United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1985
Firearms Owners' Protection Act - Title I: Amendments to Title 18, United States Code - Amends the Gun Control Act of 1968 to redefine: (1) "manufacturer" to mean any person engaged in the "business of manufacturing" (instead of "manufacture" of) firearms or ammunition; and (2) "dealer" to exclude dealers in ammunition. Adds a new definition, "engaged in the business," with respect to manufacturers, dealers, and importers. Defines as a manufacturer, dealer, or importer of firearms a person who manufactures or deals in a regular course of trade or business with the principal objective of livelihood and profit. Excludes as dealers persons making occasional sales or repairs of firearms. Eliminates certain activities involving ammunition from the coverage of the current prohibitions. Allows for the sale or delivery of any firearm to a resident of a State other than a State in which the licensee's place of business is located if such sale or delivery complies with the laws of both States. Presumes a licensee to have actual knowledge of the published laws of the State. Requires such transfer to be face to face. Revises the current prohibition against certain classes of persons transporting a firearm or ammunition in interstate commerce to extend such prohibition to possession or receipt in commerce or affecting commerce of any firearm or ammunition. Includes as additional categories illegal aliens, dishonorably discharged members of the armed forces, and U.S. citizens who renounce their citizenship. Excludes ammunition dealers from the current licensing requirements. Declares that a licensed dealer's personal collection of firearms shall not be subject to recordkeeping requirements, under specific circumstances. Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to revoke a license only where the holder "willfully" violates a provision of the Act. Bars the Secretary from denying or revoking a license on the basis of violations which are alleged in criminal proceedings instituted against a licensee where such individual is not convicted of such charges. Allows the Government to voluntarily dismiss criminal charges prior to trial and still proceed with revocation. Imposes as a condition for the inspection or examination of records, documents, firearms, or ammunition that the Secretary has reasonable cause to believe that a violation has occurred and that evidence may be found on the premises. Requires a warrant to be issued for such search. Restricts the kind of firearms information obtained from licensees which the Secretary may make available to State or local governments. Establishes a limited recordkeeping requirement for firearms collectors. Establishes a "willful" scienter (knowledge) requirement with respect to general violations of the Act. Makes it a defense to a prosecution under this section that the conduct constituting the offense consisted of simple carelessness. Amends the forfeiture provision to subject to seizure any firearm or ammunition "involved in or used" in any violation of the Gun Control Act (instead of "involved in or used or intended to be used"). Directs the court to award attorney fees to the prevailing party (other than the United States) in a proceeding for the return of seized firearms or ammunition. Requires the court to award such fees in any other action upon a finding that the action was without foundation or was initiated in bad faith. Limits seizure to firearms individually identified as involved in the violation. Revises the current procedure allowing persons who have been convicted of a crime to apply to the Secretary for relief from the firearms prohibitions by allowing such a person to appeal a denial to the U.S. district court. Amends the rulemaking authority of the Secretary to provide that no regulation may require the transfer of records required under this Act to a facility owned, managed, or controlled by the United States or any State or the establishment of any system of registration of firearms, firearms owners, or firearms transactions. Requires a 90-day public comment period for proposed regulations (no period is currently specified). Prohibits the Secretary from prescribing regulations which require purchasers of black powder to complete affidavits or forms attesting to their exemption from certain provisions of the Federal criminal code. Declares any law or regulation promulgated by any State prohibiting the transfer of an unloaded and not readily accessible firearm or ammunition null and void. Title II: Amendments to Title VII of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 - Repeals title VII of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act (relating to the receipt, possession, or transportation of firearms by felons, veterans dishonorably discharged, mental incompetents, illegal aliens, and persons renouncing their United States citizenship).
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1985
Makes provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that require that ballots and other election materials be available in a language other than English inapplicable to elections taking place after enactment of this Act. Declares that nothing in this Act prohibits States from providing such materials in another language if required by local conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1985
Scout Commemorative Coins Act - Amends Federal law to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the United States of America half dollar coins commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Scouts of America. Limits the number of coins that may be minted and sets forth certain features of such coins. Directs the Secretary to sell the minted coins for a certain price or for a price equivalent to the average cost of minting and distributing such coins. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1985
Amends rule XLIX of the Rules of the House of Representatives to require a two-thirds vote on legislation that increases the statutory limit on the public debt.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1985
Establishes in the Treasury the Vietnam Humanitarian Remittances Fund. Authorizes any person who is subject to U.S. jurisdiction to transfer up to $300 during any 30-day period to an individual national of Vietnam if such person makes an equal payment to the Fund together with a written request for transfer of such payment to the designated Vietnamese national. Lists information that must be included in such request. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue notes to the designated individual and drawn on amounts held in the Fund and redeemable only by Vietnam in favor of the designated recipient. Prohibits such note from being redeemed unless it is accompanied by a declaration signed by the designated recipient and the appropriate officer of a financial institution of Vietnam which makes specified attestations. Imposes penalties for transfers of currency or of precious metal or stone to Vietnam except as provided in this Act. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should try to reach agreement with Vietnam: (1) to provide for random monitoring by inspectors in Vietnam of the procedures used by Vietnam in connection with the signing of declarations described in this Act; and (2) to establish time limits to expedite the transfer of funds in accordance with this Act. Directs the Secretary to submit a quarterly report to the Congress setting forth the findings of such inspection team. Terminates the Fund within three days of the receipt of any such report which indicates a pattern or practice of abuse of the procedures relating to the transfer of funds by Vietnam. Declares that currency or other cash items sent or attempted to be sent by a person subject to U.S. jurisdiction to a national of Vietnam shall be deemed to be property of a U.S. national for purposes of the provisions of the International Claims Settlement Act of 1949 dealing with claims against Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1985
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study on the collection of information by the Department of Health and Human Services in order to determine what information is being collected from the same class of individuals more than once. Requires: (1) the Secretary to report to the Congress on such study; and (2) such report to include detailed recommendations for more efficient information collection.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1985
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to continue the excise tax on cigarettes at its present 16 cents per pack level (rather than reducing the excise tax to eight cents per pack October 1, 1985, as currently provided). Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer amounts received from this excise tax on cigarettes to the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1985
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individuals to compute the amount of the deduction for retirement savings on the basis of the compensation of the spouse. Phases this deduction in over a period of six years.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1985
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that the use of law enforcement, fire protection, and emergency medical vehicles by government employees shall be treated as a nontaxable fringe benefit.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1985
Directs the President to: (1) secure from the Indochina nations a full accounting of Americans captured or missing as a result of the Vietnam conflict; and (2) work for the release of captive Americans and the return of the remains of those American servicemen and civilians who died in Southeast Asia. Requires the President to submit two reports to Congress on American POW/MIAs in Southeast Asia.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 1985
Health in Advertising Act - Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to prohibit cigarette and other tobacco product advertising on any medium of electronic communication subject to Federal Communications Commission jurisdiction.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1985
Constitutional Amendment - Proclaims the English language to be the official language of the United States. Prohibits the United States or any State from requiring the use of any other language. States that this article shall not prohibit educational instruction in a language other than English for the purpose of making students proficient in English. Authorizes the Congress and the States to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1985
Constitutional Amendment - States that the right to life is the paramount and most fundamental right of a person. Defines "person" to include the unborn for the purposes of the right to life guarantee. Makes such amendment inapplicable to laws permitting medical procedures required to prevent the death of the mother.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1985
Repeals the requirement added by the Tax Reform Act of 1984 relating to the maintenance of contemporaneous records with respect to: (1) business travel expenses, including automobile expenses; (2) business entertainment expenses; and (3) expenses for gifts.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1985
Preborn Children's Civil Rights Act of 1985 - Prohibits Federal involvement in the performance of abortions, except that Federal funds may be used for medical procedures required to prevent the death of the mother or the preborn child. Includes the following activities within the scope of this provision: (1) use of appropriated funds to counsel or encourage an abortion; (2) use of appropriated funds to reimburse or refer for abortions; (3) use of funds for research with respect to abortion; or (4) contracting for insurance which pays or reimburses for abortion. Prohibits any institution receiving Federal funds from discriminating against any employee, applicant, or student because of such person's opposition to abortion. Prohibits the granting of attorney fees in a civil action involving a law, ordinance, or regulation prohibiting abortion. Provides for Supreme Court review with regard to a law, ordinance, or regulation prohibiting abortion which a lower Federal court declares unconstitutional.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1985
Terminates the Department of Education on December 31, 1985. Requires the President to submit to Congress within 60 days after termination a plan for transferring the functions of such Department to other Federal agencies. Prohibits such plan from creating a new executive department. Provides that such plan shall take effect unless disapproved by resolution of either House of Congress within 60 days of submission. Requires submission of successive reorganization plans until a plan takes effect.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1985
Individual Housing Account Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income tax deduction for cash contributions to a trust account established for the exclusive purpose of purchasing the taxpayer's first principal residence. Limits the maximum annual deduction to $5,000, with a maximum lifetime deduction of $20,000. Excludes distributions from such account from gross income if they are used exclusively for the purchase of a first principal residence. Imposes a ten percent surtax on distributions from an individual housing account which are not used for the purchase of a principal residence. Requires the trustee of an individual housing account to report on the maintenance of the account. Imposes a penalty for failure to file required reports.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 1985
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Treatment Act of 1985 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate 20 centers for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Requires such centers to: (1) provide a central facility for diagnosis, evaluation, and counseling; (2) develop standards of treatment and methods of delivering cost-effective services; (3) train professionals and nonprofessionals in diagnosing and treating such disorders; and (4) develop a comprehensive acute and long-term treatment program. Authorizes FY 1986 through 1990 appropriations. Directs the Secretary to make $1,000,000 available to each center for each of at least five years for teaching, training, research, and staffing. Permits eligible persons to elect to receive benefits as provided for by this Act rather than under titles XVIII (Medicare), XIX (Medicaid), or XX (Grants to States for Service) of the Social Security Act, or under the Older Americans Act of 1965.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 1985
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to apportion for expenditure on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways: (1) one-half of the sums authorized to be appropriated in accordance with the interstate cost estimate for FY 1985; and (2) the sums authorized to be appropriated in accordance with the interstate cost estimate for FY 1986. Directs the Secretary to apportion: (1) one-half of the sums to be apportioned for FY 1984 for expenditure on substitute highway and transit projects; and (2) the sums to be apportioned for FY 1985 for expenditure on substitute highway and transit projects. Specifies apportionment factors.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 1985
Amends the Tax Reform Act of 1984 to provide that an individual who, as of September 12, 1984, was performing services for one member of a corporate group and was eligible for nontaxable air travel benefits provided by a corporate affiliate shall continue to be eligible for such benefits if as of that date: (1) the primary business of the affiliated group was air transportation of passengers; and (2) at least 50 percent of the persons performing services for the corporation for which the individual is currently performing services were employees of or had previously performed services for the second such corporation.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Davis-Bacon Reform Act of 1985 - Amends the Davis-Bacon Act to increase from $2,000 to $1,000,000 the threshold dollar amount subjecting certain contracts to such Act and requiring them to specify the minimum wages to be paid to laborers and mechanics. Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish as the prevailing wage for a class of laborers or mechanics the entire range of wages being paid to a corresponding class of such workers in the particular urban or rural subdivision of the State in which the work is to be performed. Excludes from the computation of wages the basic hourly rates of pay for workers on local Federal projects. Establishes a separate classification for helpers of laborers or mechanics. Amends the Copeland Anti-Kickback Act to require certain contractors or subcontractors to furnish compliance statements concerning weekly wages at the beginning and conclusion of the period covered by the contract, instead of every week as the wages are paid.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal rules relating to the determination of the issue price of certain debt instruments issued for property. Amends the Tax Reform Act of 1984 to repeal the revisions made to rules for the imputation of interest on certain deferred payments. Provides that the Internal Revenue Code shall be applied and administered as if such revisions had not been enacted.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Federal Constitution Convention Amendment Act - Sets forth procedures for holding constitutional conventions for proposing amendments to the Constitution. Requires that both Houses of the Congress agree to a concurrent resolution calling for a convention whenever they determine that at least two-thirds of the States have submitted valid applications for the calling of a constitutional convention upon the same subject. Entitles each State to the same number of delegates at such convention as it has Senators and Representatives in the Congress, with one delegate elected from each congressional district and two at large. Authorizes the convention to propose constitutional amendments by a two-thirds vote of the total number of delegates. Provides that an amendment shall become valid when ratified by three-fourths of the States. Permits a State to rescind its ratification.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Repeals the Service Contract Act of 1965. Provides that any provision of law requiring the payment of wages and benefits at rates determined by reference to determinations of the Secretary of Labor under such Act shall cease to be effective on the enactment date of this Act. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect rights and duties under contracts entered into prior to such enactment date.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Permits members of the clergy and members of the uniformed services to deduct expenses related to tax-exempt housing allowances and subsistence allowances without regard to the operation of Revenue Ruling 83-3.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Electric Consumers Protection Act of 1985 - Amends the Federal Power Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue a new license to an existing licensee for a hydroelectric project authorized under such Act if the United States does not, upon the expiration of the existing license, exercise its right to take over, maintain, and operate such licensee's project, unless the Commission determines that such licensee's project will not meet the licensing standards under such Act. Provides that if the Commission determines that such licensee's project does not meet such standards, the Commission is authorized to issue a new license to a new licensee which may cover the existing licensee's project provided that the new licensee pays just compensation determined by the Commission and enters into any contracts required under the Federal Power Act. (Under current law, the Commission is authorized to issue a new license to the original licensee or a new license to a new licensee if the United States does not exercise its rights with respect to an expired license.)
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to eliminate all provisions authorizing union security agreements (agreements which require union membership as a condition of employment).
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Repeals the Davis-Bacon Act (an Act which requires that the locally prevailing wage rate be paid to various classes of laborers and mechanics working under federally-financed or federally-assisted contracts for construction, alteration, and repair of public buildings or public works).
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Redesignates the legal public holiday of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., as January 15, Washington's Birthday as February 22, Memorial Day as May 30, and Columbus Day as October 12.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to prohibit the Export-Import Bank from guaranteeing, insuring, extending credit, or participating in extensions of credit to: (1) communist countries or agencies, instrumentalities, or nationals of communist countries; or (2) any other foreign country, agency, instrumentality, or national if the transaction is to be made with respect to a product or service which is for use in or sale or lease to a communist country. Repeals specified provisions of such Act which permit such transactions. Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to prohibit nonmarket economy countries from participating in any U.S. program or U.S. supported program which extends credits, credit guarantees, or investment guarantees, or makes grants. Repeals the President's authority to waive the freedom of emigration requirements which must be met in order to permit trade with nonmarket economy countries. Terminates any existing credits, guarantees, or grants. Repeals the procedure for waiving the President's authority.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Limits U.S. contributions to the budget of the United Nations and affiliated agencies to an amount which bears the same ratio to the total U.N. budget as the U.S. population bears to the total population of U.N. member nations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that one-half of the cost of insurance paid by a self-employed taxpayer for medical care during the taxable year will be allowed as a business deduction.
![Official portrait of Rep. Shumway, Norman D. [R-CA-14]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000393_200.jpg)