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United States · Official source
1,966 records where Rep. St Germain, Fernand J. [D-RI-1] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1985
Authorizes and requests the President to designate the week of May 12 through May 18, 1985, as Senior Center Week.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1985
Amends the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 to revise restrictions on certain imported vehicles that do not conform to Federal standards. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to exempt certain motor vehicles or equipment from such restrictions for purposes of research, investigation, study, demonstration, training, national security, competitive racing events, or completion in the United States of an incomplete foreign-built vehicle or equipment item. Authorizes the Secretaries of Transportation and of the Treasury to promulgate joint regulations which authorize the importation of non-conforming vehicles or equipment if an individual has never imported such a vehicle before and seeks to do so for personal use to meet unforeseen cases of extreme hardship or extraordinary circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1985
Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to authorize federally insured credit unions to redeem food stamp coupons.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1985
Designates November 1985 as American Liver Foundation National Liver Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1985
Authorizes and requests the President to designate the week of June 16 through June 22, 1985, as National Safety in the Workplace Week.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1985
Authorizes and requests the President to designate the week of March 10 through March 16, 1985, as National Employ-the-Older-Worker Week.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1985
Requires that funds be made available from appropriations under the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1985 to enable the National Institutes of Health to award 6,500 new and competing research grants in FY 1985.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1985
Authorizes and requests the President to designate the last Friday of April each year as National Arbor Day.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1985
Authorizes expenditures by the House Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs for the first session of the 99th Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1985
Establishes a presumption of service-connection for disability purposes for former prisoners of war suffering from the following conditions, manifest to a degree of ten percent or more after active service: (1) chronic liver disease; (2) organic residuals of hypothermia; (3) gastro-intestinal disorders; (4) arthritis; (5) cardiovascular conditions; (6) peripheral neuropathy; (7) immunological dysfunctions; or (8) chronic pulmonary disease. Decreases from six months to 30 days the amount of time a former prisoner of war must have been incarcerated to be eligible for outpatient dental services.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1985
Title I: General Accounting Office Investigation and Report - Directs the General Accounting Office to investigate the situation of displaced nationals of El Salvador, including determinations of those Salvadorans in Central America, unlawfully in the United States, or returned from the United States to El Salvador. Requires a report to the Congress. Title II: Congressional Review - Provides that such report shall be referred to the appropriate committees for hearings and committee reports. Title III: Temporary Stay of Deportation - Provides for a temporary stay of detention and deportation for specified Salvadorans presently in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1985
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit the employment of any blind person, or person with impaired sight, at less than the applicable minimum wage under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1985
Designates August 1985 as Polish American Heritage Month.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1985
Directs the President to: (1) secure from the Indochina nations a full accounting of Americans captured or missing as a result of the Vietnam conflict; and (2) work for the release of captive Americans and the return of the remains of those American servicemen and civilians who died in Southeast Asia. Requires the President to submit two reports to Congress on American POW/MIAs in Southeast Asia.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 1985
Designates 1985 as the 350th Anniversary Year of Connecticut.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 1985
Designates December 7, 1985, as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1985
Authorizes the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to issue certificates of documentation for two named vessels.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1985
Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1985 - Amends the Education Amendments of 1972, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to provide a definition of the phrase "program or activity." Defines such term as all of the operations of: (1) a department or agency of a State or of a local government; (2) the entity of such State or local government that distributes Federal assistance and each such department or agency to which the assistance is extended; (3) a university or a system of higher education; (4) a local educational agency or other school system; (5) a corporation, partnership, or other private organization; or (6) any other entity consistent with the coverage provided above.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1985
Designates the week beginning May 5, 1985, as National Correctional Officers Week.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1985
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should: (1) ensure that U.S. officials carry out the pledge to resolve the issue of the Americans still missing and unaccounted for in Indochina; (2) work for the immediate release of any Americans still held captive and the return of the remains of those who died in Southeast Asia; and (3) make every effort to secure the further cooperation of Laos and Vietnam in resolving this issue.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1985
Encourages the President's efforts to achieve deep cuts in the amounts of nuclear weapons held by each nation and to establish an enduring peace. Declares that the Congress would welcome an international agreement based on specified principles providing for: (1) the staged, proportional disarmament of all nations until nonthreatening force levels are reached under effective international inspection and control; and (2) concurrent agreements (in accordance with specified principles) providing methods for the peaceful settlement of international disputes, for effective compliance during the staged disarmament process, and for effective enforcement as nonthreatening force levels are approached. Urges the President to initiate: (1) renewed consideration of the "Joint Statement of Agreed Principles for Disarmament Negotiations" ("Joint Statement") by appropriate U.S. agencies; and (2) joint United States and Soviet reconsideration of such "Joint Statement." Requests the President to: (1) transmit copies of this resolution to the heads of government of all nations and to invite them to participate in negotiations on such an international agreement; and (2) report to the Congress on the steps taken respecting this resolution and the responses received and on the U.S. reassessment of the "Joint Statement."
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1985
Veterans' Administration Adjudication Procedure and Judicial Review Act - Title I: Adjudication Procedures - Codifies for Veterans Administration (VA) adjudication purposes the burden of proof and reasonable doubt standards currently provided for by VA regulation. States that a claimant has the burden of submitting sufficient evidence to justify his or her claim, and that if an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence exists regarding the merits of a claim, the VA is to resolve such doubt in favor of the claimant. States that VA subpoenas may be served either by personal delivery or by registered or certified mail. Requires the chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals to submit an annual report to the appropriate congressional committees concerning the Board's current handling of cases and projections for the subsequent fiscal year. Requires the Board to: (1) provide notice to a claimant and an opportunity for a hearing before a decision may be based on "additional official information" received after a Board decision has previously been made; and (2) make its decision exclusively on evidence and material of record in the proceeding. Removes the requirement that new material sufficient to allow the Board to reopen a previously disallowed claim be in the form of official reports. Provides that the Board's discretionary authority to reopen a claim will not be diminished by a judicial decision following an appeal as provided for by this Act. Requires the Board to mail to the claimant notice of its decision and the reasons for such decision. Provides that, upon the request of a claimant, the Board shall provide an independent advisory medical opinion when there exists substantial medical disagreement with respect to a material issue in a veteran's appeal. Sets forth new procedural rules for adjudication hearings regarding: (1) oaths, affirmations, and witness examination; (2) admissibility of evidence; (3) procedural rights of claimants; (4) disqualification of a hearing officer; (5) the record of the proceedings and the claimant's right to examine and obtain a copy of such record; and (6) the exclusiveness of veterans' adjudication procedures and rights prescribed by the Administrator. Requires the Administrator to provide at each stage of the appeal proceedings written notice to a claimant of the claimant's procedural rights. Directs the Administrator to conduct a study of two alternative claims resolution methods: one a new intermediate-level adjudication process; the other an enhanced schedule of formal Appeals Board hearings. Directs the Administrator to report to the Congress on such studies. Title II: Veterans Administration Rule Making - Includes the VA's rulemaking procedures under the relevant provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act. Title III: Judicial Review - Provides for judicial review of VA decisions in the Federal court system. States with regard to jurisdiction: (1) the definition of final decision; (2) that judicial review of a final decision in a claim for benefits may be obtained in a civil action brought within 180 days of the Board's mailing of notice of its decision, and that such action shall be brought in Federal district court; (3) that the VA shall file the various materials constituting the record in a case together with its answer to the claimant's complaint; (4) that the court may render a decision on the pleadings; and (5) that the judicial review procedures established under this Act shall not apply to insurance and home loans. States, with regard to the reviewing court's scope of review, that such court: (1) shall decide questions of law and interpret constitutional, statutory, and regulatory provisions, but that questions of fact (unless unsupported by substantial evidence) will not be subject to a trial de novo; and (2) in reviewing a final decision of the VA which is adverse to a party solely because such party failed to comply with VA procedures, may only review questions concerning such procedures. Sets out provisions regarding remand, survival of actions, and appellate review. Title IV: Attorneys' Fees - Authorizes the Administrator to allow attorneys' fees above the present $10 maximum if the appealing party's claim is allowed by the VA after an initial denial. States that such fee shall be the lesser of: (1) the fee agreed upon by the party and attorney; (2) $500, unless the Administrator approves a greater amount; or (3) if the party and attorney have entered into a contingent-fee agreement, not more than 25 percent of the total of any past-due benefits awarded on the basis of such party's claim. Provides for the approval of attorneys' fees in successful veterans' claims brought before a court as provided for under this Act. States that such fees shall be determined by such court, and in contingent-fee agreements such fees shall not exceed 25 percent of the total of any past-due benefits awarded on the basis of such claim. Authorizes attorneys' fees of up to $750 in certain unsuccessful veterans' claims. Prohibits the VA from authorizing payment to a claimant's attorney based on past-due benefits unless such benefits are owed as of the date of the VA's or a court's award. States that such provisions regarding attorneys' fees shall only apply to claims for benefits under the laws administered by the VA and shall not apply in cases in which the VA is the plaintiff or in which other attorneys' fees statutes are otherwise controlling. Title V: Effective Dates - Sets forth the effective dates for this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1985
United States-Mexico Joint Development Bank Act - Authorizes the President to enter into an agreement with Mexico to establish a United States-Mexico Joint Development Bank (the Bank) to make economic development loans in Mexico and in the border region of the United States. Sets forth information that shall be included in the agreement including the requirements that: (1) assistance provided by the Bank shall be directed at improving employment opportunities and enhancing the economic development of the geographic and economic sectors of Mexico which are the major sources of undocumented Mexican nationals who enter the United States; and (2) the United States and Mexico contribute equally to the Bank. Directs the President to appoint the U.S. Directors of the Bank. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury, upon the United States entering into an agreement with Mexico to establish the Bank, to subscribe to the capital stock of the Bank. Authorizes appropriations to pay for such subscription. Requires reports with respect to the operation of the Bank to be included in the first report of the National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Problems transmitted after the United States accepts participation in the Bank. Prohibits any person or agency on behalf of the United States, unless authorized by Congress, from: (1) agreeing to an increase in the U.S. subscription to the Bank; (2) agreeing to an agreement which increases U.S. obligations or which would change the Bank's purpose or functions; or (3) providing financing to the Bank.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1985
Proclaims September 8 through September 14, 1985, as National Independent Retail Grocer Week.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1985
Designates the week of March 24 through March 30, 1985, as National Skin Cancer Prevention and Detection Week.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 1985
State and Local Narcotics Control Assistance Act of 1985 - Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to States to assist States and local governments to increase their drug enforcement activities. Requires such grants to be based on the relative needs of the States, taking into consideration the severity of drug trafficking and abuse and the availability of State and local resources to resolve such problems. Establishes a procedure for grant applications. Requires such an application to include a State-wide strategy for the enforcement of State drug laws. Imposes limitations on the use of such grants, including a maximum ten percent allocation for administrative purposes. Requires each State which receives a grant to submit a yearly report to the Attorney General, who shall in turn report to the Congress with respect to such grants. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to States for developing more effective drug abuse prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation programs. Establishes a procedure for grant applications. Authorizes appropriations for both grant programs for FY 1986 through 1990.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 1985
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Treatment Act of 1985 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate 20 centers for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Requires such centers to: (1) provide a central facility for diagnosis, evaluation, and counseling; (2) develop standards of treatment and methods of delivering cost-effective services; (3) train professionals and nonprofessionals in diagnosing and treating such disorders; and (4) develop a comprehensive acute and long-term treatment program. Authorizes FY 1986 through 1990 appropriations. Directs the Secretary to make $1,000,000 available to each center for each of at least five years for teaching, training, research, and staffing. Permits eligible persons to elect to receive benefits as provided for by this Act rather than under titles XVIII (Medicare), XIX (Medicaid), or XX (Grants to States for Service) of the Social Security Act, or under the Older Americans Act of 1965.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 1985
Establishes the Veterans Administration as an executive department redesignated as the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Makes technical and conforming changes, including the redesignation of the Administrator of Veterans Affairs as the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Amends the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to require that any attorney who collects debts on behalf of a client be subject to the provisions of such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Construction Industry Labor Law Amendments of 1985 - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to provide that in the construction industry two or more business entities engaged in the same or similar work with common ownership or control shall be deemed a single employer. Applies the terms of a collective bargaining agreement regarding employees of such business entities to all other business entities comprising the same single employer within the geographical area covered by the agreement. States that collective bargaining agreements may only be repudiated after the National Labor Relations Board certifies election results in which a majority of the employees select a bargaining representative other than the representative with whom such agreement was made.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Older Persons Comprehensive Counseling Assistance Act of 1985 - Title I: General Provisions - Authorizes appropriations for FY 1982 through 1986 for specified programs under this Act. Directs the United States Commissioner on Aging, through the National Information Resource Clearinghouse for the Aging, to collect, analyze, and disseminate information related to counseling services for older persons. Title II: Counseling Assistance Programs - Requires each State desiring a grant under this Act to submit a comprehensive State plan for providing counseling assistance to the elderly. Requires such plan to conform to specified criteria. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to States having approved plans based on statewide needs and priorities. Permits the use of grants to fund counseling assistance outreach programs, preretirement counseling programs, career counseling assistance programs, referral services, community activities, and counseling for families of sick and disabled senior citizens. Sets forth requirements for State programs and for State training and retraining programs for counseling personnel. Directs the Commissioner on Aging to contract with postsecondary educational institutions and area agencies on aging for the purpose of providing needed training and retraining of counseling personnel. Directs the Commissioner on Aging to carry out a demonstration and evaluation program for specified purposes, including: (1) identification of existing effective practices in counseling older persons; (2) identification of areas where further development is needed; and (3) development of model training programs for professional counselors.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Defense Economic Adjustment Act - Title I: Defense Economic Adjustment Council - Establishes in the Executive Office of the President the Defense Economic Adjustment Council to be cochaired by the Secretaries of Commerce and Labor. Establishes in the Executive Office an Office of Economic Adjustment, headed by a Director, to provide staff support to the Council. Directs the Council to disseminate information from the Secretary of Defense to Federal, State, and local agencies concerning proposed or pending changes in defense spending which would affect employment in the defense industry. Requires the Council to perform other duties, including: (1) encouraging the preparation of plans for non-defense-related public projects; (2) coordinating and developing information on priority, federally funded projects and programs pertaining to defense economic adjustment; (3) monitoring job services information banks; and (4) determining criteria for eligibility for assistance under this Act. Directs the Secretary of Defense to provide the pertinent information to the Council a year in advance of any change and to furnish the Council with projected future defense spending levels. Directs the Council to prepare and distribute a Conversion Guidelines Handbook to outline requirements of programs for professional retraining of personnel. Title II: Community Economic Adjustment Planning - Makes eligible for Federal assistance for economic adjustment planning any community which is substantially affected by reduction or elimination of Government defense facilities or curtailment or conclusion of defense contracts. Directs the Council to make available to alternative use committees information on economic development programs of any Federal instrumentality which provides funds which may be used for planning. Requires the Council to report to Congress at least annually on any such economic development program. Directs the Council to use data from other departments to develop criteria which insure that assistance is directed to those communities which are most vulnerable economically to reductions in defense expenditures. Requires the Council to publish a semiannual list of eligible communities. Requires excess property resulting from a closing or reduction in a Government-owned facility to be appraised for purposes of resale to the community. Title III: Alternative Use Committees - Requires the establishment of alternative use committees at defense facilities to plan for economic conversion in the event of closure or reduction. Directs such committees to: (1) evaluate the assets of the facilities and the resources and requirements of the local community; (2) develop at least biennially a detailed plan for conversion of the facility to non-defense-related productive activity; and (3) provide retraining and reemployment counseling services. Requires conversion plans to maximize the pool of skills of available personnel and specify in detail the composition of the work force and plant, material, and financing requirements. Penalizes any contractor who fails to submit an alternative use plan or carry out one approved by the Council by making such contractor ineligible for future defense contracts for three years. Title IV: Economic Adjustment Assistance for Workers - Makes displaced workers certified by the local alternative use committees to the Council eligible for benefits for two years under this Act. Includes among such benefits weekly compensation, vested pension credit, maintenance of health insurance, retraining for civilian work, job search allowance, and reimbursement for relocation expenses. Requires completion of a program of professional retraining before certain employees are eligible for assistance. Directs the Council to enter into agreements with a State or agency in the State administering the unemployment compensation law to disburse benefits under this Act. Requires displaced workers to accept any employment determined by the State agency or Secretary of Labor to be comparable to the former job, or benefits will terminate. Excludes these benefits from other determinations of eligibility for unemployment compensation under any Federal or State law. Title V: Economic Adjustment Fund - Establishes in the Treasury a Workers Economic Adjustment Reserve Trust Fund. Requires defense contractors to pay a specified percentage into the Fund. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to deposit a percentage of the projected savings resulting from a cancellation or cutback in defense spending. Title VI: Use of Research Funds - Requires the Council to define urgent national requirements for nondefense sectors of the economy in any determination of the Secretary of Defense as to how certain research and development funds are to be spent. Title VII: Authorization of Appropriations - Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
School Lunch and Child Nutrition Amendments of 1985 - Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 and the National School Lunch Act to authorize FY 1985 through 1988 appropriations for: (1) the special supplemental food program for women, infants, and children (WIC); (2) State administrative expenses; (3) the nutrition education training (NET) program; (4) the childrens' summer food service program; and (5) the commodity distribution program. Increases NET authorizations. Reduces the student cost of a reduced price lunch from 40 cents to 25 cents and of a reduced price breakfast from 30 cents to 15 cents. Increases reduced meal income eligibility limits from 185 percent to 195 percent of the poverty level. Provides an additional six cents per breakfast to increase the nutritional quality of such program. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate related nutritional improvement regulations. Extends the lunch program "offer versus serve" provision to the breakfast program. Permits a child to refuse one breakfast item if such refusal option is permitted by the local school food authority. Raises the program tuition limit under such Act for private schools from $1,500 to $2,500. Requires annual inflation adjustments. Increases the number of reimbursable meals and snacks under the child care food program. Excludes certain medical expenses from household income for program eligibility purposes. Eliminates the requirement that free meal eligibility be the same as that required for food stamp eligibility. Prohibits the Secretary from requiring school lunch program income verification unless the direct cost of such verification is appropriated. Makes kindergartens in specified schools eligible for the special milk program. Establishes a tiered-payment system for the child care food program. Obligates specified food service equipment appropriations for low-income area schools. States that school food facilities and personnel may be used for nonprofit nutrition programs for the elderly. Prohibits the Secretary, through FY 1986, from reducing child nutrition benefit eligibility unless legislatively directed. Qualifies children participating in the food stamp or aid to families with dependent children (AFDC) programs for free breakfasts and lunches. Makes specified nonprofit private sponsors eligible for the summer feeding program. Increases FY 1984 WIC authorizations. Extends administrative fund allocation provisions through 1988. Directs the Secretary to apportion funds so as to insure that at least 70 percent of each fiscal year's amounts have been obligated or used by the beginning of such year's fourth quarter. Provides that such requirement shall not apply to supplemental appropriations enacted after January 1 of a fiscal year or to any reallocated funds. Prohibits States from using more than two and one-half percent of a current fiscal year's WIC appropriations for a preceding year's expenditures. Permits administrative funds to be used for technical assistance to improve State administrative systems. Includes AFDC among the programs to be coordinated with the child nutrition programs. Provides for a reduction in program paperwork. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study of the feasibility of a universal school lunch program; and (2) report to the Congress by January 1, 1988. Extends, subject to fund availability, the alternative (cash) assistance school lunch pilot study through the school year ending June 30, 1986. Requires the Secretary, subject to fund availability and upon request, to provide financial assistance to participating school districts that sustained losses due to the methodology change for the school year ending June 30, 1983. Authorizes appropriations for such purposes. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study of the State administrative expense allocation formula and procedures, including the merits of a State matching requirement; and (2) report to the Congress by January 31, 1986. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study of the effect on families of the child nutrition programs authorized under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966; and (2) report to the Congress by January 1, 1987. Prohibits a contract between a school food authority and a food service company to provide a la carte food service unless such company provides free and reduced price meals to eligible children.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Housing Act of 1985 - Sets forth specified regulatory authority of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development regarding the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Farmers Home Administration. Title I: Housing Assistance - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to increase on October 1, 1985, the aggregate amount of budget authority available for lower-income housing rental rehabilitation and development grants. Extends budget authority utilization provisions through FY 1986. Authorizes additional development grant appropriations for FY 1986. Authorizes public housing agencies to determine (with the Secretary's approval) monthly rents (as an alternative to the existing schedule) based on specified factors. Excludes from the definition of "adjusted income" ten percent of a family's income if any member of such family pays either Federal self-employment or FICA taxes. Requires Federal housing assistance contracts with public housing agencies to be for 15-year periods. Repeals the provision prohibiting new rental unit construction unless such costs are less than comparative acquisition or rehabilitation costs. Directs the Secretary within six months to: (1) issue regulations that establish a comprehensive improvement assistance program allocation and distribution system; and (2) report to the Congress regarding such program. Requires such information to be included in the Housing and Urban Development Act annual report. Amends the Housing Act of 1959 to authorize budget authority through FY 1986 for housing for the elderly and the handicapped. Limits FY 1986 loan appropriations. Prohibits a housing sponsor from requiring mandatory meal participation as a condition for occupancy. Amends the Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983 to extend the interest ceiling on loans for housing for the elderly and disabled through October 1, 1986. Authorizes FY 1986 appropriations under the Congregate Housing Service Act of 1978. Amends the National Housing Act to: (1) limit aggregate amounts for contracts entered into with the budget authority provided on October 1, 1985; and (2) extend assistance payments and housing stimulus authorities through FY 1986. Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to direct the Secretary to use a performance funding system to allocate lower-income housing project payments. Sets forth system factors, including: (1) annual inflation adjustments; (2) operating cost sharing between the Department of Housing and Urban Development and public housing agencies; (3) public housing agency reimbursement for unexpected costs; and (4) treatment of excess revenues and vacant units. Authorizes FY 1986 appropriations. Requires assistance to be paid in monthly installments, beginning by the first month of the fiscal year. Repeals income eligibility provisions. Establishes the Task Force on Family Housing Needs in Assisted Housing to examine: (1) the problems of families with children living in federally-assisted highrise buildings, or on housing waiting lists; and (2) the need for additional housing construction. Requires a report to the Congress and the Secretary within one year. States that specified assisted housing shall be developed in accordance with energy conservation standards (to be developed by the Secretary) with regard to cost-effective construction and operating costs. Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to direct the Secretary to prepare and submit to the Congress a comparative study of the impact of assistance under the rent subsidy and payment standard (voucher) programs. Requires the Secretary to: (1) include in the Housing and Urban Development Act annual report descriptions of specified characteristics of families in assisted housing; (2) and submit to the Congress a public housing management and funding report. Title II: Rural Housing - Amends the Housing Act of 1949 to authorize FY 1986 programs for: (1) elderly housing loan insurance; (2) mutual and self-help housing; and (3) specified rural housing loan insurance and guarantee authority. Authorizes FY 1986 appropriations for: (1) rehabilitation grants and loans; (2) structural repairs under the Rural Housing Insurance Fund; (3) farm labor housing; (4) multi-family unit rental assistance; (5) mutual and self-help housing; (6) site loans; (7) housing preservation; (8) rural housing loan funds; (9) low-income housing assistance; and (10) low-income home ownership and rental or cooperative housing. Requires the Secretary to issue rural housing preservation program implementing regulations within 90 days. Title III: Program Amendments and Extensions - Part A: Federal Housing Administration Mortgage Insurance Programs - Amends the National Housing Act to authorize FY 1986 programs for: (1) title I insurance; (2) general insurance; (3) low and moderate income housing insurance; (4) co-insurance; (5) graduated payment and indexed mortgage insurance; (6) armed services housing insurance; (7) land development insurance; and (8) group practice facilities insurance. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish maximum interest rates for insured mortgages and obligations; and (2) prepare and submit to the Congress a study of voluntary standards for modular homes. Part B: Flood and Crime Insurance Programs - Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to extend flood insurance and emergency implementation of flood insurance program authority through FY 1986. Amends the National Housing Act to extend crime and riot insurance program authority through FY 1986. Extends contract authority through FY 1987. Part C: Secondary Mortgage Market Programs - Amends the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act to extend the Government National Mortgage Association mortgage-backed securities program through FY 1986. Prohibits the imposition of fees on Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation transactions. Limits fees on Government National Mortgage Association transactions. Part D: Regulatory and Other Programs - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to authorize FY 1986 appropriations for urban homesteading. Amends the Housing Act of 1964 to extend rehabilitation loan authority through FY 1986. Amends the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation Act to authorize FY 1986 appropriations. Amends the Solar Energy and Energy Conservation Bank Act to authorize FY 1986 appropriations. Amends the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 to authorize FY 1986 counseling appropriations. Amends the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 to repeal the October 1, 1985, termination of authority date. Amends the Energy Conservation in Existing Buildings Act of 1976 to authorize FY 1986 weatherization program appropriations. Amends the Housing and Urban Development of 1970 to authorize FY 1986 research appropriations. Authorizes FY 1986 appropriations for the neighborhood development demonstration program. Title IV: Shelter Assistance for the Homeless and Displaced - Part A: Emergency Shelter Program - Authorizes FY 1986 emergency shelter program appropriations. Part B: Second Stage Housing for the Homeless and Displaced - Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out a demonstration program to determine the effectiveness of assisting nonprofit organizations in providing housing and supportive services for homeless persons; and (2) submit to the Congress an interim and a final report. Sets forth program requirements and FY 1986 budget authority. Title V: Nehemiah Housing Opportunity Grants - Authorizes the Secretary to provide grants to nonprofit organizations to carry out a Nehemiah housing opportunity program to provide loans to families purchasing approved constructed or rehabilitated homes. Requires an annual report to the Congress. Requires that each loan: (1) be secured by a second mortgage held by the Secretary; (2) not exceed $15,000; (3) be interest-free; and (4) be repayable to the Secretary upon the transfer of such property to an ineligible family under specified circumstances. Sets forth related program requirements, conditions of assistance, and selection criteria. Establishes in the Treasury the Nehemiah Housing Opportunity Fund. Authorizes FY 1986 appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Electric Consumers Protection Act of 1985 - Amends the Federal Power Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue a new license to an existing licensee for a hydroelectric project authorized under such Act if the United States does not, upon the expiration of the existing license, exercise its right to take over, maintain, and operate such licensee's project, unless the Commission determines that such licensee's project will not meet the licensing standards under such Act. Provides that if the Commission determines that such licensee's project does not meet such standards, the Commission is authorized to issue a new license to a new licensee which may cover the existing licensee's project provided that the new licensee pays just compensation determined by the Commission and enters into any contracts required under the Federal Power Act. (Under current law, the Commission is authorized to issue a new license to the original licensee or a new license to a new licensee if the United States does not exercise its rights with respect to an expired license.)
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act of 1985 - Amends the Federal criminal code to define "armor piercing ammunition." Excludes from the definition: (1) shotgun shot composed in order to comply with Federal or State law; (2) frangible projectiles for target shooting; (3) ammunition containing frangible projectiles; and (4) any ammunition or projectiles which the Secretary of the Treasury determines are primarily intended for sporting purposes. Makes it unlawful for any person to manufacture or import armor piercing ammunition. Allows: (1) the manufacture or importation of armor piercing ammunition for the use of the United States or any State or local government; (2) manufacture for the sole purpose of exportation; or (3) manufacture or importation for the purposes of testing and experimentation authorized by the Secretary. Establishes a licensing fee of $1,000 per year for manufacturers and importers of armor piercing ammunition. Authorizes the Secretary to revoke a license from a dealer for violating this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Commemorative Coin Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to issue a specified number of: (1) five dollar gold coins, emblematic of the centennial of the Statue of Liberty; (2) one dollar silver coins, emblematic of the use of Ellis Island; and (3) half dollar coins, emblematic of the contributions of immigrants to America. Sets forth certain features of such coins; and provides for their sale and issuance. Provides for the distribution and use of such sale funds to the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation. Terminates the minting of such coins on December 31, 1986.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Bank Definition Act of 1985 - Amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 to redefine the term "bank" to: (1) include an insured bank as defined under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act; and (2) exclude specified depository institutions as defined under the Federal Reserve Act, any foreign bank having an insured or uninsured branch in the United States, and any institution which functions solely in a trust or fiduciary capacity, with specified exceptions. Sets forth transitional provisions with respect to entities affected by such definitional change.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Reform Act of 1985 - Revises the formula for the payment of dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) to the surviving spouses of veterans who die on active duty. Adds a formula for postservice DIC based on the percentage of service-connected disability (at time of death) of the person upon whose death entitlement is predicated. Adds a formula of inservice DIC based upon the amount of active duty served by the person now deceased. Provides for the election of the revised DIC for those persons awarded DIC effective before December 1, 1985.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Federal Employees Health Benefits Reform Act of 1985 - Increases the amount of the Government's contribution for an employee enrolled in an employee health benefits plan from 60 to 75 percent of the average subscription charge for such plan. Increases the maximum Government contribution for an enrollee from 75 to 100 percent of such subscription charge. Requires payment of a Government differential equal to five percent of the average subscription charge, in addition to the Government's contribution, for any enrollee who is over 65 years of age and not entitled to Medicare benefits. Excludes such differential in determining the amount to be paid by the enrollee. Permits the following persons to elect to continue coverage under a Federal employees' health benefits plan for a specified period: (1) an employee who is involuntarily separated from the civil service due to a reduction in force; (2) an individual who elects to receive the lump-sum credit for civil service retirement benefits; and (3) an individual 22 years of age or older whose enrollment was based on such individual's being an unmarried child who was incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical disability which existed and did not terminate before the individual attained the age of 22. Requires such persons who elect to continue coverage to pay into the Employees Health Benefits Fund an amount equal to the sum of employee and agency contributions paid for the same level of benefits. Allows such a person to: (1) change to a lower level of benefits; (2) change coverage within 60 days after a change in family status; and (3) transfer enrollment to another plan under conditions prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Provides a temporary extension of coverage to allow persons who elected not to continue coverage or whose continued coverage is terminated to convert to a nongroup contract providing health benefits. Allows annuitants whose annuity is less than the amount required to be withheld for enrollment in a health benefits plan to pay the amount of any deficiency required for enrollment. Requires contracts for employee organization plans to require carriers to: (1) reinsure with other participating companies; (2) enter into an agreement approved by OPM with an underwriting subcontractor licensed to issue group health insurance in all States and the District of Columbia; and (3) meet minimum financial standards prescribed by OPM. Requires the service benefit plan and the indemnity benefit plan to provide, in addition to all currently authorized benefits: (1) nervous and mental disorder benefits; (2) alcoholism and substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation benefits; and (3) comprehensive dental benefits. Prohibits the OPM from entering into a contract for any service benefit, indemnity benefit, or employee organization plan which does not provide for 50 outpatient visits and 60 inpatient days of nervous and mental disorder benefits and two 28-day alcoholism treatment and rehabilitation benefits. Requires any limits on nervous and mental disorder benefits to be exceeded on a case by case basis only to the extent that a peer review mechanism determines such treatment to be necessary. Requires 80 percent of such excessive benefit claims to be paid from the balance of one percent of all contributions to the Employees Health Benefits Fund remaining after the expenses of administering provisions governing Federal employees health benefit plans are paid. Prohibits the OPM from entering into a contract with a carrier for any health benefits plan which does not provide 95 percent of the benefits that such plan or the most similar plan provided during the preceding year, unless the carrier and the OPM mutually agree to waive such requirement. Directs the OPM to: (1) provide a three week period during which enrollees in health benefits plans may change or cancel their enrollments before any contract term in which the rates or benefits of a plan will change, a new plan will be offered, or an existing plan will be terminated; and (2) make available to such enrollees information on such plans at least four weeks before such open enrollment period. Prohibits the OPM from entering into a contract for a health benefits plan which excludes anyone because of nonactive employee status. Eliminates the requirement that the group of physicians under a group-practice prepayment plan include physicians representing at least three major medical specialties.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
African Famine Relief and Recovery Act of 1985 - Title I: Authorizations of Appropriations - Authorizes supplemental appropriations for FY 1985 for famine relief in Africa for: (1) agricultural development programs; (2) international disaster assistance programs; (3) development program operating expenses; and (4) the Migration and Refugee Assistance account of the State Department. Title II: Appropriations - Makes supplemental appropriations for FY 1985 to: (1) the Department of Agriculture for Public Law 480; (2) the Agency for International Development for specified agriculture, rural development, and nutrition programs, for international disaster assistance, and for operating expenses; and (3) the Department of State for migration and refugee assistance. Declares that funds appropriated for Public Law 480, for agriculture, rural development, and nutrition programs (other than funds for rehabilitation and recovery projects), and for international disaster assistance shall be available only for those African countries which suffer from exceptional food supply problems in 1985 due to drought and other calamities. Permits the use of Public Law 480 funds to reimburse certain ongoing famine relief programs. Declares that funds for rehabilitation and recovery projects and for migration and refugee assistance shall be available only to those African countries which have suffered in the last two years from exceptional food supply problems due to drought and other calamities.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to provide that a beneficiary shall be entitled to a prorated benefit for the month in which he or she dies.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
World War I Veterans' Pension Act of 1985 - Requires the Administrator of Veterans Affairs to pay (in addition to any pension already paid) a monthly pension of $150: (1) to each veteran of World War I who meets specified service requirements; (2) to the surviving spouse of each such veteran; or (3) when there is no surviving spouse, to the child or children of each such veteran.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
States that the President should, at the earliest possible date: (1) request Senate advice and consent to ratification of the Threshold Test Ban and Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaties; and (2) propose to the Soviet Union the resumption of negotiations toward conclusion of a verifiable comprehensive test ban treaty.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Establishes in the House of Representatives the Select Committee on Hunger to conduct a continuing comprehensive study of the problems of hunger and malnutrition. Requires an annual report from such committee, including a summary of its activities.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Establishes in the House of Representatives the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families to conduct a comprehensive study and review of the problems of children, youth, and families.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Declares that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that neither the President nor the Congress should impose any import fees on the importation of any crude oil or refined petroleum products.
United States · United States Congress · 9 August 1984
Designates the month of October 1984 as National Head Injury Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 1984
Construction Industry Labor Law Amendments of 1984 - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to provide that in the construction industry two or more business entities engaged in the same or similar work with common ownership or control shall be deemed a single employer. Applies the terms of a collective bargaining agreement regarding employees of such business entities to all other business entities comprising the same single employer within the geographical area covered by the agreement. States that collective bargaining agreements may only be repudiated after the National Labor Relations Board certifies election results in which a majority of the employees select a bargaining representative other than the representative with whom such agreement was made.