United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1989
Waste Export Control Act - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to incorporate requirements for the export of solid waste. Exempts from this Act's requirements waste paper, glass cullet, metal, or plastic that: (1) has been separated from solid waste before export; (2) is exported for incorporation into new products with recycled content; and (3) is not a hazardous waste under the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Authorizes persons to apply to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for the exemption of other recovered materials. Requires persons exporting exempted materials to notify the Administrator prior to such exporting. Prohibits the export of solid waste from the United States unless there is an agreement between the United States and the receiving country which provides for: (1) the exchange of information regarding such export and its management; (2) cooperation on compliance with, and enforcement of, such agreement; (3) biennial review and revision or suspension of such agreement under certain circumstances; and (4) a prohibition on further transport of such waste from the country of destination without the written consent of parties to the agreement. Deems any agreement concerning shipments of hazardous waste entered into by the United States and in force on this Act's enactment date to meet this Act's requirements for two years following such enactment date. Prohibits the export of solid waste from the United States unless the exporter has obtained a permit from the Administrator. Outlines information to be included in the permit application. Requires the Director of the National Enforcement Investigations Center to submit an investigative report on each applicant to the Administrator. Provides that permittees shall have the continuing duty to provide assistance or information requested by the Administrator or the Center and to cooperate in any inquiry conducted by the Center. Directs the Administrator, before issuing a permit under this Act, to determine that the solid waste will be managed in a manner protective of human health and the environment and which is no less strict than that which would be required if the waste were managed in the United States. Provides that such determination shall assure that certain facility operation and transportation requirements are met. Limits permit terms to a period of five years. Directs the Administrator to report annually to the Congress on all solid waste exports. Prohibits the issuance of any permit unless the Administrator determines that: (1) the waste generator has used reasonable efforts to eliminate or minimize waste generation prior to export; (2) the receiving facility is capable of treating, storing, and disposing of such waste in a manner protective of human health and the environment and no less strict than that which would be required if the waste were managed in the United States; and (3) the application meets the requirements of this Act. Directs the Administrator to make inspections of any permittee and of any facility handling waste subject to a permit, as necessary. Authorizes the Administrator to revoke a permit under specified circumstances. Directs the Administrator to establish a user fee to defray the cost of administering this Act. Requires such fee system to consist of a one-time permit application fee and a waste export permit fee to be paid over the life of the permit. Prescribes civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1989
Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Reauthorization Act of 1989 - Amends the Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act of 1984 to require State Governors to maintain records on asbestos in school buildings. Deletes a requirement for the submission of asbestos abatement application materials by State Governors to the Secretary of Education. Requires State Governors, in determining the adequacy of financial resources available to a local educational agency for asbestos abatement, to consider the additional costs to such agency of meeting the needs of disadvantaged students. Removes a reporting requirement concerning actions taken by State Governors in accordance with State plans. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to approve applications for financial assistance no later than April 30 of each year. Prohibits the provision of such assistance to applicants who are not in compliance with title II of the Toxic Substances Control Act. Requires the proceeds from the repayment of Federal asbestos abatement loans and assistance recovery lawsuits to be deposited into the Asbestos Trust Fund. Removes a condition on the provision of financial assistance which requires the submission of an application within five years of the enactment of the Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act of 1984. Prohibits the approval of assistance applications unless the local educational agency certifies that it is implementing an asbestos management plan and all abatement activities will be conducted by trained and accredited individuals in conformance with the Toxic Substances Control Act. Removes certain requirements for the promulgation by the Administrator of standards for asbestos removal contractors and the protection of school employees trained to carry out abatement activities. Requires the Administrator to report annually (until 1999) to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the loan and grant program under the Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act of 1984. Authorizes appropriations for the asbestos abatement program for FY 1991 through 1995. Revises provisions concerning the allocation of appropriations. Permits up to five percent of appropriations to be reserved each fiscal year for the administration of asbestos abatement activities. Authorizes the Administrator to use up to five percent of such appropriations for grants to States for: (1) assisting local educational agencies in performing periodic reinspections and training activities; and (2) maintaining programs to accredit personnel performing asbestos inspections and response actions. Makes conforming amendments to provisions of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986 concerning the Asbestos Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1989
National Environmental Education Act - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish an Office of Environmental Education within the Office of External Affairs to carry out this Act. Establishes an Environmental Education and Training Program to train educational professionals in the development and delivery of environmental education and training programs and studies. Directs the Administrator to make an annual grant to an institution of higher education or nonprofit research institution to establish and operate such program. Sets forth application and eligibility requirements and criteria to be considered in awarding such grants. Authorizes the Administrator to enter into cooperative agreements or provide grants to support projects to design, demonstrate, and disseminate practices related to environmental education and training. Outlines activities eligible for grant support and priorities in awarding such grants. Requires the Administrator to publish an annual solicitation for environmental education grants. Authorizes local education agencies, colleges or universities, State education or environmental agencies, or nonprofit agencies to apply for such grants. Limits Federal funds for demonstration projects to 75 percent of the total cost, except in specified instances. Limits such grants to $100,000 and requires 25 percent of all funds obligated under this section to be for grants of no more than $5,000. Requires the Administrator to provide for internships by postsecondary students with Federal agencies involved in environmental issues. Directs the Administrator, to the extent practicable, to support at least 150 internships annually. Makes eligible for participation in such program students enrolled at accredited colleges or universities who have successfully completed at least four courses or the equivalent in environmental sciences. Requires the Administrator to provide for a series of national awards recognizing outstanding contributions to environmental education to include: (1) the Theodore Roosevelt Award for environmental teaching or administration; (2) the Henry David Thoreau Award for literature on the environment and pollution problems; and (3) the Rachel Carson Award for film or print media for public education and information on environmental issues or problems. Provides that recipients of such awards shall be nominated by the Environmental Education Advisory Council. Requires the regional administrator of each EPA office to present an "Outstanding Environmental Educator Award" annually to a teacher or faculty member from a local education agency, college or university, or nonprofit organization in recognition of an outstanding contribution to environmental education. Establishes a National Environmental Education Advisory Council. Requires the Council to report biennially to the Congress on: (1) the extent and quality of environmental education in the Nation's schools; (2) activities conducted pursuant to this Act; (3) obstacles to improving environmental education; and (4) training and skills needed to respond to environmental problems. Establishes the Environmental Education Trust Fund to carry out this Act. Allocates funding for this Act's activities and authorizes 50 percent of penalties received under specified environmental Acts to be appropriated to the Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1989
Pollution Prevention Advancement Act - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to provide for the conduct of research and development activities with respect to new or improved practices and technologies for pollution prevention. Requires at least 50 percent of the funds appropriated for such activities to be used for grants to universities or research institutions. Directs the Administrator to earmark a portion of such funds for participation in the Small Business Innovation Research Program. Requires the Administrator to report to the Congress on the impact of products on pollution prevention capabilities, including a list of 50 constituents that have adverse environmental or public health effects when recycled, discarded, incinerated, or treated before disposal and an identification of as many of the products containing such constituents as is practicable. Directs the Administrator to provide funding for projects demonstrating new pollution prevention practices and technologies to: (1) entities responsible for municipal solid waste disposal; and (2) public and private entities. Limits such grants to specified percentages of the total cost of a project. Sets forth criteria to be considered in the awarding of such grants. Requires the Administrator to evaluate such projects to determine the effectiveness and life-cycle costs of such technologies or practices and related social impacts. Directs the Administrator to establish a program of research grants to State and local governments that have solid waste prevention and recycling programs to enable such governments to evaluate the effectiveness of such programs. Requires such governments to report the results of such research to the Administrator. Limits the Federal share of the cost of such research to 50 percent of the total amount. Requires the Administrator to promote the use of, and provide technical assistance for, pollution prevention practices and technologies. Directs the Administrator to establish a Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse. Establishes priorities for the Administrator in undertaking pollution prevention research and development and demonstration activities with respect to hazardous and other wastes. Requires the Administrator to report annually to the Congress on the activities carried out under this Act. Authorizes and allocates appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 1989
Authorizes the President, on behalf of the Congress, to present a gold medal to Laurance Spelman Rockefeller in recognition of his leadership on behalf of natural resource conservation and historic preservation. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to provide for the sale of bronze duplicates of the medal.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 1989
Directs the heads of Federal departments or agencies which hold or receive records and information which have or could possibly have been correlated to U.S. personnel listed as prisoners of war or missing in action in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts to publicly disclose such records and information, except where such disclosure would compromise national security. Requires the Department of Defense to publicly disclose a complete list of such personnel including those killed in action (body not returned) in such hostilities with each service member's current classification as well as any changes in such classification occurring during or after such hostilities.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 1989
Benjamin Franklin Memorial Fire Service Bill of Rights Act - Title I: Minting of Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Commemorative Coin - Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Commemorative Coin Act - Provides for the sale of Benjamin Franklin commemorative coins at a surcharge of which 25 percent shall be paid to the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial and the remainder be distributed in specified percentages to the National Fire Center and Museum Account, the National Hero Scholarship Account, the Firefighter's Tuition Assistance Account, the Hazardous Materials Response Computer Account, the In Search of Excellence Research and Education Account, and the Burn Research Grant Account of the Firefighter Assistance Trust Fund (Fund). Prohibits the issuance of such coins from resulting in any net cost to the Federal government. Title II: Fire Service Bill of Rights - Fire Service Bill of Rights Act - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to establish a fire service bill of rights. Establishes the National Fire Center and Museum in the District of Columbia to provide information about the fire service and safety to the public and fire services. Funds such museum exclusively through the Fund. Establishes a National Hero Scholarship to fund the higher education of the children or spouse of a deceased firefighter. Establishes a scholarship providing tuition assistance to firefighters for higher education in fire safety or protection. Authorizes the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration to use amounts in the In Search of Excellence Research and Education Account of the Fund to fund other specified programs under the Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974. Establishes the Firefighters Assistance Trust Fund. Places the National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control within the United States Fire Administration. Directs the Administrator to use funds from the Hazardous Materials Response Computer Account of the fund to procure computer equipment for fire services that want such equipment. Directs the Administrator to make a grant from the Burn Research Grant Account of the Fund to one national firefighter's burn foundation dedicated to reducing burn injuries. Requires the Administrator to prepare and make available to State fire marshals, upon request, a manual describing Federal procedures for disposing of surplus property and highlighting how fire services could obtain such property. Directs the Administrator to distribute to such marshals information on the infectious diseases to which firefighters are particularly vulnerable.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 1989
Amends title II (Old, Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to require that regular monthly OASDI payments be made in a manner which ensures their receipt no later than the first day following the month to which they are attributable.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 1989
Public Housing One-Stop Perinatal Services Act of 1989 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide demonstration grants to public housing agencies for one-stop perinatal service facilities for pregnant and new mother public housing residents. Gives preference to public housing agencies in high infant mortality areas which provide adequate participant security. Limits aggregate grants to any one public housing project to $15,000. Requires: (1) public housing agency grantees to report annually to the Secretary; and (2) the Secretary to report to the Congress within two years of enactment of this year. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 1989
Hazardous Materials Transportation Act Uniform Safety Amendments Act of 1989 - Amends the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act to direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations for the safe transportation of hazardous materials in domestic and foreign commerce (including route designations). Cites the area in which Federal regulations preempt State hazardous materials transportation requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to promulgate regulations for dispute resolution among the States or Indian tribes regarding hazardous materials highway route designations. Permits States or Indian tribes to petition for judicial review of the dispute resolution decision. Grants the Secretary discretion to either adopt or reject hazardous materials transportation standards adopted by international bodies according to the Secretary's perception of the public interest. Requires a person who offers a hazardous material for transportation in commerce to disclose to the carrier specified information on such material. Prohibits a person from altering any required marking or packaging of hazardous materials. Prohibits a person who receives a package containing a hazardous material from removing any such markings from the package until the material has been removed. Directs the Secretary to issue regulations governing the number, content, and placement of documents with respect to the transportation of hazardous materials. Provides for: (1) filing of registration statements with the Secretary by persons who transport hazardous materials; (2) the issuance of safety permits to motor carriers who transport specified hazardous materials; and registration statements and safety permit fees. Increases the penalties for persons who commit violations in the transport of hazardous materials. Prescribes guidelines under which the preemption of State laws or Indian laws conflicting with this Act shall be determined. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1992. Directs the Secretary to conduct a study on a State-by-State basis of the flow of hazardous materials in commerce and the capability of emergency response to unintentional releases of them in the United States. Requires the Secretary to issue guidelines for the preparation and submission of a hazardous materials transportation emergency preparedness assessment of each State. Requires the Secretary to issue regulations with respect to the safe transportation of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel (including mode and route designations). Prohibits any railroad tank car constructed before a specified date from being used for the transportation of certain explosives or hazardous materials unless its air brake equipment support attachments comply with minimum Federal standards. Requires the Secretary to conduct a study of the present system of identifying hazardous materials and of means to improve such identification while in transit. Provides for State participation in the regulation of the transportation of hazardous materials by rail carriers. Requires the Secretary to issue regulations for the safe operation of trains that transport specified hazardous materials. Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations to prohibit the transportation in commerce of hazardous materials or solid waste in any motor vehicle which is also used to transport any food, food additive, drug, cosmetic, or device, or any package containing such items. Requires the Secretary to issue regulations with respect to making safety ratings of motor carriers available to the public. Requires the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Research and Special Programs Administration to employ an additional number of safety inspectors. Provides for State participation in the regulation of hazardous materials transported by rail carriers.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 1989
Integrated Pest Management Research Act of 1989 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Assistant Secretary for Science and Education, to establish an Office of Integrated Pest Management. Directs the Secretary to submit an integrated pest management report to the Congress. Authorizes FY 1991 through 1995 appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 1989
Declares it is in the interests of the United States to support efforts to protect South Pacific marine resources (including albacore tuna, porpoises, whales, seals and other marine mammals, birds, sea turtles, and fish) from the slaughter of driftnet fishing. Supports the Tarawa Declaration and the South Pacific Commission resolution calling for an immediate ban on driftnet fishing in the South Pacific. Urges the Secretary of State to work toward an international convention banning driftnet fishing in the South Pacific. Urges Japan and Taiwan to immediately cease the use of driftnets in international South Pacific waters.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 1989
Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit secret service protection, other than on a reimbursable basis, for any former President or family member who is away from his or her domicile and who directly or indirectly obtains income from activities while away.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 1989
Food Contamination Prevention Act - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations: (1) prohibiting the transportation in commerce of hazardous, medical, recyclable, and terminal waste in any refrigerated or other vehicle designed for transporting perishable food or in any vehicle that is also used to transport any food, food additive, drug, cosmetic, or device, or any package containing such items; (2) establishing health and safety standards for the transportation in commerce of recyclable and reusable waste in vehicles that are also used to transport any food, food additive, drug, cosmetic, or device, or any package containing such items; (3) requiring any vehicle used to transport solid waste to be labeled in a manner that identifies the vehicle as a dedicated or nondedicated waste vehicle and that identifies the class of waste transported by such vehicle; (4) requiring each solid waste management facility to institute a program to ensure that all nondedicated waste vehicles that are used to transport solid waste are kept free from contaminants through the use of reasonably available current technology; and (5) establishing criteria for three classes of nonhazardous solid waste (reusable, recyclable, and terminal as defined in this Act). Prescribes criminal penalties for violation of such regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1989
International and South Pacific Forestry Cooperation Act of 1989 - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to undertake various activities to promote sound management and conservation of forests and related natural resources in other countries and in U.S. territories in the South Pacific. Authorizes the Secretary, in cooperation with the Government of American Samoa, to establish: (1) the South Pacific Tropical Forestry Research Center; and (2) the American Samoa Experimental Forest. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 1989
Global Environmental Standards Reporting Act - Directs the Environmental Protection Agency to report annually to the Congress on: (1) environmental laws in major trading countries, including members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, and Taiwan; (2) progress in compliance with such laws in such countries and the United States; and (3) governmental financial assistance, including tax incentives, grants, and low interest loans to industry to achieve compliance with such laws.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 1989
Homeownership Made Easier Act - Amends the National Housing Act to authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make matching contributions (income-based multiples of buyer contributions) to eligible buyers who have established a home savings certificate amount for the purchase of a principal residence. Bases buyer eligibility on: (1) length of time from previous residential ownership, if any; and (2) qualifying income in relation to State median income. Requires matching contributions to be used for downpayments and related closing costs. Limits: (1) maximum buyer contributions matched by the Government; (2) aggregate matching contributions; and (3) income eligibility. Reserves 20 percent of program appropriations for low-income buyers. Requires: (1) matching contributions to be used within seven years of issuance; and (2) contribution reductions if redeemed before three years of issuance. Requires depository institutions holding home accounts to provide the Secretary with specified account information. Requires monthly repayment of matching contributions and authorizes the Secretary to charge interest) over the period of the residence's mortgage. Requires the Secretary to include a program report in the annual housing report. Authorizes appropriations. Terminates the Secretary's authority to provide matching contributions four years after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 1989
Expresses the sense of the Congress that in determining the allocation of foreign assistance the Department of State should: (1) weigh heavily the persecution, torture, and execution of innocent Somalis by the armed forces of Siad Barre; and (2) insist upon significant improvements in human rights as a precondition to the resumption of foreign assistance to Somalia.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 1989
Billboard Control Act of 1989 - Revises Federal provisions with respect to restrictions on outdoor advertising adjacent to interstate and Federal-aid primary highways. Specifies that a State shall be treated as failing to provide effective control of the erection and maintenance of outdoor advertising signs, displays, and devices (signs): (1) unless the State submits to the Secretary of Transportation by December 1st of each year an inventory of conforming and non-conforming signs in such State; and (2) if the State allows vegetation located on any land on which the State owns a right-of-way for a highway to be cut to improve the visibility of such signs. Requires the Secretary to submit to the Congress a detailed annual report on the extent to which each State has complied with the requirements of this Act, including a compilation of inventories and a description of the Secretary's efforts to assure that necessary directional information about facilities providing goods and services of interest to the traveling public is available to motorists. Makes exceptions to restrictions under this Act for signs which are lawfully in existence on September 1, 1989, and those located in industrial or commercial areas.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 1989
Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to conduct a review of the boundaries for each unit of the National Park System. Requires the Director to report the results of such review to specified congressional committees. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 1989
Global Forest Emergency Act - Establishes a national policy of no net loss of forests within the United States and its territories. Makes forest conservation and the sustainable use of forests, domestically and internationally, a national priority. Requires: (1) the President to declare a national forest emergency and work with other nations and international organizations for similar declarations; (2) all U.S. agencies to take all actions within their authority to conserve forests and support forest regeneration and restoration as appropriate to their mission; and (3) the Council on Environmental Quality to establish national objectives to implement and promote such policy. Directs specified U.S. officials to work with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and other international bodies toward a global survey of the world's forests and forest resources to assess the extent, status, and projected trends of the world's forests. Requires such survey to use the best available technology, including satellite imagery. Directs the Agency for International Development and the Forest Service to work together to support and provide technical assistance for national-level forest inventories around the world. Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, through the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology (FCCSET), to prepare a comprehensive research program in forest ecology to be known as the Endangered Forest Research Initiative. Specifies that such Initiative shall include: (1) research roles for specified agencies; (2) cooperative scientific programs with other nations; (3) research toward understanding the role of forests in ameliorating climate change, in preserving biological diversity, in preventing erosion, and in protecting watersheds; and (4) development of technologies and methodology for sustained yield forestry and forest restoration and development of indigenous crops in sustained yield agroforestry. Requires the FCCSET: (1) in preparing the Initiative, to pay particular attention to the recommendations of specified National Academy of Sciences reports; (2) to coordinate with the International Union of Forest Research Associations and other domestic and international organizations as appropriate in developing the Initiative; and (3) to submit the Initiative to the Congress within one year after enactment of this Act. Requires that the recommendations contained in the Initiative be represented in the annual budget requests of the participating agencies and departments. Directs the President to extend an invitation to the Government of Japan to participate in a joint United States-Japan Commission on Global Forest Restoration which shall provide financial and technical assistance to nations, international organizations, local and national nongovernmental organizations, and industry to: (1) develop, initiate, and support a global forest restoration program; (2) seek to implement a global policy of no net loss of forest through conservation of existing forests, natural regeneration, and planting of additional trees; and (3) include training and education activities in forest conservation and restoration techniques. Specifies the U.S. members of the Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 1989
Amends the Rail Passenger Service Act to repeal an exemption from specified communicable disease control requirements of the Public Health Service Act for waste disposal from railroads operating in intercity rail passenger service.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 1989
Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in any case in which there has been either a disallowance of a veterans benefits claim or a partially awarded claim, to provide to the claimant a written statement setting forth notice of procedural rights of the claimant and the rationale for the disallowance. Requires that such statement: (1) be provided at each procedural stage relating to the disposition of a claim; (2) include a summary of the evidence supporting the disallowance or the partial award; (3) be in such forms as the Secretary prescribes by regulation; (4) include a description of each subsequent procedural stage before the Department of Veterans Affairs; (5) include a description of all rights of the claimant expressly provided for in the veterans' benefits code, the claimant's right to a hearing, to reconsideration, to appeal, and to representation, and any specific procedures necessary to obtain the various forms of review available for consideration of the claim; and (6) include such other information as the Secretary determines would be useful and practical to assist the claimant in obtaining full consideration of the claim. Adds parallel requirements with respect to the Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1989
Fish and Fish Products Safety Act of 1989 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem fish and fish products unsafe for human consumption if they: (1) contain a chemical or microbiological contaminant, parasite, or toxin (CPT) exceeding an established standard or for which no standard has been established; or (2) are harvested in a fish adulteration area. Deems an area to be a fish adulteration area unless there is in effect a State program regulating area shellfish harvesting or if the State has prohibited shellfish harvesting in the area. Directs the Secretary to establish standards for: (1) such CPTs; and (2) sanitation and quality control for processing of fish and fish products. Provides for an official mark, displayed on labels, signifying compliance with the processing standards. Deems a food adulterated if it is deemed unsafe under this Act or if any of it has been processed in violation of the sanitation and quality control standards of this Act. Deems a food misbranded if its label contains an official mark not authorized under this Act. Provides for: (1) a study by the National Academy of Sciences to identify fish CPTs; and (2) regulations to implement this Act. Requires any person who owns or operates a fish processing facility and any fish importer to: (1) register annually with the Secretary of Health and Human Services; and (2) notify the Secretary of any product which the person has stopped processing or importing or has recalled, including the reasons for doing so. Directs the Secretary to conduct announced and unannounced inspections of fish processing facilities. Allows the Secretary to: (1) authorize State agencies to conduct the inspections; and (2) pay up to half of the State cost of the inspections. Directs the Secretary to: (1) issue regulations regarding the inspections, including requirements for a system to trace contaminated fish; (2) conduct monitoring of fish from fish harvest areas and after harvest; and (3) if the fish from a particular harvest area are likely to exceed CPT standards, or contain a CPT for which no standard has been established, to designate the area as a fish adulteration area. Deems an imported fish or fish product misbranded unless its label discloses the country from which it is imported. Provides for civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Directs the Secretary to establish a public awareness program on the handling and preparation of fish and fish products. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct, directly or through grants or contracts, research and demonstrations to assist in implementing this Act. Directs the Secretary, through the Centers for Disease Control, to establish an active surveillance system to provide an estimate of the frequency of human disease in the United States associated with the consumption of fish and fish products.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1989
Yosemite National Park Centennial Medal Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell not more than 750,000 gold, silver, and bronze medals in commemoration of the centennial of Yosemite National Park, California, in 1990. Requires that all sales of such medals include a surcharge of $35 per medal for the gold medals, $7 per medal for the silver medals, and $2 per medal for the bronze medals. Requires that all surcharges be paid to an endowment fund for the benefit of the Park to be administered by the National Park Foundation. Requires that the interest from the fund be paid to the Secretary of the Interior to fund special supplemental projects relating to back country trail development and rehabilitation and the preservation of Sequoia groves within the boundaries of the Park. Requires the Secretaries to enter into a memorandum agreement to allow: (1) the Secretary of the Treasury to deliver medals to the Secretary of the Interior; and (2) the Secretary of the Interior to provide for the sale of the medals in National Park facilities. Grants the Comptroller General the right to examine all records of the National Park Foundation which are related to such medals. Provides that no medals may be struck after December 31, 1991.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1989
Department of Housing and Urban Development Accountability Act of 1989 - Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide for the following in the housing assistance selection process: (1) publication in the Federal Register of selection criteria and assistance availability; (2) documentation of selection decisions, including individual program documentation standards published in the Federal Register; and (3) specified applicant disclosure. Requires: (1) the Secretary to report to the Congress regarding such activities and a related consultant fee limitation plan; and (2) the Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to include in his semiannual reports an assessment of compliance with the requirements of this Act. Prohibits during any housing assistance selection process: (1) an applicant from soliciting or obtaining any covered selection information from any HUD officer or employee; or (2) a HUD officer or employee from knowingly disclosing such information to any person other than a person authorized by the Secretary to receive it. Sets forth administrative, civil, and criminal penalties for disclosure violations. Directs the Secretary to consider any applicable low-income tax credit in establishing assisted housing owner profit levels.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1989
Recycling of Existing Assets for Cost-Effective Housing Act of 1989 - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make grants to establish State revolving funds for: (1) homebuyer loans (priority for first-time or lower-income homebuyers); and (2) multifamily dwelling grants and loans. Requires State matching funds. Prohibits property conveyance for five years. Sets forth property eligibility requirements. Directs the Secretary to make a State listing of such properties available upon request. Requires at least annual program reports by: (1) State housing finance agencies to the Secretary; and (2) the Secretary to the Congress. Requires the General Accounting Office to audit the program at least annually. Authorizes FY 1990 and 1991 appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1989
Escrow Account Statement Act - Amends the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to mandate that an escrow servicer or lender that has established an escrow account in connection with a federally related mortgage loan submit to the borrower statements which clearly itemize: (1) at the opening or closing of the account, the charges which are reasonably anticipated to be paid from the account; and (2) annually, the amounts actually paid from such account as well as the annual balance. Establishes a civil penalty for failure to submit such itemized statements. Prohibits a lender from imposing preparation fees for escrow account statements.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 1989
Agricultural Extended Retirement Credit Act of 1990 - Extends creditable service under the Civil Service Retirement System for periods of service in certain Federal-State cooperative programs which had agricultural or related purposes. Establishes a hiring limitation period of four fiscal years after 60 days following enactment of this Act on the replacement of retirees in the United States Department of Agriculture. Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of any budget authority or outlays saved in any fiscal year by reason of reduced pay and personnel resulting from implementation of this Act. Requires that the budget authority and outlays thus saved: (1) be carried to the surplus fund of the Department of Agriculture and deposited by the Secretary of Agriculture in the Treasury to the credit of the Civil Service Retirement Fund, as a Government contribution; and (2) credited against pay and other personnel costs required to be sequestered under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). Requires the Comptroller General to notify the Congress, of of each instance of noncompliance with the requirements of this Act. Directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to report to the Congress on an evaluation of the extended credit retirement program and the limitation on replacement of retirees provided under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 1989
Science and Technological Literacy Act of 1989 - Requires the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a program for supporting the development and dissemination of new curricula for mathematics and science at the elementary and secondary levels, and for mathematics, science, and engineering education and technical training at the undergraduate level, including through grants. Requires the NSF to establish a program to support the development and dissemination of innovative technologies for science and technological literacy instruction and training of individuals for technological careers, including through grants and through revolving fund loans. Requires an entity receiving funds for development of curricula or instruction technologies to obtain support of at least equal value from non-Federal sources. Allows the NSF Director to reduce or waive this requirement for an entity receiving funds for the acquisition of innovative computer hardware or software in certain circumstances. Requires the Director to carry out an advanced technician training program under which associate-degree-granting colleges will provide training in technical competencies in strategic fields. Requires an emphasis on: (1) collaborative programs with local employers; and (2) attracting people who are in need of retraining to retain jobs or who are unemployed. Provides for: (1) grants to such colleges; (2) establishment of an inventory of advanced technician training programs; (3) appointment of a National Advisory Council on Advanced Technician Training; (4) an annual report by the Council to the NSF and directly to the Congress without review by the NSF or the Office of Management and Budget; and (5) other matters. Requires the Director to designate ten centers of excellence among associate-degree-granting colleges to serve as national and regional clearinghouses, five for the benefit of colleges striving to upgrade their technical programs, five for the benefit of colleges and secondary schools striving to upgrade mathematics and science courses. Requires the colleges to pledge operating resources to match the Federal grants. Requires the Director to make at least 20 grants annually to associate-degree-granting colleges to develop and strengthen partnerships in mathematics and science education with secondary schools in the community. Requires the colleges to pledge operating resources to match the Federal grants. Sets forth the permissible uses of funds appropriated to carry out the centers of excellence and the partnerships provisions of this Act. Authorizes appropriations for: (1) curricula revision and instruction technologies for FY 1990; and (2) technician training for FY 1990 through 1992.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 1989
Declares that the Congress acknowledges and appreciates the commitment, devotion, and sacrifices of present and former military families. Designates November 20, 1989, as National Military Families Recognition Day.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 1989
Steel Fair Trade Review Act - Requires the President to submit to the Congress a report concerning progress achieved, pursuant to the steel trade liberalization program, on an international consensus to remove trade distorting practices in global steel markets. Specifies the issues such report must address.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 1989
High Risk Occupational Disease Notification and Prevention Act - Establishes a Risk Assessment Board (the Board), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to: (1) review pertinent medical and scientific reports on the incidence of disease associated with exposure to occupational health hazards; (2) identify and designate populations at risk that should receive notification; (3) develop a form and method of notification that will be used by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary); and (4) determine the appropriate type of medical monitoring or beneficial health counseling. Sets forth factors for Board consideration and priorities in designating populations at risk of disease for notification. Directs the Secretary to make every reasonable effort to ensure that each individual within a population at risk of disease is notified of the risk. Requires the Secretary, through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), to conduct the required notification, with specified exceptions. Allows an employer to apply to NIOSH for an exemption from such employee notification because that employer's employees are not at risk of disease because of significant mitigating factors. Provides for telephone "hot lines" and other dissemination of information. Authorizes the Secretary to certify a private employer or a State or local government to conduct notification. Provides for judicial review of Board determinations. Requires the Secretary to establish and certify ten occupational and environmental health centers to: (1) provide education, training, and technical assistance to personal physicians and health and social service professionals who serve employees notified that they are at risk under this Act; and (2) provide diagnosis, treatment, and medical monitoring and family services for such employees. Directs the Secretary to make grants to conduct research, training, and education aimed at improving the means of identifying employees exposed to occupational health hazards and improving medical assistance to such employees. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants and contracts for training and curriculum development in occupational medicine or health to schools of medicine and of nursing. Provides that such assistance shall be for projects: (1) at schools with occupational medicine or health programs, for faculty continuing education, curricula and training materials for undergraduate medical or nursing training, and clinical training for residents in graduate medical programs; and (2) at schools without such programs, for faculty training. Directs the Secretary, during FY 1991 through 1993, to make such grants and contracts to at least ten schools of medicine or nursing. Requires that the medical monitoring recommended by the Board be provided by the current employer: (1) at no additional cost to the employee (above any existing employee health care contribution), if any part of the exposure occurred in the course of employment by that employer; or (2) at a charge to the employee not exceeding the additional cost to the employer (above any existing employer health care contribution), or at no charge, if no part of such exposure occurred in the course of employment by that employer. Sets forth special rules for medical monitoring by small businesses and of seasonal agricultural workers. Prohibits discharging or discriminating against employees, or applicants for employment, on the basis that they are or have been members of a population at risk. Makes an exception to such prohibition if the position which the applicant seeks requires exposure to the occupational health hazard which is the subject to the notice. Allows an employer with 50 or fewer employees to transfer an employee who is or has been a member of a population at risk to another job if earnings, seniority, and other employment rights and benefits are as comparable as possible to the old job and if the terms of an applicable collective bargaining agreement are not violated. Grants the option of being transferred to a less hazardous or nonexposed job to any employee member of a population at risk who is determined by a physician to show evidence of developing the disease described in the notice or other symptoms or conditions increasing the likelihood or incidence of such disease. Requires that the employee maintain earnings, seniority, and other employment rights and benefits of the former job. Sets forth procedures for independent reconsideration of the initial medical determination. Sets forth special rules for medical removal. Makes such protection inapplicable to seasonal agricultural workers with less than six months continuous employment with an employer. Exempts from the requirement of medical removal protection any employer who has 50 or fewer employees and who has made or is making a reasonable good faith effort to eliminate the occupational health hazard that is the basis for the medical removal decision. Provides for confidentiality of employee records unless disclosure is authorized by and is necessary to carry out a provision of this Act, or is authorized by the employee. Permits employees aggrieved by violations of provisions involving medical monitoring, medical removal, discrimination, and confidentiality to apply, within six months after the violation occurs, to the Secretary of Labor for a review of the alleged violation. Sets forth provisions for investigations, actions, defenses, determinations, and appeals in such cases. Provides for reinstatement and other relief for employees injured by such violations. Sets forth civil penalties for such violations. Authorizes the Secretary (of HHS) to bring an action in U.S. district court to enjoin an employer from violating this Act. Directs the Secretary of Labor to report annually to the Congress on the implementation and enforcement of the hazard communication standard. Directs the Secretary of HHS to report annually to the Congress on the implementation and enforcement of notification under this Act. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1989 through 1993.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 1989
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the Exxon Company should dedicate whatever resources are necessary and pay all expenses required to compensate affected parties expeditiously, mitigate impacts, and complete cleanup of Prince William Sound and other Alaska lands and waters damaged by the Exxon Valdez oilspill; (2) the scope and thoroughness of the cleanup should not be determined by Exxon, but by the U.S. Coast Guard; (3) if the cleanup has not been completed to the Coast Guard's satisfaction by September 15, 1989, Exxon should renew the cleanup in the spring, until the Coast Guard has determined that the cleanup is complete; and (4) Exxon should maintain a contingency force in affected Alaskan communities from September 15, 1989, until full-scale cleanup efforts renew in the spring.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 1989
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States Postal Service should issue a postage stamp commemorating the life and work of Doctor Thomas Anthony Dooley III.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 1989
Amends the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 to extend indefinitely, with regard to certain cargo preference provisions, the requirement that the Secretary of Transportation take steps to preserve the percentage share, or metric tonnage of bagged, processed, or fortified commodities experienced in calendar year 1984, of waterborne cargoes exported from Great Lakes ports pursuant to specified provisions of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 1989
Veterans Agent Orange Exposure and Vietnam Service Benefits Act of 1989 - Provides that the disease of chloracne in Vietnam veterans shall be considered to have been service-connected if such disease became manifest to a ten percent or more degree of disability within one year after the last date on which the veteran performed such service in Vietnam. Presumes the following diseases to be service-connected for veterans who performed active service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era, notwithstanding that there is no record of evidence of such disease during the period of such service: (1) non-Hodgkins lymphoma; (2) soft-tissue sarcoma; and (3) melanoma and basal cell carcinoma. Provides a presumption of service-connection in the case of a Vietnam veteran suffering from a disease associated with effects of exposure to certain dioxins or other herbicide agents during such service in Vietnam. Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations listing a positive association between any disease and the biological effects of exposure to an herbicide agent in Vietnam. Requires the Secretary to update such list continually. Requires the Secretary, in prescribing and revising such list, to obtain by contract the determinations and estimates of a contract scientific organization. Requires such organization to: (1) determine which diseases have any degree of association with the biological effects of exposure to an herbicide agent; and (2) estimate the extent of association between each such disease and each such biological effects. Requires the organization to determine such association specifically with respect to non-Hodgkins lymphoma, each soft-tissue sarcoma, lung cancer, and each other cancer. Outlines contract provisions required in such agreements between the Secretary and the scientific organization, including surveys, evaluations, and periodic determinations. Requires such scientific organization to provide reports to the Secretary and the Senate and House Veterans' Affairs Committees regarding its determinations and evaluations. Requires such organization to determine, in the effect of a positive association, whether there is a reasonable basis for concluding that a Vietnam veteran with the highest level of exposure to that herbicide agent in Vietnam was exposed to such agent under the circumstances necessary for such biological effects. Requires a report from the organization to the Secretary and the veterans' committees when there is no such reasonable basis found. Requires the Secretary to make certain determinations and follow-up reports after receiving such reports from the contract scientific organization, including the issuance of a report to the veterans' committees and the promulgation of positive association regulations, if necessary. Requires benefits to be continued even though a disease is removed from the regulations listing diseases having positive associations. Terminates such contracting authority ten years after the first day of the fiscal year in which a scientific organization transmits its first report to the Secretary. Provides special effective dates. Directs the Secretary to compile and analyze all clinical data that: (1) is obtained by the Department in connection with examinations and treatment of veterans for disabilities related to exposure to certain herbicides or to service in Vietnam; and (2) is likely to be scientifically useful in determining the association, if any, between the disabilities of such veterans and their exposure to such herbicides and other toxic substances. Requires the Secretary to submit an annual report to the veterans' committees concerning such analysis and its results. Directs the Secretary to consult with the Director of the National Institutes of Health Research and Grants Division (NIH) before compiling and analyzing such information. Requires the Director of NIH to review each annual report submitted by the Secretary and transmit to the Secretary an evaluation of the contents of each report. Directs the Secretary to establish and maintain a system for the collection and storage of voluntarily contributed samples of blood and tissue of veterans who performed active service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era. Outlines provisions concerning the security and authorized uses of such specimens, as well as limitations on the acceptance of such samples. Requires the Secretary to consult with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to the extent that an agreement has been reached with the NAS serving as the contract scientific organization for the Secretary. Requires the Secretary to consult with the Director of the Medical Follow-up Agency in the event of no agreement with NAS. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to provide for the conduct of studies of the feasibility of conducting additional scientific research on health hazards resulting from: (1) exposure to dioxin; (2) exposure to other toxic agents in herbicides used in support of U.S. and allied military operations in Vietnam during the Vietnam era; and (3) active military, naval, or air service there. Requires the Secretary to report to the veterans' committees on the results of such studies. Requires the Secretary to consult with the NAS before undertaking such studies and requires the NAS, to review such studies and report recommendations to the Secretary and the veterans' committees, to the extent provided under any agreement between the Secretary and NAS. Amends the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 1988 to require the Secretary to annually furnish updated information to veterans listed in the Department of Veterans Affairs' Agent Orange Registry on health risks resulting from exposure to dioxin or other toxic agents in herbicides as a result of service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to the veterans' committees on the research being conducted to develop treatments for psychological absorption of dioxin and other toxic agents used in herbicides by the United States in Vietnam, including research relating to exposure to dioxin and other toxic agents outside Vietnam. Extends through December 31, 2000, the eligibility for hospital and nursing home care for veterans exposed to toxic substances in Vietnam. Amends the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 1988 to authorize direct consultation between the Ranch Hand Advisory Committee and Department of the Air Force scientists conducting the Ranch Hand Study (a study of the long-term health effects of exposure to phenoxy herbicides and contaminants). Requires the preparation and submission of annual reports and a final report in connection with such study.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 1989
Congressional Witness Protection Act of 1989 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prescribe penalties for economic retaliation against a congressional witness for such witness' testimony or provision of information.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 1989
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to transmit to the Congress a National Historic Landmark Theme Study on American Labor History which identifies the key sites and buildings as National Historic Landmarks, the history of workers and their work, of organizing, unions and strikes, of the impacts of industrial and technological change, and of the contributions of American labor to American history. Requires the Secretary to appoint an advisory board to provide policy guidelines and technical assistance in conducting such Theme Study. Authorizes appropriations.
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