United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2000
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Reorganization Act of 2000 - Divides the current U.S. Court of Appeals for the ninth circuit into: (1) the ninth circuit, composed of Arizona, California, and Nevada, consisting of 20 judges, and holding regular sessions in San Francisco and Los Angeles; and (2) the twelfth circuit, composed of Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, and Washington, consisting of eight judges, and holding regular sessions in Portland and Seattle. Assigns circuit judges of the former ninth circuit to either of the two new circuits based upon their official station, with senior judges permitted election of assignment.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2000
Commends the Holy See for its unique contributions to a thoughtful and robust dialogue in issues of international concern during its 36 years as a Permanent Observer at the United Nations (UN). Declares that Congress: (1) strongly objects to any effort to expel the Holy See from the UN as a state participant by removing its status as a nonmember state Permanent Observer; (2) believes that any degradation of the status accorded to the Holy See at the UN would seriously damage the credibility of the UN; and (3) contends that any such degradation will damage relations between the United States and the UN.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2000
Military Health Care Improvements Act of 2000 - Title I: Demonstration Programs - Subtitle A: TRICARE Demonstration Programs for Seniors - Amends the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 to extend through December 31, 2005, the TRICARE Senior Supplement Program (a demonstration program under which certain Medicare-eligible senior citizens are given medical care and services under TRICARE (a Department of Defense (DOD) managed health care program) for which DOD is reimbursed through the Medicare program). Amends the Social Security Act to extend through the same date a similar demonstration program known as TRICARE Senior Prime. Authorizes the latter program to be offered at major medical centers of DOD (currently limited to six military treatment facilities). Subtitle B: Other Demonstration Programs - Amends a demonstration program offering health care coverage to certain military personnel, spouses, and dependents through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program to allow eligible beneficiaries who will be at least 65 years of age on December 31, 2002, to enroll, or extend a previous enrollment, during a two-year period of open enrollment for the year 2003. Extends such demonstration program through December 31, 2005. Repeals the ten-site limit for the program. (Sec. 107) Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to charge an enrollment fee for participation in the TRICARE pharmacy system (a program for providing reduced-cost pharmaceuticals to TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries). Authorizes the Secretary to impose one or more cost-sharing requirements upon such participants. Allows participants to pay required premiums on a monthly or annual basis. Title II: TRICARE Prime Permanent Authorities - Amends the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) relating to medical and dental care provided to certain members and former members of the armed forces to: (1) make eligible for such services members and former members of the Coast Guard when not operating as a service in the Navy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Public Health Service; (2) require coverage for immediate family members of eligible individuals to be comparable to coverage for medical care and standards for timely access to such care under TRICARE Prime; and (3) entitle dependents of members performing duty in remote locations who reside with such member to the same care and waiver of such care under CHAMPUS as the members themselves. (Sec. 202) Prohibits a member from being charged a copayment for care provided under TRICARE Prime to an immediate family member. (Sec. 203) Directs the Secretary to improve certain business practices used when administering the access of eligible persons to health care services through the TRICARE program. Title III: Other Defense Health Program Matters - Directs the Secretary to carry out a program that permits the following eligible persons to obtain prescription pharmaceuticals from DOD by mail: (1) individuals 65 years old or older who would be eligible for medical care under CHAMPUS except for also being entitled to hospital insurance benefits under Medicare; and (2) individuals 65 years old or older who are enrolled in the supplemental medical insurance program under part B of Medicare. Authorizes the Secretary to impose an annual program deductible of up to $150. (Sec. 302) Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 to extend the provision of domiciliary and custodial care for certain CHAMPUS beneficiaries to include a person who formerly was an eligible beneficiary and is enrolled in the TRICARE Senior Prime plan under the Medicare subvention demonstration project for military retirees. Provides a program cost limitation for FY 2000 and thereafter. (Sec. 303) Directs the Secretary to carry out two studies to assess the feasibility and desirability of financing the military health care program for military retirees on an accrual basis. Title IV: Joint Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs Initiatives - Directs the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to jointly: (1) prescribe a centralized process for the reporting, compiling, and analysis of errors in the provision of health care under their respective departments that endanger patients beyond the normal risks associated with such care and treatment; and (2) develop a system for the use of bar codes for the identification of pharmaceuticals. Requires the Secretary of Defense to experiment with the use of such bar codes in the current DOD mail order pharmaceuticals demonstration project.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2000
Social Security Earnings Test Elimination Act of 2000 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal the limitation on the amount of outside income which beneficiaries who have attained retirement age may earn (earnings test) without incurring a reduction in benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2000
Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of Congress, a gold medal to John Cardinal O'Connor, Archbishop of New York, in recognition of his accomplishments as a priest, a soldier, and a humanitarian. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2000
Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of Congress, a congressional gold medal to Charles M. Schulz in recognition of his lasting artistic contributions to the Nation and the world. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2000
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) any attack on or against the Panama Canal by any country will be considered an act of war against the United States; (2) the President should, prior to June 1, 2001, negotiate security arrangements with the Government of Panama that will protect the Canal and ensure that the Canal remains open, secure, and neutral, consistent with the Panama Canal Treaty and the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal; and (3) the President should consult with the leadership of both Houses of Congress and with the chairmen and ranking members of the appropriate congressional committees regarding the implementation of this resolution.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2000
Amends Federal aviation law to declare that nothing in such law or in the Death on the High Seas Act with respect to additional remedies shall affect any remedy existing at common law or under State law with respect to any injury or death arising out of any aviation incident occurring on or after January 1, 1995.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2000
Recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, and expresses the gratitude of the American people for the service of members of the armed forces during such War.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2000
American Hospital Preservation Act of 2000 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), as amended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999 with regard to provisions on the one year sole community hospital payment increase, to reset the applicable percentage increase for FY 2001 and each subsequent fiscal year to the market basket percentage increase for hospitals in all areas for purposes of updating payments to prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals for inpatient hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2000
Noncommercial Broadcasting Freedom Act - Prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from establishing, expanding, or otherwise modifying requirements relating to the service obligations of noncommercial educational television stations except by means of Federal agency rulemaking procedures. Terminates the additional guidance contained in the FCC's memorandum opinion and order in WQED Pittsburgh (FCC 99-393), except as such guidance is prescribed in accordance with the above rulemaking procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2000
Amends the Internal Revenue Code (as amended by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999) to repeal revisions to the Code (made by the Act) which repealed the use of the installment method of accounting for accrual method taxpayers and modified the pledge rules of installment obligations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2000
Recognizes May 15, 2000, as Peace Officers Memorial Day, in honor of Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
Milton Friedman Congressional Gold Medal Act - Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal to Milton Friedman in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to individual freedom and opportunity in American society through his exhaustive research and teaching of economics and his extensive writings on economics and public policy. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such national medal. Requires proceeds to be deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Social Security and Medicare Safe Deposit Box Act of 1999 - Provides that the net surplus of any trust fund for part A of Medicare shall not be counted as a net surplus for purposes of the Federal or congressional budgets or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to provide a point of order in the House of Representatives or the Senate against consideration of any concurrent budget resolution or conference report or amendment pertaining thereto that would set forth an on-budget deficit for any fiscal year. Makes it out of order in the House or the Senate to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report if the enactment of the reported bill or resolution, the adoption and enactment of an amendment, or the enactment of a bill or resolution in the form recommended in the conference report would cause or increase an on-budget deficit for any fiscal year. Includes the receipts, outlays, and surplus or deficit in the Federal Old-Age and Survivors and Disability Insurance Trust Funds within the content of the concurrent budget resolution. Authorizes a waiver or suspension in the Senate of points of order under this Act only with a three-fifths majority. Requires the same majority to sustain an appeal on a ruling on such points of order. Prohibits the Federal Government budget submitted by the President from recommending an on-budget deficit for any covered fiscal year. Applies the amendments made by this Act to FY 2001 and subsequent fiscal years.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act of 1999 - Amends the National Environmental Education Act to rename it the John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act (the Act). (Sec. 2) Requires the Office of Environmental Education (OEE), within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to: (1) develop and support balanced and scientifically sound programs; and (2) provide for implementation of the Act through the headquarters and regional offices of the EPA. Eliminates provisions for: (1) OEE administration of environmental internship and fellowship programs (internship programs are eliminated and fellowship program administration is transferred elsewhere later in this Act); (2) an OEE Director who is a member of the Senior Executive Service; and (3) a minimum of six full-time equivalent employees on the OEE headquarters staff (retains the maximum of ten). Authorizes the EPA Administrator to carry out OEE activities directly or through awards of grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts. (Sec. 3) Revises provisions for environmental education grants to decrease from 25 to 15 percent the portion of grant funds which must be used for grants of $5,000 or less. Prohibits environmental education grants from being used to support lobbying activities. Requires the EPA Science Advisory Board to review and approve the guidance before the EPA Administrator issues any guidance to grant applicants. (Sec. 4) Establishes the John H. Chafee Memorial Fellowship Program for the award and administration of five annual one-year graduate education fellowships in environmental sciences. (Eliminates provisions for OEE-administered environmental internships and fellowships.) Provides that such Fellowships are to stimulate innovative graduate level study and the development of expertise in complex, relevant, and important environmental issues and effective approaches to addressing those issues through organized programs of guided independent study and environmental research. Requires each $25,000 Fellowship to be made available to individual candidates through a sponsoring institution of higher education and an annual competitive selection process. Requires each Fellowship to focus on: (1) effective land and resource management; (2) innovative open space preservation; (3) science associated with such worldwide issues as global climate change and sustainable marine resources; or (4) any other issue that a sponsoring institution determines to be appropriate. Requires annual awards of two Fellowships by the University of Rhode Island. Allows three annual Fellowships to be applied for through any other sponsoring institution. Directs the National Environmental Learning Foundation (as renamed in this Act) to establish and administer the John H. Chafee Fellowship Panel to establish selection process criteria, receive and review applications, and select Fellowship recipients. Requires that Panel members with specified qualifications be appointed by a majority vote of the National Environmental Education Advisory Council. Directs the Foundation to make specified amounts available for such Fellowships and administrative expenses of the Fellowship Program. (Sec. 5) Revises provisions for national environmental education awards. Retains and revises provisions for: (1) President's Environmental Youth Awards; and (2) environmental education awards for elementary and secondary school teachers and their local educational agencies. (Eliminates provisions for awards named for Theodore Roosevelt, Henry David Thoreau, Rachel Carson, and Gifford Pinchot.) (Sec. 6) Revises provisions for the National Environmental Education Advisory Council and for the Federal Task Force on Environmental Education. Directs the EPA Administrator to appoint at least one Advisory Council member to represent each of the following sectors: (1) elementary schools and secondary schools; (2) colleges and universities; (3) not-for-profit organizations involved in environmental education; (4) State departments of education and natural resources; (5) business and industry; and (6) senior citizens. Revises requirements for Advisory Council meetings and reports. Opens membership on the Task Force to representatives of any Federal agency actively engaged in environmental education. (Sec. 7) Renames the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation as the National Environmental Learning Foundation. Increases the number of director's on the Foundation's Board. Allows the Foundation to acknowledge receipt of donations by listing the names of donors in materials it distributes, but prohibits such acknowledgment from: (1) appearing in educational material presented to students; or (2) identifying a donor by means of a logo, letterhead, or other corporate commercial symbol, slogan, or product. Eliminates a time limit on the EPA Administrator's provision of administrative services and support to the Foundation. (Sec. 8) Extends through FY 2005 the authorization of appropriations to EPA to carry out the Act, with specified portions for: (1) OEE activities; (2) the environmental education and training program; (3) environmental education grants; and (4) Foundation activities. Directs the EPA Administrator to submit an annual report to Congress on the activities for which such funds were expended.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1999
Vietnam Veterans Recognition Act of 1999 - Authorizes the American Battle Monuments Commission to place within the Vietnam Veterans Memorial a plaque to honor Vietnam veterans who died after service in the Vietnam War, but as a direct result of such service, and whose names are not otherwise eligible for placement on the Memorial wall.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Amends the Clean Air Act to authorize a State Governor, upon notification of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to waive oxygen content requirements for reformulated gasoline sold or dispensed in the State. Considers gasoline that complies with all other requirements for reformulated gasoline other than those regarding oxygen content to be reformulated gasoline. Directs the Administrator to study and report to Congress on whether voluntary standards to prevent and control releases of methyl tertiary butyl ether from underground storage tanks are necessary. Authorizes the Administrator to work with members of affected industries to develop such standards.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 1999
Child Support Enforcement Options Act of 1999 - Amends title III (Unemployment Insurance) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to permit the State agency charged with administration of State unemployment compensation law to disclose wage information, upon request, to any individual or person enforcing child support obligations (as well as to officers or employees of any State or local child support enforcement agency, as under current law). Authorizes the State agency charged with administration of State unemployment compensation law to impose fees to cover its administrative costs for such disclosure. Amends SSA title IV part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) promote the enforcement of child support obligations through activities conducted by either a private attorney or a public entity in order to ensure the fullest use of available enforcement resources not requiring Federal financial support; and (2) provide private attorneys or public enforcement agencies registered with the Secretary access to enforcement remedies and resources. Includes among such remedies and resources: (1) the collection of overdue child support from Federal and State income tax refunds; (2) passport restrictions; (3) consumer credit bureau reporting; and (4) financial institution data matches. Sets forth implementation procedures. Requires a State to prescribe by statute a procedure for the expeditious payment of child support received on behalf of the entitled individual by a State instrumentality or local government (or its authorized entity) at the address (including a financial institution for electronic transfer or direct deposit of funds) and in care of the individual or entity last legally specified for receipt of such payment, without regard to whether the child support obligation is being enforced under an approved State plan, and without the necessity of obtaining a judicial or administrative order.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 1999
Designates November 11, 1999, as a special day for: (1) recognizing and welcoming home the members of the armed forces and the civilian personnel of the United States who participated in the operations in Kosovo and the Balkans, including combat operations and humanitarian assistance operations; and (2) remembering the members of the armed forces deployed in Kosovo and throughout the world and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 1999
Declares that a specified final rule relating to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and the equitable and medically effective allocation of organs for transplantation shall have no force or legal effect. Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from implementing or exercising further regulatory authority regarding the Network, as well as regulatory authority under specified provisions of the Social Security Act (SSA) (relating to general SSA regulations, disclosure of information, organ procurement, and general Medicare regulations), before the enactment of amendments to reauthorize and revise provisions of the Public Health Service Act relating to organ transplants.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 1999
John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Act - Redesignates the Coastal Barrier Resources System as the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 1999
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the Secretary of the Navy should conduct the 13 days of pre-deployment training required to be performed on the Island of Vieques to ensure the U.S.S. Eisenhower Battle Group and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are free of serious deficiencies in major warfare areas; and (2) the President should not deploy the U.S.S. Eisenhower Battle Group or the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit until he reviews the certifications regarding the readiness of the battle group and the expeditionary unit made by the Commander of the Second Fleet of the Navy and the Commander of the Marine Forces in the Atlantic and determines and so notifies Congress that the battle group and the expeditionary unit are free of serious deficiencies in major warfare areas.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 1999
Calls upon the Secretary of the Navy and the Attorney General to ensure that the Federal property located at the Vieques training range, Puerto Rico, is safe and secure and for the Secretary to resume critical live fire training there. Calls on the President, as Commander-in-Chief, to ensure that U.S. forces deploy with 100 percent of the combat qualifications needed to meet national security requirements. Urges the Department of Defense and Government of Puerto Rico to reestablish a mutually supportive relationship, resolve issues, and implement a program that addresses the economic and social needs and safety concerns of residents of Vieques and citizens of Puerto Rico. Recognizes the significant contribution to U.S. defense by such residents and citizens.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 1999
Veterans Claims and Appeals Procedures Clarification and Improvement Act - Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to: (1) emphasize that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must assist a veteran in developing all facts pertinent to a veterans' claim for compensation or benefits; (2) make the current veterans' claims adjudication and hearing procedures exclusive with respect to hearings, investigations, and other proceedings in connection with the consideration of a claim; (3) preclude the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims from entertaining any allegation of error by the Secretary in a decision which was not raised by the appellant or the Court; and (4) require such Court to set aside a previous finding of material fact not reasonably supported by a preponderance of the evidence (currently, when clearly erroneous).
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 1999
Food and Medicine for the World Act - Prohibits the President from imposing a unilateral agricultural sanction or unilateral medical sanction against a foreign country, except in specified circumstances, unless: (1) not less than 60 days before the sanction is proposed to be imposed, the President makes a specified report to Congress; and (2) Congress enacts a joint resolution approving the report.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 1999
Small Watershed Rehabilitation Act of 1999 - Amends the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide financial assistance to an eligible local organization to cover a portion of the total costs incurred for the rehabilitation of structural measures originally constructed as part of a covered water resource project (except that the local organization shall be responsible for securing all land, easements, or rights-of-ways necessary for the project). Limits the amount of Federal funds that may be made available to such an organization for construction of a particular rehabilitation project to 65 percent of the total rehabilitation costs, but not exceed 100 percent of actual construction costs incurred, and makes the local organization responsible for resource rights costs and all Federal, State, and local permits. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, to provide technical assistance to a requesting organization in planning, designing, and implementing rehabilitation projects. Prohibits any assistance authorized under this Act from being used to perform operation and maintenance activities. Outlines assistance application requirements. Directs the Secretary to establish a system of approving rehabilitation assistance requests from eligible organizations equitably. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2009 to provide financial and technical assistance. Earmarks funds authorized for the first two fiscal years for an assessment by the Secretary of the rehabilitation needs of covered projects. Requires: (1) the Secretary to maintain a database to track the benefits derived from rehabilitation projects and expenditures and report annually to the Congress on the status of activities conducted; and (2) eligible local organizations that received assistance to report to the Secretary on the status of rehabilitation efforts undertaken using financial assistance after the completion of the specific projects for which assistance was provided.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. Government: (1) should request that the new Government of Panama, under the leadership of President Mireya Moscoso, investigate charges of corruption related to the granting of the Panama Canal port leases by the previous Balladares administration; (2) based on any finding of corruption related to the granting of those leases, should request that the new Government of Panama nullify the lease agreements for the Balboa and the Cristobal port facilities on each end of the Panama Canal and initiate a new bidding process that is both transparent and fair; and (3) should negotiate security arrangements with the Government of Panama that will protect the canal and ensure the territorial integrity of the Republic of Panama.
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 · 5 October 1999
Disaster Mitigation Act of 1999 - Title I: Predisaster Hazard Mitigation - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the Act) to authorize the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a program of technical and financial assistance to States and local governments that implement predisaster mitigation activities to reduce injuries and loss of life and property damage and destruction, including damage to critical infrastructures and facilities. Authorizes the Director to provide financial assistance from the National Predisaster Mitigation Fund (established under this Act) to each State and local government that has identified all natural disaster hazards in its jurisdiction and has demonstrated its ability to form effective public-private disaster mitigation partnerships, to be used: (1) principally to implement the predisaster hazard mitigation measures contained in proposals approved by the Director; (2) to support effective public-private partnerships; (3) to ensure that new community development and construction is disaster resistant; and (4) to improve the assessment of a community's natural hazards vulnerabilities or establish a community's mitigation priorities. (Sec. 103) Increases from 15 to 20 percent the maximum contribution for hazard mitigation costs with respect to a major disaster declared under the Act after the date of enactment of this Act. (Sec. 104) Directs the President to designate as a natural disaster mitigation zone each area in which commonly recurring natural hazards (floods, hurricanes and severe winds, seismic events) create a substantial likelihood of disasters that may require assistance under the Act. Requires flood and wind zones identified under the national flood insurance program to be so designated as such zones. Requires the President to direct all appropriate Federal agencies to integrate, or develop and maintain, comprehensive all-hazard maps using global information systems technology. Authorizes the President to identify appropriate disaster mitigation policies, requiring such policies to include certain wind impact standards. Requires Federal buildings to be designed and constructed in accordance with voluntary minimum building codes, test methods, specifications, and the mitigation policies identified by the President. Authorizes the President to provide certain incentives to encourage builders to implement such codes, specifications, and policies. (Sec. 105) Directs the President to establish an interagency task force to coordinate the implementation of predisaster mitigation programs administered by the Federal Government. Title II: Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Assistance - Amends the Act to direct the President to promulgate regulations under which States, communities, and other disaster assistance applicants are required to protect property through adequate levels of insurance or self-insurance. (Sec. 202) Directs the President to: (1) establish management cost rates for disaster preparedness and mitigation assistance grantees and subgrantees; (2) review such rates at least every three years; and (3) promulgate regulations to define costs to be included in such management costs. (Sec. 203) Authorizes the President to make contributions to: (1) a State or local government for the repair, restoration, reconstruction, or replacement of a public facility damaged or destroyed by a major disaster and for associated expenses; and (2) to the owner or operator of a private nonprofit facility for such purposes (with specified conditions). Limits the Federal share of assistance provided to 75 percent of such costs, with an authorized Federal share reduction for a facility: (1) that has previously been damaged on more than one occasion by the same type of event; and (2) has not implemented mitigation measures. Authorizes a State or local government or owner of a public nonprofit facility, in lieu of restoring a facility, to receive a Federal contribution (limited to a 75 percent Federal share) and to repair or restore other facilities, construct new facilities, or fund hazard mitigation measures. Provides funding limits. Provides for the determination of eligible costs and the modification of such costs. Requires the President, acting through the FEMA Director, to establish an expert panel for the determination of such costs. (Sec. 204) Rewrites temporary housing assistance provisions of the Act. Authorizes the President to provide financial assistance and, if necessary, direct services to households that, as a direct result of a major disaster, have necessary expenses and serious needs and are unable to meet such expenses and needs through other means, including insurance proceeds or loans or other financial assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA) or another Federal agency. Authorizes the President to provide financial or other appropriate assistance (for up to 18 months) to households that are displaced or whose primary residences are rendered uninhabitable as a result of a major disaster. Authorizes the President to provide the following types of housing assistance: (1) financial assistance to households to rent alternate housing, existing rental units, manufactured housing, recreational vehicles, or other readily fabricated dwellings; (2) housing units directly to households who would be unable to use the financial assistance; (3) up to $5,000 each to households for emergency repairs necessary to return residences, utilities, and related infrastructure to a habitable or functioning condition; and (4) financial or direct assistance to construct permanent housing in insular areas outside the continental United States and other remote locations if no alternative housing resources are available, temporary housing assistance is unavailable or infeasible, and the household has applied and been determined ineligible for an SBA disaster loan. Sets forth terms and conditions governing the location and disposal of fabricated dwellings provided under this section. Authorizes the President to provide financial assistance: (1) on a temporary basis in the form of mortgage or rental payments to individuals or families who, because of financial hardship, are at risk of dispossession or eviction after a major disaster; (2) to meet disaster-related medical, dental, or funeral expenses; and (3) to address disaster-related personal property, transportation, and other expenses or needs. Requires the substantial involvement of affected States in administering assistance under this section. Limits to $25,000 the maximum amount of financial assistance that a household may receive for a single major disaster. (Sec. 205) Authorizes a State to apply to the President for delegation of the authority to administer the hazard mitigation grant program under the Act. (Sec. 206) Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on an estimate of the reduction in Federal assistance that has resulted and is likely to result from the enactment of this Act. (Sec. 207) Authorizes the President to provide assistance to local governments (currently, only States) for the management and control of any fire on public or private forest land or grassland which threatens destruction that would constitute a major disaster. (Sec. 208) Requires the President to provide an opportunity for public comment before adopting any new or modified policy governing implementation of the FEMA-administered major disaster public assistance program. Requires consultation with program grantees. (Sec. 209) Prohibits major disaster community loans from exceeding $5 million. Prohibits further assistance to a community that is in arrears on payments under a previous loan. Title III: Miscellaneous - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to add, for purposes of eligibility for public safety officers' death benefits, individuals serving in a public agency, with FEMA, or with a State or local emergency management agency and performing official duties relating to a major disaster that are determined to be hazardous duties. (Sec. 304) Prohibits the initiation of an administrative action to recover any payment made to a State or local government for emergency or disaster assistance under the Act after three years from date of transmission of the final expenditure report for such emergency or disaster. Provides a rebuttable assumption that adequate records were maintained identifying the source and application of such funds. (Sec. 305) Designates Texas Task Force One in College Station, Texas, as a federally recognized member of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System.
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 · 5 October 1999
Commends the past and present personnel of the submarine force of the U.S. Navy for their technical excellence, accomplishments, professionalism, and sacrifices. Congratulates them for the 100 years of exemplary service that they have provided the United States. Expresses the sense of the Senate that, in the next millennium, the submarine force should continue to constitute an integral part of the Navy, and to carry out missions that are key to maintaining the Nation's freedom and security as the superior submarine force in the world.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 1999
Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 1999 - Provides that: (1) any person who engages in conduct that violates specified provisions of the Federal criminal code, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, or the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, or specified articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (conduct constituting certain Federal violent crimes), and thereby causes the death of, or bodily injury to, a child who is in utero, shall be guilty of a separate offense (but prohibits imposition of the death penalty for such offense); and (2) the punishment for that separate offense shall be the same as that provided under Federal law for that conduct had that injury or death occurred to the unborn child's mother. Specifies that a violation of such provisions does not require proof that: (1) the person engaging in the conduct had knowledge or should have had knowledge that the victim of the underlying offense was pregnant; or (2) the defendant intended to cause the death of, or bodily injury to, the unborn child. Directs that if the person engaging in the conduct thereby intentionally kills or attempts to kill the unborn child, that person shall be punished as provided under the Federal criminal code for intentionally killing or attempting to kill a human being. Bars prosecution under this Act: (1) for conduct relating to an abortion for which the consent of the pregnant woman has been obtained or for which such consent is implied by law in a medical emergency; (2) for conduct relating to any medical treatment of the pregnant woman or her unborn child; or (3) of any woman with respect to her unborn child.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 1999
Designates October 10 through October 16, 1999, as National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Week. Commits to increasing the quality of life for individuals with Cystic Fibrosis by promoting public knowledge and understanding in a manner that will result in earlier diagnoses, more fund raising efforts for research, and increased levels of support for Cystic Fibrosis sufferers and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 1999
Condemns the repressive anti-Baha'i policies and actions of the Government of Iran. Continues to hold such Government responsible for upholding the rights of all its nationals in a manner consistent with Iran's obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and other international agreements guaranteeing the civil and political rights of its citizens. Expresses concern that individual Baha'is continue to suffer from severely repressive and discriminatory government actions, including executions and death sentences, solely on account of their religion. Urges the Government of Iran to: (1) permit Baha'i students to attend and Baha'i faculty to teach at Iranian universities, return property confiscated from the Baha'i Open University (OU), free imprisoned faculty members of OU, and permit OU to continue to function; (2) implement fully the conclusions and recommendations on the emancipation of the Iranian Baha'i community made by the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, Professor Abdelfattah Amor, in his March 1996 report to the UN Commission of Human Rights; and (3) extend to the Baha'i community the rights guaranteed by UDHR and the international covenants of human rights. Calls upon the President to continue to: (1) assert the U.S. Government's concern regarding Iran's violations of the rights of its citizens, including members of the Baha'i community, along with expressions of its concern regarding the Iranian Government's support for international terrorism and its efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction; (2) emphasize that the United States regards the Iranian Government's human rights practices, particularly its treatment of such community and other religious minorities, as a significant factor in the development of the U.S. Government's relations with the Government of Iran; (3) emphasize the need for the UN Special Representative for Human Rights to be granted permission to enter Iran; (4) urge the Iranian Government to emancipate the Baha'i community by granting rights guaranteed by UDHR and the international covenants on human rights; and (5) encourage other governments to continue to appeal to the Iranian Government, and to cooperate with other governments and international organizations, including the UN, in efforts to protect the religious rights of the Baha'is and other minorities through joint appeals and other appropriate actions.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 1999
NRC Fairness in Funding Act of 1999 - Amends the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 to extend through FY 2004 the authority of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to assess and collect user fees and annual charges. Reformulates the aggregate annual charges collected from all licensees to factor in the costs of certain NRC activities for FY 2000 and thereafter. Requires the NRC to take specified considerations into account when it determines which costs of its activities would be inequitable to include in licensee assessments. Sets a ceiling for such maximum excluded costs.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 1999
Requires the Secretary of Defense, upon the termination of the use of training ranges on the island of Vieques for live munitions impact involved in the training of U.S. armed forces, to transfer the missions, personnel, and assets of Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, to the continental United States and close such naval station. Authorizes the Secretary to transfer any counter-drug mission to a forward operating location outside the continental United States that is also outside of Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 1999
Risk Management for the 21st Century Act - Title I: Crop Insurance Coverage - Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to provide that the Commodity Credit Corporation, with respect to prevented planting crop insurance, shall: (1) provide equal coverage levels for all covered commodities; (2) require area-wide conditions for payment; and (3) permit (noninsurable) substitute plantings. (Sec. 102) Directs the Corporation to develop alternative rates and methodologies for rating insurance plans, which shall take into account nonparticipating producers and producers participating only in catastrophic risk protection. Grants priority to commodities with the largest acreage and the lowest percentage of participating producers. (Sec. 103) Directs the Corporation to offer optional quality adjustment policies. (Sec. 104) Directs the Office of Risk Management to rewrite catastrophic risk protection rates. (Sec. 105) Revises payment price levels (expected market price) for each insured commodity. Provides for mandatory and discretionary partial premium payments by the Corporation. (Sec. 106) Directs the Corporation to provide premium discounts for qualifying risk-reducing production practices. (Sec. 107) Directs the Corporation to assign yields with respect to: (1) farmers who have not farmed the insured crop for more than two years; (2) new land; and (3) new crops. (Sec. 108) Defines "producer that has suffered a multiyear disaster." Permits such a producer to eliminate certain years from actual production history calculation. Requires the Corporation in such circumstances to pay specified premium portions. Terminates such exclusion authority when insurance is available to cover multiple crop year disaster losses. (Sec. 109) Amends the Agricultural Market Transition Act with respect to the noninsured crop disaster assistance program to: (1) authorize combining of crop types or varieties into a single eligible crop; (2) require producers to report annually; (3) eliminate area loss requirements; (4) set forth new eligible crop provisions; and (5) establish a service fee for each eligible crop, to be used for program administrative and operating costs. Title II: Pilot Programs - Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to provide that: (1) the Specialty Crops Coordinator shall administer the gross revenue pilot programs for specialty crops; and (2) such programs shall be expanded to additional counties in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and other States as the Coordinator determines. (Sec. 202) Directs the Corporation to carry out a low-risk producer pilot program. (Sec. 203) Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a revenue insurance pilot program for hog and cattle producers in specified Iowa counties. Obligates funds for such program. (Sec. 204) Directs the Secretary to carry out a pilot program for coverage of specialty crops and uninsured commodities and livestock through whole farm revenue insurance. (Sec. 205) Amends the Agricultural Market Transition Act to include hog and cattle producers in the options pilot program. (Sec. 206) Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to obligate funds for pilot programs (other than the revenue insurance pilot program for hog and cattle producers ). Title III: Administration - Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to revise the membership of the Corporation's Board of Directors. (Sec. 302) Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to place the Office of Risk Management under the Board. Authorizes the Office of Risk Management to enter into private and public entity partnerships to increase availability of risk management tools for specialty crop producers. Obligates funds for such activities. (Sec. 303) Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to direct the Secretary to establish an Office of Private Sector Partnership to provide specified Board-private sector liaison functions. Obligates funding for such activities. (Sec. 304) Increases monetary penalties for intentionally providing false insurance information. Authorizes disbarment from Department of Agriculture programs for such violations. (Sec. 306) Directs the Corporation to establish a crop insurance compliance monitoring program. (Sec. 307) Authorizes the Coordinator to make grants and enter into contracts for research and development activities for new or revised insurance policies for specialty crops. Directs the Corporation and the Coordinator to conduct a study of new insurance policies for specialty crops. (Sec. 308) Directs the Board to review insurance plans for adequacy of coverage, and recommend that the Office of Risk Management develop plans for inadequately covered commodities. (Sec. 309) Prohibits purchasing insurance for more than one crop per year on the same acreage unless the producer or the acreage has a previous history of double-cropping. (Sec. 310) Provides for State consultation concerning such policies of insurance offered in the State. (Sec. 311) Authorizes specified insurance plan fees. (Sec. 312) Requires reinsurance agreements to provide for risk sharing between the Corporation and the reinsured company. Title IV: Miscellaneous - Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to define "program crop" and "specialty crop."
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1999
Adopted Orphans Citizenship Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the acquisition of U.S. citizenship (as of the date of birth) by certain foreign-born children adopted by a U.S. citizen parent or parents.
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.
![Official portrait of Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/i000024_200.jpg)