United States · United States Congress · 16 June 1999
Hospital Outpatient Preservation Act of 1999 - Amends the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA '97) to limit temporarily the reductions in Federal payments under the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for hospital outpatient department services under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. Provides for the retroactive effectiveness of this Act as if included in BBA '97.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 1999
Medical Malpractice Rx Act - Establishes an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedure for all health care liability actions, except: (1) an action for damages arising from a vaccine-related injury or death to the extent that title XXI of the Public Health Service Act applies; or (2) an action under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Specifies the extent to which this Act preempts State and other Federal law, as well as the limits of its effect on State, Federal, and foreign government sovereign immunity. (Sec. 3) Establishes a statute of limitations for health care liability actions of two years from the date on which the alleged injury was discovered or should reasonably have been discovered, but in no case more than five years after the date the alleged injury occurred. (Sec. 4) Makes a defendant in any health care liability action liable (severally but not jointly) only for the amount of noneconomic damages attributable to such defendant in direct proportion to the defendant's share of fault or responsibility for the claimant's actual damages, as determined by the trier of fact. Limits total noneconomic damages for an injury to $250,000, regardless of the number of parties against whom the action is brought, or the number of actions. Requires for the award of punitive damages that the claimant establish by clear and convincing evidence that the harm suffered was the result of conduct: (1) specifically intended to cause harm; or (2) manifesting a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of others. Prohibits the award of punitive damages against a manufacturer or product seller of a drug or medical device which caused the claimant's harm where: (1) the drug or device was subject to premarket approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with respect to the safety of the formulation or performance of the aspect of such drug or device which caused the claimant's harm, or the adequacy of the packaging or labeling of such drug or device which caused the harm, and such drug, device, packaging, or labeling was approved by the Food and Drug Administration; or (2) the drug is generally recognized as safe and effective pursuant to conditions established by the FDA and applicable regulations, including packaging and labeling regulations. Allows punitive damages in any case in which, before or after premarket approval: (1) the defendant intentionally and wrongfully withheld from or misrepresented to the FDA any information about the drug or device which was material and relevant to the harm suffered, and whose submission was required by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or the Public Health Service Act; or (2) the defendant made an illegal payment to an FDA official or employee for the purpose of securing or maintaining such approval. Prohibits punitive damages against a drug manufacturer or product seller in a health care liability action for harm alleged to relate to the adequacy of the packaging or labeling of a drug required by regulation to have tamper-resistant packaging, unless the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that such packaging or labeling is substantially out of compliance with such regulations. Permits periodic payments of any damages awarded for future economic and noneconomic loss exceeding $50,000. Permits defendants to introduce evidence of collateral source payments. Declares that no provider of collateral source payments shall recover, in a judgment or in a settlement, any amount against the claimant or receive any lien or credit against the claimant's recovery or be equitably or legally subrogated to the right of the claimant in a health care liability action. (Sec. 5) Entitles the prevailing party in an action to attorney's fees from the non-prevailing party, if: (1) the claimant seeks noneconomic damages in excess of $250,000 (or the cap on noneconomic damages, adjusted for inflation) or three times the economic damages, whichever is less; and (2) the request for such damages in such amount is made before the determination of liability of one party or another by verdict or order of judgment. Prohibits the sum of the attorney's fees to which the prevailing party is entitled from exceeding the attorney's fees of the non-prevailing party. Authorizes a court to limit such fees if their amount is deemed unjust. Specifies limits to contingent fees. (Sec. 6) Declares that any ADR used to resolve a health care liability action or claim shall contain provisions for statute of limitations, noneconomic damages, joint and several liability, punitive damages, collateral source rule, periodic payments, and award of attorney's fees which are identical to the provisions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 1999
Medicare Home Health Access Restoration Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to increase payment amounts to home health agencies with specified limits under the national average. Amends the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to eliminate the 15 percent contingent reduction in payment amounts under the interim prospective payment system (PPS) for home health services. Directs: (1) the Secretary to prepare specified informational materials for assisting Medicare beneficiaries with regard to home health services; and (2) the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on certain aspects of the Medicare home health benefit, including whether it has resulted in overall lower costs to the Federal Government.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1999
Bear Protection Act of 1999 - Prohibits any person from: (1) importing bear viscera into, or exporting it from, the United States; or (2) selling bear viscera, bartering, offering it for sale or barter, or purchasing, possessing, transporting, delivering, or receiving it in interstate or foreign commerce. Subjects persons who violate such prohibitions to specified penalties. Waives such prohibition for wildlife law enforcement purposes where a valid permit has been issued. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of State to discuss issues involving such trade with the appropriate representatives of countries that are the leading importers, exporters, or consumers of such products. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to report to Congress on the progress of efforts to end illegal trade in bear viscera.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Access to Care Title II: Program Administration Title III: Miscellaneous Veterans' Millennium Health Care Act - Title I: Access to Care - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to operate and maintain a program to provide the following extended care services to eligible veterans: (1) geriatric evaluation; (2) nursing home care, either in facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (Department) or in community-based facilities; (3) domiciliary services; (4) adult day health care; (5) noninstitutional alternatives to nursing home care; and (6) respite care. Makes eligible for such care any veteran in need of such care: (1) for a service-connected disability; or (2) who has a service-connected disability rated at 50 percent or more. Directs the Secretary to give the highest priority to such veterans in making placements for nursing home care in Department facilities. Prohibits the Secretary from furnishing such services for a nonservice-connected disability not rated at least 50 percent unless such veteran agrees to make a copayment for services of more than 21 days in any year. Requires the Secretary to establish a methodology for establishing the copayment amount. Establishes in the Treasury the Department of Veterans Affairs Extended Care Fund for deposits and disbursements to cover such care. Directs the Secretary to develop and begin to implement a plan to carry out the recommendations of the Federal Advisory Committee on the Future of Long-Term Care to increase the options, services, and budget level of community-based care for eligible veterans. Authorizes the Secretary to furnish adult day health care to veterans enrolled in the Department's annual patient enrollment system who would otherwise require nursing home care. Authorizes the Secretary to furnish respite care services: (1) outside of a hospital, nursing home, or Department facility; and (2) through contract arrangements. (Sec. 102) Authorizes the Secretary to reimburse for the reasonable value of emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility those veterans who are active Department health-care participants (enrolled in the annual patient enrollment system and recipients of Department hospital, nursing home, or domiciliary care under such system within the last 12-month period) and who are personally liable for such treatment. Provides reimbursement limitations. Provides an independent right of recovery for the United States when a third-party subsequently makes a payment for the same treatment. Requires the veteran to notify the Secretary of any such payment. Authorizes the Secretary to waive recovery of such payment in the best interests of the United States. Requires the Secretary to include in annual budget justification materials a report on implementation of the extended care services. (Sec. 103) Requires the Secretary to furnish hospital and medical services, and authorizes the Secretary to furnish nursing home care, to a veteran who: (1) is wounded in action by an enemy of the United States or by any weapon fire while directly engaged in armed conflict; or (2) is retired from active-duty service, is eligible for care under the TRICARE Program (a Department of Defense managed health care program), and is not otherwise eligible for such care. Requires, in the latter case, a memorandum of understanding between the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs and Defense for reimbursement to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for services provided. (Sec. 105) Authorizes the payment of veterans' disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation for persons disabled by participation in a compensated work therapy program. (Sec. 106) Authorizes the Secretary to carry out a three-year pilot program to provide primary health care services for the spouse or child of a veteran who is enrolled in the annual patient enrollment system and is able to pay for such care or services either directly or through reimbursement or indemnification from a third-party insurer. Authorizes the Secretary to provide such services either through a Department facility or by contract. Prohibits such services from being provided in a Department facility if it would deny or delay access to care for any enrolled veteran at that facility. Entitles the United States to recover from a third-party insurer the reasonable charges for such care or services. Requires the Secretary to designate (under specified criteria) no more than four veterans integrated service networks in which such pilot program shall be carried out. Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) monitor the program; and (2) report to the Secretary on findings and recommendations. (Sec. 107) Directs the Secretary, in providing hospital care and medical services through network-based planning, to establish an enhanced service program at Department medical centers that are so designated by the Secretary (designated centers). Requires such designated centers to improve access and quality of services provided to veterans served by those medical centers. Directs the Secretary to develop a plan for each center to improve access to, and quality of, care and services provided. Outlines designation criteria and plan requirements. Prohibits any such plan from being implemented until at least 45 days after its submission to the appropriate congressional committees. Provides for plan implementation and funds allocation. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on implementation of the enhanced service program. (Sec. 108) Revises a program providing counseling and treatment for veterans who have experienced sexual trauma to: (1) extend such program through calendar year 2002; (2) require (current law authorizes) the Secretary to provide such care and services to those in need; and (3) ensure that information about such care and services is revised and updated and made available through appropriate means (requiring a report from the Secretary to the veterans' committees on implementation of such outreach efforts). Requires the Secretary: (1) to study, and report to the veterans' committees on, the possibility of extending eligibility for such care and services to former reserve personnel; and (2) report to the veterans' committees on implementation of the sexual trauma program. Requires the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense to jointly report to the appropriate congressional committees describing the efforts of their respective departments to ensure that military personnel, upon separation, are provided appropriate and current information about such counseling and treatment programs, including eligibility requirements and application procedures. Title II: Program Administration - Authorizes the Secretary, with respect to required copayments by veterans for medication furnished by the Department on an outpatient basis for the treatment of a nonservice-connected disability or condition, to: (1) increase the amount of such copayment (currently $2 for each 30-day supply of medication); (2) establish a maximum annual copayment for veterans who have multiple outpatient prescriptions; and (3) require certain veterans to pay a reasonable copayment for sensori-neural aids, electronic equipment, and any other costly item furnished for a nonservice-connected disability (other than a wheelchair or artificial limb). (Sec. 202) Establishes in the Treasury the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Improvement Fund for the deposit and disbursement of funds used for improving various health services to veterans, including services under this Act. (Sec. 203) Establishes in the Treasury the Veterans Tobacco Trust Fund. Provides that if a lawsuit is brought by the United States against tobacco manufacturers for costs incurred due to tobacco- related illnesses, there shall be credited to the Fund, without further appropriation, the amount that bears the same ratio to the amount recovered as the amount of the Department's costs for health care attributable to tobacco-related illnesses bears to the total amount sought in the suit. Makes such amounts available to the Secretary for: (1) furnishing veterans' medical care and services; and (2) conducting medical, rehabilitation, and health systems research, with particular emphasis on research relating to the prevention and treatment of, and rehabilitation from, tobacco addiction and diseases associated with tobacco use. (Sec. 204) Revises provisions establishing nonprofit research corporations at Department medical centers to: (1) authorize such corporations to provide education and training to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) health-care personnel; (2) include additional personnel on its board of directors; and (3) prohibit such corporation from expending funds for an education activity unless it is approved under procedures prescribed by the Department's Under Secretary for Health. (Sec. 205) Extends through: (1) calendar year 2002 the veterans' readjustment counseling program; (2) 2003 required reports concerning the provision of care to severely chronically mentally ill veterans; and (3) March 1, 2000, and February 1, 2001, certain reports concerning the provision of counseling and treatment for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Amends the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Service Programs Act of 1992 to: (1) extend through FY 2002 the authority to make grants for housing assistance for homeless veterans; and (2) remove a limitation on the number of such programs which may incorporate the procurement of vans as part of such program. (Sec. 206) Directs the Secretary to prescribe for each State the number of nursing home and domiciliary beds for which assistance under veterans' domiciliary, nursing home, and hospital care may be authorized. Requires such regulations to be based on the projected demand for such care ten years after enactment of this Act by veterans who are 65 years old or older. Directs the Secretary, with respect to State applications for the construction or acquisition of new nursing facilities or the replacement or increase of the number of beds at a current facility, to characterize the need of such facility as great, significant, or limited and to grant applications accordingly. Allows financial assistance only for renovation projects for which total construction costs are in excess of $400,000. Outlines State application requirements for such projects or assistance. (Sec. 207) Adds as a required condition to the authority of the Secretary to enter into an enhanced-use lease (the leasing of Department property not currently used by the Department) the Secretary's determination that the business plan proposed by the Under Secretary for Health for applying lease payments to the provision of medical care and services demonstrably improves services to eligible veterans in the geographic service-delivery area within which the leased property is located. Increases to 75 years the authorized term for such leases. Requires funds received under such a lease and remaining after expense deductions to be deposited in the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Improvement Fund and used for authorized purposes. Requires at least 75 percent of such funds to be made available to the designated VHA health care region within which the leased property is located. (Sec. 208) Makes ineligible for employment as a VHA health-care professional an individual who was licensed, registered, or certified to practice in more than one State when any one of those States has since terminated such license, registration, or certification. Title III: Miscellaneous - Prohibits the Secretary from closing in any fiscal year more than 50 percent of the beds within a Department medical center unless the Secretary first submits to the veterans' committees a justification for such closure. Prohibits any such closure until 21 days after submission of the report. Requires the Secretary to report annually to such committees on bed closures during the preceding fiscal year. (Sec. 302) Revises provisions concerning the Veterans Canteen Service to remove a provision limiting such services to the sales of merchandise and services for consumption and use on the premises. (Sec. 303) Directs the Secretary to report to the veterans' committees on the feasibility of establishing a pilot program to assist veterans in receiving assisted living services. (Sec. 304) Requires the Department's Under Secretary for Health to establish a VHA policy regarding the role of chiropractic treatment in the care of veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1999
U.S.S. New Jersey Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue one-dollar silver coins in commemoration of the U.S.S. New Jersey. Mandates that ten percent of all coin surcharges be paid to the U.S.S. New Jersey Battleship Foundation in Middletown, New Jersey, for activities associated with the costs of moving the U.S.S. New Jersey and permanently berthing her in her new location.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1999
Disapproves the recommendation of the President to extend the authority to waive freedom of emigration requirements with respect to Vietnam in order to qualify its products for nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations).
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1999
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Clinton administration should: (1) be commended for supporting United Nations Commission on Human Rights Resolution 1999-13 (concerning continued discrimination against religious minorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran), and should continue to work through the United Nations to assure that Iran implements that resolution's recommendations; (2) condemn the recent arrest of members of Iran's Jewish minority and urge their immediate release; (3) urge all nations having relations with Iran to condemn the treatment of religious minorities in Iran and call for the release of all prisoners held on the basis of their religious beliefs; and (4) maintain the current U.S. policy toward Iran unless and until that country moderates its treatment of religious minorities.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 1999
Authorizes appropriations for FY 2000 for infant and child health programs under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 that have a direct, measurable, and high impact on reducing the incidence of illness and death among children. Earmarks 25 percent of such funds for programs of U.S.-based, citizen-supported, private voluntary organizations that implement community-based programs. Limits certain funds under the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2000 for population planning activities or other population assistance, including all programs and activities designed to control fertility or to reduce or delay childbirths or pregnancies.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Harold Hughes-Bill Emerson Substance Abuse Treatment Parity Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code to provide for parity in the application of treatment limitations and financial requirements to substance abuse treatment benefits under group health plans and individual health insurance coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Military Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 1999 - Amends Federal provisions concerning the military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) to adjust the basic SBP annuity amount for surviving spouses age 62 or over of former military personnel to: (1) 35 percent of the retired pay of the decedent, for months beginning on or before the enactment of this Act (current law); (2) 40 percent of such pay, for months beginning after the date of enactment of this Act until October 2004; and (3) 45 percent of such pay, for months beginning on or after October 2004. Adjusts similarly the percentage amounts of SBP supplemental annuity authorized to be provided for such surviving spouses. Directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure appropriate adjustments in the computation of retired pay reductions for such supplemental annuities made necessary by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Nation should celebrate the victory of the United States in the cold war and the tenth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall by: (1) promoting education about the cold war and its historical significance; (2) celebrating peace, freedom, and the principles of democratic government; (3) honoring and reflecting upon the role of the United States in the international struggle for individual human rights and the evolution of the free enterprise system; and (4) recognizing the veterans who served during the cold war.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 1999
Calls for the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend and the Postal Service to issue a commemorative postage stamp in honor of the U.S.S. New Jersey and all those who served aboard her.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1999
Father Theodore M. Hesburgh Congressional Gold Medal Act - Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of Congress, a congressional gold medal to Father Theodore M. Hesburgh in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to civil rights, higher education, the Catholic Church, the Nation, and the global community. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1999
Amends Federal law to require the Postal Service to establish a special rate of postage for first class mail that is up to 25 percent higher than the regular rate as a voluntary alternative that the public may use to contribute to funding for Alzheimer's disease research. Requires payment of collected amounts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Expresses the sense of Congress that nothing in this Act should: (1) cause a net decrease in total funds received by NIH below the level that would have otherwise been received but for this Act's enactment; or (2) affect first-class or other regular postage rates.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should: (1) publicly declare that it considers the assault on the people of Kosovo to meet the definition of genocide as defined by the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; (2) publicly declare that it considers there to be reason to believe that Slobodan Milosevic, President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, has committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide; (3) make collection of information that can be supplied to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for use as evidence to support his indictment and trial a higher priority; (4) provide a fair share of any additional financial or personnel resources that may be required by the Tribunal for the adjudication of Milosevic and others arising from the conflict in the former Yugoslavia; (5) engage in a discussion with other member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other interested states of information any such state may hold regarding such matters and of measures to be taken to apprehend persons indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity; and (6) urge the Tribunal to promptly review all information relating to Milosevic's possible criminal culpability, with a view toward prompt issuance of a public indictment.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 1999
Health Care Worker Needlestick Prevention Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor, acting through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), to amend the bloodborne pathogens standard to require that: (1) employers utilize needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections in their work sites to prevent the spread of bloodborne pathogens; and (2) non-managerial direct care health care workers of employers participate in the identification and evaluation of such systems and sharps. Provides an exemption where an employer demonstrates that needleless systems and sharps: (1) do not promote employee safety, interfere with patient safety, or interfere with the success of a medical procedure under certain circumstances in the employer's work facility; or (2) are not commercially available to the employer. (Sec. 2) Includes under such revised standard requirements relating to: (1) exposure control plans; (2) sharps injury logs; and (3) worker training in the use of such systems and sharps. (Sec. 3) Requires the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to establish and maintain a national database on existing needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections. Requires the Director to: (1) develop a set of evaluation criteria for use by employers, employees, and other persons in evaluating and selecting such systems and sharps; (2) develop a model training curriculum to train employers, employees, and other persons in such evaluation process, and provide requested technical assistance to the extent feasible; and (3) establish a national system to collect comprehensive data on needlestick injuries to health care workers, including data on mechanisms to analyze and evaluate prevention. Authorizes NIOSH access to information recorded by employers in sharps injury logs. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to require hospitals, as a condition of their Medicare program participation, to comply with the bloodborne pathogen standard as amended under this Act with respect to hospital employees, even if they are not otherwise subject to such standard because they are exempt from OSHA regulation.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1999
Taiwan Security Enhancement Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the military departments should make every effort to reserve additional positions for Taiwan military officers at the National Defense University and specified other professional military education schools, and at the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should, when considering foreign military sales to Taiwan, to take into account Taiwan's special status and make every effort to ensure it has full and timely access to price and availability data for defense articles and defense services. Directs the President, upon the request of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, to use Department of Defense (DOD) funds for the assignment of additional technical staff to the American Institute in Taiwan. Directs the President to report annually to Congress with respect to Taiwan's defense needs. Directs the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan for the enhancement of programs for operational training and exchanges of personnel between U.S. armed forces and Taiwanese armed forces for work in threat analysis, doctrine, force planning, operational methods, and other areas. Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish secure direct communications between the U.S. Pacific military command and the Taiwan military command. Authorizes the President, subject to the Arms Export Control Act, to make available for sale to Taiwan, at reasonable cost, theater missile defense equipment and related items, satellite early warning data, modern air-defense equipment, and naval defense systems.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1999
Medicare Rehabilitation Benefit Improvement Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide certain Medicare beneficiaries with an exemption to the financial limitations imposed on physical, speech-language pathology, and occupational therapy services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study of specified effects of this Act for a report to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1999
Sugar Program Reform Act - Amends the Agricultural Market Transition Act with respect to the sugar program to: (1) reduce sugarcane loan rates through crop year 2002; (2) revise the sugar beet loan rate; (3) eliminate nonrecourse loans; and (4) eliminate sugar price supports after crop year 2002. Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 to repeal sugar and crystalline fructose marketing quota and allotment provisions. Amends the Food Security Act of 1985, beginning after the 1998- 1999 quota year, to direct the President to use all available authority to ensure that U.S. market raw sugar shall be available at not more than the higher of the world sugar price or the U.S. loan rate.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1999
Expresses sympathy to the families of those killed as a result of their participation in the democracy protests of 1989 in the People's Republic of China, as well as to the families of those killed and to those who have suffered for their efforts to keep that struggle alive. Commends all Chinese citizens who are peacefully advocating for democracy and human rights. Condemns the ongoing and egregious human rights abuses by the Chinese Government and calls on that Government to: (1) reevaluate the official verdict on the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen prodemocracy activities and open formal investigations to bring those responsible to justice; (2) establish a June Fourth Investigation Committee, the proceedings and findings of which should be accessible to the public, to make a just and independent inquiry into all matters related to June 4, 1989; (3) release all prisoners of conscience, provide just compensation to the families of those killed in those protests, and allow those exiled for their activities in 1989 to return and live in freedom in China; (4) put an immediate end to harassment, detention, and imprisonment of Chinese citizens exercising their legitimate rights to the freedom of expression, association, and religion; and (5) proceed quickly to ratify and implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1999
Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act - Amends the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 to require that any contract between a boxer and a promoter or manager include mutual obligations between the parties, specify a minimum number of professional boxing matches (match or matches) per year for the boxer, and set forth a specific period of time during which the contract will be in effect, including any provision for extension of that period due to the boxer's temporary inability to compete because of an injury or other cause. Limits to 12 months the period for which promotional rights to promote a boxer may be granted under a contract between the boxer and a promoter, or between promoters with respect to a boxer, if such rights are required as a condition for the boxer's participation in a match against another boxer who is under contract to the promoter. Prohibits a promoter exercising promotional rights with respect to such boxer during the 12-month period beginning on the day after the last day of the promotional right period from securing exclusive promotional rights from the boxer's opponents as a condition of participating in a professional boxing match against the boxer. Specifies that any contract to the contrary shall be considered to be in restraint of trade and contrary to public policy, and unenforceable. Prohibits: (1) a promoter or a sanctioning organization from requiring a boxer, in a contract arising from a match that is a mandatory bout under the organization's rules, to grant promotional rights to any promoter for a future match; and (2) a licensee, manager, matchmaker, or promoter from requiring a boxer to employ, retain, or provide compensation to any individual or business enterprise recommended or designated by that person as a condition of such person's working with the boxer or arranging for the boxer to participate in a match or as a condition of such boxer's participation in a match. Declares that: (1) a contractual provision between a promoter and a boxer, or between promoters with respect to a boxer, that violates this Act's prohibition regarding promotional rights under mandatory bout contracts is contrary to public policy and unenforceable; and (2) in any action brought against a boxer to recover money for acting as a licensee, manager, matchmaker, or promoter for the boxer, the court, arbitrator, or administrative body may deny recovery under the contract as contrary to public policy if the employment, retention, or compensation that is the subject of the action was obtained in violation of this Act. Prohibits: (1) a promoter from having a direct or indirect financial interest in the management of a boxer; or (2) a manager from having a direct or indirect financial interest in the promotion of a boxer or from being employed by or receiving compensation or other benefits from a promoter, except for amounts received as consideration under the manager's contract with the boxer. Allows a boxer to act as his own promoter or manager. (Sec. 5) Requires a sanctioning organization that sanctions matches on an interstate basis to: (1) establish objective and consistent written criteria for the ratings of professional boxers; (2) establish and publish an appeals procedure that affords a boxer rated by that organization a reasonable opportunity, without the payment of any fee, to submit information to contest its rating of the boxer (under which the organization shall, within 14 days after the boxer's request, provide to the boxer a written explanation of the organization's criteria and its rating of the boxer and submit a copy to the President of the Association of Boxing Commissions of the United States and to the boxing commission of the boxer's domiciliary state); (3) provide to a boxer such organization rates in its top ten a written explanation of the reasons for any change in such rating within 14 days after changing the boxer's rating, mailed to the boxer at the boxer's last known address, post a copy within the 14-day period of the notice and the explanation of its Internet website or homepage, if any, for not less than 30 days, and mail a copy of the notice and the explanation to the President of the Association of Boxing Commissions; and (4) submit to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), by January 31 of each year, a complete description of the organization's ratings criteria, policies, general sanctioning fee schedule, bylaws, and appeals procedure and a list and business address of the organization's officials who vote on boxer ratings. Directs the FTC to make information received under this section available to the public. Authorizes the FTC to assess sanctioning organizations a fee to offset the cost it incurs in processing the information and making it available to the public. Authorizes a sanctioning organization, in lieu of submitting the required information to the FTC, to maintain a website on the Internet that meets specified requirements. Prohibits an officer or employee of a sanctioning organization from receiving any compensation, gift, or benefit directly or indirectly from a promoter, boxer, or manager, but allows the receipt of: (1) payment by a promoter, boxer, or manager of such organization's published fee for sanctioning a match or reasonable expenses in connection therewith if the payment is reported to the responsible boxing commission; or (2) a gift or benefit of de minimis value. (Sec. 6) Requires a sanctioning organization, before sanctioning a match in a State, to provide to the State's boxing commission a written statement of: (1) all charges, fees, and costs the organization will assess any boxer participating in that match; (2) all payments, benefits, complimentary benefits, and fees the organization will receive for its affiliation with the event from all sources; and (3) such additional information as the commission may require. Requires that before a match organized, promoted, or produced by a promoter is held in a State, the promoter provide to the appropriate State boxing commission a written statement containing: (1) a copy of any agreement to which the promoter is a party with any participating boxer; (2) a statement made under penalty of perjury that there are no other agreements between the promoter and the boxer with respect to that match; and (3) a written statement of all fees, charges, and expenses that will be assessed by or through the promoter on the boxer pertaining to the event and of all payments, gifts, or benefits the promoter is providing to any sanctioning organization affiliated with the event. Directs a promoter, upon request, to make information received under this section available to the chief law enforcement officer of the State in which the match is to be held. Makes the requirements of this section inapplicable to a match scheduled to last less than ten rounds. (Sec. 7) Sets penalties for violation of anti-exploitation, sanctioning organization, or disclosure provisions. Provides for civil actions by the chief law enforcement officer of a State and for private rights of action. (Sec. 8) Defines "suspension" to include the revocation of a boxing license. Requires that each State boxing commission establish procedures to ensure that (with exceptions) no boxer is permitted to box while under suspension from any boxing commission due to unsportsmanlike conduct or other inappropriate behavior inconsistent with generally accepted methods of competition in a match.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 1999
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Engineering Establishment Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Engineering. Requires the Director of the Institute to establish a National Biomedical Imaging and Engineering Program which shall include research and related technology assessments and development in biomedical imaging and engineering. Requires the Director, with respect to such Program, to prepare and transmit to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) a plan to initiate, expand, intensify, and coordinate Institute biomedical imaging and engineering activities. Requires: (1) the consolidation and coordination of Institute biomedical imaging and engineering research and related activities with those of the NIH and other Federal agencies; and (2) the establishment of an Institute advisory council. Authorizes: (1) appropriations for the Institute for FY 2000 through 2002; and (2) the transfer of appropriate NIH personnel and research facilities for Institute activities.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 1999
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the present Government of Laos should: (1) respect international norms of human rights and democratic freedoms for the Lao people and fully honor its commitments to those norms and freedoms as embodied in its constitution and international agreements and in the 1962 Declaration on the Neutrality of Laos and its Protocol and the 1973 Vientiane Agreement on Laos; (2) issue a public statement specifically reaffirming its commitment to protecting religious freedom and other basic human rights; (3) fully institute a process of democracy, human rights, and openly contested free and fair elections in Laos and ensure specifically that the National Assembly elections are openly contested; and (4) allow access for international human rights monitors to Lao prisons and to all regions of the country.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Estuary Habitat Restoration Title II: Chesapeake Bay Program Estuary Habitat Restoration Partnership Act of 1999 - Title I: Estuary Habitat Restoration - Establishes the Estuary Habitat Restoration Council (Council), which shall: (1) develop a national strategy for estuary habitat restoration; and (2) review project applications. (Sec. 105) Establishes six Regional Councils to represent the: (1) Gulf region; (2) Middle Atlantic region; (3) Northeast region; (4) Northwest region; (5) Southeast region; and (6) Southwest region. States that such Councils shall: (1) be made up of the Governors and their appointees for each member State; (2) develop regional strategies for project prioritization and selection; and (3) evaluate and forward project applications to the Council. Directs the Secretary of the Army to coordinate technical support and provide, upon request, administrative support to the Councils. (Sec. 106) Directs the Council to develop an estuary restoration strategy within a specified time which shall provide for the integration of estuary restoration plans, programs, and partnerships. (Sec. 107) Sets forth project application and administrative provisions, including Federal cost-sharing limits. (Sec. 109) Directs the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere of the Department of Commerce to develop a project monitoring database. (Sec. 110) Authorizes appropriations for: (1) estuary restoration activities; and (2) database monitoring. Obligates administrative funds for the Council and Regional Councils. Title II: Chesapeake Bay Program - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize appropriations for the Chesapeake Bay Program, with an annual limitation on funds available for the Program office in the Environmental Protection Agency.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1999
Graduate Medical Education Payment Restoration Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with regard to payment to hospitals for inpatient hospital services to terminate the multiyear reduction of indirect graduate medical education payments.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that it: (1) rejects and condemns suggestions in a study recently published by the American Psychological Association that sexual relationships between adults and children might be positive for children; (2) urges the President to likewise reject and condemn any such suggestion; and (3) encourages competent investigations to continue to research the effects of child sexual abuse using the best methodology, so that the public and public policymakers may act upon accurate information.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1999
Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish respite care services (currently, only hospital or nursing home care) to all veterans enrolled (currently, eligible) for such services. Removes the requirement that such services be furnished in a Department of Veterans Affairs facility. Authorizes the Secretary, in furnishing such services, to enter into contract arrangements.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1999
America's Better Classrooms Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide a limited tax credit to holders of qualified public school construction bonds; and (2) treat such credit as taxable interest income. Amends the General Education Provisions Act to provide for the application of certain labor standards to projects financed under this Act. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to establish provisions concerning employment and training activities related to the construction or reconstruction of public school facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Designation of Wilderness Areas Title II: Administrative Provisions America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 1999 - Title I: Designation of Wilderness Areas - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin wilderness areas; (2) Zion and Mojave Desert wilderness areas; (3) Grand Staircase-Escalante wilderness areas; (4) Moab-LaSal Canyons wilderness areas; (5) Henry Mountains wilderness areas; (6) Glen Canyon wilderness areas; (7) San Juan-Anasazi wilderness areas; (8) Canyonlands Basin wilderness areas; (9) San Rafael Swell wilderness areas; and (10) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin wilderness areas. Title II: Administrative Provisions - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to file a map and a legal description of each designated wilderness area with appropriate congressional committees. (Sec. 203) Provides that if State-owned land is included within a designated wilderness area, then the Secretary shall offer to exchange U.S. lands in the State of approximate equal value (prohibits the transfer of associated mineral interests) in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the Wilderness Act. (Sec. 204) Reserves the Federal Government's rights to a quantity of water determined by the Secretary to be sufficient for each wilderness area designated by this Act. (Sec. 205) Sets forth provisions for the measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness. (Sec. 206) Permits authorized grazing of livestock within the designated wilderness areas to continue subject to such regulations and procedures as the Secretary considers necessary, as long as they are consistent with: (1) the Wilderness Act; and (2) the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act of 1990. (Sec. 209) Withdraws such Federal land, subject to valid rights existing on the enactment of this Act, from all forms of: (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under public law; (2) location, entry, and patent under mining law; and (3) disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials. (Sec. 210) Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1999
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives regarding postpartum depression, including recommending that: (1) all hospitals and clinics provide departing new mothers, fathers, and family members with complete information about its symptoms, methods of coping, and treatment resources; and (2) the National Institutes of Health undertake additional research on postpartum psychiatric illnesses.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1999
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic should provide the necessary security assurances to the United Nations interagency mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to permit them to safely and accurately provide the international community with an objective, first-hand assessment of the condition of refugees inside of Kosovo and Yugoslavia. Encourages member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to weigh the value of this humanitarian mission toward ending human suffering in Kosovo, and to consider reasonable measures to enhance the safety of this international delegation during its mission within Yugoslavia.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 1999
Recognizes the unique opportunity that the dawn of a millennium presents to the people of this Nation to humble and reconcile themselves with God and with one another. Urges all Americans to unite in seeking God through humble prayer and fasting. Recommends that the leaders in national, State, and local governments, in business, and in the clergy appoint, and call the people they serve to observe, a day of solemn prayer, fasting, and humiliation before God.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Children's Environmental Protection Subtitle A: Disclosure of Industrial Releases That Present a Significant Risk to Children Subtitle B: Disclosure of High Health Risk Chemicals in Children's Consumer Products Title II: Public Right to Know About Toxic Chemical Use Children's Environmental Protection and Right to Know Act of 1999 - Title I: Children's Environmental Protection - Subtitle A: Disclosure of Industrial Releases That Present a Significant Risk to Children - Amends the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish thresholds for toxic chemicals which may present significant risks to children's health or the environment. Includes lead, mercury, dioxin, cadmium, chromium, and other specified bioaccumulative chemicals as substances subject to such thresholds. Makes dioxin and specified bioaccumulative chemicals subject to toxic chemical release form reporting requirements under such Act. Authorizes citizen suits against the Administrator for failures to establish thresholds under this Act. Subtitle B: Disclosure of High Health Risk Chemicals in Children's Consumer Products - Amends the Federal Hazardous Substances Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the National Toxicology Program, to publish a list of substances which are toxic due to carcinogenic, neurotoxic, or reproductive toxic effects. Directs the Secretary to identify those substances to which infants and young children are exposed. Requires manufacturers or importers of eligible products (defined as toys or other articles intended for use by children) which contain such substances to report specified information to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, including information supporting that a substance is not a misbranded or banned hazardous substance. Authorizes exemptions from such reporting requirements if a substance would not cause substantial personal injury or illness as a result of foreseeable handling, including ingestion by children. Permits citizen suits with respect to certain violations under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act and against the Commission for failure to perform duties under this Act. Title II: Public Right to Know About Toxic Chemical Use - Expands information to be included in toxic chemical release forms, including the number of employees and occupational exposures at reporting facilities as well as materials accounting information. Requires the Administrator to take certain actions to: (1) standardize data and obtain and integrate information regarding toxic chemicals; (2) consolidate all annual reporting requirements of Federal environmental laws for small businesses and entities subject to toxic chemical release reporting; and (3) provide the public with one point of contact for access to information gathered by EPA. Requires disclosures on the uses of toxic chemicals by reporting facilities. Permits the withholding of portions of materials accounting information reported by covered facilities for purposes of protecting trade secrets.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1999
Human Rights Information Act - Requires certain Federal agencies to identify and organize all human rights records regarding activities occurring in Guatemala and Honduras after 1944 for declassification and disclosure purposes, and to make them available to the public. Instructs the President to report to Congress regarding agency compliance. Prescribes guidelines under which the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel shall review agency determinations to postpone public disclosure of any human rights record. Authorizes postponement of such public disclosures on specified grounds. Requires any U.S. agency, upon request by an entity created by the United Nations, the Organization of American States (or similar entity), a national truth commission (or similar entity), or from the principal justice or human rights official of a country that is investigating a pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, to review, declassify, and publicly disclose any human pertinent rights records. Directs the Information Security Policy Advisory Council to report to Congress on declassification of human rights records relating to other countries and to make such report available to the public. Creates two additional positions in the Panel in order to implement this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1999
Dog and Cat Protection Act of 1999 - Prohibits: (1) the importation of dog or cat fur into the United States; and (2) any person in the United States from introducing into commerce, manufacturing, selling or offering to sell, trading, advertising, or transporting or distributing in commerce, any dog or cat fur product. Subjects a person to both civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1999
Made in USA Label Defense Act of 1999 - Amends Federal law to prohibit the affixation of the "Made in the USA" label to a product of the Northern Mariana Islands. Prohibits such products from being imported into the United States free of duty or quotas.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 1999
Patent Fairness Act of 1999 - Amends Federal law to require, if the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks determines that certain standards are met, restoration of the term of any patent, in force on September 24, 1984, and on the filing date of a patent term restoration application under this Act, that claims: (1) a drug product; (2) a method of using a drug product; or (3) a method of manufacturing a drug product. (Sec. 2) Defines such standards as: (1) a regulatory review period from application submission to application approval exceeding 60 months; and (2) the absence of substantial evidence overcoming the rebuttable presumption that the applicant for patent term restoration for the drug product acted with due diligence. Requires subtraction from the total amount of the restoration term of any time during the regulatory review period during which the Commissioner finds that the applicant for patent term restoration did not act with due diligence. Limits a restoration period, after specified adjustments, to five years. Requires restoration term applications to be filed within 90 days after enactment of this Act. Provides for: (1) claim determination procedure; (2) interim restoration of the patent term pending final disposition; and (3) appeal of the Commissioner's determinations to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit only. Entitles to compensation by the patent owner of any person who has submitted an new drug application under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for a drug product covered by a patent for which a patent term was restored under this Act, if such application has been found by the Food and Drug Administration on or before enactment of this Act to be sufficiently complete to permit substantive review. Sets the amount of compensation at: (1)$1 million; or (2) $500,000 for any holder of a Type II Drug Master File that has permitted a reference to its File to be made in such application. Limits a patent owner's overall liability to: (1) $5 million to persons submitting new drug applications; or (2) $2.5 million to holders of Type II Drug Master Files. Requires the Commissioner to report to Congress: (1) an evaluation of the patent term restoration review procedure established by this Act; and (2) a recommendation whether Congress should consider establishing such a patent term review procedure for patents not covered by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 1999
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to restore the link ended by the Senior Citizens' Freedom to Work Act of 1995 between the rules relating to substantial gainful activity for blind individuals and the rules relating to excess earnings under the social security earnings test for individuals who have attained retirement age (thus allowing blind individuals, once again, to earn up to the social security excess earnings threshold without being regarded as having demonstrated an ability to engage in substantial gainful activity and without losing entitlement to OASDI benefits). Makes this Act effective with respect to taxable years ending after 1995.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the court-martial charges against then-Captain Charles McVay, U.S. Navy, arising from the sinking of the USS INDIANAPOLIS on July 30, 1945, while under his command were not morally sustainable; (2) Captain McVay's conviction was a miscarriage of justice; (3) the American people should now recognize Captain McVay's lack of culpability for the loss of such ship and the lives of the men who died as the result of her sinking; and (4) the President should award a Unit Citation to the final crew of the INDIANAPOLIS in recognition of their courage and fortitude in the face of tremendous hardship and adversity after their ship was torpedoed and sunk.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 1999
Prohibits the import, export, or shipment in interstate commerce of conventional steel jawed leghold traps and of articles of fur derived from animals trapped in such traps. Prescribes criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to reward informers (other than Government employees performing official duties) for information leading to a conviction under this Act. Empowers enforcement officials to detain, search, and seize suspected merchandise or documents and to make arrests with and without warrants. Subjects seized merchandise to forfeiture.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 1999
Requires each Member and employing authority of the House of Representatives to comply with the Office Waste Recycling Program of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC). Directs the AOC to: (1) ensure that all House employees with custodial duties are adequately trained in Program implementation; and (2) require any House contractor carrying out the Program to ensure that all personnel are trained in Program implementation; and (3) report semiannually to the Committee on House Oversight on Program compliance.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Improvement of Classroom Services and Activities Title II: Miscellaneous Provisions Dollars to the Classroom Act - Title I: Improvement of Classroom Services and Activities - Authorizes the Secretary of Education award grants to States for use by States and local educational agencies (LEAs) to improve classroom services and activities for students. (Sec. 102) Requires reservation of specified portions of title I funds for: (1) outlying areas, to be distributed on the basis of their relative need; and (2) the Secretary of the Interior for programs in schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Sets forth a formula for distribution of title I funds to States, including a hold harmless provision with respect to amounts received in FY 1999 under current formula grant programs (which are under specified Acts and programs repealed by this Act). Requires States to distribute at least 95 percent of allotted funds to LEAs. Requires States and LEAs to use title I funds to supplement and not to supplant funds from non-Federal sources. Requires State annual reports to the Secretary and specified congressional committees to be made available to parents and the public. (Sec. 103) Requires States to consider certain factors when distributing funds within the State. Sets forth hold-harmless provisions for LEAs with respect to: (1) funds received for FY 1999 under current formula grant programs; and (2) funds the LEA is eligible to receive during FY 1999 through 2003 under multiyear awards made prior to enactment of this Act. Lists local uses of title I funds. Requires LEAs to involve parents and members of the public in planning for the use of title I funds. (Sec. 104) Provides for participation of private school children and teachers in title I activities and services. (Sec. 106) Declares that nothing in this title shall be construed to authorize any Federal officer or employee to require, direct, or control a State, LEA, or school's specific instructional content of pupil performance standards and assessments, curriculum, or program of instruction as a condition of eligibility to receive funds under this title. Prohibits the Secretary from issuing any regulation regarding the type of classroom activities or services that may be assisted under this title. Provides that LEAs shall not be required to provide services under this title through a particular instructional method or in a particular instructional setting in order to receive funding under this title. (Sec. 107) Repeals the following programs under the Goals 2000: Educate America Act: (1) State and local education systemic improvement; (2) parental assistance; and (3) international education exchange and study. Repeals the following programs under the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994: (1) school-to-work opportunities system development and implementation grants to States; (2) Federal implementation grants to local partnerships; and (3) national programs. Repeals the following programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA): (1) demonstrations of innovative practices; (2) innovative elementary school transition projects; (3) Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development Program, including national programs and State and local activities; (4) Technology for Education, including national programs, State and local programs for school technology resources, Star Schools, Ready-to-Learn Television, telecommunications demonstration project for mathematics, elementary mathematics and science equipment, and elementary and secondary school library media resources; (5) Magnet Schools Assistance; (6) Women's Educational Equity; (7) Innovative Education Program Strategies; (8) Native Hawaiians Education; (9) Alaska Native Education; (10) Fund for the Improvement of Education; (11) Gifted and Talented Education; (12) Arts in Education; (13) Civic Education; (14) Allen J. Ellender Fellowship Program (Close-Up programs for middle and secondary school students and teachers); (15) 21st Century Community Learning Centers; (16) Urban and Rural Education Assistance; (17) National Writing Project; (18) Extended Time for Learning and Longer School Year; (19) Comprehensive Regional Assistance Centers; and (20) Eisenhower Math and Science Regional Consortia. Repeals the Education for Homeless Children program under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. (Sec. 108) Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Miscellaneous Provisions - Authorizes the Secretary to waive statutory or regulatory requirements for a State educational agency (SEA), LEA, or school under certain conditions for specified programs under ESEA and the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act. (Sec. 201) Education Flexibility Partnership Demonstration Act - Authorizes the Secretary to allow all 50 States to participate in the Education Flexibility Partnership Demonstration Act program (currently under title III of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, which is repealed by this Act). Directs the Secretary to: (1) review the progress of agencies or schools affected by waivers under title II; and (2) publish and disseminate the decision to grant, or to authorize SEAs to issue, such waivers. (Sec. 202) Amends ESEA to eliminate criteria which a school must meet in order for its LEA to use funds for schoolwide programs at that school.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1999
Fragile X Research Breakthrough Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to: (1) expand, intensify, and coordinate the Institute's activities respecting research on the disease known as fragile X; (2) make grants to, and enter into contracts with, public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of at least three centers to conduct research for improving the diagnosis and treatment of, and finding the cure for, fragile X. Requires each such center assisted to conduct basic and clinical research, which may include clinical trials of new or improved diagnostic methods and drugs or other treatment approaches. Allows such centers to use grant funds provided under this Act to provide fees to individuals serving as subjects in clinical trials. Requires the Director to provide for the coordination of the centers' activities, including the exchange of information. Requires each center to use the facilities of a single institution, or be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions. Allows support to be provided to a center for a period not exceeding five years with authorized extensions. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program under which the Federal Government enters into contracts with qualified health professionals who agree to conduct research on fragile X in consideration of the Government's agreement to repay, for each year of such service, no more than $35,000 of the principal and interest of the educational loans owed by such health professionals. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1999
Personal Information Privacy Act of 1999 - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to redefine the term "consumer report" to exclude identifying information listed in a local telephone directory (thereby ensuring that the personal identification information in the credit headers accompanying credit reports of unlisted individuals remains confidential). (Sec. 3) Amends part A (General Provisions) of title XI of the Social Security Act to prohibit the commercial acquisition or distribution of an individual's social security number (or any derivative of it), as well as its use as a personal identification number, without the individual's written consent. Provides for: (1) civil money penalties and civil action in U.S. District Court by an aggrieved individual; and (2) coordination with criminal enforcement of identification document fraud. (Sec.4) Amends the Federal criminal code to require State motor vehicle department uses of social security numbers to be consistent with uses authorized by the Social Security Act, the Privacy Act, and by any other appropriate statutes. Prohibits marketing company use of social security numbers. (Sec. 5) Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit, with an exception for specified law enforcement requests, State motor vehicle department release or disclosure of an individual's photograph without the individual's written consent. (Sec. 6) Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit a consumer reporting agency from providing a report in connection with a credit or insurance transaction not initiated by the consumer without the consumer's written consent. Requires full consumer disclosure before such consent shall be effective. (Sec. 7) Prohibits, with specified exceptions, a person doing business with a consumer from selling or transferring for marketing purposes any transaction or experience information (as defined by this Act) without the consumer's written consent.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1999
Stamp Out Diabetes Act of 1999 - Amends Federal law to require the Postal Service to establish a special rate of postage for first class mail that is up to 25 percent higher than the regular rate as a voluntary alternative that the public may use to contribute to funding for diabetes research. Requires collected amounts to be paid to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Expresses the sense of the Congress that nothing in this Act should: (1) cause a net decrease in total funds received by NIH below the level that would have otherwise been received but for this Act's enactment; or (2) affect first-class or other regular postage rates. Requires special postage stamps to be made available to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1999
Medicare Cancer Clinical Trial Coverage Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a demonstration project which provides for payment under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act of routine patient care costs for Medicare beneficiaries with cancer who are enrolled in an approved clinical trial program, while still applying the beneficiary cost sharing provisions of such program to project participants. Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on the impact on Medicare of covering such costs as well as the cost of extending routine patient care coverage to Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis other than cancer.
![Official portrait of Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000522_200.jpg)