United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require that payment under a life insurance contract on the life of an insured who is terminally ill be treated as a death benefit, making such payment eligible for tax exclusion from gross income. Provides that any reference to life insurance shall be treated as referring to a qualified terminal illness rider. Provides for the tax treatment of such riders. Describes such a rider as one which provides for payments to an individual upon the insured's becoming terminally ill. Provides that applicants for or recipients of assistance under the Social Security Act may not be required to elect to receive accelerated death benefits under life insurance policies.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1991
Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to revise the definition of "independent expenditure" to exclude expenditures during congressional elections by a political committee affiliated with an organization that lobbies Congress. Deems such an expenditure to be a contribution subject to the limitations of that Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 1991
Motor Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Act - Amends the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act to establish average fuel economy standards for passenger automobiles and automobiles other than passenger automobiles (light trucks) (for model years 1996 and thereafter). Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary), to modify such standards for model year 1996 and thereafter. Directs the Secretary, in response to petitions filed at least 12 months in advance of the model year, to conduct a rulemaking proceeding to determine whether to increase or decrease such standard to a level that is the maximum feasible average fuel economy for that model year, except that such standard shall not be reduced below a level equal to the average fuel economy achieved by the manufacturer of such vehicle for model year 1988, as multiplied by a specified percentage. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to report annually to specified congressional committees on a study which: (1) examines the accuracy of fuel economy testing of passenger automobiles and light trucks; and (2) assesses the extent to which fuel economy deteriorates during the lifetime of such vehicles. Directs the Secretary of Energy to distribute at least 100 explanatory booklets each year to every dealer and additional numbers if requested. Requires the Secretary to provide for a review and report to the Congress by the National Academy of Sciences on the current state of research and development in light truck fuel economy and passenger automobile fuel economy and an assessment of the potential for improving the fuel efficiency and reducing the energy consumption of passenger automobiles and light trucks. Requires the Secretary of Energy to study and report to the Congress on the future options for regulating the fuel efficiency of such vehicles beyond 2001. Provides for the judicial review of average fuel economy standards (including modifications thereof) established under this Act. Doubles the civil penalty for repeated violations of the fuel economy standard. Requires such penalty to be adjusted for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 1991
Directs the Secretary of Defense to make grants to eligible local educational agencies in order to provide: (1) individual and group counseling for children and other family members of military personnel who have been deployed in connection with, or are casualties of, an armed conflict; (2) training and technical assistance for teachers and other school employees to prepare them to address questions and concerns of children of such military personnel; and (3) other appropriate programs, services, and information to address the special needs of such children and other family members of such military personnel resulting from their deployment, return, or resultant medical or rehabilitation needs. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to make grants to appropriate nonprofit organizations (such as the YMCA and Red Cross) that enter into an agreement with the Secretary to furnish family support services to families of military personnel: (1) living in an area outside of a U.S. military installation in which there is a significant concentration of families of members of the reserve serving on active duty in connection with the Persian Gulf; or (2) living at or in the vicinity of an installation or facility of the Department of Defense where there is a demonstrated need to increase case-managed family support services for families of military personnel deployed in connection with a current armed conflict or to consolidate the furnishing of such services through a family support center at such facility. Outlines other grant uses and conditions. Requires funds made available to a military family support center to be used to increase the availability of case-managed family support services at such facility or installation. Provides a $50,000 minimum for each grant. Limits to 15 percent of the grant the amount which may be used to provide actual notice to appropriate military families of the availability of family support services from the grant recipients. Authorizes appropriations. Allows a reserve member called to active duty in connection with the Persian Gulf conflict and covered at the time of such call under an employer-provided group health insurance plan for the member and his or her family to elect to continue coverage under the employer-provided plan in lieu of being provided interim coverage while on active duty under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS). Requires the Secretary of Defense, in the case of such an election, to reimburse the private employer for the cost of continued coverage during the member's period of active duty. Requires the employer to provide continued coverage under the private plan for the beneficiaries of such reserve personnel, unless the plan for all employees of the employer is discontinued. Requires the Secretary to apply requirements and limitations similar to those applicable to the continuation coverage of group health plans under the Internal Revenue Code. States that all direct or discretionary spending contained in this Act is to be considered emergency expenditures related to Operation Desert Shield for purposes of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act).
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1991
Authorizes the Secretary of Education to enter into a contract with the National Writing Project (a nonprofit educational organization) to support costs of programs of teacher training and classroom research to improve the teaching of writing and the quality of student writing and learning. Directs the Project to establish a National Advisory Board. Directs the Secretary, through the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, to make grants to individuals and higher education institutions for research on the teaching of writing. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1991 through 1995.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1991
National Voter Registration Act of 1991 - Requires each State to establish procedures with respect to presidential and congressional elections to permit voter registration by: (1) application in person simultaneously with application for a motor vehicle driver's license; (2) mail application; or (3) application in person at designated Federal, State, or nongovernmental office locations. Declares that this Act does not apply to any State that has no voter registration requirement with respect to elections for Federal office, or in which voters may register at the polling place at the time of a general election for Federal office. Requires each State to: (1) assure that any eligible applicant who submits an application by a certain deadline before the election is registered to vote in the election; (2) require the appropriate State election official to notify each applicant of the disposition of the application; (3) provide that the name of a voter may not be removed from the official list of eligible voters except by reason of death, criminal conviction, mental incapacity, change in residence, or voter request; (4) inform applicants under this Act of voter eligibility requirements and penalties provided by law for submission of a false voter registration application; (5) incorporate in application forms and other forms used at locations specified in this Act some means by which the person completing the form may decline to register to vote in elections for Federal office; and (6) provide a registration form to any individual who does not decline to register. Provides that any State program or activity to protect the integrity of the electoral process by assuring an accurate and current voter registration roll for elections for Federal office: (1) shall be uniform and nondiscriminatory; and (2) shall not result in the removal of the name of any person from the official list of registered voters for failing to vote. Prohibits a general or comprehensive program which is designed to systematically remove ineligible voters from the rolls from taking place less than 60 days prior to a primary or general election for Federal office. Prohibits a State from removing the name of a voter from the official list of eligible voters for Federal elections on the grounds that the registrant has moved, unless such registrant: (1) confirms in writing that he or she has changed residence to a place outside the jurisdiction of the registrar; or (2) has failed to respond to a notice from the registrar and has not appeared to vote and, if necessary, correct the address in an election during a certain period. States that in the event of a change of address, for voting purposes, of a voter to another address within the same jurisdiction, the registrar shall correct the voting registration list accordingly. Prohibits such voter's name from being removed from the registry of eligible voters by reason of such change of address, except as provided in this Act. Requires the United States attorney to give the chief State election official written notice of an offender's felony conviction in Federal district court. Amends Federal postal rate law to require the Postal Service to make certain lower postal rates available to State or local election officials who certify that a mailing is in furtherance of this Act. Directs the Federal Election Commission to: (1) develop a mail voter registration application form for Federal elections; (2) submit, not later than June 30 of each odd-numbered year, to the Congress a report assessing the impact of this Act on the administration of Federal elections during the preceding two-year period; and (3) provide information to the States with respect to their responsibilities. Requires each State to designate a chief State election official to coordinate State functions under this Act. Provides a private right of action for an individual aggrieved by a violation of this Act. Provides for the awarding of attorney fees to the prevailing party, other than the United States. Imposes criminal penalties upon any person who: (1) intimidates, threatens, or coerces any person for registering or voting or exercising any right under this Act; or (2) deprives or defrauds the inhabitants of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1991
Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 to extend vocational and technical education and training benefits to any member of the Selected Reserve or National Guard who agrees to a six-year service commitment any time after July 1, 1985 (currently, October 1, 1990).
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1991
Congressional Recycling Act of 1991 - Requires the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate to purchase recycled paper and paper products for use to the greatest extent practicable in the operations of the House and the Senate. Directs the Public Printer to assure that the Government Printing Office uses recycled paper in providing services to the House.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1991
Condemns the unprovoked attacks by Iraq on Israel. Declares that the use of SCUD missiles to attack civilian targets is a form of terrorism. Expresses sympathy for the casualties and destruction caused by the Iraqi attacks. Recognizes Israel's right to defend itself. Commends the Israeli Government for its restraint and the Israeli people for their perseverance in the face of such attacks. Commends the administration for its decision to provide Patriot missiles to Israel. Reaffirms America's continued commitment to providing Israel with the means to maintain its security and freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1991
Authorizes the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to establish a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr., in the District of Columbia and its environs. Prohibits the United States from paying any expense of establishing the memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1991
Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to modify the ban on honoraria to allow Federal officers and employees, other than Representatives in, or Delegates or Resident Commissioners to, the Congress and noncareer officers and employees whose rate of basic pay exceeds GS-15, to receive an honorarium for an article in a bona fide publication, a speech, or an appearance if: (1) the subject of the article, speech, or appearance and the reason for which the honorarium is paid is unrelated to the recipient's official duties or status; and (2) the party offering the honorarium has no interests that may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the recipient's official duties. Prohibits the amount of such honorarium accepted from exceeding the usual and customary fee for the services for which the honorarium is paid, up to $2,000. Subjects the acceptance of any honorarium to financial disclosure under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. Extends the period within which the Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate must send a copy of each financial disclosure report filed by a Member or candidate to the appropriate State officer designated under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 1991
Agent Orange Act of 1991 - Presumes the following diseases to be service-connected and resulting from exposure to dioxins and other herbicide agents during service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era unless there is affirmative evidence to the contrary: (1) non-Hodgkins lymphoma, each soft-tissue sarcoma (with certain exceptions), and chloracne or other consistent acneform diseases becoming manifest to a degree of disability of ten percent or more; and (2) those additional diseases that the Secretary determines warrant such a presumption by reason of having a positive association with a herbicide agent, if they become manifest within the appropriate period. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to prescribe regulations providing that a presumption of service connection is warranted whenever it is determined by the Secretary that a positive association exists between the exposure of humans to a herbicide agent and the occurrence of a disease in humans. Requires the Secretary to take into account reports received from the National Academy of Sciences, as well as other sound medical and scientific information. Outlines procedures to be followed by the Secretary in weighing evidence, reporting information, and making conclusions for or against the positive association and, therefore, the service-connection presumption. Provides for the issuance of final regulations listing the diseases for which positive associations have been found or removing the presumption for a disease. Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) under which NAS shall review and summarize the scientific evidence (and its strength) concerning the association between exposure to a herbicide agent during service in Vietnam and each disease suspected to be associated with such exposure. Provides for NAS: (1) scientific determinations concerning diseases; (2) recommendations for additional studies to resolve areas of uncertainty relating to herbicide exposure; (3) subsequent reviews; and (4) reports, at least biennially, to the Secretary and the Senate and House Veterans' Affairs Committees (the veterans' committees). Terminates the agreement ten years after the fiscal year of the first report from NAS. Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with another body if the Secretary cannot reach an agreement with NAS within two months after enactment of this Act. Amends the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 1988 to direct the Secretary to annually furnish updated information on health risks associated with exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era. Extends through 1993 the eligibility for hospital, nursing home, or domiciliary care and medical treatment of individuals who served in Vietnam and who have been determined to have been exposed to dioxin or a toxic substance in a herbicide as the result of such service and of veterans exposed to ionizing radiation while serving between September 11, 1945 and July 1, 1946. Directs the Secretary to compile and analyze, on a continuing basis, all clinical data obtained by the Department of Veterans Affairs in connection with examinations and treatment furnished to veterans by the Department after November 3, 1981, for exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam and which is likely to be useful in determining the exposure to such agents and the disabilities suffered. Requires an annual report on such compilations and provides funding. Directs the Secretary, for facilitating research on the effects of exposure to herbicides used in Vietnam, to establish and maintain a system for the collection and storage of voluntarily contributed blood and tissue samples of veterans who served there. Provides for: (1) specimen security; (2) authorized uses; (3) limitations on acceptance of samples; and (4) authority based on specific funding. Directs the Secretary to establish a scientific research feasibility studies program for conducting research on health hazards resulting from: (1) exposure to dioxin; (2) exposure to other toxic agents in herbicides used in Vietnam; and (3) active military service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era. Outlines program and report requirements. Directs the Secretary to consult with NAS. Directs the Secretary, upon the request of a Vietnam veteran who has applied for Department medical care and filed a claim for, or is in receipt of, disability compensation, to obtain a blood sample to conduct a test for the presence of a specified dioxin. Provides for notification to the veteran of test results and significance and requires such blood sample to be maintained as part of the collection of blood and tissue samples required under this Act. Makes conforming amendments and provides for alternative effective dates.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 1991
Directs the Secretary of the Interior, through the assistance and cooperation of an oversight committee, to carry out a demonstration program in accordance with a May 1990 Demonstration Program Plan of Study, which includes: (1) the development of accurate means of quantifying projected irrigation and drainage requirements and drainage return flow quality and quantity with respect to glacial tills and other soils found in the areas to be served by the Lake Andes-Wagner Unit and Marty II Unit; (2) development of best management practices for improving irrigation water use and development; (3) investigation of the potential for enhancement of wetlands and fish and wildlife within the areas; and (4) investigation of the suitability of glacial till soils for crop production under irrigation. Requires study sites for the carrying out of such program to be obtained through leases from landowners who voluntarily agree to participate in the demonstration program under specified conditions. Provides for the sale of crops grown under the demonstration program. Outlines other demonstration program provisions, including annual reporting requirements. Requires the demonstration phase of the program to terminate at the end of the fifth full irrigation season. Directs the Secretary, on the basis of the concluding report and recommendations of the program, to comply with the study and reporting requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and regulations issued to implement its provisions with respect to the units. Authorizes the Secretary to construct, operate, and maintain the units as units of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program. Outlines irrigation and pumping requirements for each such unit and conditions for repayment of construction costs. Requires the mitigation of fish and wildlife losses as a result of the construction and operation of such units. Provides that, in establishing and operating such units, a Federal employment preference shall be given to members of the Yankton-Sioux Tribe who can perform such work, with appropriate training opportunities for such individuals. Provides for cost sharing with respect to such Project by way of a negotiated proposal of agreement between the Secretary, South Dakota, and the Lake Andes-Wagner Irrigation District. Limits the total non-Federal share of the cost to 30 percent. Authorizes appropriations for: (1) construction of each such unit; (2) costs of the demonstration program; and (3) operation and maintenance of each unit. Provides that, from such appropriated sums, the Secretary shall make an annual Federal contribution to a South Dakota Biological Diversity Trust established under this Act, as long as the Trust complies with certain prescribed requirements. Outlines permissible uses of Trust proceeds. Requires the Secretary to utilize two percent of the amount authorized for the restoration of damaged natural ecosystems, the provision of jobs, recreational opportunities expansion, and support of research, training, and education. Requires annual reports.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 1991
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should immediately review all economic benefits provided by the U.S. Government to the Soviet Union, report to the Congress on whether such benefits should be suspended in light of Soviet actions in the Baltic States, suspend all ongoing technical exchanges, consider withdrawing U.S. support for Soviet membership in the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, or General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and withhold Most Favored Nation trade treatment until: (1) Soviet troops refrain from obstructing the functioning of the democratic governments of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia; (2) the troops that were deployed following the January 7 announcement by the Soviet Defense Ministry, (of the deployment of additional troops to specified republics) are withdrawn; (3) Soviet authorities cease their interference with the media in such States; (4) good-faith negotiations between the governments of such States and the Soviet Union on the restoration of sovereignty to such States have begun; and (5) concrete assurances are received from President Gorbachev that grain purchased with U.S. credits will not be used to coerce such States or any Soviet republic to sign the Union Treaty. States that the United States should consult with and encourage its allies to follow a similar policy.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Telecommunications Equipment Research and Manufacturing Competition Act of 1991 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to authorize a Bell Telephone Company (BTC), through an affiliate, to manufacture and provide telecommunications equipment, except that no BTC may engage in such manufacturing with an unaffiliated BTC or affiliates thereof. Allows such manufacturing or provision to be conducted only through an affiliate that is separate from any BTC. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prescribe regulations to ensure that: (1) such manufacturing affiliate maintains separate accounts and records from its affiliated BTC which identify all transactions with the BTC; (2) neither a BTC nor any of its non-manufacturing affiliates carry out sales, advertising, installation, production, or maintenance operations for a manufacturing affiliate; (3) such manufacturing affiliate conducts all of its manufacturing activity within the United States and uses component parts manufactured in the United States unless specified requirements regarding good faith efforts to obtain such component parts in the United States and domestic content are met; (4) no more than 90 percent of the equity of the manufacturing affiliate is owned by the parent BTC; (5) such affiliate incurs debt entirely separate from and without recourse against the affiliated BTC; (6) such affiliate shall not be required to operate separately from any other affiliates of its BTC; (7) if an affiliate of a BTC becomes affiliated with a manufacturing entity, it shall be treated as a manufacturing affiliate of the BTC; and (8) such affiliate shall make available any telecommunications equipment manufactured by such affiliates to any purchasing carrier, so long as each such purchaser does not manufacture such equipment or agrees to make available to the BTC or any of its affiliates any telecommunications equipment manufactured by such purchasing carrier or any of its affiliates. Directs the FCC to require that each BTC maintain and file with the FCC complete information with respect to the protocols and technical requirements for connections with and use of its telephone exchange service facilities. Prohibits a BTC from disclosing any such information to its affiliates unless such information is immediately so filed. Requires any two or more carriers providing regulated telephone exchange service in the same area to notify each other of the deployment of telecommunications equipment. Requires the FCC to ensure that manufacturers in competition with a BTC's manufacturing affiliate have ready and equal access to information required for such competition that such BTC makes available to its affiliate. Requires the FCC to prescribe regulations to require any BTC which has a manufacturing affiliate to: (1) provide to other manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment opportunities to sell such equipment to such BTC which are comparable to opportunities the BTC provides to its affiliates; (2) not subsidize its manufacturing affiliate with revenues from its regulated telecommunications service; and (3) only purchase equipment from its manufacturing affiliate at the open market price. Allows a BTC and its affiliates to engage in close collaboration with any manufacturer of customer premises or telecommunications equipment during the design and development of hardware and software relating to such equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Three Affiliated Tribes and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Act - Declares that: (1) the Three Affiliated Tribes (TAT) (the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Tribes that reside on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation) are entitled to additional financial compensation from amounts deposited to a TAT Recovery Fund for the taking of reservation lands for the site of the Garrison Dam and Reservoir; and (2) the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (SRST) (members of the Great Sioux Nation that reside on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation) is entitled to additional financial compensation from amounts deposited to a SRST Economic Recovery Fund for the taking of reservation lands as the site for the Oahe Dam and Reservoir. Establishes such Funds. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to deposit into each Fund 25 percent of the receipts from deposits to the Treasury for the preceding fiscal year from the integrated programs of the Eastern Division of the Pick-Sloan Missouri River Basin Project administered by the Western Area Power Administration, subject to certain limitations. Authorizes appropriations to each Fund. Makes available only the interest on the moneys in each Fund for use by the Secretary of the Interior in making payments to the SRST for use for educational, social welfare, economic development, and other programs. Specifies that: (1) no payments pursuant to this Act shall result in the reduction or denial of any Federal services or programs to which the TAT or SRST, or any of their members, are otherwise entitled to because of their status as federally recognized Indian tribes or members pursuant to Federal law; (2) no such payments shall be subject to Federal or State income tax, or affect power rates; and (3) no part of any moneys in either Fund shall be distributed to any TAT or SRST member on a per capita basis. Authorizes the Secretary to develop irrigation within the boundaries of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, subject to a finding by the Secretary of irrigability of the lands to receive water. Authorizes appropriations. Declares certain lands in North Dakota to be held in trust by the United States for the TAT as part of the Fort Berthold Reservation. Retains for the United States a flowage and sloughing easement over a specified portion of such lands for flood control and related Garrison Dam and Reservoir project purposes. Requires the Secretary of the Army to: (1) sell certain lands and minerals underlying such lands, subject to the right of the United States to continuously or intermittently inundate such lands with water as necessary for the operation of dam and reservoir projects; and (2) give the right of first refusal to any applicant, with respect to any land owned by such person immediately prior to its acquisition by the United States. Requires that any such lands sold be conveyed subject to any lease in effect with respect to such lands at the time of such conveyance. Declares certain lands to be held in trust by the United States for the SRST as part of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. Transfers: (1) certain nontribal lands to those individuals from whom they were taken, or their assignees; and (2) certain lands acquired from the State of North Dakota to the State. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the energy credit for solar and geothermal property until December 31, 1996 (currently, such credit expires on December 31, 1991).
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Higher Education Tax-Exempt Bond Reform Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for the tax treatment of bonds of certain nonprofit tax-exempt organizations in a manner similar to governmental bonds.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Resident Physician Student Loan Deferment Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow resident physicians to defer repayment of certain student loans while serving in a medical internship or resident training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the Accrediting Committee of the American Osteopathic Association.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Spark M. Matsunaga Concurrent Payment of Retired Pay and Compensation Benefits Act - Permits retired members of the armed forces to be paid retirement pay concurrently with compensation for any service-connected disability if the person's entitlement to such retirement pay is based solely on: (1) age; (2) length of service; or (3) both. Reduces the amount of retirement pay, in the case of individuals receiving both types of pay, by a specified percentage of the disability compensation which decreases as the disability rating increases. Prohibits any reduction in the retirement pay of a disabled person when the disability rating is total.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an individual an itemized deduction of travel expenses in connection with the trade or business of logging, including the miles to and from the individual's home.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to authorize a State to enforce laws collecting fees in connection with the treatment and disposal within such State of solid waste generated in another State. Permits a State, after the submission to the Administrator of a certification under this Act, to enforce laws regulating the treatment and disposal of solid waste within the State. Authorizes any State which has adopted a 20-year solid waste management plan to submit a certification to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency on the solid waste treatment and disposal capacity of the State. Sets forth minimum requirements of the plan. Permits the Governor of each State which has adopted a 20-year management plan to certify to the Administrator that the State has adequate capacity to manage all solid waste generated in the State or received from other States for the following 60-month period. Exempts specified types of waste from regulation under this Act. Grants congressional approval to agreements or compacts entered into by two or more States for cooperative efforts and mutual assistance for solid waste management. Authorizes the Administrator to promulgate regulations exempting waste types or recycling practices from the authority granted to States under this Act if such action promotes the development of an interstate market for recyclable materials or is necessary to promote environmentally sound waste disposal practices.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Amends the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1989, with regard to closing, consolidating, automating, or relocating any Weather Service Office or Weather Service Forecast Office, to: (1) prohibit such action until one year after certification, required by current law, to specified congressional committees that the action will not degrade weather services; (2) require the certification to be based on an independent review by the National Academy of Sciences; and (3) modify the matters included in the certification.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permanently extend the period during which qualified mortgage bonds and mortgage credit certificates may be issued.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Strengthening Education for American Families Act - Title I: National Goals - Sets forth national goals for education, to be achieved by the year 2000, in the following categories: (1) family literacy and lifelong learning; (2) disadvantaged children's readiness for school; (3) school completion; (4) student achievement; (5) mathematics and science; (6) safe, disciplined, and drug-free schools; (7) teacher recruitment and retention; and (8) equal opportunity for postsecondary education. Title II: National Council on Educational Goals - National Academic Report Card Act of 1991 - Establishes a National Council on Educational Goals (the Council). Directs the Council, after the conclusion of its first meeting, to submit: (1) an interim report within one year; and (2) a National Report Card, within two years and annually thereafter for the duration of its existence. Requires the interim report to: (1) establish a timetable for reporting progress toward achieving the national educational goals by the year 2000; and (2) include a series of reasonable steps for measuring implementation and success of each recommendation of the Council. Requires the National Report Card to set forth an analysis of U.S. progress toward achieving the national education goals, presented in a form understandable to parents and the general public. Provides that the National Report Card may, if the Council deems necessary, also: (1) describe modifications to existing goals; (2) identify continuing gaps in existing educational data; and (3) make recommendations to improve methods and procedures of assessing educational attainment and to strengthen the national educational assessment and information system. Directs the Secretary of Education to make matching grants to the States to: (1) conduct State summits on education; (2) evaluate progress toward implementing national goals; and (3) evaluate the implementation process. Requires States receiving such grants to report on State goals and plans. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 2001 for: (1) the Council and its National Report Card; and (2) State summits on education. Title III: Literacy - National Literacy Act of 1991 - Provides for comprehensive activities to ensure that all Americans can become literate by the year 2000. Part A: Literacy: Strategic Planning, Research, and Coordination -Establishes an Interagency Task Force on Literacy. Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to direct the Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education to coordinate literacy-related programs. Establishes the National Institute for Literacy and the National Institute Board. Authorizes the Institute to award Literacy Leader Fellowships. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Adult Education Act (AEA) to authorize the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to make grants to establish a network of State or regional adult literacy resource centers. Authorizes appropriations. Part B: Workforce Literacy - Establishes in the Department of Labor a National Workforce Literacy Assistance Collaborative. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Adult Education Act (AEA) to revise provisions for national workforce literacy strategies grants business, industry, labor, and education partnerships for workplace literacy. Requires the Secretary of Education (the Secretary), in awarding grants for exemplary demonstration partnerships for workplace literacy, to: (1) give priority to partnerships which include small businesses; and (2) limit such grant awards to not more than three years. Directs the Secretary to reserve a specified amount, whenever appropriations for workforce literacy partnership grants exceed a certain level, to establish a program of grants for large-scale national workforce literacy strategies. Authorizes appropriations for AEA workforce literacy programs. Part C: Investment in Literacy - Extends through FY 1995 the authorization of appropriations for programs under the Adult Education Act (AEA). Revises the use of funds under the AEA basic State grants program. Requires that basic grants to States also be used for competitive two-year Gateway Grants to public housing authorities for literacy programs and related activities. Requires biennial evaluations and reports on such Gateway Grants. Revises AEA to give State advisory councils, plans, and evaluations literacy-related responsibilities. Requires States to report biennially to the Interagency Task Force on meeting literacy goals, coordinating workplace literacy services, and building a high quality delivery system for adult literacy programs. Provides for training educators to recognize and serve illiterate individuals more effectively. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to revise targeted assistance programs under ESEA to include training programs to enhance the ability of teachers and school counselors to identify, particularly in the early grades, students with reading and related problems which place them at risk for adult illiteracy. Renames the Even Start program under ESEA the Even Start Family Literacy Program. Revises the program to expand eligibility to include community-based organizations or other nonprofit organizations of demonstrated quality applying in collaboration with a local educational agency (LEA) (as well as LEAs and LEA consortia). Sets minimum grant amounts. Makes individual children eligible from birth through age seven (currently from age one through age seven). Provides for continuation of eligibility for certain participants until the parents become ineligible due to educational achievement, or until all children in the family attain age eight. Gives priority to applicants demonstrating that the area to be served has a high percentage or a large number of children and adults in need of program services. Authorizes appropriations for the Even Start Family Literacy Program. Establishes a Family Literacy Public Broadcasting Program. Authorizes the Secretary of Education, subject to availability of appropriations, to contract with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for production and dissemination of family literacy programming and accompanying materials to assist parents in improving family literacy skills and languages development. Requires CPB to: (1) cooperate with local public broadcasting stations; (2) arrange for distribution of audio and video instructional media materials for use, and distribution on loan, to families at sites chosen from among State and local libraries with literacy programs and nonprofit entities serving hard-to-serve populations; and (3) report to the Congress. Authorizes appropriations for the Family Literacy Public Broadcasting Program. Part D: Business Leadership for Employment Skills - Amends the Adult Education Act (AEA) to provide for education programs for commercial drivers. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make competitive matching grants for adult education programs which increase the literacy skills of eligible commercial drivers so that they may successfully complete the knowledge test requirements under the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986. Requires grantees to refer individuals identified as having literacy skill problems to appropriate adult education programs. Authorizes appropriations. Part E: Books for Families - Revises the ESEA inexpensive book distribution program to require that priority be given in selection of additional local programs to those which serve children and students with special needs. Requires the program contractor (Reading is Fundamental) to report to the Secretary of Education annually on such additional programs. Amends the Library Services and Construction Act to direct the Secretary of Education, in awarding grants for library literacy programs and services, to give priority to those that: (1) will be delivered in areas of greatest need with highest concentrations of adults without secondary education or its equivalent, and which either have few community or financial resources or have low per capita income, unemployment, or underemployment; and (2) coordinate with literacy organizations and community-based organizations providing literacy services. Part F: Volunteers for Literacy - Amends the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to establish a Literacy Challenge Grants program. Authorizes the Director of the ACTION Agency to award such grants to eligible public and private entities to pay the Federal share of costs of establishing, operating, or expanding community or employee literacy programs that include the use of full- or part-time volunteers. Authorizes appropriations for Literacy Challenge Grants, but only if there are specified levels of funding for the VISTA Program and the VISTA Literacy Corps. Part G: Literacy for Incarcerated Individuals - Amends the Adult Education Act (AEA) to establish requirements for mandatory functional literacy programs for incarcerated adults in State correctional systems and local jails or detention centers. Requires such a program to be in effect in at least one major correctional facility, for each State correctional system and each local jail or detention center with an inmate population, within two years after enactment of this Act. Requires, if adequate funds are available, each State correctional system and each local jail or detention center with over 150 inmates to have such a program in effect within five years after enactment of this Act. Sets forth required components of such programs, including inmate mandatory participation (except for any individual who is serving a life sentence without parole, or terminally ill, or under a sentence of death). Requires annual reports. Encourages: (1) parole agencies to make educational recommendations for those being released who do not have a marketable job skill or a high school diploma; and (2) jails with less than 150 inmates to develop such mandatory functional literacy programs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1991 - Title I: General Requirements for Leave - Establishes certain requirements for family and medical leave for permanent employees. (Excludes from such coverage: (1) employees at worksites at which the employer employs less than 50 persons, if the total number of employees of that employer within 75 miles of that worksite is less than 50; and (2) Federal officers and employees covered under title II of this Act.) Entitles employees to 12 workweeks of leave during any 12-month period because of: (1) the birth of their child; (2) the placement of a child for their adoption or foster care; (3) their care of a child, spouse, or parent who has a serious health condition; or (4) their own serious health condition which makes them unable to perform the functions of their position. Conditions such leave for the birth or placement of a child as follows: (1) the entitlement ends 12 months after the birth or placement; (2) both parents may not take such leave at the same time; and (3) such leave may not be taken intermittently unless employee and employer agree otherwise. Allows all leave to which an employee is entitled under this title: (1) to be taken on a reduced leave schedule, upon agreement with the employer; and (2) to consist of unpaid leave, except under specified conditions when substitution of certain types of paid leave may be elected or required. Declares that nothing in this Act shall require an employer to provide paid sick or medical leave in any situation in which the employer would not normally provide any such paid leave. Requires employees to: (1) give reasonable notice of the need for leave to which they are entitled under this Act, when foreseeable; and (2) make a reasonable effort to schedule medical treatment or supervision so as not to disrupt unduly the employer's operations, subject to approval of the health care provider. Allows limitation of the dual aggregate leave entitlement to 12 weeks in any 12-month period, in the case of spouses employed by the same employer, if such leave is for the birth or placement of a child or for the care of a sick parent. Sets forth conditions of certification for leave entitlements under this Act, including provisions relating to: (1) sufficient certification; (2) explanation of inability to perform job functions; (3) second opinion; (4) resolution of conflicting opinions; and (5) subsequent recertification. Sets forth employment and benefits protections relating to leave entitlements under this Act, including provisions relating to: (1) restoration to position; and (2) maintenance of health benefits. Prohibits employers or other persons from interfering with employee rights under this Act or from discriminating against any individual because of participation in proceedings or inquiries under this Act. Provides for administrative enforcement of this title by the Secretary of Labor, as well as enforcement by civil action. Sets forth provisions for investigative authority, injunctive and monetary relief, attorneys' fees, and limitation of actions. Sets forth special rules concerning employees of local educational agencies, including provisions relating to intermittent leave for instructional employees, periods near the completion of an academic term, and reduction of liability. Requires employers to post notice of the pertinent provisions of this title. Requires fines for willful violations of such requirement. Directs the Secretary of Labor to prescribe regulations to carry out this title. Title II: Leave for Civil Service Employees - Amends specified Federal law to entitle civil service employees to family and temporary medical leave for specified periods. Allows such employees up to: (1) 12 workweeks in any 12-month period for family leave (i.e., leave because of the birth or placement of a child or care of a sick child or parent), but such leave may not be used at a time more than 12 months after such birth or placement; and (2) 12 workweeks during any 12-month period for temporary medical leave. Provides that such leave will be without pay. Allows employees to substitute other types of paid leave for part of such leave. Provides for protection for job position and health insurance benefits of employees using such leave. Sets forth certification provisions and prohibitions against coercion. Directs the Office of Personnel Management to prescribe regulations for administration of this title which are consistent with the regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Labor under title I of this Act. Title III: Commission on Leave - Establishes the Commission on Leave. Requires the Commission to report on its study of family and medical leave (which may include legislative recommendations concerning coverage of small businesses and alternative and equivalent State enforcement of this Act with respect to employees of local educational agencies) to the Congress within two years after the Commission first meets. Terminates the Commission within 30 days after its report to the Congress. Title IV: Miscellaneous Provisions - Sets forth the effect of this Act on existing laws and existing employment benefits. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to discourage employers from adopting more generous leave policies. Directs the Secretary of Labor to prescribe regulations to carry out this title within 60 days.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Title I: Wilderness Additions - Designates specified lands in California as additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System. States that non-designated areas within the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) have been adequately studied for inclusion in the System and are therefore released from otherwise applicable restrictions. Designates certain lands within the CDCA as the White Mountains Wilderness Study Area. Permits wilderness area livestock grazing on lands where such practice existed prior to enactment of this Act. Reserves Federal water rights on wilderness area lands. Title II: Death Valley National Park - Establishes the Death Valley National Park which subsumes the Death Valley National Monument. Withdraws the additional lands from further exploitation under the mining laws. Requires the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) to determine the validity of any unpatented mining claims within such additional lands and whether the United States should acquire any mineral rights in such lands. Title III: Joshua Tree National Park - Establishes the Joshua Tree National Park which subsumes the Joshua Tree National Monument. Withdraws the additional lands from further exploitation under the mining laws. Requires the Secretary to determine the validity of any unpatented mining claims within such additional lands and whether the United States should acquire any mineral rights in such lands. Title IV: Mojave National Park - Establishes the Mojave National Park which subsumes the East Mojave National Scenic Area. Withdraws Federal lands within the Park from further exploitation under the mining laws. Requires the Secretary to determine the validity of any unpatented mining claims within the Park and whether the United States should acquire any mineral rights in such lands. Authorizes the Secretary to regulate mining in such Park. Allows grazing only to the extent allowed in current permits. Continues the validity of existing rights-of-way for specified activities. Directs the Secretary to prepare a Park management plan. Designates the Granite Mountains Natural Reserve within the Park. Authorizes the Secretary to construct a visitors' center and acquire lands. Authorizes appropriations. Title V: National Park Wilderness - Designates as wilderness the Death Valley National Park Wilderness, the Joshua Tree National Park Wilderness Additions, and the Mojave National Park Wilderness. Title VI: Miscellaneous Provisions - Directs the Secretary to transfer Red Rock Canyon State Park Additions in the CDCA to California. Establishes the Desert Lily Sanctuary within the CDCA. Establishes the Indian Canyons National Historic Site, which shall be cooperatively managed by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Authorizes the Secretary to exchange Federal mineral interests in lands in California for private mineral interests in wilderness areas and national parks designated by this Act. Directs the Secretary to insure nonexclusive access to such wilderness areas and parks by Indian people for traditional cultural and religious purposes. Preserves existing rights of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Title VII: Military Activities - Provides that nothing in this Act shall preclude, limit, or otherwise affect low level overflights of military aircraft in the California desert in the same location and degree as existed prior to enactment of this Act. Withdraws from appropriation under the public land laws and reserves for military use by the Secretary of the Navy specified lands in California known as the China Lake Naval Weapons Center in Inyo, Kern, and San Bernardino Counties and Chocolate Mountain in Imperial and Riverside Counties. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to manage such lands' nonmilitary uses, subject to closure by the Secretary of the Navy for security or safety purposes. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to develop a management plan for such lands. Requires the Secretary of the Navy to prevent and suppress brush and range fires with reimbursable assistance from the Bureau of Land Management. Requires the Secretaries to enter into a memorandum of understanding concerning the management plan which includes the provision of fire control assistance upon request. Requires the Secretary of Defense to notify the Secretary of the Interior whenever withdrawn lands are being used for defense-related purposes other than those specified, including the effect of such different use. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to delegate management responsibilities for China Lake to the Secretary of the Navy. Requires the Secretary of the Navy to report annually to the Secretary of the Interior, who shall then report to the appropriate congressional committees on the status of natural and cultural resources on such withdrawn lands. Terminates land withdrawals under this Act 15 years after this Act's enactment. Requires the Secretary of the Navy to publish a draft environmental impact statement on the continued or renewed withdrawal of lands under this Act. Requires such Secretary to hold a public hearing in California before the withdrawal's termination. Requires the Secretary of the Navy to maintain a decontamination program for such lands during their withdrawal. Requires the Secretary to report annually to the appropriate congressional committees on decontamination efforts. Requires the Secretary of the Navy to notify the Secretary of the Interior, at least three years before the termination of the withdrawal, whether an extension is going to be requested and, if not, to what extent such lands are contaminated with hazardous materials. Requires the Secretary of the Navy to decontaminate relinquished lands, but if such decontamination is not practicable or economically feasible, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to refuse to accept such lands. Requires the Secretary of the Navy to then: (1) warn the public of risks of entry; (2) conduct only decontamination activities on such lands after the expiration of the withdrawal; and (3) report to the Secretary of the Interior and the Congress on the status of such lands. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to publish the acceptance of withdrawn lands, indicating when such lands will be open and under what conditions. Exempts the United States from liability for injuries or damages resulting from nonmilitary activity on withdrawn lands. Authorizes an extension of the Navy's use of the El Centro Ranges in Imperial County, California, through January 1, 1990, subject to resource protection requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to make it an unfair labor practice for an employer to offer or grant: (1) permanent replacement employee status during a labor dispute; or (2) any employment preference to an individual who worked or indicated a willingness to work during a labor dispute over an employee who exercised specified rights during such dispute and who is working for, or has unconditionally offered to return to work for, the employer.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Child Welfare and Preventive Services Act - Title I: Provisions Relating to Child Welfare and Family Support - Amends part B (Child-Welfare Services) of title IV of the Social Security Act to provide Federal funds to enable States to plan, develop, or expand innovative programs of child welfare services and family support services in order to preserve and strengthen families and prevent the need for placement in foster care. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to authorize demonstration projects to improve the coordination of welfare services for families and children. Directs the Secretaries of HHS, Agriculture, and Education, and the Attorney General to: (1) review department policies to determine whether changes can be made without statutory changes to improve the funding and delivery of such services; and (2) issue a report to the Congress that includes recommendations for both legislative and nonlegislative changes to improve the coordination of the funding and delivery of such services. Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to set forth provisions to facilitate adoption, including provisions allowing States to disregard adoption assistance payments in determining a family's eligibility for the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program under part A. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish an Advisory Committee on Foster Care Placement to study and make recommendations regarding the current requirement that States make reasonable efforts to prevent the need for removal of a child from home, and to make it possible for the child to return home, under State plans for foster care and adoption assistance. Requires that a child who is placed in foster care be placed in a setting that is most appropriate for that child. Authorizes demonstration projects to facilitate the reunification of children eligible for AFDC services with their families. Allows States to claim 90 percent Federal matching for the costs of planning, designing, developing, or installing a statewide data collection and information retrieval system for purposes of administering the Child-Welfare Services program and the Foster Care and Adoption Assistance program. Allows States to claim 50 percent Federal matching for the costs of operating a data collection and information system for purposes of administering the Foster Care and Adoption Assistance program. Allows youths in independent living programs to accumulate assets sufficient to enable them to establish their own households. Requires States to submit all claims for Federal reimbursement under the Foster Care and Adoption Assistance program within one year after the calendar quarter in which the expenditure is made (currently, within two years). Outlines the criteria for the Secretary of HHS to use for approving applications by colleges for grants to provide child welfare traineeships. Permits the Secretary of HHS to authorize up to ten States to establish and evaluate specified types of child welfare demonstration projects. Grants such States more flexible spending authority for such purposes. Directs the Secretary, in order to improve the capacity of State and local child welfare agencies to administer Child-Welfare Services and Foster Care and Adoption Assistance programs and to provide services to families and children, to develop and publish a model staff training program for use by such agencies. Requires the health and education records of foster children to include: (1) the telephone numbers of their health and education providers; and (2) a record indicating that their foster care provider was advised of their eligibility for services under the Medicaid program (title XIX of the Social Security Act). Title II: Provisions Relating to Comprehensive Substance Abuse Programs for Pregnant Women and Caretaker Parents with Children - Amends the Child-Welfare Services program to provide Federal funds to enable States to establish comprehensive substance abuse programs for certain low-income pregnant women and caretaker parents with children. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Provisions Relating to Child Health - Amends the Medicaid program to allow States to provide federally reimbursed Medicaid coverage for children of families with income below 185 percent of the Federal poverty level. Allows States to extend Medicaid coverage to children born before October 1, 1983, who have attained six years of age but have not attained 19 years of age or a lesser age as selected by the State. Provides for optional State Medicaid coverage for foster children. Provides for optional State Medicaid coverage of: (1) home visitor services for medically fragile infants; and (2) home or community-based services to children with acquired immune deficiency syndrome or children who are ventilator-dependent. Removes restrictions on the ownership of certain assets, such as automobiles and household goods, by pregnant women for purposes of determining Medicaid eligibility. Provides for greater continuous Medicaid eligibility for certain children. Requires States to provide medical assistance under the Medicaid program to any individual who is eligible for and receiving benefits under the Supplemental Security Income program (title XVI of the Social Security Act). Revises the requirement that States with prospective payment systems must provide for outlier payment adjustments for certain expensive services provided to children under age six during their stay in disproportionate share hospitals to make such requirement applicable to children under age 19. Requires the Federal Government to use the most recent data in calculating its matching share for Medicaid. Provides for the extension of certain waivers for services related to pregnancy. Increases the limit on the number of individuals allowed to participate in home and community-based programs under waivers. Outlines various congressional reporting requirements imposed by this Act on the Secretary of HHS, including requirements with respect to the Maternal and Child Health Services program (title V of the Social Security Act). Directs the Secretary of HHS to appoint a Commission on the Evaluation of Disability in Children. Directs the Commission to conduct a study and report to the Congress on the meaning of the term "disability" under the SSI program as it applies to determining whether a child under the age of 18 is eligible to receive benefits under such program. Terminates the Commission on September 30, 1993. Title IV: Provisions Relating to Adoption Expense Deduction - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a deduction for the expenses incurred to adopt a child with special needs, up to an annual limit of $3,000.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Amends the Mount Rushmore Commemorative Coin Act to direct that specified surcharges shall be paid to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Society of Black Hills to assist its efforts to improve and enlarge the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Mandates that the remainder be returned to the Treasury for purposes of reducing the national debt. Sets forth retroactive provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Amends Federal law to increase the Federal payments in lieu of taxes to units of local government for entitlement land. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to adjust such payments by the rate of inflation according to the Consumer Price Index.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a highway project to construct a bridge across the Missouri River to improve the flow of traffic between Nebraska and South Dakota, relieve present and projected traffic burdens on existing highway networks, and improve economic development. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 and 1993. Specifies the Federal and State shares of the project.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to the income tax deduction for the health insurance costs of self-employed individuals to: (1) increase the allowable deduction from 25 percent to 100 percent; and (2) make the deduction permanent.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Authorizes the appointment of chiropractors as commissioned officers in the Army, Navy, or Air Force Medical Service Corps. Provides special pay to chiropractic officers on active duty for not less than one year. Increases such special pay with service. Authorizes the payment of additional special pay for any 12-month period during which such an officer is not undergoing chiropractic internship training, with appropriate increases for years of service. Requires such an officer, to receive such additional special pay, to execute a written agreement to remain on duty for no less than one year. Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned to terminate the payment of such additional special pay at any time, with an appropriate refund required from the officer concerned for any period paid but unserved. Requires an officer who voluntarily terminates service for a period for which a special payment was made to refund the proper amount to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Increase and Agent Orange Act of 1991 - Title I: Compensation Rate Increases - Increases the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Title II: Agent Orange Exposure and Vietnam Service - States that the following diseases will be presumed to be service-connected for purposes of eligibility for veterans' disability compensation, if they become manifest to a degree of disability of ten-percent or more in a veteran who served on active duty in Vietnam during the Vietnam era: (1) non-Hodgkins lymphoma; (2) each soft-tissue sarcoma, with specified exceptions; and (3) chloracne, if it becomes manifest to such degree within one year after the last date the veteran performed active duty in Vietnam. Provides that, in the case of a Vietnam veteran exposed to certain dioxins or other herbicide agents during service in Vietnam, specified diseases listed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and identified as having a positive association with the biological effects of exposure to such herbicide agent shall be considered to have been incurred in or aggravated by such service, even though there is no record of such disease having occurred during such service. Presumes that Vietnam veterans having such disease were exposed to such dioxin or herbicide during their Vietnam service, unless there is affirmative evidence to the contrary. Authorizes the Secretary to extend the applicability of this section to those exposed to the same type of dioxins or herbicides outside of Vietnam while on active duty. Provides a presumption of service-connection in the case of a Vietnam veteran suffering from a disease associated with effects of exposure to certain dioxins or other herbicide agents during such service in Vietnam. Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations listing a positive association between any disease and the biological effects of exposure to an herbicide agent in Vietnam. Requires the Secretary, in prescribing and revising such list, to obtain by contract the determinations and estimates of a contract scientific organization. Requires such organization to: (1) determine which diseases have any degree of association with the biological effects of exposure to a herbicide agent; and (2) estimate the extent of association between each such disease and each such biological effect. Requires the organization to determine such association specifically with respect to lung cancer and each other cancer. Outlines contract provisions required in such agreements between the Secretary and the scientific organization, including surveys, evaluations, and periodic determinations. Requires such scientific organizations to provide reports to the Secretary and the Senate and House Veterans' Affairs Committees regarding their determinations and evaluations. Requires such organization to determine, in the event of a positive association, whether there is a reasonable basis for concluding that a Vietnam veteran with the highest level of exposure to that herbicide agent in Vietnam was exposed to such agent under the circumstances necessary for such biological effects. Requires a report from the organization to the Secretary and the veterans' committees when there is no such reasonable basis found. Requires the Secretary to make certain determinations and follow-up reports after receiving such reports from the contract scientific organization, including the issuance of a report to the veterans' committees and the promulgation of positive association regulations, if necessary. Requires benefits to be continued even though a disease is removed from the regulations listing diseases having positive associations. Terminates such contracting authority ten years after the first day of the fiscal year in which a scientific organization transmits its first report to the Secretary. Provides interim regulations and special effective dates. Directs the Secretary to compile and analyze all clinical data that: (1) are obtained by the Department in connection with examinations and treatment of veterans for disabilities related to exposure to certain herbicides or to service in Vietnam; and (2) are likely to be scientifically useful in determining the association, if any, between the disabilities of such veterans and their exposure to such herbicides and other toxic substances. Requires the Secretary to submit an annual report to the veterans' committees concerning such analysis and its results. Directs the Secretary to consult with the Director of the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) before compiling and analyzing such information. Requires the Director of OTA to review each annual report submitted by the Secretary and transmit to the Secretary an evaluation of the contents of each report. Directs the Secretary to establish and maintain a system for the collection and storage of voluntarily contributed samples of blood and tissue of veterans who performed active service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era. Outlines provisions concerning the security and authorized uses of such specimens, as well as limitations on the acceptance of such samples. Requires the Secretary to consult with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to the extent that an agreement has been reached with the NAS serving as the contract scientific organization for the Secretary. Requires the Secretary to consult with the Director of OTA in the event of no agreement with NAS. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to provide for the conduct of studies of the feasibility of conducting additional scientific research on health hazards resulting from: (1) exposure to dioxin; (2) exposure to other toxic agents in herbicides used in support of U.S. and allied military operations in Vietnam during the Vietnam era; and (3) active military, naval, or air service there. Requires the Secretary to report to the veterans' committees on the results of such studies. Requires the Secretary to consult with the NAS before undertaking such studies and requires the NAS to review such studies and report recommendations to the Secretary and the veterans' committees, to the extent provided under any agreement between the Secretary and the NAS. Amends the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 1988 to require the Secretary to annually furnish updated information listed in the Department of Veterans Affairs Agent Orange Registry on health risks resulting from exposure to dioxin or other toxic agents in herbicides as a result of service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to the veterans' committees on the research being conducted to develop treatments for physiological absorption of dioxin and other toxic agents used in herbicides by the United States in Vietnam, including research relating to exposure to dioxin and other toxic agents outside Vietnam. Extends through December 31, 1993, the eligibility for hospital and nursing home care for veterans exposed to toxic substances in Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that the Congress has the power to set reasonable limits on campaign expenditures by, in support of, or in opposition to any candidate in any primary or other election for Federal office. Declares that the States have such power with respect to State or local elections.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits fiscal year Federal outlays (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding receipts (except those derived from borrowing), unless three-fifths of both Houses of Congress (by roll call vote) provide for a specific excess. Directs the President, prior to each fiscal year, to transmit to the Congress a proposed budget in which outlays do not exceed receipts. Declares that any bill to increase revenue shall become law only if approved by a majority of each House by a roll call vote, unless such bill is approved by unanimous consent. Authorizes a waiver of these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 1991
Declares that the Congress: (1) is firmly committed to reversing Iraq's occupation of Kuwait; and (2) supports the continued application of international sanctions and diplomatic efforts to pressure Iraq to leave Kuwait, but does not rule out declaring war or authorizing the use of force at a later time. Authorizes the use of American military force to enforce the United Nations economic embargo against Iraq, defend Saudi Arabia from direct Iraqi attack, and protect American forces in the region. Pledges continued support for sustaining the policy of increasing economic and diplomatic pressure against Iraq, maintaining U.S. military options, and seeking to increase the military and financial contributions made by allied nations. Declares that: (1) the Constitution vests all power to declare war in the Congress; and (2) the Congress will expeditiously consider any presidential request for a declaration of war or for authority to use military force against Iraq. Sets forth congressional priority procedures for consideration of a joint resolution declaring war or authorizing military force against Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 1990
Requires the President to: (1) identify those persons engaged in interstate commerce in the United States that are controlled by Iraqi persons; (2) identify property in which transactions have been blocked pursuant to an executive order freezing Iraqi assets; and (3) conduct investigations to determine whether Iraqi control of such entity might impair the national security. Grants the President the authority to: (1) order the seizure of any such property or interest if the President determines that Iraqi control thereof might impair national security and that seizure is in the national interest; and (2) pay U.S. creditors and other holders of obligations for which Iraq has suspended payment or repayment. Directs the President to equitably distribute the funds gained from the liquidated assets among all creditors and other obligation holders, including the U.S. Government.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 1990
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should declare November 2, 1990, a national day of prayer for: (1) members of American military forces and American citizens stationed or held hostage in the Middle East, and for their families; and (2) American and Iraqi authorities to bring about a just resolution of the Persian Gulf crisis.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 1990
Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act to require that meat being imported be subject to the same inspection, sanitary, quality, species verification, and residue standards applied to products produced in the United States. Requires that inspections of imports be carried out by U.S. inspectors. Amends the Poultry Products Inspection Act to require that inspections of imports be done by U.S. inspectors.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 1990
Expresses the sense of the Senate that any proposal to increase the Federal-aid highway program's minimum allocation percentage from 85 to 95 percent should be addressed as part of the legislative process to reauthorize surface transportation programs in 1991.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 1990
Declares that the Congress, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Wounded Knee Massacre of December 29, 1890, acknowledges the historical significance of this event as the last armed conflict of the Indian wars period resulting in the tragic death and injury of approximately 350 to 375 Indian men, women, and children of Chief Big Foot's band of Minneconjou Sioux. Expresses the deep regret of the Congress on behalf of the United States to the descendants of the victims, survivors, and their respective tribal communities. Commends the efforts of reconciliation initiated by the State of South Dakota and the Wounded Knee Survivors Association. Expresses the support of the Congress for the establishment of a suitable Memorial to those slain at Wounded Knee which could inform the American public of the historic significance of the events and accurately portray the heroic and courageous campaign waged by the Sioux people to preserve and protect their lands and their way of life during this period. Expresses the commitment of the Congress to acknowledge and learn from our history, including the Wounded Knee Massacre, in order to provide a proper foundation for building an ever more humane, enlightened, and just society for the future.
![Official portrait of Sen. Daschle, Thomas A. [D-SD]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000064_200.jpg)