United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1978
Amends the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to provide that any Indian tribe or organization entitled under such Act to enter into contracts with, or receive grants from, the Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare or the Interior for the purpose of enabling such tribe or organization to provide services to Indians which were previously provided by one of those Secretaries may elect to receive a single consolidated grant in each fiscal year in lieu of the individual contracts otherwise authorized under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 1978
Requires the Postal Service to submit to Congress proposed changes in postal service including reductions in the frequency of mail deliveries or post office hours; and changes in standards for timely delivery.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 1978
Amends the charter of the American Legion to entitle those who served in the military or naval services between August 15, 1973, and May 7, 1975, to join such organization.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1978
National Alcohol Fuels Commission Act - Establishes the National Alcohol Fuels Commission to study the use of alcohol as an alternative fuel source. Charges the Commission with the duty to study the short and long-term potential of alcohol fuels derived from plant, animal and industrial sources and wastes, and from coal. Directs the Commission to study alternative feedstocks and desirability of converting present feedstocks into alcohol fuels. Requires the Commission to identify and study technical, economic, legal, environmental and social factors involved with the production, manufacture, distribution and use of alcohol fuels. Directs relevant Federal agencies to appoint a liaison officer and to cooperate closely with the Commission. Requires the Committee to file a final report with the President and the Congress no later than December 31, 1980.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 1978
Psychotropic Substances Act - Amends the Controlled Substances Act, the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Service Act to meet obligations under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 1977
Dutch Elm Disease Control Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to assist the States in controlling Dutch elm disease through a program of 50-50 matching grants. Directs the Secretary to carry out a program of research and education regarding such disease.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 1977
Establishes an administrative procedure and guidelines to be followed by a newly created office of the Department of the Interior in determining whether or not Indian Tribes shall be granted Federal recognition.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 1977
Amends the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to provide that any Indian tribe or organization entitled under such Act to enter into contracts with, or receive grants from, the Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare or the Interior for the purpose of enabling such tribe or organization to provide services to Indians that were previously provided by one of those Secretaries may elect to receive a single block grant in each fiscal year in lieu of the individual grants or contracts otherwise authorized under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 1977
Emergency Farm Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish price supports for cattle and for each of the 1977 through 1981 crops of feed grains, cotton, peanuts, rice, tobacco, wheat, soybeans, sugar, wool, mohair, milk and honey at 100 percent of parity, unless a majority of the producers of any such commodity, in a referendum, vote to exempt such commodity from such support price. Directs the Secretary to suspend all foreign meat imports into the United States until such time as domestic cattle prices are brought to the 100 percent level.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 1977
States that it shall be the policy of the United States to protect and preserve for American Indians their inherent right of freedom to believe, express, and exercise their traditional religions. Directs the various Federal executive agencies responsible for administering laws which interfere with the exercise of these religions to evaluate their policies and procedures in order to determine the changes necessary to protect and preserve American Indian religious cultural rights and practices.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 1977
Emergency Farm Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the price supports for each of the 1977 through 1981 crops of feed grains, cotton, peanuts, rice, tobacco, wheat, soybeans sugar, wool, mohair, milk and honey at 100 percent of parity, unless a majority of the producers of any such commodity, in a referendum, vote to exempt such commodity from such support price.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 1977
Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act to require the Secretary of Agriculture to submit to the House Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry quarterly reports evidencing that all foreign plants exporting meat have been inspected by inspectors appointed by the Secretary and are in compliance with such Act and the regulations issued thereunder.
United States · United States Congress · 22 November 1977
Allows certain cash payments received by farmers pursuant to the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 to be included in gross income in the year the income from the crops would have been reported rather than the year the payments are received.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 1977
Civil Rights Commission Act - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1957: (1) to impose upon the Commission on Civil Rights the duty of studying and collecting information concerning legal developments constituting a denial of the equal protection of the laws under the Constitution on account of age or handicap, and appraise Federal laws and policies with respect to such denials; and (2) to extend such Commission for five years, until the end of fiscal year 1983.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 1977
Postpones until December 31, 1978, the effective date of the final regulations developed from proposed regulations published in the Federal Register dated August 25, 1977, relating to acreage limitation provisions of Federal reclamation laws. Allows the Secretary of the Interior to approve voluntary sales of excess lands in any irrigation district (except in Westlands Water District, California) if the Secretary finds that such sales are in compliance with the proposed regulations. States that the time period of any existing recordable contract will not be affected by this resolution, except for those which expire during the period which begins on the date of enactment of this Act and ends December 31, 1978, which would be granted an additional six months.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 1977
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior should impose a moratorium with respect to any increase in the charges currently being made for grazing livestock on public lands for such a period as may be necessary to permit the appropriate committees of the Congress a reasonable opportunity to hold hearings on the proposed new formula.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 1977
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development should not implement the proposed reorganization of the field and insuring offices of the Department of Housing and Urban Development prior to the time when the appropriate committees of the Congress have had an opportunity to hold hearings on such reorganization.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 1977
Alcohol Fuel Incentive Act - Authorizes the Department of Agriculture to permit any person participating in one of its acreage set-aside programs to use such set-aside acreage to produce any agriculture or forestry product which is not to be used or sold by such person for primary use in the manufacture of a tax-exempt gasoline blend (gasohol).
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 1977
Designates the South Portal Federal Office Building of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare at 200 Independence Avenue Southwest, Washington, D. C., as the "Hubert H. Humphrey Building."
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 1977
Declares that the President should establish a Commission on Domestic and International Hunger and Malnutrition which should: (1) collect and generate information and resources on food, hunger, malnutrition and related concerns; (2) assess current programs affecting domestic and international hunger and malnutrition; (3) analyze and report its findings and recommendations to the President, the Congress, and the public; and (4) assist the President and the Congress in implementing its recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 1977
Continues the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs through December 31, 1979. Authorizes the expenditure of additional funds, not to exceed $250,000 per annum, by the Select Committee.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 1977
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study the site known as Blanket Hill at Kent State University, Ohio, for possible designation as the Kent State National Historic Site. Empowers the Secretary to promulgate and enforce reasonable restrictions on the use of such site pending completion of the study.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1977
Declares it the sense of the Senate that the Privacy Protection Study Commission should be commended for its report, "Personal Privacy in an Information Society," and that the Congress should implement the Commission's recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 1977
Directs that any alien who is a national of Chile and is not in the United States be issued a nonimmigrant visa and be admitted to the United States as a nonimmigrant if the consular officer involved determines that such alien : (1) is being persecuted or is in danger of persecution in Chile on account of his political opinions; (2) is not otherwise excludable from the United States; and (3) has applied for such admission during the one year period following the enactment of this Act. States that admission under this Act shall be for a period of two years during which the aliens shall be allowed to accept employment. Directs the Attorney General to examine the case of the alien before the expiration of the two-year period and to grant permanent resident status to such eligible alien. Directs that any alien who: (1) is a national of Chile; (2) is in the United States on the date of enactment of this Act; and (3) would be persecuted or be in danger of persecution in Chile on account of his political opinions, be placed in the custody of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Requires that such alien be inspected and examined for admissions into the United States according to the applicable provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Regards such resident aliens who are found to be admissible after such examination as being lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence as of the date of their arrival. Allows the spouse, child, or parents of a national of Chile who has been admitted to the United States pursuant to this Act to be issued a nonimmigrant visa, admitted to the United States as a nonimmigrant, and treated as other aliens issued nonimmigrant visas under this Act. Declares that aliens who acquire permanent residence status under this Act shall not be charged against the quota of immigrants allotted to Chile under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Directs the Attorney General to inform any alien who is a national of Chile or the spouse, child, or parent of a national of Chile of the treatment which may be applied for under this Act before such alien is excluded from admission into or deported from the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 1977
National Electrical Energy Reliability and Conservation Act - Title I: National Power Grid and Regional Bulk Power Distribution - Creates a National Power Grid Corporation to establish and operate a national power grid system consisting of electric power generating facilities and a system of high voltage transmission lines. Authorizes regional corporations to act as exclusive marketing agents for the national grid in designated regions of the country. Authorizes electric utilities, publicly or privately owned, to enter into agreements for services with the regional corporation. Imposes specified conditions on any such contract for the National Grid which may be sold. Directs the National Grid to carry out a program of research and development in the area of electric power generation and transmission giving preference to environmental protection and land use research priorities. Authorizes up to $250,000,000 per fiscal year to carry out such program. Requires that at least two percent of the annual revenues collected by the National Grid be channeled into research and development activities. Transfers specified Federal generating and transmission facilities to the Grid. Title II: General Provisions Applicable to National Grid and to Regional Corporations - Stipulates that each corporation shall be subject to Federal, State, and local environmental standards. Specifies the interests to be represented on the Board of Directors of such corporations, and their composition, terms of members, procedures for selecting the officers and employees of the corporations. Stipulates that the corporations shall have those powers conferred on nonprofit corporations pursuant to the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act and specified additional powers. Directs such corporations to at all times maintain complete and accurate books of accounts. Authorizes each corporation to issue and sell bonds for financing its activities, providing that the aggregate total of outstanding bonds shall not exceed $30,000,000,000. Authorizes each corporation to cause to be instituted condemnation proceedings against any lands or interests in land necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. Requires each corporation to report annually to the President and provide for transmittal of such report to the Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 1977
Energy Industry Competition and Performance Act - Makes it unlawful for any major petroleum producer to acquire or retain any interest or control over any coal or uranium asset. Defines control as a direct or indirect legal or beneficial interest in, or direct or indirect legal power or influence over, another person, arising through direct, indirect, or interlocking ownership of capital stock, interlocking directorates or officers, or contractual relations which substantially impair the independent business behavior of another person. Requires each major petroleum producer who owns or controls any interest in any coal or uranium asset to file a report with the Federal Trade Commission listing its interest in such assets. Sets forth the procedure to be followed by each major petroleum producer for the divestment of its interest in such assets. Grants primary oversight jurisdiction to the Federal Trade Commission and specified enforcement powers to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice. Prescribes civil penalties for violations of this Act. Directs the Federal Trade Commission to report to the Congress on the extent to which the control of solar energy technology by major petroleum producers may be retarding the production of solar energy.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 1977
Provides for payment of a supplemental tuition allowance to each qualified veteran upon application to the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs. Structures such allowance to offset institutional differences in tuition costs.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 1977
Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to establish a price support for sugar beets and sugarcane at a level not in excess of 90 percent nor less than 60 percent of the parity price of processed sugar products.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 1977
National Crude Oil Supply and Transportation Act - Expresses the intent of Congress that the continuation of a transportation system to deliver Alaskan crude oil to Northern Tier or inland States be accomplished through expedited administrative procedures. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a time schedule for the completion of required environmental impact statements in order to select a crude oil transportation system by February 1, 1978. Establishes criteria to be considered by the Secretary in selecting a transportation route. Directs the Secretary and other appropriate Federal officials to take all actions necessary to provide rights of way, permits, leases, and other authorizations necessary for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the transportation system approved under this Act. Declares that the actions of Federal officers and agencies under this Act shall not be subject to judicial review by the courts. Allows for claims that: (1) actions under this Act will deny Constitutional rights; and (2) actions taken are beyond the scope of authority conferred by this Act, provided that such claims are filed within 60 days following the date of the challenged action. Vests exclusive jurisdiction to hear such claims in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, acting as a special court. Stipulates that any judicial proceedings should be completed at the earliest possible date. Declares that nothing in this Act shall authorize or imply an exemption from provisions of the antitrust laws.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 1977
Makes it unlawful for any Federal official or employee, with the exception of employees of the Central Intelligence Agency or the National Security Agency, to require or request any other employee or any person seeking employment to take a polygraph test. Makes it unlawful for any person engaged in any business in commerce to require or request an employee or applicant to take a polygraph test or to use such a test unless fully consented to by an employee. Permits aggrieved persons to seek injunctive relief in Federal courts.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 1977
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Jean Lafitte National Park in Louisiana. Establishes the Delta Region Preservation Commission to advise the Secretary of the Interior on general policies and specific matters related to the planning, administration, and development of such park.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 1977
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to compile and publish a report, to be revised every three years, containing specific recommendations for a railroad transportation system adequate to meet the essential needs of the agricultural industry of the United States. Requires annual reports to Congress regarding the capability of the Nation's transportation system (all forms of transportation) to meet such needs. Directs the Secretary to participate in all proceedings of any Federal agencies likely to make an impact on the agricultural industry of the United States or on rural development in order to foster the cause of an efficient and economical trasportation system serving such interests.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 1977
Rail Service Protection Act - Prohibits the Interstate Commerce Commission from authorizing the abandonment of any rail line or the discontinuance of any rail service for 18 months. Amends the Department of Transportation Act to stipulate that the Federal share of the costs of rail service assistance programs under such Act shall be 100 percent for the first fiscal year which is more than 18 months after the enactment of this Act, 90 percent for the second fiscal year, 80 percent for the third and 70 percent for the fourth fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 1977
Constitutional Amendment - Provides for proposal of laws, other than those relating to certain aspects of the armed forces, by petition, and enactment of such laws by popular vote.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1977
Natural Diversity Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide grants to the States for implementing State programs for maintaining landscape and other natural diversity with supporting biological data management systems. Requires each State to prepare a plan identifying, classifying, maintaining, and monitoring elements of natural diversity occurring within its boundaries in order to renew its grants. Directs each State to submit to the Secretary a priority list of sites which contain important elements of the State's natural diversity and which can be best protected through acquisition. Directs the Secretary to make matching grants for acquisition upon a finding that the site will contribute to the goals of this Act. States that the sites acquired by such grants shall be known as Diversity Preserves and that a registry of sites shall be maintained by the Secretary. Requires each Federal land management agency to establish a natural diversity program and biological data management system and to designate sites on Federal lands for entry on the registry. Directs the Secretary to prepare an annual summary assessment of the status of the nation's national diversity. Establishes the Federal Natural Diversity Office in the Department of the Interior and a technical advisory committee.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1977
Federal Criminal Diversion Act - States that Federal criminal diversion programs may include, but are not limited to, medical, educational, vocational, and social services; residence in a halfway house; other rehabilitative services; restitution to victims; and uncompensated community service. Empowers a Federal judge or magistrate to release an individual charged with a Federal crime to a Federal criminal diversion program if (1) the offense charged is either non-violent or resulted in no substantial bodily injury to victims, (2) participation in the program is recommended by the prosecuting attorney, (3) the individual waives any applicable statute of limitations and the right to speedy trial, (4) all persons injured by the offense charged agree; and (5) release is found to be not contrary to public interest. Directs that charges against a person so released be continued for one year and then dismissed unless (1) charges are dropped within that period, (2) release is terminated by the judge or magistrate because public interest requires or because the prosecuting attorney finds that the person is not fulfilling his release obligations, or (3) charges are dismissed sooner upon certification by the administrative head of the diversion program that the individual has completed the program and concurrence of the prosecuting attorney. Authorizes the chief judge of each district to appoint an advisory committee for each Federal criminal diversion program in the district to plan and review its operation. Specifies the duties of the Attorney General in implementing this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1977
Authorizes the appropriation of such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 1979 and each fiscal year thereafter to fund the Administrative Conference of the United States.
![Official portrait of Sen. Abourezk, James [D-SD]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/a000017_200.jpg)