United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2000
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) it should act on CEDAW by July 19, 2000, the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Convention by the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2000
Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2000 - Amends the Stamp Out Breast Cancer Act to extend for an additional two years the authority under which postal patrons may contribute to funding for breast cancer research through the voluntary purchase of certain specially issued U.S. postage stamps.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2000
Directs the Senate Legal Counsel to intervene in the name of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary in the case of United States v. Northwest Airlines Corporation, et al., to protect the Senate's privileges under the Speech or Debate Clause of the Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2000
Authorizes: (1) Court Koenning, Patrick McCartney, and any other employee of Senator Gramm's office from whom testimony may be required to testify and produce documents in the case of United States of America v. George Patrick Calhoon, except concerning matters for which a privilege should be asserted; and (2) the Senate Legal Counsel to represent such individuals in connection with the case.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2000
Armed Forces Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payment Act of 2000 - Permits retired members of the armed forces with service-connected disabilities to be paid military retired pay concurrently with veterans' disability compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2000
Conservation Reserve Program Tax Fairness Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat conservation reserve program payments as real estate rentals for self-employment earnings purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2000
Effective National Firearms Objectives for Responsible, Common-sense Enforcement Act of 2000 (ENFORCE Act) - Title I: Criminal Gun Trafficker Apprehension - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (the Act) to provide that it shall be presumed that the intent underlying the sale or disposition of a firearm is predominantly one of obtaining livelihood and pecuniary gain if a person transfers more than 50 firearms during any 12-month period, or more than 30 firearms in any 30-day period, excluding any infrequent transfer of a firearm by gift, bequest, intestate succession, or other means by an individual to a parent, child, grandparent, or grandchild. (Sec. 102) Requires that a firearms licensee, as a condition of obtaining a license to deal in firearms or ammunition (license), operate from a fixed premise (other than a private residence) primarily devoted to the sale of firearms and conspicuously designated to the public as such. (Sec. 103) Prohibits a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer, beginning on the date on which the Secretary of the Treasury issues final regulations, from storing any firearm on a premises in a manner other than in accordance with those regulations. Directs the Secretary, in promulgating such regulations, to consider the type and quantity of the firearms to be stored, and the standards of safety and security recognized in the firearms industry. Authorizes the Secretary, after notice and opportunity for hearing, to suspend or revoke a license, or to subject the licensee to a civil penalty of up to $10,000, or both, for knowingly violating this prohibition. Limits review of the Secretary's actions. Requires that the firearms inventory of the business be stored in compliance with the regulations not later than 30 days after the application is approved. (Sec. 104) Prohibits a common or contract carrier from failing to report the theft or loss of a firearm to the Secretary and to the appropriate authorities within 48 hours after discovery. Authorizes the Secretary to impose a civil fine of up to $10,000 for knowingly violating this prohibition. Title II: Criminal Gun Dealer Detection - Amends the Act to authorize the Secretary to inspect or examine the records of a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer without reasonable cause or warrant for ensuring compliance with record- keeping requirements not more than four times (currently, once) during any 12-month period, or as otherwise specified in the Act. (Sec. 202) Provides that a personal collection of firearms of a licensed manufacturer, importer, or dealer shall be considered part of the business inventory of the licensee (thus making disposal of such collection subject to regulation), with an exception for the infrequent transfer of a firearm by gift, bequest, intestate succession, or other means from the personal collection of firearms of a licensee to a parent, child, grandparent, or grandchild. (Sec. 203) Amends the Act to authorize the Secretary, after notice and opportunity for hearing, to: (1) suspend or revoke a license, subject the licensee to a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 per violation, or both, if the holder of such license has willfully violated the Act or any rule or regulation prescribed by the Secretary thereunder; and (2) suspend or revoke the license, assess a civil penalty of not more than $10,000, or both, with respect to a dealer who willfully transfers armor piercing ammunition. Authorizes the Secretary, at any time, to compromise, mitigate, or remit the liability regarding any willful violation or any rule or regulation prescribed by the Secretary thereunder. Sets forth provisions regarding rights of applicants and licensees with respect to notice requirements and the appeals process. Title III: Violent Felon Gun Ban Enforcement - Amends the Federal criminal code (the code) to: (1) deny natural persons the opportunity to seek administrative relief from prohibitions against possessing, shipping, transporting, or receiving firearms or ammunition; and (2) require publication of additional information about such administrative relief granted to any person. (Sec. 302) Prohibits the possession of, or transactions in, firearms by any natural person convicted of a serious drug offense or violent felony, regardless of expungement of the conviction or restoration of other civil rights, subject to specified limitations. Title IV: Intensive Gun Violence Reduction Strategy and Project Exile Implementation - Subtitle A: Funding Provisions - Authorizes appropriations for the improvement of the national instant criminal background check system, including improvements to criminal justice records as specified in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 and to records required by the Attorney General under the Brady Act for the purpose of implementing that Act. (Sec. 402) Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (VCCLEA) to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to State or local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of improving the organization of criminal records, including records relating to convictions for crimes of domestic violence and restraining orders relating to domestic violence, and the reporting of such records to the national instant criminal background check system. Sets forth provisions regarding permissible uses of grant funds, application and matching requirements, grant awards, and reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 403) Authorizes appropriations for the hiring of 600 firearms agents and inspectors for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. (Sec. 404) Amends the VCCLEA to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to State, Indian tribal, or local prosecutors for the purpose of supporting the creation or expansion of community-based justice programs for the prosecution of firearm-related crimes. Sets forth provisions regarding permissible uses of grant funds, application and matching requirements, grant awards, and reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 405) Directs the Attorney General to: (1) hire 114 additional Federal prosecutors to prosecute violations of Federal firearms laws; and (2) establish in each of the jurisdictions not more than 20 areas designated by the Attorney General as having high rates of firearm-related crime a gun enforcement team. (Sec. 406) Directs the Secretary to expand: (1) to 50 the number of city and county law enforcement agencies that through the Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative (YCGII) submit to the Secretary identifying information relating to the types and origins of all firearms recovered during law enforcement investigations, including from individuals under 25; and (2) the resources devoted to law enforcement investigations of illegal youth possessors and users and of illegal firearms traffickers identified through YCGII. Directs the Secretary to: (1) select cities and counties for participation in the program; and (2) establish a system through which State and local law enforcement agencies, through on-line computer technology, can promptly provide firearms-related information to the Secretary and access information derived through YCGII as soon as such capability is available. Sets forth reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 407) Amends the VCCLEA to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to public or private nonprofit entities for the purpose of supporting the creation or expansion of local anti-gun violence media campaigns. Sets forth provisions regarding permissible uses of funds, and application and matching requirements. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 408) Directs the Attorney General to carry out a program for the research and development of smart gun technology. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle B: Ballistics Testing - Prohibits a licensed manufacturer or importer from transferring a firearm to any person before: (1) test firing the firearm; (2) preparing forensic ballistics records of the fired bullet and cartridge casings; and (3) making the records available to the Secretary for entry in a computerized database. Authorizes the Secretary, after notice and opportunity for hearing, for each violation by a licensed manufacturer or importer, to suspend the license for up to one year or revoke the license, impose on the licensee a civil fine of not more than $10,000, or both. Limits review of the Secretary's action. Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary to assist licensed firearm manufacturers and importers in complying with this section through: (1) the acquisition, disposition, and upgrades of computerized forensic ballistics equipment and bullet recovery equipment to be placed at the sites of licensed manufacturers and importers or at regional firearm centers established by the Secretary; and (2) the hiring or designation of personnel necessary to develop and maintain a database of forensic ballistics records, research, and evaluation. Requires the Attorney General and the Secretary to establish a system through which State and local law enforcement agencies, through online computer technology, can promptly access forensic ballistics records, as soon as the capability to do so is available. Sets forth reporting requirements. Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary to work cooperatively with representatives of the firearm industry to: (1) provide education about the role of forensic ballistics as part of a comprehensive firearm crime reduction strategy; and (2) provide for coordination among Federal, State, and local law enforcement and regulatory agencies and the firearm industry to curb firearm-related crime and illegal firearm trafficking. Sets forth provisions regarding areas of concentrated efforts, and annual reports and evaluation. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary and the Attorney General to conduct mandatory forensic ballistics testing of all firearms that are or have been taken into the custody of, or procured or utilized by, their respective agencies. Authorizes appropriations. Sets forth reporting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2000
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 July 19, 2000, the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Convention by the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2000
Worker Economic Opportunity Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to exempt employee stock option, stock appreciation right, stock purchase, and similar employer-provided grants or rights programs from being included in overtime pay calculations, under specified conditions. Provides that employers have no overtime pay liability because of any employee stock options or similar programs prior to enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2000
Ballistics, Law Assistance, and Safety Technology Act (BLAST) - Title I: Blast - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to require a licensed manufacturer or importer to: (1) test fire firearms manufactured or imported by such licensees as specified by the Secretary of the Treasury by regulation; (2) prepare ballistics images of the fired bullet and cartridge casings; (3) make the records available to the Secretary for entry in a computerized database; and (4) store the fired bullet and cartridge casings in such a manner and for such a period as specified by the Secretary by regulation. Specifies that nothing herein creates a cause of action against any Federal firearms licensee or any other person for any civil liability except for imposition of a civil penalty under this title. Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary to assist firearm manufacturers and importers in complying through: (1) the acquisition, disposition, and upgrades of ballistics equipment and bullet recovery equipment to be placed at or near the sites of licensed manufacturers and importers; (2) the hiring or designation of personnel necessary to develop and maintain a database of ballistics images of fired bullets and cartridge casings, research, and evaluation; (3) providing education about the role of ballistics as part of a comprehensive firearm crime reduction strategy; and (4) providing for the coordination among Federal, State, and local law enforcement and regulatory agencies and the firearm industry to curb firearm-related crime and illegal firearm trafficking. Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary to: (1) establish a computer system through which State and local law enforcement agencies can promptly access ballistics records stored under this title, as soon as such a capability is available; and (2) encourage training for all ballistics examiners. Sets forth reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary and the Attorney General to conduct mandatory ballistics testing of all firearms obtained or in the possession of their respective agencies. (Sec. 103) Prohibits the use of ballistics information of individual guns in any form or database established by this Act for prosecutorial purposes unless law enforcement officials have a reasonable belief that a crime has been committed and that ballistics information would assist in the investigation of that crime. (Sec. 104) Directs the Secretary and the Attorney General to establish in the jurisdictions selected a comprehensive firearm crime reduction strategy which shall: (1) provide for ballistics testing, in accordance with criteria set forth by the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, of all firearms recovered during criminal investigations to identify the types and origins of the firearms, identify suspects, and link multiple crimes involving the same firearm; (2) require that all identifying information relating to firearms recovered during criminal investigations be promptly submitted to the Secretary in order to identify the types and origins of the firearms and to identify illegal firearms traffickers; (3) provide for coordination among Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials, firearm examiners, technicians, laboratory personnel, investigators, and prosecutors in the tracing and ballistics testing of firearms and the investigation and prosecution of firearms-related crimes, including illegal firearms trafficking; and (4) require analysis of firearm tracing and ballistics data in order to establish trends in firearm-related crime and firearm trafficking. Requires the Secretary and the Attorney General to select not fewer than ten jurisdictions for participation in the program. Sets forth provisions regarding selection criteria. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Exile - Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary to designate not less than 50 local jurisdictions in which to enforce aggressively Federal laws designed to prevent the possession by criminals of firearms. Authorizes the Attorney General and the Secretary, in order to provide assistance for the enforcement of Federal laws designed to prevent the possession by criminals of firearms, to: (1) direct the detailing of Federal personnel, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms investigators, to designated jurisdictions, subject to department or agency head approval; (2) coordinate activities with State and local officials, including facilitation of training of State and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors in designated jurisdictions to work with Federal prosecutors, agents, and investigators to identify appropriate cases for enforcement of Federal laws designed to prevent the possession by criminals of firearms; and (3) help coordinate public outreach in designated jurisdictions regarding penalties association with violation of Federal laws designed to prevent the possession by criminals of firearms. Sets forth provisions regarding criteria for designation, priority in considering which local jurisdictions to designate, reports, and evaluation. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2000
Expresses support for a National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 p.m. eastern standard time on each Memorial Day in honor of the men and women of the United States who died in the pursuit of freedom and peace.
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 · 28 March 2000
Corps of Engineers Civil Works Independent Investigation and Review Act - Directs the President to establish the Corps of Engineers Civil Works Independent Investigation and Review Commission to investigate and report to Congress on the Corps, with emphasis on: (1) the effectiveness of civilian control over civil works functions, particularly the effectiveness of the relationship between uniformed officers and the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works with respect to responsiveness, lines of authority, and coordination; (2) compliance through such functions with environmental laws in the design and operation of projects; (3) the quality and objectivity of scientific, environmental, and economic analyses; (4) the extent of coordination and cooperation with other Federal and State agencies in designing and implementing projects; (5) whether the size of the Corps is appropriate; (6) whether and how the management structure should be changed; (7) whether any of the civil works functions should be transferred from the Department of the Army to a civilian agency or should be privatized; (8) whether any segments of the inland water system should be closed; (9) whether any planning regulations should be revised to give equal consideration to economic and environmental goals of a project; (10) whether any currently authorized projects should be deauthorized; (11) whether all studies conducted by the Corps should be subject to independent review; and (12) the extent to which project benefits exceed costs or accrue to private interests. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2000
Amends the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 to authorize appropriations through FY 2005 for: (1) carrying out certain provisions relating to water resources research and technology institutes; and (2) for reimbursement of the direct cost expenses of additional research or synthesis of research by the institutes which focuses on water problems and issues of a regional or interstate nature beyond those of concern only to a single State and which relate to specific program priorities identified jointly by the Secretary of the Interior and the institutes.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2000
Native American Agricultural Research, Development and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 - Establishes within the Department of Agriculture a Native American Agricultural Research, Development and Export Office. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Director of such Office, to ensure the coordination of all programs that provide assistance to Native American communities within seven specified mission areas of the Department of Agriculture and to ensure the coordination of, or carry out, activities to: (1) promote Indian agricultural programs; (2) facilitate water and waste programs, housing, utility and other infrastructure development with respect to Native American communities; (3) provide assistance to Indian tribal college programs; (4) implement rural economic development programs for Native American communities; and (5) promote food and nutrition services for such communities. Requires the Director to provide: (1) financial and technical assistance and administrative services to assist eligible entities in identifying and taking advantage of business development opportunities and complying with laws and regulatory practices; and (2) such other assistance necessary for the development of business opportunities to enhance Indian tribes' economies. Requires the Director to establish and implement a Native American export and trade promotion program and, in carrying out such program, to ensure the coordination of: (1) Federal programs and services designed to develop Indian tribes' economies and stimulate the demand for Indian goods and services that are available from eligible entities; and (2) Federal programs that are designed to provide technical or financial assistance to eligible entities and any activities related to the development of markets for Indian goods and services. Requires the Director to provide technical assistance and administrative services to assist eligible entities in: (1) identifying and entering markets for Indian goods and services; (2) complying with foreign or domestic laws and practices with respect to financial institutions concerning the export and import of such goods and services; and (3) entering into financial arrangements to provide for the export and trade of Indian agricultural and related products.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2000
Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2000 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the Federal minimum wage (currently $5.15 per hour) to: (1) $5.65 an hour during the year beginning April 1, 2000; and (2) $6.15 an hour beginning April 1, 2001. Makes Federal minimum wage requirements applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, following a specified transition phase-in.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2000
Missouri River Restoration Act of 2000 - Establishes: (1) a Missouri River Trust committee to vote on approval of a plan for the use of payments to it and to recommend proposals to be funded by its Executive Committee; and (2) a Missouri River Restoration Trust Fund into which the Secretary of the Treasury shall deposit $200 million on the first day of the eleventh fiscal year beginning after the enactment of this Act. Requires the Secretary to: (1) invest such portion of the Fund not required to meet current withdrawals in interest-bearing U.S. obligations or obligations guaranteed by the United States; (2) designate the aggregate amount of interest deposited in the Fund for the preceding fiscal year as available for making payments as requested by the Trust; and (3) make requested payments only after the Trust has adopted its plan. Requires not less than 30 percent of such payments to be used for projects that are within an Indian reservation or administered by an Indian Tribe. Requires the Trust to prepare a plan for the use of such payments for carrying out Missouri River projects and programs to promote: (1) conservation practices; (2) the control and removal of sediment; (3) recreation; (4) the protection of Indian and non-Indian historical and cultural sites; (5) the conservation of fish and wildlife; or (6) erosion control. Provides for: (1) public review and comment; and (2) an audit of the Trust's activities. Requires the Secretary of the Army, within one year after funding under this Act becomes available, to report on: (1) the impact of the siltation of the Missouri River in the State of South Dakota; (2) the status of such historical and cultural sites; and (3) the extent of erosion along such river in the State. 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 · 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
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 · 20 March 2000
Resolves that Congress: (1) joins the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) in recognizing AHEPA members who served as members of the U.S. armed forces; and (2) acknowledges the honor with which that service is being commemorated by the presentation of the special commemorative AHEPA Medal for Military Service to those members on March 20, 2000.
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 · 2 March 2000
American Transportation Recovery and Highway Trust Fund Protection Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for a one year moratorium on the 24.3 per gallon excise tax on diesel fuel. Sets the rate of such tax on such fuel at 4.3 cents per gallon after September 30, 2005. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer from the general fund, out of amounts not otherwise appropriated, to the Highway Trust Fund amounts equal to the amounts which the Secretary determines are not appropriated to such Fund as a result of the preceding amendments.
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
Congratulates and thanks Chairman Robert F. Bennett and Vice Chairman Christopher J. Dodd for: (1) presiding over the Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem which did its work in a bipartisan and fair manner; and (2) helping the Government and the Nation minimize the Y2K computer problem.
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 · 24 February 2000
America's Transportation Recovery Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for a one year moratorium on the 24.3 cents per gallon excise tax on diesel fuel. Sets the rate of such tax on such fuel at 4.3 cents per gallon after September 30, 2005. States that the previous provisions of this Act shall cease to be effective if the Secretary of the Treasury determines that the average refiner acquisition costs for crude oil are equal to or less than such costs were on December 31, 1999.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2000
Resolution to Expand Access to Community Health Centers (REACH) Initiative - Expresses the sense of the Senate that appropriations for consolidated health centers under the Public Health Service Act should be increased by 100 percent over the next five fiscal years in order to double the number of individuals who receive health care services at community, migrant, homeless, and public housing health centers.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2000
Military Health Care Improvements Act of 2000 - Title I: Demonstration Programs - Subtitle A: TRICARE Demonstration Programs for Seniors - Amends the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 to extend through December 31, 2005, the TRICARE Senior Supplement Program (a demonstration program under which certain Medicare-eligible senior citizens are given medical care and services under TRICARE (a Department of Defense (DOD) managed health care program) for which DOD is reimbursed through the Medicare program). Amends the Social Security Act to extend through the same date a similar demonstration program known as TRICARE Senior Prime. Authorizes the latter program to be offered at major medical centers of DOD (currently limited to six military treatment facilities). Subtitle B: Other Demonstration Programs - Amends a demonstration program offering health care coverage to certain military personnel, spouses, and dependents through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program to allow eligible beneficiaries who will be at least 65 years of age on December 31, 2002, to enroll, or extend a previous enrollment, during a two-year period of open enrollment for the year 2003. Extends such demonstration program through December 31, 2005. Repeals the ten-site limit for the program. (Sec. 107) Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to charge an enrollment fee for participation in the TRICARE pharmacy system (a program for providing reduced-cost pharmaceuticals to TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries). Authorizes the Secretary to impose one or more cost-sharing requirements upon such participants. Allows participants to pay required premiums on a monthly or annual basis. Title II: TRICARE Prime Permanent Authorities - Amends the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) relating to medical and dental care provided to certain members and former members of the armed forces to: (1) make eligible for such services members and former members of the Coast Guard when not operating as a service in the Navy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Public Health Service; (2) require coverage for immediate family members of eligible individuals to be comparable to coverage for medical care and standards for timely access to such care under TRICARE Prime; and (3) entitle dependents of members performing duty in remote locations who reside with such member to the same care and waiver of such care under CHAMPUS as the members themselves. (Sec. 202) Prohibits a member from being charged a copayment for care provided under TRICARE Prime to an immediate family member. (Sec. 203) Directs the Secretary to improve certain business practices used when administering the access of eligible persons to health care services through the TRICARE program. Title III: Other Defense Health Program Matters - Directs the Secretary to carry out a program that permits the following eligible persons to obtain prescription pharmaceuticals from DOD by mail: (1) individuals 65 years old or older who would be eligible for medical care under CHAMPUS except for also being entitled to hospital insurance benefits under Medicare; and (2) individuals 65 years old or older who are enrolled in the supplemental medical insurance program under part B of Medicare. Authorizes the Secretary to impose an annual program deductible of up to $150. (Sec. 302) Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 to extend the provision of domiciliary and custodial care for certain CHAMPUS beneficiaries to include a person who formerly was an eligible beneficiary and is enrolled in the TRICARE Senior Prime plan under the Medicare subvention demonstration project for military retirees. Provides a program cost limitation for FY 2000 and thereafter. (Sec. 303) Directs the Secretary to carry out two studies to assess the feasibility and desirability of financing the military health care program for military retirees on an accrual basis. Title IV: Joint Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs Initiatives - Directs the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to jointly: (1) prescribe a centralized process for the reporting, compiling, and analysis of errors in the provision of health care under their respective departments that endanger patients beyond the normal risks associated with such care and treatment; and (2) develop a system for the use of bar codes for the identification of pharmaceuticals. Requires the Secretary of Defense to experiment with the use of such bar codes in the current DOD mail order pharmaceuticals demonstration project.
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 · 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 · 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 · 31 January 2000
Authorizes: (1) Emmet Mahon, an employee in the office of Senator Rick Santorum, to testify and produce documents in the case of Thomas Dwyer v. City of Pittsburgh, et al., except concerning matters for which a privilege should be asserted; and (2) the Senate Legal Counsel to represent Emmet Mahon in connection with such case.
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
Milton Friedman Congressional Gold Medal Act - Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal to Milton Friedman in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to individual freedom and opportunity in American society through his exhaustive research and teaching of economics and his extensive writings on economics and public policy. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such national medal. Requires proceeds to be deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
Amends the National School Lunch Act, with respect to the child and adult care food program, to revise eligibility requirements for private organizations providing nonresidential day care services for which they receive compensation from grants to States under title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services) of the Social Security Act. Repeals the current requirement that such an organization receive such compensation for at least 25 percent of its enrolled children or 25 percent of its licensed capacity, whichever is less. Replaces it with a revised requirement that such an organization have at least 25 percent of the children served by it meet the income eligibility criteria for free or reduced price meals.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
21st Century Rural Utility Service Rural Development Enhancement Through Local Information Act - Amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to authorize the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service to make loan guarantees (through a specified date) to providers of multichannel video services, including direct broadcast satellite licensees, to improve access to local television broadcasting to all households desiring such service in unserved and underserved rural areas. Requires loan guarantee approval by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Sets forth satellite carrier loan guarantee qualifications. Authorizes appropriations. Sets forth conditions under which a borrower shall be obliged to carry local broadcast signals without charge.
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
Commends Stephen G. Bale, Keeper of the Stationery, for his exemplary service to the Senate and the Nation. Extends very best wishes upon his retirement.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Access to Medical Treatment Act - Authorizes a patient to receive, and a health care practitioner (practitioner) to provide or administer, any unapproved drug or medical device (UDMD) that the patient desires or the patient's legal representative authorizes if: (1) the UDMD is recommended by a practitioner within his or her scope of practice; (2) the provision or administration of the UDMD is not a violation of applicable State law; and (3) the practitioner abides by the requirements of this Act. Includes among such requirements that the practitioner: (1) does not violate the Controlled Substances Act; (2) has concluded that the UDMD will not cause a danger to the patient; (3) gives the patient sufficient opportunity to decide whether or not to receive such UDMD; (4) discloses any financial interest the practitioner may have in the UDMD; and (5) has informed the patient that the UDMD is not approved, of its risks and benefits, of alternative procedures, as well as certain related information designed to achieve informed patient consent of its use. Requires UDMD manufacturers to disclose to practitioners receiving the UDMD all appropriate information to enable the practitioner to comply with such requirements. Provides an exception for a practitioner's dissemination of information concerning the results of administration of a UDMD. Requires a practitioner who discovers that a UDMD causes a danger to a patient to immediately cease its use and recommendation, and to provide to its manufacturer and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) a report containing all relevant information concerning such discovery. Requires a manufacturer receiving such a report to immediately cease sale and distribution of such UDMD, notify all appropriate practitioners, and report such results to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Requires the CDC Director to: (1) upon receipt of a manufacturer's report, conduct an investigation of the UDMD to determine the actual cause of the danger; and (2) report such determination to the Secretary. Requires the Secretary, after such report, to: (1) direct a manufacturer to cease manufacture, sale, and distribution of a UDMD when it is determined to be the cause of the danger, and notify appropriate practitioners of such determination; (2) direct the manufacturer to inform appropriate practitioners when the UDMD is determined not to be the cause of the danger; and (3) direct the manufacturer to inform appropriate practitioners when the cause of the danger cannot be determined. Requires the Secretary to promptly disseminate information concerning the danger of a UDMD to all U.S. health care practitioners, the Director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (National Center Director), and State agencies responsible for regulating unsafe or adulterated drugs and medical devices. Requires a practitioner to report to the manufacturer of a UDMD that produces beneficial results. Requires such manufacturer to relay such report to the National Center Director. Requires the National Center Director to review and analyze such information and make available on the Internet and to the public a review and analysis of such information, including a statement that such drug or medical device is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Authorizes practitioners to introduce UDMDs into commerce to the extent necessary to comply with requirements of this Act. Denies coverage under this Act for practitioners and manufacturers found to have violated its requirements.
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.
![Official portrait of Sen. Daschle, Thomas A. [D-SD]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000064_200.jpg)