United States · United States Congress · 27 October 1999
Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay a gratuity of $20,000 to veterans (or their surviving spouse) who: (1) served at Bataan or Corregidor in the Philippines during World War II; (2) were captured and held as prisoners of war by Japan during such service; and (3) were required by Japan to perform slave labor in Japan during such War.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 1999
Nuclear Decommissioning Assurance Act of 1999 - Permits a nuclear power facility licensee to petition the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), for a determination of whether: (1) adequate amounts are deposited in its nuclear decommissioning trust fund; and (2) future funding for any nuclear power plant is assured for any nuclear power plant owned in whole or in part by such licensee. Sets a time frame by which the NRC must issue a determination whether the nuclear decommissioning trust fund and the currently approved decommissioning recovery cost rates are adequate to ensure full and safe facility decommissioning. Details mandatory NRC considerations. Amends the Federal Power Act to permit an electric utility that owns a nuclear power facility in whole or in part to petition the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), for an order approving rates and charges in connection with wholesale transmission or sale of electricity to ensure collection of revenues necessary to ensure adequate funding to satisfy its decommissioning obligations. Provides that in such petition proceeding any nuclear decommissioning assurance determination made under this Act shall be conclusive. Permits a utility whose request has been denied to seek judicial review.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 1999
National Laboratories Partnership Improvement Act of 1999 - Instructs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) establish a Regional Technology Infrastructure Program to improve the ability of the National Laboratories to support department missions; (2) authorize the Director of each National Laboratory to implement such Program pursuant to prescribed program requirements; (3) require the Director of each multiprogram National Laboratory to establish a small business advocacy function and a small business assistance program; and (4) require such Director to appoint a technology partnership ombudsman for complaint resolution. Instructs the Secretary to ensure that each contractor operating a National Laboratory has policies and procedures, including an employee benefits program, that do not create disincentives to the transfer of scientific and technical personnel among contractor-operated National Laboratories. Amends the Department of Energy Organization Act to authorize the Secretary to enter into transactions with public agencies and private organizations in furtherance of functions including research, development, or demonstration projects. Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to reflect the provisions of this Act with respect to strategic plans, Federal waivers, and time required for approval.
United States · United States Congress · 14 October 1999
Palace of the Governors Expansion Act - Requires the Secretary of the Interior, subject to the availability of appropriations, to award a grant to New Mexico to pay the Federal share of costs of the final design, construction, furnishing, and equipping of the Palace of the Governors Expansion Annex in Santa Fe. Conditions receipt of the grant on New Mexico, acting through the Office of Cultural Affairs: (1) submitting Annex architectural blueprints to the Secretary; (2) exercising due diligence to obtain an appropriation of at least $8 million from the New Mexico State Legislature; and (3) expeditiously executing a memorandum of understanding recognizing that time is of the essence for construction because 2010 marks the 400th anniversary of continuous use of the Palace. Sets the Federal share of costs at 50 percent. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 14 October 1999
Indian Tribal Government Unemployment Compensation Act Tax Relief Amendments of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat employment by federally recognized tribal governments, for unemployment compensation tax purposes, in the same manner as employment by State or local units of government or nonprofit organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 1999
Leif Ericson Millennium Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue one-dollar silver coins, in conjunction with the simultaneous minting and issuance of commemorative coins by the Republic of Iceland, in commemoration of the millennium of the discovery of the New World by Leif Ericson. Mandates that all coin surcharges be paid to the Leifur Eirikson Foundation for the purpose of funding student exchanges between the United States and Iceland.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: State Criminal Alien Assistance Program II Title II: Reimbursement of States and Localities for Emergency Health Services to Undocumented Aliens State Criminal Alien Assistance Program II and Local Medical Emergency Reimbursement Act - Title I: State Criminal Alien Assistance Program II - State Criminal Alien Assistance Program II Act of 1999 - Amends the Immigration and Reform and Control Act of 1986 to provide for the reimbursement of States for indirect costs of incarcerating illegal aliens. Defines such costs as: (1) court costs, county attorney costs, and non-trial criminal proceedings; (2) indigent defense; and (3) unsupervised probation costs. Authorizes appropriations. Provides for the reimbursement of States for costs of incarcerating juvenile aliens. Provides that reimbursement of States for incarcerating illegal aliens and certain Cuban nationals shall be allocated to give special consideration for any State that: (1) shares a border with Mexico or Canada; or (2) has a large number of undocumented aliens. Title II: Reimbursement of States and Localities for Emergency Health Services to Undocumented Aliens - Authorizes appropriations for allotments to States to be paid to local governments, hospitals, and other providers for emergency health services provided to undocumented aliens. Provides special consideration for providers: (1) in a border county with Mexico or Canada; or (2) in an area with a large number of undocumented aliens. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1999
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 1999 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit any physician from knowingly performing a partial-birth abortion in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, unless it is necessary to save the life of the mother. Prescribes penalties. Defines a "partial birth abortion" as an abortion in which a person, deliberately and intentionally, partially vaginally delivers a living fetus before killing the fetus and completing the delivery. Authorizes the father, if married to the mother at the time of the abortion, and the maternal grandparents of the fetus, if the mother is under 18 years of age, to obtain specified relief in a civil action, unless the pregnancy resulted from the plaintiff's criminal conduct or the plaintiff consented to the abortion. Authorizes a defendant accused of an offense under this Act to seek a hearing before the State Medical Board on whether the physician's conduct was necessary to save the life of the mother. Prohibits the prosecution of a woman upon whom a partial-birth abortion is performed for conspiracy to violate this Act or under provisions regarding punishment as a principal or an accessory or for concealment of a felony.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 1999
Farmers' Risk Management Act of 1999 - Title I: Risk Management Payments - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to offer to enter into risk management contracts with crop insurance-eligible producers for crop years 2001 through 2004 who agree to use at least two risk management practices, including: (1) obtaining crop insurance; (2) entering into a future or option commodity contract; (3) crop diversification; (4) obtaining an agricultural trade option; and (5) farm debt reduction. Bases payments on historical or assigned yields, commodity prices, and a payment rate determined by the Secretary. Sets forth administrative and operating provisions. Terminates the program as of September 30, 2004. Title II: Crop Insurance - Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to revise crop insurance program compliance and penalty provisions. Subjects: (1) insurance agents, adjusters, and providers to specified civil money penalties and program suspensions for intentionally providing false information or failing to comply with specified standards; and (2) producers to such sanctions for intentionally providing false information. (Sec. 202) Directs the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to develop loss adjustment oversight procedures. (Sec. 203) Extends the revenue insurance pilot program. (Sec. 204) Provides for the reduction of underwriting gains and losses from catastrophic risk protection. (Sec. 205) Directs the Corporation to conduct a whole farm revenue insurance pilot program under which commodity or livestock producers may obtain insurance for a guaranteed revenue level. Sets forth program provisions. (Sec. 206) Directs the Corporation to establish a pilot program to encourage approved insurance providers to develop innovative risk management products with competitive rate premiums. Sets forth program provisions. (Sec. 207) Prohibits insurance purchases for more than one crop for the same acreage during a crop year unless there is an established area history of double-cropping. Title III: Regulations - Sets forth implementing provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 1999
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act Amendments of 1999 - Amends the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (the Act) to expand the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's authority to accept and administer private gifts within the Departments of Commerce and the Interior. (Sec. 3) Increases the Foundation's Board of Directors from 15 to 25 members, including the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. (Sec. 4) Authorizes the Foundation to have its principal offices in Washington, D.C. (as currently provided), or in the bordering counties of Maryland or Virginia. Sets forth conditions for the Foundation to: (1) acquire and convey property, including agency approval; and (2) invest and deposit Federal funds. Revises provisions relating to agency approval of acquisitions of property and of conveyances and grants. Sets forth limitations relating to the Foundation's: (1) reconveyance of real property; and (2) expenditures for printing services or capital equipment. (Sec. 5) Authorizes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2004 for the Departments of Commerce and the Interior to carry out activities under the Act (conservation or management of fish, wildlife, plants, and other natural resources). Authorizes the Foundation to accept funds from a Federal agency under any other Federal law to further its conservation and management activities. Sets forth matching funds requirements. Prohibits Foundation grants from being used for litigation expenses or for lobbying Congress. Declares that nothing in this Act authorizes the Foundation to perform any function for which authority is provided to the National Park Foundation by specified Federal law.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 1999 - Amends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to revise eligibility requirements for claims relating to: (1) atmospheric nuclear testing and leukemia; (2) uranium mining as it pertains to individuals employed in the transport of uranium ore or vanadium-uranium ore and additional designated eligible State sites; (3) written documentation of pertinent diagnoses; (4) determination and payment of claims; (5) application of Native American law and Native American considerations to claims; (6) resubmittal of previously denied claims; and (7) reduction of attorney's fees. Directs the General Accounting Office to submit detailed, periodic status reports to Congress. Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish a program of grants (including grants through the Indian Health Service) to certain Federal, State, or local medical centers, or nonprofit organizations for education, prevention, and early detection of radiogenic cancers and diseases. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
Medicare Beneficiary Access to Quality Nursing Home Care Act of 1999 - Modifies the case-mix categories for the formula for determination of the payment to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), under the prospective payment system (PPS), for routine service costs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to increase the adjusted Federal per diem rate otherwise determined for services provided to any individual during the period in which such individual is in a Nursing Home Case-Mix and Quality Demonstration resource utilization group (RUGS III) category of care, by the applicable payment add-on (updated for FY 2001 by the applicable SNF market basket percentage change), according to a specified table of such categories (especially for high-acuity and medically complex patients). Limits the application of this Act to services provided on or after October 1, 1999, and before the earlier of October 1, 2001, or the date on which the Secretary implements a case-mix methodology that takes into account adjustments for the provision of non-therapy ancillary services and supplies such as drugs and respiratory therapy. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the formula for facility specific per diem rates with respect to the market basket update (inflation adjuster) to repeal the mandatory annualized one percent reduction in basket amount.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
Superfund Recycling Equity Act of 1999 - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to absolve persons (other than owners or operators) who arranged for the recycling of recyclable material from liability for environmental response actions. Deems transactions involving scrap paper, plastic, glass, textiles, or rubber (other than whole tires) to be arranging for recycling if the person who arranged the transaction demonstrates that the following criteria were met: (1) the recyclable material met a commercial specification grade and a market existed for the material; (2) a substantial portion of the material was made available for use as a feedstock for the manufacture of a new saleable product; (3) the material (or product to be made from the material) could have been a replacement for a virgin raw material; and (4) with respect to transactions occurring 90 days after this Act's enactment, the person exercised reasonable care to determine that the facility where the material would be managed by another was in compliance with Federal, State, or local environmental laws or regulations. Deems transactions involving scrap metal to be arranging for recycling if the person who arranged the transaction demonstrates that: (1) the criteria for scrap materials were met; (2) he or she complied with applicable standards regarding activities associated with the recycling of scrap metals; and (3) the scrap metal was not melted prior to the transaction. Deems transactions involving spent lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, or other batteries to be arranging for recycling if the person involved demonstrates that: (1) the criteria for scrap materials were met; and (2) he or she complied with applicable Federal environmental regulations or standards regarding such batteries. Makes the exemptions from liability under this Act inapplicable if the person: (1) had an objectively reasonable basis to believe at the time of the recycling transaction that the recyclable material would not be recycled or would be burned as fuel or for energy recovery or incineration or that the consuming facility was not in compliance with Federal, State, or local environmental laws or regulations; (2) had reason to believe that hazardous substances had been added to the material for purposes other than processing for recycling; or (3) failed to exercise reasonable care with respect to the management of the material. Makes such exemptions inapplicable if the recyclable material contained polychlorinated biphenyls in excess of 50 parts per million or any new Federal standard.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
Public Health Response to Youth Suicide and Violence Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health to carry out specified activities to expand and intensify research aimed at better understanding the underlying developmental and other causes of mental disorders that lead to youth suicide and violence. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 1999
United States Capitol Visitor Center Commemorative Coin Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue ten-dollar bimetallic coins, one-dollar silver coins, half-dollar clad coins, and if the Secretary determines that the minting and issuance of bimetallic coins is not feasible, five-dollar gold coins emblematic of the first meeting of the United States Congress in the U.S. Capitol Building. Mandates that all surcharges received from the coin sales be deposited in the Capitol Preservation Fund and made available to the U.S. Capitol Preservation Commission to aid in the construction, maintenance, and preservation of a Capitol Visitor Center.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 1999
Calls upon the Senate, when it adjourns on July 19, 1999, to do so as a further mark of respect for the grieving families of John F. Kennedy, Jr., Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and Lauren Bessette.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 1999
Share the Surplus Tax Reduction and Simplification Act - Title I: Tax Relief - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to: (1) phase-in a reduction of the 15 percent tax rate to 13.5 percent for taxable years 2006 and beyond; (2) expand such bracket and the 28 percent bracket to include more taxpayers (thus, lowering taxes for those included in the expansion); and (3) phase-out and repeal the alternative minimum tax on individuals. Title II: Saving and Investment Provisions - Provides for the: (1) partial exclusion from gross income of dividends and interest; (2) limited deduction of capital gains for individuals; and (3) increase of the contribution limit and provide cost-of-living adjustments for individual retirement accounts. Title III: Business Investment Provisions - Repeals the: (1) alternative minimum tax on corporations; and (2) 90 percent limitation on the foreign tax credit. Increases, by tenfold, the limit on the election to expense certain depreciable business assets. Title IV: Estate and Gift Tax Relief - Phases-out and repeals subtitle B (Estate and Gift Taxes) of the IRC. Title V: Research Credit Extension and Modification - Permanently extends and modifies the credit for increasing research activities. Permits a taxpayer to elect an alternative incremental credit. Permits a credit for expenses attributable to a qualified research consortium. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to provide assistance to small and start-up businesses in complying with requirements for the credit for increasing research activities. Title VI: Energy Independence - Provides a credit for producing oil and gas from marginal wells. Provides a ten-year carryback for: (1) unused energy minimum tax credits; (2) losses attributable to oil servicing companies and mineral interests of oil and gas producers. Provides for a waiver of limitations. Permits a taxpayer to treat geological and geophysical expenses incurred in connection with the exploration for, or development of, oil or gas within the United States as expenses which are not chargeable to capital account. Title VII: Revenue Provision - Extends the period during which the four year income averaging for conversion of traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs is permitted.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1999
Responsible Fatherhood Act of 1999 - Title: I Public Awareness and Community Involvement In Fatherhood Issues - Amends part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to States and territories to: (1) develop and carry out media campaigns promoting the formation and maintenance of married two-parent families, strengthen fragile families, and promote responsible fatherhood; and (2) obtain donations of media access necessary for such campaigns. Requires the Secretary to contract with a fatherhood promotion organization (meeting certain requirements) to: (1) develop and distribute a media campaign to interested States, local governments, public agencies, and private nonprofit organizations; and (2) develop a national clearinghouse to assist States and communities to promote and support responsible fatherhood by making available to other States information regarding media campaigns and programs instituted by States using grant funds under this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Amends SSA title IV part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) to mandate block grants to States to provide support to responsible fatherhood efforts of local governments, public agencies, and private nonprofit organizations. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Removal of Burdensome Federal Restrictions - Amends SSA title IV part A with regard to TANF grant recipient requirements, custodial and non-custodial parent requirements, in-kind donations, additional use of TANF funds, and a TANF bonus to reward a State's effort to encourage the formulation and maintenance of two-parent families. Amends SSA title IV part D to give States various specified options to: (1) pass through directly to the family a portion of child support collected, including amounts collected pursuant to a continued assignment; (2) disregard child support received in determining a family's eligibility for, or amount of, TANF assistance; and (3) use amounts collected by a State as child support, and otherwise payable to the Federal Government, to provide fatherhood services (especially to low income non-custodia fathers) encouraging the appropriate involvement of both parents in the life of any of their children.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to approve any oil or gas lease or agreement that affects individually owned Navajo Indian allotted land if: (1) the owners of no less than the specified applicable percentage of the undivided interest in the Navajo Indian allotted land that is covered by the oil or gas lease or agreement consent in writing; and (2) the Secretary determines that approving the lease or agreement is in the best interest of the owners. Specifies the applicable percentage as: (1) 100 percent if there are ten or fewer owners; (2) 80 percent if there are ten to 50 owners; and (3) 60 percent if there are more than 50 owners. Authorizes the Secretary to give written consent to such an oil or gas lease or agreement on behalf of an individual Indian owner if: (1) the owner is deceased and the heirs to the interest have not been determined; or (2) the heirs have been determined but one or more cannot be located. Provides that: (1) an oil or gas lease or agreement approved under this Act shall be binding on all owners of interest in the Navajo Indian allotted land and all parties to the lease or agreement to the same extent as if all of the owners had consented to the lease or agreement; and (2) an approved lease or agreement shall apply to any portion of the undivided interest in allotted lands held by an Indian tribe even though the tribe did not consent. Provides for the distribution of proceeds derived from the lease or agreement to all owners of the undivided interest in the covered land in accordance with the portion of the undivided interest owned.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Main Street Business Incentive Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to accelerate, from taxable years beginning in 2003 to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1998, the $25,000 maximum dollar limitation applicable to the expensing of certain depreciable assets under section 179 of the IRC. Expands the definition of section 179 property (while maintaining the exclusion for air conditioning and heating units) to include any tangible property used in a trade or business.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Father Theodore M. Hesburgh Congressional Gold Medal Act - Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal to Father Theodore M. Hesburgh in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to civil rights, higher education, the Catholic Church, the Nation, and the global community. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1999
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to increase the State Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payment adjustment allotments for Minnesota (from $16 to $33 million), New Mexico (from $5 to $9 million), and Wyoming (from zero to $0.1 million) for FY 2000 through 2002.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 1999
Community Forest Restoration Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, to establish a cooperative forest restoration program in New Mexico to provide cost-share grants to stakeholders for experimental forest restoration projects designed to: (1) reduce wildfire danger; (2) restore watersheds; or (3) enhance small diameter tree use.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1999
Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999 - Title I: Use of Controlled Substances Consistent With the Controlled Substances Act - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to provide that for purposes of such Act, alleviating pain or discomfort in the usual course of professional practice is a legitimate medical purpose for the dispensing, distributing, or administering of a controlled substance consistent with public health and safety even if the use of such a substance may increase the risk of death. Declares that nothing in this Act authorizes intentionally dispensing or administering a controlled substance for purposes of causing death or assisting another person in causing death. Prohibits the Attorney General, in determining whether a controlled substance manufacturer, distributor, or dispenser registration is consistent with the public interest under the Act, from giving force and effect to State law permitting assisted suicide or euthanasia. Authorizes certain educational and research programs carried out by the Attorney General under the Act to include educational and training programs for local, State, and Federal personnel on the necessary and legitimate use of controlled substances in pain management and palliative care and means by which investigation and enforcement actions by law enforcement personnel may accommodate such use. Title II: Promoting Palliative Care - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Administrator of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research to carry out a program to: (1) develop and advance scientific understanding of palliative care; and (2) collect and disseminate protocols and evidence-based practices regarding such care, with priority given to pain management for terminally ill patients, and make such information publicly available. Defines "palliative care" as the active total care of patients whose prognosis is limited due to progressive, far-advanced disease. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to health professions schools, hospices, and other entities for programs to provide education and training to health care professionals in palliative care. Sets forth requirements for grant applicants. Provides for the evaluation of such programs to determine their effect on knowledge and practice regarding palliative care. Makes funds available for such grants and contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1999
Education Express Act - Title I: Direct Check - Directs each State Governor to notify the Secretary of Education regarding its election to receive its portion of funding for various education programs (applicable funding) under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) according to: (1) a Direct Check option, through a State allotment based on its relative funding under part B (State and Local Activities) of title II (Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development Program) of ESEA; or (2) a Federal statute option, according to the various ESEA provisions for the applicable funding programs or activities. (Sec. 101) Applies such options to all funds appropriated for the Department of Education for FY 2000 through 2004 to carry out such programs or activities under various ESEA provisions. (Sec. 102) Sets forth requirements for allotment and use of Direct Check funds. Requires States to use at least 98 percent of Direct Check allotments to award assistance to local educational agencies (LEAS) for authorized educational improvement activities, according to a formula developed by the Governor that targets the funds to the lowest achieving school districts according to most recent State assessments. Allows States to use not more than two percent of such allotments for administrative expenses. (Sec. 103) Authorizes the Secretary to make awards to States selecting the Federal statute option, according to the specified ESEA provisions for the various applicable funding programs and activities, from the applicable funding that remains after making the Direct Check allotments. Title II: Challenge Fund - Establishes a Challenge Fund. Directs the Secretary to reserve a portion of Fund appropriations for assistance to outlying areas or Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. (Sec. 201) Authorizes the Secretary to award amounts from such Fund allotments to State Governors for use by LEAS. Requires such allotments to be made to each State on the basis of its relative funding under ESEA title II part B. Requires a ten percent increase in such Fund allotment for States selecting the Direct Check option (paid for by ratable reductions in allotments for States that do not select such option). Requires States to use at least 98 percent of Challenge Fund allotments to award assistance to local educational agencies (LEAS) for authorized educational improvement activities. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Teacher Quality Fund - Establishes a Teacher Quality Fund. Directs the Secretary to reserve a portion of such Fund appropriations for assistance to outlying areas or Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. (Sec. 301) Authorizes the Secretary to award amounts from such Fund allotments to State Governors for use by LEAS. Requires such allotments to be made to each State on the basis of its relative funding under ESEA title II part B. Requires a ten percent increase in such Fund allotment for States selecting the Direct Check option (paid for by ratable reductions in allotments for States that do not select such option). Requires States to use at least 85 percent of Teacher Quality Fund allotments to award assistance to local educational agencies (LEAS) for authorized teacher quality improvement activities. Allows States to use not more than 13 percent of such allotments for statewide efforts to improve elementary and secondary school teacher quality. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: Academic Opportunity Fund - Establishes an Academic Opportunity Fund. Directs the Secretary to reserve a portion of such Fund appropriations for assistance to outlying areas or Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. (Sec. 401) Authorizes the Secretary to award funds from such Fund allotments to State Governors for use by LEAS. Requires such allotments to be made to each State on the basis of its relative funding under ESEA title II part B. Requires a ten percent increase in such Fund allotment for any States that: (1) agrees to devote 25 percent or more of the allotted funds to meet the educational needs of children with disabilities in a manner that supplements and does not supplant existing Federal, State, and local funding for such children; (2) demonstrates that it has improved the educational performance of limited English proficient students, students who at one time or another have dropped out of school, and students who are eligible for a free school lunch; or (3) adopts or shows improved performance on the State-level National Assessment of Educational Progress (paid for by ratable reductions in allotments for States that do not qualify for such increase). Requires State Governors to use at least 98 percent of Academic Opportunity Fund allotments to: (1) implement statewide education reforms such as implementing standards and assessments; or (2) provide bonus payments to elementary schools, secondary schools, or LEAS that adopt reforms or achieve goals determined important by the Governor, including rewarding schools that encourage more students to take honors courses or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), or rewarding LEAS that improve discipline policies or teacher training. Allows States to use not more than 13 percent of such allotments for statewide efforts to improve elementary and secondary school teacher quality. Authorizes appropriations. Title V: General Provisions - Sets forth requirements for State five-year educational reform plans and annual progress reports. (Sec. 502) Requires LEAS receiving assistance under title I or II of this Act to: (1) use such funds to design and implement programs to improve student learning; (2) set yearly targets for how to achieve the goals in the State plan and describe plans for corrective action if the targets are not met; and (3) use not more than 25 percent of the total amount of funds it receives under titles I and II for a fiscal year to carry out any one of specified authorized activities. Includes among authorized activities any activity focused on improved student learning, new books, additional technology, high standards and assessments, teacher hiring and quality improvements, class size reduction, alternative schools, school-to-work programs or partnerships with institutions of higher education, school construction, special education, vouchers, charter schools or other school choice initiatives, character education, dropout prevention, tutoring and remedial help for struggling students, or any activity determined by the Governor or LEA to improve the educational achievement of all children. (Sec. 503) Sets forth requirements relating to: (1) supplementation, rather than supplanting, of other funds; and (2) civil rights. Directs the Commissioner of Education Statistics to: (1) develop key definitions for terms and uniform and comparable reporting methods related to core indicators of State education performance; (2) report to Congress and the American people regarding such core indicators; and (3) provide technical assistance to States in developing accountability systems relating to the academic performance goals that States establish under this Act. Authorizes the Commissioner to make awards, at the Commissioner's discretion, through the National Cooperative Educational Statistics System to assist States in developing such measures. Directs the Secretary to work with the Commissioner to provide any necessary personnel support to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to carry out such activities. Authorizes appropriations to NCES for such activities.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1999
Academic Achievement for All Act (Straight A's Act) - Allows States flexibility in combining and using use specified Federal elementary and secondary education formula program funds for State education priorities and programs, in exchange for being held accountable for meeting, in a five- year period, certain performance goals which they propose. (Sec. 3) Allows a State to opt to enter into such a performance agreement with the Secretary of Education, under which provisions of law relating to specified eligible programs shall not apply to the State, with certain exceptions. Includes under the terms of such agreements requirements relating to: (1) use of such funds to improve student achievement; (2) an accountability system; (3) performance goals and measures, and student achievement data; (4) fiscal responsibilities; (5) civil rights; (6) private school student and staff participation; (7) State financial participation; and (8) annual reports. (Sec. 4) Lists such eligible programs, under various provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), the Department of Education Appropriations Act of 1999, the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998, and the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. (Sec. 5) Sets forth requirements relating to: (1) within-State distribution of funds; (2) local participation; and (3) a set-aside for State administrative expenditures. (Sec. 8) Requires performance reviews at the end of the five-year period. Requires reductions of State administrative funds for States that have made little or no progress. Allows States that have met at least 80 percent of their performance goals to apply for renewal of performance agreements for an additional five-year period. (Sec. 10) Directs the Secretary annually to set aside sufficient funds from the Fund for the Improvement of Education under ESEA to grant achievement gap reduction rewards to States. Requires a performance reward to equal at least five percent of funds allocated to the State during the first year of the performance agreement for programs included in the agreement. Makes a State eligible to receive a reward if, over the five-year term of the performance agreement, it reduces by at least 25 percent the difference between the percentage of highest and lowest performing groups of students that meet the State's definition of proficient, with such reduction occurring in at least: (1) two content areas, one of which must be mathematics or reading; and (2) one grade level.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 1999
Recognizes that the creation of a better United States requires the active involvement of fathers in the rearing and development of their children. Urges: (1) each father in the United States to accept his full share of responsibility for the lives of his children, to be actively involved in rearing them, and to encourage their emotional, academic, moral, and spiritual development; (2) the States to hold fathers who ignore their legal responsibilities accountable for their actions and to pursue more aggressive enforcement of child support obligations; and (3) governments and institutions at every level to remove barriers to father involvement and enact public policies that encourage and support the efforts of fathers who do want to become more engaged in the lives of their children. Encourages each father to devote time, energy, and resources to his children, recognizing that children need not only material support, but also, more importantly, a secure, affectionate, family environment. Designates June 20, 1999, as National Father's Return Day. Calls on fathers around the country to use the day to reconnect and rededicate themselves to their children's lives, to spend National Father's Return Day with their children, and to express their love and support for them.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 1999
Family Friendly Workplace Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide for: (1) time-and-a-half compensatory time off; and (2) biweekly work programs (allowing more than 40 hours of work in one week and correspondingly less in the other). (Thus provides private sector employees opportunities under such programs similar to those enjoyed by Federal employees). Requires, with respect to such compensatory time and biweekly work programs, that employee participation be voluntary, and that collective bargaining agreements be honored. Sets forth: (1) procedures for employer discontinuance of, or employee withdrawal from, certain of such programs; and (2) prohibitions against coercion. Amends the exemption from minimum wage and maximum hour requirements for certain executive, administrative, and professional employees and outside salesmen. Prohibits from consideration in determining whether an employee is exempt: (1) the fact that the employee is subject to deductions in compensation for absences from employment of less than a full workday or less than a full workweek; or (2) the payment of overtime compensation or other additions to the compensation of an employee employed on a salary based on hours worked. Allows consideration, in such a determination, of an actual reduction in compensation, with a specified exception. Amends the Federal bankruptcy code to grant third priority (allowed unsecured claims for wages, salaries, or commissions) in bankruptcy proceedings to claims relating to compensatory time off.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 1999
Commends the armed forces, President Clinton, specified military and administration officials, and the NATO forces on the success of Operation Allied Force. Demands from Slobodan Milosevic the withdrawal of all Yugoslav and Serb forces from Kosovo, a permanent end to hostilities there, the return of Kosovo citizens to their homes, and unimpeded access to Kosovo for humanitarian relief operations. Urges the leadership of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) to ensure KLA compliance with ceasefire and demilitarization obligations. Calls for full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and assistance in bringing indicted war criminals, including Milosevic and other Serb military and political leaders, to justice.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1999
Indian Child Welfare Act Amendments of 1999 - Amends the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 to provide for retention by an Indian tribe of exclusive jurisdiction over child custody proceedings involving Indian children that are or become wards of a tribal court of that Indian tribe. Revises requirements, with respect to Indian children, regarding: (1) the voluntary termination of parental rights; and (2) the withdrawal of a consent to such voluntary termination or to adoption. Requires a party seeking the voluntary placement of an Indian child or the voluntary termination of parental rights to provide written notice to the Indian child's tribe. Sets forth the requirements for such a written notice. Permits an Indian tribe to intervene only if a child's tribe has sent a written objection to the adoptive placement to the court or to the party seeking the voluntary placement of the Indian child, but permits the child's Indian tribe to intervene in any case in which the Indian tribe did not receive a written notice. Modifies requirements regarding consideration of the personal preference of an Indian child or parent with respect to adoptive placements, foster care, and preadoptive placements. Prescribes, in any case in which a court determines that it is appropriate to consider the preference of a parent or Indian child, that preference may be considered to constitute good cause. Provides criminal sanctions for fraudulent representation with respect to any proceeding involving an Indian child.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1999
Federalism Accountability Act of 1999 - Requires: (1) the report accompanying any public bill or joint resolution reported from a Senate or House committee or conference to contain an explicit statement on the extent to which the bill or joint resolution preempts State or local government law, ordinance, or regulation and an explanation of the reasons for such preemption; or (2) in the absence of such a report, the committee or conference to report to the Senate and House a statement containing such information before consideration of a bill, joint resolution, or conference report. Prohibits construing any statute or rule enacted after this Act's effective date as preempting in whole, or in part, any State or local government law, ordinance, or regulation, unless: (1) the statute or rule explicitly states that such preemption is intended (and in the case of a rule, that such preemption is authorized by the statute under which the rule is promulgated); or (2) there is a direct conflict between such statute or rule and a State or local law, ordinance, or regulation so that the two cannot be reconciled or consistently stand together. Requires any ambiguity in any Federal law to be interpreted in favor of preserving the authority of the State. Directs the head of each Federal agency to: (1) be responsible for implementing this Act; and (2) designate an officer (to be known as the federalism officer) to manage the implementation and serve as a liaison to State and local officials and their designated representatives. Requires agencies to provide for notice of rulemaking and consultation with State and local officials regarding any preemption or other significant federalism impacts that may result. Requires federalism officers to identify each proposed, interim final, and final rule having a federalism impact that warrants the preparation of a federalism assessment that shall assess and explain the extent of preemption, the significant impacts on State and local governments, the measures taken to minimize such impacts, and the extent of consultation. Sets forth agency procedures for the preparation, consideration, submission, and publication of federalism assessments. Prohibits any agency head from including in any performance plan any agency activity that is a State-administered Federal grant program, unless the performance measures are determined in cooperation with State or local officials. Requires: (1) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to submit annually to the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) information describing interim final and final rules issued during the preceding year that preempt State or local authority; and (2) the Director of the Congressional Research Service to submit annually to the CBO Director information describing court decisions issued during the preceding year that preempt State or local authority. Directs CBO, after each session of Congress, to prepare a specified report on the extent of Federal preemption of State or local authority enacted into law or adopted through judicial or agency interpretation of Federal statutes during the previous session and to make such reports available to each congressional committee, each State Governor, the presiding officer of each chamber of the legislature of each State, and other public officials and the public on the Internet. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, with respect to Federal intergovernmental mandates, to require a Senate or House committee to include in its report accompanying a public bill or joint resolution that would place caps upon, or otherwise decrease, the Government's responsibility to provide funding to State, local, or tribal governments under a Federal program under which $500 million or more is provided annually under entitlement authority, a statement of how the committee specifically intends the States to implement the reduction and to what extent the legislation provides additional flexibility, to offset such reduction. Requires the CBO Director to include in statements on public bills or joint resolutions (other than appropriation bills and joint resolutions) reported by any Senate or House committee that make such reduction, if no additional flexibility is provided in the legislation, a description of whether and how the States can offset the reduction under existing law or, if additional flexibility is provided, whether the resulting savings would offset the reductions in that program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 1999
Lewis and Clark Expedition Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue one-dollar coins emblematic of the expedition of Lewis and Clark. Allocates surcharges from coin sales between the National Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council and the National Park Service for activities associated with the bicentennial commemoration of the expedition.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Department of Defense-Civil Department of the Army Title II: Department of the Interior Title III: Department of Energy Title IV: Independent Agencies Title V: Rescissions Title VI: General Provisions Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2000 - Title I: Department of Defense-Civil Department of the Army - Makes appropriations to the Department of the Army and its Corps of Engineers for FY 2000 for: (1) authorized civil functions of the Department of the Army relating to rivers and harbors, flood control, beach erosion, and related purposes; (2) expenses necessary for the collection and study of information related to such purposes; (3) the prosecution of authorized water development and related projects; (4) certain flood control projects on the Mississippi River and its tributaries; (5) water development projects operation and maintenance; (6) the navigable waters and wetlands regulatory program; (7) formerly utilized sites remedial action program; and (8) general expenses. Authorizes use of the Revolving Fund to renovate certain office space for use by the Corps and the General Accounting Office. (Sec. 101) Bars application of a fully allocated funding policy to projects for which funds are identified in specified Committee reports. Directs the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to undertake such projects using continuing contracts. (Sec. 102) States that agreements proposed for execution by the Assistance Secretary of the Army for civil works or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shall be limited to a single agreement per project. Limits credits and reimbursements per project, and total credits and reimbursements for all applicable projects, to specified amounts in each fiscal year. (Sec. 103) Prohibits the use of funds under this Act to revise the Missouri River Master Water Control Manual when it is made known to the pertinent Federal authority that such revision provides for an increase in the springtime water release program during the spring heavy rainfall and snow melt period in States with rivers draining into the Missouri River below the Gavins Point Dam. Title II: Department of the Interior - Makes FY 2000 appropriations to the Department of the Interior for: (1) the Central Utah Project; (2) the Bureau of Reclamation, water and related resources; (3) Bureau of Reclamation Loan Program Account; (4) Central Valley Project Restoration Fund; (5) California Bay-Delta Restoration; and (6) general administrative expenses. Title III: Department of Energy - Makes appropriations to the Department of Energy (DOE) for FY 2000 for: (1) energy supply programs; (2) non-defense environmental management; (3) the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund; (4) general DOE science and research activities; (5) the Nuclear Waste Disposal Fund; (6) DOE administration; (7) Office of the Inspector General; (8) atomic energy defense weapons activities; (9) defense environmental restoration and waste management; (10) defense facilities closure projects; (11) defense environmental management privatization; (12) other DOE defense activities; (13) defense nuclear waste disposal; (14) the various geographical power marketing administrations of DOE (including specified costs for the hydroelectric facilities at the Falcon and Amistad Dams under the Western Area Power Administration); and (15) the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (Sec. 301) Prohibits the use of funds under this Act to: (1) award either a management and operating contract without competitive procedures unless the Secretary of Energy (Secretary) grants a waiver on a case-by-case basis; (2) develop or implement a workforce restructuring plan for DOE employees, or to provide them with enhanced severance payments or other benefits; (3) augment specified funds made available for severance payments and other benefits and community assistance grants under specified law; (4) prepare or initiate Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for a program that has not been funded by Congress; or (5) dispose of any transuranic waste containing specified plutonium concentrations in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Title IV: Independent Agencies - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 for: (1) the Appalachian Regional Commission; (2) the Denali Commission; (3) the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board; (4) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); (5) the NRC Office of the Inspector General; (6) the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board; and (7) the Tennessee Valley Authority Fund. Title V: Rescissions - Rescinds specified amounts previously appropriated for designated projects under the aegis of: (1) Department of Defense-Civil, Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers; and (2) Department of Energy, Southeastern Power Administration. Title VI: General Provisions - Declares the sense of Congress that all equipment and products bought with funds under this Act should be American-made. Requires each Federal agency to give notice of this policy to any entity to which it provides financial assistance or contracts. Bars contracts funded under this Act from being awarded to any person determined by a court or Federal agency to have falsely labeled products as made in America. (Sec. 603) Prohibits the use of any funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act to determine the final point of discharge for the interceptor drain for the San Luis Unit until the Secretary of the Interior and the State of California develop a plan, which shall conform to California water quality standards approved by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to minimize any detrimental effect of the San Luis drainage waters. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to classify the costs of the Kesterson Reservoir Cleanup and the San Joaquin Valley Drainage Programs as reimbursable or nonreimbursable and collected until fully repaid pursuant to the "Cleanup Program--Alternative Repayment Plan" and the "SJVDP--Alternative Repayment Plan" described in a specified report. Makes San Luis Unit beneficiaries of drainage service or drainage studies responsible to reimburse the United States fully for any future obligations of Federal funds relating to, or providing for, such service or studies for the San Luis Unit. (Sec. 604) Prohibits the use of any funds to restart the High Flux Beam Reactor. (Sec. 605) Amends the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 to extend from September 30, 1998, through September 30, 2000 the NRC's authority to assess annual charges. (Sec. 606) Extends from FY2000 to FY2002 the proscription against withdrawal of certain amounts from either the United States Enrichment Corporation Fund (USEC Fund), or the Working Capital Account, for specified gaseous diffusion plants. Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to instruct the Secretary of the Treasury to invest in U.S. obligations such portion of the Fund as is not required to meet current withdrawals. (Sec. 607) Redesignates the "Cascade Reservoir" as "Lake Cascade". (Sec. 608) Amends the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act to decrease from $2 million in 1997 dollars to $500,000 in 1997 dollars the annual cost of implementing the Northwest Power Planning Council's mandate to establish an Independent Scientific Review Panel and Scientific Peer Review Groups, and their activities. Repeals the expiration date of such mandate and activities to make them permanent.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
National Forest System Community Purposes Act - Authorizes, and sets forth conditions for, disposal by the Secretary of Agriculture of National Forest System land to a State or its political subdivision for public or recreational purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Physical Education for Progress Act - Amends title X (Programs of National Significance) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to, and enter into contracts with, local educational agencies (LEAs) to initiate, expand, and improve physical education programs for all kindergarten through 12th grade students. Requires such grants and contracts to be used for: (1) providing equipment and support to enable students to actively participate in physical education activities; (2) developing or enhancing physical education curricula to meet national goals for physical education developed by the Secretary in consultation with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education; and (3) providing funds for staff and teacher training and education. Requires LEA applications for such assistance to contain plans for school physical education programs that meet specified requirements, including: (1) curricula providing students with at least 150 minutes per week of instructional physical education per week, along with certain types of instructional contents; (2) physical education teachers with baccalaureate degrees qualifying them as physical education specialists; and (3) professional development opportunities for physical education teachers. Prohibits extracurricular activities such as team sports and Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program activities from being considered as part of the curriculum of a physical education program assisted under this Act. Sets forth requirements relating to: (1) proportionality of awards; (2) private school students and home-schooled students; (3) LEA reports for continued funding; (4) the Secretary's report to the Congress; (5) administrative costs; and (6) Federal share. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Small Business Lawsuit Abuse Protection Title II: Product Seller Fair Treatment Small Business Liability Reform Act of 1999 - Title I: Small Business Lawsuit Abuse Protection - Allows punitive damages to be awarded against a small business only if the claimant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that conduct carried out by the defendant through willful misconduct or with a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of others was the proximate cause of the harm that is the subject of the action. Limits such punitive damages to the lesser of two times the amount awarded for economic and noneconomic losses, or $250,000. (Sec. 104) States that, in any civil action against a small business: (1) each defendant shall be liable only for the amount of noneconomic loss allocated to that defendant in direct proportion to the percentage of responsibility of that defendant for the harm caused to the plaintiff; and (2) the court shall render a separate judgment against each defendant describing such percentage of responsibility. (Sec. 105) Excepts from such liability limitations any misconduct of a defendant: (1) that constitutes a crime of violence, international terrorism, or a hate crime; (2) that results in liability for damages under specified provisions of the Oil Pollution Control Act of 1990 or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980; (3) that involves a sexual offense or violation of a Federal or State civil rights law; or (4) caused by being under the influence of intoxicating alcohol or a drug. (Sec. 106) Preempts inconsistent State law. Title II: Product Seller Fair Treatment - States that this title governs any product liability action brought in any Federal or State court. Excludes from this title actions for commercial loss, negligent entrustment, negligence per se concerning firearms and ammunition, and actions brought under a dram-shop or third-party liability arising out of the sale or provision of alcohol to an intoxicated person or a minor. (Sec. 204) Mandates that, in any product liability action covered by this Act, a product seller other than a manufacturer shall be liable to a claimant only if such claimant establishes that: (1) the product that caused the harm was sold, rented, or leased by the seller, the seller failed to exercise reasonable care with respect to the product, and such failure was the proximate cause of harm to the plaintiff; (2) the seller made an express warranty applicable to such product, the product failed to conform to the warranty, and such failure caused the harm to the plaintiff; or (3) the product seller engaged in intentional wrongdoing (as determined under applicable State law), and such wrongdoing caused the harm to the plaintiff. States that a seller shall not be considered to have failed to exercise reasonable care with respect to a product based upon a failure to inspect if: (1) there was no reasonable opportunity to inspect; or (2) such inspection would not have revealed the aspect of the product that allegedly caused the claimant's harm. Allows a seller to be liable as a manufacturer if: (1) the manufacturer is not subject to appropriate service of process; or (2) the court determines that the claimant is or would be unable to enforce a judgment against the manufacturer. Provides limited liability for persons engaged in the business of renting or leasing a product.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 1999
Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) establish a procedure to identify, by State, inholdings within federally designated areas for which the landowner has indicated a desire to sell the land or an interest in land to the Federal Government and to establish the date upon which the land or interest in land identified became an inholding; and (2) provide in the Federal Register and through other means as deemed appropriate periodic notice to the public of such policy, including any information to consider an inholding for acquisition. Provides that an inholding shall be considered for identification only if the Secretary receives notification of a desire to sell from the owner in response to such a notice and shall be deemed to have been established as of the later of the earlier of the date on which the land was withdrawn from the public domain or established or designated for special management, or the date on which the inholding was acquired by the current owner. Directs the Secretary to establish a program, using funds from a Federal Land Disposal Account of the Treasury established by this Act, to complete appraisals and satisfy other legal requirements for the sale or exchange of public land identified for disposal under approved land use plans. Sets forth reporting and program termination requirements. Requires that gross proceeds generated by the sale or exchange of public land under this Act be deposited in the Federal Land Disposal Account. Sets forth provisions regarding use of the Account, contaminated sites and sites difficult and uneconomic to manage, investment, and program termination.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 1999
Declares that the U.S. Government should pursue policies that: (1) support and encourage the U.S. people to master the English language plus other languages of the world, with special emphasis on the growing importance of Spanish for our Nation's economic and cultural relationships with Mexico, Central America, and South America; (2) recognize the value of Spanish to millions of U.S. people of Hispanic descent, who will be the Nation's largest minority by the year 2005, constituting one of every four U.S. people by the year 2030; (3) recognize the importance of English as the unifying language of the United States, and the importance of English fluency for individuals who want to succeed in U.S. society; (4) recognize that command of the English language is a critical component of the success and productivity of U.S. children, and should be encouraged at every age; (5) recognize that a skilled labor force is crucial to U.S. competitiveness in a global economy, and the ability to speak one or more languages in addition to English is a significant skill; (6) support literacy programs, including programs designed to teach English, as well as those dedicated to helping U.S. people learn and maintain other languages in addition to English; and (7) develop U.S. linguistic resources by encouraging U.S. citizens to learn and maintain Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Italian, Korean, Vietnamese, Farsi, African languages, sign language, and the many other languages of the world, in addition to English.
![Official portrait of Sen. Domenici, Pete V. [R-NM]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000407_200.jpg)