United States · United States Congress · 18 March 1988
Emergency Assistance for the Nicaraguan Democratic Resistance Act - Transfers to the President a specified sum of unobligated funds to provide humanitarian assistance to the Nicaraguan democratic resistance and transportation for such assistance. Earmarks a specified amount of such assistance for the purchase, repair, and transportation of communications equipment. Provides that such transferred funds shall remain available until March 31, 1989. Directs the Secretary of Defense to make available through March 31, 1989, passive air defense equipment to assure the safety of transportation provided under this Act. Provides that, after a ceasefire is negotiated between the Government of Nicaragua and the resistance, delivery of the remaining assistance shall be made in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire agreement. Welcomes proposals by the President to the Congress for bilateral and multilateral action to: (1) provide additional economic assistance to the democratic countries of Central America; (2) facilitate the growth of their economies; (3) provide a more realistic plan to assist such countries in managing their foreign debt; (4) develop these initiatives in concert with democratic allies; and (5) lift the embargo on trade and other transactions against Nicaragua, and include Nicaragua as eligible for assistance, if it is in compliance with the Guatemala Accords. Authorizes the President, after consulting with congressional leaders, to submit to the Congress requests for additional assistance to the resistance anytime within 12 months after enactment of this Act. Sets forth congressional priority procedures for taking up such requests.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 1988
Declares that the Secretary of State should: (1) initiate negotiations with the Soviet Union on a bilateral agreement regarding establishment and enforcement of a moratorium on all fishing in the international waters of the Bering Sea known as the "Hole in the Donut" or the Donut; (2) initiate negotiations for a multilateral agreement regarding a fishery management regime and conservation and protection of the long term viability of fishery resources in the area; and (3) report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate regarding enforcement options for fishery management in the Bering Sea. Declares that both the bilateral and the multilateral agreements should include language indicating that their sole purpose is fishery conservation and that they in no way impose unlawful restrictions on the internationally recognized rights and freedoms of vessel transit.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1988
Washington Park Wilderness Act of 1988 - Title I: Olympic National Park Wilderness - Designates specified lands in the Olympic National Park, Washington, as the Olympic Wilderness and a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to maintain and replace, as appropriate, the Wolf Creek underground powerline to Hurricane Ridge. Authorizes funds to the Secretary of the Interior to make payment to the Clallam County Historical Society and Museum of Port Angeles, Washington, as compensation for: (1) its interest in the National Park Service visitor center, Pioneer Memorial Museum, and Olympic National Park, Washington; and (2) its participation in the construction of the Pioneer Memorial Museum. Increases from $500 to $25,000 the fine imposed for hunting, fishing, or damaging property within the Olympic National Park. Revises provisions relating to the forfeiture of property used in connection with such activities. Subjects all fugitives from justice who take refuge in such park to the same laws as refugees from justice found in the State of Washington. Title II: North Cascades Park Wilderness - Designates specified lands in the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, Washington, as the Stephen Mather Wilderness and a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Provides that no law shall affect the jurisdiction of the Federal Power Commission to proceed with specified hydroelectric projects within the Park. Authorizes the Secretary to acquire lands outside of the Park for the construction of a visitor center and a headquarters site for such park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. Authorizes appropriations. Revises provisions relating to mineral resources and renewable natural resource use within the recreation areas of the Park. Title III: Mount Rainier National Park Wilderness - Designates specified lands in the Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, as the Mount Rainier Wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Sets forth provisions relating to the administration of the wilderness areas and Park lands.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1988
National Appliance Energy Conservation Amendments of 1988 - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to include fluorescent lamp ballasts within the list of products covered by the Act. Directs the Secretary of Energy to prescribe by July 1, 1989, test procedures for such ballasts manufactured on or after January 1, 1990. Directs the Federal Trade Commission to prescribe labeling rules for such ballasts according to specified guidelines. Sets forth energy efficiency standards for such ballasts. Preempts State energy conservation standards for such ballasts unless such standards were prescribed or enacted before the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 1988
Designates the week of June 26 through July 2, 1988, as National Safety Belt Use Week. Authorizes and requests the President to: (1) urge the people to wear safety belts and use child safety seats; and (2) encourage State and local governments and concerned organizations and officials to promote greater use of these safety devices.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 1988
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Sergeant at Arms, in exercising authority to compel the attendance of absent Senators pursuant to rule VI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, should comply with certain conditions in the execution of arrest warrants.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1988
Expresses the sense of the Senate with respect to the banning of political activity in South Africa. Urges: (1) the U.S. Government to increase pressure on the South African Government through political, diplomatic, and economic measures; (2) the President to take immediate action to achieve numerical equivalence in diplomatic missions of the South African and U.S. Governments; and (3) approval of temporary U.S. visas requested by South Africans on a case-by-case basis only after consideration of the South African Government's record of allowing South African citizens, particularly members of anti-apartheid organizations, to travel to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 1988
Condemns North Korea for its bombing of Korean Air Lines (KAL) flight 858 and its support for international terrorism. Commends the Government of South Korea for confronting North Korean terrorism and for efforts to ensure a safe International Olympic Games in Seoul this year. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) those responsible for the KAL bombing should be brought to justice; (2) all nations should take appropriate measures against North Korea, including implementing trade and other sanctions; (3) international aviation groups, including the International Civilian Aviation Organization, should take steps against North Korea, including consideration of the suspension of air service; and (4) the Governments of Bahrain and Japan should be commended for their cooperation in the investigation of the KAL bombing.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 1988
Amends the Public Health Service Act to require alcoholic beverages in commerce in the United States to have labels bearing a specified health warning, including that: (1) alcohol consumption during pregnancy cause birth defects; (2) alcohol consumption impairs ability to drive a car or operate machinery; (3) alcohol is hazardous in combination with some drugs; (4) alcohol can increase the risk of developing hypertension, liver disease, and cancer; and (5) alcohol may be addictive. Makes the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms the enforcing agency. Establishes civil penalties, exemptions, and liabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 22 December 1987
Thanks the Honorable John C. Stennis, President pro tempore, for the manner in which he presided over the Senate during the first session of the 100th Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 21 December 1987
Indian Housing Act of 1987 - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make loans to Indian housing authorities (IHA) for lower income housing projects. Authorizes the Secretary to make annual contributions to IHA projects to: (1) maintain their lower income character; and (2) provide operating funds. Provides that specified IHA-issued obligations shall be backed by the Secretary and federally nontaxable. Authorizes a comprehensive Indian housing grant program. Sets forth program provisions. Limits the percentage of housing under this Act available to other than very low-income families. Sets forth conditions for demolition of IHA projects.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 1987
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to designate and acquire lands for the establishment of the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, Washington. Requires the Secretary to prepare a management plan which includes a visitor center and other facilities. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Foundation about setting up a separate account to administer private gifts of property received for purposes of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 1987
Indian Child Welfare Act Amendments of 1987 - Amends the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978. Declares the congressional intent to protect the right of Indian children to develop a tribal identity and to maintain ties to the Indian community. Redefines the term "Indian" to include any person of Indian or Alaska Native descent who is considered by an Indian or Alaska Native tribe to be a part of its community. Defines "family" to include extended family members. Grants Indian tribes exclusive jurisdiction over child custody proceedings involving Indian children domiciled or residing on the reservation, except where concurrent jurisdiction over voluntary child custody proceedings may be otherwise vested in the State by existing Federal law. Grants the parent of an Indian child the right to intervene at any point in child custody, and related judicial or administrative, proceedings. Permits the Indian child's tribe to authorize an Indian organization or other Indian tribe to intervene on its behalf. Provides for written notification of the tribe whenever a non-tribal social services agency determines that an Indian child is in any situation that could lead to a placement requiring the continued involvement of the agency with the child beyond a specified period. Grants the tribe the right to examine and copy all documents involving the child. Shields the State agency from liability arising out of its release of information to the tribe. Sets forth procedures for notification of the child's parent, custodian, and tribe, in any State court involuntary child custody proceeding where the court or the petitioner knows or has reason to know that an Indian child is involved, of the existence of, and conduct of, such proceeding. Grants an indigent parent or Indian custodian the right to court-appointed counsel, and allows the court to appoint counsel for the child if it believes it to be in the best interest of the child. Sets legal standards for the admissibility of evidence and the qualifications of expert witnesses in such proceedings. Directs that any order for placement or termination of parental rights protect the child's opportunity to learn his or her tribal identity and heritage, take advantage of the tribe's cultural resources, and provide for continued contacts between the child and the parents, family, and tribe. Establishes procedures to assure that any consent by the parent or Indian custodian to a foster care placement, termination of parental rights, or adoption under State law is voluntary and informed. Declares that such consent shall not be deemed an abandonment of the child by the parent or Indian custodian, nor shall it affect the rights of other Indian relatives to custody. Provides for the withdrawal of consent and the immediate return of the child unless such return would subject the child to a substantial and immediate danger of serious physical harm or threat of such harm. Permits challenges to child custody proceedings by any parent, Indian custodian, or the Indian child's tribe. Provides for Federal court review of any State court final decree alleged to be in violation of this Act, on an expedited basis. Sets placement goals in State court proceedings. Declares that all placements shall seek to protect the rights of Indian children as Indians, as well as the rights of the Indian community and tribe. Requires that adoptive placements be made in accordance with tribal preferences established by resolution or, in the absence of such resolution, according to a specified order of placement, with exceptions. Requires that any child accepted for foster care or preadoptive placement be placed within reasonable proximity to the child's home. Directs a State, as necessary to comply with the provision of this Act that the prevailing social and cultural standards of the Indian community be the standards to be applied in meeting placement requirements, to promulgate separate State licensing standards for foster homes servicing Indian children and place such children in homes licensed or approved by the Indian child's tribe or an Indian organization. Sets notification requirements. Sets requirements for subsequent placements or proceedings, and for the reassumption of exclusive tribal jurisdiction. Allows the parent or Indian custodian from whose custody a child has been removed or retained, and the child's tribe, to petition any court with jurisdiction for the return of the child. Prohibits an Indian parent or custodian from waiving any of the provisions of this Act. Sets forth procedures for authorizing continued physical custody, following the emergency removal of a child, and procedures for terminating such custody. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish Indian Child Welfare committees to monitor compliance with this Act. Requires States in which a federally-recognized Indian tribe is located or where there is an Indian population in excess of 10,000 to make compliance with this Act a condition for continued licensure for any private child placement agency, and to audit such agencies to ensure that they are in compliance. Applies provisions of this Act to the aboriginal peoples of Canada. Requires the Secretary to make grants to Indian tribes and organizations for preventive on- and off-reservation programs, in accordance with priorities established by the tribe. (Current law makes this discretionary, and not necessarily consistent with tribal priorities). Requires (currently, authorizes) the Secretary to enter into agreements with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and directs the latter to use funds appropriated for similar HHS programs. Authorizes the Congress to appropriate funds to provide Indian child welfare training to Federal, State, and tribal judges, court personnel, social workers, and child welfare workers, including those employed by agencies licensed by a State. Provides for the payment of indirect and administrative costs. Requires that the administrative body of each State court designate an individual to ensure State court compliance with this Act. Sets deadlines for the compilation and forwarding of information to the Secretary and the Indian child's tribe regarding placements. Makes conforming amendments to related Acts.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 1987
Repeals provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 with respect to the taxation of both individual and corporate capital gains. Provides that the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) be applied and administered as if such provisions had not been enacted. Amends the IRC to decrease the capital gains tax rate for corporations from 28 percent to 20 percent. Amends the IRC to revise the method of calculating the deduction for capital gains of noncorporate taxpayers. Allows a capital gains deduction equal to: (1) 100 percent for assets held five years or longer; (2) 60 percent for assets held for between three and five years; and (3) 40 percent for assets held for between one and three years. Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 to increase the holding period required for long-term capital gain tax treatment of property acquired after 1986.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 1987
Title I: International Development Association - Amends the International Development Association Act to authorize the U.S. Governor of the International Development Association to agree to pay on behalf of the United States to the Association $2,875,000,000 to the eighth replenishment of the resources of the Association. Authorizes appropriations for such contribution and specifies such amount for FY 1988. Title II: Asian Development Fund - Amends the Asian Development Bank Act to authorize the U.S. Governor of the Asian Development Bank to contribute on behalf of the United States $584,280,000 to the Asian Development Fund. Authorizes appropriations for such contribution and specifies such amount for FY 1988. Title III: African Development Bank - Amends the African Development Bank Act to authorize the U.S. Governor of the African Development Bank to agree to subscribe on behalf of the U.S. to 59,632 shares of the capital stock of the Bank. Authorizes appropriations of $719,370,633 for such subscription. Specifies the amount that may be appropriated in FY 1988 for paid-in capital. Title IV: Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency - Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Act - Authorizes the President to accept membership for the United States in the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (Agency) provided for by the Convention Establishing the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency deposited in the archives of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Bank). Provides that the Governor and Alternate Governor of the Bank shall serve as Governor and Alternate Governor, respectively, of the Agency. Directs the U.S. Director of the Agency to propose to the Board of Directors that the Board adopt policies and procedures under which the Agency would refrain from issuing guarantees in respect of any proposed investment that would: (1) be in a country which has not taken or is not taking steps to afford internationally-recognized workers' rights to workers in that country; (2) be subject to trade-distorting performance requirements imposed by the host country that are likely to result in a significant net reduction in employment in the other member countries or a reduction in other trade benefits likely to accrue to other member countries from the investment; or (3) be likely to increase a country's productive capacity in an industry already facing excess worldwide capacity for the same or a similar or competing product, and cause substantial injury to producers of such product in another member country. Directs the Secretary to instruct the U.S. Director to: (1) oppose guarantees which may be issued in such circumstances; and (2) conduct an evaluation of U.S. investments guaranteed by the Agency to determine their impact on U.S. employment and exports and the extent to which such investments were made in countries which had not taken or are not taking steps to afford internationally-recognized workers' rights in host countries. Requires the Secretary to furnish such evaluation to the Congress. Directs the Secretary to ensure periodic consultations with United States private sector representatives, through appropriate mechanisms, on policy directions and operations of the Agency, and to take account of those consultations in determining the policies of the United States toward the Agency. Provides that certain provisions of the Bretton Woods Agreements Act shall apply to the Agency to the same extent as they apply to the Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Prohibits the President or any person or agency, unless authorized by law, from: (1) subscribing to additional shares of stock in the Agency; (2) voting for or agreeing to any amendment of the Convention which increases the obligations of the United States, or which changes the purpose or functions of the Agency; or (3) making a loan or providing other financing to the Agency. Requires any Federal Reserve bank that is requested to do so by the Agency to act as its depository or as its fiscal agent. Requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to supervise and direct the carrying out of these functions by the Federal Reserve banks. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to subscribe on behalf of the United States to 20,519 shares of the capital stock of the Agency. Authorizes appropriations of $222,015,580 for such subscription. Provides that any payment of dividends of such stock shall be deposited into the Treasury as a miscellaneous receipt. Sets forth the jurisdiction of U.S. courts regarding civil actions to which the Agency may be a party. Sets forth procedures regarding arbitral awards rendered to resolve disputes arising under the Convention. Gives full force and effect within the United States, its territories, and possessions to defined privileges and immunities accorded under the Convention to the Agency. Title V: Inter-American Development Bank - Amends the Inter-American Development Bank Act to authorize the U.S. Governor of the Inter-American Development Bank to agree to and to accept the amendments to the Articles of Agreement in the proposed resolution entitled "Merger of Interregional and Ordinary Capital Resources." Title VI: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development - Amends the Bretton Woods Agreement Act to authorize the U.S. Governor of the Bank to agree to and to accept the amendment to the Articles of Agreement in the proposed resolution entitled "Amendment to the Articles of Agreement of the Bank." Title VII: Policies for the Multilateral Development Banks - Amends the International Financial Institutions Act to direct the Secretaries of the Treasury and State, in cooperation with the Administrator of the Agency for International Development (AID), to vigorously promote mechanisms to strengthen the environmental performance of multilateral development banks. Declares that the mechanisms shall include, but are not limited to, strengthening organizational, administrative, and procedural arrangements within the banks. Directs the Administrator, in the course of reviewing assistance proposals of the multilateral development banks, to ensure that other agencies and appropriate U.S. embassies and overseas missions of AID are instructed to analyze the environmental impacts of multilateral development loans in advance of such loans' approval to determine whether the proposals will contribute to the sustainable development of the borrowing country. Provides that if there is reason to believe that any such loan may have adverse impacts on the environment, then the Administrator shall ensure that the mission or embassy undertakes an affirmative investigation of such impacts in consultation with relevant Federal agencies. Requires any information collected to be made available to the public. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the Executive Directors representing the United States at the Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the African Development Bank to urge the management and other directors of each such bank to provide sufficient time between the circulation of assistance proposals and bank action on those proposals, in order to permit their evaluation by major shareholder governments. Requires the Administrator to identify those assistance proposals likely to have adverse impacts on the environment, natural resources, public health, or indigenous peoples and to transmit such information to specified congressional committees. Requires the Secretary to forward such information to the Executive Director representing the United States in the appropriate bank with instructions to eliminate or mitigate adverse impacts which may result from the proposal. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Administrator, to create a system for cooperative exchange of information with other interested member countries on assistance proposals of the multilateral development banks. Directs the Secretary to instruct the United States Executive Directors of the multilateral development banks to support the strengthening of educational programs within each such bank to improve the capacity of mid-level managers to initiate and manage environmental aspects of development activities, and to train officials of borrowing countries in the conduct of environmental analyses. Directs the Secretary to instruct the U.S. Executive Directors of the multilateral development banks to: (1) urge each institution to identify and develop procedures to give appropriate consideration to environmental values in decisionmaking; and (2) include within each assistance proposal circulated to the Board of Directors a detailed environmental statement analyzing the environmental impact of the proposed action, the adverse environmental impacts should the proposal be implemented, and alternatives to the proposed action. Directs the Secretary to instruct U.S. Executive Directors of each multilateral development bank to promote: (1) increases in the proportion of loans supporting environmentally beneficial policies, projects, and project components; (2) the establishment of environmental programs in policy-based lending to improve natural resource management, environmental quality, and protection of biological diversity; (3) increases in the proportion of staff with professional training and experience in ecology and related areas and in the areas of anthropological and sociological impact analysis; (4) encouragement of participation by borrowing countries nongovernmental environmental, community, and indigenous peoples' organizations at all stages of project preparation and implementation; and (5) full availability to concerned or affected nongovernmental and community organizations of full documentary information concerning details of design and potential environmental and sociocultural impacts of proposed loans. Directs the Secretary to instruct the U.S. Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund to promote the requirement that the Fund conduct an in-depth analysis of the possible impact of its adjustment policies and conditionality of its lending facilities on the environment, public health, natural resources, and indigenous peoples. Directs the Secretary to adopt voting instructions for environmentally sensitive sectors and ecosystems pursuant to which the U.S. Executive Directors of each multilateral development bank shall oppose all loans for projects or policies which have unjustifiable adverse effects on the environment, natural resources, public health, or indigenous peoples. Requires the Secretary to submit an annual report on the progress being made to implement environmental objectives to specified congressional committees. Directs the Secretary, after consultations with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior on markets and prices for commodities, to periodically instruct the U.S. Executive Directors to work with other executive directors to continue to: (1) support activities which result in broad increases in income and employment and enhance purchasing power in developing countries, particularly among the rural poor; and (2) encourage diversification away from single crop or product economies in developing countries to help reduce wide fluctuations in commodity prices and the adverse impact of abrupt changes in the terms of trade. Requires the Secretary to discourage multilateral development banks from financing projects which will result in the production of surplus commodities, products, or minerals for export. Directs the Secretary, in negotiations concerning replenishment or an increase in capital for any multilateral development bank, to propose the following institutional reforms: (1) the establishment of a unified program within each multilateral development bank to assess the extent to which bank lending benefits the least advantaged members of society, particularly women and the poor, and to increase the extent to which such members benefit from future bank lending; (2) the establishment of procedures within each multilateral development bank to provide in-country liaison services for nongovernmental organizations operating at the community level, to monitor the impact of project and non-project lending on local populations, and to ensure compliance with loan conditionalities; (3) a major increase in professional staff with training in environmental or social impact analysis or natural science; (4) with respect to the Bank, the establishment of a program for policy-based lending to promote the sustainable use of renewable resources and the protection of the environment in borrowing countries; and (5) an increase in the length of any review period for board review of staff recommendations sufficient to allow the governments of member countries to review and comment on such recommendations before the board takes action. Directs the Secretary to instruct each U.S. Executive Director to require the management of each multilateral development bank to prepare an annual report which identifies and describes the most exemplary lending practices or loan components implemented during the preceding year with respect to specified lending policy goals for each major borrowing country or country group. Directs the Secretary to instruct the U.S. Executive Director of the Bank and the International Development Association (IDA) to initiate discussions with other directors of the respective institutions and to propose that: (1) guidelines be established which reflect concern for the impact that adjustment lending programs, and the activities such programs support, have and will have on human welfare; and (2) impact statements be required which assess the effect an adjustment lending program, and the activities such program supports, will have on the poor of the country to which such lending is made. Requires such impact statements to specify the effects of each adjustment loan on the poor, explain the procedures which the borrowing country has taken or will take to measure those effects (including the monitoring of nutrition levels), and indicate the steps the borrowing country will take to mitigate adverse effects on the poor and to maximize the benefits to them. Directs the Secretary to instruct the U.S. Executive Director of the Bank and the IDA to request the management of the respective institutions to prepare a report on such topics. Directs the Secretary to instruct the U.S. Executive Director of the Bank and the IDA to propose the establishment of a Grassroots Collaboration Program to develop improved mechanisms for involving nongovernmental organizations in the design, implementation, and monitoring of development projects to alleviate poverty and promote environmental protection. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Grassroots Collaboration Program should be implemented and financed as part of the normal operations of the Bank and the IDA. Expresses the sense of the Congress that such program could be financed through a grant from the net income of the Bank. Requires the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees on the status of the establishment of such program. Requires each annual report to the Congress by the National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Policies to describe the status of the establishment and operation of the program. Directs the Secretary to instruct the U.S. Executive Director of the Bank and the IDA to initiate discussions with other directors and to propose that: (1) the Bank or IDA take such steps as necessary to increase access for the poor people of a borrowing country to formal sources of credit; and (2) the Bank or IDA include a requirement in all appropriate agreements that the borrowing country identify and remove unreasonable legal and regulatory barriers to the establishment or operation of organizations which extend credit, and to the provision of credit to microenterprises for small scale economic activities. Directs the Secretary to instruct the U.S. Executive Directors of the African Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank to initiate discussions with other directors to propose that each such bank: (1) examine the Program for the Financing of Small Projects of the Inter-American Development Bank and the steps taken to link the Program to the mainstream operation of the bank; and (2) explore ways and means to establish similar programs to provide credit to microenterprises for small scale economic activities. Requires each annual report to the Congress by the National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Policies to describe the status of microenterprise credit promotion activities of the Bank, IDA, the African Development Bank, and the Asian Development Bank. Declares the policy of the United States that multilateral development banks should fully involve women in development activities and projects. Directs the Secretary to instruct: (1) the U.S. Executive Director of the Bank and IDA to support attempts to strengthen the role of the Women in Development division in policy development, project design and implementation, and evaluation; and (2) the U.S. Executive Directors of the regional multilateral development banks to support exploring the establishment of a mechanism, or the strengthening of an existing mechanism, to promote the full integration of women in the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of lending activities in borrowing countries and within the banks. Requires each annual report to the Congress by the National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Policies to describe the actions taken by the multilateral development banks to implement policies established by this Act. Directs the Secretary to instruct the U.S. Executive Director of each multilateral development bank to propose that the bank: (1) take appropriate steps to measure the impacts of projects on indigenous peoples in borrowing countries; (2) ensure compliance with loan conditions protecting the rights of such people to lands and resources; and (3) consult with such peoples and nongovernmental organizations representing them at every phase of loan design, planning, implementation, and monitoring.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 1987
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the current policies of the Government of Brazil toward the informatics industry (computer software and related equipment and services) impose an unreasonable burden on commerce and have worsened since the initiation of an investigation of such policies under the Trade Act of 1974. Supports the action announced by the President to raise tariffs against certain Brazilian products and to prohibit imports of certain Brazilian informatics products.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 1987
Recommends that a one-year across the board freeze of all Federal spending and existing Federal tax rates be adopted at the earliest possible date to help restore national and international confidence in the U.S. economy. Urges that such freeze encompass: (1) all appropriated accounts for defense and nondefense discretionary spending with spending maintained at FY 1987 budget authority levels; (2) inflation adjustments for all Federal entitlement beneficiaries limited to two percent, except for supplemental security income; and (3) existing Federal tax rates for individuals and corporations. Provides for the automatic implementation of inflation adjustments and tax rate reductions immediately following the one-year freeze. Urges that such a one-year freeze be considered as the minimum acceptable step toward deficit reduction and that asset sales, improved tax compliance, and other deficit reduction measures be seriously considered.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1987
Sugar Supply Stabilization Act of 1987 - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 and the Agricultural Act of 1949 with respect to price support levels for crops of sugar beets and sugarcane. Reduces the sugar support price progressively over crop years from 18 cents per pound in 1986 to 12 cents per pound in 1991 and thereafter. Increases the annual import quota applicable to sugars, syrups, and molasses derived from sugarcane or sugar beets by 500,000 tons per year for 1989 through 1992. Repeals provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985 that authorize the President to take certain actions to prevent sugar loan forfeitures. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study and report to specified congressional committees concerning means of reducing the difference between the loan rate and the market stabilization price by using alternative methods for determining transportation differentials, regional loan rates, and the market stabilization price of sugar.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 1987
Warren G. Magnuson Foundation and Margaret Chase Smith Foundation Assistance Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to: (1) the Warren G. Magnuson Foundation, for the Warren G. Magnuson Health Services Center at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington; and (2) the Margaret Chase Smith Foundation, for the Margaret Chase Smith Library Center in Skowhegan, Maine.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 1987
Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987 - Amends the Federal criminal code to establish the criminal offense of genocide. Sets forth penalties to be imposed upon anyone who commits or attempts to commit any of the acts which constitute genocide (a fine of $1,000,000 and/or imprisonment for up to 20 years, and life imprisonment if group members are killed). Sets forth criminal penalties (a fine of $500,000 and/or imprisonment for up to five years) for directly and publicly inciting an act of genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 1987
Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the Columbia River in Washington State for study for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Requires that such study be completed within one year of enactment. Authorizes appropriations. Extends the prohibition against the licensing of water resources projects on such segment for eight years.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 1987
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the ozone "hole" that forms over Antarctica poses a threat to public health and the world environment; (2) the United States should take steps toward ratification of the Montreal Protocol To Control Ozone Depleting Substances as soon as possible; (3) the President should immediately transmit the Protocol to the Senate for prompt ratification; and (4) the President should immediately call upon a sufficient number of countries to move toward ratification so that the Protocol will enter into force as soon as possible.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 1987
Individual Appropriations Act - Requires the committee of conference to report a separate conference report for each title of a bill or joint resolution making continuing appropriations for a period of 30 days or more, together with any amendments in disagreement for each title. Requires each title to be assigned a bill number and considered separately. Makes it out of order in the House of Representatives and the Senate: (1) to consider such bill or joint resolution unless each title corresponds to a regular appropriations bill; and (2) for any general provisions of such bill or joint resolution not to be contained in the appropriate title. Excludes any bill or joint resolution making supplemental appropriations from provisions of this Act. Makes such Act applicable to FY 1988, 1989, and 1990.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 1987
Repeals provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 relating to the taxation of both individual and corporate capital gains. Provides that the Internal Revenue Code shall be applied and administered as if such provisions had not been enacted. (The capital gains tax rate for corporations would generally be 28 percent.) Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise the method of calculating the deduction for capital gains of noncorporate taxpayers. Allows a capital gains deduction equal to: (1) 100 percent for assets held five years or longer; (2) 60 percent for assets held for between three and five years; and (3) 40 percent for assets held for between one and three years. Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 to increase the holding period required for long-term capital gain tax treatment of property acquired after 1986.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 1987
Authorizes the Smithsonian Institution to develop a master plan for expansion of the National Air and Space Museum at Washington Dulles International Airport that will not interfere with the operations of the airport. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 and 1989 for master planning activities.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 1987
Designates January 28, 1988, as National Challenger Center Day. (The Challenger Center is an institution offering children and teachers activities and information derived from American space research.)
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 1987
Requires U.S. coins to be redesigned, at the discretion of the Secretary of the Treasury, over the next six years. Requires the reverse side of the first coin redesigned to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution for a two-year period. Requires that any profits from the sale of uncirculated and proof sets of U.S. coins be deposited in the Treasury and used solely to reduce the national debt.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 1987
Nuclear Regulation Reorganization Act of 1987 - Establishes the Nuclear Regulation Agency as an independent Federal regulatory agency to succeed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Sets forth the officers of such Agency, who shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, including the Agency's Director and Deputy Director. Abolishes the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Transfers to such Agency the personnel, assets, and appropriations of the Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 1987
Omnibus Taxpayers' Bill of Rights Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary) to prepare a statement setting forth in nontechnical terms: (1) the rights and obligations of a taxpayer and of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) during a tax audit; (2) the procedures by which a taxpayer may appeal adverse decisions, prosecute refund claims, and file complaints; and (3) the procedures that the IRS may use in enforcing revenue laws. Directs the Secretary to transmit drafts of such statement to specified congressional committees and to distribute the final statement to all taxpayers receiving annual tax filing forms from the IRS. Requires the IRS, upon taxpayer request, to conduct any interview regarding the determination or collection of any tax at a reasonable time and place convenient to the taxpayer and to the IRS, and to permit the taxpayer, at his or her own expense, to record the interview. Authorizes the IRS interviewer to record such interview if the taxpayer has been given prior notice and is provided, upon request and payment of reproduction costs, with a transcript of the recording. Requires the interviewer to explain to the taxpayer the audit process, including the taxpayer's rights with respect to the process. Requires the Secretary to abate any penalty or interest imposed on any deficiency attributable to erroneous advice in writing given to a taxpayer by an IRS officer or employee in response to such taxpayer's specific inquiry. Authorizes the IRS Ombudsman, upon application filed by a taxpayer, to issue a Taxpayer Assistance Order if, in the determination of the Ombudsman: (1) the taxpayer is suffering or is about to suffer from an unusual or irreparable loss as a result of the manner in which the internal revenue laws are being administered by the Secretary; and (2) the Secretary has failed to carry out any of his or her duties or has violated any provision of law. Allows the terms of a Taxpayer Assistance Order to require the Secretary to release property of the taxpayer levied upon or to cease or refrain from certain actions. Requires the Secretary to obey any Taxpayer Assistance Order issued by the Ombudsman. Directs the Secretary, within 90 days of this Act's enactment, to issue regulations with respect to Taxpayer Assistance Orders, including provisions to assure full, fair, and impartial due process for affected taxpayers. Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 and other Federal law to establish within the Department of the Treasury an Office of Inspector General. Transfers to such Office the existing audit and investigation units of the Department. Sets forth criteria with respect to: (1) the authority of the Inspector General to conduct an investigation; and (2) the authority of the Secretary in cases of audits or investigations requiring access to information of a sensitive or confidential nature. Allows the Secretary to prohibit investigations under specified circumstances. Restricts disclosure by the Inspector General of tax returns and return information. Prohibits records of tax enforcement results from being used to evaluate certain IRS personnel or to impose or suggest production quotas. Requires district directors to certify compliance with this mandate on a monthly basis. Requires the Secretary to certify that a rule proposed by the IRS is substantially the only alternative that meets the mandate of the relevant statute in order for the rule to be considered an interpretative rule (and thereby not subject to analyses under the Regulatory Flexibility Act). Amends the Regulatory Flexibility Act to require regulatory flexibility analyses to include consideration of both the direct and indirect beneficial and negative effects of a proposed or final rule. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to direct the Secretary, with limited exceptions, to send a preliminary letter of deficiency to a taxpayer prior to the mailing of a deficiency notice. Specifies required contents for tax due notices and deficiency notices, including the basis of the deficiency and a breakdown of the total amount into tax, interest, and penalty. Directs the Secretary, within 90 days of this Act's enactment, to issue regulations requiring all IRS personnel to explain and support their position in assessing any penalties or additions to tax. Requires the Comptroller General to study IRS procedures with respect to such assessments and to present findings to specified congressional committees no later than December 31, 1988. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into a binding agreement with a taxpayer under which the taxpayer may pay tax liability in installments if the Secretary determines that such an agreement will facilitate collection of the liability. Permits the Secretary, after proper notice and a hearing, to modify or annul the agreement upon the finding that the financial condition of the affected taxpayer has significantly changed. Renders such an agreement nonbinding if the taxpayer fails to pay any installment or any other tax liability when due. Extends from ten to 30 days the period between the required notice to a person who neglects or refuses to pay tax liability and a levy on such person's salary, wages, or other property. Specifies information that must be incorporated in such notice, including possible alternative actions and the appropriate appeals procedures. Adds to the circumstances triggering termination of such a levy: (1) an agreement between the taxpayer and the Secretary for payment of the liability; and (2) the Secretary's determination that the taxpayer's financial condition precludes enforceability of the liability. Revises the list of property exempt from levy to: (1) increase the exempt amount permitted for certain personal effects, the property of a business, and wages; (2) add an exemption for certain deposits in qualified institutions; and (3) provide an express exemption, except under limited circumstances specified in this Act, for the taxpayer's principal residence, a motor vehicle used by the taxpayer as the primary means of transportation to work, and any tangible personal property essential to the operation of the taxpayer's business in cases when a levy would prevent the taxpayer from carrrying on such business. Prohibits a levy on any property when levy and sales expenses would exceed either the liability for which the levy is made or the fair market value of the levied property. Permits the Secretary to demand surrender of bank accounts only after 21 days in escrow have passed since service of the notice of levy on the accounts. Sets forth situations in which the Secretary must release a levy. Applies to jeopardy levies the administrative and judicial review procedures currently applicable to jeopardy assessments. Permits a taxpayer to bring a civil action against the United States in the Tax Court for judicial review of jeopardy levies and assessments. (Under current law an action for judicial review of jeopardy assessments may be filed only in district court.) Increases the time during which a taxpayer may petition for such review. Describes the jurisdictional requirements to be applied to such actions. Allows an administrative appeal of tax liens. Grants to the Tax Court exclusive jurisdiction to enjoin premature assessments if the taxpayer has filed a timely petition for review. Provides for review of such injunctive orders by the U.S. Court of Appeals. Grants to the Tax Court jurisdiction to enforce payment by the Secretary of refunds of overpayment and interest to taxpayers. Places on the Secretary the burden of proof of justifying any failure to refund, credit, or offset relevant amounts with respect to a taxpayer. Entitles a prevailing taxpayer to: (1) an interest rate of 120 percent of the overpayment rate with respect to refunds; and (2) reasonable litigation costs. Grants to the Tax Court jurisdiction to: (1) review jeopardy assessment sales of assets; and (2) redetermine interest under certain circumstances when a taxpayer claims an overpayment of the interest. Vests in the Tax Court original jurisdiction over any civil action against the Secretary for the recovery of any tax, additions to tax, and penalties with respect to income, estate, gift, and certain excise taxes. Authorizes an award of reasonable litigation costs to the prevailing party in proceedings by taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service. Permits a taxpayer to bring a civil action in district court for actual damages resulting from the failure of any Federal officer or employee to release a tax lien on the taxpayer's property. Permits a civil cause of action in district court for damages resulting from the careless, reckless, or intentional disregard of internal revenue laws by any Federal officer or employee. Denies damage awards in cases of contributory negligence. Authorizes a damage award, to a $10,000 maximum, to the United States in cases of frivolous or groundless claims by a taxpayer. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prescribe criminal penalties for: (1) any investigation or surveillance authorized or conducted by an officer or employee of the United States in connection with Federal tax laws that inquires into the beliefs, associations, or activities of any individual or organization; or (2) the maintenance of any records containing information derived from such an investigation. Establishes in the Internal Revenue Service the Office for Taxpayers Services, under the supervision of an Assistant Commissioner of Internal Revenue. Directs this Assistant Commissioner to: (1) be responsible for telephone, walk-in, and educational services, and for the design and production of tax and information forms; and (2) prepare annually, for presentation to specified congressional committees, a joint report (with the Chief Problem Resolution Officer for the IRS) on the quality of taxpayer services.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 1987
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to acquire, within three years, specified lands in Grays Harbor, Washington, for the establishment of the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge. Authorizes the acquisition of additional lands and makes lands acquired for the Refuge eligible for consideration as meeting mitigation obligations under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Directs the Secretary to administer the Refuge to preserve the estuary's natural resources and habitat, particularly the Bowerman Basin for migratory birds. Requires the Secretary to complete a management plan which includes the construction of a visitor's center and other facilities. Directs the Secretary to establish for the Refuge an economic development fund of contributions and Federal matching funds. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 1987
Increases authorized appropriations to provide for completion of the Colorado River Storage Project, which provides water and power to the States of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 1987
Directs the Office of Personnel Management to arrange for the conversion of a portion of a Government employee's life insurance policy to long-term care insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 1987
National American Indian Museum and Memorial Act - Title I: Establishes within the Smithsonian Institution a memorial to the American Indian people to be known as the National Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, to provide for the study, research, collection, and exhibition of aboriginal Americans and their culture. Designates a specified area in the District of Columbia as the site of the Museum. Authorizes the Smithsonian to accept the transfer of all assets of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, in New York City. Provides for the construction of a building for the Museum at the District of Columbia site, a Museum Support Center in Suitland, Maryland, and a permanent exhibition facility in New York City. Provides that the Heye Foundation's collection will not be merged with the Smithsonian's collection. Provides that the proceeds from the sale of property acquired through the transfer of the Foundation's assets will be maintained for the exclusive benefit of the Museum. Establishes the Trustees of the National Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, to assist the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian on matters relating to the Museum. Grants the Trustees sole authority to: (1) dispose of and acquire additional Museum property; and (2) determine the policy for displaying artifacts. Requires the Trustees to submit annual reports to the Board of Regents and the Congress. Requires the Foundation's employees serving at the time of the transfer to be offered employment by the Smithsonian. Pledges that the United States will provide the funds needed to maintain and operate the Museum. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Establishes a memorial within the Museum to commemorate the contributions of Indians and Alaska Natives to the United States and to house certain skeletal remains. Expresses the intent of the Congress that the memorial and Museum be completed within five years of the enactment of this Act. Requires the Secretary of the Smithsonian to determine the tribal origin of all skeletal remains of Indians and Alaska Natives under the control of the Smithsonian. Requires the Secretary to inter in the memorial all skeletal remains of Indians and Alaska Natives covered by a written statement to the Congress certifying that such remains: (1) have not been identified as being associated with a specific Indian tribe or group of Alaska Natives; or (2) have been identified as being associated with a specific Indian tribe or group of Alaska Natives which requests the interment of such remains in the memorial; and (3) are not likely to be the subject of any Indian claim or dispute. Requires the Museum to establish a Board of Design for the memorial, the majority of whose members shall be of American Indian or Alaska Native ancestry. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 1987
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act Amendments of 1987 - Title I: Administrative Provisions - Amends the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to require the Secretary (hereinafter refers to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of the Interior, or both, as appropriate) to prescribe the records recipients of Federal financial assistance must keep by promulgating regulations under the Administrative Procedure Act. Provides that multi-year contract recipients of such assistance must keep quarterly financial statements, an annual specified single-agency audit, and a brief annual program report. Title II: Indian Self-Determination Act Amendments - Directs the Secretary, upon the request of any Indian tribe or tribal organization (currently, Indian tribe) to enter into a self-determination contract (currently, contract) with such Indian tribe or tribal organization, for: (1) the transfer of certain hospitals and health services; (2) construction programs administered by the Secretary for which appropriations are made to agencies other than the Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of the Interior; and (3) any program for the benefit of Indians without regard to the agency of the Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of the Interior within which it is performed. Requires the Secretary, within 90 days after receiving a proposal for a self-determination contract, to approve it (currently, may initially decline to enter into a contract) unless he makes specified findings. Entitles Indian tribes and tribal organizations to contract for any program or function operated by the Federal Government. Authorizes the Secretary, upon the request of an Indian tribe or tribal organization, to consolidate two or more mature self-determination contracts into one contract. Requires the Secretary, when he declines to enter into a self-determination contract, to provide assistance (currently, provide to the extent practicable) to the Indian tribe or tribal organization. Exempts liability for interest prior to judgment or for punitive damages from the requirement that a carrier which provides liability insurance to an Indian tribe or tribal organization must waive its right to raise the tribe's sovereign immunity from suit as a defense. Provides that a tribal organization or Indian contractor carrying out a contract, grant agreement, or cooperative agreement regarding claims for personal injury resulting from the performance of medical, surgical, dental, or related functions is deemed to be part of the Public Health Service with respect to claims for personal injury. Repeals the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make contracts with tribal organizations for hospital and health facility functions. Directs the Secretary, upon the request of any Indian tribe or tribal organization, to provide technical assistance on a non-reimbursable basis to: (1) develop new self-determination contracts authorized by this Act; (2) provide for the assumption by such Indian tribe or tribal organization of contracts for certain health, education, and welfare programs; and (3) modify proposals for self-determination contracts which the Secretary has declined to approve. Exempts self-determination contracts from the provisions of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act. Makes permanent the provision of Federal law which permits Federal employees who transfer to tribal employment to retain civil service benefits. Extends the length of self-determination contracts to three years (currently, one year) for a new contract and five years (currently, three years) for a mature contract, unless the appropriate Secretary determines that a longer term would be advisable. Requires that a request for retrocession of a contract requested by an Indian tribe or tribal organization shall become effective within one year (currently, 120 days). Authorizes the appropriate Secretary, in connection with self-determination contracts, to: (1) donate to an Indian tribe or tribal organization the title to any personal property exceeding the needs of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service or the General Services Administration, including purchases made with funds under self-determination contracts; and (2) acquire excess or surplus Government property for donation to an Indian tribe. Repeals a restriction on the minimum amount of self-determination contracts. Provides that the funds for self-determination contracts shall: (1) include all costs incurred by an Indian tribe or tribal organization in connection with such contract; (2) not be reduced to make base funding available for any new self-determination contract; (3) not be less than the appropriate Secretary would have otherwise provided for direct operation of the programs; (4) not be reduced by the Secretary in subsequent years except by a reduction in congressional appropriations; and (5) not be reduced by the Secretary to pay for Federal functions or for the costs of Federal personnel displaced by a self-determination contract. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of the Interior to report annually to the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs, the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, and the Senate and House Appropriations Committees on the implementation of this Act. Prevents Indian tribes and tribal organizations from being held liable for uncollectable indirect costs from Federal agencies, except for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service. Prohibits Indian tribes and tribal organizations from being held liable for amounts of indebtedness attributable to underrecoveries or overrecoveries of indirect costs. Requires the Secretary to give notice of any disallowance of costs before removing any program from the Indian Priority System. Requires the Secretary to add indirect costs to the amount of funds provided for direct costs for self-determination contracts for the first year and for each subsequent year that the program remains continuously under contract. Gives to the Federal district courts, concurrent with the United States Claims Court, original jurisdiction over any civil action or claim against the appropriate Secretary arising under this Act. Prohibits unilateral modification of self-determination contracts by the United States and sets forth provisions relating to such modifications. Applies the Equal Access to Justice Act to administrative appeals by Indian tribes and tribal organizations regarding self-determination contracts. Applies the Contract Disputes Act to such contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 1987
Acknowledges the historical debt of the United States to the Iroquois Confederacy and other Indian nations for their demonstration of democratic principles and their example of a free association of independent Indian nations. Reaffirms the government-to-government relationship between the United States and Indian tribes. Reaffirms the trust responsibility and obligation of the Government to Indian tribes, including Alaska Natives. Acknowledges the need to exercise good faith in upholding treaties with the various tribes.
![Official portrait of Sen. Evans, Daniel J. [R-WA]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/e000236_200.jpg)