United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2000
Honoring Health Care Commitments to Servicemembers Past and Present Act of 2000 - Expresses the sense of the Senate that urgent priority be given to the enactment of legislation that provides health care coverage for Medicare-eligible members and former members of the armed forces who first became members before June 7, 1956, and for the dependents of such members, at no cost. (Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary of Defense (Secretary) to expand and make permanent a demonstration project which allows individuals eligible for medical care and services under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) to obtain pharmaceuticals by mail in order to permit the following individuals to participate in the project: (1) a member or former member of the armed forces; (2) dependents of certain former members; or (3) dependents of members who died while on active duty for a period of more than 30 days, who are entitled to hospital insurance benefits under part A of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. Requires the Secretary to modify each managed health care program which includes a managed care network of community retail pharmacies in order to supply pharmaceuticals to the above individuals. (Sec. 4) Amends the Social Security Act relating to the Medicare subvention demonstration project for military retirees to: (1) exclude from such project any individual who is covered by a health benefits plan offered through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP); (2) repeal the current six-site limit for conducting such project; and (3) repeal the January 1, 2001, project termination date, making such project a permanent program. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to reimburse the Secretary for Medicare health care services provided to Medicare-eligible military retirees and dependents at a designated site in an amount of up to 95 percent of the cost of services provided on a fee-for- service basis. Authorizes such reimbursement for Medicare services provided at such sites for individuals not enrolled in the program. Provides Medigap protection for such enrollees. (Sec. 5) Makes permanent an agreement between the Secretary and the Office of Personnel Management (currently a demonstration project) under which CHAMPUS-eligible beneficiaries who are or become entitled to hospital insurance benefits under part A of Medicare are offered an opportunity to enroll in a health benefits plan offered through the FEHBP. Limits such enrollment to 275,000. Prohibits any individual so electing from continuing to receive CHAMPUS health care, but authorizes such individuals to continue to receive health care in a military medical facility on a space-available basis. Provides limits on other health care coverage for participating individuals. Provides for: (1) required contributions for coverage; (2) participation management; and (3) annual reporting requirements. (Sec. 6) Eliminates any required copayments, deductibles, and other fees with respect to CHAMPUS medical care provided to a dependent of a member who is enrolled in TRICARE Prime (a Department of Defense managed health care program). (Sec. 7) Requires CHAMPUS coverage for dependents residing with members who are assigned to certain remote duty locations to be comparable to the coverage and timely access requirements applicable to TRICARE Prime. (Sec. 8) Establishes in the Treasury the Uniformed Services Retiree Health Care Account to cover costs incurred for the participation of Medicare-eligible beneficiaries in the FEHBP under this Act. (Sec. 9) Authorizes the Secretary to contract with private entities for the recovery of overpayments made under the TRICARE program. (Sec. 10) Directs the Secretary to take specified action to enhance the efficiency of administration of the military health care system. (Sec. 11) Directs the Secretary to issue to covered TRICARE beneficiaries an enrollment card for nationwide participation in such program.
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 · 24 January 2000
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Includes as an employee, for purposes of Federal provisions authorizing enrollment under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: (1) a member of the armed forces who began service before June 7, 1956, and retired after a minimum of 20 years of such service or by reason of a service-connected disability; and (2) the surviving widow or widower of such member. Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide FEHB coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member entitled to military retired or retainer pay; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member; and (5) a family member of such member. Repeals a provision prohibiting coverage under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services for persons entitled to hospital insurance benefits under part A of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
New Markets for State-Inspected Meat Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to review each State's meat and poultry inspection program, which shall include: (1) determination of plan effectiveness; and (2) identification of changes necessary for future transition to a State program as provided for by this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Title I: Meat Inspection - Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act to authorize the Secretary to approve a qualifying State meat inspection program and allow the shipment in commerce of carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat, and meat food products so inspected. Requires the Secretary to review such approved plans to: (1) determine effectiveness; and (2) identify changes necessary to ensure enforcement of Federal requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into a cooperative agreement with a State to establish the relationship between the State program and the Secretary. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) product marking; (2) labeling requirements; (3) authority of the Secretary; (4) State reimbursement; (5) sampling, including salmonella testing; (6) noncompliance; (7) establishment inspections, including exemptions for restaurants and retail stores; (8) acceptance of interstate shipments of meat and meat food products; and (9) advisory committees. Directs the Secretary to temporarily suspend or take over a noncomplying State program (or an establishment). Provides for program reinstatement. Title II: Poultry Inspection - Amends the Poultry Products Inspection Act to make similar amendments to those in title I. Title III: General Provisions - Terminates the Secretary's authority to establish interstate meat and poultry inspection programs under this Act if approval and cooperative agreements have not been concluded by a specified date.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
Milton Friedman Congressional Gold Medal Act - Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal to Milton Friedman in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to individual freedom and opportunity in American society through his exhaustive research and teaching of economics and his extensive writings on economics and public policy. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such national medal. Requires proceeds to be deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
Amends the Public Health Service Act concerning the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to specify, in addition to other current requirements, that a petition for compensation under the Program for a vaccine-related injury or death must contain, subject to exception, an affidavit, and supporting documentation, demonstrating that the person who suffered such injury or who died suffered such illness, disability, injury or condition from the vaccine which resulted in inpatient hospitalization and surgical intervention to correct such illness, disability, injury or condition.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to increase from one year to five years the maximum imprisonment for knowing and willful prohibited transactions aggregating $25,000 or more during a calendar year. Extends the statute of limitations from three to five years. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to: (1) promulgate a guideline, or amend an existing guideline, for penalties under FECA and related election laws; and (2) submit to Congress an explanation of any such guidelines and any legislative or administrative recommendations regarding enforcement. Specifies considerations for such guidelines. Amends FECA to extend the prohibition against campaign contributions by foreign nationals to domestic subsidiaries of foreign nationals, unless the subsidiary can demonstrate through a reasonable accounting method that it has sufficient funds other than those given or loaned by its foreign national parent from which the contribution or donation is made. Extends to donations the prohibition against contributions in the name of another.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
Declares that the Senate: (1) recognizes the contribution of older persons to their communities; and (2) commends the work of organizations that participate in programs assisting older persons and that promote the goals of the International Year of Older Persons.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should: (1) take effective measures to ensure that U.S. assistance and exports of equipment to Mexican security forces are used primarily for counter-narcotics purposes and are not provided to units that have been implicated in human rights violations, unless the Government of Mexico (the Government) is taking effective measures to bring the individuals responsible to justice; (2) encourage the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) and the Government to take steps to create conditions for good faith negotiations that address the social, economic, and political causes of the conflict in Chiapas, to achieve a peaceful and lasting resolution of the conflict, and to vigorously pursue such negotiations; (3) commend the Government for its renewed commitment to negotiations and for establishing a date for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Mexico to discuss human rights concerns; (4) give a higher priority in discussions with the Government to criminal justice reforms that protect human rights; and (5) urge the Government to implement the recommendations of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
Oil Price Safeguard Act - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to expand the circumstances under which a severe energy supply interruption shall be deemed to exist (thus permitting a drawdown of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). Provides for the deeming of such an interruption when oil and gas prices in the United States increase to a level likely to cause a significant adverse impact on the national economy as a result of the anticompetitive conduct of one or more foreign countries or international entities. Directs the President to present a status report to certain congressional committees if the price of a barrel of crude oil exceeds a specified price for a period greater than 14 days, including: (1) the impact upon the price of home heating oil; and (2) whether the President supports a drawdown and distribution from the SPR.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
Refugee Protection Act of 1999 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to refugee provisions to limit summary inspection procedures to emergency migration situations in which numbers of arriving aliens substantially exceed inspection capacities. Grants the Attorney General sole authority to make such determination, which shall last 90 days unless extended after consultation with the appropriate congressional committees. Revises provisions respecting inspection of aliens seeking U.S. admission, including requiring: (1) an alien to be informed of certain rights prior to removal or withdrawal of his or her admission application, and (2) review of a removal order by an immigration judge, with the right of the alien to personally appear and be represented (at his or her expense). Exempts from expedited removal procedures aliens fleeing countries with poor human rights record, as determined by the Attorney General. Revises the procedure used to determine whether an applicant for asylum has a credible fear of persecution. Authorizes (currently requires) the Attorney General to detain asylum applicants pending claims resolution. Repeals a specified limitation on judicial review of alien admissions. Provides, with respect to asylum applicants, for an exception to the filing deadline or a permitted second filing after a rejection upon a showing of good cause.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to: (1) make grants on a competitive basis for protecting the health and safety of the public and firefighting personnel against fire and fire-related hazards; and (2) provide assistance for specified fire prevention programs (requiring at least ten percent of grant funds to be used for such programs). Provides a program priority for organizations that focus on prevention of injuries to children from fire. Requires: (1) ten percent non-Federal matching funds; (2) each grantee to report to the Director on grant uses; and (3) grants to be made to a variety of recipients, including paid and volunteer firefighters and urban, suburban, and rural. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
Pharmaceutical Aid to Older Americans Act - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize the Assistant Secretary for Aging within the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to States to provide and administer State pharmacy assistance programs (programs that provide coverage for prescription drugs for poor older Americans who are not eligible for medical assistance under either Medicaid (title XIX of the Social Security Act) or under any other pharmacy assistance program). Provides a grant priority for programs that provide services for underserved populations or populations residing in rural areas. Requires at least $250,000 to be awarded to each eligible grant State and limits grant periods to two years. Requires at least 30 percent non-Federal matching funds. Authorizes the Assistant Secretary to award grants to State agencies to assist such agencies or area agencies in providing and administering medication management programs ( pharmacy counseling, medicine screening, or patient or health care provider education programs for older individuals). Requires at least $50,000 to be awarded to each eligible grant State and limits grant periods to two years. Requires at least 30 percent non-Federal matching funds. Requires each State to prepare and submit to the Assistant Secretary an evaluation of the effectiveness of its pharmacy assistance programs and its medication management programs. Requires follow-up reports from the Assistant Secretary to Congress. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2001 through 2005.
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 · 16 November 1999
Ricky Ray Fairness Act of 1999 - Amends the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1998 to: (1) remove a funding limit with respect to the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund; (2) authorize payments from such Fund to individuals who are diagnosed with AIDS and meet certain other requirements; and (3) authorize Fund payments for individuals who were treated with HIV contaminated blood transfusion, components, or human tissue provided by a medical professional during the period beginning on January 1, 1982, through March 31, 1985.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Small Community Assistance Act of 1999 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a small community advisory committee or reconstitute an existing small community advisory committee. Directs the Administrator to develop and implement a plan to increase the involvement of small communities in the regulatory review processes conducted under the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, and title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995. Directs each EPA regional office to establish a Small Town Ombudsman Office to serve as an advocate for small communities and a facilitator for addressing small community concerns and programs. Requires the Offices to establish a regular, ongoing consultation process with small communities to involve them in the process of implementing, creating, and informing the public about environmental regulations, guidance, and policies and provide other appropriate assistance. Directs the Offices to survey small communities every five years to provide information for use in regulatory planning, development, and outreach. Requires the Administrator to distribute to small communities a guide to Federal environmental requirements for small communities. Directs the Administrator to implement a plan for periodically obtaining feedback from small communities on the effectiveness of EPA in involving such communities in regulatory development and implementation and reaching out to such communities to provide educational and other assistance. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2000 - Prohibits the President from prohibiting or regulating travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or lawful resident aliens, including specified transactions ordinarily incident to such travel, financial or otherwise. Declares that nothing in this Act shall authorize the importation into the United States of any goods for personal consumption acquired in Cuba.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
High-Speed Rail Investment Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a limited tax credit to holders of a qualified Amtrak bond. Sets forth definitions, State matching requirements, and other rules.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Interstate Transportation of Dangerous Criminals Act of 1999 or Jeanna's Act - Directs the Attorney General to promulgate regulations relating to the transportation of violent prisoners in or affecting interstate commerce which shall include: (1) minimum standards and requirements for employees and potential employees of private prisoner transport companies; (2) prisoner clothing and restraint requirements; and (3) immediate notification of appropriate law enforcement officials in the event of a prisoner escape during transportation. Provides civil penalties for the violation of such regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Downtown Equity Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Buildings Act of 1959 to require the head of each Federal agency, in locating and relocating Federal facilities, to give first priority to central business areas, except when such location would: (1) materially compromise the agency's mission; or (2) not be economically prudent. Directs the Administrator of General Services to study and report to Congress on the feasibility of establishing a system for: (1) assessing the costs of locating Federal facilities in rural areas as compared to urban areas, in central business areas of rural areas as compared to rural areas outside central business areas, and in central business areas of urban areas as compared to urban areas outside central business areas; (2) adjusting the absolute comparable costs to correct for the inherent differences in property values between rural areas and urban areas; and (3) assessing the impacts on land use, air quality and other environmental factors, and to historic preservation, in the location of Federal facilities. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2001 and 2002.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 1999
Entitles to an annuity under either the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employee Retirement System a military reserve technician who is separated from service as a technician after either: (1) becoming 50 years of age and completing 20 years of such service; or (2) completing 25 years of such service.
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
Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) to include Vermont in the State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) program (which authorizes loans to public or private organizations to cover the whole or partial costs of an approved infrastructure project, as well as providing for a multistate infrastructure bank system among the pilot states).
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 1999
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the erosion of the independence of judicial and electoral branches of the Government of Peru and the blatant intimidation of journalists in Peru are matters of serious concern to the United States; (2) efforts by any person or political movement in Peru to undermine that country's constitutional order for personal or political gain are inconsistent with the standard of representative democracy in the Western Hemisphere; (3) the U.S. Government supports the effort of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to report on the pattern of threats to democracy, freedom of the press, and judicial independence by the Government of Peru; and (4) systematic abuse of the rule of law and threats to democracy in Peru could undermine the confidence of foreign investors in, as well as the creditworthiness of, Peru.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 1999
Phone Bill Fairness Act - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to: (1) jointly investigate billing practices of telecommunications carriers (carriers) to determine whether customer bills accurately assess and characterize the services received and fees charged, including any fees imposed as line-item charges; (2) take appropriate disciplinary actions for inaccuracies; and (3) report to Congress on investigation results. Requires the FTC to treat any telecommunications billing practice or rate plan determined to be intentionally misleading as an unfair business practice for purposes of the Federal Trade Commission Act. Requires the FCC, upon a finding that any holder of an FCC license has repeatedly and intentionally engaged in a telephone billing practice or utilized a rate plan that is misleading, to treat such holder as acting against public interest for purposes of the Communications Act of 1934. Requires each carrier to display on the first page of each customer bill: (1) the average per-minute charge of telecommunications services for the billing period; and (2) the percentage of the total number of telephone calls of such customer that took place on a weekday, weekend, daytime, or nighttime, and the percentage that were billed to a calling card. Requires customer bills to include: (1) an accurate name and description of any covered charge and the recipient of monies collected through such charge; (2) a statement of whether each such charge is required by law or by a governmental entity under its discretionary authority; and (3) an explanation of any reduction in charges or fees. Directs each carrier required to contribute to universal services during the previous year to report to the FCC on their total contributions during the previous year and the total receipts from customers to recover such contributions. Directs the FCC to review such reports to determine whether such amounts are equal and, if not, to require such carrier to deposit an equal amount.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 1999
Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 1999 - Title I: Programs for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities - Subtitle A: General Provisions - Incorporates existing recordkeeping requirements of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (the Act). (Sec. 104) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement an accountability process to monitor entities that received funds under this Act to carry out activities under subtitles B, C, and D and determine the extent to which they have been responsive to this title's purposes and have taken actions consistent with stated policy. Requires the Secretary to develop a process for identifying and reporting on progress achieved through advocacy, capacity building, and systemic change activities undertaken by such entities that resulted in individuals with developmental disabilities and their families participating in the design of and having access to needed community services, individualized supports, and other assistance that promotes self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration in all facets of community life. Provides for development of indicators of progress for each area of emphasis (defined as areas related to quality assurance, education and early intervention, child care, health, employment, housing, transportation, recreation activities and other services offered to individuals in a community). Requires entities to meet such indicators of progress. Directs the Secretary to maintain the interagency committee authorized under the Act, except as otherwise provided by this Act. (Sec. 105) Requires the Secretary, using information submitted in the reports and required under subtitles B, C, D, and E of this Act, to report to the President, Congress, and the National Council on Disability at least biennially on the goals and outcomes of programs supported under such subtitles. (Sec. 107) Conditions assistance under this title on a recipient taking affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities on the same terms required with respect to the employment of such individuals under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. (Sec. 109) Sets forth congressional findings with respect to the rights of individuals with developmental disabilities. Subtitle B: Federal Assistance to State Councils on Developmental Disabilities - Sets forth an allotment formula for assistance to States for services for individuals with developmental disabilities. Establishes minimum allotments. (Sec. 124) Requires States desiring to receive assistance under this subtitle to obtain the Secretary's approval of a five-year strategic plan. Requires plans to: (1) provide for the establishment of State Councils on Developmental Disabilities; (2) identify the State agency designated to support the Council; (3) describe the results of a review and analysis of the extent to which services, supports, and other assistance are available to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families and the extent of unmet needs for such assistance in the State; (4) focus on Council efforts to bring about this subtitle's purposes by specifying five-year goals for advocacy, capacity building, and systemic change related to the areas of emphasis under this Act to be undertaken by the Council; and (5) contain certain assurances and information similar to that required under the Act. Bases plans on public input. (Sec. 125) Requires each State that receives assistance under this subtitle to establish a Council to undertake advocacy, capacity building, and systemic change activities that contribute to a coordinated consumer- and family-centered and directed system of community services, individualized supports, and other assistance that contributes to the achievement of this subtitle's purposes. Sets forth provisions regarding Council appointments and membership rotation similar to those existing under the Act. Requires at least 60 percent of Council membership to consist of: (1) individuals with developmental disabilities; (2) parents or guardians of children with such disabilities; or (3) immediate relatives or guardians of adults with mentally impairing developmental disabilities who cannot advocate for themselves. Incorporates provisions of the Act that bar employees of a State agency that receives funds or provides services under this subtitle or managing employees (as defined in the Social Security Act) of any entity that receives such funds or provides such services from being on Councils. Incorporates provisions similar to those under the Act regarding: (1) Council duties; (2) State agencies designated to provide support to Councils; (3) designated State agency duties; (4) Federal and non-Federal shares of project costs; (5) withholding of payments for certain failures to comply with plan provisions or regulations; and (6) appeals by States of certain actions by the Secretary. (Sec. 129) Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle C: Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights - Sets forth provisions similar to those under the Act regarding allotment to States of funds for protection and advocacy systems to protect the legal and human rights of individuals with developmental disabilities. Establishes minimum allotments. (Sec. 143) Conditions the receipt of an allotment under this subtitle or subtitle B on certain requirements, including that the: (1) State have a system to protect and advocate the rights of individuals with disabilities; and (2) system have certain legal and investigative authorities and meet other specified requirements. Incorporates provisions similar to those under the Act that authorize an American Indian consortium established to provide protection and advocacy services to receive funding to provide such services. (Sec. 144) Requires systems to submit annual reports to the Secretary. (Sec. 145) Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle D: National Network of University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service - Directs the Secretary to make five-year grants to University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service in each State as well as grants for training initiatives related to the unmet needs of individuals with disabilities and their families and technical assistance. (Sec. 153) Requires the Centers to be interdisciplinary education, research, and public service units of universities or public or not-for-profit entities associated with universities that engage in specified core functions. (Sec. 154) Limits the Federal share of Center administration or operation costs or the costs of training initiatives to 75 percent, with exceptions for projects that target individuals in poverty areas. (Sec. 156) Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle E: Projects of National Significance - Requires the Secretary to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to public or nonprofit private entities for projects of national significance relating to the development of policies that reinforce and promote the self-determination, independence, productivity, and inclusion in community life of individuals with developmental disabilities. Authorizes Federal interagency initiatives to carry out such projects. (Sec. 163) Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Family Support - Families of Children With Disabilities Support Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary to make grants to States on a competitive basis to support systems change activities to assist States in developing or enhancing statewide systems of family support services for families of children with disabilities, including individuals who are not younger than age 18 who have certain significant impairments and reside with and receive assistance from a family member. Limits the Federal share of such assistance to 75 percent of the cost of activities and the award period to three years. (Sec. 209) Requires the Secretary to enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with public or private agencies and organizations to provide technical assistance and information with respect to the development or enhancement of such systems. (Sec. 210) Provides for a national evaluation of the grant program by the Secretary and a report to Congress. (Sec. 211) Requires the Secretary to: (1) review Federal programs to determine the extent to which programs facilitate or impede access to, provision of, and funding for family support services for families of children with disabilities; and (2) make grants or enter into contracts for projects of national significance to support the development of policies related to developing or enhancing family-centered and -directed systems of such services. (Sec. 212) Authorizes appropriations to carry out this title. Title III: Program for Direct Support Workers Who Assist Individuals With Developmental Disabilities - Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to institutions of higher education, State agencies, or a consortium of such agencies on a competitive basis to enable such entities to carry out scholarship programs by providing vouchers for postsecondary education to direct support workers who assist individuals with developmental disabilities residing in diverse settings. Limits the Federal share of the cost of such vouchers to 80 percent. (Sec. 304) Directs the Secretary to award funding, on a competitive basis, to public or private entities for the development, evaluation, and dissemination of a staff development curriculum and related guidelines for computer-assisted, competency-based, multimedia, interactive instruction relating to service as a direct support worker. Requires the curriculum to be provided to individuals who seek to: (1) become direct support workers who assist individuals with developmental disabilities or are such workers; and (2) upgrade their skills and competencies related to being such a worker. (Sec. 305) Authorizes appropriations to carry out this title. Title IV: Repeal - Repeals the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act.
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 · 27 October 1999
Clinical Research Enhancement Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to: (1) support and expand the NIH's involvement in clinical research; (2) support and expand the resources available for the clinical research community; and (3) establish peer review mechanisms. (Sec. 4) Mandates grants to: (1) establish general clinical research centers to provide the infrastructure for clinical research, including clinical research training and career enhancement; (2) support individual careers in clinical research at general clinical research centers or at other institutions (to be known as Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Awards); (3) support individual clinical research projects at general clinical research centers or at other institutions (to be known as Mid-Career Investigator Awards in Patient-Oriented Research); (4) support individuals pursuing master's or doctoral degrees in clinical investigation (to be known as Graduate Training in Clinical Investigation Awards); and (5) develop and support programs for training clinical investigators in biostatistics, pharmacology, and other core curricula (to be known as Clinical Research Curriculum Awards). Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a loan repayment program for qualified health professionals who have contracted with the Federal Government to conduct clinical research in return for the Government's repayment of a specified amount of their educational loans for each year of service. Authorizes appropriations to carry out the loan repayment provisions. (Sec. 7) Directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the extent to which the NIH has complied with requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 1999
Hunger Relief Act of 1999 - Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to remove specified restrictions on qualified aliens' eligibility for food stamp and supplemental security income benefits. Exempts food stamp provisions respecting aliens from: (1) the five-year waiting period for Federal means-tested public benefits eligibility; (2) inclusion of sponsor income and resources to an alien for State benefits eligibility; and (3) sponsor reimbursement requirements in cases of hardship. Sets forth effective dates for: (1) aliens; and (2) refugees and asylees. (Sec. 3) Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to authorize a State to use an alternative State auto valuation rather than the Federal one in order to provide a lower household resource attribution for food stamp program purposes. (Sec. 4) Increases, and indexes for inflation, the food stamp excess shelter deduction. (Sec. 5) Amends the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to authorize additional appropriations for commodity purchases under the emergency food assistance program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 1999
Food Stamp Outreach and Research for Kids Act of 1999 - Title I: Food Stamp Program - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to (temporarily) carry out mandatory annual onsite inspections of State food stamp program agencies. (Sec. 103) Directs the Secretary to carry out a caseworker training demonstration program. (Sec. 104) Provides for Food and Nutrition Service studies to measure food stamp program impacts on nutrition policy formulation. (Sec. 105) Directs the Secretary to establish a program of grants to qualifying organizations for community partnerships and innovative outreach programs. (Sec. 106) Directs the Secretary to conduct online and telephone program participation demonstration programs. (Sec. 107) Directs the Secretary to facilitate partnerships with State, local, private, and public entities to provide information on nutrition programs, and maintain a toll-free information number. Makes an entity maintaining a toll-free number eligible for a specified Internal Revenue Code business tax credit. (Sec. 108) Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study of State outreach programs. Title II: Medicaid and Food Stamp Information Through TANF Program and Tax Credit - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a model application for receiving benefits under a State TANF program (Social Security Act block grants to States for temporary assistance to needy families). Requires the application to provide Medicaid and food stamp program eligibility information, for which the Secretary shall develop a model notice. Declares that State use of the application and notice shall be voluntary unless the Secretary determines that a State is not adequately providing food stamp information. (Sec. 202) Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a business credit for establishment of the toll-free number under title I of this Act.
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
Providing Reliable Officers, Technology, Education, Community Prosecutors, and Training In Our Neighborhoods Act of 1999 or PROTECTION Act - Modifies provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (the Act) regarding public safety and community policing ("cops on the beat" program, COPS) to authorize the Attorney General to use funding under COPS grants to: (1) increase prosecutor presence and to enhance law enforcement access to new technologies; (2) pay overtime to existing career law enforcement officers to the extent that such overtime is devoted to community policing efforts; and (3) promote higher education among in-service State and local law enforcement officers by reimbursing them for the costs associated with seeking a college or graduate school education. Includes among permitted additional grant projects: (1) specialized integrity and ethics training; (2) innovative proactive crime control and prevention programs involving school officials and religiously-affiliated organizations; (3) school-based partnerships between local law enforcement agencies and local school systems by using school resource officers who operate in and around elementary and secondary schools (current law) to serve as a law enforcement liaison with other Federal, State, and local law enforcement and regulatory agencies and to combat gang membership and criminal activity, firearms and explosives-related incidents, illegal use and possession of alcohol, and the illegal possession, use, and distribution of drugs; and (4) innovative programs that bring together a community's sheriff, police chief, and elderly residents to address the public safety concerns of older citizens. Authorizes the Attorney General to use up to five percent of appropriated funds for technical assistance and training to States, local governments, Indian tribal governments, and other public and private entities. Requires the technical assistance provided by the Attorney General to include the establishment and operation of regional community policing institutes training centers or facilities. Permits the functions of the centers or facilities to include instruction and seminars for specified individuals, including representatives of police labor and management organizations and community residents. Repeals provisions of the Act regarding: (1) termination of grants for hiring officers; and (2) preferential consideration of applications for certain grants. Allows grants to be used to assist: (1) police departments in employing specified professional, scientific, and technological advancements; and (2) State, local, or tribal prosecutors' offices in implementation of community-based prosecution programs that build on local community policing efforts. Reserves specified funds for units of local government with a population of less than 50,000. Authorizes the Attorney General to use no more than 50 percent of grant renewal funds to award grants targeted specifically for retention of police officers to grantees in good standing, with preference to those that demonstrate financial hardship or severe budget constraint that impacts the entire local budget and may result in the termination of employment for officers. Redefines: (1) "career law enforcement officer" to include sheriffs' deputies charged with supervising offenders who are released into the community but also engaged in local community policing efforts; and (2) "school resource officer" to mean a career law enforcement officer deployed in community-oriented policing and assigned to work in collaboration with schools and community-based organizations (as under current law) to engage in specified activities, including serving as a law enforcement liaison with other Federal, State, and local law enforcement and regulatory agencies to address and document crime and disorder problems, training students in conflict resolution and crime awareness, and assisting school administrators with the preparation of an annual report on the number of students expelled per year for bringing a weapon, firearm, or explosive to school. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 14 October 1999
DrugGap Insurance for Seniors Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish a DrugGap Medicare supplemental health insurance policy (Medigap DrugGap policy) that covers only outpatient prescription drugs and that has one of the two following benefit packages: (1) a standard benefit package that provides a deductible not to exceed $250, coinsurance not to exceed 20 percent, and a $5,000 maximum benefit and a low- cost benefit package that provides a deductible not to exceed $750, coinsurance not to exceed 30 percent, and a $5,000 maximum benefit; and (2) a stop-loss benefit package that provides a stop- loss coverage benefit that limits the application of any beneficiary cost-sharing during a year after the beneficiary incurs out-of-pocket covered expenditures in excess of $5,000, or, in the case that the beneficiary has a standard benefit package, such beneficiary reaches the maximum benefit (defined as the total amount paid for covered outpatient prescription drugs) under such package. Modifies existing Medigap policy provisions, including changes to identify a core group of basic benefits common to all policies other than the Medigap DrugGap policy benefit packages. Amends SSA title XVIII part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) to require the State to provide for payment to the appropriate entity on behalf of a qualified low-income Medigap DrugGap policy enrollee for assistance with regard to premium costs and out-of-pocket expenses. Reimburses the State for such payment out of the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund. Amends the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 to require State health insurance information, counseling, and assistance grant programs to provide specific information regarding any Medigap DrugGap policy. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to contract with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for a study of, and report to the Secretary (for transmission to Congress) on, Medigap policies.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 1999
Leif Ericson Millennium Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue one-dollar silver coins, in conjunction with the simultaneous minting and issuance of commemorative coins by the Republic of Iceland, in commemoration of the millennium of the discovery of the New World by Leif Ericson. Mandates that all coin surcharges be paid to the Leifur Eirikson Foundation for the purpose of funding student exchanges between the United States and Iceland.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 1999
Pension Reduction Disclosure Act of 1999 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code to set forth notice requirements for pension plans which significantly reduce future benefit accruals. Requires additional information to be provided in such notice by large pension plans with 100 or more active participants. Imposes an excise tax upon failure of pension plans to provide such notice.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1999
Debt Relief for Poor Countries Act of 1999 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct the President, subject to authorization of appropriations, to cancel or reduce all amounts owed to the United States by heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) as a result of concessional and nonconcessional loans made, guarantees issued, or credits extended prior to January 1, 1996, under any provision of law. Sets forth eligibility requirements for cancellation or reduction of debt. Directs the President, in canceling or reducing debt, to give priority to HIPCs that have demonstrated a sustained commitment to poverty alleviation or have recently suffered a major natural disaster. (Sec. 2) Provides that cancellation or reduction of debt shall not be considered to be assistance for purposes of any law limiting assistance to a country. Authorizes appropriations. Sets forth certain procedures for the making of new loans, extending new credits, or issuing new guarantees to the governments of developing countries. (Sec. 3) Amends the International Financial Institutions Act to urge the President, in order to accelerate multilateral debt relief and promote economic and human development and poverty alleviation in HIPCs, to commence diplomatic efforts within the Paris Club of Official Creditors, as well as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other appropriate multilateral development institutions to make certain modifications in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, including: (1) the placing of a limit on maximum waiting period before a country receives debt relief; (2) the revision of country eligibility requirements under the HIPC Initiative; (3) the adoption of an economic opportunity and human development action plan by HIPCs; (4) limits on the amount of debt reduction; (5) transparency and participation by HIPCs in HIPC decision making; and (6) the provision of HIPC review. Authorizes appropriations for the HIPC Trust Fund. Declares the sense of Congress that the amounts that would otherwise be provided by the United States for development aid or other debt relief should not be reduced on account of any such appropriations. Directs the President to work with the member countries of international financial institutions to ensure transparency and public participation in decisions to make new loans to developing countries, including terms and conditions.
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 · 1 October 1999
Veterans Benefits Administration Improvement Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to the congressional veterans' committees, the Senate Majority Leader, and the Speaker of the House (the entities) a comprehensive plan for the improvement of the processing of claims for veterans' compensation and pension. Requires such plan to include the training of claims adjudicators and the enhancement of accountability standards to improve the timeliness and accuracy of such claims processing. Directs the Secretary to implement the plan within 60 days after its submission. Allows for plan modifications, but requires prior notification to the entities followed by a 30-day waiting period. Requires biannual reports from the Secretary to the entities assessing plan implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 1999
National Health Museum Site Selection Act - Directs the Administrator of General Services to convey specified property to the National Health Museum, Inc. (the Museum), to provide a site for the construction and operation of a new building to serve as the National Health Museum. Requires the Museum to provide written notification to the Administrator of the date on which it will accept conveyance of the property. Sets forth provisions regarding the purchase price for the property, including requiring the Administrator to report the purchase price to Congress and to deposit it into the Federal Buildings Fund. Provides for reversion of the property to the United States and repayment of the purchase price to the Museum if : (1) it is used for a purpose other than construction and operation of the Museum; (2) the Museum does not commence construction on the property within three years after conveyance, other than for a reason not within the Museum's control; or (3) the Museum ceases to be a nonprofit corporation. Permits the Museum to: (1) demolish or renovate any existing or future improvement on the property; (2) build, own, operate, and maintain new improvements on the property; (3) finance and mortgage the property on customary terms and conditions; and (4) manage the property. Requires the United States to cooperate with the Museum on any zoning or other matter relating to the development or improvement of the property or the demolition of any improvement. Requires the costs of remediation of any environmental hazards existing on the property, including all asbestos-containing materials, to be borne by the United States. Requires the Museum to submit annual reports to the Administrator and Congress on the status of planning, development, and construction of the Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 1999
Medicare Wellness Act of 1999 - Title I: Healthy Seniors Promotion Program - Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a Healthy Seniors Working Group to establish policies and criteria for the HHS Secretary to make grants to approved applicants to study specified approaches to further health promotion and disease prevention among the elderly. (Sec. 101) Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 102) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) encourage inclusion of preventive health measures in all Medicare treatments; (2) HCFA expand the study of the most promising behavioral modification of risk factors associated with health promotion and disease prevention for all Medicare beneficiaries; and (3) the National Library of Medicine establish a Medicare health promotion and disease prevention intervention clearinghouse. Title II: Medicare Coverage of Preventive Services - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to outline Medicare coverage of various specified preventive services, including: (1) counseling for cessation of tobacco use; (2) screening for hypertension; (3) counseling for hormone replacement therapy; (4) screening for glaucoma and for diminished visual acuity; and (5) screening and counseling for osteoporosis. (Sec. 209) Waives coinsurance and deductibles for certain preventive services, such as: (1) diabetes outpatient self-management training services; (2) colorectal and prostate cancer screening tests; and (3) bone mass measurement. (Sec. 210) Directs the Secretary to conduct a national falls prevention and awareness campaign to reduce fall-related injuries among Medicare beneficiaries and to integrate specified preventive benefits added by this Act with existing program integrity measures. Title III: Medicare Health Education and Risk Appraisal Program - Amends SSA title XVIII to direct the HHS Secretary to: (1) establish a health education and risk appraisal program to inform certain target individuals, including Medicare beneficiaries, of described major behavioral risk factors through self-assessment; and (2) conduct periodic followups. Title IV: Disease Self-Management Demonstration Projects - Establishes in HHS a Disease Self-Management Working Group. Directs the HHS Secretary to conduct demonstration projects to promote disease self-management for conditions identified by the Group for described target individuals. Provides funding. Title V: Studies and Reports Advancing Original Research in the Field of Disease Prevention and the Elderly - Amends SSA title XVIII to revise reporting requirements for the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. (Sec. 502) Directs the Director of the National Institutes on Aging to conduct one or more studies, for associated reports to the HHS Secretary and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, that focus on ways to: (1) improve quality of life for the elderly; (2) develop better ways to prevent or delay the onset of age-related functional decline and disease and disability among the elderly; and (3) develop means of assessing the long-term development of cost-effective benefits and cost-saving benefits for health promotion and disease prevention among the elderly. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 503) Directs the HHS Secretary to contract with the Institute to study and report to the President and Congress on health promotion and disease prevention among Medicare beneficiaries. (Sec. 504) Provides for fast-track consideration of prevention benefit legislation in the House of Representatives and in the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 1999
Older Workers Pension Protection Act of 1999 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to prohibit plan amendments that reduce future accrued benefits for years of service for participants in defined benefit plans with 100 or more members.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 1999
Surface Transportation Board Improvement Act of 1999 - Amends Federal transportation law to require a rail carrier or corporation that is involved in a purchase and sale, a lease, or a corporate consolidation or merger transaction that has been approved or exempted by the Surface Transportation Board, and which is exempt from State regulation, to obtain, before such transaction can be carried out, the assent of a majority (or the number required under applicable State law) of the votes of the holders of the capital stock of such corporation. Revises certain requirements to subject employee protective arrangements to specified conditions.
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