United States · United States Congress · 9 February 1984
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that the standard mileage rate used in computing the charitable deduction for expenses incurred in the operation of a motor vehicle shall be the same as the standard mileage rate established by the Secretary of the Treasury for the business-related deduction.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 1984
Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to exempt from Federal inspection requirements any restaurant central kitchen that prepares ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sent to and served at restaurants owned or operated by the same persons who own or operate such central facility.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 1984
States that the National Open Greco-Roman and the National Open Free Style Championships serve to focus attention on the sport of amateur wrestling. Designates the week beginning April 1, 1984, as National Amateur Wrestling Week.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 1984
Broadcasters' Protection Act of 1984 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to declare that provisions requiring a broadcast station licensee to provide equal opportunities for station access to political candidates and prohibiting the licensee from censoring a candidate's broadcast do not require the licensee to broadcast any material the broadcast of which the licensee believes would violate any criminal law. Provides that a licensee's refusal to broadcast material based on such belief shall be a defense to any revocation action by the Federal Communications Commission and shall not be used adversely against the licensee in a comparative licensing process. Permits a broadcaster to petition any appropriate U.S. district court for a determination as to whether the broadcast of such material would violate a criminal law and for declaratory judgment relief. Allows a candidate whose broadcast is denied to petition the court for such a determination and for declaratory judgment relief with respect to such denial.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 1984
Honors Commander Alphonse Desjardins, founder of La Caisse Populaine de St-Marie, Manchester, New Hampshire, the first incorporated credit union in the United States
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1984
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should take steps to place the question of the involvement by Cuba in drug trafficking on the United Nations' agenda and to request of U.N. agencies investigations and reports regarding such problem.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1984
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of State should request the Organization of American States to consider the question of the involvement by Cuba in drug trafficking and the need for international inspections and factfinding hearings regarding such problem.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1983
Amends the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 to provide that a buyer in the ordinary course of business who buys farm products from a person engaged in farming operations shall own such goods free of any security interest in such goods even though the security interest is perfected and even though the buyer knows of its existence.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1983
Highly Erodible Cropland Pilot Program Act of 1983 - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a long-term (five to ten years) pilot program with owners and operators of highly erodible land who, in return for cash or in-kind assistance, agree to carry out soil and water conservation programs in place of active crop production on such land. Sets forth program provisions, including payment limitations. Limits the program to owners and operators who enter into project contracts within one year after enactment of this Act. Requires a report to the appropriate congressional committees if such program is put into effect. Authorizes FY 1985 appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1983
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to permit industrial homework pursued by individuals (including craftswork and the performance of services in such individuals' residences) if their employers comply with the minimum wage and maximum hours provisions of the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1983
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should: (1) continue to express U.S. opposition to the exile of Igor Ogurtsov; and (2) urge the Soviet Union to provide Igor Ogurtsov with medical care, grant his release from exile, and accept his application for an exit visa and allow him to emigrate without forcing him to renounce his views (in accordance with a specified international treaty).
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1983
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should appoint a task force on agricultural credit to: (1) examine agricultural credit problems; (2) report to the President and Congress on the credit-related problems confronting agricultural producers and related businesses; and (3) make recommendations on how to resolve problems that might be identified. Directs the task force to: (1) identify and describe the components of the existing agricultural credit system; (2) identify and describe the credit needs of agricultural producers and related businesses; (3) identify and evaluate the current agricultural credit system's ability to meet producer credit needs; and (4) develop for the President and Congress specific recommendations for policies and legislation to ensure the availability of adequate agricultural credit at reasonable cost.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1983
National Symposium on Missing Children Act of 1983 - Establishes a 15 member Commission on Missing Children to conduct an inquiry into the problem of missing children. Requires the Commission to hold a national symposium to bring together experts, professionals, and interested individuals to: (1) find solutions to prevent the disappearance of children and provide for the safe return of any missing children; (2) disseminate information and assistance to citizens, agencies, and the government; (3) make recommendations to the President and Congress for legislative changes; and (4) make recommendations for a program to coordinate and assist those concerned with missing children. Directs the Commission to submit a comprehensive report incorporating specific recommendations to the President and the Congress. Requires the Commission to terminate 18 months after its inception. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1983
Directs the President to investigate and report to the Congress within 18 months concerning the living conditions and available assistance for El Salvadorans displaced inside and outside their country. Requires such investigation to report on the fate of El Salvadoran deportees. Requires the House and Senate Judiciary Committees to hold hearings within two years to consider appropriate U.S. steps to assure the personal safety and equitable distribution of assistance to such displaced El Salvadorans. Provides for a three-year moratorium on specified categories of El Salvadoran deportations.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1983
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should: (1) be commended for his efforts to negotiate a multilateral agreement banning chemical weapons; and (2) propose the resumption of negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union to achieve a verifiable ban on chemical weapons.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 1983
Amends the Social Security Amendments of 1983 to delay until after December 31, 1985, mandatory coverage under the Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance program for employees of tax-exempt religious or apostolic organizations which do not have in effect on January 1, 1984, a waiver certificate (which waives such an organization's exemption from taxation for purposes of the Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance program).
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1983
Olmsted Historic Landscapes Act - Requires the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to prepare a State-by- State inventory of Olmsted historic landscapes. Provides that all properties on the inventory shall be part of an Olmsted historic landscape system. Requires that property identified in the inventory as nationally significant by a State historic preservation officer or by a State outdoor recreation liaison officer be studied by the Secretary for possible designation as a national landmark and for the World Heritage List. Requires that property on the inventory which meets the appropriate criteria be nominated for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Requires periodic updating of the inventory. Directs the Secretary to: (1) promulgate general standards for preservation of historic landscapes; (2) provide technical assistance to Federal agencies, State and local governments, private organizations, and other interested individuals on the identification, commemoration, and preservation of Olmsted historic landscapes; (3) conduct and submit to Congress a thematic study of historic landscapes to identify those landscapes which would qualify as national historic landscapes; (4) establish a program for the use of the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in Massachusetts as a center for research and establish an advisory committee for the site; and (5) develop appropriate international activities related to the Olmsted historic landscapes. Requires the Secretary to provide for the coordination of applications for grants for the preservation of Olmsted historic landscapes. Permits State and local governments to use Federal funds made available to them for the preservation of any inventoried Olmsted historic landscape. Requires the Secretary to assist and coordinate public and private cooperation in carrying out the purposes of this Act. Requires the Secretary to conduct appropriate activities during the decade of 1985 to 1995 to commemorate the Olmsted achievements and influence on American life. Establishes the Advisory Committee on Olmsted Historic Landscapes, which shall assist the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in carrying out those of its duties under the National Historic Preservation Act that relate to Olmsted historic landscapes.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from Federal income taxes members of the armed forces who die as a result of hostile action outside the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 1983
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) State and local governments must focus on child support, custody, visitation rights, and other related domestic issues properly within their jurisdictions; (2) all involved in the domestic relations process should assign highest priority to such issues for the sake of children's health and welfare; (3) Congress must strengthen the existing child support enforcement system and make it available to all children; and (4) a mutual recognition of the needs of all parties in divorce actions will greatly enhance the health and welfare of the Nation's children and families.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 1983
Social Security Benefits Disallowance Act of 1983 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to provide that an individual can receive title II benefits only if such individual can show that he or she: (1) is a U.S. citizen or was a U.S. citizen but has voluntarily relinquished such status; or (2) is an alien legally admitted to work or was an alien legally admitted to work but has voluntarily relinquished such status. Prohibits the payment of title II benefits to any individual who: (1) is subject to a final order of exclusion, a final order of departure, or a voluntary departure in lieu of deportation; or (2) is not legally permitted to work in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 1983
Missing Children's Assistance Act of 1983 - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to require the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to establish and maintain a national toll-free telephone line for reporting information regarding the location of missing children. Directs the Administrator to establish a national resource center and clearinghouse to: (1) provide technical assistance to State and local governments and agencies in locating missing children; (2) coordinate public and private efforts to recover missing children; and (3) disseminate information on innovative missing childrens' programs, services, and legislation. Requires the Administrator to publish an annual summary of research on missing children and prepare a comprehensive plan for coordinating activities of all agencies and organizations responsible for missing children. Authorizes the Administrator, in consultation with the Advisory Board on Missing Children, to make grants for research or demonstration or service programs designed to: (1) educate parents and community agencies on ways to prevent the abduction of children; (2) assist in the recovery or tracking of missing children; (3) aid communities in collecting material to assist parents in the identification of their children; (4) demonstrate the psychological consequences of a child's abduction; and (5) collect data on investigative practices utilized by law enforcement agencies. Requires the Administrator to appoint an Advisory Board on Missing Children to assist the Administrator in coordinating programs and activities relating to missing children. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1984 through 1988.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow members of the clergy and members of the uniformed services to deduct expenses related to tax-exempt housing allowances and subsistence allowances.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 1983
Farmland Protection Policy Act Amendments of 1983 - Amends the Farmland Protection Policy Act to direct the Department of Agriculture and other Federal agencies to ensure that U.S. farmland shall not be unnecessarily converted to nonagricultural uses. Requires any unit of the Federal Government to hold public hearings and report to the Secretary of Agriculture before making any farmland conversions. Makes the existing one-time congressional report an annual requirement. Repeals the prohibition on legal actions against Federal activities affecting farmland.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 1983
Life Insurance Tax Act of 1983 - Title I: Life Insurance Provisions - Subtitle A: Taxation of Life Insurance Companies - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to set the rate of tax on a life insurance company at the corporate rate on its life insurance company taxable income (LICTI). Sets forth an alternative tax in the case of capital gains. Defines life insurance company taxable income as life insurance gross income reduced by life insurance deductions. Defines life insurance gross income as the sum of: (1) premiums; (2) decreases in certain reserves; and (3) other amounts generally includible by a taxpayer in gross income. Allows three types of deductions: (1) general life insurance deductions; (2) the special life insurance deduction; and (3) the small life insurance company deduction. Sets forth definitions and special rules for each type of deduction. Sets forth rules for the calculation of net increases and decreases in reserves. Requires life insurance companies to use either the accrual method of accounting or a method permitted under regulations which combines an accrual method with another recognized method. Sets forth rules for the amortization of premiums and accrual of discount. Sets forth rules for the computation of a company's share and the policyholders' share of investment income. Sets forth rules for the tax treatment of foreign life insurance companies. Requires an adjustment to LICTI where a required surplus held in the United States is less than a specified amount. Sets forth rules for the tax treatment of contiguous country branches of domestic life insurance companies. Provides that life insurance company taxable income which has an existing policyholders surplus account shall be increased by any direct or indirect distribution to shareholders from such account. Defines "life insurance company" as an insurance company which is engaged in the business of issuing life insurance and annuity contracts or noncancellable contracts of health and life insurance if its life insurance reserves plus unearned premiums and unpaid losses comprise more than 50 percent of its total reserves. Sets forth rules for the tax treatment of variable contracts. Sets forth rules relating to capital gains and losses of a life insurance company. Sets forth the effective date for the provisions of this Act. Provides transitional rules. Subtitle B: Taxation of Life Insurance Products - Redefines "life insurance contract" for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code. Defines such a contract as any contract, which is a life insurance contract under applicable State or foreign law, but only if the contract meets either of two alternatives: (1) a cash value accumulation test; or (2) a test consisting of a guideline premium requirement and a cash value corridor requirement. Specifies requirements of each such test. Sets forth rules for contracts not meeting the life insurance definition. Sets forth transitional rules. Treats as distributed to a contract holder any amount of an annuity contract held by an individual who dies before the annuity starting date. Exempts any such amounts from the five-percent penalty tax on a premature distribution from an annuity. Limits the amount of the interest deduction allowed in the case of life insurance loans. Sets forth rules for the calculation of such limit. Extends to former employees and key employees the limitations on group-term life insurance purchased for employees. Subtitle C: Nondeductible Contributions to Individual Retirement Plans - Allows certain nondeductible contributions to individual retirement accounts and annuities. Limits such contributions to the least of: (1) $1,750; (2) the excess of compensation includible in gross income over the amount allowable as a deduction under present rules; or (3) an amount designated by the taxpayer as a nondeductible contribution. Subtitle D: Studies - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to report annually to specified committees of the Congress on the revenues received by this Act and to compare the amount of such revenues and the amount anticipated by reason of changes made by the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 and this Act. Requires the Secretary to make annual reports in the years 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1989 concerning the impact of this Act on specified segments and products of the life insurance industry.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 1983
Retirement Equity Act of 1983 - Title I: Amendments Relating to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to lower the age requirement for participation in a tax- deferred retirement plan from 25 to 21. Lowers the minimum age at which years of employment begin to be credited for retirement plan vesting purposes from 22 to 18. Provides that nonvested participants in a retirement plan with a break in service of up to five years will not lose credit for pre-break periods of service. Permits limited breaks in service for paternity or maternity leave without loss of vesting credits. Requires tax-deferred retirement plans to offer survivor benefits to plan participants who have attained age 45 and have ten years of creditable service. Requires spousal consent in order for a retirement plan participant to elect not to take a joint and survivor annuity. Requires that such consent must be in writing and must be witnessed by either a plan representative or a notary public. Allows the assignment of the benefits of a retirement plan in the case of a judgment, decree or order relating to child support, alimony payments, or marital property rights pursuant to a State's domestic relations law. Sets forth rules for the tax treatment of retirement plan distributions pursuant to a divorce decree. Increases the amount of allowable mandatory distributions from a retirement plan from $1,750 to $3,500. Requires that a plan participant must be notified that benefits under the plan may be forfeited if the participant dies before a certain date. Title II: Amendments Relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to incorporate into such Act the changes made by Title I of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 1983
Drought Assistance Act of 1983 - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out an emergency feed program in designated disaster areas to assist family farms in preserving livestock and poultry affected by the 1983 drought. Reallocates specified Commodity Credit Corporation funds for such program. Establishes graduated interest payments (three percent on first $50,000, five percent on next $50,000, eight percent on amounts above $100,000) for drought-related emergency loans for family farmers otherwise unable to get sufficient credit.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 1983
Criminal Fine Collection Act of 1983 - Amends the Federal criminal code with respect to the imposition, payment, and collection of fines. Lists factors that the court must consider in determining whether to impose a fine, including: (1) the ability of the defendant to pay; (2) the burden that payment will impose on the defendant; and (3) any restitution or reparation made by the defendant. States that payment of a fine is due immediately unless the court requires payment by installment or by any date certain. Permits a sentence to pay a fine to be stayed while an appeal is taken. Makes a fine delinquent if any portion of such fine is not paid within 30 days of when it is due. Provides that a fine is in default if it is more than 90 days delinquent. Allows for the modification or remission of a sentence to pay a fine. Requires the clerk to forward each fine payment to the U.S. Treasury and notify the Attorney General of its receipt. Requires the court to certify to the Attorney General when a fine exceeding $100 is imposed, modified, or remitted. Makes the Attorney General responsible for the collection of any unpaid fine for which certification has been issued. Allows the court to impose interest and monetary penalties for any willful nonpayment. Establishes civil remedies for the satisfication of an unpaid fine. Provides that a judgment imposing a fine may be enforced by execution against the property of the person fined as are judgments in civil cases. Allows the court to resentence a person upon willful failure to pay a fine to any sentence which might originally have been imposed. Provides for a statute of limitations on the liability to pay a fine of 20 years or upon death of the person fined. Provides penalties for criminal default of a fine. Makes payment of a fine a condition of probation or parole in certain circumstances. Requires the Attorney General to include in the annual crime report steps taken to implement this Act and any progress achieved in criminal fine collection.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 1983
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the President and the Secretary of State should, in formulating U.S. foreign policy, recognize and take into account the genocide of the Armenian people; and (2) the President should direct his representatives to communicate in international forums the U.S. abhorrence to the genocide of the Armenian people.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 1983
Alternative Energy Tax Incentives Act of 1983 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the residential energy income tax credit for renewable energy sources for five years from 1985 to 1990. Reduces the qualifying percentage for energy source expenditures by specified increments between 1985 and 1990. Increases from 15 percent to 20 percent the investment tax credit for solar, wind, geothermal, and ocean thermal property. Extends such tax credit for five years from 1985 to 1990. Extends the investment tax credit for hydroelectric generating property and biomass property for five years from 1985 to 1990. Reestablishes the credit for cogeneration property until 1990. Qualifies until 1995 affirmative commitments for solar, wind, geothermal, ocean thermal, biomass, and cogeneration projects begun by December 31, 1990. Eliminates the 20 percent limitation for oil and natural gas used in cogeneration facilities. Qualifies as biomass property methane-containing gas produced by anaerobic digestion from nonfossil waste materials. Revises the definition of geothermal deposit to lower the required temperature to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. (Present regulations require a temperature of 122 degrees Fahrenheit.) Includes shale oil property and tar sands equipment as energy property for purposes of the investment tax credit. Grants a 15 percent depletion allowance for tar sands. Allows an investment tax credit for photovoltaic energy property. Defines photovoltaic property.
![Official portrait of Sen. Jepsen, Roger W. [R-IA]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/j000101_200.jpg)