United States · United States Congress · 17 March 1986
Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to review (and revise if necessary) the minimum safety standards governing commercial aircraft. Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to increase from $1,000 to $10,000 the civil penalty for certain safety violations of such Act or of its regulations by persons operating aircraft for the carriage of persons or property for compensation or hire. Provides a civil penalty of $1,000 for safety violations relating to notification of proposed construction of structures which could pose a hazard to air navigation. (Current law provides only for a criminal penalty.) Declares that it is the sense of the Congress that each aircraft operated in domestic or foreign air transportation should be reinspected and recertified under such Act to ensure flight safety.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 1986
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to prohibit the Overseas Private Investment Corporation from providing financial support for any project to establish or expand production or processing of citrus crops for export.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1986
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act - Requires States to provide by law for elections for Federal office: (1) absentee registration and absentee voting for uniformed services voters and overseas voters; and (2) the use of alternative write-in absentee ballots by overseas voters. Directs the President to designate the head of an executive department to have primary responsibility for the administrative functions of this Act, including: (1) prescribing an official postcard form containing a voter registration and an absentee ballot application; (2) prescribing an alternative write-in ballot for overseas voters; (3) prescribing forms and designs for balloting materials; (4) distributing election materials; and (5) reporting to the Congress in even-numbered years on its effectiveness. Provides for the distribution of official postcards. Sets forth recommendations to the States in carrying out provisions of this Act. Authorizes the use of the alternative write-in ballots in lieu of absentee ballots under specified circumstances. Directs the Postmaster to expedite the transport of election materials and declares such materials free of postage.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1986
Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to exempt from any sequestration of funds under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) certain benefits of veterans and their dependents and survivors which are based upon the service-connected disability or death of such veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1986
Railroad Retirement and Unemployment Benefits Protection Act of 1986 - Amends the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 to: (1) provide that certain cost of living increases in railroad retirement annuities shall not be prevented from taking effect by any provision of law other than such Act; (2) prohibit the sequestration of any amounts appropriated to the Dual Benefits Payment Account other than by such Act; and (3) prohibit the sequestration of administrative expenses for the Railroad Retirement Board other than by such Act. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to prohibit any: (1) legislative limitation from being placed upon the availability of railroad unemployment insurance benefit payments other than by such Act; and (2) sequestration of railroad unemployment insurance administration funds other than by such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1986
Terrorist Prosecution Act of 1986 - Amends the Federal criminal code to create a Federal criminal offense for terrorist acts committed against U.S. nationals abroad. Makes it an offense for any person in an act of international terrorism to assault, strike, wound, imprison, or make other violent acts upon the person or liberty of any U.S. national. Specifies punishment for such persons found guilty of murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, or conspiracy. Establishes criteria for the imposition of the death penalty for certain Federal offenses. Requires the Government to: (1) serve notice upon the defendant when it seeks imposition of the death penalty; and (2) set forth the aggravating factors upon which it will rely. Requires a separate sentencing hearing before a jury, or the court upon motion by the defendant when the defendant is convicted of such an offense. Allows the defendant and the Government to present any relevant information, regardless of its admissibility under the rules of evidence. Permits such information to be excluded where its probative value is substantially outweighted by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of issues, or misleading of the jury. Specifies certain mitigating factors (including the defendant's age and inability to appreciate his or her conduct) and aggravating factors (including the intentional killing of the victim, previous convictions, and the nature of the offense) for jury consideration. Requires the court to instruct the jury not to consider the race, color, national origin, creed, or sex of the defendant when sentencing. States that the death penalty shall not be carried out on pregnant women. Establishes procedures for the appeal of a death sentence. Requires the court of appeals, upon consideration of the trial record, information submitted during the sentencing hearing, and the procedures of such hearing, to affirm the decision if: (1) the sentence was not imposed under the influence of passion, prejudice, or arbitrariness; and (2) the information supports the finding. Requires the court to provide a written explanation of its determination.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1986
Deems a named individual, for the purpose of determining her entitlement to widow's insurance benefits under the Social Security Act, to have been married to her spouse for the nine months immediately preceding his death and to have satisfied the filing requirement of such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 1986
Authorizes the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to plan, design, and construct facilities for the National Air and Space Museum at Washington Dulles International Airport for expansion of the Museum. Authorizes the Board of Regents to receive and use private donations for carrying out this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1986
General Aviation Tort Reform Act of 1986 - Amends the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to provide uniform rules for negligence and products liability claims arising from general aviation accidents. Allows any person claiming damages from such an accident to bring a products liability action against the general aviation manufacturer if: (1) the product was defective when it left the control of the manufacturer; (2) the defective condition was the proximate cause of the harm; (3) the condition would not have been corrected by actions described in directives issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the manufacturer; and (4) the aircraft was being used for a purpose and in a manner for which it was manufactured. Provides an alternative method to establish manufacturer liability where the manufacturer failed to provide reasonable warnings (unless such warnings would not have affected the conduct of the product user). Provides a third method to establish manufacturer liability where: (1) the manufacturer made an express warranty with respect to the product; (2) the warranty related to that aspect of the product which caused the harm; (3) the product failed to conform to the warranty; and (4) such failure was the proximate cause of the harm. States that all actions for damages arising from a general aviation accident shall be governed by the principles of comparative responsibility. Provides that defendants in such actions are severally but not jointly liable for damages (except that manufacturers of airframes and systems or components of aircraft may be jointly and severally liable under certain circumstances). Provides a 12-year limitation on liability of manufacturers. States that express warranties running for a longer period of time and the duty to provide additional warnings shall not be affected by such limitations. Allows awards of punitive damages. Prescribes a statute of limitations for such actions. Preempts State laws to the extent that this Act establishes applicable rules or procedures. Grants Federal district courts (concurrently with State courts) original jurisdiction (without regard to the amount in controversy) in all civil actions for damages arising out of a general aviation accident. Allows the removal of State actions to an appropriate Federal district court by any defendant. Prescribes venue restrictions. Expresses the intent of the Congress that orders to pay reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, be enforced.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1986
Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to prohibit the Export-Import Bank from guaranteeing, insuring, or extending credit in connection with any export of goods or services to Angola until the President certifies to the Congress that no Cuban military personnel or military personnel from any other controlled country remain in Angola.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1986
Big Cypress National Preserve Addition Act - Establishes the Big Cypress National Preserve Addition out of specified lands in Florida. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to administer such Addition as part of the National Park System. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to review the Addition for suitability for designation as a wilderness area. Sets forth land acquisition procedures. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress within one year on the existing Preserve and the Addition concerning their management and public use. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1986
Consumer Rail Equity Act - Reaffirms the intent of the Congress that the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 and the Staggers Rail Act of 1980 be implemented in a manner which provides both greater competitive alternatives and adequate railroad revenues. Establishes a rebuttable presumption of rail market dominance if a person challenging a transportation rate shows that the railroad charging such rate does not face effective transportation competition. Shifts the burden of proof regarding transportation rate reasonableness from the shipper to the rail carrier establishing the challenged rate. Declares that it is Federal policy to encourage and promote competitive transportation rates for domestically produced coal and other commodities in order to increase their competitive position in domestic and export markets. Directs the Commission to establish a rail cost adjustment factor which includes changes in railroad productivity, volume, and output mix. Provides that certain rail carrier rates shall be reduced to the extent of any subsequent decreases in rail cost adjustment factors. Includes within the standards used to determine railroad revenue adequacy: (1) identification of revenues, expenses, and investment base reasonably related to rail transportation service; (2) straight-line depreciation of assets reasonably related to rail transportation service, minus deferred tax reserves resulting from accelerated depreciation; and (3) actual cost of debt capital and reasonable estimates of the current cost of equity capital. Requires the Commission, when making revenue adequacy determinations, to consider specified indicators of a rail carrier's financial status. Requires the Commission to determine, on an annual basis, which rail carriers are earning adequate or inadequate revenues and to determine for each rail carrier the revenues required to achieve or maintain revenue adequacy. Allows (current law requires) the Commission to exempt persons from application of this Act when: (1) such application is not necessary to implement Federal transportation policy; and (2) the Commission finds there is no market dominance involved in the affected transaction. Requires any rail carrier providing service under certain line rates to participate in competitive joint rail rates through practicable interchange connections (or publish a competitive proportional rate) if requested to do so by a rail carrier (or shipper or receiver) who has an actual or practicable interchange connection. Directs the Commission, upon petition of any interested party, to require certain terminal facilities owned by a rail carrier in interstate or foreign commerce to be used by another rail carrier if the Commission finds: (1) it is in the public interest to do so; and (2) that the owner of such terminal facility will not suffer substantial impairment of its own business interests. Directs the Commission to require, upon petition by an interested party, that rail carriers enter into reciprocal switching agreements if such an agreement is in the public interest or necessary to provide alternative competitive rail service. Directs the Commission to establish reciprocal switching compensation at a level not to exceed the current percentage of the actual variable costs for such service (unless the carrier demonstrates that a higher level is reasonable and necessary). Revises railroad line abandonment procedures to provide that a rail carrier must wait one year before resubmitting a previously denied abandonment application, unless a substantial change in circumstances can be shown. Requires the Commission to hold hearings in communities affected by a proposed railroad line abandonment if requested to do so by community protestants. Requires the Commission to base its abandonment determination upon financial data regarding the facility proposed to be abandoned rather than upon financial data regarding industry-wide averages. Subjects to Commission review any State decision regarding intrastate rates, rules, and practices if a party to such State proceedings petitions for Commission review. Requires the Commission to take action on such petition within 120 days of its receipt. Authorizes the Commission to vacate a State decision found inconsistent with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should award the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to Michael J. Smith, Francis R. Scobee, Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Gregory B. Jarvis, and Judith A. Resnik, all of whom died in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 1986
Social Security Trust Funds Safeguard Act of 1986 - Amends titles II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) and XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require that all amounts appropriated to, or deposited in, a trust fund established under one of those programs be immediately and exclusively available for the purposes for which trust fund amounts are specifically made available under such program. Requires the President, in addition to appointing one member of the the public to the Board of Trustees of the social security trust funds (currently two members of the public are chosen), to appoint a Managing Trustee to the board, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for a term of four years. Provides that the Managing Trustee may be removed only for cause, but is prohibited from engaging in any other business, vocation, or employment. Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide the Managing Trustee with appropriate assistance. Directs the Managing Trustee to invest that portion of the social security trust funds which is not required to meet current withdrawals in accordance with an annual investment plan submitted by the Board. Requires the Board to conduct a continuing study and actuarial analysis of the status of investments made by the Managing Trustee and, by August 1 of each year, formulate and submit to the President and each House of the Congress an investment plan to govern the investments of the social security trust funds during the fiscal year. Requires the annual investment plan to set forth standards governing the investment and disinvestment of the trust funds which ensure, so far as is possible, that the OASDI and Medicare programs fulfill their intended purposes in a fiscally and actuarially sound nonpartisan manner, free from the influence of irrelevant budgetary or fiscal considerations. Directs that such plan be accompanied by any recommendations of the Board regarding investment of the social security trust funds. Directs that the investment plan and recommendations be incorporated in a special message to each House. Sets a minimum and maximum on amounts of the social security trust funds to be invested in obligations which are not obligations of the United States but which are guaranteed as to both principal and interest by the United States. Sets forth effective date and transitional provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 1986
Authorizes the L-5 Society to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia or its environs to honor America's astronauts, especially those astronauts who gave their lives in pursuit of knowledge for all mankind. Requires the L-5 Society to select, subject to the approval of the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission, the site, design, and plans for the memorial. Terminates the authority to establish the memorial if its construction is not begun within five years with non-Federal funds sufficient to ensure its completion.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 1986
Prohibits any benefits payable from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund, including cost-of-living increases, during calendar year 1987 from being subject to reduction or suspension by statute or presidential order.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 1986
Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to exempt cost-of-living increases in Federal retirement and disability programs from reduction under the President's sequestration order for FY 1986. Provides for reducing the outlays of each agency to offset the increased costs.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1986
Expresses disapproval of the refusal of the U.S.S.R. to recognize the sovereignty of the Baltic Republics. Designates the 14th day of June 1986 as Baltic Freedom Day. Authorizes and requests the President to submit the issue of Baltic self-determination to the United Nations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1986
Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to exempt cost-of-living increases in civil service retirement and disability programs (including the Central Intelligence Agency retirement and disabilty system, the Comptroller General retirement system, the Foreign Service retirement and disability system, the judicial survivors' annuities system, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration retirement system, the Coast Guard retirement system, the Public Health Service commissioned officers retirement system, and the Tax Court judges survivors' retirement system), military retirement benefits, and certain railroad retirement benefits from reduction under the President's sequestration order.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 1985
Amends rule XV of the Rules of the House of Representatives to prohibit the House from passing or adopting any bill or joint resolution making appropriations or providing revenue except by a rollcall vote.
![Official portrait of Rep. Young, C. W. Bill [R-FL-13]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/y000031_200.jpg)