United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1999
Adoption Equality Act of 1999 - Amends title IV part E (Federal Payments for Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise adoption assistance eligibility guidelines for children with special needs. Makes eligible for such assistance only children with special needs who before termination of parental rights and the initiation of adoption proceedings were: (1) in the care of a public or licensed private child care agency or Indian tribal organization, either pursuant to a voluntary placement agreement or as a result of a judicial determination to the effect that continuation in the home would be contrary to the child's safety and welfare; or (2) residing in a foster family home or child care institution with the child's minor parent. Requires a State to consider such special needs, together with the circumstances of the adopting parents, in determining the amount of Federal adoption subsidies paid to them. Prohibits assistance with respect to any child who is not a U.S. citizen or resident and who was adopted outside the United States or was brought into it for adoption purposes. Revises the criteria for determining a child with special needs to: (1) specify that State criteria for determining that a child cannot or should not be returned to the home of his parents need not include a judicial determination; and (2) allow, in the alternative, that the child meets all medical or disability requirements for benefits under SSA title XVI (Supplemental Security Income).
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1999
Sensible Ergonomics Needs Scientific Evidence Act - SENSE Act - Prohibits the Secretary of Labor from promulgating, through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, any standard, regulation, or guideline on ergonomics until 30 days after the National Academy of Sciences reports to Congress on a completed, peer-reviewed scientific study of the available evidence examining a cause and effect relationship between repetitive tasks in the workplace and musculoskeletal disorders or repetitive stress injuries.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1999
Expresses sympathy to the families of those killed as a result of their participation in the democracy protests of 1989 in the People's Republic of China, as well as to the families of those killed and to those who have suffered for their efforts to keep that struggle alive. Commends all Chinese citizens who are peacefully advocating for democracy and human rights. Condemns the ongoing and egregious human rights abuses by the Chinese Government and calls on that Government to: (1) reevaluate the official verdict on the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen prodemocracy activities and open formal investigations to bring those responsible to justice; (2) establish a June Fourth Investigation Committee, the proceedings and findings of which should be accessible to the public, to make a just and independent inquiry into all matters related to June 4, 1989; (3) release all prisoners of conscience, provide just compensation to the families of those killed in those protests, and allow those exiled for their activities in 1989 to return and live in freedom in China; (4) put an immediate end to harassment, detention, and imprisonment of Chinese citizens exercising their legitimate rights to the freedom of expression, association, and religion; and (5) proceed quickly to ratify and implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 1999
Real Estate Investment Trust Modernization Act of 1999 - Title I: Treatment of Income and Services Provided by Taxable REIT Subsidiaries - Excludes taxable REIT subsidiaries (TRSs) from the five and ten percent asset tests. Allows TRSs to provide non-customary tenant services. Allows a REIT to establish a TRS (as defined). Includes in the definition of "disqualified interest" (Sec. 163 of the IRC) any interest paid or accrued by a TRS to the REIT. Imposes a 100 percent tax on any interest payments by a TRS to the REIT in excess of the commercially reasonable interest rate. Title II: Health Care REITs - Includes within the definition of the term "foreclosure property" any qualified health care property acquired by a REIT as the result of the termination of a lease of such property. Title III: Conformity With Regulated Investment Company Rules - Changes the distribution requirement from 95 percent to 90 percent. Title IV : Clarification of Definition of Independent Contractor - Provides, with respect to the definition of an independent contractor, that in the event that any class of stock of is regularly traded on an established securities market, only owners who own, directly or indirectly, more than five percent of such class of stock shall be taken into account as owning any of the stock of such class for purposes of applying the 35 percent limitation. Title V: Modification of Earnings and Profits Rules - Provides rules for determining whether a Regulated Investment Company (RIC) has earnings and profits form a non-RIC year.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1999
Motor Vehicle Franchise Contract Arbitration Fairness Act of 1999 - Provides that each party to a motor vehicle franchise contract providing for the use of arbitration to resolve a controversy arising out of or relating to the contract shall have the option, after the controversy arises and before both parties commence an arbitration proceeding, to reject arbitration as the means of settling the controversy. Requires that any such rejection be in writing. Requires the arbitrator, whenever a party elects arbitration, to provide the parties with a written explanation of the factual and legal basis for the award.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1999
Affordable Housing Opportunity Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase, and link to the cost-of-living adjustment, the State low-income housing credit ceiling.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1999
Great Ape Conservation Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to use amounts in the Great Ape Conservation Fund (to be established under this Act) to provide financial assistance for projects for the conservation of great apes (chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, and orangutans). Allows a project proposal to be submitted by: (1) any wildlife management authority of a country that has within its boundaries any part of the range of a great ape if such authority's activities affect a great ape population; (2) the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Secretariat; or (3) any person or group with the demonstrated expertise required for the conservation of great apes. Sets forth provisions governing: (1) the required elements of project proposals; (2) project review and approval; and (3) assistance recipient reporting requirements. Prohibits the use of grant amounts for captive breeding of great apes other than for captive breeding for release into the wild. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1999
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a limited credit for qualified medical innovation expenses for clinical testing research expenses attributable to academic medical centers and other qualified hospital research organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1999
Better Nutrition for School Children Act of 1999 - Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) to prohibit the donation or service without charge of competitive foods of minimal nutritional value before the end of the last lunch period in schools participating in Federal meal service programs under CNA and the National School Lunch Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1999
Youth Drug and Mental Health Services Act - Title I: Provisions Relating to Services for Children and Adolescents - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) with regard to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (Administration) to provide for a program to assist local communities in developing ways to assist children in dealing with violence. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 102) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to public and non-profit private entities for: (1) establishing a national as well as regional centers of excellence on psychological trauma response; and (2) developing knowledge with regard to evidence-based practices for treating psychiatric disorders resulting from witnessing or experiencing such stress. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 103) Authorizes the Secretary to make noncompetitive grants to, or contracts or cooperative agreements with, public entities to address emergency substance abuse or mental health needs in local communities. (Sec. 104) Reauthorizes and extends prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation model projects for high risk youth. (Sec. 105) Replaces provisions for outpatient treatment programs and postpartum women with grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements for projects to provide substance abuse and mental health treatment for children and adolescents. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 106) Reauthorizes and extends the grant program for comprehensive community mental health services to children with serious emotional disturbances, with an increase in maximum grant duration from five to six fiscal years. (Sec. 107) Reauthorizes and extends the grant program for providing services to children of substance abusers. Transfers responsibility for the program from the Health Resources and Services Administration to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for training health, substance abuse, and mental health professionals and other specified providers of services to children and families. Requires grant recipients which are Medicaid providers to identify children who may be eligible for medical assistance under Medicaid or the State's Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Requires a grant recipient to make available to such children drug and alcohol early intervention, treatment, and prevention services. Requires services for affected families to include: (1) aggressive outreach to family members with substance abuse problems; and (2) consumers in the development, implementation, and monitoring of the Family Services Plan. Repeals the mandate for peer review of grant applications. (Sec. 108) Requires the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment to ensure that emphasis is placed on children and adolescents in the development of treatment programs, among other changes in organizational and general provisions. Title II: Provisions Relating to Mental Health - Replaces grant programs for demonstration projects with projects for priority mental health needs of regional and national significance. Directs the Secretary to establish related information dissemination and education programs. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 202) Reauthorizes and extends the grant program for developing and expanding mental health and substance abuse treatment services for homeless individuals. (Sec. 203) Authorizes the Secretary to waive requirements for projects for assistance in transition from homelessness with respect to the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Reauthorizes and extends formula grants to States for programs for individuals suffering from serious mental illness or substance abuse and for the homeless. (Sec. 204) Revises the criteria for State plans for grants for comprehensive community mental health services for certain individuals, as well as application deadlines. Reauthorizes and extends the program of formula block grants for community mental health services and treatment of mental illness and substance abuse. (Sec. 205) Makes permanent at the level it received for FY 1998 the minimum formula grant allotment of any State for its plan for comprehensive community mental health services for certain individuals. (Currently, such level applies only with respect to FY 1999). (Sec. 206) Renames the Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Act of 1986 as the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Act. Includes as an individual with mental illness one who otherwise meets certain current criteria but lives in a community setting or at home. Authorizes an eligible system (established in a State to protect and advocate the rights of persons with developmental disabilities) to represent an individual with a mental illness only if: (1) its total allotment is $30 million or more; and (2) it gives priority to representing such individuals. Revises an eligible system's minimum allotment, with different specified base amounts for States and for certain territories. Specifies a trigger level of total appropriations at which the Secretary must make an allotment to the eligible system serving the American Indian consortium. Reauthorizes and extends allotments for use in eligible protection and advocacy systems for mentally ill individuals. Title III: Provisions Relating to Substance Abuse - Replaces provisions on residential treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women with provisions on priority substance abuse treatment needs of regional and national significance. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 303) Repeals the requirement that funding agreements specify certain minimum State expenditures for prevention and treatment activities regarding alcohol and other drugs. Changes from mandatory to discretionary a State's authority to establish a revolving fund to support group homes for recovering substance abusers. Authorizes the Secretary, upon a State's request, to waive requirements with regard to substance abuse prevention and treatment block grant allocations regarding pregnant women and women with dependent children, treatment of intravenous substance abuse, tuberculosis services and HIV early intervention services, and specified kinds of additional agreements. Reauthorizes and extends appropriations. (Sec. 304) Revises the formula for minimum State allotments of block grants for preventing and treating substance abuse, and makes it permanent. Title IV: Provisions Relating to Flexibility and Accountability - Changes the mandate for an Associate Director for Alcohol Prevention and Treatment Policy to an option. Revises peer review requirements, eliminating those for regulations promulgated pursuant to peer review provisions. (Sec. 402) Reduces from three times a year to twice a year the minimum number of times each fiscal year that specified advisory councils on mental health services and substance abuse treatment must meet. (Sec. 403) Directs the Secretary in conjunction with States and other interested groups to develop separate plans for performance partnerships for creating more flexibility among the States and outcome-based accountability for programs for pregnant addicts and for programs for emotionally disturbed children and mentally ill adults. Makes grant payments to States available for obligation and expenditure through the fiscal year following the one for which the payments were made. Repeals the special treatment of grant amounts in the case of a State which has terminated or reduced financial assistance to noncompliant subgrantees. (Sec. 404) Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to, or contracts or cooperative agreements with, States to develop and operate mental health or substance abuse data collection analysis and reporting systems (data infrastructure development) with regard to performance measures including capacity, process, and outcomes measures. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1999
Services for Children of Substance Abusers Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require that the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (currently, the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services administration) make grants for: (1) services for children and families of substance abusers; (2) identification of such children and families; and (3) education and training of providers of such services. Requires grantees to identify children who may be eligible for medical assistance under titles XIX (Medicare) or XXI (Children's Health Insurance) of the Social Security Act. Adds developmentally and age-appropriate alcohol and drug evaluation, early intervention, treatment, and prevention to the services to be provided to children (replacing provisions mandating preventive counseling services). Requires that certain services be provided by a public health nurse, social worker, or similar professional, or by a trained worker from the community supervised by a professional. Allows services to be delivered to families through an entity that meets State licensure or certification requirements for that service. Mandates aggressive outreach to family members with substance abuse problems. Modifies requirements regarding: (1) mandated services for substance abusers and other people involved in abusers' lives; (2) grant eligibility; and (3) information submitted by grant applicants. Modifies reporting and evaluation requirements. Authorizes appropriations. Removes provisions mandating: (1) coordination with the State lead agency and the State Interagency Coordinating Council under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and (2) peer review as part of the grant awarding process. Authorizes grants for the training of personnel who provide services to children and families to assist the professionals in recognizing drug and alcohol problems and to enhance their skills in identifying substance abuse and obtaining early intervention, prevention, and treatment resources.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1999
Promoting Health in Rural Areas Act of 1999 - Title I: Promoting Access to Health Care Services in Rural Areas Under the Medicare Program - Subtitle A: Hospital-Related Provisions - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with regard to hospital-related provisions to: (1) revise payment and geographic reclassification requirements for sole community hospitals; (2) modify the criteria for designation of a critical access hospital; (3) make certain technical amendments with regard to adjustments for graduate medical education, both indirect and direct; (4) make permanent the payment provision for the Medicare-dependent, small rural hospital program, and provide an option to base program eligibility on discharges during any of the three most recent audited cost reporting periods; and (5) provide for an all-inclusive payment rate option for outpatient critical access hospital services. (Sec. 106) Provides for: (1) exclusion of swing beds in critical access hospitals from the prospective payment system (PPS) for skilled nursing facilities; (2) exclusion of small rural providers from the PPS for hospital outpatient department services; (3) modification of disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payment adjustment requirements; (4) application of hospital geographic reclassification for inpatient services (labor costs) to all PPS-reimbursed items and services; and (5) mandatory standardization of wage levels for hospitals with respect to occupational mix before adjusting payment rates. Directs the Secretary of Labor to study and report to Congress on the feasibility and costs of having the Bureau of Labor Statistics collect data on wages that would assist the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) in determining average wage levels, at the metropolitan statistical area, statewide, and rural level by sector and the proportion of the workforce in each occupational category within each sector. Subtitle B: General Provisions - Amends Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice) to make certain adjustments to the calculation of annual capitation rates used in determining payments to Medicare+Choice organizations. (Sec. 122) Amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to convert into a permanently authorized program the current demonstration program for direct billing of Medicare, Medicaid (SSA title XIX), and other third party payors by Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Alaska Native health organizations. (Sec. 123) Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to: (1) provide for rural representation on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) as well as additional specified duties for MEDPAC; (2) require MEDPAC to review the impact of PPS's for skilled nursing facility services, home health services, and hospital outpatient department services on access to services in rural areas, as well as review the operating margins for hospitals in rural or frontier areas; and (3) provide for Medicare coverage of qualified mental health professional services. (Sec. 125) Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on the barriers that Medicare beneficiaries residing in rural areas face in obtaining quality mental health services, and on ways to reduce or eliminate such barriers. (Sec. 126) Directs the Secretary to establish a waiver process in which entities and individuals under Medicare that are located in an urban or large urban area for purposes of Medicare reimbursement may apply to be considered as located in a rural area for such purposes if the entity or individual is located in a rural area: (1) within a metropolitan county; or (2) as determined by using a census tract definition adopted by the Office of Rural Health Policy in awarding grants. (Sec. 127) Revises per-visit payment limits for rural health clinic services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). (Sec. 128) Amends Medicare part B to: (1) extend to physician assistant or nurse practitioner services additional payments for services furnished in health professional shortage areas; (2) provide authority for the Secretary to establish a PPS for rural health clinic (RHC) services in a rural hospital with 50 beds or more; (3) establish separate wage indexes for making adjustments to payments under the PPS's for skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies; and (4) require consideration of rural issues in establishing an ambulance service fee schedule. Title II: Additional Provisions to Address Shortages of Health Professionals in Rural Areas - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to direct the Secretary to define "frontier area" for inclusion among health professional shortage areas. Requires the Secretary to consider any pending retirements or resignations of available physicians when determining whether to designate an area as a health professional shortage area. Prohibits the Secretary from implementing any regulation establishing a new methodology for designating a health professional shortage area unless such methodology: (1) is not detrimental to underserved rural or frontier communities, including that the methodology does not result in the provision of fewer services in such communities; and (2) includes consideration of the percentage of the population over age 65 residing in an area. (Sec. 202) Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to exclude from an individual's gross income certain amounts received under the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program under PHSA. (Sec. 203) Amends Federal civil service law to provide for the designation of underserved areas under health care contracts administered by the Office of Personnel Management. (Sec. 204) Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to mandate a new PPS for federally-qualified health centers and rural health clinics under the Medicaid program. (Sec. 205) Amends the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to revise requirements for Medicare reimbursement of telehealth services, including store-and-forward technologies among the telecommunications systems used in providing telehealth services. (Sec. 206) Directs the Secretary to conduct a specified study on telehealth licensure for a report to the Congress. (Sec. 207) Redesignates the Joint Working Group on Telemedicine as the Joint Working Group on Telehealth, with the chairperson being designated by the Director of the Office for the Advancement on Telehealth. Establishes the mission of the Joint Working Group, among other things, as identifying, monitoring, and coordinating Federal telehealth projects and programs. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Development of Telehealth Networks - Subtitle A: Development of Telehealth Networks - Directs the Secretary to provide specified financial assistance to eligible telehealth networks for the purpose of expanding access to health care services for individuals in rural and frontier areas through the use of such networks. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle B: Rural Health Outreach and Network Development Grant Program - Amends PHSA to rename the Rural Health Outreach, Network Development, and Telemedicine Grant Program as the Rural Health Outreach and Network Development Grant Program, and to modify the renamed program. Title IV: Miscellaneous Provisions - Amends the IRC with regard to the non-deductible interest expense of financial institutions allocable to tax-exempt income, and the limited exception from such non-deductibility for interest expense on certain tax-exempt small issuer obligations. Allows a small issuer, the proceeds of whose obligations are to be used to make or finance eligible loans for health care or educational purposes, to elect to apply specified current limitations on the amount of obligations by treating each borrower as the issuer of a separate issue. (Sec. 402) Requires the heads of the National Center for Health Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, and the Bureau of the Census to negotiate and enter into interagency agreements with HHS agencies and offices under which they will be provided access to data sets for the intramural and extramural research they conduct or support.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 1999
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Funding Act of 1999 - Authorizes appropriations for FY 2000 and 2001 for U.S. voluntary contributions to the United Nations Population Fund. Withholds from the U.S. voluntary contribution to the UNFPA amounts allocated by the UNFPA for the country program in China, unless the President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that the UNFPA country program in China: (1) focuses on improving the delivery of voluntary family planning information and services; (2) is in conformity with the human rights principles affirmed at the International Conference on Population and Development with the support of 180 nations including the United States; (3) is implemented only in counties of China where all quotas and targets for the recruitment of program participants have been abolished and the use of coercive measures has been eliminated; (4) is carried out in consultation with and under the oversight and approval of the UNFPA executive board, including the U.S. representative; (5) is subject to regular, independent monitoring to ensure compliance with the principles of informed consent and voluntary participation; and (6) suspends operations in project counties found to be in violation of program guidelines.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 1999
Designates: (1) the week of May 2 through 8, 1999, as the 14th Annual Teacher Appreciation Week; and (2) Tuesday, May 4, 1999, as National Teacher Day.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 1999
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the United States should promptly contribute to the United Nations Trust Fund which will provide support for the East Timor ballot process; and (2) any agreement for the sale, transfer, or licensing of any military equipment for Indonesia entered into by the United States should state that such equipment will not be used in East Timor. Urges: (1) the President and the Secretaries of State and Defense to intensify their efforts to urge the Indonesian Government and military to disarm and disband anti-independence militias and grant full access to East Timor by international human rights monitors, humanitarian organizations, and the press; and (2) the President to report to the Congress on steps taken by the Indonesian Government and military to ensure a stable and secure environment in East Timor.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1999
Prostate Cancer Research Commitment Resolution of 1999 - Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) finding treatment breakthroughs and a cure for prostate cancer should be made a national health priority; (2) significant increases in prostate cancer research funding, commensurate with the impact of the disease, should be made available at the National Institutes of Health and to the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program; and (3) these agencies should prioritize prostate cancer research that is directed toward innovative clinical and translational research projects in order that treatment breakthroughs can be more rapidly offered to patients.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 1999
National Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals Act of 1999 - Amends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to direct the Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy to cooperate in promoting research and development of biobased industrial products. Establishes: (1) the Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals Board to coordinate Federal programs promoting the use of biobased industrial products; (2) the Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals Technical Advisory Committee; and (3) a Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals Research Initiative to provide for related grants and contracts (authorizes appropriations).
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1999
Military Reservists Small Business Relief Act of 1999 - Amends the Small Business Act to require the Small Business Administration (SBA), upon written request, to defer repayment of principal and interest due on a direct general business or disaster loan made to a member of the reserves ordered to active duty during a period of military conflict, as long as such reservist: (1) received the loan before being ordered to such duty; and (2) is the owner, manager, or key employee of a small business for which the loan was made. Extends such deferral period until 180 days after such reservist is discharged or released from active duty. Directs the SBA to encourage lenders and loan intermediaries participating in other SBA loan programs to defer repayment of similar loans as well as loans made under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958. Authorizes the SBA to make disaster loans to assist a small business that has or is likely to suffer economic injury as the result of the owner, manager, or key employee of such business being ordered to active duty during a period of military conflict. Extends such assistance until 180 days after such reservist is discharged or released from such duty. Provides a loan limitation. Applies such assistance to periods of military conflict occurring on or after March 24, 1999. Directs the SBA to utilize its entrepreneurial development and management assistance programs to provide business counseling and training to any small business adversely affected by the deployment of units of U.S. armed forces in support of a period of military conflict. Requires the SBA, for the duration of Operation Allied Force and 120 days thereafter, to enhance its publicity of the availability of such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1999
Cuban Food and Medicine Security Act of 1999 - Exempts from the embargo on trade with Cuba the export of food and other agricultural products (including fertilizer), medicines, medical supplies, instruments, or equipment, or any travel incident to the delivery of such items. Declares that such exemption shall not apply to certain restrictions imposed under the Export Administration Act of 1979 or the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Amends the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to study and report to specified congressional committees on existing U.S. agricultural export promotion and credit programs to determine how such programs can be carried out to promote the consumption of U.S. agricultural commodities in Cuba. Directs the President to report to Congress on: (1) the extent (expressed in volume and dollar amounts) of sales to Cuba of food and other agricultural products (including fertilizer), medicines, medical supplies, instruments, and equipment; (2) the types and end users of such items; and (3) whether there has been any indication that any medicines, medical supplies, instruments, or equipment exported to Cuba since enactment of this Act have been used for torture or other human rights abuses, were reexported, or were used in the production of any bio-technological product.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact Title II: Southern Dairy Compact Title I: Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact - Amends the Agricultural Market Transition Act to include Maryland, New Jersey, and New York within the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact. Includes Ohio among the additional States that may join such Compact, and eliminates Virginia from such group. Eliminates and revises specified provisions regarding Compact implementation, duration, restricting authority, and Commodity Credit Corporation compensation. Title II: Southern Dairy Compact - States that the Congress consents to the Southern Dairy Compact entered into by Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Includes Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas as additional States that may join such Compact. Limits price regulatory authority to Class I fluid milk unless otherwise consented to by the Congress. Provides for Commodity Credit Corporation compensation. Sets forth the Southern Dairy Compact.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 1999
Amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to designate a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System under the Wilderness Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 1999
National Beverage Container Reuse and Recycling Act of 1999 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to prohibit the sale of beer, mineral water, soda water, wine coolers, or carbonated soft drinks in beverage containers by retailers and distributors unless such containers carry a refund value of ten cents. Provides for the adjustment for inflation of the refund amount at ten-year intervals. Requires: (1) distributors to collect from retailers the refund value for each beverage sold to retailers; and (2) retailers to collect from consumers the refund value for each beverage sold to consumers. Requires retailers and distributors to pay the refund on returned containers of brands (in the same kind and size of container) sold. Directs distributors to pay annually to a State unclaimed refund amounts (the amount by which the total refund value of all containers sold by distributors exceeds the amount paid by distributors to persons in that State). Makes unclaimed refunds available to a State for carrying out pollution prevention and recycling programs. Prohibits distributors and retailers from: (1) selling beverages in metal beverage containers with detachable openings; and (2) disposing of containers subject to this Act or any metal, glass, or plastic from such containers (other than the top or seal) in landfills or solid waste disposal facilities. Makes this Act inapplicable to States that have adopted requirements similar to those under this Act or that have demonstrated achievement of a recycling or reuse rate for beverage containers of at least 70 percent. Prohibits States or political subdivisions that impose taxes on the sale of beverage containers from imposing any tax on the amount attributable to the refund value of such containers. Prescribes civil penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 1999
Directs the Secretary of the Army to close the military education and training facility known as the United States Army School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia. Repeals current statutory authority for the School. Expresses the sense of the Congress that, in each training activity undertaken by the United States with foreign security forces, the Secretary of Defense should: (1) substantially increase emphasis upon respect for human rights, the proper role of a military within a democratic society, and appropriate management of defense and security policy; and (2) implement Department of Defense regulations regarding the screening of foreign candidates for inclusion in the training activity to ensure that the United States does not train individuals implicated in human rights abuses, illegal drug trafficking, or corruption.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 1999
Expanded Options in Higher Education for District of Columbia Students Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible institutions in Maryland or Virginia that enroll eligible District of Columbia students to pay the difference between in-State tuition and out-of-State tuition (with ratable reductions, if appropriations are insufficient) on behalf of each eligible D.C. student enrolled in the eligible institution. Defines eligibility criteria, including membership in a family with an income level below the threshold at which eligibility for the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Credit is disallowed under the Internal Revenue Code. Authorizes the Secretary to delegate administration of the program to another public or private entity if it would be more efficient to do so. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to provide financial assistance to the University of the District of Columbia to enable it to carry out activities authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965 with respect to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants of up to $2,000 per academic year on behalf of eligible students to help defray tuition costs for attendance at private, nonprofit postsecondary education institutions in the District or an adjacent county. Prescribes eligibility criteria identical to the other eligibility criteria of this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to delegate administration of the program to another public or private entity if it would be more efficient to do so. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 1999
Urges the Congress and the President, working within the constraints of the balanced budget agreement, to make student scholarship aid the highest priority for higher education funding by, prior to authorizing or appropriating funds for any new education initiative: (1) increasing by $400 the maximum Pell Grant awarded to low-income students; and (2) increasing other existing campus-based aid programs.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 1999
Amends the Public Health Service Act to make technical corrections with respect to health professions student loan default payments to Federal loan insurance beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1999
Federal Employees Child Care Act - Directs the Administrator of General Services to: (1) establish health, safety, and facility standards and compliance requirements for child care in executive branch facilities; (2) issue regulations requiring any entity sponsoring a child care facility to comply with standards of a child care accreditation entity; and (3) establish an interagency council to facilitate cooperation and sharing of best practices. Directs the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, the Librarian of Congress, and the head of a designated entity in the Senate to ensure that the corresponding child care facility obtains accreditation by a child care accreditation entity in accordance with such entity's accreditation standards, and if it does not maintain accreditation status with a child care accreditation entity, to issue regulations governing its operation to ensure the safety and quality of care of children placed in it. Requires the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to issue regulations for child care facilities, and entities sponsoring child care facilities, in judicial facilities. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 4) Directs the Administrator and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to jointly submit to Congress a report that evaluates child care provided by entities sponsoring child care facilities in executive, legislative, or judicial facilities. (Sec. 5) Permits an executive agency to use agency funds to provide child care services, in a facility owned or leased by an executive agency, or through a contractor, for its civilian employees. Requires funds so used to be applied to improve the affordability of child care for lower income employees. (Sec. 6) Amends Federal law to revise conditions for the allotment of space for child care services for Federal employees in Federal buildings. Makes available child care and related services to children of Federal employees or on-site Federal contractors, or dependent children who live with such employees or contractors. (Currently space may be allotted for the provision of child care services to children of whom at least 50 percent have one parent or guardian who is a Federal employee.) Requires the Administrator to confirm that at least 50 percent of aggregate enrollment in Federal child care centers Government-wide are children of Federal employees or on-site Federal contractors, or dependent children who live with such employees or contractors. States that, if enrollment at a center does not meet the percentage goal, the provider shall develop and implement a business plan with the sponsoring Federal agency to achieve the goal within a reasonable time frame. Authorizes a Federal agency without a child care program, or the Administrator upon identifying a need for child care at a Federal agency, to enter into an agreement with a non-Federal, licensed, and accredited child care facility, or a planned facility that will become licensed and accredited. Permits a Federal agency, upon the approval of the agency head, to conduct a pilot project for no more than two years to test innovative approaches to providing more cost-effective alternative forms of child care assistance for Federal employees. Requires the Administrator to serve as an information clearinghouse for such pilot projects initiated by other Federal agencies. Requires each Federal child care center located in a Federal space to ensure that each employee undergoes a criminal history background check consistent with the Crime Control Act of 1990.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1999
Poultry Electric Energy Power (PEEP) Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the income tax credit for producing electricity from certain renewable resources to include poultry waste as a qualified energy resources.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1999
Tax Relief for Families With Children Act - Title I: Tax Benefits for Families With Children - Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the dependent care tax credit to: (1) increase the dollar limit on creditable employment-related expenses; (2) increase the percentage of employment-related expenses; and (3) include transportation costs and costs of educational programs. (Sec. 102) Increases the child care credit from $400 to $900. (Sec. 103) Increases the dollar limit for dependent care services, and allows payments for infant care, including stay-at-home care. Allows carryovers of certain unused dependent care assistance to later taxable years. Allows payments to certain related individuals for routine care. Amends Federal civil service law to direct the Office of Personnel Management to establish a dependent care assistance program for Federal employees. (Sec. 104) Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a taxpayer to elect either the dependent care tax credit, the child tax credit, or the dependent care assistance program exclusion for each dependent, but only one of such tax benefits. (Sec. 105) Revises the home office deduction to include the use of the office for dependent care. (Sec. 106) Amends title IV part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of the Social Security Act to require child support orders to include an equitable division between the custodial and noncustodial parents of any costs of providing child care services in any case where the custodial parent is employed or is actively seeking employment. Title II: Activities to Improve the Quality of Child Care - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an employer-provided child care credit equal to 40 percent of an employer's qualified child care expenditures to: (1) acquire, construct, rehabilitate, or expand property for, or operate a qualified child care facility for employees; or (2) contract with a qualified child care facility to provide child care services to employees. (Sec. 202) Revises the business charitable deduction for contributions of scientific property used for research to include contributions of scientific equipment, computer technology and equipment, and other services to child care providers and to elementary and secondary schools.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1999
Safe Seniors Assurance Study Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to do the following: (1) study and report to Congress on the mortality and adverse outcome rates of Medicare (title XVIII of the Social Security Act) patients related to the provision of anesthesia services; and (2) consider study results in promulgating regulations under Medicare relating to physician supervision of anesthesia services.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Activities to Improve the Quality of Child Care Subtitle A: Child Care Quality Improvement Incentive Program Subtitle B: Increased Enforcement of State Health and Safety Standards Subtitle C: Distribution of Information about Quality Child Care Title II: Expanding Professional Development Opportunities Title III: Expanding Youth Development Opportunities During Non-School Hours Title IV: Expanding Child Care Subsidy for Low-Income Families Creating Healthy Opportunities and Improving Child Education and Support Act - CHOICES Act - Title I: Activities to Improve the Quality of Child Care - Subtitle A: Child Care Quality Improvement Incentive Program - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) (the Secretary) to establish a program to award grants to States to help fund activities to improve the quality of child care. (Sec. 103) Allocates funds to the States (tribal organizations, and U.S. territories and possessions) based on a specified formula, and a minimum allocation for small States. (Sec. 104) Requires States, as a condition of receiving such grant funds, to: (1) certify that, since 1995, they have not reduced the scope of State child care standards requirements, or further limited State licensing requirements with respect to the types of child care providers required to be licensed, or otherwise restricted the application of such licensing requirements; (2) comply with the provisions of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (CCDBGA); (3) expend at least 80 percent of the funds allocated to the State for child care matching funds under the Social Security Act program of temporary assistance to needy families (TANF); and (4) make a ten percent non-Federal matching fund contribution from State or local public sources or private donations. (Sec. 105) Sets forth various authorized uses of grant funds to improve the quality of child care within a State, including supplementing child care provider salaries, assistance to small businesses desiring to provide child care assistance to employees, expansion of resource and referral services, educational and training scholarship for child care providers, increasing subsidies for recipients under CCDBGA, subsidizing child care for special needs children, conducting background checks, and increasing the monitoring of child care providers. (Sec. 107) Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle B: Increased Enforcement of State Health and Safety Standards - Amends CCDBGA to: (1) provide a bonus for States that effectively enforce existing State laws and regulations regarding the inspection of child care facilities; and (2) decrease administrative funds for States that do not adequately enforce such State child care inspection requirements. Subtitle C: Distribution of Information About Quality Child Care - Directs the Secretary to: (1) award competitive contracts to qualified entities to collect and disseminate information on the importance of high quality child care, conduct a public awareness campaign promoting such care, and provide technical assistance to States, local governments, private nonprofit child care organizations, child care credentialing or accreditation entities, child care providers, and parents; (2) develop a mechanism for the collection and dissemination of statistical data on the supply and demand for child care services; and (3) award competitive grants to improve their procedures and methods to child care credentialing and accreditation entities that have been providing such services to child care providers for not more than ten years. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Expanding Professional Development Opportunities - Directs the Secretary to establish a child care training infrastructure using the Internet and existing distance learning resources to provide high quality, interactive skills training for child care providers. (Sec. 201) Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 202) Reserves at least ten percent of the authorized funds, within the child care training infrastructure, to establish and operate a revolving loan fund to enable child care providers to purchase computers and other equipment to access the child care training infrastructure through no-interest loans. Title III: Expanding Youth Development Opportunities During Non-School Hours - Establishes various programs that provide care for school-aged children during the non-school hours, and that focus on youth development. (Sec. 303) Directs the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the Department of HHS to award grants to eligible States for quality non-school hours programs for school-aged children and youth. (Sec. 304) Allocates funds to States (and certain U.S. territories and possessions) based on the numbers of youth aged five through 17 and of children qualifying for free or reduced-price school lunches, with a minimum allocation for small States. (Sec. 305) Requires an applicant State to designate the regions (administrative regions or political subdivisions) to which it will allocate grant funds. (Sec. 306) Requires State allocation of funds to such regions based on numbers of five to 17-year-olds and of children qualifying for free or reduced-price school lunches. Directs the State to use the funds allocated to each region to award competitive grants to local entities in that region. Requires grant preference to be given to entities that assure such funds will be used for a non-school hours program with: (1) activities designed to remove barriers to availability of non-school hours child care; and (2) a variety of youth activities in a cohesive network that coordinates public and private resources. (Sec. 307) Sets forth grant application requirements for local entities. (Sec. 308) Requires local entities to use grant funds for activities that: (1) meet the child care needs of working parents during the non-school hours including before- and after-school, weekends, school holidays, vacation periods and other non-school hours; (2) activities that will promote at least two youth development competencies (social, physical, emotional, moral or cognitive); and (3) designed to reduce risk factors, increase youth protective factors, and assis-- in youth acquistion of skills and competencies for transition from childhood to adulthood. Authorizes local entities to use grant funds for activities for youth, including various specified types of programs and other locally determined programs. Requires local entities to use at least 50 percent of grant funds to subsidize the cost of participation in the non-school hours program for low-income youth. (Sec. 309) Directs the Assistant Secretary to: (1) establish mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of funded activities; (2) coordinate the grant program with similar activities in other Federal agencies; (3) provide appropriate training and technical assistance to States and local entities; and (4) terminate funding for States or entities upon determining that they fail to comply with the requirements of this title. (Sec. 310) Requires grantee State Governors to designate an entity to administer the State grant activities under this title. Requires grantee States to: (1) establish mechanisms for receiving program advice and input from service providers and recipients; (2) review, monitor, assist, and enforce program compliance; and (3) provide technical assistance. (Sec. 311) Requires activities funded under this title to be coordinated with activities receiving funds from the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Act. (Sec. 312) Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: Expanding Child Care Subsidy for Low-Income Families - Amends CCDBGA to double the amount of an authorization of appropriations for CCDBGA programs. (Sec. 402) Requires assurances that specified uses of automated payment systems under CCDBGA: (1) not limit parental choice; and (2) facilitate the prompt, accurate payment of child care providers. Revises the portion of CCDBGA funds which may be used for low-income families who are not TANF qualified recipients of child care subsidies. Establishes separate State subsidy rates dependent upon the age of the child, the setting of the child care services (home, center, group), special needs, and geographic location. Requires States to reduce any State-required parental co-payment by the amount of the difference between the child care subsidy provided and 85 percent of the State-established market rate for that child. (Sec. 403) Authorizes States receiving CCDBGA funds to use automated systems, including electronic benefit transfer systems for: (1) monitoring or tracking child care attendance or otherwise conducting data collection under CCDBGA; (2) ensuring prompt and accurate payment for child care services under CCDBGA; or (3) other purposes that increase State efficiency in administering such funds.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1999
Transportation Tax Equity and Fairness Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the 4.3-cent motor fuel excise taxes on railroads and inland waterway transportation which remain in the general fund of the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1999
Caring for America's Children Act - Title I: Tax Benefits for Families with Children - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the Dependent Care Tax Credit (DCTC) by: (1) increasing the amount of allowable expenses from $2,400 to $3,600 for one dependent, and from $4,800 to $6,000 for two or more; (2) increasing the maximum percentage of the allowable employment-related expenses to 40 percent; (3) raising the adjusted gross income level receiving the maximum percentage to $50,000; and (4) permitting educational programs and third party transportation costs to be counted as allowable expenses. (Sec. 102) Increases the Child Tax Credit from $500 per year to $900 per year. (Sec. 103) Increases the dollar contribution limit in the Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) to $7,000 a year for two or more dependents. Permits contributions to DCAP accounts during pregnancy, usable for one year after the birth of a child. Permits the use of DCAP funds to pay a spouse or grandparent to care for a pre-school aged child at home. Establishes a DCAP for Federal employees. (Sec. 104) Permits parents to choose between the DCTC, Child Tax Credit, and the DCAP for each dependent child (each tax benefit mutually exclusive for each child). (Sec. 105) Revises the Home Office tax deduction to permit parents to care for a dependent child within the home office space and maintain the "exclusive use" designation for the home office tax deduction. (Sec. 106) Amends title IV part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) the Social Security Act to require States to include the cost of child care in the calculation of child support orders. Title II: Activities to Improve the Quality of Child Care - Subtitle A: Encouraging Business Involvement in Child Care - Establishes a child care tax credit for employers up to $150,000 a year ($250,000 a year with respect to three or more company child care facilities in different locations) in allowable employee-related child care expenses such as the construction or renovation of facilities and employee subsidies. (Sec. 202) Extends the charitable tax deduction for contributions of scientific property used for research to include the contribution of scientific and computer equipment, transportation services, qualified employee volunteer time, and the use of facilities and equipment to public schools and child care providers. Subtitle B: Child Care Quality Improvement Incentive Program - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a State grant program to fund activities designed to improve the quality of child care. (Sec. 213) Allocates funds to the States (based on the Child Care and Development formula). (Sec. 214) Requires States, in order to receive grant funds, to: (1) certify that the State has not reduced the scope of State child care requirements since 1995; (2) be in compliance with the Child Care and Development Block Grant; and (3) have expended at least 80 percent of the funds allocated to the State for child care matching funds under SSA title IV part A (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) (TANF). Sets the Federal share of the cost of State activities at 90 percent. (Sec. 215) Authorizes a State to use grant funds for specified activities designed to improve the quality of child care, including: (1) supplements to child care provider salaries; (2) assistance to small businesses desiring to provide child care assistance to employees; (3) expansion of resource and referral services, educational and training scholarship for child care providers; (4) increased subsidies for Child Care and Development Block Grant recipients; (5) subsidies for child care for special needs children; and (6) background checks and increasing the monitoring of child care providers. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle C: Increased Enforcement of State Health and Safety Standards - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (CCDBGA) to provide for: (1) a bonus for States which effectively enforce existing state law and regulations regarding the inspection of child care facilities; and (2) a decrease in CCDBG administrative funds for States which do not adequately enforce State child care inspection requirements. Subtitle D: Distribution of Information About Quality Child Care - Directs the Secretary, through the award of competitive contracts, to: (1) provide technical assistance and disseminate information on high quality child care to parents, local governments, child care organizations, and child care providers; and (2) conduct a public awareness campaign promoting quality child care. (Sec. 231) Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop a mechanism for the collection and dissemination of information on the supply and demand for child care services; and (4) award competitive grants to existing child care credentialing or accreditation entities to assist them in improving their procedures and methods. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Expanding Professional Development Opportunities - Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible organizations to develop and operate technology-based child care training infrastructures utilizing the Internet and existing distance learning resources to provide high quality, interactive skills training for child care providers. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 302) Directs the Chief Executive Project Officer to use at least ten percent of the authorized funds, within the child care training infrastructure, to establish and operate a revolving fund to make no-interest loans to enable child care providers to purchase computers and other equipment to access the child care training infrastructure. Title IV: Expanding Youth Development Opportunities During the Non-School Hours - Directs the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the Department of HHS to award grants to States for the Federal share (80 percent) of the cost of establishing programs that provide care for school-aged children during the non-school hours. (Sec. 408) Requires the use of grant funds for activities that: (1) meet the child care needs of working parents during the non-school hours, including before- and after-school, weekends, school holidays, and vacation periods; (2) will promote at least two youth development competencies (social, physical, emotional, moral or cognitive); (3) are designed to increase youth protective factors and reduce risk factors; and (4) include leadership development, delinquency prevention, sports and recreation, arts and cultural activities, character development, tutoring and academic enrichment, mentoring, and other locally determined programs. Requires that at least 50 percent of the funds made available to an entity be used to subsidize the cost of participation in the non-school hours program for low-income youth. (Sec. 409) Directs the Assistant Secretary to: (1) establish mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of funded activities; (2) coordinate the grant program with similar activities in other Federal agencies; (3) provide appropriate training and technical assistance to States and local entities; and (4) terminate funding for States or entities which fail to comply with the requirements of this Act. (Sec. 410) Requires the Governor of each State to designate an entity to administer the grant activities. (Sec. 412) Authorizes appropriations. Title V: Child Care in Federal Facilities - Federal Employees Child Care Act - Requires any Federal agency operating, or entity contracting with a Federal agency to operate, a child care facility primarily for the use of Federal employees (including executive and judicial branch employees) to comply with child care standards no less stringent than those required of other child care facilities in the same geographical area within six months, and within three years with those established by a child care accreditation entity. (Sec. 503) Requires the Administrator of General Services to establish an interagency council to facilitate cooperation and sharing of best practices, and develop and coordinate policy, regarding the provision of child care, including the provision of areas for nursing mothers and other lactation support facilities and services, in the Federal Government. (Sec. 504) Directs the Administrator and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to evaluate jointly for Congress of child care services in executive, legislative, or judicial facilities. (Sec. 505) Authorizes Federal agencies to use appropriated funds to subsidize or otherwise assist lower income Federal employees meet the costs of child care provided through contract or on-site. (Sec. 506) Amends Federal law to re-authorize the Trible Amendment which permits federal facilities to provide on-site child care services. Authorizes Federal agencies to conduct pilot projects on innovative approaches to providing employee child care services. Requires criminal background checks for employees of child care facilities located in Federal facilities. Title VI: Expanding Child Care Subsidy for Low-Income Families - Amends the CCDBGA to increase the authorization of appropriations. (Sec. 602) Requires a State CCDBG plan to assure that the use of automated payment systems will not limit parental choice and will facilitate the prompt, accurate payment of child care providers. Requires a State to ensure that 70 percent (currently, a substantial portion) of CCDBG funds are used for low-income families who are not TANF-qualified recipients of child care subsidies. Requires States to ensure maximum parental choice of child care providers by establishing separate subsidy rates dependent upon the age of the child, the setting of the child care services (home, center, group), special needs, and geographic location. Requires States to reduce any required parental co-payment by the amount of the difference between the market rate and any State child care subsidy that is less than 85 percent of such market rate. Title VII: Construction and Renovation of Child Care Facilities - Subtitle A: Community Development Block Grants - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to authorize the use of Community Development Block Grant funds to renovate or construct child care facilities. Subtitle B: Mortgage Insurance For Child Care Facilities - Amends title II of the National Housing Act to authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to insure mortgages on new and rehabilitated child care facilities, as well as fire safety equipment loans to such facilities. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 712) Authorizes the Secretary of HUD to insure mortgages for the purchase or refinancing of existing child care facilities. (Sec. 713) Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to study and report to Congress on the secondary mortgage markets to determine: (1) whether markets exist for purchase of mortgages eligible for insurance under the National Housing Act; (2) whether the market will affect the availability of credit for development of child care facilities; and (3) the extent to which the market will provide credit enhancement for loans for such facilities. (Sec. 714) Authorizes the Secretary of HUD to award competitive grants to eligible private, nonprofit intermediary organizations to provide technical and financial assistance to child care providers for the renovation, construction, and purchase of child care facilities. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1999
Child Care Construction and Renovation Act - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to authorize the use of community development block grants to construct and renovate child care facilities. Amends the National Housing Act to authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Secretary) to insure mortgages for: (1) new or rehabilitated child care and development facilities, including for fire safety equipment loans (authorizes specified appropriations); and (2) purchase or refinance of existing child care facilities. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to conduct a study of the availability of child care facility secondary mortgage markets. Authorizes the Secretary to provide grants to eligible nonprofit organizations for technical and financial assistance to assist eligible child care providers in acquiring or improving facilities or equipment. Authorizes specified appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1999
Conservation Tax Incentives Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income 50 percent of any gain from the sale of land or an interest in land or water (determined without regard to any improvements) to an eligible entity if: (1) such land or interest in land or water was owned by the taxpayer or a member of the taxpayer's family at all times during the three-year period ending on the date of the sale; and (2) it is being acquired by an eligible entity which provides the taxpayer, at the time of acquisition, a written letter of intent which states that the purchaser's intent is that the acquisition will serve one or more of specified conservation purposes. Includes as "land or an interest in land or water" stock in any corporation, if the fair market value of the corporation's land or interests in land or water equals or exceeds 90 percent of the fair market value of all of its assets at all times during the three-year period ending on the date of the sale. Deems a purchaser an eligible entity if it is: (1) any Federal, State, or local governmental agency; or (2) any tax-exempt charitable organization that is organized and at all times operated principally for one or more specified conservation purposes, and meets certain other requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 1999
Women's Business Centers Sustainability Act of 1999 - Amends the Small Business Act, with respect to the women's business center program, to allow a private organization that has received financial assistance under the program and that is either in the final year of a five-year project or has completed the project to apply for assistance for an additional five-year period. Requires such organizations to agree to obtain matching cash contributions from non-Federal sources. Extends through FY 2001 the authorization for the program, allowing no more than 40 percent of such amounts to be used for providing such additional assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1999
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from Federal income tax any amounts received by Holocaust victims or their heirs: (1) from the Swiss Humanitarian Fund established by the Government of Switzerland or from any similar fund established by any foreign country; or (2) as a result of the settlement of the action entitled "In re Holocaust Victims' Asset Litigation", (E.D. NY), C.A. No. 96-4849, or as a result of any similar action.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1999
Medicare Cancer Clinical Trial Coverage Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a demonstration project which provides for payment under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act of routine patient care costs for Medicare beneficiaries with cancer who are enrolled in an approved clinical trial program, while still applying the beneficiary cost sharing provisions of such program to project participants. Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on the impact on Medicare of covering such costs as well as the cost of extending routine patient care coverage to Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis other than cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1999
Urges the Congress and the President, working within the constraints of the balanced budget agreement, to give programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) the highest priority among Federal elementary and secondary education programs by meeting the commitment to fund the maximum State grant allocation for educating children with disabilities under such Act, prior to authorizing or appropriating funds for any new education initiative, while retaining the commitment to fund existing Federal education programs that increase student achievement.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1999
Uniformed Services Filing Fairness Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a two-month extension for the due date for filing a tax return for any member of a uniformed service on a tour of duty outside the United States for a period which includes the normal due date for such filing.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Expanding Coverage for Small Business Title II: Increasing Pension Access and Fairness for Women Title III: Increasing Portability of Pension Plans Title IV: Strengthening Pension Security and Enforcement Title V: Encouraging Retirement Education Title VI: Reducing Red Tape Title VII: Plan Amendments Pension Coverage and Portability Act - Title I: Expanding Coverage for Small Business - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to revise requirements relating to pension plan loans for Subchapter S owners, partners, and sole proprietors. (Sec. 102) Allows an employer to establish payroll deductions for contributions to employee individual retirement plans without incurring ERISA liability. (Sec. 103) Amends the IRC to allow an eligible employer to establish and maintain a SAFE annuity (an individual retirement annuity) or a SAFE trust (a trust forming part of a defined benefit plan), both to be funded by the employer. Makes the employer contributions deductible without limitation and otherwise provides for the treatment of contributions and distributions. Mandates a penalty for early withdrawals. Requires simplified employer reports for SAFE annuities and simplified actuarial reports for SAFE trusts. Amends the ERISA to exempt SAFE trusts from coverage requirements and SAFE annuities from certain employer reporting requirements. (Sec. 104) Amends the IRC to modify definitions applicable to special rules for top-heavy plans. Requires consideration of employer matching contributions in determining whether a defined contribution plan meets minimum contribution requirements. Exempts frozen plans from a minimum benefit requirement. Provides an alternative test for top-heavy plans. (Sec. 105) Allows employers to elect salary reduction only arrangements under IRC requirements for simple plans. (Sec. 106) Establishes a small employer pension plan credit. (Sec. 107) Increases (from $6,000 to $8,000) limits for deferrals to simple plans. (Sec. 108) Amends ERISA to provide for a phase-in of an additional premium for new plans to pay to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). (Sec. 109) Provides for a reduced PBGC premium for new plans of small employers. (Sec. 110) Eliminates user fee requirements for requests to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) concerning the status of pension plans. (Sec. 111) Declares the $150,000 compensation limit inapplicable to simple 401(k) arrangements. (Sec. 112) Provides that elective deferrals shall not be taken into account for purposes of limits on certain plan contributions. (Sec. 113) Repeals specified coordination requirements under the IRC for deferred compensation plans of State and local governments and tax-exempt organizations. Title II: Increasing Pension Access and Fairness for Women - Sets forth requirements relating to equitable treatment for contributions of employees to defined contribution plans. Requires that certain contributions by church plans are not to be treated as exceeding a specified limit. Sets forth special rules for annuity contracts and simplified pensions. (Sec. 202) Provides for faster vesting of certain employer matching contributions under IRC and ERISA. (Sec. 203) Amends Federal civil service law to revise requirements for deferred annuities for surviving spouses of Federal employees under both the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). (Sec. 204) Revises IRC requirements relating to tax treatment of division of section 457 plan benefits upon divorce. (Sec. 205) Amends the IRC and ERISA to provide for the spouse's right to know specified distribution information relating to survivor annuities. (Sec. 206) Revises minimum distribution rules under IRC. Revises requirements for actuarial adjustment of benefit under a defined benefit plan. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) simplify and finalize the regulations relating to minimum distribution requirements; and (2) modify such regulations to reflect increases in life expectancy, and revise required distribution methods so that, under reasonable assumptions, the amount of the required minimum distribution does not decrease over a participant's life expectancy. Provides that, during the first year that such revised regulations are in effect, required distributions for future years may be redetermined, with the opportunity to choose a new designated beneficiary and to elect a new method of calculating life expectancy. Excludes specified amounts from minimum distribution requirements. Repeals a rule relating to distributions begun before death occurs. (Sec. 207) Directs the Secretary to revise regulations relating to safe harbor relief for hardship withdrawals from cash or deferred arrangements. Title III: Increasing Portability of Pension Plans - Permits rollovers from and to various types of plans under the IRC. (Sec. 302) Permits individual retirement plan (IRA) rollovers into workplace retirement plans only if certain conditions are met. (Sec. 303) Permits rollover of after-tax contributions in an exempt trust under specified conditions. Sets forth a hardship exception to the 60-day rule. (Sec. 304) Revises restrictions on distributions from defined contribution plans, including the same desk exception. Repeals business sale requirements. (Sec. 305) Provides that a transferee defined contribution plan shall not be treated as having failed to meet certain requirements because it does not provide for some or all of the distribution forms previously available under a transferor defined contribution plan. (Sec. 306) Authorizes trustee-to-trustee transfers to purchase permissive service credit with respect to governmental defined benefit plans. (Sec. 307) Authorizes employers to disregard rollovers for purposes of employee cash-out amounts under the IRC and ERISA. Title IV: Strengthening Pension Security and Enforcement - Amends the IRC and ERISA to revise the percentage of current liability funding limit. Revises maximum contribution deduction rules and applies them to all defined benefit plan under the IRC. (Sec. 402) Increases dollar limits for employer-sponsored retirement plans. (Sec. 403) Makes certain compensation limitations for defined benefit plans inapplicable to governmental and multiemployer plans. Prohibits combining or aggregating a multiemployer plan with any other plan maintained by the employer for the purpose of applying such limitations. (Sec. 404) Amends ERISA to direct the PBGC to prescribe rules relating to missing participants for multiemployer plans covered by the PBGC that terminate. (Sec. 405) Amends ERISA to make discretionary the imposition and amount of civil penalties for breach of fiduciary responsibility. Revises requirements for the applicable recovery amount and related rules. (Sec. 406) Amends the IRC to allow an employer, in determining the amount of nondeductible contributions for any taxable year, to elect not to take into account any contributions to a defined benefit plan except to the extent that they exceed the full-funding limitation. (Sec. 407) Amends the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 to protect investment of employee contributions to 401(k) plans by providing that specified requirements apply to elective deferrals for plan years beginning after December 31, 1998. (Sec. 408) Bars the Secretaries of Labor and the Treasury from litigating any claim against a person under specified ERISA provisions if: (1) an action against that person with respect to the same plan is resolved by a court-approved settlement; (2) such proposed settlement is served upon the Secretaries at least 90 days before entry of final judgment approving the settlement; and (3) such claim was or could have been brought in such action. Title V: Encouraging Retirement Education - Requires that pension benefit statements be furnished annually (once every three years for defined benefit plans) or on request. Allows written or electronic statements. Requires multiemployer plans to furnish a statement (written or electronic) on request. (Sec. 502) Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to prepare a plan to: (1) increase awareness of retirement benefits;(2) update small business owners concerning such benefits; and (3) post information on the Internet on types of retirement benefit plans and other options. (Sec. 503) Treats the provision of certain retirement planning services by an employer to an employee as a de minimis fringe benefit to the extent it is not treated as a working condition fringe. Prohibits including an amount in an employee's gross income solely because the employee may choose between any retirement planning fringe and compensation otherwise includible in gross income, providing such choices are available in a way that does not discriminate in favor of highly compensated employees. Title VI: Reducing Red Tape - Amends the IRC and ERISA to revise requirements relating to timing of plan valuations. (Sec. 602) Amends ERISA rules for substantial owners relating to plan terminations to revise: (1) the phase-in of the guarantee; and (2) the allocation of assets. (Sec. 603) Amends IRC requirements for applicable dividends to allow dividends of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) to be reinvested without loss of dividend deduction. (Sec. 604) Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to modify the regulations regarding the exclusion allowance to render void the requirement that contributions to a defined benefit pension plan be treated as previously excluded amounts. (Sec. 605) Directs the Secretary to provide by regulation that a plan shall be deemed to satisfy specified requirements of the IRC if it satisfies a certain facts and circumstances test, under specified conditions. (Sec. 606) Grants the Secretary discretion in applying a specified coverage test to a plan. (Sec. 607) Makes inapplicable to certain mirror plans specified IRC requirements relating to deferred compensation plans of State and local governments and tax-exempt organizations. (Sec. 608) Revises the notice and consent period regarding distributions. Directs the Secretary to modify certain regulations under the IRC to provide that the description of a participant's right, if any, to defer receipt of a distribution shall also describe the consequences of failing to defer such receipt. (Sec. 609) Sets forth conforming amendments relating to election to receive taxable cash compensation in lieu of nontaxable transportation fringe benefits. (Sec. 610) Repeals a transition rule relating to certain highly compensated employees under the Tax Reform Act of 1986. (Sec. 611) Extends to international organizations the moratorium on application of certain nondiscrimination rules applicable to State and local plans. (Sec. 612) Revises ERISA requirements for annual report dissemination. (Sec. 613) Directs the Secretary to modify certain regulations with respect to certain plan participation by employees of tax-exempt entities under the IRC. (Sec. 614) Repeals a multiple use test. Directs the Secretary prescribe regulations permitting appropriate aggregation of plans and contributions. Title VII: Plan Amendments - Prescribes requirements for plan amendments or annuity contract amendments under the IRC and ERISA.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 1999
Sanctions Policy Reform Act - Declares that it is the purpose of this Act to establish an effective framework for consideration by the legislative and executive branches of unilateral economic sanctions in order to ensure coordination of U.S. policy with respect to trade, security, and human rights. (Sec. 3) Declares that it is U.S. policy to: (1) pursue U.S. interests through vigorous and effective diplomatic, political, commercial, charitable, educational, cultural, and strategic engagement with other countries, while recognizing that U.S. national security interests may sometimes require the imposition of economic sanctions on other countries; (2) foster multilateral cooperation on vital matters of U.S. foreign policy, including promoting human rights and democracy, combating international terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and international narcotics trafficking, and ensuring adequate environmental protection; (3) promote U.S. economic growth and job creation by expanding exports of goods, services, and agricultural commodities, and by encouraging investment that supports the sale abroad of U.S. products and services; (4) maintain the reputation of U.S. businesses and farmers as reliable suppliers to international customers of quality products and services; (5) avoid the use of restrictions on exports of agricultural commodities as a foreign policy weapon; and (6) oppose policies of other countries designed to discourage economic interaction with countries friendly to the United States or with any U.S. national, and to avoid use of such measures as instruments of U.S. foreign policy. States that when economic sanctions are necessary, it is U.S. policy to: (1) target them as narrowly as possible on those foreign governments, entities, and officials that are responsible for the conduct being targeted, thereby minimizing unnecessary or disproportionate harm to individuals who are not responsible for such conduct; and (2) to the extent feasible, avoid any adverse impact of economic sanctions on the humanitarian activities of the United States and foreign nongovernmental organizations in a country against which sanctions are imposed. (Sec. 5) Expresses the sense of Congress that any unilateral economic sanction legislation introduced in or reported to a House of Congress should: (1) state the U.S. foreign policy or national security objective; (2) terminate after two years unless specifically reauthorized; (3) provide for contract sanctity, with specified exceptions; (4) provide presidential authority to adjust or waive the sanction in the national interest; (5) target the sanction as narrowly as possible against the parties responsible for the conduct being targeted; and (6) provide for expanded export promotion programs if sanctions are likely to target an export market for American farmers. (Sec. 6) Sets forth a procedure for congressional consideration of any unilateral economic sanction legislation. Requires specified reports: (1) from the President assessing the likelihood that the proposed unilateral economic sanction will achieve its stated objective within a reasonable period of time, as well as the impact of the proposed unilateral economic sanction on U.S. foreign policy, national security, and humanitarian activities; and (2) from the Secretary of Agriculture assessing the extent to which any country or countries proposed or likely to be sanctioned are markets that accounted for more than three percent of all U.S. agricultural export sales in the preceding calendar year, as well as the likelihood that U.S. agricultural exports will be affected by the proposed sanction or by retaliation by any country proposed or likely to be sanctioned, and specific commodities which are most likely to be affected. Requires that any bill or joint resolution that imposes any unilateral economic sanction be treated as including a Federal private sector mandate for purposes of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995. Requires the Congressional Budget Office, in its report pursuant to such Act, to assess the likely short- and long-term costs of the proposed sanction to the U.S. economy. (Sec. 7) Requires the President to: (1) publish notice in the Federal Register at least 45 days in advance of the President's intention to impose any new unilateral economic sanction with respect to a foreign country or foreign entity; and (2) consult with the appropriate congressional committees regarding such proposed sanction. Requires any executive sanction to include an assessment of whether the sanction is likely to achieve a specific U.S. foreign policy or national security objective within a reasonable and specified period of time. Requires, before imposition of a new unilateral economic sanction, that the President and the Secretary of Agriculture report to appropriate congressional committees the same assessments required in connection with any bill or joint resolution imposing or authorizing the imposition of a unilateral economic sanction by the executive branch. Requires the President to request a report by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on the likely short- and long-term costs of the proposed sanction to the U.S. economy, including the potential impact on U.S. competitiveness. Provides, in the event that it is in the national interest, for allowing the President temporarily to waive most of the requirements for executive action in order to act immediately, generally requiring the waived requirements to be met within 60 days after imposition of the sanction (which shall terminate after 90 days if such requirements are not met). Establishes an interagency Sanctions Review Committee to coordinate U.S. policy regarding unilateral economic sanctions and provide appropriate recommendations to the President. (Sec. 8) Requires the President and the ITC to report annually to the appropriate congressional committees with respect to each unilateral economic sanction imposed under this Act or under any other U.S. law, regulation, or Executive order.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 1999
Early Learning Trust Fund Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and maintain a program of financial assistance to States and local entities for full day, full calendar year early learning services for prekindergarten children. Sets forth program requirements for State allotments and local allocations, State administration through as Lead State Agency, State and local councils, applications, and reports. Directs the Secretary of HHS to consult with the Secretary of Education in developing and issuing program guidance instructions. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 1999
Border Improvement and Immigration Act of 1999 - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 with respect to the automated entry-exit control system to exempt from required recordkeeping: (1) land border crossings and seaports; and (2) permanent resident and certain other aliens. (Sec. 3) Requires the Attorney General to report: (1) on the feasibility of implementing an automated entry-exit control system that would include land border and seaport arrivals and departures; and (2) annually on the development status of the automated entry-exit control system, and on visa overstays identified through such system. Requires integration of overstay information into Department of State and Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) databases. (Sec. 5) Authorizes appropriations for INS and United States Customs Service border control and enforcement activities. Sets forth specified set-asides. Authorizes: (1) use of equipment funds for new technologies; and (2) transfer up to ten percent of specified set-asides for other equipment uses. Sets aside specified funds for peak hours and investigative resource enhancement. Provides for increased numbers of full-time INS and Customs inspectors at U.S. land borders.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 1999
Look, Listen, and Live Stamp Act - Amends Federal postal law to direct the Postal Service to establish a special rate of first-class mail postage for certain specially issued U.S. postage stamps, whose proceeds shall be paid by the Service to the Department of Transportation for Operation Lifesaver with respect to highway-rail grade crossing safety. Declares the sense of Congress that nothing in this Act should: (1) directly or indirectly cause a net decrease in total funds received by the Department of Transportation for Operation Lifesaver below the level that would otherwise have been received but for enactment of this Act; or (2) affect regular first-class rates of postage or any other regular rates of postage. Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress: (1) an evaluation of the effectiveness and the appropriateness of the authority provided by this Act as a means of fundraising; and (2) a description of the monetary and other resources required of the Postal Service in carrying it out.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 1999
Expresses support for the U.S. military personnel who are engaged in military operations against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and recognizes their professionalism, dedication, patriotism, and courage.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 1999
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) permanently extend the credit for increasing research activities; and (2) increase the incremental rates for the alternative research credit.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 1999
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that the exclusion of State or local government foster care payments from the gross income of foster care providers shall also apply to payments by qualifying placement agencies.
![Official portrait of Sen. Jeffords, James M. [I-VT]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/j000072_200.jpg)