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United States · Official source
2,173 records where Sen. Kasten, Robert W., Jr. [R-WI] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 1985
Designates the week beginning May 18, 1986, as National Tourism Week.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1985
Expresses the sense of the Senate that any tax reform measure enacted by the Congress should restore the value of the personal exemption by increasing it to a minimum of $2,000, and the indexing of the personal exemption should be retained in order to prevent further erosion of its value to the American taxpayer.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 1985
Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to require the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in the Department of Justice (Administrator) to make grants to States for the purpose of establishing, operating, or expanding Missing Children Information Clearinghouses. Limits the grants to 50 percent of the costs of establishing and operating the Clearinghouse. Provides that no State shall be entitled to a grant in excess of $75,000. Requires any State Clearinghouse to: (1) work in conjunction with the National Crime Information Center; (2) educate parents, children, and community agencies; (3) provide public information to assist in locating missing children; (4) publish a directory of organizations that provide assistance in locating missing children; (5) establish an in-State toll-free line for reporting missing children; (6) work with other public and private organizations; and (7) work with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Allows the Administrator to prescribe rules necessary to carry out this Act. Grants the Comptroller General of the United States access to any books, documents, or records of any State receiving assistance for the purpose of audit. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 1985
Designates the week of December 1 through December 7, 1985, as National Home Care Week.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1985
Expresses the sense of the Senate recognizing the centennial anniversary of the Holstein-Friesian Association of America.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 1985
Tax Fairness for Families Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the amount of the deduction allowed for the personal exemption from the current amount of $1,000 to $2,000.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1985
Methanol Vehicle Incentives Act of 1985 - Amends the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act to set forth the manner of determining the fuel economy of methanol powered automobiles. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, for certain labeling purposes, to determine the fuel economy of a methanol powered automobile to be 15 percent of the prescribed fuel economy as calculated.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 1985
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to authorize appropriations for FY 1986 through 1988 to be used by the Secretary of Commerce to assist in the planning and construction of public telecommunications facilities. Repeals a provision that requires 75 percent of the funds appropriated for such purposes in a fiscal year to be available to extend delivery of public telecommunications services to areas not receiving such services. Authorizes appropriations, to match up to a specified amount of non-Federal contributions to public broadcasting entities, for the Public Broadcasting Fund for FY 1987 through 1990. Repeals a provision that requires that a specified portion of the amount made available to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting from the Fund be earmarked for expenses of research, training, technical assistance, engineering, instructional support, and the payment of interest on indebtedness. Repeals provisions requiring a public telecommunications entity to refund to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting an amount of Federal funds equal to the amount of any unrelated business income tax paid by such entity.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 1985
Small Business Incentives Act - Title I: Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require that unemployment compensation shall not be denied to any individual solely on the grounds that such individual's unemployment is the result of the closing of a business establishment or other entity in which such individual had an ownership interest. Permits the owner-employee of a small business to deduct one-half of the social security taxes paid on self-employment income for taxable years beginning after December 31, 1985. Provides that there is to be an annual inflation adjustment to the threshold amount which must be paid to agricultural workers before an employer becomes subject to the Federal Unemployment Tax Act. Sets the threshold amount at $30,000 for calendar year 1986. Title II: Regulatory Reform - Authorizes appropriations necessary to carry out the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act. Repeals the authority of an agency to override the disapproval of a proposed information collection request. Prohibits any agency from requiring any person to maintain, prepare, or produce any record after the expiration of three years after the date of the transaction or event which is the subject of the record. Provides exceptions from this rule for: (1) records relating to dangerous material; (2) health and medical records; and (3) records required under the Internal Revenue Code or regulations. Subjects the Departments of the Treasury and Defense to the requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Title III: Tax Provisions - Provides that the exclusion from income of group-term life insurance costs, employee death benefits, accident and health benefits, meals and lodging costs, and transportation furnished to the employee shall be available to self-employed individuals. Revises the utilization tests for certain fringe benefits (group-term life insurance, group legal services, educational assistance, and dependent care assistance) to provide that such rules will not apply in the case of an employer with less than 20 employees. Allows a deduction for the expenses paid by self-employed individuals of unincorporated trades or businesses for health insurance. Permits a taxpayer to elect to expense up to $10,000 of the costs of certain depreciable business property in the year the property is placed in service for taxable years beginning in 1986 and thereafter. Allows a tax credit for small business employment expenditures equal to ten percent of the qualified increased employment expenditures of the small business employer for the taxable year. Restricts this tax credit to any taxpayer employing 20 or fewer employees. Sets out the procedures for calculating the amount of the credit and various definitions and special rules. Phases out this tax credit beginning in taxable years after December 31, 2006. Disallows a deduction for the portion of wages or salaries paid or incurred which is equal to the amount of the tax credit. Permits a taxpayer to deduct up to $100,000 of the cost of the purchase of small business stock. Requires that the stock must be common stock in a small business with less than $2,000,000 in net worth and at least 80 percent of the gross receipts within the taxable year must be attributable to the active conduct of a trade or business. Provides that any individual and any person related to such individual shall be treated as a single taxpayer for purposes of this deduction. Requires the taxpayer to reduce the basis of any small business stock by the amount of any deduction taken for the purchase of such stock. Treats any gain on the disposition of small business stock as ordinary income to the extent such gain does not exceed the amount of the reduction in the basis of the stock which was required to be made. Imposes an additional tax if the taxpayer disposes of small business stock before three years after the deduction for such stock was taken or if the issuing corporation fails to meet certain requirements within certain time periods. Sets forth certain definitions and special rules pertaining to this additional tax.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 1985
Designates May 25, 1985, as National Holstein Day.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1985
Federal Trade Commission Act Amendments of 1985 - Amends the Federal Trade Commission Act to deny authority to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to find a method of competition unfair if, in any action under the Sherman Act, such method of competition would be held to constitute State action. Denies the FTC authority to study, investigate, or prosecute agricultural cooperatives for any conduct not in violation of antitrust Acts. Outlines procedures which the FTC must follow before issuing any complaint against a cooperative. Denies FTC authority to issue a complaint if it believes an exemption to the conduct complained of exists in the Capper-Volstead Act. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to designate those individuals who may have access to documents or information received from the FTC. Requires confidentiality of such individuals. Prohibits Department of Agriculture officials or employees from requesting information regarding any complaint unless specifically authorized in writing by the FTC. Authorizes the Secretary to file with the FTC a statement regarding the applicability of the Capper-Volstead Act to the conduct which is the basis of the complaint. Denies the FTC authority to conduct any study or investigation of any agricultural marketing orders. Repeals the authority of the FTC to pay attorneys fees, expert witness fees, and other costs of participating in a rulemaking proceeding. Prohibits the FTC from instituting a civil action, in cases involving consent orders, to obtain civil penalties for unfair or deceptive acts or practices. Permits a district court to review certain FTC determinations of law that an act or practice was unfair or deceptive. Permits the FTC to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking for certain rules only where it has reason to believe that the unfair or deceptive acts or practices are prevalent. Revises the effective dates for cease and desist orders issued by the FTC. Applies FTC civil investigative demand procedures only to acts, practices or methods of competition declared unlawful by a law. Requires that an unfair act or practice must be likely to cause substantial injury to consumers which is not reasonably avoidable by consumers themselves and not outweighed by countervailing benefits to consumers or to competition. Denies authority to the FTC to cancel the registration of a trademark on the ground that such mark has become the common descriptive name of an article or substance. Excludes Federal credit unions from the FTC's unfair acts and practices regulatory authority. Directs the National Credit Union Administration Board to promulgate and enforce regulations concerning unfair acts and practices by credit unions. Denies FTC authority to initiate any new rulemaking proceeding which results in a rule prohibiting commercial advertising on the basis that such advertising constitutes an unfair act or practice in or affecting commerce. Directs the FTC to submit to appropriate congressional committees a report describing complaints made, investigations undertaken, recommendations and opinions given, and consent agreements and other dispositions made by the Commission. Requires that such report shall also contain a statement of the reasons for the termination of any matter. Authorizes appropriations for the FTC for FY 1986 through 1988, including a specified amount to consolidate FTC Headquarters Offices in Washington, D.C., into no more than three buildings.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1985
Consumer Product Safety Commission Authorization Act of 1985 - Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to allow for the disclosure of certain information to Commission contractors. Limits certain conflict of interest prohibitions for members of the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel to prohibit participation by someone with substantial financial interest in any consumer product which may be subject to investigation current law prohibits participation by anyone with a substantial financial interest in any consumer product. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 and 1987.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1985
Expresses, on the 40th anniversary of V-E Day, the Nation's deep gratitude and recognizes the enormous debt owed to the American servicemen who fought in World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1985
Age Discrimination in Employment Amendments of 1985 - Amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to remove the existing 70-year upper age limit on the class to which the discrimination prohibitions apply, thus extending coverage to all individuals who are at least 40 years of age. Delays the effect of this Act for employees under a collective bargaining contract until January 1, 1989, or the termination of such contract, if earlier.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 1985
Fragile Lands Conservation and Wetlands Protection Act of 1985 - Title I: Highly Erodible Land Conservation - Makes a person who produces an agricultural commodity on highly erodible land ineligible for five years (with respect to all commodities) for agricultural price supports, storage facility loans, crop insurance, disaster payments, and other Farmers Home Administration loans. Provides exceptions for: (1) crops produced using approved conservation methods; and (2) certain previously cultivated land (1981 through 1985). Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to complete specified soil capability class surveys. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Wetlands Conservation - Makes a person who produces an agricultural commodity on converted wetlands ineligible for five years (with respect to all commodities) for agricultural price supports, storage facility loans, crop insurance, disaster payments, and other Farmers Home Administration loans. Provides exceptions for: (1) wetlands converted before enactment of this Act; and (2) production that is possible as a result of natural conditions such as drought, and not harmful to natural wetland characteristics. Directs the Secretary to administer the program in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Conservation Reserve Program - Directs the Secretary to establish a conservation reserve program to assist producers in conserving soil and water resources on highly erodible land or other erosion-problem land. Directs the Secretary, for FY 1986 through 1988, to enter into ten-year contracts under which the Secretary shall pay an annual fee, share conservation costs, and provide technical assistance in return for converting such cropland to less erosion-prone uses. Limits annual payments to any one person to $50,000. Limits total fiscal year payments to specified amounts. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out such program through the Commodity Credit Corporation. Requires the Secretary to complete a soil erosion study and report to the Congress within 18 months. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 1985
Amusement Ride Safety Commission Act - Establishes a National Commission on Amusement Ride Safety to conduct an investigation of the scope and adequacy of safety measures employed to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injuries from amusement rides. Directs the Commission to review: (1) Federal, State, and local laws; (2) voluntary safety standards; and (3) self-regulation measures. Directs the Commission to determine the uniformity of application and quality of enforcement of such laws, standards, and self-enforcement mechanisms. Directs the Commission to transmit to the President and the Congress a final report, not later than 18 months after enactment of this Act. Grants the Commission the power to hold hearings, subpoena witnesses, and order any person to give testimony by deposition.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 1985
Designates May 7, 1985, as Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 1985
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should: (1) ensure that U.S. officials carry out the pledge to resolve the issue of the Americans still missing and unaccounted for in Indochina; (2) work for the immediate release of any Americans still held captive and the return of the remains of those who died in Southeast Asia; and (3) make every effort to secure the further cooperation of Laos and Vietnam in resolving this issue.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1985
Commends the Rural Electrification Administration and dedicated individuals for their contributions to the progress made by the Nation during the past 50 years in achieving the electrification of rural America.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1985
Includes specified lands at the mouth of Chequamegon Bay, Wisconsin, known as Long Island, within the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1985
Gives special recognition to the achievements of John James Audubon and the work he has inspired.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1985
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the United States should pay honor to the memories of the innocent civilians and American and Allied soldiers who died at the hands of the Nazis; (2) it is fitting and appropriate for the President, in a gesture of reconciliation, to visit the Federal Republic of Germany; (3) the President should recognize the importance of the relationship between the two countries; and (4) the President should reassess his planned itinerary for his forthcoming trip to the Federal Republic of Germany.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 1985
Fair and Simple Tax Act of 1985 - Title I: Reduction of Individual and Corporate Tax Rates - Subtitle A: Reduction of Rate - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise individual tax rates. Imposes a tax rate of 24 percent on the taxable income of every individual, estate, and trust. Imposes a tax rate of 15 percent on corporate income which does not exceed $50,000, 25 percent on taxable income exceeding $50,000 but not exceeding $100,000, and 35 percent of taxable income exceeding $100,000. Subtitle B: Increase in Amount of Personal Exemption and Zero Bracket Amount - Increases the amount of the personal exemption to $2,000. Increases the zero bracket amount to $2,600 for single taxpayers and $3,300 for a joint return or surviving spouse. Provides for an annual adjustment in the personal exemption and the zero bracket amount by a cost-of-living adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index. Repeals the exemption for dependents who are students over the age of 18. Subtitle C: Employment Income Exclusion Established - Allows an individual taxpayer to exclude 20 percent of the amount received during the taxable year by such individual as employment income. Provides that the exclusion shall be phased out when the individual's wages and salaries exceed the Federal Insurance Compensation Act's maximum wage base for the calendar year. Excludes all of an individual's employment income where the employment income for the taxable year is $10,000 or less ($15,000 or less in the case of a joint return). Provides for an annual adjustment in the employment income exclusion by a cost-of-living adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index. Subtitle D: Repeals Related to Reduction in Rates - Repeals provisions relating to: (1) tax tables for individuals; (2) special averaging rules for lump-sum distributions; (3) accumulated corporate surplus; (4) personal holding companies; (5) income averaging; and (6) graduated corporate tax rates. Applies the trust throwback rules only to amounts distributed from a foreign trust. Title II: Base Broadening - Subtitle A: Credits - Repeals the following income tax credits: (1) the credit for household and dependent care services; (2) the credit for the elderly and the permanently and totally disabled; (3) the residential energy credit; (4) the credit for contributions to candidates for public office; (5) the credit for clinical testing expenses for certain drugs; (6) the credit for producing fuel from nonconventional sources; (7) the credit for increasing research activities; (8) the credit for work incentive expenses; (9) the credit for alcohol used as fuel; (10) the employee stock ownership credit; (11) the general tax credit; (12) the investment credit for depreciable property; (13) the credit for employment of certain new employees; and (14) credit for interest paid with respect to qualified mortgage credit certificate program. Subtitle B: Exclusions - Repeals the tax exclusion for: (1) compensation for injuries or sickness; (2) dividends received by individuals; (3) amounts received under qualified group legal service plans; (4) qualified transportation furnished by employer; and (5) dividend reinvestment in public utilities. Modifies the method to be followed in calculating the earned income credit. Provides for an annual adjustment in the earned income credit by a cost-of-living adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index. Treats as taxable income: (1) unemployment compensation; (2) the annual increase in the cash surrender value of life insurance policies; and (3) interest on industrial development bonds and mortgage subsidy bonds. Includes in the gross income of a taxpayer any income attributable to an annuity, life insurance, or endowment contract owned by such individual. Requires the insurance company to report to the owner of such contract and the Secretary of the Treasury information necessary to calculate such income. Provides a limited exclusion from income for scholarships and fellowships. Amends the Merchant Marine Act to repeal the tax exemption for deposits into, and withdrawals from, a capital construction fund. Reduces the amount of social security benefits and railroad retirement benefits which must be included in the gross income of the taxpayer for the taxable year. Subtitle C: Deductions - Repeals the tax deductions for: (1) casualty and theft losses; (2) unused business credits; and (3) two-earner married couples. Repeals the deduction for State and local income, sales, and personal property taxes. Increases the floor on the deduction for medical and dental expenses from five to ten percent. Repeals the deduction for consumer interest. Subtitle D: Adjustment to Basis: Changes in Certain Special Capital Gains Treatment Provisions - Allows an inflation adjustment, based on the gross national product deflator, to the adjusted basis of capital assets which have been held for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange solely for the purpose of determining gain or loss on such assets. Excludes from such treatment: (1) creditor's interest; (2) options; (3) net lease property in the case of the lessor; (4) preferred stock with fixed dividends; and (5) stock in small business corporations or certain foreign corporations. Provides procedures for determining the adjusted basis of recovery property for purposes of calculating the gain on the disposition of recovery property. Allows the taxpayer to elect not to use the indexed basis in determining the gain or loss from the sale of recovery property. Allows the Secretary of the Treasury to disallow all or part of an adjustment where there was a transfer to increase the inflation adjustment or depreciation allowance. Modifies the alternative minimum tax for corporations by providing that the net capital gain on the sale or exchange of any capital asset shall be taxed at a rate of 20 percent in the case of the sale of a non-indexed asset or an asset to which an election has been made to not treat the asset as an indexed asset. Excludes 40 percent of the amount of the net capital gain from an individual's income where the net capital gain is derived from the sale of an asset which is not indexed or an election is made not to treat the basis as indexed. Repeals the limitation allowing a deduction for capital losses only to the extent of certain net losses over net gains for individuals. Permits the carryover of the excess of such losses over gross income to the succeeding taxable year. Title III: Capital Cost Recovery - Subtitle A: Neutral Cost Recovery System for Depreciable Property - Establishes seven categories of recovery property for purposes of determining the recovery period for each class of property. Provides a procedure for calculating the amount of the deduction for recovery property which includes an inflation adjustment. Provides that research and experimental expenditures shall be treated in the same manner as other items of recovery property. Allows the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe by regulation the class of property to which these expenditures shall be assigned. Subtitle B: Other Changes - Repeals the income tax deductions for: (1) research and experimental expendiutres; (2) soil and water conservation expenditures; (3) depreciation or amortization of improvements made by a lessee on a lessor's property; (4) expenditures by farmers for clearing land; and (5) amortization of reforestation expenditures. Allows a ten-year period for the amortization of construction period interest and taxes. Allows a deduction for circulation expenses for a newspaper, magazine, or other periodical ratably over a five-year period. Excludes amounts chargeable to a capital account from such treatment. Repeals the timber depletion deduction. Title IV: Miscellaneous Provisions - Subtitle A: Foreign Income - Repeals the exclusion of foreign trade income from gross income for taxable years beginning after December 31, 1985. Repeals the domestic international sales corporations (DISC) provisions for taxable years beginning after December 31, 1985. Subtitle B: Other Miscellaneous Provisions - Requires farmers to compute their taxable income using the accrual method of accounting with the capitalization of preproduction expenses. Exempts taxpayers who do not have gross receipts of $1,000,000. Requires farming syndicates to use the accrual method of accounting without regard to gross receipts. Requires the recognition of the gain or loss on distributions of property by corporations. Eliminates the special bad debt reserves of financial institutions. Reduces the percentage by which Social Security benefits must be reduced for income earned above certain amounts. Repeals the earnings reduction test for taxable years beginning after December 31, 1989. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to modify the withholding tables to reflect the changes in the tax base made by this Act. Title V: Effective Dates - Sets forth the effective dates of the provisions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 1985
Designates May 25, 1985, as Missing Children Day.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1985
Telecommunications Trade Act of 1985 - Title I: Actions to Achieve Competitive Opportunities - Directs the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), within six months of enactment of this Act, to: (1) identify and analyze all acts, policies, and practices in the markets of foreign countries that deny to U.S. telecommunications firms competitive opportunities that are substantially equivalent to the competitive opportunities available to foreign companies in U.S. markets; and (2) determine which of such acts, policies, or practices denies trade agreement benefits to the United States, is unjustifiable and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce, or otherwise has the effect of nullifying or impairing any benefit to the United States under any agreement or impeding attainment of any objective of any agreement to which the United States is a party. Sets forth factors to be considered in making such analysis and determination. Authorizes the USTR to exclude a country from investigation if the USTR determines that the potential market in such country for U.S. telecommunications products and services is not substantial. Requires the USTR to report to the Congress within six months of enactment of this Act on such analysis and determinations. Directs the President to begin negotiations with those countries which deny U.S. telecommunications firms substantially equivalent competitive opportunities to enter into trade agreements which provide such opportunities to U.S. telecommunications firms. Sets forth the objectives of the negotiations. Directs the President, if unable to enter into such an agreement which achieves such objectives, to take, within two years of enactment of this Act, whatever actions within certain limits are necessary to achieve such objectives. Directs the President to take those actions which most directly affect trade in telecommunications products and services with the country concerned. Sets forth the actions the President is authorized to take in such circumstances. Directs the USTR, if a country does engage in unfair trade practices, to take whatever actions within certain limits are necessary to fully offset such acts, policies, and practices, and to restore the balance of concessions between the United States and such foreign country. Requires the USTR to review annually the extent to which a foreign country's policies meet the negotiating objectives achieved by trade agreements. Directs the USTR to take specified actions if the foreign country is not in compliance with such trade agreement or has adopted an unfair trade act, policy, or practice. Sets forth the actions the USTR is authorized to take. Directs the President and the USTR to consult with the Secretary of Commerce, the Federal Communications Commission, and a specified interagency trade organization to determine appropriate actions against foreign countries. Directs the USTR to provide the opportunity for presentations of views by interested parties for purposes of identifying the objectives of trade negotiations and determining appropriate actions against foreign countries. Directs the President to keep the Congress informed of: (1) the negotiating priorities and objectives for each country involved; (2) the assessment of negotiating prospects; and (3) any U.S. concessions which might be included in negotiations to achieve such objectives. Title II: Trade Agreement Authority - Authorizes the President, during the three years following enactment of this Act, to enter into trade agreements which meet specified objectives with foreign countries which provide for: (1) the harmonization, reduction, or elimination of duties or restrictions, barriers, or other distortions to international trade; or (2) the prohibition of or limitations on the imposition of duties or restrictions, barriers, or other distortions to international trade. Authorizes the President to enter into trade agreements with a foreign country to grant concessions as compensation in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions if: (1) the President has taken action because no trade agreement could be reached under this Act; and (2) the USTR is not required to take action against such country under this Act. Title III: Miscellaneous Provisions - Authorizes importing a product that is subject to registration or approval by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) only if: (1) such product conforms with all applicable FCC regulations; and (2) the information which is required on a specified FCC form is provided to the appropriate customs officer at the time of entry into the United States. Directs the FCC, the Secretary of Commerce, and the USTR to provide enforcement assistance to the Secretary of the Treasury upon request. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to provide the Congress with information on such imports at least twice a year. Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to include within the definition of service sector access authorization any authorization that permits a foreign supplier of goods related to a service access to the U.S. market. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to report to the Congress at least once every two years on the impact of U.S. domestic policies and practices on the growth and international competitiveness of the U.S. telecommunications industry.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1985
Amends the Tariff Schedules of the United States to add Afghanistan to the list of communist countries the imports from which are subject to the column two rate of duty. Prohibits granting nondiscriminatory (most-favored-nation) treatment to the products of Afghanistan. Prohibits entering into a commercial agreement with Afghanistan pursuant to the Trade Act of 1974. Prohibits Afghanistan from participating in any program under which the United States extends credit, credit guarantees, or investment guarantees.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 1985
Authorizes the President to call a White House Conference on Library and Information Services, to be held not later than 1989, to develop recommendations for improvement of such services and their public use. Requires that the Conference be planned and conducted by the National Commission on Libraries and Information Sciences. Authorizes the Librarian of Congress, the Director of the National Library of Medicine, and the Director of the National Agricultural Library, upon request, to detail personnel to the Commission. Requires the Conference to submit a final report to the President within 120 days following its close. Directs that the final report be made public, and within 90 days after receipt by the President, transmitted to the Congress with recommendations. Establishes an advisory committee to assist in planning and conducting the Conference. Includes among its appointed members the Secretary of Education and the Librarian of Congress. Authorizes appropriations as necessary.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 1985
American Footwear Industry Recovery Act of 1985 - Limits the imports of nonrubber footwear into the United States to 450,000,000 pairs per 12-month period for eight years. Directs the Secretary of Commerce (the Secretary) to allocate the import limitations among foreign countries, taking into consideration: (1) average levels of imports for the period 1978 through 1982; (2) findings of unfair trade practices with respect to nonrubber footwear products; (3) recent market trends; and (4) such other considerations as the Secretary deems appropriate. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of the Treasury to take all necessary actions to enforce this Act. Authorizes the Secretaries to issue such implementing regulations as necessary to effect the purposes of this Act and to enforce its provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 1985
Designates the month of May 1985 as Very Special Arts U.S.A. Month.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 1985
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the administration should comply with the automatic appropriation and earmarking provisions of the Wallop/Breaux Sport Fish Restoration Trust Fund and support adequate appropriation for the Boating Safety Account in such Fund. States that funds owed to the States from such Fund should not be withheld or delayed.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 1985
Great Lakes Management Act of 1985 - Establishes within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the Great Lakes National Program Office (Program Office), to be headed by a Director. Lists as responsibilities of the Program Office, the following: (1) developing the long-term, comprehensive environmental, resource, and economic data bases required for assessing the impact of proposed decisions on the environmental health, productivity, and economic well-being of the Great Lakes; (2) conducting an inventory of all State, Federal, tribal, and international agencies with management responsibility for the Great Lakes system, and updating such information biennially; (3) identifying priority management needs to protect and rehabilitate the Great Lakes and their resources and developing management plans where needed; (4) developing a five-year plan and program for reducing the input of nutrients into the Great Lakes; (5) carrying out a five-year study and demonstration projects relating to the control and removal of toxic pollutants in the Great Lakes; (6) identifying lead agencies with primary responsibilities for each specific issue relating to the Great Lakes; (7) developing an annual report on the status of the Great Lakes; (8) promoting the adoption and execution of the management and rehabilitation plans; (9) serving as the source of issues which the Federal Government refers to the International Joint Commission for study; and (10) hosting a meeting (at least annually) for officials of the Federal, State, and tribal agencies involved with the Great Lakes. Requires the Administrator of EPA, in the agency's annual budget submission to the Congress,to include a funding request for the Program Office as a separate budget line item. Requires the Program Office to be located in a Great Lakes State. Establishes within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration the Great Lakes Research Office (Research Office), to be headed by a Director. Lists as responsibilities of the Research Office the following: (1) annually identifying Federal, State, and tribal research programs relating to the Great Lakes system; (2) establishing a Great Lakes research exchange; (3) identifying priority Great Lakes research needs; (4) conducting research and monitoring activities which address priority issues and current needs of the Great Lakes; and (5) cooperating with EPA in monitoring the water quality of the Great Lakes. Provides for the coordination of certain activities between the Program Office and the Research Office. Allows the Administrator of EPA to provide financial assistance in the form of grants or contracts for research, monitoring, and planning projects and activities necessary to address Great Lakes priorities. Allows any person, institution of higher education, or instrumentality of the Federal, State, or local government, or any tribe to apply for such assistance. Requires the Administrator to act upon each grant or contract application within six months of its receipt. Permits the grants to cover, in the discretion of the Administrator, up to 100 percent of the total project costs. Directs the head of each department or agency of the Federal Government which is in any way connected with the enhancement of the Great Lakes to: (1) cooperate with the Administrators of EPA and NOAA; (2) make available such personnel, services, or facilities as may be necessary to achieve the purposes of this Act; and (3) furnish, upon written request, such data or information deemed necessary to fulfill such purposes. Directs the Chief of Engineers of the Army, the Chief of the Soil Conservation Service, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Administrator of NOAA to submit annual reports to the Administrator of EPA regarding their efforts to comply with the Water Quality Agreement of 1972. States that this Act does not affect the jurisdiction or powers of any Federal or State department or agency or of any tribe or international body created by treaty with authority relating to the Great Lakes. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1990.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 1985
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 seller engaged in farming operations shall take free of any seller-created security interest even though the interest is perfected and the buyer knows of its existence, unless within 12 months before the sale the buyer: (1) received notice of the security interest and of any payment obligations imposed by the secured party as conditions for waiver or release of the security interest; and (2) has failed to perform such obligations. Sets forth parallel provisions for commission merchants or selling agents.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 1985
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish an applicable test rate of nine percent for determining whether there is imputed interest in the case of seller-financed property. Permits a lower test interest rate of 80 percent of the Federal Treasury rate where such rates are lower than the nine percent test rate. Provides for a blended test rate for instances where the loan amount exceeds $4,000,000. Authorizes the imputation of interest in seller-financed property sales of $4,000,000 or less of ten percent or 110 percent of the Federal Treasury rates, whichever is less, where the test interest rates have not been met. Allows for a blended imputed interest rate where the debt amount exceeds $4,000,000. Requires that all loan amounts from a single transaction or series of related transactions be aggregated for purposes of determining the loan amount. Provides that the imputed interest rules will not apply to assumptions of loans unless the terms and conditions of such debt obligations are modified in connection with the assumption. Repeals the provisions of the Code limiting the amount of interest expense a purchaser of personal use property may deduct for tax purposes. Excepts debt instruments arising from the sale or exchange of a residence from the imputed interest provisions where the obligor of the instrument uses the property as his residence. Provides that the imputed interest rules shall not apply in the case of sales or exchanges of property where the borrowed amount does not exceed $4,000,000. Requires the interest on the obligation issued in connection with such sales or exchanges to be taken into account by both the buyer and the seller on the cash receipts and disbursement method of accounting unless both buyer and seller agree to use the accrual receipts and disbursement method of accounting.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 1985
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Export-Import Bank of the United States shall continue to provide preliminary and advance commitments for loans which may require approval on or after October 1, 1985, unless and until the Congress directs the Bank to alter its programs.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1985
Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to extend the authorization of appropriations for five years, through FY 1990.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1985
Agricultural Trade Amendment Act of 1985 - Amends the Commodity Credit Corporation Act to provide that agricultural exports, except for those under the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (P.L. 480), shall not be subject to cargo preference requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1985
Designates the week beginning September 8, 1985, as National Osteopathic Medicine Week.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 1985
Textile and Apparel Trade Enforcement Act of 1985 - Limits the total quantity of 1985 imports of textiles and textile products from a major exporting country to the lesser of an amount equal to 101 percent: (1) of the total quantity of textile products imported from such country if the total had increased by six percent annually during 1981 through 1984; or (2) if the United States has an agreement with such country providing for an annual growth rate of less than six percent, of the total quantity of such products from such country imported during 1984. Limits the total quantity of 1985 imports of textiles and textile products from an exporting country to an amount equal to the total quantity of such products imported from such country during 1984 plus: (1) 15 percent of such quantity in the case of a category that is not an import sensitive category; or (2) one percent in the case of an import sensitive category. Provides for changing the classification of a country, except for a Caribbean country, from an exporting country to a major exporting country if the total textile imports from such country equals or exceeds one and one-quarter percent of all textiles imported into the United States. Sets forth a formula for adjusting the growth of textile imports annually. Sets forth certain minimum quantities of textile imports that all countries shall be allowed to export to the United States. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to enforce this Act. Directs the Secretary, within six months of enactment of this Act, to establish an import licensing system under which an importer of textiles will be required to present an import permit as a condition of entry of such textiles. Directs the President to report to the Congress annually on the administration of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1985
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to permit individuals to engage in industrial homework (including sewing, knitting, jewelry, or craftmaking) or perform any service in or about their place of residence as employees of any employer covered by such Act if the employer complies with minimum wage and maximum hours requirements under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1985
Recognizes the achievements of the University of Arizona in honor of its centennial observance.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1985
Fragile Lands Conservation Act of 1985 - Makes a person who produces an agricultural commodity on highly erodible land ineligible for five years (with respect to all commodities) for agricultural price supports, storage facility loans, crop insurance, disaster payments, and other Farmers Home Administration loans. Provides exceptions for: (1) crops produced using approved conservation methods; and (2) certain previously cultivated land (1980 through 1985). Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to complete specified soil capability class surveys.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1985
Expresses the sense of the Senate that countervailing duties ought to be imposed on Canadian pork imports until Canada stops subsidizing pork production.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1985
Designates the week of September 15 through September 21, 1985, as National Independent Free Papers Week.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1985
United States Scholarship Program for Developing Countries Act - Directs the President, acting through the U.S. Information Agency (USIA), to provide an undergraduate scholarship program for citizens and nationals of developing countries to study at U.S. institutions of higher education. Requires that half of each payment to a student shall be in the form of a loan with repayment to be forgiven upon the student's prompt return to his or her country of origin for a period of no less than the number of years spent studying in the United States plus one. Sets forth guidelines for implementing the program. Directs the President, before allocating any funds, to consult with U.S. educational institutions, educational exchange organizations, U.S. missions, and the governments of participating countries on how to implement the guidelines. Authorizes the President to enter into agreements with foreign governments to further the scholarship program. Urges the Administrator of the agency primarily responsible for administering development assistance programs, in implementing such programs, to increase assistance for undergraduate scholarships for students of limited financial means from developing countries to study in the United States. Urges the Director of the USIA to expand opportunities for students from developing countries to receive financial aid for postgraduate study at U.S. institutions of higher education. Urges the President to take steps to expand the opportunities for Americans from all economic classes to study in developing countries. Authorizes the President to establish counseling and orientation services: (1) abroad to prepare foreign students for study in the United States; and (2) at U.S. schools to help them while they are in the United States. Directs the Board of Foreign Scholarships to advise and assist the President in the discharge of programs authorized by this Act. Requires the public and private sectors in the United States to be encouraged to contribute to the costs of the programs financed under this Act. Directs the President to engage the public and private sectors of developing countries in programs to maximize the use of program participants upon their return to their own countries. Authorizes the President to publicize the scholarship program abroad. Directs the President to encourage U.S. schools attended by students receiving scholarships under this Act to provide opportunities for U.S. students to develop their knowledge of the foreign students' cultures. Authorizes the President to provide English instruction abroad when necessary. Requires the President to report annually to the Congress on the activities taken pursuant to this Act. Requires the undergraduate scholarship program financed by the USIA for students from Central America for FY 1986 and 1987 to be conducted in accordance with this Act. Provides for funding to carry out other scholarship programs under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1985
Proclaims March 20, 1985, as National Agriculture Day.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1985
Designates November 21, 1985, as William Beaumont Day.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1985
Directs that proceedings in the Senate Chamber be broadcast by radio and television: (1) continuously when the Senate is in session (except when a closed door meeting is ordered); and (2) subject to certain provisions of the Standing Rules of the Senate pertaining to the Senate gallery. Requires that broadcasts be supervised and operated by the Senate and made available on a live basis and free of charge to specified entities. Requires the television broadcasts to follow the Presiding Officer and Senators who are recognized to speak. Directs the Architect of the Capitol to provide for the construction and acquisition of broadcasting facilities and equipment. Sets forth duties of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate with respect to the operation and maintenance of such equipment and the disposition of audio and video tape recordings. Directs the Librarian of Congress and the Archivist of the United States to receive, store, and make such recordings available to the public at no cost for viewing or listening on the premises. Authorizes the charging of a fee equal to the cost involved through distribution of taped copies. Provides for a test period of Senate broadcasting equipment. Prohibits the use of tape duplications of broadcast coverage for political or commercial purposes. Requires that changes in regulations made by this resolution be made only by Senate resolution. Authorizes expenditures, limited to a specified amount, to carry out this resolution.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 1985
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the administration should perform specified actions with regard to emergency agricultural credit.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 1985
Designates the week of March 31 to April 6, 1985, as National Weather Satellite Week.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 1985
Grants a Federal charter to the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.