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United States · Official source
8,598 records where Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 1988
Designates August 29, 1988, as National China-Burma-India Veterans Appreciation Day.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1988
Designates the week of February 5 through February 11, 1989, as National Burn Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1988
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Government of Nicaragua should: (1) fulfill its pledge in the Esquipulas II agreement to grant a general amnesty to all political prisoners; (2) cease inhumane torture and holding prisoners incommunicado; (3) end random arrests for purposes of political intimidation; (4) allow human rights observers in all parts of prison facilities; (5) compensate former political prisoners; and (6) cease human rights violations.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1988
Directs the American Battle Monuments Commission to restore, operate, and maintain the Pacific War Memorial and other historical and memorial sites on Corregidor in the Republic of the Philippines. Specifies that the Commission may do so only after an agreement has been entered into between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines. Requires the Commission to carry out the purposes of this Act with private funds, except to the extent funds were appropriated pursuant to authorizations under this Act. Authorizes the Commission to solicit private contributions. Establishes a fund in the Treasury for the deposit of such contributions. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 1988
Amends the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to require a showing of proof by a preponderance of the evidence for a U.S. district court to issue orders to prevent and restrain violations of prohibited racketeering activities. Revises the civil action requirements for persons aggrieved by RICO violations. Permits governments as well as persons to bring such an action. Provides for the recovery of treble damages upon proof by a preponderance of the evidence: (1) where a government entity has been injured as a result of such violations; or (2) for persons injured by such violations, if a criminal conviction of the defendant is obtained. Allows a person aggrieved by a RICO violation to recover, upon proof by a preponderance of the evidence, punitive damages under certain circumstances. Lists factors to be considered in determining the amount of punitive damages, including: (1) the degree of culpability of the defendant; (2) any history of similar conduct by the defendant; and (3) the number of persons victimized. Provides for the recovery of punitive damages, upon proof by a preponderance of the evidence, for persons who suffer bodily injury as a result of a RICO violation that includes a crime of violence as a predicate act. Sets a statute of limitations for such actions of: (1) four years after the cause of action accrues; (2) four years after the conduct causing the injury terminates; (3) two years after the date of the criminal conviction (required for a treble damage cause of action); or (4) six years after the cause of action accrues if such action is brought by a specified official for the Federal Government or a State or local government. Provides an affirmative defense where the defendant acted in good faith and in reliance upon an official, directly applicable regulatory action, approval, or interpretation of law by an authorized Federal or State agency in writing or by operation of law. Provides that an action under this Act shall not abate on the death of the plaintiff or defendant and shall be enforceable against a receiver in bankruptcy. States that in a civil action which does not allege a crime of violence as a predicate act: (1) the term "racketeer" shall not be used in referring to any party; (2) "racketeering activity" shall be referred to as "unlawful activity"; and (3) "pattern of racketeering activity" shall be referred to as "pattern of unlawful activity." Describes offenses which are predicate acts constituting crimes of violence for purposes of a civil action alleging such crime. Amends the criminal penalties section of the RICO statute to provide for life imprisonment if the violation of such statute is predicated on an offense for which the maximum penalty includes life in prison. Sets forth additional predicate offenses. Provides for universal service of process. States that nothing in RICO shall be construed to confer jurisdiction on a State or local unit of government.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1988
Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals With Disabilities Act of 1988 - Title I: Grants to States - Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to States for consumer-responsive comprehensive statewide programs of technology-related assistance for individuals of all ages with disabilities. Lists functions and activities which may be included in the programs. Directs the Secretary to award to States three-year grants for statewide programs of technology-related assistance for individuals with disabilities. Provides for the number and amounts of the grants. Gives States receiving grants in one fiscal year priority in the availability of amounts appropriated in the next fiscal year. Directs the Secretary to award grants in a manner that is geographically equitable and that distributes them among States that have differing levels of development of programs of technology-related assistance. Sets forth information and assurances which must accompany an application. Authorizes the Secretary to award a two-year extension grant to any State that demonstrates significant progress of a statewide program of technology-related assistance under a grant provided for in this Act. Provides for the amounts of the extension grants and for priority for previously participating States. Specifies elements which must be included in an extension grant application. Requires each State that receives a grant under this title to submit an annual report to the Secretary. Sets forth specific requirements for reports with respect to extension grants. Directs the Secretary to establish a system to assess the extent to which States which receive grants under this title are making significant progress. Subjects any State which fails to comply with the requirements of this title to a corrective action plan. Declares that nothing in this title shall be construed to permit the State or any Federal agency to reduce medical or other assistance available or to alter eligibility under: (1) title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance), title V (Maternal and Child Health), title XVI (Supplemental Security Income), title XVIII (Medicare), title XIX (Medicaid), or title XX (Block Grants for States for Social Services) of the Social Security Act; (2) the Education of the Handicapped Act; (3) the Rehabilitation Act; or (4) laws relating to veterans' benefits. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1989 through 1993. Directs the Secretary to reserve from amounts appropriated one percent for provision to States of information and technical assistance. Authorizes the Secretary to reserve sums as necessary to cover the cost of on-site visits. Directs the Secretary, directly or by contract, to: (1) conduct a national evaluation of the grant program authorized by this title; and (2) report to the Congress not later than October 1, 1992. Authorizes the Secretary to work with the States to consider and develop a uniform information system designed to report and compile a qualitative and quantitative description of the impact of the grant program. Title II: Programs of National Significance - Part A: Study on Financing of Assistive Technology Devices and Assistive Technology Services for Individuals with Disabilities - Requires the National Council on the Handicapped to: (1) conduct a study and make recommendations to the Congress and the President concerning financing and other aspects of technology-related assistance, devices, and services; and (2) appoint an advisory committee in accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to assist the Council in carrying out the Council's duties under this part. Directs the heads of all Federal agencies, to the extent not prohibited by law, to cooperate with the Council. Authorizes the Council, with the consent of the agency involved, to use the resources of Federal, State, local, and private agencies, with or without reimbursement. Sets forth reporting requirements. Part B: National Information and Program Referral Network - Directs the Secretary to enter into any contract or cooperative agreement necessary in order to establish a national information and program referral network to assist States regarding such technology-related assistance, if the Secretary determines it appropriate to establish the network. Requires the contracts or agreements, if any, to be entered into before the end of 30 months after appropriations are enacted. Directs the Secretary to conduct a study of the feasibility and desirability of creating such a network. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into a contract or cooperative agreement necessary to conduct the study. Provides for the content and timetable of the study. Part C: Training and Public Awareness Projects - Directs the Secretary to enter into contracts or cooperative agreements concerning training with regard to the provision of technology-related assistance. Specifies eligible activities. Directs the Secretary to make grants to assist institutions of higher education to prepare personnel for careers relating to the provision of technology-related assistance. Sets forth priorities and specifies allowed uses of funds. Directs the Secretary to make grants or enter into contracts to carry out national projects that build awareness of the importance and efficacy of assistive technology devices and services for individuals of all ages with disabilities functioning in various settings of daily life. Sets forth allowed uses of the funds. Directs the Secretary to establish priorities for the grants and to publish the priorities, along with an explanation of how the priorities were determined, in the Federal Register. Part D: Demonstration and Innovation Projects - Directs the Secretary to make grants or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements to pay all or part of the cost of demonstration and innovation projects concerning technology-related assistance for individuals with disabilities. Sets forth allowed uses of the funds. Part E: Authorization of Appropriations - Authorizes appropriations for FY 1989 through 1993. Sets forth priorities depending on specified levels of appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1988
Title I: Municipal Incinerator Emissions - Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate performance standards to control emissions of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, lead, cadmium, dioxins, dibenzofurans, hydrogen chloride, and mercury from municipal waste incineration units. Requires that such standards reflect the greatest degree of emission limitation achievable through application of the best available control technologies and practices. Deems specified practices and control technologies to be available. Requires that such standards be promulgated within one year of this Act's enactment, take effect within 18 months of enactment, and be reviewed and, if necessary, revised within three years of promulgation and every five years thereafter. Sets forth emission control standards which will be applicable should the EPA fail to promulgate standards. Requires the EPA to promulgate a timetable, within one year of this Act's enactment, for existing municipal waste incineration units to comply with emission control standards, taking into account the remaining useful life of the unit and the threat the unit poses to human health and the environment. Sets forth the maximum number of years which such timetable may allow for the compliance, providing more time as a unit's additional pollution control equipment costs represent a larger proportion of its capital costs. Requires owners or operators of municipal waste incineration units to monitor emissions at the point such emissions move into ambient air and at such other points as necessary to protect human health and the environment and to report the results of such monitoring. Sets monitoring standards, including ones for continuous and periodic monitoring. Sets a 20-year limit on unit permits. Provides for the termination of such a permit if: (1) the unit is not in compliance with permit terms and conditions; (2) compliance with additional conditions is necessary to protect human health and the environment, or will impose minimal costs on the unit owner or operator and reduce air emissions below levels specified in the permit; or (3) enforceable contracts for the treatment or disposal of the unit's ash for the succeeding five years do not exist. Requires that a permit be reviewed at least once every five years. Authorizes concurrent State enforcement of unit emission standards, provided such enforcement is equivalent to Federal enforcement under this Act. Requires that civil penalties imposed against municipalities pursuant to this Act be applied in support of public programs and activities that enhance the protection of the health and environment of their residents. Directs the EPA to establish a model State program, within 18 months of this Act's enactment, for the training and certification of municipal waste incinerator personnel. Requires that incinerator personnel be certified pursuant to a State or EPA training and certification program which is consistent with such program. Subjects any person engaged in the manufacture or sale of municipal waste incineration units or components who misrepresents the performance characteristics of incinerator technology or equipment to a civil monetary penalty plus costs and damages caused by such misrepresentation. Includes as major emitting facilities under the Clean Air Act municipal incinerators capable of charging more than 50 tons of refuse per day. (Currently, only incinerators charging more than 250 tons per day are included.) Title II: Solid Waste Disposal Act Amendment - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to direct the EPA to promulgate regulations, within one year of this Act's enactment, for the safe management of municipal incinerator ash. Requires that landfills into which such ashes are disposed be monofills with groundwater monitoring, two synthetic liners, an additional lower liner, a leachate collection system above all liners, and a leak detection system between the two synthetic liners. Authorizes the disposal of ash in a landfill other than a monofill if requirements more stringent than those imposed on monofills apply. Authorizes the EPA to waive the applicability of this Act's landfill design requirements to solid waste management units receiving incinerator ash if an alternative design will provide at least as effective protection of human health and the environment as such requirements. Prohibits a State from issuing a permit to any new or modified municipal waste incineration unit after 18 months after this Act's enactment unless the State prepares a solid waste management plan which provides cost-effective maximization of resource conservation and the protection of human health and the environment through solid waste reduction, source separation or control, recycling, and other measures. Prohibits the issuance of a permit to a unit unless an ash management plan demonstrating compliance with this Act's requirements has been submitted for the ash from such unit. Requires that before a new or modified unit begins operations it have sufficient capacity to treat or dispose of its ash for the succeeding five years. Directs the EPA, in developing regulations for the management of municipal incinerator ash, to issue criteria and testing procedures for identifying the characteristics of such ash which may pose a hazard to human health or the environment. Authorizes the EPA to require the owner or operator of a municipal incinerator or any facility involved in ash management to test the ash in accordance with such criteria and testing procedures. Requires that any ash which is identified as posing a hazard to human health or the environment be: (1) disposed of pursuant to this Act's requirements; or (2) treated, in accordance with regulations to be promulgated by the EPA, so as to remove the hazards associated with such ash, including the migration of hazardous constituents. Subjects facilities receiving municipal incinerator ash to a permit or other prior approval program and conditions in accordance with a State's solid waste management program. Provides public notice and the opportunity or an informal public hearing prior to the issuance of a permit to an ash management facility. Authorizes the EPA to issue a corrective action order or commence a civil action against the offending facility when there has been a release of a hazardous ash constituent. Directs the EPA to publish guidelines, within one year of this Act's enactment, identifying items or materials that should be removed from municipal waste prior to incineration in order to reduce air emissions.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1988
Designates the week of October 2 through October 8, 1988, as National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act Week, marking the 20th anniversary of the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 1988
Authorizes the Vietnam Women's Memorial Project, Inc., to construct a commemorative statue within the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to recognize and honor the women of the U.S. armed forces who served in the Vietnam war. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to select a site for the statue within the Memorial. Makes the design proposal subject to the approval of the Secretary, the National Planning Commission, and the Commission of Fine Arts. Prohibits the United States and the District of Columbia from paying any expense of constructing the statue. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) it is fitting and appropriate that such a statue be constructed at the site of the Vietnam Memorial; (2) the Secretary and each of the Commissions should give consideration to the sense of Congress that such a statue should be constructed at that site; and (3) after the addition of such statue no further commemorative works should be added to the Memorial. Requires the Secretary and Administrator of General Services to prepare, transmit to the Congress, and update periodically a list and a description of those commemorative works which have been completed and are located in the District of Columbia and its environs. Prohibits any significant modification to any commemorative work located in the District of Columbia and its environs unless specifically authorized by the Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 1988
Authorizes appropriations for FY 1989-1993 for grants to States for the establishment, expansion, and improvement of veterans' cemeteries.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 1988
International Narcotics Control Act of 1988 - Title I: Latin American Regional Anti-Narcotics Force - Expresses the sense of the Congress concerning the need for a Latin American regional anti-narcotics force. Instructs the President to direct the U.S. representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) to consult with other member nations on the feasibility of establishing a Latin American regional anti-narcotics force and developing a comprehensive regional strategy for dealing with narcotics production and trafficking. Directs the President to call for a meeting of heads of state of member nations, if there is a positive response within OAS, to conclude an agreement for: (1) the establishment of such a force, with appropriate member contributions of personnel, training, equipment, and financial resources; and (2) the development of such a strategy. Requires the President to direct the Secretary of Defense to provide appropriate assistance for the force. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the President to notify specified congressional committees not less than 15 days before obligating funds authorized under this title. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics Matters (Assistant Secretary) should: (1) seek the establishment of a regional anti-narcotics training center in the Caribbean; and (2) contribute funds or other resources and seek contributions from other countries to such a center. Urges the President to seek the establishment of other regional anti-narcotics forces. Title II: Foreign Assistance Programs - Subtitle A: Authorizations and Earmarkings of Assistance - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA) to authorize FY 1989 appropriations for narcotics international control assistance to other countries and to international organizations. Sets a minimum expenditure level for the testing and use of safe, effective herbicides for aerial eradication of coca. Makes available a portion of FY 1989 grant military assistance funds to arm, for defensive purposes, extant aircraft used in narcotic control eradication or interdiction efforts. Applies the standard 15 days' notice requirement to specified congressional committees in connection with this reprogramming. Earmarks amounts from funds for international military education and training to be used solely for: (1) education and training involving equipment used in narcotics interdiction and eradication efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean; and (2) the expenses of deploying Department of Defense mobile training teams in a requesting country to conduct training in military-related skills to improve its tactical operations in narcotics interdiction. Limits this assistance to foreign law enforcement agencies or other units organized expressly for narcotics enforcement and to countries that meet criteria set out in this title. Waives provisions that would prohibit the use of grant military assistance funds to procure weapons or ammunition for foreign law enforcement entities when they are organized specifically for narcotics enforcement in countries meeting the criteria of this title. Directs the President to report to the Congress within 15 days before funds are obligated for this type of assistance. Describes required report contents. Provides for human rights reporting with respect to countries authorized to receive assistance. Earmarks an amount to be available solely for assistance for countries in Latin America or the Caribbean. Directs the President to reallocate funds withheld from countries failing to take adequate steps to halt illicit drug production or trafficking for use by countries that have met their illicit drug eradication targets or have otherwise taken significant steps to halt illicit drug production or trafficking. Prescribes conditions to govern transfers among international narcotics control assistance funds and reprogramming of security assistance resulting from these reallocations. Authorizes supplemental FY 1989 appropriations for activities to increase awareness of the effects of illicit narcotic production and trafficking on source and transit countries. Subtitle B: Provisions Relating to Specific Countries - Urges the Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics Matters to pay greater attention, and provide more narcotics control assistance, to those countries that are drug-transit countries (but not major ones) cooperating with U.S. international narcotics control efforts. Earmarks a minimum FY 1989 amount to be available for their assistance. Permits security assistance to Bolivia for FY 1989 only if the President certifies to the Congress that the Government of Bolivia has enacted specified types of legislation to eradicate illicit coca production. Sets nonwaivable conditions that the Government of Bolivia must meet before the President may make the certification necessary to obligate and expend FY 1989 U.S. assistance funds suspended because of major illicit drug activities (certification). Requires that project agreement documents for projects in Bolivia contain a clause calling for suspension of FY 1989 development assistance if the Government of Bolivia fails to keep project areas free of illicit coca cultivation. Deletes a provision of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1988 that earmarked funds for narcotics interdiction and control programs for Bolivia. Directs the President, in making FY 1989 determinations with respect to the certification necessary for assistance to Peru, to give foremost consideration to whether the Government of Peru made substantial progress in meeting its coca eradication targets during the previous year. Describes conditions that must be met before FY 1989 funds may be made available for the Agency for International Development's project in the Upper Huallaga Valley of Peru. Limits FY 1989 international narcotics control assistance made available for Mexico. Withholds a portion of these funds until the President reports to the Congress the Mexican Government's compliance with conditions relating to the murder and torture of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents. Directs the President, in making FY 1989 determinations with respect to the certification necessary for assistance to Mexico, to consider the Mexican Government's response to U.S. proposals to establish and implement a joint U.S.-Mexico airborne apprehension capability and air surveillance operations. Encourages the Government of Mexico, upon ratification of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the United States, to furnish banking information pursuant to the treaty that would permit the successful U.S. investigation and prosecution of major narco-terrorists who use Mexican financial institutions to launder their profits. Includes Colombia among the countries authorized to have more than six members of the U.S. armed forces assigned to carry out international security assistance programs. Authorizes supplemental FY 1989 appropriations to be used exclusively for defense articles to the Colombian armed forces to support their anti-narcotics efforts. Earmarks amounts to assist Colombia in providing protection against narco-terrorist attacks on judges, other government officials, and members of the press. Requires congressional notification at least 15 days before funds may be obligated. Directs the President, in making determinations with respect to the certification necessary for assistance to Pakistan, to take into account the extent to which the Government of Pakistan is increasing specified anti-narcotics activities. Directs the President to review and report to the Congress by December 31, 1988, on U.S. narcotics raw material policy, determining what options are available to reduce U.S. reliance on licit opium gum from foreign sources. Directs the President to make a certification for FY 1989 with respect to India only if he determines that the Government of India has taken certain actions to curb illicit opium cultivation and production. Requires the President, if certification is made, to include a detailed report on what steps were taken and an estimate of the amount of licit opium still being diverted to the illicit market. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the U.S. Government should pursue efforts to press the Government of Afghanistan, and work with the Mujahadeen, to reduce heroin production and trafficking in areas under their respective control and to encourage eradication, interdiction, and crop substitution in Afghanistan; and (2) an initiative should be developed which could be put in place as the Mujahadeen and successors to the present Kabul regime begin to exert greater civil authority. Directs the President to: (1) prepare and transmit to the Congress quarterly reports containing determinations with respect to any involvement by the Government of Laos (and other governments in the region) in illicit drug production and trafficking. Describes required report contents, depending on the determinations reached. Prohibits U.S. assistance to Laos and directs the U.S. representative to any multilateral development bank to vote to oppose any loan or other use of funds for the benefit of Laos, if the Government or any senior official of Laos is involved in illicit drug production or trafficking, unless the President certifies to the Congress that overriding vital national interests require the assistance and it would improve the prospects for cooperation with Laos in halting the flow of illegal drugs. Subtitle C: Annual Report and Certification Process - Requires the President's annual report to the Congress pursuant to the FAA to: (1) express in numerical terms the maximum reductions in illicit drug production achievable during the next fiscal year; and (2) describe the U.S. assistance for the preceding fiscal year that was denied to each major illicit drug producing country and each major drug-transit country. Requires certification to include the determination that a government has taken the legal and law enforcement steps necessary to eliminate, to the maximum extent possible, corruption by government officials. Establishes a timetable according to which the Secretary of State must establish numerical standards and other guidelines for determining which countries will be considered as major drug-transit countries for FAA purposes. Requires reports to appropriate congressional committees in connection with these standards and their modifications. Revises the FAA definition of "bilateral narcotics agreement" for purposes of certifications made on or after March 1, 1989. Amends related FAA provisions to permit multilateral agreements as an alternative to bilateral ones. Waives restrictions on FY 1989 U.S. assistance to any major drug-transit country if the President certifies to the Congress that: (1) significant drug-related money laundering is not occurring there with government knowledge or complicity; (2) the country previously was a major illicit drug producing country but has effectively eliminated illicit drug production during each of the preceding two years; and (3) the country is cooperating fully with the United States or has taken adequate steps on its own in satisfying specified anti-narcotics goals. Revises procedures governing congressional review of presidential certifications associated with suspensions of U.S. assistance. Repeals certain amendments to the FAA definition of "United States assistance." Directs the President to report to the Congress annually, rather than biannually, listing each major illicit drug producing country and major drug-transit country. Includes this report in the required midyear report on international narcotics control activities and operations. Subtitle D: Miscellaneous Provisions - Applies the standard reprogramming procedures of the FAA to any transfer by the U.S. Government to a foreign country for narcotics control purposes of any property seized by or otherwise forfeited to the Government in connection with narcotics-related activity. Requires annual reports to the Congress regarding such transfers. Expresses the sense of the Congress that suppression of international narcotics trafficking is among the most important U.S. foreign policy objectives. Directs the President to take all reasonable steps to ensure that assistance under the FAA and the Arms Export Control Act is not provided to or through any individual or entity that the President knows or has reason to believe: (1) has been convicted of a violation of, or a conspiracy to violate, any U.S. or foreign law relating to narcotics, psychotropic drugs, or other controlled substances; or (2) is or has been an illicit trafficker in any such substance. Requires the President to issue regulations, subject to congressional review, specifying steps to be taken in carrying out this provision. Exempts from certain competitive procurement requirements the procurement of property or services for international narcotics control assistance on a case-by-case basis, with the Secretary's approval. Prohibits use of such exemption for procurement including more than 30 percent of funds available each fiscal year for such assistance. Prohibits the use of narcotics control assistance funds to acquire real property for use by foreign military, paramilitary, or law enforcement forces. Authorizes the Export-Import Bank of the United States to guarantee, insure, and extend credit in connection with the sale of defense articles or services if the Secretary determines that the sale is to a democratic government for anti-narcotics purposes. Corrects technical errors in the FAA and in the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. Title III: Department of State Activities - Makes the Secretary of State responsible for coordinating all Government assistance to support international efforts to combat illicit narcotics production or trafficking. Requires the Secretary to submit annual reports to the appropriate congressional committees. Describes required report contents. Allows reports to be classified to the extent necessary. Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to authorize appropriations, without fiscal year limitation, for use in paying rewards for information leading to the arrest or conviction of individuals for certain extraterritorial narcotics-related offenses. Directs the Secretary to revoke the passport and other travel documents of any individual convicted of any violation of a Federal or State law involving controlled substances if the offense is a felony (or of the Bank Secrecy Act or the Money Laundering Act if the Secretary determines that the violation is related to illicit production of or trafficking in a controlled substance) and if, in committing the offense, the individual used a passport or other travel document or otherwise crossed an international border. Allows the Secretary to take such action if the offense involved is a misdemeanor. Sets a ten-year (or, in the case of a misdemeanor, a five-year) period of ineligibility for a passport or other travel document from the date of conviction. Makes an exception for an individual's first conviction for a misdemeanor which involves only possession of a controlled substance. Permits exceptions in emergency circumstances or for humanitarian reasons. Empowers the President, by regulation, to prescribe procedures for indicating an individual's drug law violations on passports, other travel documents, and identification papers used during immigration and customs inspections. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1989 through 1991 for expenses of the Department of State in developing and implementing a machine readable visa system. Directs the Secretary to place greater emphasis on updating extradition treaties and on negotiating mutual legal assistance treaties with major illicit drug producing and drug-transit countries. Requires the Secretary and the Attorney General to jointly develop a model extradition treaty with respect to narcotics-related violations, a model mutual legal assistance treaty, and model comprehensive anti-narcotics legislation. Directs the Secretary to distribute these materials to each U.S. mission abroad and to report to the Congress within six months after enactment of this Act. Expresses the sense of the Congress that Regional Security Officers and other security personnel at U.S. embassies and other civilian posts abroad should be directed to expand their investigative activities with respect to illicit drug use and trafficking by Government personnel and their dependents. Urges the Secretary to permit the assignment of additional DEA agents to U.S. diplomatic missions in foreign countries where illicit narcotics production or trafficking is, or is likely to become, a significant problem. Title IV: Annual Certification Procedures With Respect To Multilateral Development Financing, Trade, and Aviation - Establishes a certification procedure with respect to multilateral development bank (MDB) financing for major illicit drug producing and major drug-transit countries which is separate from the certification procedure applicable to bilateral assistance under the FAA. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, on March 1 of each year, to instruct the U.S. executive directors of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Asian Development Bank to vote against any loan or other utilization of funds to or for any major illicit drug producing or major drug-transit country, unless the President has certified to the Congress that: (1) during the previous year the country has cooperated fully with the United States, or has taken adequate steps on its own, in satisfying the goals agreed to in an applicable bilateral narcotics agreement with the United States or a multilateral agreement to prevent the illegal transportation, production, use, or sale of controlled substances and drug-related government corruption and money laundering in that country; or (2) the vital national interests of the United States require MDB financing for such country. Requires that the President include in any latter certification: (1) a full and complete description of the vital national interests placed at risk should MDB financing not be provided to such country; and (2) a statement weighing such risk against the risks posed to vital national interests by the failure of such country to combat narcotics. Lists factors to be considered by the President in determining whether such former certification shall be made, including whether actions of the country's government have resulted in maximum reductions in illicit drug production determined to be achievable under the FAA. Provides for congressional disapproval by joint resolution of the President's certifications. Directs the Secretary of State: (1) to establish numerical standards and other guidelines for use each year in determining which countries will be considered to be major drug-transit countries; (2) by September 1 each year, to notify the appropriate congressional committees of the standards to be used; and (3) by October 1 each year, to notify the appropriate committees of the countries likely to be determined to be major drug-transit countries and the countries likely to be determined to be major illicit drug producing countries. Makes conforming amendments to remove certification for MDB financing from the FAA. Amends provisions of the Trade Act of 1974 regarding tariff treatment of products of, and other sanctions against, uncooperative major drug producing or drug transit countries to: (1) change the congressional review period within which the Congress may enact a joint resolution of disapproval of the President's certification from 30 days to 45 days; and (2) revise the criteria for cooperation to include satisfying the goals in agreement with the United States or a multilateral agreement to combat narcotics. Makes such amendments applicable with respect to any such certification made by the President on or after March 1, 1989. Provides that a country which in the previous year was designated as a major drug producing or a major drug-transit country may not be determined to be cooperating fully under such Act unless it has in place a bilateral agreement or a multilateral agreement to combat narcotics. Provides for a waiver of otherwise applicable sanctions if the President certifies to the Congress that vital national interests require that sanctions not be applied. Directs the Secretary of State to establish numerical standards and other guidelines for determining which countries shall be considered to be major drug-transit countries under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 1988
Designates the Labor Day Weekend beginning on September 3, 1988, as National Drive for Life Weekend. Calls on people to observe that weekend with a pledge to not drink and drive.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1988
College Savings Bond Act of 1988 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to issue college savings bonds in the interest of encouraging long-term savings for postsecondary education. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of an individual any interest on college savings bonds to the extent these proceeds are used to pay the qualified educational expenses (tuition, fees, books, supplies, reasonable living expenses) of the taxpayer, spouse, child, or dependent at an institution of higher education, including a postsecondary vocational school. Decreases the permissible exclusion for taxpayers having adjusted gross income above $60,000, allowing no exclusion if income exceeds $80,000.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1988
Designates August 1, 1988, as Helsinki Human Rights Day. Requests the President to: (1) reassert American commitment to the Helsinki Accords; (2) raise the issue of noncompliance with such Accords with the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Romania; (3) convey to all signatories of such Accords that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is vital to progress in the ongoing Helsinki process; (4) convey to U.S. allies the importance of unity regarding such Accords; (5) continue his efforts to achieve, before the end of the Vienna meeting, the release of all political prisoners of the Soviet Union, an increase in Soviet emigration, resolution of all family reunification cases, cessation of all radio transmission jamming, and the repeal of laws and practices which undermine human rights; (6) seek the inclusion, in any concluding document agreed to in Vienna, of a mechanism to sustain human rights progress after the Vienna meeting; and (7) convey to signatory states the insistence of the United States for a result at Vienna that will not favor military security at the expense of human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1988
Targeted Relief Disclosure Resolution of 1988 - Amends rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives to require each report accompanying each bill or joint resolution of a public character reported by the Committee on Ways and Means to identify: (1) each provision which is intended to provide special benefits with respect to five or fewer taxpayers, transactions, events, items of property, projects, or issuances of bonds; (2) each beneficiary of such provision; (3) the Member of Congress who sponsored the inclusion of each such beneficiary; and (4) an estimate by the Joint Committee on Taxation of the loss in revenues resulting from such provision with respect to each such beneficiary for the fiscal year for which such loss in revenues first occurs and each of the five fiscal years thereafter.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1988
Extends best wishes to President Jose Napoleon Duarte of El Salvador. Expresses support for the Government and people of El Salvador and hope that President Duarte will accomplish his ambition of turning the presidency over to an elected successor.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 1988
Veterans' Compensation Amendments of 1988 - Increases the rates of compensation, dependency and indemnity compensation, and the clothing allowance payable to veterans with service-connected disabilities and their survivors. Authorizes the Administrator of Veterans Affairs to administratively adjust the rates of disability compensation payable to persons who are not in receipt of compensation for service-connected disability or death. Provides for the payment of benefits to the surviving spouse and to the children of a veteran who dies from causes other than the veteran's own willful misconduct, and who was in receipt of, entitled to receive, or but for the receipt of retired or retirement pay would have been entitled to receive, compensation at the time of death for a service-connected disability that was continuously rated totally disabling for: (1) ten years or more immediately preceding death; or (2) not less than five years from the date of such veteran's discharge or other release from active duty. Prohibits the payment of benefits to a surviving spouse under this Act unless: (1) the marriage to the veteran occurred before the expiration of 15 years after the veteran's discharge or other release from active duty; (2) the surviving spouse was married to the veteran for one year or more; or (3) a child was born of the marriage or was born to them before the marriage. Provides for a reduction of benefits to a surviving spouse or child receiving money or property pursuant to an award in a judicial proceeding based upon, or a settlement or compromise of, any cause of action for damages for the death of such veteran. Revises provisions providing for vocational rehabilitation for pension recipients to qualify for an eligibility evaluation any veteran who was awarded a pension before the beginning of the program period, and to remove the limitation on the number of veterans who may be given evaluations each year. Extends the program period through January 31, 1992. Provides for the continued operation of the Veterans Administration's regional office in the Philippines through September 30, 1991.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 1988
Designates the week beginning September 11, 1988, as National Outpatient Ambulatory Surgery Week.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 1988
Urges the Government of Iran to uphold the human rights of all its nationals, including members of the Baha'i faith, and to restore fully the rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Calls upon the President to: (1) monitor and report on developments affecting the Baha'i minority in Iran and in other countries; (2) cooperate with other governments in continuing to make appeals to Iran concerning the situation of the Baha'is; (3) initiate and support efforts in the United Nations and its agencies on behalf of the Baha'is; and (4) provide, and urge others to provide, for refugee and humanitarian assistance for those Baha'is fleeing their homelands to escape religious repression.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 1988
Commends the President for his efforts on behalf of human rights while at the Moscow summit. Urges the Soviet Government to comply with its commitments to respect internationally recognized human rights. Reaffirms the commitment of the American people and the Congress to continue to press the Soviet Union for compliance with international agreements on human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 1988
Designates February 1989 as America Loves Its Kids Month.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 1988
Designates February 19 through February 25, 1989, as National Visiting Nurse Associations Week.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1988
Designates the week of November 21 through November 27, 1988, as National Adoption Week.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1988
Protests Soviet human rights violations, especially its restrictive emigration regulations. Calls upon: (1) the Soviet Union to release all prisoners of conscience; and (2) the President to stress at the upcoming summit meeting in Moscow the inherent link between respect for human rights and the achievement of lasting peace.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1988
Designates November 28 through December 2, 1988, as Vocational-Technical Education Week.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1988
Veterans' Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 1988 - Title I: Educational Assistance and Vocational Rehabilitation Program Improvements - Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to make cooperative training benefits available both to veterans entitled to: (1) educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill active-duty educational assistance program; and (2) educational assistance under the post-Vietnam Era Educational Assistance program. Authorizes payment through the Veterans Administration (VA) for such training at 80 percent of the basic full-time monthly rate otherwise payable, with the member's educational assistance entitlement charged accordingly. Eliminates the reference to a high school equivalency certificate (as a requirement for eligibility for educational benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill), instead requiring that an individual have certain alternate school credentials accepted by the armed forces, pursuant to regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Defense, which are equivalent to a secondary school diploma. Provides that a person who receives an early discharge from service for a preexisting medical condition which the Administrator of Veterans Affairs determines is not service-connected and, as a result of such discharge or release, does not meet the length-of-service requirements for entitlement to educational assistance, shall be entitled to receive military pay equal to the entire amount of his or her military pay reduction previously taken for participation in such program, less any inservice educational assistance received before such release or discharge. Authorizes an individual who is eligible for educational assistance and who is separated from service prior to the completion of his or her four-year Selected Reserve obligation due to disability, hardship, or the convenience of the Government, to elect whether he or she wants to receive entitlement based on two years of active-duty obligation or to receive such entitlement based on four years of Selected Reserve duty. Authorizes the use of nonpay work training programs for veterans in State or local government agencies (currently, such veterans may only obtain such nonpay work training programs through Federal agencies), supported in whole or in part with Federal funding, to provide appropriate training or work experience for an eligible service-disabled veteran under the veterans' vocational rehabilitation program. Requires the VA to promulgate regulations to monitor and guard against abuse of such free resource by the employing agency and to ensure that such training is in the best interest of the veterans and the Federal Government. Limits the amount of educational assistance payable to a veteran under the post-Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance program when such veterans are incarcerated in a Federal, State, or local penal institution for conviction of a felony. Reduces such amount to the lesser of the amount otherwise payable or the established charges for tuition, fees, and necessary books, supplies, and equipment. Reduces such amount further to the extent tuition and fees are paid under other non-VA governmental programs. Title II: Administrative Provisions - Revises current Federal provisions which provide for the measurement of certain unit courses or subjects pursued by veterans toward a standard college degree to measure such course enrollment by converting the credit hours being pursued to equivalent clock hours, and combining this number with the actual number of clock hours concurrently pursued, if any, to determine appropriate training time to be credited to such veterans. Extends through December 31, 1993, the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education. Amends various veterans' educational assistance provisions to permit eligible veterans to receive payment for the pursuit of remedial, refresher, or deficiency courses, with an appropriate charge to that individual's total educational assistance entitlement. Provides that certain individuals' entitlement to educational assistance will be computed from the date of first entry on active duty. (Currently, the entitlement period begins on the period after the individual's basic pay is reduced for such educational assistance.) Provides for a proportionate reduction in educational assistance entitlement in accordance with the reduction in monthly educational assistance allowance paid when a veteran pursuing an apprenticeship or other on-the-job training program fails to work at least 120 hours in a month. Provides the same proportionate reduction for educational assistance benefits under the post-Vietnam Era Educational Assistance program for failure to complete 120 hours of apprenticeship or other on-the-job training in a month. Requires the Assistant Secretary for Force Management and Personnel to be an ex officio member of the Commission to Assess Veterans' Education Policy.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1988
Designates the week of November 6 through November 12, 1988, as National Disabled Americans Week.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1988
Commends: (1) the Government of Thailand for its history of humanitarian treatment of refugees; (2) the relevant senior interagency group for its recommendation that the President increase the number of Jewish and Armenian refugees admitted from the Soviet Union without decreasing the number admitted from Southeast Asia; and (3) the President for following such recommendation. Urges the Government of Thailand to reinstitute its former policy of first asylum and officially end its policy of interdiction of arriving refugee boats. Urges the Department of State to continue working with the Government of Thailand and with other governments to meet Thailand's security concerns while responding to the humanitarian needs of Southeast Asian refugees. Urges the President and the State Department to admit the full number of Southeast Asian refugees that is fixed for admission to the United States in FY 1988 and maintain the number that may be admitted in FY 1989. Urges the Government of Vietnam to expand its Orderly Departure Program and cease its occupation of Cambodia in order to stem the flow of refugees out of Vietnam and Cambodia.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 1988
Designates June 12 through June 18, 1988, as Lyme Disease Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1988
Designates the period of July 25 through July 31, 1988, as National Week of Recognition and Remembrance for Those Who Served in the Korean War. Authorizes and requests the President to urge that the American flag be flown at half staff on July 27, 1988, in honor of those Americans who died as a result of their service in Korea.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1988
Declares that the Congress recognizes the heroic acts of civilian construction workers who participated in the defense of Wake Island during its invasion by Japan between December 8 and December 23, 1941.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 1988
Local Rail Service Reauthorizing Act - Amends the Department of Transportation Act regarding local rail service assistance to authorize appropriations for FY 1989 through 1993. Decreases the Federal share of rail service assistance program costs from 70 percent to 50 percent. Provides that the Federal share of costs to rehabilitate rail properties for the purpose of facilitating rail freight service shall be 70 percent.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 1988
Designates the outpatient clinic of the Veterans Administration located in Brick Township, New Jersey, as the James J. Howard Veterans' Outpatient Clinic.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 1988
Designates October 16, 1988, as World Food Day.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1988
Comdemns the Government of Ethiopia for its use of food as a weapon, its forced resettlement program, and its human rights record. Urges: (1) the Government of Ethiopia to allow the international relief campaign to resume; (2) the Tigrean People's Liberation Front and Eritrean People's Liberation Front to cease attacks upon relief vehicles and relief distribution points; and (3) the President and Secretary of State to press the Ethiopian Government for agricultural reforms, to press for a political settlement to the Ethiopian conflict, and to engage in direct discussion with the Soviet Union to achieve that objective. Urges and authorizes the President to impose such economic sanctions upon Ethiopia as he deems appropriate if Ethiopia engages in specified activities, including forced resettlement and the diversion or denial of international relief. Directs that sanctions imposed include those which substantially affect the major exports of Ethiopia. Authorizes the imposition of sanctions which involve the prohibition or curtailment of exports to Ethiopia under, and subject to the requirements of, provisions of the Export Administration Act of 1979 relating to national security requirements. Directs the President to report to the Congress every 60 days on whether the Government of Ethiopia engaged in any of the proscribed activities and on any U.S. response to such conduct.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1988
Condemns the Government of Ethiopia for its use of food as a weapon, its forced resettlement program, and its human rights record. Urges: (1) the Government of Ethiopia to allow the international relief campaign to resume; (2) the Tigrean People's Liberation Front and Eritrean People's Liberation Front to cease attacks upon relief vehicles and relief distribution points; and (3) the President and Secretary of State to press the Ethiopian Government for agricultural reforms, to press for a political settlement to the Ethiopian conflict, and to engage in direct discussion with the Soviet Union to achieve that objective. Urges and authorizes the President to impose sanctions upon Ethiopia as he deems appropriate if Ethiopia engages in specified activities, including forced resettlement and the diversion or denial of international relief. Directs that sanctions imposed include at least two of the following: (1) prohibiting the importation of Ethiopian coffee; (2) denying nondiscriminatory (most-favored-nation) treatment to Ethiopian products; (3) prohibiting new U.S. investment in Ethiopia; and (4) prohibiting new U.S. public or private loans to the Government of Ethiopia. Directs the President to report to the Congress every 60 days on whether the Government of Ethiopia engaged in any of the proscribed activities and on any U.S. response to such conduct.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 1988
Protests Soviet human rights violations, especially the restrictive emigration regulations. Calls upon the President to use the upcoming summit meeting in Moscow to stress the inherent link between respect for human rights and the achievement of lasting peace.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 1988
Directs the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to provide visa (H-1) extensions of at least one year for alien nurses whose visas expire between January 1, 1988, and September 30, 1989.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 1988
Designates October 1988 as National Down Syndrome Month.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1988
Recycling Act of 1988 - Establishes the Center for Plastics Recycling Research of Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, in Piscataway, New Jersey, as the national center (Center) for plastics recycling. Requires that such Center: (1) establish and operate a clearinghouse of information relating to plastics; and (2) make grants to four other colleges and universities covering 50 percent of the funds required by each such college or university to assist the Center in conducting specified plastic recycling research activities, with the remaining funds being provided by the State in which such college or university is located. Authorizes appropriations for such activities for each of the first three fiscal years beginning after this Act's enactment. Directs the Secretary of Education to conduct a three-year public outreach program providing information to secondary school students, State and local governments, and the general public regarding: (1) the harmful environmental effects of the improper disposal of plastic and non-plastic wastes; (2) the importance of proper municipal waste disposal; (3) the benefits of recycling; and (4) methods to encourage voluntary recycling activities. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish and operate the National Clearinghouse on Recycling to gather, catalog, and disseminate information on recycling-related issues and activities, including: (1) current and prospective recycling technologies; (2) the development and marketing of recycled waste products; and (3) intergovernmental arrangements for the public and private management of recycling activities. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to study and report to the Congress within one year of this Act's enactment on the adverse effects of the improper disposal of paper, glass, aluminum, and other nonplastic articles on the environment and on waste disposal, and the various methods to reduce or eliminate such effects. Requires that the results of such study be integrated with the results of a plastic pollution reduction study required under the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987. Directs the EPA to make grants to State and local governments covering 50 percent of the costs of conducting demonstration projects related to recycling. Requires that at least one such grant each year be awarded to a State whose laws mandate the collection, for purposes of recycling, of two or more types of household or commercial wastes. Authorizes appropriations for such grants for three years.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 1988
Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require one of several specified health warnings to appear on the labels of bottles containing alcoholic beverages. Specifies required contents, including warnings relating alcohol consumption to birth defects, impairment of driving ability, hypertension, liver disease, and possible addiction. Directs that each such warning: (1) be in a conspicuous and prominent place on the container; (2) be randomly displayed by a manufacturer or packager in as equal a number of times as is possible on each brand of the beverage; and (3) be randomly distributed in all parts of the United States where such brand is marketed. Exempts from the foregoing requirements alcoholic beverages sold or distributed for export or for consumption outside the United States, except those sold or distributed to members of the U.S. armed forces located outside of the United States. Provides that compliance with the warning label requirements of this Act does not exempt any person from any common law duty to warn.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 1988
Declares that the Congress acknowledges and appreciates the commitment, devotion, and sacrifices of present and former military families. Designates November 21, 1988, as National Military Families Recognition Day.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 1988
Designates September 15, 1988, as National Drug Abuse Resistance Education Day.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1988
Designates the month of October 1988 as Lupus Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 1988
Omnibus McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1988 - Title I: General Provisions - Amends the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (the Act) to require the Comptroller General to make annual audits of Federal emergency management food and shelter and housing assistance programs. Title II: Interagency Council on the Homeless - Amends the Act to authorize appropriations through FY 1990 for the Interagency Council on the Homeless. Extends such Council through FY 1990. Title III: Federal Emergency Management Food and Shelter Program - Amends the Act to authorize appropriations through FY 1990 for the Federal emergency management food and shelter program. Title IV: Housing Assistance - Amends the Act to authorize appropriations through FY 1990 for the emergency shelter grants program. Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to report annually to the Congress regarding the supportive housing demonstration program. Authorizes program appropriations through FY 1990. Authorizes appropriations through FY 1990 for supplemental assistance for facilities to assist the homeless. Increases budget authority for section 8 assistance (low-income housing) for single room occupancy dwellings. Makes religious organizations or organizations with religious affiliations meeting specified conditions eligible to receive housing assistance under this title and community development block grants under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. Title V: Identification and Use of Surplus Federal Property - Amends the Act to require the Secretary to identify Federal properties to use to aid the homeless within two months of collecting such information. Title VI: Health Care for the Homeless - Subtitle A: Categorical Grants for Primary Health Services and Substance Abuse Services - Amends the Public Health Service Act to limit Federal matching funds after the first fiscal year to 66-2/3 percent of service costs with regard to grants for health assistance for the homeless. (Current law provides for 75 percent Federal funding.) Authorizes the continued provision for up to 12 months of certain health (including mental health) services to former homeless persons currently living in permanent housing. Includes persons living in transitional housing within the definition of "homeless individual" for purposes of such grants. Authorizes appropriations for such grants through FY 1991. Subtitle B: Block Grant for Community Mental Health Services - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations through FY 1991 for community mental health services block grants. Subtitle C: Authorization of Appropriations for Community Demonstration Projects - Amends the Act to authorize additional appropriations through FY 1991 for mental health services for homeless persons with chronic mental illness. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations through FY 1991 for alcohol and drug abuse treatment for homeless persons. Subtitle D: General Provisions - Sets forth effective dates for specified provisions of this title. Title VII: Education, Training, and Community Services Programs - Amends the Act to authorize appropriations through FY 1990 for the following programs for the homeless: (1) adult education; (2) education for children and youth; (3) exemplary education programs and related information dissemination; (4) job training, including a specified obligation for veterans' reintegration projects; and (5) the emergency community services homeless grant program. Title VIII: Food Assistance for the Homeless - Amends the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to make excess Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) flour, cheese, and cornmeal available through 1990. Authorizes appropriations through FY 1990 for the temporary emergency food assistance program (TEFAP) including storage and distribution costs. Increases amounts obligated for emergency feeding organizations. Extends the termination date for such programs from September 30, 1988, to September 30, 1990. Title IX: Veterans Programs - Authorizes additional appropriations through FY 1990 for veterans' medical care, including specified amounts for domiciliary care and for chronically mentally ill homeless veterans. Authorizes additional appropriations through FY 1990 (to remain available through FY 1991) for veterans' job training. Title X: Aid to Families With Dependent Children and Related Programs - Amends part A (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) of title IV of the Social Security Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to reduce Federal matching aid to families with dependent children (AFDC) in a jurisdiction where substantial progress is not being made toward reducing the number of AFDC families living in commercial or similar transient accommodations. Authorizes the Secretary to approve demonstration projects through FY 1990 under which States encourage landlords to make permanent shelter available to families receiving AFDC housing assistance by paying rent for such shelter for the first year at the rate paid for comparable commercial or similar transient accommodations and for the remainder of the lease at the applicable AFDC housing allowance.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 1988
Amends the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 to prohibit any person from dumping sewage sludge into the ocean without having obtained from the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency a permit imposing a special disposal fee for each dry ton dumped. Requires permittees to: (1) deposit 75 percent of such fees in a trust account for subsequent use on projects to eliminate ocean dumping after 1992; (2) pay 15 percent of such fees to the Administrator for sludge disposal research, reporting, and permit activities; and (3) pay ten percent of such fees to the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating for use by the Coast Guard in enforcing sewage sludge ocean dumping laws. Authorizes the Administrator to waive the fee requirement for permittees who have entered into a compliance agreement with the Administrator which phases out and terminates ocean dumping of sewage sludge by 1993 and sets forth a schedule for the implementation of an alternate sludge disposal system. Directs the Administrator to report to the Congress at six-month intervals on land-based disposal options for sewage sludge and the progress made by permittees toward the cessation of ocean dumping of such sludge. Outlaws the ocean dumping of municipal sludge after 1992. Imposes a civil fine for each dry ton of sludge dumped in violation of this Act's requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 1988
Designates May 1988 as Take Pride in America Month.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 1988
Declares that all human beings, from the moment of conception and without regard to age, health, or condition of dependency, are persons entitled to the guarantees contained in the fifth, 13th, and 14th amendments to the Constitution. Prohibits abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 1988
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Surgeon General should declare that drunk driving is a national crisis.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 1988
Expresses the concern of the House of Representatives regarding the future security of the Panama Canal. Calls on the President to renegotiate the Panama Canal Treaties to permit: (1) the permanent stationing of U.S. forces in Panama; and (2) the United States to act independently to maintain the security of the Canal and to guarantee its regular operation.