United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2000
Rural Broadband Enhancement Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal Communications Commission to initiate a proceeding to provide Federal universal service support for the deployment of broadband telecommunications service (high speed voice, data, graphic, and video telecommunications) to eligible rural communities ( non-metropolitan areas with no more than 20,000 inhabitants). Amends the National Telecommunications and Information Administrative Organization Act to direct the Rural Utilities Service of the Department of Agriculture to make loans or other credit extensions to eligible telecommunications carrier providers, or to companies that accept the obligations of such carriers, to finance the deployment of broadband service to eligible rural communities. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2001 through 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2000
Strengthening Abuse and Neglect Courts Act of 2000 - Directs the Attorney General to award grants to State and local courts to: (1) enable such courts to develop and implement automated data collection and case-tracking systems for proceedings conducted by, or under the supervision of, an abuse and neglect court; (2) encourage the replication of such systems in abuse and neglect courts in other jurisdictions; and (3) require the use of such systems to evaluate a court's performance in complying with requirements of part B (child and family services) and part E (Federal payments for foster care and adoption assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act. Sets forth provisions regarding limits on the number and use of grants, application and matching requirements, notification to the State or appropriate child welfare agency, considerations in evaluating grant applications, diversity and length of awards, fund availability, and reporting requirements for grantees and the Attorney General. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 5) Directs the Attorney General to award grants to State and local courts for the purposes of: (1) promoting the permanency goals established in the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997; and (2) enabling such courts to reduce existing backlogs of cases pending in abuse and neglect courts, especially regarding cases to terminate parental rights and cases in which parental rights to a child have been terminated but an adoption of the child has not yet been finalized. Sets forth provisions regarding applications, use of funds, number of grants, availability of funds, and reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 6) Directs the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the Department of Justice to make a grant to the National Court-Appointed Special Advocate Association for purposes of: (1) expanding the recruitment, and building the capacity, of court-appointed special advocate programs located in the 15 largest urban areas; (2) developing regional, multi- jurisdictional court-appointed special advocate programs serving rural areas; and (3) providing training and supervision of volunteers in court-appointed special advocate programs. Sets forth provisions regarding limits on administrative expenditures and determination of urban and rural areas. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2000
Family Opportunity Act of 2000 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) give States the option of allowing families of disabled children to purchase Medicaid coverage for such children; and (2) provide for treatment of inpatient psychiatric hospital services for individuals under age 21 under waivers allowing for payment for part or all of the cost of home or community-based services. Authorizes a State to apply to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for approval of a demonstration project to provide Medicaid coverage to up to a specified maximum number of children with a potentially severe disability. Amends SSA title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) to make appropriations to the Secretary for special projects of regional and national significance for development and support of family-to-family health information centers.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2000
Training and Knowledge Ensure Children a Risk-Free Environment (TAKE CARE) Act - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act with regard to: (1) payment for training of judges, attorneys, and other concerned persons in child abuse and neglect court proceedings; and (2) State standards for attorneys who represent the State or local agency administering the programs under SSA title IV parts B (Child and Family Services) and E. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide technical assistance, training, and evaluations under this Act through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements with other entities, including universities, and national, State, and local organizations. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2000
Recognition of Physician Assistants in the Department of Veterans Affairs Act of 2000 - Establishes within the Office of Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs the position of Advisor on Physician Assistants to advise the Under Secretary on matters regarding the optimal utilization of physician assistants by the Veterans Health Administration and policies affecting the employment of such assistants.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2000
Marginal Well Preservation Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to set forth provisions relating to domestic oil and gas production which: (1) establish a credit for producing oil and gas from marginal wells; and (2) permit a taxpayer to expense geological and geophysical expenditures and to delay rental payments in connection with oil and gas development.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2000
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the conferees on H.R. 1501, the Violent and Repeat Juvenile Offender Accountability and Rehabilitation Act, should complete and submit the conference report before April 20, 2000, and include in such conference report the amendments passed by the Senate seeking to limit access to firearms by juveniles, convicted felons, and other persons prohibited by law from purchasing or possessing firearms.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2000
Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of the Interior to undertake capital projects for the Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program. Terminates the authority to implement projects for such Programs at the end of FY 2005 and 2007, respectively. Limits to $100 million the total cost of authorized projects. Authorizes the: (1) Secretary to accept contributed funds from Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, or political subdivisions or organizations thereof, pursuant to agreements that provide for such contributions to be used for capital project costs; and (2) Secretary and the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Western Power Administration, to utilize for such projects power revenues not exceeding $17 million collected pursuant to the Colorado River Storage Project Act. Makes funds available on a matching basis with funds contributed by the above States. Authorizes alternative project funding through loans from the Colorado Water Conservation Board Construction Fund (with specified loan requirements). Authorizes the Secretary to utilize the power revenues, above, for the annual base funding contributions to the programs by the Bureau of Reclamation. Provides funding limits for each Basin Program. Terminates at the end of FY 2011 the authority for the use of power revenues for annual base funding, with an exception. Requires a report from the Secretary to Congress on the use of such revenues. Requires the Administration and the Bureau to maintain sufficient Fund revenues to meet the base funding requirements. States that nothing in this Act shall restrict the Secretary from funding activities or capital projects in accordance with the Federal Government's Indian trust responsibility.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2000
Digital Empowerment Act - Title I: One-Stop Shop for Technology Education - Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to provide that the Office of Educational Technology (OET) shall be administered by an Assistant Secretary (currently a Director) of Educational Technology. (Sec. 101) Requires OET to: (1) be a one-stop shop for all technology education programs within the Department of Education; (2) provide schools and community groups with information on technology education programs and sources of funds; and (3) serve as a clearinghouse for information on public and private efforts to bring technology to areas underserved by technology. (Sec. 102) Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to include, among specified uses of Federal leadership funds for national programs of technology in education, the development of a national repository of information on the effective uses of educational technology and the dissemination of that information nationwide. Title II: Digital Education - Amends ESEA to require State educational agencies (SEAs), in awarding school technology resource grants under a program of national challenge grants for technology in education, to give priority to local educational agencies (LEAs) that have: (1) the highest numbers or percentages of children in poverty; and (2) a substantial need for assistance in acquiring and using technology. (Sec. 201) Authorizes appropriations for such grants program. (Sec. 202) Includes among required local uses of such grant funds: (1) providing intensive training in the use of technology to school librarians and library media specialists; and (2) providing technical support and services to assist schools in maintaining their educational technology. (Sec. 203) Requires local grant applications to describe how the LEA will ensure that school libraries and media centers possess equipment and trained personnel that enables them to provide access to information in formats made possible by new information and communication technologies. (Sec. 204) Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award: (1) formula grants to SEAs to establish Teacher Technology Preparation Academies for teachers, librarians, and library media specialists; (2) competitive grants to institutions of higher education to train students entering the teaching workforce to use technology effectively in the classroom; and (3) grants to SEAs to provide school library technology and training for school librarians and library media specialists. Authorizes appropriations for such grants. Title III: Expansion of Universal Service Assistance - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to authorize additional uses of universal service assistance (the e-rate program) by educational providers. (Sec. 301) Includes structured after-school activities among the educational purposes for which schools and libraries are to receive discount rates (E-rates) on telecommunications services. Allows schools to use specified offset funds, which they may receive in lieu of such discount E-rates, for maintenance and repair of technology necessary to use such services. (Sec. 302) Makes eligible for universal service assistance E-rates Head Start agencies and organizations that receive Federal job training funds. Title IV: E-Corps Programs - Amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to provide for E-Corps programs. (Sec. 401) Includes, among types of national service programs eligible for program assistance, an E-Corps program that involves participants who are proficient in technology and who provide service in a community by developing and assisting in carrying out technology programs in elementary schools, secondary schools, and community centers. Requires the Corporation for National and Community Services to ensure that specified funds are used only for E-Corps programs. Authorizes appropriations in a specified amount to carry out E-Corps programs and provide national service educational awards to E-Corps program participants. Title V: Community Technology Centers - Amends ESEA to establish a program for Community Technology Centers (CTCs). (Sec. 501) Authorizes the Secretary, through OET, to award competitive grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, of up to three-years' duration, for: (1) creating or expanding CTCs; or (2) providing technical assistance and support to CTCs. Sets forth provisions for eligibility, applications, matching share of costs, and required and permissible uses of funds. Authorizes appropriations for such CTC program. Title VI: Neighborhood Networks for Public Housing - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to provide for onsite computer access and training resources for public housing residents. (Sec. 601) Authorizes computer centers in and around public housing, through a Neighborhood Networks initiative and related activities, to be established, operated, and assisted by the use of: (1) public housing capital and operating funds, and certain technical assistance; and (2) demolition, site revitalization, replacement housing, and tenant-based assistance grants for projects. Title VII: Incentives for Technology Assistance - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise provisions for a tax deduction for corporate donations of computer technology and equipment for educational purposes (currently for elementary and secondary school purposes). (Sec. 701) Includes Head Start centers, structured after-school programs, and certain public libraries and community centers (in addition to elementary and secondary schools) as eligible donees of such deductible donations. Allows such deductible donations to include training or maintenance services with respect to such computer technology or equipment. Extends such deduction to donations made on or before June 30, 2004. Title VIII: Demonstration Project in K-12 Education Technology - Directs the Secretary of Education to carry out a demonstration project that: (1) delivers a highly flexible educational system designed for kindergarten through grade 12, or a component thereof, that includes hardware, software, training, and ongoing support and professional development; (2) implements an Internet-based, one-to-one pilot project that specifically targets the educational needs of students in grade three through grade 12 who reside in low-income school districts; and (3) is conducted by an organization with proven expertise in the research and development of education technology designed for kindergarten through grade 12. (Sec. 801) Requires the demonstration project to provide for: (1) a rugged notebook computer for every student participating in the project; (2) an infrared wireless connection to the school's local area network; (3) a low-cost, high-speed Internet connection; (4) customized, professional development for technical and instructional staff; (5) an academic information system that provides alignment between curricula, State standards, assessment, and teacher resources; and (6) a parental training component. Allows the Secretary to contract with a private company or organization to carry out such a demonstration. Requires the Secretary to coordinate project implementation and oversight with an LEA and a private company, if such a company is used in the project. Requires, to the extent practicable, the project to be conducted in a location where a similar program is already at least partially underway. Sets forth reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations for such demonstration project.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2000
Medicare Wellness Act of 2000 - Title I: Healthy Seniors Promotion Program - Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a Healthy Seniors Working Group to establish policies and criteria for the HHS Secretary to make grants to approved applicants to study specified approaches to further health promotion and disease prevention among the elderly. (Sec. 101) Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 102) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) should encourage inclusion of preventive health measures in all Medicare treatments; (2) HCFA should expand the study of the most promising behavioral modification of risk factors associated with health promotion and disease prevention for all Medicare beneficiaries; and (3) the National Library of Medicine should establish a Medicare health promotion and disease prevention intervention clearinghouse. Title II: Medicare Coverage of Preventive Services - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to outline Medicare coverage of various specified preventive services, including: (1) counseling for cessation of tobacco use; (2) screening for hypertension; (3) counseling for hormone replacement therapy; (4) screening for glaucoma and for diminished visual acuity; and (5) screening and counseling for osteoporosis. (Sec. 209) Extends Medicare coverage to medical nutrition therapy services for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, a cardiovascular disease, or a renal disease. (Sec. 210) Waives coinsurance and deductibles for certain preventive services, such as: (1) diabetes outpatient self-management training services; (2) colorectal and prostate cancer screening tests; and (3) bone mass measurement. (Sec. 211) Directs the Secretary to conduct a national falls prevention and awareness campaign to reduce fall-related injuries among Medicare beneficiaries and to integrate specified preventive benefits added by this Act with existing program integrity measures. Title III: Medicare Health Education and Risk Appraisal Program - Amends SSA title XVIII to direct the HHS Secretary to: (1) establish a health education and risk appraisal program to inform certain target individuals, including Medicare beneficiaries, of specified major behavioral risk factors through self-assessment; and (2) conduct periodic followups. Title IV: Disease Self-Management Demonstration Projects - Establishes in HHS a Disease Self-Management Working Group. Directs the HHS Secretary to conduct demonstration projects to promote disease self-management for conditions identified by the Group for described target individuals. Provides funding. Title V: Studies and Reports Advancing Original Research in the Field of Disease Prevention and the Elderly - Amends SSA title XVIII to revise reporting requirements for the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. (Sec. 502) Directs the Director of the National Institute on Aging to conduct one or more studies, for associated reports to the HHS Secretary and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, that focus on ways to: (1) improve quality of life for the elderly; (2) develop better ways to prevent or delay the onset of age-related functional decline and disease and disability among the elderly; and (3) develop means of assessing the long-term development of cost-effective benefits and cost-saving benefits for health promotion and disease prevention among the elderly. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 503) Directs the HHS Secretary to contract with the Institute to study and report to the President and Congress on health promotion and disease prevention among Medicare beneficiaries. (Sec. 504) Provides for fast-track consideration of prevention benefit legislation in the House of Representatives and in the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2000
Federal Employees and Uniformed Services Group Long-Term Care Insurance Act of 2000 - Amends Federal civil service provisions to establish a program to provide long-term care insurance for certain Federal employees and annuitants, current and retired members of the uniformed services, and their qualified relatives. Authorizes the Office of Personnel Management, without regard to statutes requiring competitive bidding, to contract with qualified carriers to provide long-term care insurance under this Act. Sets forth contract terms, including a requirement that coverage may not be canceled except for nonpayment of premiums. Provides for five-year contracts. Describes conditions under which coverage may be terminated. Sets forth required elements of contracts, including portability of benefits. Makes insured individuals responsible for 100 percent of the charges of coverage and requires individuals to have amounts withheld from pay for their coverage (authorizes such withholding for qualified relatives). Requires such reimbursements to be deposited into the Employees Health Benefits Fund and held in a separate Long-Term Care Insurance Account. Preempts State and local law. Requires qualified carriers to furnish reasonable reports and permit audits. Requires insurance benefits claims to be filed within four years after the date on which the cost was incurred or the service was provided. Provides jurisdiction for disputed claims through U.S. district courts after exhausting all available administrative remedies. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2000
National Museum of the American Indian Commemorative Coin Act of 2000, or American Buffalo Coin Commemorative Coin Act of 2000 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue a maximum of 500,000 $1 dollar coins in commemoration of the opening of the Museum of the American Indian of the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States Mint Facility in Denver, Colorado, should strike such coins unless the Secretary determines that it would be technically or cost-prohibitive. Mandates that the proceeds from sales surcharges be paid promptly to the National Museum of the American Indian of the Smithsonian Institution to: (1) commemorate the opening of the Museum; and (2)supplement the Museum's endowment and educational outreach funds. Subjects the Museum to certain Federal audit requirements. Instructs the Secretary to take actions to ensure that coin minting and issuance will not result in any net cost to the Government.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2000
Conservation and Stewardship Act - Title I: Land and Water Conservation Fund - Land and Water Conservation Fund Act Amendments of 2000 - Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to provide for a permanent annual appropriation to the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Establishes the Non-Federal Lands of Regional or National Interest Fund. Title II: Coastal Stewardship - Coastal Stewardship Act of 2000 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to establish the Ocean and Coast Conservation Fund and Outer Continental Shelf Impact Assistance Fund. Title III: Wildlife Conservation and Restoration - Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Act of 2000 - Amends the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act to provide for the deposit of an additional annual amount into the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Fund. Establishes a wildlife conservation and restoration subaccount in such fund. Title IV: Endangered and Threatened Species Habitat Protection - Establishes the Endangered and Threatened Species Recovery Fund for recovery agreements with landowners. Title V: Historic Preservation Fund - Amends the National Preservation Act to provide for the deposit into the Historic Preservation Fund of a specified annual amount. Allocates amounts to State, local governmental, and tribal historic preservation programs, the American Battlefield Protection Program, and matching grant programs. Title VI: Natural Resource Restoration Programs - Establishes the National Park System Resource Protection Fund and the Coral Reef Resources Restoration Fund. Title VII: Urban Park and Forestry Programs - Amends the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act of 1978 to establish the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Fund. Amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to establish the Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Fund. Title VIII: Conservation Easements - Establishes the Forest Legacy Fund, the Farmland Protection Fund, and the Ranchland Protection Fund. Title IX: Natural Resource Community Investment Programs - Amends the Youth Conservation Corps Act of 1970 to establish the Youth Conservation Corps Fund. Amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to establish the Forest Service Rural Development Fund. Amends the National Forest-Dependent Rural Communities Economic Diversification Act to establish the Forest Service Rural Community Assistance Fund. Title X: Payment in Lieu of Taxes - Establishes the Payment in Lieu of Taxes Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2000
Price-Anderson Amendments Act of 2000 - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to extend to August 1, 2012, the indemnification authority of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission with respect to licensees and nonprofit educational institutions. Makes such indemnification authority permanent for the Department of Energy (DOE) with respect to contractors. (Sec. 3) Increases from $10 million to $20 million the maximum amount of standard deferred premium that may be charged a licensee following a nuclear incident in any one year for each facility for which the licensee is required to maintain the maximum amount of primary financial protection. (Sec. 4) Sets a $10 billion ceiling upon the aggregate DOE liability limit pursuant to DOE indemnification agreements and for each nuclear incident. Provides that all agreements which obligate DOE to indemnify a person are deemed to be amended to reflect the indemnification amount for both public liability and any applicable financial protection required of the contractor as of the date of enactment of this Act. (Sec. 5) Increases from $100 million to $500 million the indemnification amount and the aggregate public liability limitation due from DOE for incidents outside the United States. (Sec. 7) Directs the Secretary of Energy to adjust the indemnification agreement amount in accordance with the aggregate percentage change in the Consumer Price Index at least once during each five-year period. (Sec. 8) Repeals the directive to the Secretary to determine whether a nonprofit educational institution should receive an automatic remission of any penalties for violations of DOE regulations. Shields a nonprofit contractor, subcontractor, or supplier from a civil penalty in excess of any performance fee paid by the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2000
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to establish a new title XII, Public School Repair and Renovation, which authorizes Federal financial assistance for the urgent repair and renovation of public elementary and secondary schools in high-need areas. (Replaces the current title XII, School Facilities Infrastructure Improvement, which is also known as the Education Infrastructure Act of 1994.) Requires high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) to use the title XII grants or loans they receive for repairs and renovations to reduce health and safety problems, and to improve the learning environment, with respect to: (1) roofs, electrical wiring, or plumbing repair or replacement; (2) heating, ventilation, or air conditioning systems' repair, replacement, or installation; (3) title XII repairs and renovations compliance with specified accessibility requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; and (4) other types of school repairs and renovations that the Secretary of Education may reasonably determine are urgently needed, particularly projects to correct facilities problems that endanger the health and safety of students and staff. Requires title XII grant or loan applicants to demonstrate to the Secretary's satisfaction that they lack sufficient funds from other sources to carry out the repairs or renovations for which they are requesting assistance. Provides for the following types and portions of title XII assistance: (1) a specified amount reserved for allocated grants to LEAs with high concentrations of students living on Indian lands (which may be used for new school construction if renovating an existing school would not be cost-effective); (2) ten percent of the remainder for competitive grants to high-poverty LEAs (with at least a quarter of their students being from families with incomes below the poverty line); and (3) 90 percent of such remainder for competitive grants and loans to high-need LEAs that lack the ability to fund urgent school repairs (with a limitation on the amount of the loan volume). Authorizes appropriations. Prohibits title XII assistance for repair or renovation of athletic stadiums or other structures or facilities intended primarily for athletic events for which admission is charged to the general public.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2000
China-World Trade Organization Compliance Act - Directs the President, not later than 90 days after China accedes to the World Trade Organization (WTO), to submit to Congress a plan (including an estimate of the cost) for monitoring China's compliance with the commitments it makes as part of the accession. (Sec. 3) Directs the Comptroller General, in order to determine the degree to which China is complying with its WTO commitments and to obtain information about any problems encountered by U.S. businesses, to survey annually and report to Congress on the 50 U.S. companies doing the most business with China in exporting nonagricultural and agricultural goods, exporting or providing services, investing, or importing goods. Directs the International Trade Commission to report annually to Congress on United States-China bilateral export and import statistics, including, to the extent practicable, reconciling any differences in U.S.-source and Chinese-source data. (Sec. 4) Directs the United States Trade Representative (USTR), not later than one year after China accedes to the WTO, and annually thereafter, to report to Congress on China's compliance with its commitments under the WTO, including both multilateral commitments and any bilateral commitments made to the United States. (Sec. 5) Authorizes specified congressional committees to instruct the USTR to: (1) take appropriate trade relief action after initiating an investigation under the Trade Act of 1974 to determine if U.S. rights under any agreement are being denied, or an act, policy, or practice of China violates the provisions of, or otherwise denies benefits to the United States under, any trade agreement, or is unjustifiable and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce; or (2) initiate action before the Dispute Settlement Body of the WTO. Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to authorize the USTR, for purposes of making an affirmative determination with respect to an investigation, to draw an inference adverse to the interest of a country that fails or refuses to cooperate in the investigation. Directs the USTR, if he or she makes an affirmative determination with respect to China, to initiate an action before the Dispute Settlement Body, unless there exists another, more effective action. (Sec. 6) Expresses the sense of Congress that there should be a special multilateral process at the WTO for conducting an annual review of China's compliance with the commitments it makes as part of its accession to the WTO. Directs the USTR to propose that: (1) as part of the Trade Policy Review Mechanism of the WTO, a thorough review of China's trade policies be conducted each year; (2) the Trade Policy Review Mechanism be significantly enhanced and expanded in connection with the review of China; and (3) the Trade Policy Review Mechanism of China include onsite visits and active participation by representatives of WTO members. (Sec. 7) Directs the President to submit to Congress a plan for providing assistance to China to build the institutions necessary to carry out the obligations China has made as part of its accession to the WTO. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2000
Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to prohibit the Secretary of Transportation from distributing obligation authority, for each of FY 2001 through 2003, for amounts authorized for Indian reservation roads under the Federal Lands Highway Program.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2000
Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of Congress, a gold medal to John Cardinal O'Connor, Archbishop of New York, in recognition of his accomplishments as a priest, a soldier, and a humanitarian. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2000
Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of Congress, a gold medal to Muhammad Ali in recognition of his outstanding athletic accomplishments and enduring contributions to humanity. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2000
Electric Reliability 2000 Act - Amends the Federal Power Act to provide for the establishment and enforcement of mandatory reliability standards to ensure the reliable operation of the bulk-power system. Grants the Federal Energy Regulatory Corporation (FERC) jurisdiction, for purposes of approving and enforcing compliance with standards in the United States, over: (1) the electric reliability organization; (2) all Affiliated Regional Reliability Entities (entities to which authority has been delegated to enforce compliance with reliability standards); (3) all system operators; and (4) all users of the bulk-power system. Provides that, prior to the establishment of the Electric Reliability Organization (Organization), any person (including the North American Electric Reliability Council and its member Regional Reliability Councils) may file a proposed reliability standard, guidance, or practice which, subject to FERC approval, shall be mandatory and enforceable. Prescribes procedural guidelines for FERC approval of: (1) applications competing for status as the Electric Reliability Council; and (2) Organization standards. Requires all users of the bulk-power system to comply with such standards. Mandates that: (1) the Organization take all appropriate steps to gain recognition in Canada and Mexico; and (2) the United States use its best efforts to enter into international agreements with the governments of Canada and Mexico to effectuate compliance with Organization standards, and to provide for the effectiveness of the Organization's mission. Requires every system operator to be a member of the Organization and of any Affiliated Regional Reliability Entity operating under an agreement applicable to the region in which the system operator operates or is responsible for the operation of a bulk-power system facility. Empowers the Organization to take disciplinary and enforcement action. Directs the Organization to assess periodically the reliability and adequacy of the inter-connected bulk-power system in North America, and to report its findings and recommendations annually to FERC and to the Secretary. Provides for the assessment and recovery of implementation and enforcement costs incurred by the Organization and each Affiliated Regional Reliability Entity, respectively. Sets forth antitrust defenses for activities undertaken by the Organization, its members, or members of an affiliated regional reliability entity. Instructs FERC to establish a regional advisory body on the petition of the Governors of at least two-thirds of the States within a region that have more than one- half of their electrical loads served within the region. Restricts such body to the 48 contiguous States.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2000
Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of Congress, a congressional gold medal to Charles M. Schulz in recognition of his lasting artistic contributions to the Nation and the world. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2000
Emergency Commodity Distribution Act of 2000 - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to revise provisions relating to the level of commodity purchases under the school lunch program. Requires a specified portion of such program assistance to be in the form of commodity assistance. Prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture from using commodities provided under the authority of any other Act to meet such program requirement for the school year.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2000
Calls on the Government of the People's Republic of China to: (1) immediately release Rabiya Kadeer, a prominent ethnic Uighur from the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of the People's Republic of China, her secretary, and her son; and (2) permit Kadeer, her secretary, and her son to move to the United States, if they so desire.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2000
Stamp Out Domestic Violence Act of 2000 - Amends Federal law to require the Postal Service to establish a special rate of postage for first class mail that is up to 25 percent higher than the regular rate as a voluntary alternative that the public may use to contribute to funding for domestic violence programs. Requires collected amounts to be paid to the Department of Justice. Expresses the sense of the Congress that nothing in this Act should: (1) cause a net decrease in total funds received by the Department or any other Federal agency below the level that would have otherwise been received but for this Act's enactment; or (2) affect first-class or other regular postage rates. Requires special postage stamps to be made available to the public. Directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the operation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2000
Recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, and expresses the gratitude of the American people for the service of members of the armed forces during such War.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2000
New Mexico Community Land Grant Review Act - Requires: (1) the Department of Justice, if the General Accounting Office concludes in its report to the President and Congress on implementation by the United States of the provisions of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo pertaining to the protection of community land grant claims in New Mexico that U.S. obligations under the Treaty regarding the protection of the community land grant rights do not appear to have been met, to prepare for the President a list of alternative methods for remedying such problem; and (2) the President to submit to Congress recommendations for resolving these claims. Declares that in no event shall these recommendations include the divestiture of private property rights.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2000
American Hospital Preservation Act of 2000 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), as amended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999 with regard to provisions on the one year sole community hospital payment increase, to reset the applicable percentage increase for FY 2001 and each subsequent fiscal year to the market basket percentage increase for hospitals in all areas for purposes of updating payments to prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals for inpatient hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2000
Honoring Health Care Commitments to Servicemembers Past and Present Act of 2000 - Expresses the sense of the Senate that urgent priority be given to the enactment of legislation that provides health care coverage for Medicare-eligible members and former members of the armed forces who first became members before June 7, 1956, and for the dependents of such members, at no cost. (Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary of Defense (Secretary) to expand and make permanent a demonstration project which allows individuals eligible for medical care and services under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) to obtain pharmaceuticals by mail in order to permit the following individuals to participate in the project: (1) a member or former member of the armed forces; (2) dependents of certain former members; or (3) dependents of members who died while on active duty for a period of more than 30 days, who are entitled to hospital insurance benefits under part A of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. Requires the Secretary to modify each managed health care program which includes a managed care network of community retail pharmacies in order to supply pharmaceuticals to the above individuals. (Sec. 4) Amends the Social Security Act relating to the Medicare subvention demonstration project for military retirees to: (1) exclude from such project any individual who is covered by a health benefits plan offered through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP); (2) repeal the current six-site limit for conducting such project; and (3) repeal the January 1, 2001, project termination date, making such project a permanent program. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to reimburse the Secretary for Medicare health care services provided to Medicare-eligible military retirees and dependents at a designated site in an amount of up to 95 percent of the cost of services provided on a fee-for- service basis. Authorizes such reimbursement for Medicare services provided at such sites for individuals not enrolled in the program. Provides Medigap protection for such enrollees. (Sec. 5) Makes permanent an agreement between the Secretary and the Office of Personnel Management (currently a demonstration project) under which CHAMPUS-eligible beneficiaries who are or become entitled to hospital insurance benefits under part A of Medicare are offered an opportunity to enroll in a health benefits plan offered through the FEHBP. Limits such enrollment to 275,000. Prohibits any individual so electing from continuing to receive CHAMPUS health care, but authorizes such individuals to continue to receive health care in a military medical facility on a space-available basis. Provides limits on other health care coverage for participating individuals. Provides for: (1) required contributions for coverage; (2) participation management; and (3) annual reporting requirements. (Sec. 6) Eliminates any required copayments, deductibles, and other fees with respect to CHAMPUS medical care provided to a dependent of a member who is enrolled in TRICARE Prime (a Department of Defense managed health care program). (Sec. 7) Requires CHAMPUS coverage for dependents residing with members who are assigned to certain remote duty locations to be comparable to the coverage and timely access requirements applicable to TRICARE Prime. (Sec. 8) Establishes in the Treasury the Uniformed Services Retiree Health Care Account to cover costs incurred for the participation of Medicare-eligible beneficiaries in the FEHBP under this Act. (Sec. 9) Authorizes the Secretary to contract with private entities for the recovery of overpayments made under the TRICARE program. (Sec. 10) Directs the Secretary to take specified action to enhance the efficiency of administration of the military health care system. (Sec. 11) Directs the Secretary to issue to covered TRICARE beneficiaries an enrollment card for nationwide participation in such program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2000
Recognizes May 15, 2000, as Peace Officers Memorial Day, in honor of Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2000
Declares the sense of the Congress that: (1) Congress should not interfere with normal immigration proceedings by taking any legislative measures designed to delay the reunification of Elian and Juan Gonzalez; and (2) the Immigration and Naturalization Service should proceed with its original decision to return Elian Gonzalez to his father, Juan Gonzalez, in Cuba, and take all necessary steps to reunify Elian Gonzalez with his father as soon as possible.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2000
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Includes as an employee, for purposes of Federal provisions authorizing enrollment under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: (1) a member of the armed forces who began service before June 7, 1956, and retired after a minimum of 20 years of such service or by reason of a service-connected disability; and (2) the surviving widow or widower of such member. Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide FEHB coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member entitled to military retired or retainer pay; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member; and (5) a family member of such member. Repeals a provision prohibiting coverage under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services for persons entitled to hospital insurance benefits under part A of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
New Markets for State-Inspected Meat Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to review each State's meat and poultry inspection program, which shall include: (1) determination of plan effectiveness; and (2) identification of changes necessary for future transition to a State program as provided for by this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Title I: Meat Inspection - Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act to authorize the Secretary to approve a qualifying State meat inspection program and allow the shipment in commerce of carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat, and meat food products so inspected. Requires the Secretary to review such approved plans to: (1) determine effectiveness; and (2) identify changes necessary to ensure enforcement of Federal requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into a cooperative agreement with a State to establish the relationship between the State program and the Secretary. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) product marking; (2) labeling requirements; (3) authority of the Secretary; (4) State reimbursement; (5) sampling, including salmonella testing; (6) noncompliance; (7) establishment inspections, including exemptions for restaurants and retail stores; (8) acceptance of interstate shipments of meat and meat food products; and (9) advisory committees. Directs the Secretary to temporarily suspend or take over a noncomplying State program (or an establishment). Provides for program reinstatement. Title II: Poultry Inspection - Amends the Poultry Products Inspection Act to make similar amendments to those in title I. Title III: General Provisions - Terminates the Secretary's authority to establish interstate meat and poultry inspection programs under this Act if approval and cooperative agreements have not been concluded by a specified date.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
Mineral Revenue Payments Clarification Act of 1999 - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act regarding the sharing of onshore mineral and geothermal revenues between the Federal government and the States to declare that the amount of payments to the States shall not be reduced by costs incurred by the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the Senate Foreign Relations Committee should hold hearings on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); and (2) the Senate should act on CEDAW by March 8, 2000, International Women's Day.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
Declares that the Senate: (1) recognizes the contribution of older persons to their communities; and (2) commends the work of organizations that participate in programs assisting older persons and that promote the goals of the International Year of Older Persons.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to study and report to Congress on the most feasible method of developing a safe and adequate municipal, rural, and industrial water supply for the residents of the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation in New Mexico. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should: (1) take effective measures to ensure that U.S. assistance and exports of equipment to Mexican security forces are used primarily for counter-narcotics purposes and are not provided to units that have been implicated in human rights violations, unless the Government of Mexico (the Government) is taking effective measures to bring the individuals responsible to justice; (2) encourage the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) and the Government to take steps to create conditions for good faith negotiations that address the social, economic, and political causes of the conflict in Chiapas, to achieve a peaceful and lasting resolution of the conflict, and to vigorously pursue such negotiations; (3) commend the Government for its renewed commitment to negotiations and for establishing a date for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Mexico to discuss human rights concerns; (4) give a higher priority in discussions with the Government to criminal justice reforms that protect human rights; and (5) urge the Government to implement the recommendations of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to: (1) make grants on a competitive basis for protecting the health and safety of the public and firefighting personnel against fire and fire-related hazards; and (2) provide assistance for specified fire prevention programs (requiring at least ten percent of grant funds to be used for such programs). Provides a program priority for organizations that focus on prevention of injuries to children from fire. Requires: (1) ten percent non-Federal matching funds; (2) each grantee to report to the Director on grant uses; and (3) grants to be made to a variety of recipients, including paid and volunteer firefighters and urban, suburban, and rural. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
Energy Employees' Compensation Act - Title I: Energy Employees' Beryllium Compensation Act - Energy Employees' Beryllium Compensation Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Energy (Secretary) to include in subsequent regulations: (1) additional definitions to those set forth in this Act with respect to vendors, processors, or producers of beryllium or related products; and (2) criteria by which a claimant may establish the existence of a covered illness. (Sec. 105) Prescribes guidelines for: (1) the Secretary to administer this Act; (2) determinative criteria for exposure to beryllium in the performance of duty; (3) compensation for disability or death, medical services, and vocational rehabilitation; (4) computation of pay; (5) limitations on receiving compensation; (6) coordination of benefits; and (7) retroactive compensation. (Sec. 112) Declares: (1) this Act to be the exclusive remedy against the United States, its instrumentalities, and specified contractors and subcontractors; and (2) acceptance of payment under this Act shall be in full settlement of all claims. Declares void any assignment of a claim for compensation under this Act. (Sec. 120) Establishes in the Treasury the Energy Employees' Beryllium Compensation Fund for the payment of compensation and other benefits and expenses under this Act. (Sec. 121) Provides for forfeiture of benefits by persons convicted of fraud with respect to Federal or State workers' compensation benefits. (Sec. 122) Authorizes the Secretary to prescribe regulations for the administration and enforcement of this Act. Mandates that such regulations provide for a Beryllium Compensation Appeals Panel to make final decisions on appeals. (Sec. 125) Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Energy Employees Pilot Project Act - Energy Employees Pilot Project Act - Directs the Secretary to conduct a pilot program to examine the relationship between workplace exposures to radiation, hazardous materials, and occupational illness or other adverse health conditions. (Sec. 203) Mandates that a physicians' panel of specialists in health conditions related to occupational exposure to radiation and hazardous materials selected by the contractor that managed DOE's East Tennessee Technology Park (facility) prepare a report on medical examinations of a specified number of current and former facility employees. (Sec. 205) Authorizes the Secretary to make specified compensation awards to facility employees found to have sustained an adverse health condition resulting from exposure to radiation or hazardous materials. Grants employees the option to elect such award in lieu of compensation under the Energy Employees' Beryllium Compensation Act. Deems such award to be payment in full settlement of claims against the United States, contractors, and subcontractors. (Sec. 211) Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Paducah Employees Exposure Compensation Act - Paducah Employees' Exposure Compensation Act - Establishes in the Treasury the Paducah Employees' Exposure Compensation Fund to be disbursed exclusively by the Attorney General for the payment of compensation claims to eligible Paducah employees. Authorizes appropriations to the Fund. (Sec. 305) Deems such award to be payment in full settlement of claims against the United States, contractors, and subcontractors. (Sec. 308) Limits the amount of claimants' attorney's fees.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1999
Vietnam Veterans Recognition Act of 1999 - Authorizes the American Battle Monuments Commission to place within the Vietnam Veterans Memorial a plaque to honor Vietnam veterans who died after service in the Vietnam War, but as a direct result of such service, and whose names are not otherwise eligible for placement on the Memorial wall.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Electronic Commerce Technology Promotion Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish within such Institute the Center of Excellence for Electronic Commerce to: (1) act as the centralized resource of information for Federal agencies in electronic commerce technologies and issues; (2) provide guidance to the Office of Management and Budget in developing policies pertaining to electronic commerce; (3) promote the use of electronic commerce technologies within Federal agencies and small and medium-sized businesses; and (4) ensure that U.S. interests are appropriately represented at both domestic and international meetings pertaining to the setting of interoperability specifications for electronic commerce technologies. Requires a report from: (1) the Undersecretary of Technology on issues concerning electronic commerce; and (2) the Director detailing the plan, proposed schedule, and associated costs and benefits for the deployment of electronic commerce technologies in Federal agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Amends the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 1996 to extend the authority of the Secretary of Defense to sell certain aircraft and aircraft parts to persons for use in wildfire suppression through September 30, 2005. Requires the Secretary to report, not later than March 31, 2005, to specified congressional committees with respect to such authority.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Interstate Transportation of Dangerous Criminals Act of 1999 or Jeanna's Act - Directs the Attorney General to promulgate regulations relating to the transportation of violent prisoners in or affecting interstate commerce which shall include: (1) minimum standards and requirements for employees and potential employees of private prisoner transport companies; (2) prisoner clothing and restraint requirements; and (3) immediate notification of appropriate law enforcement officials in the event of a prisoner escape during transportation. Provides civil penalties for the violation of such regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Title I: Valles Caldera National Preserve and Trust - Valles Caldera Preservation Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire all or part of the Baca ranch in New Mexico. Requires the Secretary of the Interior, upon acquisition of the Baca ranch, to assume administrative jurisdiction over those lands within the boundaries of the Bandelier National Monument. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Forest Service, to: (1) prepare a report of management alternatives which may provide more coordinated land management within the Lower Alamo watershed, allow for improved management of elk and other wildlife populations ranging between the Santa Fe National Forest and the Bandelier National Monument, and include proposed boundary adjustments between such Forest and Monument to facilitate those objectives; and (2) submit the report to specified congressional committees. Makes the acquisition of the ranch subject to all outstanding valid existing mineral interests. Authorizes and directs the Secretary to negotiate the acquisition of any fractional interest in the subsurface estate on a willing seller basis for up to the appraised fair market value. Authorizes the Secretary to assign to the Pueblo of Santa Clara rights to acquire for fair market value portions of the Baca ranch. (Sec. 105) Establishes: (1) upon the date of acquisition of the Baca ranch, the Valles Caldera National Preserve as a unit of the National Forest System; and (2) the Valles Caldera Trust, as a wholly owned Government corporation, to provide management and administrative services for the Preserve and for other specified purposes. (Sec. 107) Requires the Trust: (1) to be governed by a nine member Board of Trustees; and (2) to manage the land and resources of the Preserve, subject to specified requirements, including development of a comprehensive program for the management of lands, resources, and facilities within the Preserve. Authorizes the Trust to construct and upgrade roads and bridges and provide other facilities for recreational activities. Directs that the public be given reasonable access to the Preserve for recreation purposes. (Sec. 109) Sets forth provisions regarding authorities of the Secretary, termination of the Trust, and funding limitations. (Sec. 111) Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 112) Requires the General Accounting Office to conduct an interim study, and a subsequent study, of the activities of the Trust. Provides for a report to Congress of study results. Title II: Federal Land Transaction Facilitation - Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act - Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to: (1) establish a procedure to identify, by State, inholdings within federally designated areas in Alaska and the 11 contiguous western States for which the landowner has indicated a desire to sell the land or an interest in land to the Federal Government and to establish the date upon which the land or interest in land identified became an inholding; and (2) provide in the Federal Register and through other means as deemed appropriate periodic notice to the public of such policy, including any information to consider an inholding for acquisition. Provides that an inholding shall be considered for identification only if the appropriate Secretary receives notification of a desire to sell from the owner in response to such a notice and shall be deemed to have been established as of the later of the earlier of the date on which the land was withdrawn from the public domain or established or designated for special management, or the date on which the inholding was acquired by the current owner. Directs the Secretary to establish a program, using funds from a Federal Land Disposal Account of the Treasury established by this Act, to complete appraisals and satisfy other legal requirements for the sale or exchange of public land identified for disposal under approved land use plans. Sets forth reporting and program termination requirements. Requires that gross proceeds generated by the sale or exchange of public land under this Act be deposited in the Federal Land Disposal Account. Sets forth provisions regarding use of the Account, contaminated sites and sites difficult and uneconomic to manage, and program termination.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Amends the Clean Air Act to authorize a State Governor, upon notification of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to waive oxygen content requirements for reformulated gasoline sold or dispensed in the State. Considers gasoline that complies with all other requirements for reformulated gasoline other than those regarding oxygen content to be reformulated gasoline. Directs the Administrator to study and report to Congress on whether voluntary standards to prevent and control releases of methyl tertiary butyl ether from underground storage tanks are necessary. Authorizes the Administrator to work with members of affected industries to develop such standards.
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