To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the excise tax on telephone and other communication services.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2000
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2,170 records where Rep. Thurman, Karen L. [D-FL-5] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2000
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United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2000
Medicare Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant Direct Reimbursement Act of 2000 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of surgical first assisting services furnished by certified registered nurse first assistants. Provides for payment of such nurses on an assignment-related basis. Excludes services of such nurses from the definition of "covered skilled nursing facility services" for purposes of applying a prospective payment formula for such services. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to reduce the amount of Medicare payments otherwise made to hospitals to eliminate estimated duplicate payments for historical or current costs attributable to surgical first assisting services furnished by certified registered nurse first assistants. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on recommendations for adjustments to the payment amounts established under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of Medicare for surgical first assisting services furnished by such nurses to ensure that the payment amounts reflect the approximate costs of furnishing such services, taking into account the costs of compensation, overhead, and supervision attributable to such nurses.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2000
Reserve Employer Tax Credit Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide: (1) employers a business tax credit for a portion of compensation that was not paid with respect to members of the military reserves who were absent from work on qualified reserve duty; (2) a comparable credit for participating self-employed individuals; and (3) for the deduction of certain expenses paid or incurred by members of a Reserve component of the armed forces.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2000
Urges the President to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against oil- producing nations for violating their obligations under WTO rules.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2000
Microbicides Development Act of 2000 - Title I: Microbicide Research at the National Institutes of Health - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH activities with respect to research on the development of microbicides to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV. Requires NIH to establish a program to support research to develop microbicides that can substantially reduce transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Microbicide Research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Amends the PHSA to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to expand, intensify, and coordinate activities of the Centers with respect to research on microbicides to prevent the transmission of STDs, including HIV. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2000
Medicare Wellness Act of 2000 - Title I: Healthy Seniors Promotion Program - Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a Healthy Seniors Working Group to establish policies and criteria for the HHS Secretary to make grants to approved applicants to study specified approaches to further health promotion and disease prevention among the elderly. (Sec. 101) Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 102) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) should encourage inclusion of preventive health measures in all Medicare treatments; (2) HCFA should expand the study of the most promising behavioral modification of risk factors associated with health promotion and disease prevention for all Medicare beneficiaries; and (3) the National Library of Medicine should establish a Medicare health promotion and disease prevention intervention clearinghouse. Title II: Medicare Coverage of Preventive Services - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to outline Medicare coverage of various specified preventive services, including: (1) counseling for cessation of tobacco use; (2) screening for hypertension; (3) counseling for hormone replacement therapy; (4) screening for glaucoma and for diminished visual acuity; and (5) screening and counseling for osteoporosis. (Sec. 209) Extends Medicare coverage to medical nutrition therapy services for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, a cardiovascular disease, or a renal disease. (Sec. 210) Waives coinsurance and deductibles for certain preventive services, such as: (1) diabetes outpatient self-management training services; (2) colorectal and prostate cancer screening tests; and (3) bone mass measurement. (Sec. 211) Directs the Secretary to conduct a national falls prevention and awareness campaign to reduce fall-related injuries among Medicare beneficiaries and to integrate specified preventive benefits added by this Act with existing program integrity measures. Title III: Medicare Health Education and Risk Appraisal Program - Amends SSA title XVIII to direct the HHS Secretary to: (1) establish a health education and risk appraisal program to inform certain target individuals, including Medicare beneficiaries, of described major behavioral risk factors through self-assessment; and (2) conduct periodic followups. Title IV: Disease Self-Management Demonstration Projects - Establishes in HHS a Disease Self-Management Working Group. Directs the HHS Secretary to conduct demonstration projects to promote disease self-management for conditions identified by the Group for described target individuals. Provides funding. Title V: Studies and Reports Advancing Original Research in the Field of Disease Prevention and the Elderly - Amends SSA title XVIII to revise reporting requirements for the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. (Sec. 502) Directs the Director of the National Institutes on Aging to conduct one or more studies, for associated reports to the HHS Secretary and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, that focus on ways to: (1) improve quality of life for the elderly; (2) develop better ways to prevent or delay the onset of age-related functional decline and disease and disability among the elderly; and (3) develop means of assessing the long-term development of cost-effective benefits and cost-saving benefits for health promotion and disease prevention among the elderly. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 503) Directs the HHS Secretary to contract with the Institute to study and report to the President and Congress on health promotion and disease prevention among Medicare beneficiaries. (Sec. 504) Provides for fast-track consideration of prevention benefit legislation in the House of Representatives and in the Senate. Title VI: Clinical Depression Screening Demonstration Projects - Directs the Secretary to conduct demonstration projects for the purpose of evaluating the efficacy of providing annual screenings for clinical depression as a Medicare benefit. Provides funding.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2000
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend, through December 31, 2005, the duty on certain steam or other vapor generating boilers used in nuclear facilities. Provides for the liquidation or reliquidation (refund) of duty on such items that are entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption during a specified period of time.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2000
State and Local Law Enforcement Discipline, Accountability, and Due Process Act of 2000 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to set forth the due process rights, including procedures, that shall be afforded a law enforcement officer (officer) who is the subject of an investigation or disciplinary hearing. Makes this Act inapplicable to: (1) an investigation of specifically alleged conduct by an officer that, if proven, would constitute a definite violation of a statute providing for criminal penalties; or (2) a non-disciplinary action taken in good faith on the basis of an officer's employment-related performance. Declares that an officer shall not be: (1) prohibited from engaging in political activity or be denied the right to refrain from engaging in such activity, except when on duty or acting in an official capacity; and (2) prohibited from being a candidate for an elective office or from serving in such elective office solely because of the officer's status as an officer, or required to resign or take an unpaid leave from employment with a law enforcement agency (agency) to be a candidate for an elective office or to serve in an elective office unless such service is determined to conflict with or be incompatible with service as an officer. Considers an action by a public agency against an officer, including requiring the officer to take unpaid leave from employment, in violation of this Act to be an adverse personnel action. Requires each agency to adopt and thereafter comply with a written complaint procedure that: (1) authorizes persons from outside the agency to submit written complaints about an officer to the agency employing the officer, or to any other agency charged with investigating such complaints; (2) sets forth the procedures for the investigation and disposition of such complaints; (3) provides for public access to required forms and other information concerning the submission and disposition of written complaints; and (4) requires notification to the complainant in writing of the final disposition of the complaint and the reasons for such disposition. Requires (with exceptions) that an investigation based on a complaint from outside the agency commence not later than 15 days after receipt of the complaint by the agency employing the officer against whom the complaint has been made, or any other agency charged with investigating such complaint. Prohibits the complainant or victim of the alleged violation of law giving rise to an investigation from conducting or supervising the investigation or serving as an investigator. Directs that any officer who is the subject of an investigation be notified of the investigation 24 hours prior to the commencement of questioning or to otherwise being required to provide information to an investigating agency. Specifies that such notice shall include: (1) the nature and scope of the investigation; (2) a description of any allegation contained in a written complaint; (3) a description of each violation of law alleged in the complaint for which suspicion exists that the officer may have engaged in conduct that may subject the officer to disciplinary action; and (4) the name, rank, and command of the officer or any other individual who will be conducting the investigation. Establishes rights of officers prior to and during questioning incidental to an investigation, including provisions regarding: (1) counsel and representation; (2) reasonable hours and time; (3) place of questioning; (4) identification of questioner; (5) single questioner; (6) reasonable time period; (7) absence of threats, false statements, or promises to be made (with an exception); (8) recording; and (9) use of honesty testing devices (prohibits compelled submission to the use of a lie detector). Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) notice of investigative findings and disciplinary recommendation, and opportunity to submit a written response; (2) conduct of a disciplinary hearing; (3) waiver of rights; (4) summary punishment; (5) emergency suspension; (6) retaliation for exercising rights; (7) other remedies (not impaired); (8) declaratory and injunctive relief; (9) protection of officer personnel files; (10) States' rights; and (11) collective bargaining agreements. (Sec. 4) Specifies that nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize any U.S. department, agency, officer, or employee to exercise any direction, supervision, or control of any police force or criminal justice agency of any State or political subdivision thereof.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2000
Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a deduction for eligible long-term care insurance premiums for a taxpayer and the taxpayer's spouse and dependents; and (2) a credit for eligible caregivers caring for certain individuals with long-term care needs.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2000
Pregnancy Discrimination Act Amendments of 2000 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include lactation (including expression of milk) within the definitions of "because of sex" or "on the basis of sex" for purposes of such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2000
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) music education enhances intellectual development and enriches the academic environment for children of all ages; and (2) music educators greatly contribute to the artistic, intellectual, and social development of children, and play a key role in helping children to succeed in school.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2000
Amends Federal law to require the Postal Service to establish a special rate of postage for first class mail that is up to 25 percent higher than the regular rate as a voluntary alternative that the public may use to contribute to funding for organ and tissue donation awareness. Requires collected amounts to be paid to the Department of Health and Human Services. Expresses the sense of the Congress that nothing in this Act should: (1) cause a net decrease in total funds received by the Department of Health and Human Services or any other Federal agency below the level that would have otherwise been received but for this Act's enactment; or (2) affect first-class or other regular postage rates. Requires special postage stamps to be made available to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2000
Health Insurance Liability Recovery Protection Act of 2000 - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group health insurance coverage from recovering from a participant or beneficiary more than the amounts expended by the plan or issuer on behalf of the participant or beneficiary in the case of amounts recovered as a result of a settlement or judgment in a liability or other action. Amends the PHSA to apply the preceding prohibition to health insurance coverage offered by an issuer in the individual market in the same manner as it is applied to group health plan coverage in the group market. Provides for coordination between the Secretaries of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services with respect to administration of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2000
Truthfulness, Responsibility, and Accountability in Contracting Act - Prohibits any Federal agency from making a decision to privatize, outsource, contract out, or contract for the performance of a function currently performed by such agency or to conduct a study to convert a function from Federal to contractor performance. Authorizes any agency to apply to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget for a waiver of such prohibition with respect to a particular function. Authorizes the Director to grant such waiver when: (1) necessary for the preservation of national security; (2) critical for the provision of patient care; or (3) necessary to prevent extraordinary economic harm. Requires waiver requests to be published in the Federal Register. Provides additional exceptions for functions with respect to which a labor organization is accorded exclusive recognition. (Sec. 5) Requires each agency to: (1) establish a centralized reporting system that allows it to generate periodic reports on its contracting efforts during the preceding and current fiscal years; and (2) generate and annually submit to the Director such reports. Requires each agency to report to specified congressional committees on the number of Federal employee positions and positions held by non-Federal employees under a contract between such agency and an individual or entity that has been subject to public-private competition. Requires such reports to be made available through the Internet. (Sec. 6) Requires, after the termination of the contracting prohibition, any decision by an agency to privatize, outsource, or contract out for the performance of a function to be based on the results of a public-private competition process that: (1) formally compares the costs of Federal employee performance of such function with the costs of performance by a contractor; (2) employs the most efficient organizational process; and (3) is conducted in consultation or through bargaining with the exclusive representative of the Federal employees performing the function, if applicable. (Sec. 7) Requires an agency to either conduct a new public-private competition or convert a function to performance by Federal employees if a report indicates that: (1) contracting out costs exceed costs of performance by Federal employees; or (2) contracting out fails to meet quality control standards. (Sec. 8) Directs the Secretary of Labor to conduct a survey of the wages and quantifiable benefits provided by contractors to non-Federal personnel working under contract and to report survey results to specified congressional committees. Requires the Director to review the survey and report findings. (Sec. 9) Requires the Comptroller General to report on compliance by Federal agencies with requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2000
Amends the Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1997 to provide for direct foreign student payment to the Attorney General of the required information fee under the foreign student and exchange program participant information collection program. (Currently such fee is collected and remitted by the institution of higher education or the exchange program.)
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2000
Medicaid Safety Net Hospital Preservation Act of 2000 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, with respect to adjustments in payments for inpatient hospital services furnished by disproportionate share (DSH) hospitals, to require DSH allotments for FY 2002 to be equal to the State allotment for FY 2000. Sets the DSH allotment for FY 2001 and for FY 2002 at the FY 2000 level.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2000
High-Speed Rail Investment Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a limited tax credit to holders of qualified intercity passenger rail carrier bonds. Sets forth definitions, State matching requirements, and other rules.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2000
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Federal government should: (1) promote the continued use of renewable ethanol in the Chicago reformulated gasoline market and in other reformulated gasoline areas as a means of enhancing energy security and supporting farm income; (2) allow State and local governments the option of limiting the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) as an oxygenate until those governments are certain that MTBE will not harm their environments; and (3) require the Environmental Protection Agency to revise the Phase II reformulated gasoline regulations under the Clean Air Act to allow ethanol to remain a viable oxygenate within the Act's reformulated gasoline program.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2000
2002 Winter Olympic Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue five dollar gold coins and one dollar silver coins emblematic of the participation of American athletes in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Mandates that coin design be selected by the Secretary after consultation with: (1) the Commission of Fine Arts; (2) the United States Olympic Committee; and (3) Olympic Properties of the United States-Salt Lake 2002 (created and owned by the Salt Lake Organizing Committee). States that all surcharges from the coin sales ($35 for a $5 coin and $10 for a $1 coin) shall be distributed by the Secretary to: (1) Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games of 2002; and (2) the United States Olympic Committee.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2000
United States-Panama Partnership Act of 2000 - Authorizes the President to certify and report to specified congressional committees that the United States and the Government of Panama have reached an agreement permitting the United States, for a period of not less than 15 years, to maintain a presence, alone or in conjunction with other friendly countries, sufficient to carry out counternarcotics, search and rescue, logistical, training, and related missions at Howard Air Force Base, Fort Kobbe, Rodman Naval Station, and Fort Sherman, under terms similar to those applied to the U.S. presence at those facilities during the period from October 1, 1979, to December 31, 1999. (Sec. 4) Authorizes certain assistance to Panama upon the President's certification and report, including: (1) grants for the construction of a new bridge across the Panama Canal and the construction of a new sewage treatment plant for Panama City; (2) an allocation of funds each year to the Cooperative Association of States for Scholarships program for scholarships for deserving students from Panama to study in the United States; and (3) certain preferential and duty-free treatment of, and no quantitative restrictions on, certain textile and apparel products (including certain other products) from Panama. Sets forth penalties and requirements for illegal transshipments and circumvention of existing quotas with respect to such products.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2000
Law Enforcement Officers Privacy Protection Act - Amends rule 26 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to authorize: (1) a party to obtain discovery of law enforcement personnel records otherwise discoverable only upon a showing that there exists a reasonable basis, supported by facts, for contending that the records sought are necessary and material to an issue involved in the pending action; and (2) the court, in its discretion and after in camera review of such records, to order discovery of such records when the required showing has been made, subject to a protection order. Prohibits a party from obtaining discovery of any matter by reason of its relevance with respect to, or its use in leading to the discovery of admissible evidence as to, the existence of the reasonable basis. Defines: (1) "law enforcement personnel records" to include documents that evaluate an officer's performance or a candidate's qualifications or that contain information of a personal nature about the office or the officer's family; and (2) "law enforcement officer" to include police, corrections, probation, parole, and judicial officers.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2000
Campaign Integrity Act of 2000 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions regarding tax-exempt organizations to expand the definition of "political organization" to require such an organization, in order to be defined as such, to file an annual statement certifying compliance with reporting requirements under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) added by this Act. Excepts from such filing requirement: (1) organizations which exist for the exclusive purpose of influencing the appointment of any individual to a State, local, or Federal public office or office in a political organization; (2) a group of persons (other than a separate segregated fund established under FECA) which accepts contributions or makes expenditures during a calendar year of less than $5,000; or (3) political committees as defined under FECA. Prohibits an organization from being treated as one described under (1) above if it makes payments for certain communications which mention a clearly identified candidate for election for Federal office or contain the likeness of such candidate during an election cycle. Amends FECA to provide that, for purposes of Internal Revenue Code provisions regarding tax-exempt political organizations, a political organization is in compliance if it files with the Federal Election Commission: (1) a statement of organization no later than ten days after receiving or spending an aggregate amount equal to or greater than $5,000 during the year for an exempt function described under the Code; and (2) reports of its receipts and disbursements at the same time and in the same manner as reports are filed by political committees under existing FECA requirements. Describes contents of such statement and report.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2000
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the United States-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement of 1996 should terminate on a specified date, with no extension or further quota agreement; and (2) the President should consult with appropriate stakeholders and continue discussions with the Government of Canada to promote open trade of softwood lumber between Canada and the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2000
Improved Medical Care for Troops and Retirees Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, Federal armed forces law, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998, and the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 to provide, among other things, for: (1) making permanent the current Medicare subvention demonstration project for military retirees and dependents; (2) extending the Federal Employees Health Benefits Optional Demonstration Project; (3) entitling family members of members of the armed forces assigned to certain duty locations far from sources of care to the medical and dental care otherwise available to such member in any facility of any uniformed service; (4) requiring the pharmacy benefits provided under the redesigned pharmacy system under the TRICARE program (a managed health care program of the armed forces) to be at least equivalent to those provided under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993; and (5) eliminating copayments under TRICARE Prime, and imposing a reduction in the catastrophic cap under TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra. Authorizes appropriations for the redesigned pharmacy system under the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2000
Ombudsman Reauthorization Act of 2000 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to extend the termination date for the Office of Ombudsman to the date ten years after this Act's enactment. (Current law provides for termination four years after November 8, 1984.) Requires the Ombudsman to report to Congress on the status of health and environmental concerns addressed by cases brought before the Ombudsman and recommend improvements to the hazardous waste programs for which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry are responsible. Directs the EPA Administrator to facilitate the structuring of the Office to conform to the structure reflected in the Model Ombudsman Statute of the American Bar Association.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2000
Authorizes the President, on behalf of Congress, to present a gold medal to Charles M. Schulz, in recognition of his lasting artistic contributions to the Nation and the world. Authorizes a specified amount to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund to pay for the costs of such medals. Mandates that sales proceeds from duplicate bronze medals be deposited into such Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2000
Saving Women's Lives through International Family Planning Act of 2000 - Authorizes appropriations for U.S. voluntary contributions to international organizations and programs, including the United Nations Environmental Fund for support of international measures to protect and improve the environment. Earmarks amounts for the United Nations Population Fund. Authorizes appropriations for certain population planning activities. Prohibits the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, in determining eligibility of nongovernmental and multilateral organizations for population planning assistance or other population assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, from applying requirements to such organizations more restrictive than requirements applicable to foreign governments for such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2000
Broken Promises Retiree Health Coverage Act of 2000 - Title I: Access to Medicare For Individuals Losing Retiree Health Coverage - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to make certain individuals between the ages of 55 and 65 eligible to enroll in Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) if the individual was covered as a qualified retiree under a group health plan which terminated such coverage. Outlines premium requirements. Provides for an open enrollment period under the Medicare supplemental health insurance policies (Medigap) program for certain retired workers enrolled in Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) and entitled to benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) whose coverage under a group health plan is terminated. Title II: COBRA Protections for Early Retirees - Subtitle A: Amendments to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) continuation coverage for certain retired workers whose coverage under a group health plan is terminated. Sets forth a special rule for certain dependents in such case as well as permits an increased level of premiums. Subtitle B: Amendments to the Public Health Service Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to set forth requirements analogous to those under subtitle A. Subtitle C: Amends to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to set forth requirements analogous to those under subtitle B. Title III: Notice Requirements - Amends ERISA and the IRC to mandate that advance notice of any material reduction in covered services or benefits provided under a group health plan relating to retiree health benefits be furnished to participants and beneficiaries as well as to the Secretary of Labor. Prescribes a civil penalty for violations of this title.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2000
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives in support of a National Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2000
Installment Tax Correction Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (as amended by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999) to repeal revisions to the Code (made by the Act) which repealed the use of the installment method of accounting for accrual method taxpayers and modified the pledge rules of installment obligations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2000
Authorizes presentation of a gold medal on behalf of Congress to former President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy Reagan. Authorizes specified sums to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund for medal costs. Mandates that sale proceeds from duplicate bronze medals be deposited into such Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2000
Requires the metal content of the Medal of Honor, awarded by the President to members of the armed forces and Coast Guard, to be 90 percent gold and ten percent alloy.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2000
Agricultural Market Access and Development Act of 2000 - Amends the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to increase FY 2000 through 2002 funding caps for the market access program. Authorizes and sets forth the conditions under which unexpended Commodity Credit Corporation export enhancement program funds may be used for market access or development programs. Establishes FY 2000 through 2002 minimum funding amounts for the foreign market development cooperator program.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2000
Declares that Congress supports the goals and ideas of National Donor Day. Encourages all Americans to learn about the importance of organ, tissue, bone marrow, and blood donation and to discuss such donation with their families and friends.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2000
Hospital Preservation and Equity Act of 2000 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), as amended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999 with regard to the one year sole community hospital payment increase, to reset the applicable percentage increase for FY 2001 and each subsequent fiscal year to the market basket percentage increase for hospitals in all areas for purposes of updating payments to prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals for inpatient hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2000
Appropriates additional funds for FY 2000 for necessary expenses to conduct the 2000 decennial census. Conditions the availability of such funds for obligation or expenditure on the Secretary of Commerce first submitting to Congress a written determination that: (1) those funds are necessary to obtain an accurate and timely 2000 decennial census; and (2) sufficient funds are not otherwise available for the purposes involved. Permits a member of the uniformed services to be appointed to and compensated for service in a 2000 census position without regard to the member's duty status, including status on active duty. Provides that such an appointment shall not affect the member's uniformed service status or pay and allowances. Prohibits taking into account the acceptance of an appointment to a 2000 census position for purposes of applying requirements pertaining to the repayment of a voluntary separation incentive payment by reason of an individual's accepting subsequent reemployment with the Government or any other similar provision of law, rule, or regulation. Prohibits the earning or receipt of compensation for service performed by an individual in a 2000 census position from causing: (1) any individual to become ineligible for any benefits provided under any Federal program or any State, or local program financed with Federal funds; or (2) a reduction in the amount of any such benefits. Declares that nothing in such provision shall be considered to apply with respect to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2000
Student Athlete Protection Act - Amends the Federal judicial code to include as unlawful sports gambling a lottery, sweepstakes, or other betting, gambling, or wagering scheme based, directly or indirectly, on one or more: (1) competitive games in which high school or college athletes participate; (2) performances of high school or college athletes in competitive games; or (3) competitive games at the Summer or Winter Olympics.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2000
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Includes as an employee, for purposes of Federal provisions authorizing enrollment under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: (1) a member of the armed forces who began service before June 7, 1956, and retired after a minimum of 20 years of such service or by reason of a service-connected disability; and (2) the surviving widow or widower of such member. Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide FEHB coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member entitled to military retired or retainer pay; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member; and (5) a family member of such member. Repeals a provision prohibiting coverage under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services for persons entitled to hospital insurance benefits under part A of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2000
Expresses support for Federal funding directed toward human pluripotent stem cell research to further research into Parkinson's disease and other medical conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2000
Recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, and expresses the gratitude of the American people for the service of members of the armed forces during such War.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2000
Food Equality Detection Act of 2000 - Prohibits the importation of foreign agricultural products that do not meet U.S. domestic: (1) sanitary and phytosanitary standards; and (2) control or inspection procedures. Defines specified terms.
United States · United States Congress · 22 November 1999
Amends provisions of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 to extend the same public safety officer survivor tax benefits to survivors of officers killed in the line of duty before December 31, 1996, as are available to the survivors of officers killed after such date.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include landfill gas as a renewable source for purposes of the business credit for electricity produced from certain renewable resources.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Commends the past and present personnel of the submarine force of the U.S. Navy for their technical excellence, accomplishments, professionalism, and sacrifices. Congratulates them for the 100 years of exemplary service that they have provided the United States. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that, in the next millennium, the submarine force should continue to constitute an integral part of the Navy, and to carry out missions that are key to maintaining the Nation's freedom and security as the superior submarine force in the world.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1999
Trade Enhancement Act of 1999 - Title I: Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures That Deny Market Access - Special 301 for Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Act - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to direct the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to identify and publish in the Federal Register: (1) those foreign countries that maintain sanitary or phytosanitary measures that deny fair and equitable market access to United States food, beverage, or other plant or animal products; and (2) those foreign countries so identified that are determined by the USTR to be priority foreign countries. Subjects priority foreign countries to requirements for investigation and specified possible action. Makes it a factor in the determination whether to designate a country as a beneficiary developing country the extent to which such country has ensured that all sanitary and phytosanitary measures in force are based on a scientific justification. Title II: Foreign Private and Public-Private Market Access Barriers - Market Access and Structural Reform Act of 1999 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to make an act, policy, or practice unjustifiable if it constitutes fostering by a foreign government of systematic anticompetitive activities by persons or among persons in one or more foreign countries that have the effect of restricting, on a basis inconsistent with commercial considerations, access of U.S. goods or services to a foreign market or diverting foreign goods or services toward the U.S. market. Makes it an unreasonable act, policy, and practice for a foreign government to tolerate such systematic anticompetitive activities. Requires the USTR, in addition to determining what action to take with respect to any act, policy, or practice found unjustifiable or unreasonable, to: (1) further determine whether there is reason to believe that the conduct of the foreign country concerned involves anticompetitive conduct engaged in by any natural or corporate person or persons; and (2) if so, refer the matter to the Attorney General for investigation into whether such conduct violates the Sherman Act. Amends the Sherman Act to require the Attorney General to: (1) conduct such an investigation if the USTR refers such a matter; and (2) commence an action in a U.S. district court seeking injunctive and other relief if an investigation results in an affirmative determination. Title III: Adverse Inferences by Trade Representative - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to authorize the USTR to use, if it has a reasonable basis, an inference adverse to the interests of any foreign government which has failed to cooperate by not acting to the best of its ability to: (1) comply with a reasonable request for information; or (2) require a party within its jurisdiction to comply with a reasonable request for information.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Authorizes the American Battle Monuments Commission to place within the Vietnam Veterans Memorial a plaque to honor those Vietnam veterans who died after service in the Vietnam War, but as a direct result of such service, and whose names are not otherwise eligible for placement on the Memorial wall.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Children's Health Research and Prevention Amendments of 1999 - Title I: Revision and Extension of Programs - Subtitle A: Pediatric Research Initiative - Pediatric Research Initiative Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Health Service Act (the Act) to mandate establishment, in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), of a Pediatric Research Initiative. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) (Secretary) to make available within the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development enhanced support for extramural activities relating to the training and career development of pediatric researchers. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle B: Other Programs - Extends through FY 2003 programs under the Act for: (1) immunizations; (2) screenings, referrals, and education regarding lead poisoning; and (3) the prevention and control of injuries, including traumatic brain injury. Title II: Children's Health Research and Prevention Activities - Subtitle A: Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment Regarding Hearing Loss in Infants - Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening and Intervention Act of 1999 - Mandates grants or cooperative agreements to: (1) develop statewide newborn and infant hearing screening, evaluation, and intervention programs and systems; and (2) provide technical assistance to State agencies to complement an intramural program and to conduct applied research related to newborn and infant hearing screening, evaluation, and intervention programs and systems. Requires NIH to continue a program of research and development on the efficacy of new screening techniques and technology. Mandates Federal coordination and collaboration with State and local agencies, consumer groups, national medical, health, and education specialty organizations, deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals and their families, qualified professional personnel, and related commercial industries. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle B: Autism - Chapter 1: Surveillance and Research Regarding Prevalence and Pattern of Autism - Autism Statistics, Surveillance, Research, and Epidemiology Act of 1999 (ASSURE) - Authorizes grants and cooperative agreements for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on autism and pervasive developmental disabilities. Mandates establishment, through grants or cooperative agreements, of three to five centers of excellence in autism and pervasive developmental disabilities epidemiology to collect and analyze autism information. Requires that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) serve as the coordinating agency for autism and pervasive development disabilities surveillance through the establishment of a clearinghouse for data generated from the monitoring programs created under this chapter. Mandates establishment of an Advisory Committee for Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disabilities Epidemiology Research. Authorizes appropriations. Chapter 2: Expansion, Intensification, and Coordination of Activities of Department of Health and Human Services With Respect to Autism - Advancement in Pediatric Autism Research Act of 1999 - Directs the NIH Director to expand, intensify, and coordinate the activities of NIH with respect to autism. Requires such Director, among other things, to make awards of grants or contracts to public or nonprofit entities for centers of excellence regarding research on autism. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to make awards of grants and cooperative agreements for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on autism and pervasive developmental disabilities. Directs the Secretary to establish no less than three regional centers of excellence in autism and pervasive developmental disabilities epidemiology to collect and analyze information on the number, incidence, correlates, and causes of autism and related developmental disabilities. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a clearinghouse within the CDCP for the collection and storage of such data; and (2) coordinate the Federal response to requests for assistance regarding potential or alleged autism or developmental disability clusters. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Secretary to establish a program to provide information and education on autism to health professionals and the general public. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to establish an Autism Coordinating Committee to coordinate HHS efforts concerning autism. Subtitle C: Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness - Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act - Directs the Secretary to provide coordination and assistance to regional poison control centers for the establishment of a nationwide toll-free telephone number to be used to access such centers. Authorizes appropriations. Mandates a national media campaign to educate the public about poison prevention and the availability of local poison control resources and to conduct advertising campaigns concerning the nationwide toll-free number. Authorizes appropriations. Mandates grants for certified regional poison control centers to achieve financial stability and to prevent, and provide treatment recommendations for, poisoning. Mandates other grant uses. Sets forth center certification requirements. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle D: Birth Defects Prevention Activities - Chapter 1: Folic Acid - Folic Acid Promotion and Birth Defects Prevention Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary to carry out a program, directly or through grants or contracts, for professional and public education and training, research, and epidemiological activities regarding folic acid and birth defects. Authorizes appropriations. Chapter 2: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities - Establishes a National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities to: (1) collect, analyze, and make available date on birth defects; (2) conduct applied epidemiological research on prevention of such defects; and (3) provide birth defect prevention information and education to the public. Transfers to such Center all activities, budgets, and personnel of the National Center for Environmental Health that relate to birth defects, folic acid, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, child development, newborn screening, autism, fragile X syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, pediatric genetics, and disability prevention. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle E: Safe Motherhood Monitoring and Prevention Research - Safe Motherhood Monitoring and Prevention Research Act - Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) establish a national monitoring and surveillance program to identify and promote the investigation of deaths and severe complications that occur during pregnancy; (2) expand the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System to provide surveillance and collect data in each State; and (3) expand the Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Program to provide technical support, financial assistance, or the time-limited assignment of senior epidemiologists to maternal and child health programs in each State. Authorizes appropriations. Permits the Secretary to carry out specified activities to promote safe motherhood. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle F: Pregnant Mothers and Infants Health Promotion - Pregnant Mothers and Infants Health Protection Act - Requires the Secretary to: (1) collect, analyze, and make available data on prenatal smoking and alcohol and illegal drug usage; (2) conduct applied epidemiological research on the prevention of prenatal and postnatal smoking and alcohol and illegal drug usage; (3) support, conduct, and evaluate the effectiveness of educational and cessation programs; and (4) provide information and education to the public on the prevention and implications of prenatal and postnatal smoking and alcohol and illegal drug usage. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle G: Utilization of Preventive Health Services - Directs the Secretary to make grants to public or nonprofit entities to establish and operate regional centers for identifying particular populations of patients and to facilitate the appropriate utilization of preventive health services by such patients. Requires the Secretary to give priority to various populations of infants, young children, and their mothers. Requires the evaluation of strategies developed through grant funding. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle H: Research and Development Regarding Fragile X - Fragile X Research Breakthrough Act of 1999 - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to: (1) expand, intensify, and coordinate the Institute's activities respecting research on the mental retardation disease known as fragile X; and (2) make grants to, and enter into contracts with, public or private nonprofit entities for the development and operation of at least three centers for fragile X research. Requires each center to conduct basic and clinical research, which may include clinical trials of new or improved diagnostic methods and drugs or other treatment approaches. Allows such centers to use grant funds to provide fees to individuals serving as subjects in clinical trials. Requires the Director to provide for the coordination of the centers' activities, including the exchange of information. Requires each center to use the facilities of a single institution, or be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions. Allows support to be provided to a center for up to five years, with authorized extensions. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Secretary to enter into contracts with qualified health professionals who agree to conduct fragile X research in return for repayment (up to $35,000 for each year of service) of such health professionals' educational loans. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle I: Children and Epilepsy - Directs the Secretary, through grants to or contracts with public or nonprofit private entities, to develop and implement public health surveillance, education, research, and intervention strategies to improve the lives of persons with epilepsy, with a particular emphasis on children. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to State and local governments for carrying out demonstration projects to improve access to health and other services regarding seizures to encourage early detection and treatment in children and others residing in medically underserved areas. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle J: Asthma Treatment Services for Children - Children's Asthma Relief Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary to award grants to eligible entities to establish an asthma treatment grants program providing comprehensive asthma services for children and other individuals. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to encourage States to implement plans to carry out activities to assist children with asthma in accordance with the guidelines of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (Institute). Provides that if a State child health plan under title XXI (Children's Health Insurance) of the Social Security Act provides for such activities to the Secretary's satisfaction, the Secretary shall make a grant to assist the State in carrying them out. Sets forth certain matching funds requirements. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Act to include, within the preventive health and health services block grant, any system for reducing asthma and asthma-related illnesses, especially with regard to children, through urban cockroach pest management in public facilities through a combination of biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks. Requires the Institute Director to: (1) identify all Federal programs carrying out asthma-related activities; (2) develop a Federal plan for responding to asthma; and (3) submit recommendations to Congress on ways to strengthen and improve Federal coordination of such activities. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the CDCP Director to: (1) conduct local asthma surveillance activities to collect data on the prevalence and severity of asthma and the quality of asthma management; and (2) compile and publish annually data on the prevalence of children suffering from asthma in each State and the childhood mortality rate associated with asthma nationally and in each State. Subtitle K: Juvenile Arthritis and Related Conditions - Requires the Directors of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases to expand and intensify their respective programs of research and related activities concerning juvenile arthritis and related conditions. Requires the NIH Director, through a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract, to establish an information resource center on arthritis and related conditions. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle L: Childhood Skeletal Malignancies - Directs the Secretary to: (1) study environmental and other risk factors for childhood skeletal cancers; (2) carry out projects to improve outcomes among children with such cancers and related secondary conditions; and (3) ensure that such activities are coordinated with other Public Health Service activities focused on childhood cancers and limb loss. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle M: Reducing Burden of Diabetes Among Children and Youth - Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop a system to collect data on juvenile diabetes, including its incidence and prevalence, and to establish a national database for such data; (2) conduct or support long-term epidemiological studies concerning juvenile diabetes; (3) implement a national public health effort to address type 2 diabetes in youth; (4) support regional clinical centers for the cure of juvenile diabetes; and (5) implement a national effort to develop a vaccine for type 1 diabetes. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle N: Miscellaneous Provisions - Requires the NIH Director to report to Congress concerning research activities with respect to rare diseases in children.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Reducing the Effects of Abuse and Domestic Violence on Youth or READY Act - Title I: Children Who Witness Domestic Violence - Amends the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (for purposes of this title, the Secretary) to award grants to eligible entities to conduct programs to encourage the use of domestic violence intervention models using multi-system partnerships to address the needs of children who witness domestic violence. Sets forth provisions regarding grant term and amount, eligible entities, application requirements, and technical assistance. Requires an entity that receives a grant to use amounts provided to conduct a program to design or replicate, and implement, domestic violence intervention models that use multi-system partners to respond to the needs of children who witness domestic violence. Specifies elements of such program, including involvement of collaborative partnerships with local entities carrying out domestic violence programs that provide shelter or related assistance, and provision of direct counseling and advocacy for adult victims of domestic violence and their children who witness domestic violence. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the FVPSA to direct the Secretary to appoint one or more employee of the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out such Act, each of whom shall have had prior expertise in the field of family violence prevention and services (current law provides for one such employee with such expertise). Title II: Violence Against Women Prevention In Schools - Directs the Secretary of Education (for purposes of this title, the Secretary) to provide grants to State, local, or tribal school systems to develop, modify, and implement State, local, or tribal school system policies and programs for elementary schools, middle schools, and secondary schools which address domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Sets forth eligibility and application requirements. Lists permissible uses of grant funds, such as the development and implementation of educational programs or prevention strategies for students and personnel in elementary, middle, and secondary schools addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Requires that policies and programs developed and implemented address issues of victim safety and confidentiality that are consistent with applicable State and Federal laws. Directs the Secretary to: (1) disseminate any existing Department of Education policy guidance regarding preventing domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking; (2) study existing policies and programs as well as new policies and programs funded by this title and report to Congress recommendations for implementation of successful policies for referring students to services when they may be witnessing or experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking; and (3) publish the availability of grants through announcement in professional publications for State, local, or tribal school systems and through notice in the Federal Register. Sets forth requirements for a State, local, or tribal school system in carrying out an educational program under a grant, including consulting and collaborating with experts on violence against women and girls. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Safe Havens for Children - Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to public or private nonprofit nongovernmental entities to establish and operate supervised visitation centers. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: Child Abuse Accountability - Child Abuse Accountability Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code to permit the assignment, and provide for the tax treatment, of any pension benefit payable to a participant pursuant to a qualified child abuse order. Exempts qualified child abuse orders from preemption by ERISA. Title V: Family Safety - Family Safety Act - Amends the Parental Kidnaping Prevention Act of 1980 (PKPA) to include among its purposes: (1) the promotion of cooperation between State and tribal courts to protect parents and children from domestic violence or sexual assault; (2) the promotion of realistic and protective standards for interstate relocation when parents dispute custody; and (3) the avoidance of jurisdictional conflicts between State courts in matters of child custody and visitation consistent with not endangering or inappropriately punishing parents who are victims of domestic violence, or children who are victims of sexual assault. (Sec. 503) Amends the Federal criminal code to provide as a defense to prosecution of either a criminal custodial interference or parental abduction charge, or criminal contempt of court relating to an underlying child custody or visitation determination, that the defendant was fleeing an incident or pattern of domestic violence or sexual assault of the child, or would otherwise have a defense under the PKPA. Directs the Attorney General to issue guidelines to assist U.S. Attorneys and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine whether to initiate or terminate an action due to the potential availability of such defense. (Sec. 504) Amends the Federal judicial code to: (1) provide that no State shall be required to enforce any order obtained in a proceeding which would violate the constitution of the enforcing State if the proceeding were conducted in the enforcing State; and (2) declare that the intent of full faith and credit doctrine in child custody determinations is to preempt inconsistent State law. Declares that a protection order regarding custody and visitation of a minor child that is consistent with this Act shall be given full faith and credit by the courts of any State where the party who sought the order seeks enforcement. Modifies State court jurisdiction guidelines governing: (1) relocation of the child due to domestic violence or sexual assault; and (2) court authority to decline to exercise jurisdiction on behalf of parents engaged in specified conduct. Title VI: Sense of Congress - Expresses the sense of Congress that, for purposes of determining child custody, it is not in the best interest of children to: (1) force parents to share custody over the objection of one or both parents where there is a history of domestic violence; or (2) make "friendly parent" provisions a factor when there is abuse of one parent against another or a child.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Peanut Labeling Act of 1999 - Requires retailers of peanuts or peanut products produced or imported into the United States to inform final point of sale consumers of such products' country of origin, unless: (1) waived by the Secretary of Agriculture because of the difficulty of determining product origin; or (2) the products are already labeled by the packer, importer, or other person. Authorizes civil penalties for violations of such requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 1999
Artists' Contribution to American Heritage Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a fair market value (determined at time of contribution) deduction for charitable contributions of literary, musical, artistic, scholarly compositions, or the copyright created by a qualifying donor. Exempts certain non-personal letters and memorandum from such treatment. Limits such increased deduction to the donor's artistic adjusted income (as defined by this Act)..