United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts (except those derived from borrowing) for that fiscal year unless the Congress, by a three-fifths roll call vote of each House, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts. Requires a three-fifths roll call vote of each House to increase the public debt. Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to the Congress. Requires the approval of a majority of each House by roll call vote before any bill to increase revenue may become law. Waives these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect. Waives these provisions when the United States is engaged in a military conflict which poses a threat to national security as declared by a joint resolution adopted by a majority of each House.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) Taiwan deserves full participation, including a seat, in the United Nations (UN); and (2) the U.S. Government should immediately encourage the UN to establish an ad hoc committee for the purpose of studying membership for Taiwan in that organization and its related agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the current Federal income tax deduction for interest paid on debt secured by a first or second home should not be further restricted.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1994
Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain lands in the Sam Houston National Forest, Texas, to their current occupant, a named nonprofit organization. Specifies consideration and other terms and conditions of conveyance.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 1994
Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to repeal the ban on semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 1994
Economic Growth and Jobs Act of 1994 - Grants the President authority to declare temporary tax reductions based on economic growth and the rate of national unemployment. Provides for a temporary surtax when the economic growth requirements are subsequently satisfied.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 1994
Amends the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 to extend from three years to five years the period during which Medicare select policies may be issued.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 1994
George Washington Boyhood Home Commemorative Coin Act of 1994 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue one-dollar silver coins emblematic of a profile of George Washington and a depiction of his xboyhood home. Declares that all surcharges received from coin sales shall be paid to the George Washington Boyhood Home Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 21 August 1994
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Grants for Correctional Facilities Title II: State and Local Law Enforcement Grants Title III: Protection Against Sexually Violent Predators Title IV: Eliminating Excessive and Redundant Appeals Title V: Reform of 'Exclusionary Rule' Title VI: Truth-In-Sentencing Title VII: Prison Work Required; Luxuries Abolished Title VIII: Improving Border Controls Title IX: Enhanced Gun Penalties Title X: Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund Title XI: Mandatory Life Imprisonment for Persons Convicted of Certain Felonies Back-To-Basics Crime Control Act of 1994 - Title I: Grants for Correctional Facilities - Directs the Attorney General to make grants to States to construct, expand, and improve prisons and jails. Authorizes specified sums to each State without conditions imposed by the Federal Government, except requirements to comply with this title and to use such funds exclusively for the construction of prisons and jails. Authorizes appropriations. Sets forth formulas for the distribution of funds in FY 1995 and in FY 1996 through 1999 based on violent crimes reported by the States to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). (Sec. 102) Specifies that 25 percent of total funds appropriated under this title shall be allocated to each eligible State according to a formula which takes into account the percentage change in the time to be served by persons convicted of violent crimes. Directs that States which have achieved a truth in sentencing standard of violent criminals serving 85 percent of prison time assessed receive the incentive funds, subject to specified requirements. Title II: State and Local Law Enforcement Grants - Requires the Attorney General to make grants to States to increase the number of law enforcement officers in service. Authorizes specified funds, without conditions imposed by the Federal Government (except that the funds be used exclusively to increase the number of law enforcement officers in service). Requires States to allocate 80 percent of their grants to local government for use by local law enforcement, as nearly as possible in proportion to the populations served by such local law enforcement agencies (LEAs). Title III: Protection Against Sexually Violent Predators - Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish guidelines for State programs to require a sexually violent predator to register a current address with a designated State LEA upon being released from prison or being placed on parole or supervised release; and (2) approve each State program that complies with the guidelines. Makes States that do not implement and maintain such programs ineligible to receive ten percent of the funds that would otherwise be allocated to the State in drug control and system improvement grants under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. Requires: (1) the determination that a person is, or is no longer, a sexually violent predator to be made by the sentencing court after receiving a report by a board of experts on sexual offenses; and (2) each State to establish a board composed of experts in the field of the behavior and treatment of sexual offenders. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) notification regarding the duty of an offender to register and to provide any new address to a designated State LEA and of a State prison official to obtain specified information; (2) the transfer of information to the State LEA and to the FBI; (3) quarterly verification of the released offender's address; (4) penalties for failing to register and keep the registration current; (5) termination of the obligation to register; (6) community notification concerning a predator required to register; and (7) immunity for good faith conduct by LEAs, their employees, and State officials. Title IV: Eliminating Excessive and Redundant Appeals - Amends the Federal judicial code to establish a one-year statute of limitations for habeas corpus actions brought by State prisoners. Vests authority to issue certificates for probable cause for appeal of habeas corpus orders exclusively in the courts of appeals. Permits denial on the merits of habeas corpus writs notwithstanding the failure to exhaust State remedies. Establishes a two-year statute of limitations for Federal prisoners filing for collateral relief. (Sec. 406) Sets forth special habeas corpus procedures in capital cases brought by prisoners in State custody who are subject to a capital sentence. Makes such procedures contingent upon: (1) a State establishing by rule of its court of last resort or by statute a mechanism for the appointment, compensation, and payment of reasonable litigation expenses of competent counsel in State post convictions and sentences have been upheld on direct appeal to such court or have otherwise become final; and (2) such rule or statute providing standards of competency for the appointment of counsel. Provides for a mandatory stay of execution during the post-conviction review initiated pursuant to this title. Details conditions which will cause such stay to expire. Prohibits a Federal court from entering a stay of execution or granting relief in a capital case unless specified conditions are met. Sets forth lime limits for determining petitions. Authorizes the State or Government to enforce such time limits by applying to the court of appeals or the Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus. Title V: Reform of 'Exclusionary Rule' - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit the exclusion of evidence obtained as a result of a search or seizure, in a proceeding in a court of the United States, on the grounds that the search or seizure was in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution if it was carried out in circumstances justifying an objectively reasonable belief that it was in conformity with such amendment. Makes the fact that evidence was obtained pursuant to and within the scope of a warrant prima facie evidence of the existence of such circumstances. Prohibits the exclusion of evidence, in a proceeding in a U.S. court, on the ground that it was obtained in violation of a statute, administrative rule or regulation, or rule of procedure unless exclusion is expressly authorized by statute or by a rule prescribed by the Supreme Court pursuant to statutory authority. Title VI: Truth in Sentencing - Amends the Federal criminal code to permit the Bureau of Prisons to add, in its discretion, additional time to a prisoner's sentence of up to 15 percent of the prisoner's term for unsatisfactory behavior. Prohibits a sentence from being reduced for satisfactory behavior to a term less than the original sentence nominally imposed. Title VII: Prison Work Required; Luxuries Abolished - Directs the Attorney General to implement and enforce regulations which: (1) mandate prison work for all able-bodied inmates in Federal penal and correctional institutions; and (2) prohibit the Government provision in inmates' cells of television, radio, telephone, stereo, or similar amenities. (Sec. 702) Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit awards of Pell grants to prisoners in Federal or State penal institutions. Title VIII: Improving Border Controls - Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes and directs the Attorney General to use such funds to permit the commander of the Border Patrol to increase by at least 6,000 the number of border patrol agent positions above the number of such positions as July 1, 1994. (Sec. 802) Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for expedited deportation and exclusion of criminal aliens. Prohibits reentry of an alien into the United States during the minimum period of confinement to which the alien was sentenced. Authorizes the Attorney General to prescribe special regulations for the registration and fingerprinting of aliens on criminal probation or parole. Expands the definitions of "aggravated felony." (Sec. 805) Sets forth deportation procedures for certain criminal aliens who are not permanent residents. Grants a U.S. district court jurisdiction to enter a judicial order of deportation at the time of sentencing against an alien whose criminal conviction causes such alien to be deportable under provisions relating to conviction of an aggravated felony if requested prior to sentencing by the U.S. Attorney. (Sec. 807) Restricts defenses to deportation for certain criminal aliens. Enhances penalties for failing to depart or reentering after a final order of deportation. (Sec. 810) Authorizes appropriations for a criminal alien information system. Title IX: Enhanced Gun Penalties - Amends the Federal criminal code to enhance penalties imposed upon persons convicted of using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to the commission of a felony. (Sec. 902) Sets a mandatory minimum sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, fugitive from justice, addict or unlawful user of a controlled substance, or transferor or receiver of a stolen firearm. (Sec. 903) Increases the general penalty for violation of Federal firearms laws. Title X: Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund - Establishes a Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund as a separate account in the Treasury into which shall be transferred savings realized from implementation of provisions of the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1994. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) transfers into, and appropriations from, the Fund; (2) annual reporting requirements on the status of the Fund; and (3) allocation of sums in the Fund. Extends authorizations of appropriations for fiscal years for which the full amount authorized is not appropriated. Title XI: Mandatory Life Imprisonment for Persons Convicted of Certain Felonies - Amends the Federal criminal code to provide for mandatory life imprisonment for persons convicted in Federal court of a serious violent felony if: (1) the person has been convicted (and the conviction has become final) on separate prior occasions in a Federal or State court of two or more serious violent felonies, or one or more serious violent felonies and one or more serious drug offenses; and (2) each serious violent felony or serious drug offense used as a basis for sentencing under this title, other than the first, was committed after the defendant's conviction of the preceding serious violent felony or serious drug offense. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) persons subject to the criminal jurisdiction of an Indian tribal government; and (2) resentencing upon the overturning of a prior conviction. (Sec. 1102) Prohibits the court from reducing the sentence of a defendant unless specified conditions are met, including that defendant is at least age 70, has served at least 30 years in prison for the offense or offenses for which the defendant is currently imprisoned, and a determination has been made by the Director of the Bureau of Prisons that the defendant is not a danger to the safety of any other person or the community.
United States · United States Congress · 20 August 1994
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Retirement Savings Incentives Subtitle A: Restoration of IRA Deduction Subtitle B: Nondeductible Tax-Free IRAs Title II: Penalty-Free Distributions Title III: Aid to Families with Dependent Children Savings and Investment Incentive Act of 1994 - Title I: Retirement Savings Incentives - Subtitle A: Restoration of IRA Deduction - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to remove the limitation on the deductibility of contributions to individual retirement plans (IRAs) by active participants in employer-maintained plans, thereby restoring the IRA deduction. Provides an inflation adjustment after 1995. Allows certain spouses a full deduction for contributions to an IRA. Subtitle B: Nondeductible Tax-Free IRAs - Allows individuals to establish individual retirement plus (IRA Plus) accounts with tax treatment similar to that for individual retirement plans. Makes contributions to such accounts nondeductible. Title II: Penalty-Free Distributions - Allows distributions from certain retirement plans without penalty to purchase first homes, pay higher education expenses and financially devastating medical expenses, and assist certain unemployed individuals. Title III: Aid to Families with Dependent Children - Amends part A (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) (AFDC) of title IV of the Social Security Act to exclude from AFDC eligibility determinations certain income and resources that are to be used for education, training, and employability purposes. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to the Congress on a revision of the AFDC limit on automobiles in order to increase the employability of AFDC recipients.
United States · United States Congress · 20 August 1994
Commends the U.S. rice industry for its decision to establish an industry organization. Recognizes the success such decision will have in promoting the interests of the rice industry and the rice-consuming public.
United States · United States Congress · 19 August 1994
Captive Exotic Animal Protection Act of 1994 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit and set penalties for the transport or possession of a confined exotic animal for purposes of allowing the killing or injuring of that animal for entertainment or the collection of a trophy.
United States · United States Congress · 18 August 1994
Uniform Hazardous Waste Treatment Act of 1994 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to prohibit facilities that burn fuel for energy recovery from burning fuel containing any quantity of hazardous waste identified or listed pursuant to such Act unless such fuel is conforming hazardous waste fuel. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate quantitative specifications for conforming hazardous waste fuel to ensure that fuel containing such waste is burned to recover useful energy and that such fuel has physical, chemical, thermal, and energy-related properties equivalent to standard fuels such as coal and oil. Lists minimum specifications. Permits cement kiln dust to be disposed of only at facilities and in units that meet specified performance standards for hazardous wastes and minimum technological requirements promulgated by the Administrator. Limits the Administrator's authority to modify certain hazardous waste requirements with respect to cement kiln dust produced in a kiln that burns conforming hazardous waste fuels. Makes such dust subject to any land disposal treatment standards applicable to the particular hazardous waste contained in the fuel. Directs the Administrator to promulgate: (1) standards for the design and operation of cement kilns that burn conforming hazardous waste fuel as necessary to protect human health and the environment; (2) standards for the control of emissions of cement kiln dust from cement kilns; (3) regulations to control emissions of metals from all units that burn hazardous waste necessary to protect human health and the environment; and (4) standards for the control of stack emissions from cement kilns. Sets forth permit requirements with respect to cement kiln dust from kilns that burn conforming hazardous waste fuel. Establishes monitoring and recordkeeping requirements for owners and operators of combustion units that burn conforming hazardous waste fuel. Requires the Administrator to promulgate: (1) training requirements for personnel who operate cement kilns that burn conforming hazardous waste or landfills used for disposal of dust from such kilns; and (2) standards for owners and operators of facilities which produce a fuel from any hazardous waste listed under the Solid Waste Disposal Act as necessary to protect human health and the environment.
United States · United States Congress · 18 August 1994
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to restore the business meal expense deduction to 80 percent (currently 50 percent) for individuals subject to the hours of service limitations of the Department of Transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 17 August 1994
Expresses the sense of the Congress with respect to its recognition of El Salvador's President Cristiani for his contributions to the cause of peace and democracy in that country.
United States · United States Congress · 16 August 1994
Animal Experimentation Right to Know Act - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to require annual reports from research facilities concerning animal experimentation and testing to include information regarding: (1) where animals used were obtained; (2) an accurate count of all animals of all species used in experiments; and (3) the general purposes of the animal experimentation program of the facility. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a system for release to the public of information regarding where animals used for experimentation were obtained. Directs the Secretary of Defense to submit to the Congress an annual report on the animal experimentation programs of the Department of Defense, including in-depth profiles of animal research conducted at each Department facility. Requires the initiation of alternative research methods which would phase out and reduce the use of animals in Department research. Directs the Secretary to appoint an ombudsman for animal issues at each Department research facility. Requires an annual report to the Secretary of Agriculture. Directs the President to appoint a panel of biomedical and animal care experts to investigate the animal use and care programs of the Department.
United States · United States Congress · 11 August 1994
F.B.I. Volunteer Act of 1994 - Amends the Federal judicial code to authorize the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to: (1) solicit, utilize, and administer personal property acquired in the name of the United States and obtained by gift or otherwise for use at FBI tour and training facilities; (2) recruit, train, and accept the services of individuals or entities, without compensation, as volunteers for or in aid of such facilities; and (3) provide for incidental expenses incurred from such gifts or volunteers.
United States · United States Congress · 11 August 1994
Accords prisoner of war status, for purposes of eligibility for applicable compensation and benefits, to members of the armed forces who were hostages in Iran after the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1994
Smithsonian Institution Sesquicentennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue five-dollar gold coins and one-dollar silver coins emblematic of the scientific, educational, and cultural significance of the Smithsonian Institution. Mandates that: (1) all but a certain portion of surcharges received from coin sales be paid by the Secretary to the Smithsonian Institution to support programming related to the 150th anniversary and general activities of the Smithsonian Institution; and (2) a certain portion of such surcharges be dedicated to supporting the operation and activities of the National Numismatic Collection at the National Museum of American History.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1994
Condemns, and conveys condolences to the families of the victims of, the bombings: (1) of the Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires, Argentina; (2) targeted against the Israeli embassy and a building housing a Jewish charity in London, England; and (3) of a commuter aircraft in Panama. Reaffirms support for the Middle East peace process. Condemns the effort to undermine such process through terrorist acts. Urges all countries and peoples to work actively to bring peace to the region. Urges the President to: (1) unilaterally take action to strengthen sanctions against countries which support international terrorism and to strengthen U.S. efforts against radical Islamic groups which engage in terrorist acts; (2) work to place the issue of international terrorism on the agenda for the next summit meeting of the leaders of the G-7 group of nations; and (3) convene a conference on international terrorism and intensify and coordinate an effective international response and sanctions against countries which support international terrorism. Requests the President to work to bring the issue of international terrorism before the Organization of American States as a priority issue and to provide technical support and assistance to the countries of the Americas to improve their intelligence and investigative capacity to counter threats and acts of international terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 1994
Waives certain time limitations with respect to the posthumous award of the Congressional Medal of Honor to Doris Miller for acts of heroism while serving in the Navy during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 1994
Extends the condolences of the House of Representatives to the families and friends who lost loved ones in the bombings of the Delegation of Argentine Israeli Associations on July 18, 1994, and the Panamanian commuter plane on July 20, 1994. Condemns such attacks on innocent people and calls for worldwide cooperation in bringing the perpetrators to justice. Condemns anti-Semitism, neo-Nazi activities, and terrorism wherever they occur and urges all members of the world community to do the same. Expresses support for the Jewish communities in Argentina, Panama, and the United Kingdom for their efforts to attain safety and security in their own countries. Urges the Governments and people of Argentina and Panama to continue to work to stamp out anti-Semitism and neo-Nazism.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 1994
Expresses the sense of the Congress disapproving of the Japanese Food Agency's decision not to fulfill its commitment to purchase 75,000 metric tons of U.S. rice.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 1994
Establishes the National Commission on Fairness in Military Compensation to: (1) determine the extent to which military personnel or their dependents rely on food stamps, the special supplemental food program under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, and other Federal or local assistance programs as a necessary supplement to their regular military compensation, and the circumstances that lead to such dependence; and (2) submit to the President and the Congress a report on its findings and its recommendations on possible changes in the military pay structure so that military personnel will receive adequate compensation and no longer rely on such other forms of assistance. Limits to $750,000 the total authorized expenses of the Commission. Requires the Comptroller General to audit Commission books and records in order to ensure compliance with such expense limit. Terminates the Commission 30 days after submission of its report.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 1994
Designates August 1, 1994, as Helsinki Human Rights Day. Authorizes the President to reassert America's commitment to the Helsinki Accords and requests him to: (1) convey to all signatories of the Accords that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is a vital element of further progress in the ongoing Helsinki process; and (2) develop new proposals to advance the human rights objectives of such process to address the major problems that remain.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 1994
National Aquaculture Development, Commercialization, and Promotion Act of 1994 - Amends the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 to establish the Department of Agriculture (Department) as the lead Federal agency for the development of national policy and programs for private aquaculture. (Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) establish within the National Agricultural Library a National Aquaculture Information Center; and (2) assign new aquaculture programs to the appropriate Federal agencies. (Sec. 6) Provides for coordination with the aquaculture industry. (Sec. 7) Authorizes the Secretary to pay the Federal share of grants and contracts for aquaculture commercialization research. (Sec. 8) Directs the Secretary to: (1) implement a national policy for private aquaculture; (2) implement a Department Aquaculture Plan; (3) revise the National Aquaculture Development Plan; (4) treat private aquaculture as a form of agriculture; and (5) maintain and support a National Aquaculture Information Center. (Sec. 9) Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out grant and cooperative agreement programs to demonstrate aquaculture's application to environmental enhancement, including a pollution assessment program. (Sec. 10) Authorizes the Secretary to carry out grant and cooperative agreement programs for Native American Fishpond revitalization. (Sec. 11) Directs the Secretary to provide disaster assistance to eligible aquaculture farmers for weather-related losses. (Secs. 12 and 13) Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) establish aquaculture education programs in secondary and postsecondary vocational schools; and (2) support international aquaculture scientific exchanges. (Sec. 14) Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 15) Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to make aquaculture farmers eligible for farm credit assistance. (Sec. 16) Amends the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to authorize the Secretary to establish an international aquaculture information and data collection program. (Sec. 17) Amends the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to make aquaculture farms eligible for the emergency conservation programs. (Sec. 19) Directs the Secretary to develop a plan for voluntary certification of guidelines to ensure the quality of aquatic species subject to this Act in order to promote the marketing and transportation of aquatic products.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1994
Child Labor Deterrence Act of 1994 - Urges the President to seek agreement with governments that trade with the United States to secure an international ban on trade in products of child labor. (Sec. 4) Requires the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to identify foreign industries that: (1) do not comply with national laws prohibiting child labor; (2) utilize child labor in the export of products; and (3) have on a continuing basis exported such products to the United States. Authorizes any person to file a petition with the Secretary requesting that a particular foreign industry and its host country be identified. Requires the Secretary, before making such identification, to: (1) consult with the United States Trade Representative and the Secretaries of State, Commerce, and the Treasury; (2) hold at least one public hearing for public comment; and (3) publish notice in the Federal Register that such identification is being considered and the time and place for public comment. (Sec. 5) Prohibits the importation of products which have been produced by child labor. (Sec. 6) Sets forth civil and criminal penalties. (Sec. 9) Authorizes approriations for a U.S. contribution to: (1) the International Labor Organization for activities of the International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor; and (2) the United Nations Commission on Human Rights for activities relating to bonded child labor that are carried out by the Subcommittee and Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 1994
Multiple Sclerosis Home Treatment Equity Act of 1994 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide coverage and payment for self-administered betaseron (Interferon beta-1b) for patients with multiple sclerosis.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 1994
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to remove the 55-year age requirement on the exclusion from gross income of gain from the sale or exchange of a principal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 1994
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the Department of the Interior, the Department of Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other executive agencies with relevant jurisdiction should evaluate the Walt Disney Company's proposed theme park, Disney's America, and ensure that it is in strict compliance with existing Federal environmental, transportation, and historic preservation statutes; (2) the congressional committees of jurisdiction should hold hearings to examine such aspects of the proposed theme park and the associated development of the surrounding area; (3) the historic Northern Piedmont area of Virginia should not be the site of a massive theme park and real estate project; and (4) the Walt Disney Company should seek another location for the park where its impact would not disturb areas of such great historical significance as the Northern Piedmont area of Virginia.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 1994
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) trafficking in persons violates human dignity and forced prostitution involving physical coercion or debt bondage constitutes a form of forced labor and a slavery-like practice; (2) the U.S. State Department should continue to press the Government of Thailand to strictly enforce all laws that can lead to the prosecution of those involved in trafficking and forced prostitution, ensure that Thai police participants in U.S. Government-sponsored police training programs are systematically vetted to exclude those implicated in such activities, urge the Thai Government to protect the rights and safety of Burmese women and girls in Thailand who are freed from brothels or arrested as illegal immigrants because their status as trafficking victims is unclear, appoint a senior advisor on women's human rights to the Undersecretary for Global Affairs to ensure that U.S. foreign policy addresses women's human rights violations, and report to the Congress; (3) the executive branch should take steps to assure that weapons and equipment provided or sold to the Thai police do not become available to members of those forces who might be involved in trafficking, forced prostitution, or abuse of women who are apprehended; (4) the U.S. Trade Representative should extend the evaluation of a petition on Thailand's labor rights situation that was filed last year to include a review of Thai official involvement in trafficking and forced prostitution; and (5) the U.S. Agency for International Development should target a portion of its assistance to Thailand for AIDS prevention and control to the foreign population in Thailand, particularly Burmese women in the Thai sex industry.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1994
Social Security Account Number Anti-Fraud Act - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish, according to prescribed guidelines, an electronic program for American employers to verify the social security account and other relevant employment information to reduce the use of fraudulent social security documents for employment purposes; (2) implement the Social Security Account Number Anti-Fraud Program according to a prescribed schedule; and (3) report to the Congress on the Program's initial implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1994
Persian Gulf War Veterans' Compensation Act of 1994 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) develop and implement a uniform case assessment protocol to ensure thorough assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of all Persian Gulf War (War) veterans suffering from illnesses the origins of which are currently unkown but which may be attributable to service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during such War; (2) develop case definitions or diagnoses for such illnesses; and (3) implement a comprehensive outreach program, including a newsletter and a toll-free telephone number, to inform War veterans and their families of the medical care and other benefits that may be provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs as a result of service in such War. Directs the Secretary to pay compensation to a War veteran suffering from a disability resulting from an undiagnosed illness if such disability becomes manifest to a degree of ten percent or more within three years of separation from active military service. Provides exceptions to the payment of such compensation (i.e., when there is a preponderance of evidence to show that the disability was not incurred during such service or occurred after such service). Allows the Secretary to cease such payments after providing specified congressional committees with a scientific report showing that such disabilities are not connected to service in the War. Directs the Secretary to enter into: (1) an agreement with the Secretary of Defense for access to all clinical data on War veterans who remain on active duty, and to continually compile such data (with a required annual report); and (2) a contract for the conduct of an epidemiological study designed to assess the short- and long-term health consequences of service in such War (with appropriate oversight, a status report, and annual and final reports). Authorizes appropriations for FY 1995 through 2000 for such study. Authorizes appropriations to the Department for FY 1995 through 1998 for the conduct of research to advance the understanding of health risks and effects of service in the Gulf during such War and the means of treating such health effects.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 1994
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Protection of Consumer Choice Title II: Certification of Managed Care Plans and Utilization Review Programs Title III: Choice Requirements for Point of Service Plans Title IV: Choice of Health Plans for Enrollment Patient Protection Act of 1994 - Title I: Protection of Consumer Choice - Declares that this Act shall not be construed as prohibiting either: (1) an individual from purchasing health care services with his own funds, whether such services are covered within the individual's standard benefit package or from another provider; or (2) an employer from providing benefit coverage in addition to the comprehensive benefit package. Title II: Certification of Managed Care Plans and Utilization Review Programs - Sets forth a certification scheme for managed care plans and for qualified utilization review programs. Title III: Choice Requirements for Point of Service Plans - Sets forth choice and payment disclosure requirements for point of service plans. Title IV: Choice of Health Plans for Enrollment - Requires each health benefit plan sponsor and each voluntary health insurance purchasing cooperative or sponsor to provide a choice among the health plans offered.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 1994
Firefighters Pay Fairness Act of 1994 - Amends Federal law to extend existing biweekly pay period and pay computation requirements to Federal fire fighters and employees of the judicial branch. Repeals the current exception from such requirements of employees on the Isthmus of Panama in the service of the Panama Canal Commission. States that, for fire fighters, the annual rate of basic pay shall be calculated on the basis of 26 administrative biweekly work periods of up to 106 hours each. Prescribes a formula for computing the basic biweekly pay of Federal employees who are not fire fighters but perform fire fighting duties. Requires compensation at time-and-a-half per hour for any hours worked in excess of 106 during a biweekly pay period by fire fighters subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Specifies limits on the payment of other premium pay to such fire fighters. Prescribes basic rates of pay for fire fighters: (1) promoted to a supervisory position; and (2) selected and assigned for training. Authorizes a Federal agency to pay cash awards of up to five percent of basic pay to fire fighters or other employees performing fire fighting duties who possess and make substantial use of special skills or certifications, including handling hazardous materials or certification as an emergency medical technician.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1994
Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of the Congress, to the Lubavitcher rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, a gold medal in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions toward world education, morality, and acts of charity. States that no appropriations are authorized to implement this Act. Declares that the medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals.
![Official portrait of Rep. Wilson, Charles [D-TX-2]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/w000570_200.jpg)