United States · United States Congress · 10 February 1995
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Commemorative Coins Title II: Circulating Coins Thomas Alva Edison Sesquicentennial Commemorative Coin Act - Title I: Commemorative Coins - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint one-dollar silver coins emblematic of the inventions made by Thomas Alva Edison in commemoration of the sesquicentennial of his birth. Directs the Secretary to conduct an open design competition for the design of the obverse and reverse of the coins. Terminates the authority to mint such coins after December 31, 1997. Requires that certain surcharges received from coin sales be distributed to specified entities. Title II: Circulating Coins - Amends Federal law to declare that the obverse side of half-dollar coins minted between specified dates shall have the same likeness of Thomas Alva Edison as the commemorative coins minted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 1995
Federal Reserve Audit and Accountability Act - Amends the Federal Reserve Act to declare that the president and first vice-president of each Federal reserve bank shall be appointed by the President, with the consent of the Senate. (Currently such appointment authority is exercised by each Federal reserve bank's board of directors.) Amends Federal law to remove specified limitations placed upon General Accounting Office audits of the Federal Reserve Board and Federal reserve banks. Requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and all Federal reserve banks to transmit their estimated receipts and proposed expenditures to the Congress during the first 15 days of each regular session. Mandates prompt public disclosure of Federal Open Market Committee meetings and actions, including policy actions and prior transcripts. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to the Congress on the feasibility of privatizing the Federal Reserve payment system.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 1995
Requests the President, within 14 days of the adoption of this resolution, to provide to the House of Representatives any document concerning: (1) the assured source of repayment to the United States for any credit facility made available to Mexico after December 31, 1994; (2) the net worth and historical annual revenues of Pemex as well as the projected annual revenues for the five-year period beginning on this resolution's adoption date and the extent to which proceeds from the sale of Mexican oil to customers are required to be paid to Mexico as taxes or payments in lieu of taxes or have been pledged as collateral for the repayment of loans or credit extended to Mexico or Pemex (other than credit facilities described in (1)); (3) the value of any oil the proceeds from the sale of which are pledged to assure the repayment of assistance provided by the United States and the manner in which the United States may exercise rights to obtain such proceeds as repayment for losses incurred; (4) assurances given by the Mexican Government with respect to changes in economic policies; (5) the decision by the President to use the assets of the exchange stabilization fund (fund) in connection with credit facilities described in (1) above; (6) criteria used in making any decision to use such assets to respond to any economic, balance of payments, or exchange crisis in any country and the facts on which such determinations were made with respect to Poland in 1989 and to Mexico in 1994 and 1995; (7) how the use of such assets as a source of credit to Mexico compares with all prior uses since 1945 for all other countries with regard to dollar amount, type, purpose, and duration of transaction, security or collateral pledged, and the existence of any agreement involving the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the Federal Reserve System; (8) outstanding debts owed by the Mexican Government to U.S. creditors; (9) an accounting of all the fund flows through the fund for the 24-month period preceding the date of adoption of this resolution; (10) the balance of available assets in the fund; (11) the amount by which the total extensions of credit that will be made available to Mexico exceeds available assets in the fund and the means for covering any shortfall; (12) the departure of the IMF from its customary guidelines for country assistance; (13) the factual circumstances pursuant to which the Bank for International Settlements has become a lender to individual countries beyond the Bank's role as a clearinghouse for central banks; (14) the financial obligations of the Federal Reserve to the Bank; (15) the relationship among the Federal Reserve, the Bank, and central banks of other countries affiliated with the Bank with regard to assigning the ultimate liability for loss incurred in connection with the extension of credit to Mexico; (16) any meeting between the President and Members of Congress concerning the President's proposed actions to strengthen the Mexican peso and support economic stability in Mexico; and (17) any discrepancy between the amount the President announced is available in the fund and the amount shown as being available in the monthly statement of the public debt of the United States on December 31, 1994.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 1995
Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights Act of 1995 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide that, except when on duty or acting in an official capacity, no law enforcement officer (officer) shall be prohibited from engaging in political activity or be denied the right to refrain from engaging in such activity. Sets forth minimum standards that apply when an officer is under investigation that could lead to disciplinary action, including, with respect to: (1) rights of officers while under investigation, the right to be notified of the investigation prior to being interviewed and, at the conclusion of the investigation, to be informed in writing of the investigative findings and any recommendation for disciplinary action; (2) rights of officers prior to and during questioning, that the questioning be conducted at a reasonable hour at the offices of the persons conducting the investigation or at the place where the officer reports for duty (unless the officer consents in writing to being questioned elsewhere), that the officer be informed of the questioner's identity, that all questions be asked by or through a single investigator, that the officer be informed in writing of the nature of the investigation prior to any questioning, that the questioning be for a reasonable time period, that no threats or promises be made in connection with an investigation to induce the answering of any question, that all questioning be recorded in full (and a copy of the transcript made available to the officer), and that the officer be entitled to counsel (or another person of the officer's choice) at any questioning (unless the officer consents in writing to being questioned outside the presence of counsel); and (3) the conduct of a disciplinary hearing, notice of opportunity for a hearing, requirement of determination of a violation, time limits, notice of filing of charges, representation, provision of a hearing board and procedure, access to evidence, identification of witnesses, a copy of the investigative file, examination of physical evidence, summonses, closed hearings, recordation, sequestration of witnesses, testimony under oath, verdicts on each charge, the burden of persuasion, findings of not guilty or guilty, and appeals. Allows an officer to waive any of the rights guaranteed by this Act subsequent to the time that the officer has been notified that he or she is under investigation. Specifies that such a waiver shall be in writing and signed by the officer. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) summary punishment and emergency suspension; (2) retaliation for exercising rights; (3) other remedies; (4) declaratory or injunctive relief; (5) prohibition of adverse material in the officer's file (unless the officer has an opportunity to review and comment in writing on such material); (6) disclosure of personal assets; (7) States' rights; and (8) mutually agreed upon collective bargaining agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 1995
Child Care Availability Incentive Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit (as part of the general business credit) for employers who provide qualified day care centers for the use of their employees.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 1995
Firefighters Pay Fairness Act of 1995 - Amends Federal law to provide that, for Federal fire fighters, the annual rate of basic pay shall be calculated on the basis of 26 administrative biweekly work periods of up to 106 hours each. Prescribes a formula for computing the basic biweekly pay of Federal employees who are not fire fighters but perform fire fighting duties. Extends existing biweekly pay period and pay computation requirements to Federal fire fighters and employees in and under the judicial branch. Removes employees of the District of Columbia government from coverage by such requirements. Repeals the current exception from such requirements for employees on the Isthmus of Panama in the service of the Panama Canal Commission. Requires compensation at time-and-a-half per hour for any hours worked in excess of 106 during a biweekly pay period by fire fighters subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Prescribes basic rates of pay for fire fighters: (1) promoted to a supervisory position; and (2) selected and assigned for training. Adds certain pay retention rights for Federal firefighters subject to a reduction or termination of a rate of pay established under this Act. Authorizes a Federal agency to pay cash awards of up to five percent of basic pay to fire fighters or other employees performing fire fighting duties who make substantial use of: (1) special skills, such as handling hazardous materials; or (2) a certification or license, such as certification as an emergency medical technician. Requires the Office of Personnel Management to report to the Congress with respect to transition and funding increase plans and regulatory or legislative modifications necessary to prevent diminution in retirement benefits under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 1995
Congressional Limitation on Executive Bailouts Act of 1995 - Provides that all existing and future budget authority and credit authority available to the exchange stabilization fund shall be effective only to extent provided in appropriation Acts.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1995
Truth in Budgeting Act - Prohibits the receipts and disbursements of the Highway Trust Fund, the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, and the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund from being included in either the Federal budget as submitted by the President or in the congressional budget. Exempts such trust funds from any general statutory budget limitation. (Sec. 3) Amends Federal transportation law to require the Secretary of Transportation to estimate annually what, but for this Act, would be at the close of the next fiscal year: (1) the amount of unfunded aviation authorizations; and (2) the net aviation receipts. Requires the Secretary to: (1) determine the amount by which unfunded aviation authorizations does or does not exceed net aviation receipts; and (2) make appropriate adjustments to amounts authorized to be appropriated and the amounts available for obligation from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund based on the difference. (Sec. 4) Sets forth similar provisions with respect to the Inland Waterways and the Harbor Maintenance Trust Funds.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1995
Designates the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 215 South Evans Street in Greenville, North Carolina, as the Walter B. Jones Federal Building and United States Courthouse.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 1995
Superfund Recycling Equity Act of 1995 - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to absolve persons (other than owners or operators) who arranged for the recycling of recyclable material from liability for environmental response actions. Deems transactions involving scrap paper, plastic, glass, textiles, or rubber (other than whole tires) to be arranging for recycling if the person who arranged the transaction demonstrates that the following criteria were met: (1) the recyclable material met a commercial specification grade and a market existed for the material; (2) a substantial portion of the material was made available for use as a feedstock for the manufacture of a new saleable product; (3) the material (or product to be made from the material) could have been a replacement for a virgin raw material; and (4) with respect to transactions occurring 90 days after this Act's enactment, the person exercised reasonable care to determine that the facility where the material would be managed by another was in compliance with Federal, State, or local environmental laws or regulations. Deems transactions involving scrap metal to be arranging for recycling if the person who arranged the transaction demonstrates that: (1) the criteria for scrap materials were met; (2) he or she complied with applicable standards regarding activities associated with the recycling of scrap metals; and (3) the scrap metal was not melted prior to the transaction. Deems transactions involving spent lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, or other batteries to be arranging for recycling if the person involved demonstrates that: (1) the criteria for scrap materials were met; and (2) he or she complied with applicable Federal environmental regulations or standards regarding such batteries. Makes the exemptions from liability under this Act inapplicable if the person: (1) had an objectively reasonable basis to believe at the time of the recycling transaction that the recyclable material would not be recycled or would be burned as fuel or for energy recovery or incineration or that the consuming facility was not in compliance with Federal, State, or local environmental laws or regulations; (2) added hazardous substances to the material for purposes other than processing for recycling; or (3) failed to exercise reasonable care with respect to the management of the material. Makes such exemptions inapplicable if the recyclable material contained polychlorinated biphenyls in excess of 50 parts per million or any new Federal standard.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 1995
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the current link should be maintained between: (1) the levels of earnings allowed for blind individuals entitled to disability insurance benefits; and (2) the exempt amounts allowed for purposes of the social security earnings test for individuals who have attained retirement age.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 1995
Uniform Child Support Enforcement Act of 1995 - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish in the Internal Revenue Service a national registry of abstracts of child support orders. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prescribe guidelines under which the Internal Revenue Service shall collect child support through tax withholding procedures. Declares that child support obligations will be treated as taxes for purposes of penalties and interest. Amends part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of title IV of the Social Security Act to: (1) prescribe paternity establishment procedures for State child support programs; (2) reflect the provisions of this Act through the elimination of provisions relating to State enforcement of child support obligations (other than medical support obligations); and (3) require the States to enact the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act adopted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws in August 1992.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 1995
Tax Fairness for Agriculture Act of 1995 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit agricultural or horticultural organization member dues (limited to a specified amount) from being treated as unrelated business taxable income for purposes of the tax on unrelated business income.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 1995
National African American Museum Act - Establishes within the Smithsonian Institution the National African American Museum to be operated as a center for scholarship and a location for museum training, public education, exhibits, and collection and study of items and materials relating to the life, art, history, and culture of African Americans. Authorizes the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to plan, design, reconstruct, and renovate the Arts and Industries Building to house the Museum. Establishes a Board of Trustees of the Museum in the Smithsonian Institution. Directs the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to appoint a Director to manage the Museum. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1995
AIDS Cure Act - Requires the President to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a project to develop a cure for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Prohibits the program from being administered by any officer or employee of the National Institutes of Health. Requires the Governing Council established in this Act to ensure that the project: (1) pursues comprehensive basic science investigations, based on diverse theories and schools of thought which elucidate the pathogenesis of AIDS; and (2) identifies, based on this work, all promising curatives and oversees their timely and adequate testing. Establishes a Governing Council to set policy and oversee research priorities, ethical standards, conflict of interest rules, and hiring of researchers and administrators. Establishes a coordinating committee to facilitate communication among the different scientists working on the project, evaluate the progress of its work, and convene the entire staff on a regular schedule (or when necessary) to evaluate the progress of the project as a whole, identify gaps in research, reevaluate its direction, and consider newly developed theories emanating from both within and outside the project. Requires the Secretary to convene a one-time national AIDS Congress solely to make recommendations to the President for selecting the Governing Council. Grants the Secretary extraordinary powers in carrying out such project, including the power to exercise the right of eminent domain to obtain samples of potential curatives and data on their development. Vests power in the Congress to reauthorize the project after five years of operation.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1995
Shenandoah Valley National Battlefields Partnership Act of 1995 - Establishes the Shenandoah Valley National Battlefields in Virginia. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to protect, manage, and administer the Battlefields for the purposes of preserving and interpreting their natural, cultural, and historical resources and of providing for public understanding and appreciation of the Battlefields in such a manner as to perpetuate these qualities and values for future generations. Authorizes the Secretary to acquire lands within the boundaries of the Battlefields, subject to specified requirements. Directs the Secretary to allow at Battlefield locations any living history demonstrations and battlefield reenactments that occurred during the 12 months prior to enactment of this Act or that are otherwise determined appropriate. (Sec. 6) Requires that the Battlefields be managed by the Secretary pursuant to this Act and the Shenandoah Valley National Battlefields plan (plan) to be developed by the Shenandoah Valley National Battlefields Commission (to be established under this Act) and approved by the Secretary. (Sec. 7) Authorizes the Secretary to establish partnerships and enter into cooperative agreements concerning lands within the Battlefields and historic core areas with other Federal, State, or local agencies and private persons and organizations. (Sec. 8) Authorizes the Secretary: (1) to award grants and provide technical assistance to owners of property located within the battlefields and historic core areas to provide for the preservation and interpretation of natural, cultural, and historical resources; and (2) to award grants and provide technical assistance to governmental entities to assist with the planning, development, and implementation of comprehensive plans, land use guidelines, regulations, ordinances, or other appropriate documents that are consistent with and designed to protect the historic character of the Battlefields and historic core areas. Directs the Commission to conduct a regular review of approved plans, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, or documents (documents), and where appropriate, to recommend that the Secretary withdraw approval and suspend any grant authority pursuant to this section. Terminates the Commission 45 days after plan approval by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to suspend grants awarded upon determining that such documents are modified in a manner that is inconsistent with the protection of the historic character of the Battlefields and historic core areas. Specifies that the Federal share of any grant made under this section may not exceed the amount of the non-Federal funds provided. (Sec. 10) Directs the Commission to: (1) advise the Secretary on the administration of the Battlefields; (2) assist Virginia or any political subdivision thereof in the management, protection, and interpretation of the natural, cultural, and historical resources within the historic core areas; and (3) take appropriate action to encourage protection of the natural, cultural, and historical resources within the Battlefields and historic core areas by landowners, local governments, organizations, and businesses. Authorizes the Commission to assist any nonprofit organization in the management, protection, and interpretation of the natural, cultural, and historical resources within the historic core areas. (Sec. 11) Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1995
Revenue Sharing Reestablishment Act of 1995 - Reestablishes the revenue sharing program of annual payments to States and units of general local government. Authorizes appropriations. Offsets that authorization by reducing the authorization of appropriations for foreign aid.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1995
Commercial Aviation Fuel Tax Repeal Act of 1995 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the increase in tax on fuel used in commercial aviation scheduled to take effect after September 30, 1995.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1995
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal Open Market Committee and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System should defer any further increase in the Federal funds rate and the discount rate until at least September 1995 in order to assess the impact of past increases on the soundness of the American economy and the economic security of the American worker and his or her family.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 1995
Bartlett-Mfume Health Insurance Deduction Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to restore the 25-percent deduction for health insurance costs of self-employed individuals for the taxable year 1994.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 1995
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act and other Federal law to make any managed health care plan established by the Secretary of Defense in the Military Health Services System eligible for payments by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on behalf of any plan enrollees entitled to Medicare benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 1995
Student Loan Evaluation and Stabilization Act of 1995 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 with respect to student loan programs. (Sec. 3) Revises the Federal Direct Student Loan program to limit the proportion of loans made under such program: (1) for academic year 1994-1995, to five percent of the new student loan volume for such year; and (2) for academic year 1995-1996 and any succeeding fiscal year, to loans to students and parents of students attending eligible institutions which have applied and been accepted for institutional participation in such program on or before December 31, 1994. Eliminates provisions for selecting additional institutions to participate in such pilot program. Reduces the maximum amount of funds for administrative expenses of such program allowed for certain periods. Revises the items which such funds must cover, including the costs of annually assessing such program and payment of an administrative cost allowance for the expenses of guaranty agencies in servicing outstanding loans in their portfolios and in guaranteeing new loans. Revises provisions for congressional oversight of program administration, by providing for funding triggers which allow administrative funds to be obligated only in such amounts and according to such schedule as specified in the appropriations Act for the Department of Education after submission by the Department of a detailed proposal for such expenditures. Requires a guaranty agency to: (1) submit a specified application before obtaining an administrative cost allowance from such funds; (2) expend such allowance only for specified purposes; and (3) elect a payment rate on the basis of one of two specified formulas. Provides for ratable reductions of such allowances when total payments exceed a specified level. Directs the Secretary of Education to provide a detailed quarterly report of all such expenditures to specified congressional committee chairs. Requires such report to specifically identify all contracts entered into by the Department for services supporting the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and the Federal Perkins Loan Program, as well as the current and projected costs of such contracts. Eliminates the transition to the Federal Direct Loan Program. (Sec. 4) Sets forth conditions under which: (1) Federal Perkins Loan borrowers can obtain FFEL consolidation loans; and (2) FFEL borrowers can obtain Federal direct consolidation loans. (Sec. 5) Revises provisions relating to reserve fund programs. (Sec. 6) Sets institutional default rate limitations on direct lending. (Sec. 7) Provides for applications for FFEL loans using the free Federal application form, which is already in use for other types of student aid. Allows such form to be in an electronic or any other format, subject to certain conditions, in order to facilitate use by borrowers and institutions. Provides for authorized guaranty agencies to receive such form. (Sec. 8) Amends the Congressional Budget Act to prescribe a formula for determining the cost of a direct loan on the basis of the net present value, at the time the direct loan is disbursed, of specified types of cash flows for the estimated life of the loan.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 1995
United States One Dollar Coin Act of 1995 - Amends Federal currency law to prescribe the color and content of one-dollar coins. Prohibits a Federal reserve bank from placing into circulation any one-dollar Federal Reserve note after the date that the one-dollar coins are first placed in circulation. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to cease regular production of one-dollar Federal Reserve notes (except for such quantities as are required to meet collectors' needs).
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 1995
Church Retirement Benefits Simplification Act of 1995 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to recodify and revise qualifications for church retirement and pension plans. Makes employee contributions to such plans nonforfeitable. Requires the plan to meet minimum vesting requirements. Recodifies the authority of a church or a convention or association of churches to be treated as an employer making contributions to retirement income accounts. Subjects church-related hospitals and universities to certain coverage and related rules in the case of a contract purchased by a church. Requires distributions from retirement income accounts provided by churches to be in accordance with distributions under cash or deferred arrangements. Provides for determining the beginning date for such distributions. Allows self-employed ministers and chaplains who work for non-church employers to participate in their church plans. Provides that certain rules aggregating employees do not apply to churches. Restores qualified voluntary employee contributions to church plans. Treats self-employed ministers as employees for purposes of certain welfare benefit plans and retirement income accounts. Allows a deduction for contributions to retirement income accounts by such ministers. Provides that a church plan maintained by more than one employer shall not be treated as a single plan. Provides that accounting methods of deferred compensation plans of State and local governments and tax-exempt organizations do not apply to a church plan. Exempts a church plan from the requirement to maintain separate accounts for medical benefits for key employees. Provides that the special rules for computing employee contributions to pension plans do not apply to certain foreign missionaries. Repeals the elective deferral catch-up limitation for church retirement income accounts. Allows church plans to annuitize benefits and increase benefit payments. Provides that rules for self-insured medical reimbursement plans are not applicable to church plans. Provides that retirement benefits of ministers are not subject to the tax on net earnings from self-employment.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 1995
Social Security Account Number Anti-Fraud Act - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish, according to prescribed guidelines, an electronic program for American employers to verify the social security number and other relevant employment information to reduce the use of fraudulent social security documents for employment purposes; (2) implement such program according to a prescribed schedule, making it available to all employers in the States of California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Texas; and (3) report to the Congress on the Program's initial implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995
National Gambling Impact and Policy Commission Act - Establishes the National Gambling Impact and Policy Commission to: (1) study gambling in the United States and existing governmental policies and practices with respect to the legalization or prohibition of gambling activities; and (2) formulate and propose appropriate changes in such policies and practices for a report to the President and the Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995
Amends the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 to: (1) make permanent the Medicare select policy program; and (2) allow access to Medicare select policies in all States. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the Medicare select policy program and provide for a civil penalty for misrepresentations made in connection with a Medicare select policy.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995
Restricted Explosives Control Act of 1994 - Prohibits the distribution or receipt of restricted explosives without a Federal permit. Defines "restricted explosives" to mean high explosives, blasting agents, detonators, and more than 50 pounds of black powder. Requires applications for such permits to include the applicant's photograph and fingerprints, which shall be taken and transmitted to the Secretary of the Treasury by the chief law enforcement officer of the applicant's place of residence.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995
Northern Ireland Fair Employment Practices Act of 1995 - Prohibits an article from being imported into the United States from Northern Ireland unless documentation is presented at the time of entry indicating that the enterprise which manufactured or assembled such article complied at the time of manufacture with certain fair employment principles (such as freedom from religious discrimination). Bases such principles on the MacBride Principles, a nine-point set of guidelines for fair employment in Northern Ireland. Requires any U.S. person who has a branch or office in Northern Ireland or who controls an enterprise in Northern Ireland in which more than 20 people are employed to insure implementation of such employment principles and compliance with this Act. Authorizes the President to waive the requirements of this Act in the interest of national security.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995
Social Security Trust Funds Integrity Act of 1995 - Amends titles II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) and XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to restructure the Board of Trustees of the trust funds supporting the OASDI and Medicare programs, with each Board composed of members appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, on a bipartisan basis at the recommendation of House and Senate leadership and the five largest organizations representing senior citizens. Makes it the duty of the Managing Trustee chairing the Board to invest trust fund amounts according to an annual investment plan the Board is required to formulate and submit to the President and the Congress. Removes restrictions on investment and disinvestment of amounts in such trust funds.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995
Housing Counseling Enhancement Act of 1995 - Amends the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 to: (1) extend emergency homeownership and prepurchase and foreclosure prevention counseling programs; and (2) authorize appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995
Economic Development Loan Assistance Demonstration Program Act of 1995 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a demonstration program (and authorizes loan assistance grants) to encourage economic development in five enterprise communities through grants to community development corporations for reducing interest rates on economic development loans. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 1995
Directs the Secretary of Commerce, upon determining on the basis of comments submitted in rulemaking under this Act that interest among manufacturers is sufficient to warrant the establishment of a three-year toll-free number pilot program and manufacturers will provide fees so that the program will operate without cost to the Federal Government, to: (1) establish such program solely to help inform consumers whether a product is made in America or the equivalent thereof; and (2) publish the toll-free number in the Federal Register. Requires: (1) the Secretary to contract for the establishment and operation of such pilot program and the registration of products; and (2) such number to be used solely to inform consumers as to whether products are American made. Requires consumers to be informed that such registration does not mean that: (1) the product is endorsed or approved by the Government; (2) the Secretary has conducted any investigation to confirm that the product meets the definition of American made; or (3) the product contains 100 percent U.S. content. (Sec. 2) Directs the Secretary to propose regulations to: (1) establish a procedure under which the manufacturer of a product may voluntarily register such product as complying with such definition and have such product included in the information available through the toll-free number; (2) establish, assess, and collect a fee to cover all costs of registering products and including registered products in information provided under the number; (3) establish the pilot program; and (4) solicit views from the private sector concerning the level of interest of manufacturers in registering products. Requires the Secretary to promulgate such regulations if the pilot program and product registration is determined to be warranted. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) registration fees; and (2) penalties for knowingly registering a product which is not American made.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 1995
Amends the Federal judicial code to authorize the appointment of an independent counsel when the Attorney General determines, upon completion of a preliminary examination, that there are reasonable grounds to believe that: (1) attorneys of the Department of Justice have engaged in prosecutorial misconduct, corruption, or fraud; and (2) further investigation is warranted.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 1995
Primary Health Care Education Act of 1995 - Amends title VII (Health Professions Education) of the Public Health Service Act to require giving preference, in making grants and contracts under the title, to: (1) schools of medicine or osteopathic medicine that emphasize primary health care training and encourage selection of primary care as a career choice; and (2) entities that operate medical residency training programs that include instruction from primary care faculty and have rotations providing primary care training.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 1995
Myelogram-Related Arachnoiditis Amendments of 1995 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit a myelogram involving the use of Pantopaque, Amipaque, Omipacque, or Isovue. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require a study and research with respect to individuals who have undergone a myelogram and who have subsequently developed arachnoiditis.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 1995
Makes permanent an existing temporary district judgeship for the northern district of Ohio. Requires the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint an additional temporary district judge for the northern district of Ohio.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 1995
Amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 to replace references to: (1) "agent" with "representative"; and (2) "propaganda" with "promotional or informational materials." Includes within the definition of "representative of a foreign principal" any person who engages in political activities to further commercial, industrial, or financial operations with a foreign principal. Excludes from such definition any incorporated, nonprofit membership organization organized under U.S. laws that is registered under the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act, that has obtained tax-exempt status, and whose activities are directed in whole by U.S. citizens. Provides that a foreign principal shall be considered to control a person in major part if: (1) such principal holds more than 50 percent equitable ownership in such person; or (2) subject to rebuttal evidence, such principal holds from 20 to 50 percent equitable ownership in such person. Includes within the definition of "political consultant" any person who distributes political promotional or informational materials to a Federal officer or employee, in his or her capacity as an officer or employee. Requires representatives of foreign principals who have filed registration statements to file supplements to such statements with the Attorney General on January 31 and July 31 of each year. Authorizes representatives with accounting systems using different fiscal years to petition the Attorney General to permit the filing of statements at the close of the first and seventh month of such fiscal year in lieu of the required dates. Repeals an exemption to registration requirements for persons representing foreign governments whose defense is deemed vital to the defense of the United States. Provides that the exemption from the registration requirement for individuals providing legal representation for a foreign principal before a U.S. agency shall apply only to representation before the Patent and Trademark Office. Provides for civil penalties for failures to file registration statements and for omitting material facts or making false statements on registration statements. Authorizes the Attorney General to serve civil investigative demands on persons in control of materials relevant to investigations concerning violations of registration requirements. Redesignates the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 as the Foreign Interests Representation Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 1995
Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to provide technical assistance to local interests for planning and establishing a regional water authority in northeastern Ohio which addresses the water problems of the region. Limits to 75 percent the Federal share of the cost of such activities.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 1995
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a highway project to complete construction of the Hubbard Expressway in the vicinity of Youngstown, Ohio. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 1995
Mahoning River Clean-up Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to undertake a study to assess the environmental condition of the Mahoning River in Ohio and Pennsylvania to determine the extent of environmental degradation caused by industrial pollution. Requires the Secretary to report study results to the Congress, along with a comprehensive protection plan. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out a five-year demonstration program to determine the effectiveness of promising technologies to remedy contaminated sediments in river beds. Requires priority consideration for the program's location to be given to the areas of northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 1995
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to conduct and report to the Congress on a study of methods to reduce accidents on Federal-aid highways caused by drivers falling asleep while operating a commercial motor vehicle used to transport freight.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 1995
Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit a Member of Congress, after leaving office, from representing a foreign government before any officer or employee of a U.S. department or agency, or aiding or advising such government, with the intent to influence a decision of such officer or employee in carrying out official duties.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 1995
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) obstetrician-gynecologists should be designated as primary care providers for women in Federal laws relating to the provision of health care; and (2) legislative proposals that define primary care should include services performed by obstetrician-gynecologists in such definition.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995
Amends provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act that revise Federal patent law to provide that a patent term shall be the later of 17 years from the date the patent is granted or 20 years from the date the application was filed in the United States. Provides that if the application contains a reference to an earlier application, the term shall be 20 years from the date the earliest application was filed. Removes provisions that provide for extensions of patent terms under certain conditions. Provides for public disclosure and inspection of original and continuing patent applications in cases where a continuing patent application is filed that claims the benefit of the filing date of a prior application that was filed more than 60 months earlier. Requires the term of a patent that is in force or results from an application filed within six months after the Uruguay Round Agreements Act enactment date to be the term provided in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995
Permits certain veterans with service-connected disabilities who are retired members of the uniformed services to receive compensation concurrently with retired pay, without deduction from either.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that the burden of proof with respect to all issues, in the case of any court proceeding, is on the Secretary of the Treasury. Requires the Secretary to identify in writing the specific kind or type of tax, and its specific implementing regulations, within 14 days upon the written request from any person made liable for such tax. Increases the limitation on the amount of recovery for civil damages for unauthorized collection actions by the Internal Revenue Service. Excludes such damages from gross income.
![Official portrait of Rep. Traficant, James A., Jr. [D-OH-17]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/t000350_200.jpg)