United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the breast cancer screening benefit provided under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 to cover on an annual basis (currently, biennial) routine breast cancer screening for women over age 64.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Immunization Now Act of 1991 - Entitles each infant in the United States under two years old, who does not have other health insurance and who meets other requirements, to receive immunizations without charge. Requires any licensed health care professional to provide immunizations in exchange for vouchers issued through hospitals or community health centers or on direct application by the parent, with quarterly reimbursements to health care providers in amounts set by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Directs the Secretary to carry out activities to inform the public and health care providers regarding the program. Authorizes appropriations. Establishes a national immunization registry system to provide for national surveillance of childhood immunization status through age six. Mandates grants for research and demonstration projects to identify mechanisms and structures to develop the registry. Authorizes appropriations. Requires certain measures in expanding the registry from the projects to cover the Nation, including developing: (1) the capacity to link and process all birth certificate records through a central registry; and (2) mechanisms to collect information on all doses of vaccine administered to pre-school age children. Authorizes appropriations. Requires full implementation of the registry by FY 1995, including registration of all infants born in the United States and collection of information on all doses of vaccines administered to children under six. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Authorizes the President to present a gold medal to General H. Norman Schwarzkopf in recognition of his exemplary performance in coordinating the planning, strategy, and execution of U.S. combat action and his invaluable contributions to the United States and to the liberation of Kuwait. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Social Security Disability Benefits for the Blind Act of 1991 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to make blind persons eligible for disability benefits regardless of their ability to engage in substantial gainful activity.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the age (55 or older) and dollar ($125,000) restrictions with respect to the one-time income tax exclusion of gain on the sale of a principal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Requests the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to publish, within one year, proposed amended regulations that specify the components of an adequate operator training program and certification system for operators of powered industrial trucks.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Amends the Federal criminal code to make it a Federal criminal offense to leave or remain outside a State for the purpose of avoiding payment of arrearages in child support.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Illegal Dumping Prevention Act of 1991 - Amends the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 to authorize the seizure and forfeiture of vessels illegally dumping wastes into ocean waters.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
United States One Dollar Coin Act of 1991 - Amends Federal currency law to prescribe the color and content of one-dollar coins. Mandates that the obverse side of the one dollar coin have a design recognizing America's veterans. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to cease regular production of one-dollar Federal Reserve notes by a specified date (except for such quantities as are required to meet collectors' needs). Mandates that the seigniorage of the new one-dollar coins be used to offset the reverse seigniorage resulting from the destruction of Susan B. Anthony dollar coins in Government storage.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Joint Manufacturing Opportunities Act of 1991 - Declares that the conduct of any individual in making or performing a contract to carry out a flexible manufacturing network shall not be deemed illegal per se under the antitrust laws, but rather shall be judged on its reasonableness considering all relevant factors affecting competition. Defines "flexible manufacturing network" (FMN) as any group of activities, including attempting to make, making, or performing a contract, carried out by two or more persons for the purpose of: (1) purchasing raw materials, services, or facilities to jointly manufacture and distribute a product; (2) collecting and sharing information on production costs and manufacturing capacity necessary to prepare a bid to sell a product jointly manufactured by such persons, or information applicable to the marketing of such product; or (3) sharing information on manufacturing and distribution capacity for the purpose of jointly manufacturing and distributing such product. Excludes activities not reasonably required to carry out a flexible manufacturing network. Limits recovery under the Clayton Act to actual damages (for private suits), the total damage sustained (in suits by States), interest calculated at a specified rate, and costs, including a reasonable attorney's fee, if such claim results from conduct that is within the scope of a notification that has been filed under this Act for an FMN and is filed after such notification becomes effective. Specifies that interest shall be awarded on the damages involved for the period between the date of injury and the date of judgment, unless the court finds that such award is unjust under the circumstances. Limits recovery under this Act if the challenged conduct of a person defending against a claim is not in violation of any decree or order entered or issued after the effective date of this Act. Provides for the award of costs and attorney's fees. Establishes procedures for the filing of a notice with the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission of a written agreement to carry out an FMN disclosing: (1) the identities of the parties; and (2) the nature and objectives of such FMN. Exempts specified information from disclosure. Provides for: (1) publication of such notice in the Federal Register; (2) withdrawal of notice; and (3) judicial review of any action by the Attorney General or the Commission with respect to notification filed under this Act. Restricts the admissibility of information disclosed or published under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Entitles executive agency civilian employees ordered to active military duty as a reserve of the armed forces or member of the National Guard during the Persian Gulf Crisis to Federal benefits protection and to salary offsets if their military pay was less than their civilian pay.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Directs the Secretary of Education to make a grant to Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, to establish the Margaret Walker Alexander National African-American Research Center on its campus in recognition of, and to commemorate, the literary contributions of Margaret Walker Alexander. Requires the application for the grant to ensure that the Center will serve as a national center for the study, research, and teaching of African-American literature and history, and as a repository for papers and memorabilia relating to the lives of individuals noted for their work in African-American literature and history. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1991.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to revise its application. Revises minimum wage and maximum hours provisions (as well as provisions for special industry committees for American Samoa) to apply such requirements specifically to employers of employees who in any workweek are engaged in industrial homework and who are either engaged in commerce or in the production of goods in commerce (in addition to any other employees so employed). Revises the scope of the application of requirements relating to: (1) wage rate orders for employers in American Samoa; (2) prohibition of sex discrimination in wage rates; and (3) handicapped workers.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Provides that former air traffic controllers shall not, as a class, be considered unsuitable or ineligible for: (1) positions as air traffic controllers in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the Department of Defense; or (2) positions in the FAA other than air traffic controller positions. Requires the Secretary of Transportation and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to take action to ensure that in each of FY 1992 and 1993, at least 500 former controllers are appointed to permanent, full-time positions as air traffic controllers in the FAA. Provides for a waiver of the maximum-age limitation applicable to such appointments. Prescribes procedural guidelines for competitive and non-competitive appointments of such controllers. Precludes an applicant's role in the 1981 strike from being considered when making a determination of suitability for an air traffic controller position. Requires the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Defense to prescribe regulations under which the appointment of a former controller to an air traffic controller position within their respective departments shall not become final unless a probationary period has been successfully completed. Sets forth guidelines for the computation of creditability of service for retirement purposes. Expresses the sense of the Congress that such reinstatements should not: (1) cause the separation or reduction in grade of any other air traffic controller; or (2) interfere with training opportunities which would otherwise be afforded to air traffic controllers seeking to become fully qualified.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the personal exemption for a dependent child who has not attained age 18 from $2,000 to $3,500. Provides for rounding inflation adjustments to tax tables to the nearest multiple of $10 (currently rounded to the next lowest multiple of $50).
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the luxury excise tax parts for accessories installed for use of passenger vehicles by disabled individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Endorses a National Victory Parade in Washington, D.C., and regional victory parades throughout the United States to honor servicemen and women who participated in Operation Desert Storm. Encourages Federal, State, and local governments and private industry to get involved in supporting such parades.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Mickey Leland Childhood Hunger Relief Act - Title I: Ensuring Adequate Food Assistance - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to remove the excess shelter deduction cap for purposes of food stamp program (program) eligibility. (Sets forth transitional caps through FY 1995.) Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to adjust the basic benefit level upwards by specified increments at the beginning of each fiscal year until it reaches 105 percent of the cost of the thrifty food plan. Eliminates food stamp reductions for households reapplying for program reinstatement within 30 days. Excludes third party payments for transitional housing for the homeless from consideration as program income. Increases funding for the nutrition assistance program in Puerto Rico. Excludes general assistance vendor payments from consideration as program income. Title II: Promoting Self-Sufficiency - Excludes from consideration as program income: (1) the first $50 a month received as child support; and (2) child support payments to non-household members. Increases annually the fair market value limit of vehicles that program recipients may own. Excludes from financial resources the value of a vehicle a household depends upon to carry heating fuel or water for home use where it has no other access to fuel or water. Increases dependent care deductions and participant and State agency reimbursements in connection with employment and training activities. Title III: Simplifying the Provision of Food Assistance - Permits related adults living in the same household to apply for separate program benefits under specified conditions. Permits a participating family made up of, or including, an elderly or disabled member to own $3,000 in allowable financial resources. (Current law refers to a family member 60 years of age or older.) Makes program authorization of appropriations permanent. Title IV: Implementation and Effective Dates - Sets forth the effective dates for provisions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Medicare Bone Mass Measurement Coverage Act of 1991 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare coverage of bone mass measurements.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Osteoporosis and Related Bone Disorders Research, Education, and Health Services Act of 1991 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMSD), the Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), and the Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDKD) to expand and intensify research on osteoporosis and related bone disorders. Requires, with respect to osteoporosis and related bone disorders: (1) the NIAMSD Director to increase the number of Specialized Centers of Research; (2) the NIA Director to increase the number of program project grants devoted to creating centers of excellence; and (3) the NIDDKD Director to increase the number of grants in osteoporosis. Authorizes appropriations. Establishes in the Department of Health and Human Services the Interagency Council on Osteoporosis and Related Disorders and the Advisory Panel on Osteoporosis and Related Disorders. Authorizes appropriations for the Advisory Panel. Requires the NIAMSD Director to make grants or enter into contracts to establish a Resource Center on Osteoporosis and Related Disorders to: (1) disseminate information about research results, services, and educational materials to health professionals, patients, and the public; and (2) coordinate leadership training for the development of health professional resource networks. Requires grant and contract recipients to establish: (1) a central computerized information system to, among other matters, translate scientific and technical information into information readily understandable by the general public; and (2) a national toll-free telephone information line. Requires the grant or contract recipient to charge fees for providing information, but allows exceptions for individuals and organizations unable to pay. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the tax exemption for qualified small issue industrial bonds (bonds issued to finance manufacturing facilities and farm property) through 1996.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Title I: Federal Programs - Directs the Secretary of Energy (the Secretary) to establish the Federal Energy Efficiency Fund to provide financing to enable Federal agencies to install energy conservation measures. Directs the Secretary to report annually to the Congress detailing funds allocation and the projected energy savings from installed measures. Authorizes appropriations. Sets deadlines by which Federal agencies must: (1) report to the Secretary a list of energy conservation projects that will meet a ten-year payback criterion; and (2) substantially complete energy conservation projects. Permits exceptions for reasons of impracticability. Exempts from this program Federal facilities engaged in either electric energy generation or transmission or uranium enrichment activities. Provides for the continued availability of appropriations for energy conservation purposes through the following fiscal year to agencies that achieve energy cost savings. Authorizes Federal entities to participate in certain gas and electric utility energy management programs (including acceptance of utility financial incentives). Sets forth guidelines under which the Secretary shall develop a simplified method of contracting for shared energy savings contract services. Directs the Secretary to establish a financial bonus program to reward outstanding energy managers at Federal plants. Requires the Administrator of the General Services Administration to ensure that the average fleet fuel efficiency in each class of federally purchased vehicles is at least equal to the average fuel economy level for that class in the previous model year. Sets a deadline by which the Secretary must establish an energy efficiency technologies demonstration program at Federal facilities that have received Federal financial assistance for research and development. Title II: Utilities - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to declare that gross income does not include the value of a subsidy (rebate) provided by a public utility to a customer for the purchase or installation of any energy conservation measure. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to provide that the rates allowed to be charged by a State-regulated electric utility shall be such that its investments and expenditures for energy conservation and energy efficiency resources are as profitable as its investments and expenditures for the construction of new generation facilities. Requires the Secretary to report to the President and the Congress on: (1) the extent to which State regulatory practices require least-cost planning by electric utilities; and (2) an evaluation of likely results of least-cost energy planning. Prohibits the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from approving interstate electric power sales by a utility unless the utility has adopted a least-cost plan complying with State requirements. Requires the purchaser or transferee of an interstate electric power sale to furnish FERC with a statement that such transfer is the least costly means by which it can obtain power. Requires the Tennessee Valley Authority to adopt a least-cost plan. Prohibits the Western Area Power Administration from selling power to a purchaser that does not have a least-cost plan in effect. Requires the Secretary of Energy to devise plans for the implementation of: (1) energy conservation standards and labeling for specified electric appliances and window systems; and (2) an insulation value rating system. Title III: Building and Housing - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish an income tax credit for granting oil retrofit conservation expenditures. Outlines standards for the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to develop energy efficiency rating guidelines for new and existing residential buildings. Permits certain residential buildings with heating, cooling, or hot water systems operated directly by renewable energy sources to have their energy usage credited toward the building's energy efficiency rating. Directs the Secretary to establish a five-year program to provide technical and financial assistance to State and local organizations for residential energy efficiency rating systems. Requires the Secretary of Energy to ensure that Federal mortgage assistance is not permitted unless certain small family dwellings have met with minimum residential energy efficiency ratings. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) recommend improved commercial building energy efficiency standards to State and local governments for adoption in their building codes; (2) initiate a three-year technical assistance program to promote adoption of such standards; (3) develop model incentives for increasing energy efficiency in commercial buildings beyond the energy efficiency ratings program; and (4) establish a task force to assist in the development of the energy efficiency program and review its results. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: Improvement of Industrial Audits and Voluntary Guidelines For Industrial Insulation - Directs the Secretary to: (1) select and assist a nonprofit organization to develop industrial insulation guidelines; (2) review the status of industrial energy auditing procedures; (3) conduct an education and technical assistance program concerning such procedures; and (4) report to the Congress on the program. Authorizes appropriations. Title V: International Market Assessments and Export Promotion - Directs the Secretary to: (1) issue an annual report on at least three countries detailing the market potential for energy efficiency technologies; (2) issue a biannual report on the research and development of energy efficiency technologies in major industrialized countries; (3) conduct a specified number of trade missions to countries identified as good markets for energy efficiency technologies; (4) conduct a training and technical assistance program to assist other countries in policy design and program development to accelerate the adoption of energy efficiency technologies; and (5) present a program evaluation report to the Congress. Authorizes appropriations. Title VI: Transportation - Amends the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act to present guidelines under which the Secretary of Transportation shall by regulation establish a program encouraging the removal from the marketplace of motor vehicles manufactured before model year 1980. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit employer deductions for parking expenses on behalf of employees unless the employer provides either a cash or a mass transit, car pool, or van subsidy alternative.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility and Home Health Benefit Act of 1991 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) eliminate the requirement that extended care services be provided within a certain period following hospitalization in order to be covered under the Hospital Insurance Program; and (2) cover nursing care and home health aide services provided or needed on an intermittent basis.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Recycled Paper Procurement Act of 1991 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to provide that a requirement that federally-procured items over $10,000 be composed of the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable shall not apply (with respect to the $10,000 amount) to paper procured by the Congress. Requires, by FY 1993, at least 50 percent of the paper purchased by procuring agencies to be recycled paper. Provides that a decision not to procure recycled paper may be made only if such paper: (1) is not available within a reasonable period of time; (2) fails to meet specified performance standards; or (3) is available only at an unreasonable price.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Authorizes the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to establish a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr., on Federal land in the District of Columbia and its environs. Makes the Fraternity solely responsible for acceptance of contributions for, and payment of expenses of, the memorial. Prohibits the use of Federal funds for its establishment. Requires the Fraternity to deposit excess funds into the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Requires the Architect of the Capitol to establish and operate a source-separated recycling program for newsprint, paper, plastic, bottles, and aluminum applicable to all offices and facilities within office buildings under the jurisdiction of the U.S. House of Representatives.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Acclaims the President for his decisive leadership, unerring judgment, and sound decisions with respect to the Persian Gulf crisis. Commends and expresses appreciation to the members of the U.S. armed forces and other members of the international coalition who participated in Operation Desert Storm. Conveys sympathy and condolences to the families and friends of coalition and U.S. forces who were injured or killed during such operation. Expresses compassion for the families of noncombatants who suffered hardship and personal losses during the Persian Gulf War. Supports continued efforts to promote peace and stability in the Persian Gulf.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) Saddam Hussein and his subordinates should be held legally and financially accountable for the invasion of Kuwait, the brutal treatment of Kuwait, the Kuwaiti people, and allied and U.S. prisoners of war, launching unprovoked SCUD attacks against Israel and Israeli civilians, dumping oil into the ocean, and the destruction of oil fields; and (2) the United Nations should take steps to try such individuals for war crimes following and including the invasion of Kuwait.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1991
Women's Equal Opportunity Act of 1991 - Title I: Federal Civil Rights Remedies - Subtitle A: Federal Remedies for Sexual Harassment in the Workplace - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to allow monetary penalties, to specified maximums, for intentional unlawful employment practices relating to harassment on the basis of sex. Allows a person alleging employment discrimination through sexual harassment to seek temporary or preliminary injunctive relief: (1) without regard to any period of time following the filing of a charge; and (2) without obtaining a right-to-sue letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Sets forth criteria for obtaining such relief. Requires courts to expedite proceedings under these provisions. Mandates technical assistance concerning sexual harassment law to employers with fewer than a specified number of employees. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle B: Expansion of Other Federal Civil Rights - Amends Federal law relating to equal rights under the law and the making and enforcing of contracts to declare that: (1) the rights protected are protected against impairment by non-governmental discrimination as well as against impairment under color of State law; and (2) the provisions afford the same protection against discrimination in the performance, breach, modification, or termination of a contract, or in the setting of the terms or conditions thereof, as they do in the making and enforcement of the contract. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to declare that, for provisions relating to time limits for filing charges, an unlawful employment practice occurs with regard to a seniority system: (1) when it is adopted, an individual becomes subject to it, or a person is injured by its application; and (2) if the system is alleged to have been adopted for an intentionally discriminatory purpose, whether or not that purpose is apparent on the system's face. Applies title VII (Equal Employment Opportunity) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the Congress, with enforcement as determined by each House of the Congress. Title II: Domestic and Street Crime Violence Against Women - Subtitle A: Safety on College and University Campuses - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to add sexual assault or any other abusive sexual conduct to the list of offenses regarding which certain institutions are required to collect and disclose statistics. Requires each institution to report the statistics to parents or guardians of students as well as to other groups specified by current law. Subtitle B: Stronger Penalties for Federal Sex Offenses - Amends the Federal criminal code to make murder a Class A felony, mandating the death sentence, when done in the course of certain sex offenses, sexual assault, or child molestation, or when the defendant has previously been convicted of sexual assault or child molestation, subject to specified mitigating factors. Requires instructing the jury not to: (1) consider the race, color, religion, national origin, or sex of the defendant or any victim; and (2) recommend a death sentence unless it concludes that it would recommend such sentence rergardless of such factors. Requires each juror to sign a certification to such effect. Bars carrying out a death sentence on a woman while she is pregnant. Prohibits requiring any employee of, or a person under contract to provide services to, a State corrections department or the Federal Bureau of Prisons to attend or participate in any execution. Amends Federal criminal code provisions relating to sexual abuse to double the maximum imprisonment for violation of such provisions after a prior conviction under Federal or State law for such an offense. Adds to such provisions a special definition of "sexual act" applicable to individuals under the age of 16. Amends the Controlled Substances Act to provide for increased penalties for distribution of a controlled substance to a woman while she is pregnant. Subtitle C: Enhanced Compensation and Restitution for Victims of Sex Crimes - Pornography Victims' Compensation Act of 1991 - Creates a cause of action against a producer, distributor, exhibitor, or seller of sexually explicit material by a victim of a rape, sexual assault, act of sexual abuse, sexual murder, or other sexual crime, or by the estate, guardian, or survivors of any such victim. Conditions the recovery of damages on proof by a preponderance of the evidence that: (1) the victim was a victim of such an act; (2) the material is obscene, constitutes child pornography, or in the case of sex crimes, is sexually explicit and violent, and was a proximate cause of the offense; (3) the defendant is a producer or distributor of the material exhibited or sold it to the sexual offender and should have known that the material was sexually explicit; and (4) the sale or transport affects interstate or foreign commerce. Sets forth criteria by which the finder of fact may reasonably infer that such material was a proximate cause of the offense, including unusual similarities between the acts described and the actual offense, testimony of the offender, and testimony of experts who have examined such material which incited the commission of the offense. Authorizes the award of damages for economic loss, compensation for pain and suffering, reasonable attorney's fees, and costs to prevailing plaintiffs. Sets a statute of limitations of six years from the date the right of action first accrued or, in the case of a legal disability, not later than three years after the termination of such disability. Amends the Federal criminal code to allow an order of certain types of restitution in cases involving provisions relating to sexual abuse or sexual exploitation of children. Subtitle D: Reform of Procedure and Evidentiary Requirements in Sex Offense and Other Cases - Amends the Federal Rules of Evidence to allow evidence of similar offenses in criminal or civil sexual assault and child molestation cases. Amends the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to modify the number of peremptory challenges available to specified parties when the offense charged is punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. Amends the Federal Criminal Code to: (1) prohibit peremptory jury challenges on the basis of race, color, or any other classification that could not lawfully be used by a prosecutor; and (2) give the prosecutor the same right as the defense attorney to challenge the exercise of peremptory challenges on this ground, with the court applying the same standards and granting the same relief. Enacts rules, to be known as the Rules of Professional Conduct for Lawyers in Federal Practice, and includes them as an appendix to provisions of the U.S. Code relating to the judiciary and judicial procedure. Applies the rules to proceedings before a U.S. court or a Federal agency that carries out adjudicatory or quasi-adjudicatory functions. Includes rules relating to: (1) various types of litigation abuses (including conduct to increase litigation expenses or with no substantial purpose other than to distress another person); (2) expediting litigation (including not attempting to delay or prolong proceedings for specified reasons); and (3) a duty to prevent the commission of a crime (including allowing or requiring disclosure of information). Declares that: (1) it is the sense of the Congress that, in determining child custody, credible evidence of physical abuse of a spouse should create a statutory presumption that it is detrimental to the child to be placed in the custody of the abusive spouse; and (2) this paragraph is not intended to encourage States to prohibit supervised visitation. Requires a protective order issued by a court of a State to have the same full faith and credit in a court in another State as in a court of the issuing State. Amends the Federal Criminal Code to require that a person charged with an offense under provisions relating to sexual abuse be tested for the human immunodeficiency virus: (1) before release pending trial; and (2) six months and twelve months after the initial test. Requires results to be provided to the judicial officer or court and disclosed only to the victim, the attorney for the Government, and the person tested. Requires the U.S. Sentencing Commission to enhance the sentence guidelines if the offender had reason to know that he was infected, except where the offender did not engage or attempt to engage in conduct creating a risk of transmission. Amends the Victims' Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 to require a Governmental department or agency to pay for up to two tests for a sexual assault victim in the twelve months following the assault and a counseling session regarding the tests and the risk of transmission as the result of the assault. Subtitle E: National Task Force on Violence Against Women - Establishes the National Task Force on Violence Against Women to develop a uniform Federal, State, and local law enforcement strategy aimed at protecting women against violent crimes, punishing persons who commit such crimes, and enhancing the rights of the victims. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle F: Prevention of Sexual Assault - Amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to establish a program of grants to States to assist States in supporting rape prevention and education programs. Requires: (1) a minimum percentage of the money to be used for programs targeted for junior high school and high school students; and (2) the State to pay the full cost of forensic medical examinations of sexual assault victims. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle G: Domestic Violence Prevention Act of 1991 - Domestic Violence Prevention Act of 1991 - Amends the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act to add increasing public awareness as a purpose of State demonstration grants. Authorizes grants for public information campaigns regarding domestic violence. Requires a State grant recipient to establish a Commission on Domestic Violence. Requires a specified minimum percentage of funds for demonstration grants for prevention of, and provision of immediate shelter and other assistance to, victims of family violence and their dependents be used for rural areas. Limits law enforcement training grants to private nonprofit organizations that have certain experience. Authorizes appropriations to carry out the Act. Title III: Employment Opportunities - Subtitle A: Glass Ceiling Commission - Glass Ceiling Act of 1991 - Establishes the Glass Ceiling Commission to conduct a study and prepare recommendations conerning: (1) eliminating artificial barriers to the advancement of women and minorities; and (2) increasing opportunities and developmental experiences of women and minorities to foster advancement of women and minorities to executive management and senior decisionmaking positions in business. Establishes the National Award for Diversity and Excellence in American Executive Management, to be evidenced by a medal with its design approved by the Commission. Directs the President, after receiving recommendations from the Commission, to annually present the award to businesses that meet specified qualifications. Allows a recipient business to use the award in its advertising if the business agrees to help other U.S. businesses improve with respect to the promotion of opportunities and developmental experiences of women and minorities regarding executive management and senior decisionmaking positions. Authorizes appropriations. Terminates the Commission and the authority to make awards four years after enactment of this subtitle. Subtitle B: Opportunities in Apprenticeship - Opportunities in Apprenticeship Act of 1991 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish in the Department of Labor an outreach and education program to expand the opportunities for women and minorities in apprenticeship programs registered with the Department under the National Apprenticeship Act (registered apprenticeship programs). Directs the Secretary to: (1) identify and develop model preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs that promote training and employment opportunities for women and minorities, and disseminate information relating to the programs; and (2) provide technical assistance to organizations, institutions, groups, and individuals to promote outreach to, and recruitment of, women and minorities for registered apprenticeship programs. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) award grants for the Federal share of outreach and recruitment to increase the participation of women and minorities in registered apprenticeship programs; and (2) establish a program of grants to sponsors of registered apprenticeship programs to pay the Federal share of providing preapprenticeship training to women and minorities. Directs the Secretary to conduct a study of, and report to the appropriate committees of the Congress on, the participation of women and minorities in registered apprenticeship programs. Authorizes appropriations to carry out this subtitle. Subtitle C: Opportunities for Alternative Work Arrangements - Declares that it is the sense of the Congress that: (1) the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has made commendable efforts to develop alternative work arrangements through flexible scheduling and job sharing; and (2) OPM should continue efforts to develop and expand alternative work arrangements.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1991
Amends the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) to include under such coverage otherwise eligible persons who are also entitled to Medicare benefits. Prohibits a benefit from being paid under CHAMPUS to the extent that it is also a covered benefit for such individual under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1991
Amends the Federal criminal code to make it unlawful for any person: (1) who has been convicted in any court of a drug crime to possess a firearm; and (2) to transfer a firearm to any other person knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that such other person is under indictment for, or has been convicted in any court of, a drug crime. Provides penalties for a violation. Sets forth additional penalties for possession of a firearm during a drug crime. Provides enhanced penalties if the firearm is a machinegun or is equipped with a firearm silencer or muffler and for subsequent convictions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1991
Global Education Opportunities Act of 1991 - Title I: Foreign Language Instruction - Authorizes the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to make demonstration grants to eligible consortia to: (1) operate critical languages and area studies programs; (2) develop and acquire educational equipment and materials; and (3) develop teacher training programs, texts, curriculum, and other activities to improve and expand foreign language instruction at elementary and secondary schools. (Defines critical language as one designated on the Secretary's list under the Education for Economic Security Act.) Requires each grant recipient to include a study abroad or cultural exchange program among the assisted activities. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to make demonstration grants to State education agencies, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit education and professional associations to provide technology for distance learning, in cooperation with foreign language teachers and specialists, to serve small and rural school districts, small colleges, community colleges, and adult business education classes, through video tapes, cassettes, satellite linkages, cable programs, teleclasses, and computer-assisted instruction. Limits grant amounts. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for innovative and model programs for elementary and secondary teacher education which integrate foreign language and culture, democracy and civic education, geography, and international studies into practicing and preservice teacher training. Provides that such programs must meet the needs of elementary school teachers before they address those of secondary school teachers. Requires an institute of higher education, to receive such a grant on behalf of its school or department of education and in cooperation with its liberal arts department, to submit a proposal to the Secretary and the appropriate State educational agency. (Allows nonprofit institutions of demonstrated effectiveness to also receive such grants.) Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to make competitive grants to various educational entities or consortia to act as a resource center for: (1) coordinating development and dissemination of foreign language and culture instructional materials (including children's literature, teacher's kits, videotapes, and computer software); and (2) encouraging expanded use of technology in teaching foreign languages and culture in elementary schools (and when these needs are met, in secondary schools), especially at schools with proportionally fewer resources. Requires coordination of such materials and technologies development with that under the Star Schools Program Assistance Act. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to make matching grants, within specified limits, to: (1) States and major metropolitan areas to establish foreign language foundations; and (2) world trade council units to provide language training, translation services, and information about other cultures and markets for small- and medium-sized businesses seeking to enter export markets. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Higher Education Amendments - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise student assistance for those engaged in study abroad. Specifies that programs of study abroad approved for credit by an institution of higher education (approved programs of study abroad) are among those for which eligible students may receive student assistance under the programs of Pell grants, supplemental educational opportunity grants, grants to States for State student incentives, guaranteed student loans, and Perkins loans. Includes such approved programs of study abroad under cost of attendance provisions for HEA Student Assistance. Revises student eligibility for assistance to declare that nothing in HEA shall be construed to limit or otherwise prohibit access to approved programs of study abroad. Declares that: (1) otherwise eligible students engaged in an approved program of study abroad are also eligible for assistance under title IV (Student Assistance) of HEA; and (2) such a study abroad program need not be a required part of the student's degree program to qualify for such assistance. Requires eligible institutions to: (1) disseminate to prospective and enrolled students accurate information that enrollment in an approved program of study abroad may be considered enrollment in the home institution for purposes of applying for Federal student financial assistance; and (2) agree, for purposes of student assistance program participation, not to deny any form of Federal aid to any student who meets HEA eligibility requirements on the grounds that such student is taking part in an approved program of study abroad. Applies existing requirements for loan check endorsement and multiple disbursement of federally-insured and guaranteed student loans to students engaged in a approved program of study abroad. Allows students participating in approved programs of study abroad to receive, according to specified formulas, increased aid under the programs of Pell grants, supplemental educational opportunity grants, State student incentive grants, federally insured loans, and Perkins loans. Establishes a program of incentive grants for enrollment in special programs abroad. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) make grants to institutions of higher education or certain other organizations to pay partial incentive stipends to individuals enrolled in certain programs of study abroad; and (2) award, through a national competition, incentive stipends to students who enroll in study abroad programs to learn languages and develop international skills not available in countries in which large numbers of U.S. students study. Requires such grants to be awarded on the basis of merit but with preference given to students who are underrepresented in study abroad, including those from minority groups and professional and preprofessional studies. Intends such stipends to meet extraordinary travel and other associated costs for a one-year maximum. Authorizes appropriations. Requires work study program participation agreements to permit: (1) an institution to devise suitable work opportunities for students studying abroad, including work for foreign colleges, universities, and nonprofit or service organizations; (2) establishment of internship programs involving work for foreign or multinational organizations relevant to the student's course of study; and (3) work-study compensation to eligible students for such work or internships. Declares that student financial aid administrators have discretionary authority to make certain necessary cost of attendance and asset adjustments and special arrangements for student notification, verification, disbursement, and refunds, for students participating in approved programs of study abroad. Allows requests for deferment of Stafford or Perkins student loan repayment by students engaged in graduate or postgraduate fellowship study abroad to be approved until the completion of the fellowship period. Revises HEA title VI (International Education Programs) requirements for undergraduate international studies and foreign language programs to add to the list of authorized grant activities development of: (1) undergraduate study abroad programs providing courses closely related to on-campus foreign language and international studies curricula; and (2) new study abroad opportunities for undergraduates in specific degree programs' curricula. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, and consortia for: (1) study abroad in the form of either programs in locations otherwise unavailable for such study or opportunities for students who would not otherwise engage in such study; and (2) enrichment of study abroad programs, including development of model predeparture and post-return activities, program selection material and advising services, and academic advising. Requires that centers for international business education assisted under HEA include in their programs opportunities for business students to study abroad in locations which are important to the current and future economic well-being of the United States. Provides that intensive summer language institutes receiving HEA grants may be either in the United States or in appropriate countries abroad. Includes among authorized providers of such training institutes designed to integrate intensive foreign language training with culture experiences abroad for undergraduate students in a wide range of disciplines. Covers the costs of travel to and from institutes in foreign countries in stipends for students and faculty attending such institutes.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1991
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 after 1940, including from 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) 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 · 27 February 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of an individual the following qualified employer-provided transportation benefits: (1) the value of transportation in a commuter highway vehicle between the employee's residence and workplace; and (2) up to $60 per month of the value of any transit pass entitling the employee to transportation on mass transit facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1991
Student Loan Default Prevention Act of 1991 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (the Act) to lower the amount insured for any lender by the guaranteed student loan (GSL) program (under the Robert T. Stafford Student Loan Program) from 100 percent to 95 percent of the unpaid principal if one-third or more of the principal outstanding during any consecutive two-year period on the lender's loans consists of loans to students for attendance costs at a higher default rate institution. Prohibits guaranty agencies from selling lists of student borrowers who have loans under the Stafford program. Authorizes guaranty agencies to obtain information on the location of a student borrower from State licensing boards. Limits the circumstances under which repayment deferments are granted for loans to parents (PLUS loans). Revises provisions relating to credit bureaus, with respect to notices of delinquency, notices to borrowers, and limitations on reporting. Revises disclosure requirements to set forth special rules under which supplemental loans for students (SLS loans) are not subject to a requirement for disclosure of projected monthly payment amounts if the lender provides the borrower with sample projections of monthly repayment amounts based on specified assumptions. Requires that officers or directors of the accrediting agency or association not be affiliated in any way with a vocational school seeking or obtaining eligibility for the student loan insurance program. Requires eligible lenders under the Stafford Student loan program to request pre-claims assistance within a specified period if the guaranty agency offers such pre-claims assistance for default prevention. Requires that guaranty agencies, within a specified period after receipt of such a request for such pre-claims assistance, to notify each eligible institution of the lenders request for such assistance on such loan. Reduces certain special allowances paid to holders of eligible loans under the Stafford student loan program. Requires eligible institutions under such program to submit certain information to the Secretary if they wish to change their accrediting agency or association. Requires student borrowers, in order to receive any student loan under the Act, to provide the lender at the time of applying for such loan: (1) their driver's license number; and (2) the name and address of their next of kin. Directs eligible institutions to require borrowers to supply the following exit interview information: (1) their address and the address of their next of kin; and (2) their driver's license number. Directs the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to establish and publicize a toll-free consumer telephone hotline for use by the public, to permit students who allege fraud or unfair practices by eligible institutions to inform the Department of Education. Requires that an institution's graduation and placement statistics be audited by an independent public agency. Sets forth restrictions on institutional promotional activities. Requires institutions to use the same definition of academic year for all student assistance programs under the Act. Establishes a tuition refund policy. Set forth special rules relating to accreditation. Authorizes the Secretary, under a specified procedures, to limit, suspend, or terminate an eligible institution from student assistance program participation whenever: (1) the institution withdraws from a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association during a show cause or suspension proceeding against it; or (2) such an agency or association reports, under a specified arrangement with the Secretary, that the institution was denied accreditation. Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations specifying the legal restrictions and the requirements of eligible institutions relating to loan counseling and reporting requirements (including requirements and restrictions on disclosure of borrower records to third parties, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and other applicable Federal laws).
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1991
Nursing Home Access to Respiratory Therapy Act of 1991 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to include respiratory therapy within covered extended care services.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 1991
Mobility Assistance Act of 1991 - Redesignates the Urban Mass Transportation Administration of the Department of Transportation as the Federal Public Transportation Administration. Amends the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 to increase from 8.64 percent to ten percent the amount allocated from block grants for mass transportation projects in urban areas with a population of less than 200,000. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants and loans to eligible entities in urbanized and non-urbanized areas for special mobility assistance transportation projects to meet the needs of the elderly and handicapped. Declares that nothing shall prohibit the leasing of vehicles to local public bodies or agencies to meet the special needs of elderly and disabled passengers. Authorizes the Secretary, based upon a specified formula, to increase the Federal share for construction costs associated with public transportation projects in non-urbanized areas. Limits Mass Transit Account Block Grants for public transportation construction projects in non-urbanized areas. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the apportionment of such funds for State Initiative Block Grants based upon a specified formula to determine entitlement. Prohibits the Federal share for construction projects under this program from exceeding: (1) 80 percent of construction costs; or (2) 50 percent of operating costs for the payment of operating subsidies.
![Official portrait of Rep. Walsh, James T. [R-NY-25]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/w000099_200.jpg)