work, nor the geographical area within which aliens may be employed. Provides for up to ten U.S. agricultural employment regions. Permits employers of agricultural workers to submit petitions to the Attorney General which specify the month and agricultural employment region concerned, as well as a breakdown of the type of work needed and the availability of domestic and foreign workers to do such work. Requires the Attorney General to prescribe quotas for nonimmigrant visas based upon such petitions and other specified factors. Permits agricultural employers to apply for an increase in nonimmigration visa quotas if they can establish an emergency need based upon specified factors. Requires the Attorney General to decide such applications within 72 hours of the completion of such application. Requires employers to: (1) make a good faith effort to recruit domestic workers; (2) provide wages and working conditions that do not adversely affect similarly-employed U.S. workers; (3) provide benefits similar to State compensation benefits in areas where such benefits are unavailable; (4) not employ such workers in cases of a strike or lockout; (5) not employ such workers for other than seasonal agricultural work; and (6) substitute a housing allowance payment for actual housing under specified circumstances. Disqualifies an employer for up to three years for violations of such requirements. Makes it unlawful to hire, recruit, or refer for U.S. employment a nonimmigrant alien in the absence of an approved employment application. Sets forth penalties. Denies such alien workers any Federal assistance based on financial need. Directs the Secretary of State to expand and establish consulates in countries from which such aliens are likely to come. Directs the Attorney General to provide the Congress with a semiannual program report. Directs the Attorney General to establish a trust fund (from employer and employee wage-based contributions) to: (1) administer and enforce such program; and (2) provide a monetary incentive for alien workers to return to their country. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should negotiate with representatives of labor source countries to establish bilateral advisory commissions to advise the Attorney General regarding problems arising under this Act. Excludes from admission into the United States any such alien workers who are not: (1) continuously employed; or (2) actively seeking employment in the agricultural labor market. Precludes the time spent by aliens in a nonimmigrant status under this Act from being counted as part of the continuous residence requirement for purposes of suspending deportation. Bars such aliens from having their status adjusted to permanent resident.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1985
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit a domestic trade or business whose equity capital does not exceed $25 million to reduce the value of inventory items which have been held by such taxpayer for more than 12 months.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1985
Authorizes election agencies to mail voter registration forms, absentee ballots, and certain related materials free of postage. Declares that this Act does not apply to mail matter transmitted under the Federal Voting Assistance Act of 1955 or the Overseas Citizens Voting Rights Act of 1975.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 1985
Includes specified lands at the mouth of Chequamegon Bay, Wisconsin, known as Long Island, within the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 1985
Natural Gas Utilization Act of 1985 - Amends the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 to repeal prohibitions against the use of natural gas and petroleum as a primary energy source by new electric powerplants. Amends the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 to repeal the passthrough of natural gas acquisition costs which are incurred by interstate pipelines (incremental pricing).
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 1985
Prohibits imports of beef, bananas, or sugar from Nicaragua until the President finds that the policies of the Nicaraguan Government regarding opposition to the resistance forces and a democratic government are consistent with its obligations under the terms of the Nicaraguan revolution and the promises made to the Organization of American States.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1985
Directs the President to take steps to ensure: (1) substantial equivalence between the number, status, and privileges and immunities of Soviet officers or employees in the United States and the number, status, and privileges and immunities of U.S. officers and employees in the Soviet Union; and (2) that comparable restrictions regarding travel, accommodations and facilities are imposed on Soviet officers and employees living in the United States as are imposed on U.S. officers and employees living in the Soviet Union. Requires the President to report to the Congress on actions taken to carry out this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 1985
Expresses the sense of the Congress that no limitation should be placed on the Federal income tax deduction for interest paid on a residential mortgage.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1985
Public Securities Act of 1985 - Title I: Establishment of a Self-Regulatory Organization with Respect to Municipal and Government Securities - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to expand provisions concerning the registration, regulation, and disciplining of municipal securities dealers to govern all public securities dealers. Defines "public securities" as municipal and Government securities. Reestablishes the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) as the Public Securities Rulemaking Board (PSRB) and increases its membership by two. Empowers the Board to formulate rules regulating: (1) the amount of initial and maintenance margin in connection with the purchase, sale, or carrying of Government securities; (2) the type of deposit or collateral which shall be furnished; (3) the carrying of undermargined accounts for limited periods and under specified conditions; (4) the withdrawal of funds or securities; (5) the substitution or additional purchase of securities; (6) the transfer of accounts from one Government securities broker or dealer to another; (7) special or different margin requirements for delayed deliveries, short sales, repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements, and arbitrage transactions; and (8) the bases and methods to be used in calculating collateral deposits, margins, and market prices. Part B: Conforming Amendments - Sets forth conforming amendments. Empowers the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to prescribe requirements for the initial or subsequent maintenance of a deposit in connection with the purchase, sale, or carrying of a Government security. Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission to consult with the Federal Reserve Board and the Department of the Treasury when prescribing capital requirements for Government securities dealers to assure that such requirements do not adversely affect the efficiency, liquidity, or integrity of Government securities markets. Title II: Transitional and Savings Provisions - Provides for the: (1) transfer and allocation of funds and personnel from the MSRB to the PSRB; (2) termination of the MSRB; and (3) continuation of MSRB authorities, administrative proceedings, and judicial proceedings. Title III: Effective Dates - Makes this Act effective 180 days after enactment. Provides effective dates for appointment and rulemaking authority under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 1985
Federal Drug Law Enforcement Agent Protection Act of 1985 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to authorize awards of up to $100,000 to any individual who provides original information which leads to the arrest and conviction of a person who kidnaps or kills a Federal drug law enforcement agent. Provides that the money for such rewards be taken from the forfeiture proceeds within the Department of Justice.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 1985
Hazardous Waste Reduction Act of 1985 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a tax on the receipt of: (1) taxable hazardous waste in any qualified hazardous waste management unit; and (2) taxable hazardous waste for export or for disposal in the ocean pursuant to a permit. Provides that the tax rate for all forms of land and ocean waste disposal, except underground injection wells, shall be $20 for each ton of hazardous waste. Provides that the tax rate for each ton of hazardous waste placed in underground injection wells shall be five dollars per ton. Authorizes the Secretary of Treasury to increase the rates of tax on such hazardous waste where the tax revenue falls below projections for any year. Requires the tax to be paid by the owner or operator of the qualified waste management unit at which the taxable waste is received or by the person exporting the taxable hazardous waste or the person holding the permit for transport for ocean disposal. Requires the tax to be paid at the close of the calendar quarter during which the taxable hazardous waste became subject to tax. Imposes a tax of $20 per ton on hazardous waste placed in a facility other than a qualified hazardous waste management unit or pursuant to a permit for export or ocean dumping. Makes the person placing the hazardous material in the facility or location liable for the tax. Provides that such tax will not apply with respect to small quantity generator waste, or with respect to the placement of taxable hazardous waste in any facility, vehicle, or location if such placement is not required to comply with permit, interim status, or manifest requirement under the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Provides that the tax does not apply to the placement of taxable hazardous waste in a vehicle which is required to transport such taxable hazardous waste. Exempts from the tax waste removed from a Superfund site or a closed interim status facility or waste required to be studied. Exempts from the tax qualified wastewater treatment facilities. Provides that the exemption for qualified wastewater treatment facilities shall not apply after November 8, 1988, unless the facility is in compliance with certain minimum technological requirements or meets certain interim status surface impoundments requirements. Permits a tax credit where the taxable hazardous waste is moved from one unit or facility to another. Provides that where the taxable waste is moved from a surface impoundment to an underground injection well, the credit is the difference between the tax on the surface impoundment and the tax on the underground injection. Permits a tax credit for all waste rendered nonhazardous by reason of treatment or conversion within 12 months of receipt at the unit or facility. Prohibits the tax credit for treatment or conversion at a qualified wastewater treatment facility. Prohibits the tax credit for land treatment. Provides that the tax credit will not apply to any treatment or conversion which violates any requirement of Federal or State law relating to the management of hazardous taxable waste. Provides that this tax shall apply for the period from January 1, 1986, through September 30, 1990. Requires every person subject to this tax to keep records, render such statements, make such returns, and comply with such rules and regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may require. Provides that the revenues from this tax shall be deposited in the Hazardous Substance Superfund. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make various reports to the Congress concerning different aspects of this tax on hazardous waste disposal.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 1985
Narcotics Importation, Manufacture, and Control Act - Amends the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to increase the criminal penalties for: (1) importing or exporting controlled substances; (2) bringing or possessing on board a vessel, aircraft, or vehicle a controlled substance; and (3) manufacturing or distributing a controlled substance. Prohibits granting a suspended or probationary sentence for persons convicted of such offenses. Denies such persons eligibility for parole. Permits imposing criminal penalties for attempts or conspiracies to commit such offenses. Requires such penalties to be imposed in the same manner and to the same extent as is prescribed for actually committing the offenses involved. Prohibits granting a suspended or probationary sentence for persons convicted of such attempts or conspiracies and denies such persons eligibility for parole if such sentences and parole are precluded for actually committing the offenses involved. Requires that any person who manufactures a controlled substance shall be imprisoned for the entire maximum term of imprisonment for such violation. Prohibits granting a suspended or probationary sentence and denies such persons eligibility for parole.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 1985
Trade Law Modernization Act of 1985 - Title I: National Trade Policy and Negotiating Objectives; Negotiation Authority - Sets forth national trade policy objectives that shall guide U.S. trade policy and domestic economic policy. Directs the Administering Authority (the U.S. Trade Representative) to submit by March 1 of each year to specified congressional committees a statement of the actions the Administering Authority proposes to take during such year to achieve such objectives. Requires the committees to hold hearings on such proposals and to advise the Administering Authority on such proposals. Declares that U.S. objectives in any trade negotiations shall be: (1) to obtain more open and equitable market access abroad for U.S. products and services, the reduction and elimination of the adverse effects of certain foreign trade practices, and improved effectiveness of the rules governing international trade; (2) to develop internationally accepted rules which meet certain needs; and (3) to promote international cooperation in trade and monetary policies. Directs the Administering Authority to seek to obtain fair and equitable market opportunities through consultations on negotiations with foreign countries or instrumentalities in order to remedy the harmful efforts on U.S. trade of discriminatory procurement practices and regulatory requirements of such countries or instrumentalities. Authorizes the Administering Authority to: (1) suspend or withdraw benefits under any trade agreement with such countries or instrumentalities; (2) direct customs officers to impose import restrictions on the goods of such countries or instrumentalities and to impose fees or restrictions on the services of such countries or instrumentalities; (3) make available analysis and information to other U.S. agencies and courts for the purpose of ensuring consideration by such agencies and courts of the competitive impact of pending administrative or judicial decisions of such agencies or courts that could significantly enlarge the access of foreign products and services to the U.S. market; and (4) recommend action to the President with respect to service sector access authorization (a Federal authorization that gives a foreign supplier of services access to U.S. markets). Directs the Administering Authority, if there is a significant denial of market opportunities in a foreign country for U.S. products and services in an economic sector where the United States has increased market opportunities for such country's products and services, to: (1) act to obtain fair and equitable market opportunities in the markets of such foreign country; and (2) pending achievement of such opportunities, impose equivalent conditions of market access. Authorizes action to be taken under this Act upon motion of the Administering Authority or after investigation upon the filing of a petition. Title II: Transfer of Authority to Administering Authority; Amendments to Title I of Trade Act of 1974 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to transfer from the President to the Administering Authority the authority to: (1) take action in cases of market disruption; and (2) extend tariff preferences under the Generalized System of Preferences. Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to transfer from the President to the Administering Authority the authority to make the final review of actions to prevent unfair practices in the importation of articles into the United States. Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program to evaluate the industrial and trade policies of other countries and the effects of such policies on U.S. industries, trade, and employment. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress annually on such program. Directs the Secretary in conjunction with the U.S. Trade Representative, to establish special industry sector advisory panels to assess the actual or potential dislocation, challenge, or opportunity for the industry sectors involved and to formulate recommendations for responses by business, government, and labor. Requires the industry and labor advisory committees established by the Trade Act of 1974 to hold joint meetings at the call of the respective committee chairs and to meet at the call of the Administering Authority before and during trade negotiations to provide policy and technical advice and advice on any other factors relevant to U.S. positions in such trade negotiations. Authorizes the President to impose a temporary import surcharge at a level which the President determines to be necessary to assist in restoring equilibrium in the balance of payments in certain circumstances. (Currently such surcharge may not exceed 15 percent.) Limits the duration of such surcharge or limits imposed on imports to improve the balance of payments to one year. (Currently such measures may be imposed for only 150 days.) Deletes certain restrictions on imposing import limitations for such purposes. Authorizes one year extensions of such measures. Title III: Relief from Injury Caused by Import Competition - Transfers from the President to the Administering Authority the authority to take certain actions following import relief investigations by the International Trade Commission (ITC). Authorizes a petition for import relief to include within its statement of reasons for requesting import relief the desire to facilitate the orderly transfer of resources to enhance competitiveness. Changes the scope of the ITC's import relief investigation to include determining whether an article is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a cause (currently substantial cause) of serious injury or threat of serious injury to any domestic industry that produces an article like or directly competitive with the imported article or that produces materials, parts, components, or subassemblies irrevocably destined for incorporation in an article like or directly competitive with the imported article. Changes one of the factors that must be considered in making such determination with respect to serious injury in order to cover the inability of a significant number of firms to operate domestic production facilities at a reasonable profit. (Current law refers to the inability of firms to operate at a reasonable profit.) Changes the factors that must be considered in making such determination with respect to the threat of serious injury in order to cover: (1) a decline in sales or market share in the domestic industry; (2) a higher and growing inventory in the domestic industry; (3) a downward trend in production, profits, wages, or employment (or increasing under employment) in the domestic industry; (4) any combination of coordinated government actions that are bestowed on a specific enterprise, industry, or group thereof the effect of which is to assist the beneficiary to become more competitive in the export of any class or kind of merchandise and that causes or threatens to cause serious injury to the domestic industry; (5) the extent to which the U.S. market is the focal point for diversion of exports of the article concerned because of restraints on exports of such article to, or imports of such articles into, third country markets; and (6) in the case of an industry that has developed an industry assessment and competitiveness strategy, the inability of producers in the domestic industry to generate adequate capital to finance the modernization of plant and equipment or to otherwise enhance competitiveness. Requires (currently authorizes) the ITC to make certain determinations with respect to determining the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with an imported article. Defines "cause" for purposes of determining whether imports are a cause of injury to mean a cause which is important. Declares that a cause may be important even though other causes are of equal or greater importance. Requires the ITC, if it finds that serious injury or the threat of serious injury exists for a domestic industry, to: (1) find the amount of the increase in, or imposition of, any duty or import restriction necessary to prevent or remedy such injury; and (2) if it determines that adjustment assistance can assist in remedying such injury, recommend the provision of such assistance. Directs the Administering Authority, if during an import relief investigation it finds that critical circumstances exist, to impose provisional measures (increase in tariff, tariff-rate quotas, quantitative restrictions, orderly marketing agreements or a combination of such actions). Requires such measures to remain in effect until the later of the date: (1) on which the President revokes such measures; (2) on which the ITC makes a negative determination of injury; or (3) which is 60 days after the date on which the ITC makes an affirmative determination of injury. Declares that critical circumstances exist if a significant increase in imports over a short time has led to circumstances in which delay in relief would cause damage that would be difficult to repair. Requires the ITC, if it finds that serious injury has resulted from imports, to determine: (1) whether trade in the article concerned has been affected by coordinated government actions that are bestowed on a specific enterprise, industry, or group and that assist the beneficiary in becoming more competitive in exporting a class or kind of merchandise; and (2) the extent to which the U.S. market is the focal point for diversion of exports of such article because of restraints on exports of such article to, or on imports of such article into, third country markets. Directs the Administering Authority, if it determines to provide import relief and the ITC has found that trade in the article has been affected by such coordinated government actions, to consult and negotiate with other countries that produce or consume such article to seek the establishment of a multilateral framework to maintain and develop fair, equitable, and nondisruptive patterns of trade in such article. Directs the Administering Authority, after the ITC begins an import relief investigation based on a petition, to establish, upon request, an industry advisory group. Requires such an advisory group to prepare for the industry concerned an assessment of current problems and a strategy to enhance competitiveness. Directs the Administering Authority to try to obtain, on a confidential basis, information from the individual members of such advisory group on: (1) how such members intend to act upon the recommendations in such assessment and strategy; and (2) any other actions such members intend to take which will foster the objectives of the strategy. Requires the Administering Authority, the ITC, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Commerce to consider such assessment and strategy in making any import relief determination or taking any import relief actions. Requires the Administering Authority, if it determines to provide import relief and if an industry assessment and competitiveness strategy was submitted to the Administering Authority, to publish notice of the availability of, and a summary of, such assessment and strategy. Requires a review committee, if such summary is published, to: (1) monitor actions taken by the petitioners to improve the competitive position of the industry; (2) make recommendations for administrative action; and (3) submit recommended legislation to the Congress. Requires the review committee to consult with the advisory group members if the review committee determines that the firms or workers are not implementing or are implementing unsatisfactorily: (1) the recommended objectives and actions in the industry assessment and competitiveness strategy; or (2) the actions declared in the confidential information obtained by the advisory group. Requires the Administering Authority to request the ITC to issue a report on the probable economic effect on the industry of import relief if, after consultations with the advisory group members, the review committee determines that the failure to implement or failure to implement satisfactorily such actions is not justified by changed circumstances and has adversely affected overall implementation of the objectives of the industry assessment and competitiveness strategy. Requires the Administering Authority, if it decides to provide import relief, to consult with petitioners and representatives of workers and firms in the affected industry on the advisability and desirability of taking appropriate action under countervailing or antidumping duty provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930 or under title III of the Trade Act of 1974 if the Administering Authority has reason to believe that a foreign government or firm is engaged in any action or practice for which such relief is available. Title IV: Relief from Injurious Industrial Targeting and Unfair Trade Practices - Provides that injurious industrial targeting may trigger import relief actions. Defines injurious industrial targeting to mean any combination of coordinated government actions: (1) which are bestowed on a specific enterprise, industry, or group thereof; (2) which assist such enterprise, industry, or group to become more competitive in the export of any class or kind of merchandise; and (3) which cause or threaten to cause material injury. Transfers from the President to the Administering Authority the authority to take certain actions to enforce U.S. rights under trade agreements and to respond to certain foreign trade practices. Authorizes the Administering Authority to: (1) suspend, withdraw, or prevent application of the benefit of trade agreement concessions with the foreign country or instrumentality involved; (2) direct customs officers to assess duties or impose other import restrictions on the products of such country or instrumentality or to assess fees or impose restrictions on the services of such country or instrumentality for such time, in such amount, and to such degree as the Administering Authority deems appropriate; (3) negotiate agreements to offset the burden or restrictions on U.S. commerce; (4) submit proposed administrative actions and legislation to implement any other government action which would restore or improve the international competitive position of the injured or threatened industry; (5) recommend action by the President; or (6) any combination of such actions. Transfers to the Administering Authority from the President the authority to impose certain limits on service sector access authorizations (authorizations that permit a foreign supplier of services access to the U.S. market). Authorizes the President, upon recommendation of the Administering Authority, to: (1) restrict the terms and conditions of any service sector access authorization; or (2) deny the issuance of any such authorization. Directs the Administering Authority to consult with representatives of domestic firms and workers that may be affected by any import relief investigation which is initiated by petition filed with the Administering Authority regarding any determination which is required to be made by the Administering Authority. Directs the Administering Authority, upon written request, to make confidential business information obtained by it in connection with an import relief investigation available under a protective order. Prohibits release of information classified for national security reasons. Requires the Administering Authority to act upon requests for such information within ten days of the request. Requires the Administering Authority, in conducting an import relief investigation initiated by petition to the Administering Authority, to present detailed questionnaires to the foreign government or enterprise involved in order to obtain information concerning the allegations in the petition. Directs the Administering Authority to verify any such information which the Administering Authority relied upon in making any determinations. Provides for relying on the best information available, which may be the information contained in the petition, if the foreign government fails to provide information or provides insufficient or unsatisfactory information. Requires the Administering Authority to make a preliminary determination within five months of the start of such an import relief investigation on whether there is reason to believe that import relief is warranted. Authorizes the Administering Authority to take certain actions based on the preliminary finding. Requires the final determination to be made within 11 months of the start of the investigation. Requires the Administering Authority to determine what actions to take if the final determination is that import relief is warranted except that specific actions are required if injurious industrial targeting is found to exist. Requires the Administering Authority to consult with the petitioner and representatives of the affected domestic firms and workers if the final determination is affirmative. Requires the Administering Authority to report to the Congress if the final determination is affirmative and the Administering Authority declines to take any action. Terminates any preliminary import relief if the final determination is negative. Requires publication in the Federal Register of such preliminary and final determinations. Requires the Administering Authority, if it makes a preliminary finding that injurious industrial targeting exists, to: (1) establish an advisory committee; and (2) formulate, in consultation with such advisory committee, proposals which would restore or improve the competitive position of affected domestic industries. Requires the Administering Authority to notify the ITC when it initiates an investigation of injurious industrial targeting. Requires the ITC to make a preliminary determination within 60 days of receiving such notice of whether there is a reasonable indication that because of sales or likely sales of the merchandise which is the subject of the investigation: (1) an industry in the United States is materially injured or is threatened with material injury; or (2) the establishment or growth of an industry in the United States is materially retarded. Requires the ITC to make a final determination of whether such circumstances exist by: (1) 45 days after the affirmative final determination of the Administering Authority if the Administering Authority's preliminary determination is affirmative; or (2) 75 days after an affirmative final determination of the Administering Authority if the Administering Authority's preliminary determination is negative. Makes the ITC's determination subject to review by the U.S. Court of International Trade if such determinations were made under the countervailing or antidumping duty provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930. Defines material injury and threat of material injury. Requires the Administering Authority to submit to the President any proposed administrative action and any proposed legislation to restore or improve the competitive position of the injured industry if the preliminary and final determinations are that injurious industrial targeting has occurred. Provides for expedited consideration of such legislation. Requires the Administering Authority to report to the Congress on the actions the Administering Authority will take to offset the material injury or threat of material injury from the injurious industrial targeting. Authorizes the Administering Authority to enter into a settlement agreement with the foreign country or entity involved in lieu of taking other actions if: (1) such agreement completely eliminates the material injury or threat of material injury from the injurious industrial targeting; and (2) such agreement is approved by the petitioner if the investigation began because of a petition. Authorizes the Administering Authority to take actions to compensate a foreign country or entity if the contracting parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) disapprove of actions taken in response to injurious industrial targeting. Directs the Administering Authority to consult with the petitioner and the representatives of affected domestic firms and workers if, in the course of an investigation, the Administering Authority has reason to believe that a foreign government engaged in dumping or other actions for which relief is available under specified provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930. Title V: Countervailing and Antidumping Duties - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to add requirements for a country to be considered a "country under the Agreement" for purposes of the countervailing duty provisions of such Act. Requires such a country to have made a commitment under the GATT to: (1) eliminate its export subsidies within one year (five for least developed countries); (2) not increase, extend, or add export subsidies; and (3) eliminate immediately export subsidies on those products in which such country is competitive. Requires the ITC, upon request, to investigate whether the merchandise is already competitive in the U.S. market and whether the merchandise would be competitive in the absence of export subsidies. Directs the Administering authority to review the status of, and compliance with, specified agreements at least once during each 12-month period. Directs the Administering Authority to publish such determinations. Imposes penalties for failure of a foreign country to honor any term of such agreements. Includes natural resource subsidies within the definition of subsidy for purposes of such Act. Declares that a natural resource subsidy exists if: (1) a natural resource product is provided or sold by a government-controlled entity within a country for use in the manufacture or production in such country of merchandise which is the subject of a countervailing duty investigation at a domestic price that is lower than the fair market value of the natural resource product in such country and that is not freely available to U.S. producers for purchase of that product for export to the United States; and (2) such natural resource product would, if sold at the fair market value, constitute a significant portion of the total cost of the manufacture or production of such merchandise. Changes the definition of foreign market value for purposes of countervailing duty investigations. Requires the Administering Authority to include in calculating the cost of producing the merchandise the value of any benefit the producer or manufacturer has received from government research and development programs. Requires sales made at less than cost of production to be disregarded in the determination of foreign market value if such sales were made over an extended period of time and in substantial quantities. Sets forth a special rule for determining cost of production and constructed value if imports of the merchandise into the home market have been unreasonably restrained. Requires the ITC, in determining whether a U.S. industry is threatened with material injury because of imports, to consider: (1) any combination of coordinated government actions that are bestowed on a specific enterprise, industry, or group thereof the effect of which is to assist the beneficiary to become more competitive in the export of any merchandise and to cause or threaten to cause material injury to the United States; and (2) the extent to which the United States is the focal point for exports of the merchandise by reason of restraints on exports of the merchandise to, or on imports of the merchandise into, third country markets.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 1985
Defense Environmental Restoration Act of 1985 - Subjects facilities under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Defense to the requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) (Superfund). Exempts the Secretary from the financial responsibility requirements. Prohibits the delegation to the Secretary of any response authority under such Act, requiring such authority to remain with the President or the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as appropriate. Permits the designation of the Secretary and other Department of Defense (DOD) officials as natural resources trustees under such Act. Authorizes the Administrator to delegate other authorities to the Secretary or DOD officials if it would be cost-effective except the authority to approve remedial action at a site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in a nonemergency situation. Authorizes the President to issue response action orders as necessary to protect the national security. Directs the Secretary to establish within the Office of the Secretary an office to implement the Defense Environmental Restoration Program which includes investigating and cleaning up contamination from hazardous substances and correcting environmental damage. Directs the Secretary to carry out response actions with respect to releases of hazardous substances from sites and vessels under the Secretary's jurisdiction. Excludes response actions which do not result in a new facility from military construction requirements. Permits removal or remedial action by another responsible party. Directs the Secretary to pay all fees and charges imposed by State and local authorities for storage and/or disposal of hazardous substances on lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to implement the administrative abatement authorities where there may be an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health or the environment from a DOD controlled facility. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1990 to carry out the restoration program. Makes available to the Secretary amounts recovered from responsible parties for response actions of the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to settle claims under CERCLA up to a specified amount. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1990 for emergency removal actions where the release or threatened release of any hazardous substance presents an imminent and substantial endangerment to the public health or environment. Limits the per-site expenditure unless the Secretary and the Administrator agree that continued response actions are required in an emergency-type situation. Requires each emergency removal action to be completed within six months if possible or within 18 months at the outside. Requires the Secretary to notify the Congress within 15 days of obligating emergency funds. Authorizes the Secretary to use facility maintenance funds for response actions, including emergency actions. Authorizes the Secretary to utilize the services of any other Government agency on a reimbursable basis to carry out this Act. Directs the Secretary to establish a research, development, and demonstration program regarding hazardous waste management, including cost-effective strategies and technological innovation. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1990. Directs the Secretary to notify the Administrator of the Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) within one year of this Act's enactment of the 25 hazardous substances most frequently used at DOD facilities for which no standard or water quality criteria are in effect under the other Federal environmental and water quality statutes. Requires ATSDR to prepare profiles on such substances within one year of receiving the funds to do so. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to keep the regional EPA offices and the appropriate State and local authorities informed about any hazardous substance releases or proposed response actions occurring at a DOD site within their area. Requires that such notice be made prior to taking a response action in nonemergency situations. Directs the Secretary to establish a Technical Review Committee of such authorities whenever possible to review and comment on DOD proposals. Requires the Secretary to provide an opportunity for public participation before adopting a plan for remedial action at any DOD site on the NPL. Directs the Secretary to report annually to the Congress on the implementation of this Act, including a statement for each site and its hazardous substances, the response actions taken or proposed, and the costs involved. Directs the Secretary to provide the Congress with information on military construction projects in the budget attributable to environmental restoration programs. Requires military construction authorizations to separately set forth the amount requested for environmental restoration for each military department and defense agency. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out otherwise unauthorized emergency construction for hazardous substance response actions up to a specified amount and after congressional notification.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 1985
Broadcast Licensing, Renewal, and Deregulation Act of 1985 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to establish new procedures for reviewing petitions to deny broadcast license applications. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to grant a license renewal application by a radio or television broadcast station licensee unless the actions of the licensee evidence such serious disregard for the Communications Act and for the rules and policies of the FCC that denial of the application is justified. Prohibits the FCC from considering the applications of other persons for a broadcast station's facilities when the FCC is acting upon a license renewal application by a radio or television broadcast station. Permits persons holding construction permits or station licenses to transfer the permit or license without first obtaining an FCC finding that the transfer serves the public interest. Requires the FCC to be notified of such transfer. Provides for public notice of the transfer. Provides for disposition by the FCC of objections to such transfer. Prohibits the FCC from considering whether the public interest would be served by the transfer. Repeals certain provisions relating to the application of the antitrust laws to broadcast licensees. Prohibits the FCC from imposing requirements on radio or television licensees relating to: (1) types of programs; (2) programming formats; (3) ascertainment of the needs or interests of their service areas; (4) commercials; and (5) maintenance of program logs.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 1985
Small Business Investment Incentive Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to grant individuals an income tax deduction for purchases of up to $15,000 of small business corporation stock which is sold under a plan conforming to requirements specified by this Act. Defines "small business corporation" as a corporation which is actively engaged in a trade or business and which is not a personal service corporation. Specifies requirements for the sale of small business corporation stock under this Act, including requirements that the corporation's aggregate sales price for such stock not exceed $250,000, that stock must be purchased with cash, and that the proceeds from the sale of such stock must be used by the small business corporation in the active conduct of its trade or business. Permits taxpayers who do not itemize deductions to deduct from gross income purchases of small business stock which qualify under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 1985
Reduction of Unlawful Drug Distribution Act of 1985 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to require the death penalty for continuing criminal enterprise (a continuous series of felony violations under such Act) and for dangerous special drug offender offenses (two or more controlled substances offense convictions or a felonious violation as part of a pattern of dealing in or in furtherance of a conspiracy to deal in controlled substances).
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 1985
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the benefit disparity between those born before 1916 and those born after 1916 which was effected by the enactment of the Social Security Amendments of 1977. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to recompute the primary insurance amount so as to take into account the amendments made by this Act and to pay to any individual so entitled any additional lump sum amount to which such individual is entitled by reason of this Act. Prohibits the recomputation from reducing any individual's benefit.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 1985
Resources Cost Cutting and Conservation Act of 1985 - Provides for the implementation of user fees for: (1) summer recreation homes on Forest Service land; (2) specified agricultural marketing services; and (3) electric power sold by a Federal Power Marketing Administration. Requires reports to the Congress on: (1) a proposed auction-bid system of user fees for domestic livestock grazing on public rangelands; and (2) current policy regarding the sale of firewood from national forests.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 1985
Federal Health Care Cost Cutting Act of 1985 - Directs the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of Veterans Affairs to report to the Congress concerning actions taken to implement the recommendations of the September 1, 1982, GAO report entitled "Millions Can Be Saved Through Better Energy Management in Federal Hospitals." Amends part B (Peer Review of the Utilization and Quality of Health Care Services) of title XI and titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require second opinions with respect to elective surgery procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 1985
Youth Employment Opportunity Wage Act of 1985 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to authorize employers to pay employees under 20 years of age 75 percent of the minimum wage rate between May and September of each year. Exempts such employees from special certificate requirements. Restricts such authorization to: (1) hours worked by eligible employees in compliance with applicable child labor laws; and (2) youth employed after May 1 of each year. Prohibits the removal of employees ineligible for the subminimum wage rate in order to replace them with employees who are eligible. Makes technical and conforming amendments to the Job Training Partnership Act. Directs the Secretary of Labor to monitor the implementation of this Act and to report to the Congress concerning the employment effects of this Act. Terminates such minimum wage rate exception after September 30, 1987, and repeals, as of that date, the amendments made by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 1985
Federal Motor Vehicle Expenditure Control Act of 1985 - Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to: (1) direct the head of each executive agency to designate one person from the agency to establish and operate a central monitoring system for the oversight of agency motor vehicle operations and related activities; (2) require the head of each executive agency to develop a system to collect and analyze all costs incurred by the agency with respect to motor vehicles used by the agency; and (3) promulgate standards governing the establishment and operation by executive agencies of such system. Directs the head of each executive agency to include with its requests for each fiscal year a statement containing specified information concerning motor vehicle acquisition, leasing, operating, maintenance, and disposal costs. Requires such statement to explain: (1) why the agency's motor vehicle requirements cannot be met through the Interagency Motor Pool System operated by the Administrator of General Services; or (2) how such requirements could be met through a qualified contractor in the private sector. Directs the President to report to the Congress with a summary and analysis of such statements. Requires the Director and Administrator of General Services to direct the heads of executive agencies to consolidate motor vehicle administration and maintenance facilities if consolidation would be cost effective. Directs the Administrator to take such actions as necessary to reduce motor vehicle storage and disposal costs. Provides that of the total amount of budget authority provided for FY 1986 that would otherwise be available for the operation, maintenance, leasing, and acquisition of nontactical, non-law enforcement motor vehicles, $100,000,000 of the amount intended for such purposes in the President's FY 1986 budget shall not be made available. Requires the Director to report to the appropriate House and Senate committees with respect to the implementation of such budget restriction. Requires reports to the Congress from the Director, the Administrator, and the U.S. Comptroller General with respect to the implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 1985
Department of Defense Cost Savings Act of 1985 - Prohibits the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of any military department from operating or allowing a commissary to operate on any military installation unless: (1) such installation is located outside a metropolitan area; and (2) not more than one retail store offering the same food supplies as those of the commissary is located within ten miles of the installation. Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish and implement a competitive rate program applicable to the transportation of household goods to and from Alaska and Hawaii. Repeals Federal law which prohibits utilizing such a rate system. Requires, before the closure or realignment of any military bases occur, the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of the military department concerned to file with the Armed Services Committees of the House and Senate a concise statement of findings together with a succinct justification for such base closure. Reduces from 60 days to 30 days the waiting period required after such reports are submitted before any specific closure action may be taken. Maintains the 60-day waiting period in areas with a higher-than-average unemployment rate or if such closure or realignment would increase unemployment in such area by one percent or more. Requires the Secretary of Defense, within 90 days after the enactment of this Act, to establish and implement an aircraft fuel conservation program. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on the same date concerning such program.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 1985
Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to prohibit any requirement that provides that a Federal primary candidate must receive a majority of the votes, rather than a plurality, to achieve the nomination. Deems such a requirement a procedure to deny or abridge the right to vote on account of race.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 1985
Tax Collection Cost Cutting Act of 1985 - Expresses the sense of the Congress that appropriations should be increased for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to provide an additional 2,500 examination personnel in each of FY 1986, 1987, and 1988. Expresses the sense of the Congress that for FY 1986 an additional $17,000,000 should be appropriated for use in the Information Returns Program for contacting persons who underreport income. Revises standards for inputting paper documents for computerized matching for purposes of the Information Returns Program. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to submit an annual report to each House of the Congress on the direct and indirect effects of the enforcement presence of the IRS. Specifies requirements for such report. Repeals the ten-day grace period for filing of returns and payment of excise taxes on tobacco products and cigarette papers and tubes.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 1985
Health Insurance Availability Act of 1985 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a ten percent excise tax on the amount of employee health expenses paid or incurred by a large employer who is not a member of a qualified State pooling association. Defines a "qualified pooling association" as an organization which: (1) is a nonprofit corporation established pursuant to and regulated by State law; (2) has specified types of insurers and other health financing entities as participating members; (3) makes available specified levels of health insurance to all residents of the State not eligible for Medicare; (4) charges a specified pool premium rate; and (5) assesses losses of the pool equitably among all participating members.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 1985
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an individual taxpayer an income tax deduction for contributions to a savings account established to pay the educational expenses (tuition, supplies, meals, and lodging) of the taxpayer or the taxpayer's dependent child at an institution of higher education or a vocational school. Limits the amount of such deduction to $2,000 (adjusted for inflation) for each account per calendar year. Provides that no account may have more than one beneficiary and that no individual may be a beneficiary of more than one account. Requires the trustee of an education savings account to transfer five percent of the amount of any contribution to the trust to a State educational fund which is established by State law, the assets of which are used to provide scholarship assistance to individuals attending educational institutions within the State. Permits a tax exclusion for income accumulated in such education savings accounts as long as such amounts are used exclusively for educational expenses. Sets forth penalties for the use of account funds for other than educational purposes. Requires that the trustee of an education savings account file reports with the Secretary of the Treasury on the maintenance of the account. Imposes penalties for not filing required reports. Extends the deduction for contributions to an education savings account to taxpayers who do not otherwise itemize deductions. Includes in the gross income of account beneficiaries over a ten-year period beginning at age 25 an amount equal to ten percent of the amounts paid or used on their behalf for educational expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 1985
Requires the President to include with the annual Federal budget submitted to the Congress another budget prepared by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System showing estimated receipts and expenditures for itself and all Federal Reserve banks for the next three fiscal years.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 1985
Amends rule XXII of the House of Representatives to prohibit the consideration of any bill or resolution which provides for the designation of any commemorative day or period.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1985
Amends the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act to exempt from certain cargo preference requirements activities of the Commodity Credit Corporation or the Department of Agriculture that promote the export of agricultural commodities.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1985
Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to permit the Securities and Exchange Commission to regulate the use of interstate commerce by a securities broker or dealer in order to effect any transaction in, or sale or purchase of, any Government security or other exempted security.
![Official portrait of Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000244_200.jpg)