United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1992
Veterans' Survivors' Benefits Improvement Act of 1992 - Revises the rate of monthly dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) payable to the surviving spouses of service-disabled veterans whose deaths occur before October 1, 1992. Makes such monthly amount $650 plus ten percent of the average monthly compensation paid to the veteran during the five years before the veteran's death, plus an additional amount which varies depending on the veteran's length of active military service. Provides a transitional rule for the payment of DIC for the first full month following the veteran's death. Provides payment of a full month's disability compensation for the month during which the veteran died. (Current law terminates such compensation at the beginning of the month during which the veteran died.) Increases, for each of FY 1993, 1994, and thereafter, the amount of additional DIC paid to a surviving spouse with dependent children. Provides eligibility for up to $15,000 in additional Service Disabled Veterans' Insurance (SDVI) for totally disabled veterans who qualify for a waiver of premiums for coverage under SDVI due to the total disability rating. Requires eligible veterans to apply for such additional coverage within one year after: (1) enactment of this Act; or (2) being notified by the Department of Veterans Affairs of their eligibility for a waiver of premiums. Prohibits the waiver of premiums for any supplemental insurance granted to such veterans. Limits to $90 the monthly pension payable to Medicaid-eligible veterans or their survivors while in nursing homes participating in Medicaid if such veterans have neither spouse nor child or if such survivor has no child. Makes such limitations permanent (currently terminate at the end of FY 1992). Extends through September 30, 1993, the authority of the Department to obtain data from the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service in order to verify the income of those applying for or receiving veterans' pensions on a needs basis. Makes an identical extension under provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1992
Downed Animal Protection Act of 1992 - Amends the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 to make it unlawful for any stockyard owner, market agency, or dealer to market, transfer, or hold nonambulatory livestock that has not been humanely euthanized.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1992
Emergency Benefits Flexibility Act of 1992 - Amends the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (FSEUCA) to revise the eligibility requirements applicable both to extended unemployment compensation benefits under FSEUCA and to emergency unemployment compensation benefits under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 1991. Allows the State the flexibility of choosing more than one Federal wage eligibility standard in determining an individual's eligibility for such benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1992
RU-486 Regulatory Fairness Act - Declares that a specified import alert issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with respect to the drug RU-486 shall not have any legal effect and shall be withdrawn by the FDA. (RU-486 has been used outside the United States to abort pregnancies.) Prohibits the FDA from taking any action to bar the import of that drug unless the FDA finds that it is being imported for an illegal use. Requires the FDA to give consideration in accordance with provisions relating to new drug approval when an application is submitted under such provisions for RU-486.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1992
Waives the claim by the United States against a named individual for recovery of a specified amount resulting from overpayment of a disability retirement annuity.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 1992
Appropriations Category Reform Act of 1992 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to revise the discretionary spending limit for FY 1993 by merging the defense and domestic categories into a national category. Makes conforming changes to the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act).
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 1992
Designates April 9, 1992 (the 50th anniversary of the fall of Bataan), as the Day of Recognition of Filipino War Veterans. Authorizes and urges the President to present a copy of this resolution to Filipino veterans and the Filipino people in Manila on April 9, 1992, during the observance of such anniversary, as an expression of good will and reaffirmation of the continuing regard of the United States and the American people for a lasting Filipino-American friendship.
United States · United States Congress · 20 February 1992
Directs the National World War II Memorial Fund, Inc., to construct a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia or its environs to: (1) honor members of the armed forces who served in World War II; and (2) commemorate U.S. participation in that conflict. Directs the fund to plan, design, and oversee the construction of the Memorial. Establishes the World War II Memorial Advisory Board to: (1) promote and encourage the donation of private funds for the construction of the Memorial; and (2) recommend the site for and assist in the selection of the design of the Memorial. Terminates the Board within 30 days after completion of the Memorial or on the lapse of the authority provided by this Act. Authorizes the Fund to solicit and accept private contributions for construction of the Memorial. States that the requirements and authority of this Act shall lapse if: (1) construction of the Memorial is not commenced within five years of its enactment; or (2) before such construction, the Secretary of the Interior certifies that funds are not available in an amount sufficient to ensure its completion.
United States · United States Congress · 20 February 1992
Haitian Refugee Protection Act of 1992 - Directs the President to prohibit the involuntary return of any Haitian under U.S. control as of February 5, 1992, whether on board a U.S. vessel, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, or elsewhere outside the United States until: (1) 180 days after enactment of this Act; or (2) five days after submission of the final congressional report required by this Act. Directs the Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs to: (1) assess with the participation of internationally recognized human rights organizations the treatment of returned Haitians, with particular attention to human rights violations; and (2) submit preliminary and final reports to the House and the Senate. Directs the President to reallocate 2000 federally funded FY 1992 refugee admissions to Haiti. Urges the President and the Secretary of State to participate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the member countries of the Organization of American States (OAS) to convene an international conference aimed at resolving the Haitian refugee crisis. Prohibits the admission into the United States of any Haitian national involved in the September 30, 1991, coup which overthrew the Aristide Government, or in subsequent acts against the Haitian people.
United States · United States Congress · 20 February 1992
Taxpayer Bill of Rights 2 - Title I: Taxpayers Advocate - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) the Office of Taxpayer Advocate, headed by the Taxpayer Advocate, appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Requires the Office to: (1) assist taxpayers in resolving problems with the IRS; (2) identify areas in which taxpayers have problems in dealings with the IRS; (3) propose changes in the administrative practices of the IRS to mitigate such problems; and (4) identify potential legislative changes which may be appropriate to mitigate such problems. Requires the Taxpayer Advocate to annually report to specified congressional committees on Office activities. Requires the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to establish procedures requiring a formal response to all recommendations submitted to the Commissioner by the Taxpayer Advocate. Replaces the Office of the Ombudsman with the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate. Revises the terms of a Taxpayer Assistance Order to: (1) assist a taxpayer suffering a hardship (currently, a significant hardship); (2) allow the Order to require the Secretary of the Treasury to act within a specified time period; and (3) require the Secretary to take certain actions (currently, only to cease or refrain from taking certain actions). Title II: Modifications to Installment Agreement Provisions - Grants certain taxpayers the right to an installment agreement for the payment of tax liability less than $10,000. Requires prior notification to taxpayers under an installment agreement to pay tax liability before altering, modifying, or terminating such an agreement. Provides for administrative review of denials of requests for installment agreements. Suspends the failure to pay penalty during any period an installment agreement is in effect. Title III: Interest - Requires the abatement of interest in the case of an assessment due to the unreasonable error or delay of an IRS act. Extends from ten to 21 days the period for which interest will not be imposed after notice and demand for payment, if such payment is less than $100,000. Increases the interest rate for overpayment of tax from two percent to three percent (making such rate equal to the interest rate for underpayment of tax). Title IV: Joint Returns - Requires separate deficiency notices in the case of a joint income tax return if the most recent data available to the IRS shows that such spouses did not file a joint return with each other. Allows the disclosure of collection activities to an individual requesting such information in the case of a joint return where such individual is no longer married to or resides in the same household as the other joint filer. Removes limitation on filing a joint return after filing separate returns. Provides that in the case of an examination of an individual with respect to a joint income tax return, the absent divorced or separated spouse cannot be represented by the individual without such acknowledgement in writing. Title V: Collection Activities - Requires the Secretary to send notices of a proposed tax deficiency. Authorizes the Secretary, in certain cases, to: (1) withdraw a notice of a lien; (2) return property that has been levied upon; and (3) offer compromises in civil or criminal cases. Requires the Secretary, at the request of the taxpayer, to make reasonable efforts to notify credit reporting agencies and financial institutions of such withdrawal notice. Requires prior notification to the taxpayer that the taxpayer is under examination and an explanation of the process. Removes certain limits on the standard of conduct and the dollar limit on the recovery of civil damages for unauthorized collection actions. Revises provisions with respect to a designated summons concerning the standard of review, requirements for issuance, and quash proceedings. Title VI: Information Returns - Requires payee statements to provide the phone number of the person providing payment. Establishes civil damages for the fraudulent filing of information returns. Requires the Secretary to make reasonable investigations to corroborate the accuracy of an information return when making a determination of a deficiency by a third party, when such return is disputed by the taxpayer. Title VII: Modifications to Penalty for Failure to Collect and Pay Over Tax - Establishes requirements for preliminary notice and declaratory judgment proceedings for failure to pay tax. Authorizes the Secretary to disclose certain information where more than one person is liable for a penalty. Declares that a person shall not be liable for any penalty for failure to collect and pay over tax if such person: (1) is not a significant owner or highly compensated employee of the trade or business; (2) notifies the Secretary within ten days after such failure; and (3) such notification was before any notice by the Secretary with respect to such failure. Directs the Secretary to ensure that IRS employees are aware of their responsibilities under the tax depository system, the circumstances under which they may be liable for penalties, and reporting responsibilities. Exempts unpaid, volunteer board members of tax-exempt organizations from collection penalties. Title VIII: Awarding of Costs and Certain Fees - Repeals the "substantially justified" test for determining whether a taxpayer may recover costs and fees incurred as part of an administrative or court proceeding. Denies such costs where the position of the United States is substantially justified. Revises the commencement date of reasonable administrative costs. Increases the limit on attorney fees. Provides that any failure to agree to an extension of time for the assessment of any tax shall not be taken into account in determining whether a prevailing party has exhausted all administrative remedies. Title IX: Other Provisions - Revises provisions on the required content of tax due, deficiency, and other notices. Provides protection for noncorporate taxpayers who rely on certain guidance published by the IRS. Requires any final, temporary, or proposed regulation issued by the Secretary to be applied prospectively from the date of publication in the Federal Register. Requires notice to the taxpayer of the inability to associate any payment with any outstanding tax liability. Makes the costs of preparing certain tax returns fully deductible.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 1992
Voting Rights Act Language Assistance Amendments of 1992 - Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to extend the termination date on the prohibition of covered States and political subdivisions providing voting materials only in English. Modifies criteria for determining whether a State or subdivision is covered.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1992
Recognizes and commemorates the centennial of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Requests the President to issue a proclamation observing the centennial from January 1 through December 31, 1992.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1992
Developing Countries Demilitarization Act of 1992 - Makes a developing country eligible for foreign assistance, including security assistance, if its total annual military expenditures do not exceed 3.6 percent of its gross national product. Includes a country's request for security assistance in the calculation of military expenditures. Directs the President to: (1) inform all U.S. representatives to multilateral lending and development assistance agencies about this Act's policy; (2) assure that no U.S. funds are provided through such agencies to any developing country that expends more than such percentage on military expenditures; and (3) consult with U.S. allies about such policy and urge them to adopt similar policies. Waives the application of this Act if the President certifies to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee that this Act would cause grave harm to a democratic country facing armed aggression from: (1) a hostile neighboring state whose government is not democratically elected or is guilty of human rights violations; and (2) a local insurgency that presents an immediate danger to survivability of the government and is guilty of human rights violations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1992
Commends and congratulates: (1) all parties to the negotiations with respect to the war in El Salvador, former United Nations (UN) Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar, and the Salvadoran people for their persistence, commitment, and dedication to peace; and (2) the Governments of Colombia, Mexico, Spain, and Venezuela for their contributions in support of the negotiating process. Praises President Cristiani for his efforts. Encourages the Salvadoran people and all sectors of Salvadoran society to commit themselves to the process of consolidating peace, democracy, and economic and social development. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the United States should commit itself to: (1) providing appropriate assistance to the Government and people of El Salvador that promote reconstruction, reconciliation, and further strengthening of democracy and democratic institutions; (2) seeking and encouraging other members of the international community to contribute materially to such process; and (3) cooperating with UN efforts to monitor compliance with the peace agreements in El Salvador and other efforts pertaining to the UN role in post-war El Salvador.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1992
Expresses the sense of the Senate: (1) acknowledging the cooperation of the Soviet and now Russian authorities in providing records and personal effects of Raoul Wallenberg to his family; (2) requesting that the President, through diplomatic discussions with the Government of the Russian Federation, pursue an investigation into the whereabouts and fate of Raoul Wallenberg; and (3) requesting that the results of such investigation be made public.
United States · United States Congress · 26 November 1991
Directs the President, for each proposed sale of defense articles to a Persian Gulf or Arabian Peninsula country for which a certain numbered certification is required (for sales exceeding specified amounts) under the Arms Export Control Act, to report to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee on: (1) the military balance in such region; (2) the legitimate defensive requirements of each country situated on the Arabian Peninsula; (3) how such sale would fit into multilateral efforts to control arms on a regional basis and would affect efforts to secure bilateral security agreements; and (4) the weapons and munitions inventories of the proposed purchasing country before Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the quantity of weapons and munitions expended by that country during such Operations, and the need of the country to replenish expended weapons and munitions, to the extent that any proposed sale is justified on grounds that such transfer would be a replenishment of expended weapons and munitions.
United States · United States Congress · 26 November 1991
Nuclear Testing Moratorium Act - Prohibits any funds made available under any law from being used to conduct any explosive nuclear weapons test during the one-year period following the enactment of this Act unless the President certifies to the Congress that the Soviet Union or a successor state has conducted such a test during such period.
United States · United States Congress · 26 November 1991
Equal Remedies Act of 1991 - Amends Federal law relating to damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination to remove provisions limiting the dollar amount of damages awarded for pecuniary and nonpecuniary losses and punitive damages.
United States · United States Congress · 26 November 1991
Requires the period for congressional review of proposed sales of defense articles or services to countries other than NATO member countries or major non-NATO allies for which numbered certification under the Arms Export Control Act were made (such certifications are required for sales exceeding specified amounts) to be 30 session days after the transmittal of the certification.
United States · United States Congress · 26 November 1991
Temporary Protected Status for Haitians Act of 1991 - Provides for temporary protected status for certain Haitian nationals. States that it is U.S. policy to strongly encourage members of the Organization of American States to protect Haitians who have fled their country.
United States · United States Congress · 26 November 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress regarding: (1) visionary art as a national treasure; and (2) the American Visionary Art Museum as a national repository and educational center for such art.
United States · United States Congress · 26 November 1991
Calls on President Mobutu of Zaire to step down and permit the transitional government to return the country to democratic rule. Condemns all violations of human rights in Zaire. Supports: (1) the aspirations of the Zairean people for democratic change; and (2) the sovereign national conference to form the transitional government as soon as possible to organize free and democratic elections. Invites the international community of nations to express concern with respect to the repression and corruption of the Mobutu regime and to support the Zairean democratic forces' desire for peaceful change. Calls upon the President of the United States to: (1) urge that an appropriate peacekeeping force be brought into Zaire to ensure stability during the political transition process; and (2) express his willingness to offer appropriate assistance to implement any future international peacekeeping arrangement.
United States · United States Congress · 25 November 1991
Establishes a Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States' Democratic Party to coordinate ceremonial events and related activities during 1992. Requires the Commission to submit periodic reports and a final one to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro tempore of the Senate on its activities. Terminates the Commission on February 13, 1993, unless otherwise provided by law.
United States · United States Congress · 22 November 1991
Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to State and local government agencies and private entities for programs to prevent elementary schoolchildren from becoming involved in gangs. Sets forth requirements for use of funds, applications, and reports. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 November 1991
New Columbia Admission Act - Declares the State of New Columbia (presently, the District of Columbia) to be a State of the United States of America. Admits New Columbia into the Union on an equal footing with the other States in all respects. Reserves Federal title to certain lands and property, the National Capital Service Area. Directs the Governor to submit the Governor's request regarding the amount of an annual Federal payment to the Congress not less than seven months before the beginning of a fiscal year for which a request is made. Requires the request to contain a report on services rendered to the Federal Government, potential revenues lost because of the presence of the Federal Government, and potential revenues gained because of the presence of the Federal Government. Sets forth election protocol for popular ratification of statehood. Provides for election of one member of the House of Representatives as well as two Senators. Maintains the laws that were territorially in effect. Continues any law suits already pending in District of Columbia courts. Establishes a Statehood Transition Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 1991
Nuclear Warheads Security and Plowshares Act of 1991 - Urges the President to: (1) determine a fair and equitable price for the purchase of diluted uranium equivalent to the volume of Soviet fissile materials made redundant through unilateral reductions and arms control agreements; and (2) consult with the leadership of the Soviet Union to establish a procedure for the collection, dilution, and safeguarding of fissile materials from dismantled weapons. Expresses the sense of the Congress that it should be U.S. policy that any reduction of the Soviet stockpile of fissile material for weapons should be accompanied by a parallel decrease in the U.S. inventory of such materials and by implementation of safeguards on such materials. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should initiate talks with the President of the Soviet Union and the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to: (1) seek agreement that the mutual and verifiable destruction and storage of nuclear warheads will be subject to mutually agreeable and comprehensive verification; and (2) discuss the advisability and feasibility of an agreement to place all civilian fissile materials possessed by the United States and the Soviet Union under IAEA or equivalent bilateral safeguards. Directs the President to provide to the Soviet Union: (1) certain surplus agricultural commodities owned or controlled by the Commodity Credit Corporation; or (2) agricultural commodities or other essential commodities purchased at market prices in exchange for Soviet fissile materials of equivalent value. Requires the President, in addition to such commodities, to provide to the Soviet republics 25 percent of the monetary value of the Soviet fissile materials acquired in the form of financial assistance to be available only for the establishment of regional and local development banks. Directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study on U.S. and Soviet plutonium stocks and safe and effective means to store and ultimately dispose of such inventories and the plutonium accumulating in spent civilian-power reactor fuel. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on: (1) a plan for the safeguarded storage and dilution of enriched uranium acquired under this Act; (2) a plan for the safeguarding of plutonium in facilities in the Soviet Union and the United States; and (3) the findings of the study on plutonium stocks. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of State should explore with the Soviet Union an agreement not to produce highly enriched uranium or separated plutonium. Directs the Secretary of Defense to transfer funds to the President to carry out the transfer of commodities to the Soviet Union under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 1991
Condemns the arrest of certain Kenyan opposition leaders for the peaceful expression of their political views and the Government of Kenya's suppression of a specified rally sponsored by the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy. Urges the Kenyan Government to release those arrested and to permit the free expression of political views. Commends the actions of the U.S. Government in support of freedom of expression, democracy, and human rights in Kenya. Calls upon the President to ensure that U.S. development assistance bears a relation to the Kenyan Government's progress toward an open political system and respect for human rights. Urges the President to reassess whether to continue the International Military Educational Training program for Kenya. Suspends economic and military assistance to Kenya. Waives such suspension if the President reports to the appropriate congressional committees that the Kenyan Government has: (1) released political detainees and ended the prosecution of individuals for the expression of their political beliefs; (2) ceased mistreatment of prisoners; and (3) restored judicial independence and freedom of expression.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the President should suspend all International Military Educational Training Program funds to the Government of Indonesia, request a report to the UN General Assembly by the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Torture on the November 12, 1991, massacre of civilians in East Timor by Indonesian security forces, support the introduction of a resolution in the General Assembly instructing the UN Commission on Human Rights to appoint a Special Rapporteur for East Timor, and request that the Indonesian Government permit an investigation by the UN Special Rapporteur on Summary and Arbitrary Executions of the situation in East Timor and elsewhere in Indonesia and establish an independent commission to investigate the cause of the atrocity and to assist the prosecution of those responsible for the massacre; (2) the American Ambassador to Indonesia should immediately visit East Timor to investigate reports of the atrocity and of additional repression by Indonesian authorities; (3) the American policy of de facto acceptance of Indonesia's incorporation of East Timor should be reassessed.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 1991
Justice for Wards Cove Workers Act - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1991 to remove a provision excluding from application of the Act any disparate impact case filed before March 1, 1975, and decided after October 30, 1983. (Wards Cove Packing Co. Inc. v. Antonio, 1989, held that, in cases brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the burden is on the plaintiff to prove an employer had no business necessity for a practice with discriminatory effects.)
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 1991
Regulatory Review Sunshine Act of 1991 - Requires executive branch regulatory review entities to establish procedures to provide public access to information concerning each agency rulemaking activity under review. Describes the information to be made available to the public upon request, in a manner consistent with the Freedom of Information Act, within a week of its receipt or creation by the entity for review, and copying, in a public reading room. Requires a review entity to transmit to the rulemaking agency copies of any written communications between the entity and any person not employed by the Federal Government concerning the substance of a rulemaking activity of that agency. Requires a review entity to disclose to the rulemaking agency all oral communications between any such person and the review entity concerning the substance of a rulemaking activity of that agency. Requires the review entity to: (1) advise the rulemaking agency of the date, participants, and substance of such communications; and (2) invite the rulemaking agency head to meetings involving such communications. Requires a review entity to provide the rulemaking agency with a written explanation of any significant review action taken by the reviewing entity concerning an agency rulemaking activity. Requires that for each proposed and final rule, a rulemaking agency shall explain in its rulemaking notice any significant changes made to such rule as a consequence of regulatory review. Requires a rulemaking agency to place in the appropriate rulemaking record all of the documents received from a review entity as required above. Requires a review entity, within 60 days after the receipt of a rulemaking activity, to conclude its review of such activity. Provides that if the President reviews for resolution an issue arising out of a regulatory review, the review time limits may be extended, although any such issue shall be resolved as promptly as practicable, and such review shall be subject to the public disclosure and agency notice requirements of this Act. Requires a review entity to notify the rulemaking agency of an extension beyond 60 days and provide public notice. Requires the rulemaking agency to promptly publish a notice of any such extension in the Federal Register. Requires each rulemaking agency to publish in the Federal Register a list of all rulemaking activities undergoing regulatory review during the preceding month. Excludes from coverage under this Act oral communications with the President, Vice President, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Director of OMB, and executive department heads.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 1991
Commends the President and other executive branch officials for their involvement in diplomatic initiatives within the United Nations (UN) relating to the Western Sahara and for their commitment, in carrying out the bilateral relations of the United States, to a free and fair referendum on self-determination in the Western Sahara. Recognizes UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar's efforts in negotiating the terms of the peace plan adopted by the UN relating to the Western Sahara. Calls upon Morocco and the Polisario Front to comply with the terms of the peace plan as endorsed by the UN Security Council. Calls upon the President to: (1) continue strong advocacy of the peace plan; (2) ensure that independent international observers be allowed to monitor the referendum until its results have been published; and (3) take steps to ensure that the UN Security Council takes firm action in the event of any failure to comply with, or attempt to delay, the peace plan.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Byelorussia (a.k.a. Belarus), Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan (a.k.a. Kirghizia), Moldavia (a.k.a. Moldova), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan should accept and implement all commitments on human rights, fundamental freedoms, and humanitarian cooperation contained in the Helsinki Final Act, the Charter of Paris for a New Europe, or any other document of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe; and (2) the President should convey to the leaders of these republics that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is a vital element in achieving genuine security and cooperation in Europe and should keep the Congress informed of the status of human rights and fundamental freedoms in each of these republics.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 1991
Research Freedom Act of 1991 - Amends title IV (National Research Institutes) of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services: (1) from approving any application for financial assistance to conduct research subject to review by an Institutional Review Board unless the application has undergone review and has been recommended for approval by an Institutional Review Board; and (2) from authorizing research that is subject to review under procedures established by the Secretary for the protection of human subjects in clinical research by the National Institutes of Health unless the research has been recommended for approval. Permits the Secretary to conduct or support research concerning the transplantation of human fetal tissue for therapeutic purposes. Permits the use of such tissue in such research regardless of whether the tissue is obtained subsequent to a spontaneous or induced abortion or subsequent to a stillbirth. Requires consent of the woman involved, the researcher, and the donee.
![Official portrait of Sen. Cranston, Alan [D-CA]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c000877_200.jpg)