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United States · Official source
6,479 records where Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 1990
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should immediately call for a 1991 White House Conference on Aging and begin planning and implementing such a conference without delay.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1990
Ozone Protection Funding Act of 1990 - Authorizes appropriations to the Department of State to assist developing nations in complying with the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1990
Designates June 3 through June 9, 1990, as National World War II Observance Week.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1990
Designates the week of November 11 through November 17, 1990, as Geography Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 1990
Designates October 7 through October 13, 1990, as National Aviation Education Week.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1990
Independence for Older Americans Act - Title I: Task Force on Independence for Older Americans - Establishes a Task Force on Independence for Older Americans in the Department of Health and Human Services to: (1) coordinate Federal research on conditions and diseases leading to dependence among the elderly; (2) establish mechanisms for the use of research results in improving the quality of life for older Americans; and (3) review and evaluate public and private spending on such research. Authorizes appropriations for such Task Force. Title II: Geriatric Research and Training Centers - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute on Aging to enter into cooperative agreements with, and make grants to, public and private nonprofit entities for the development of at least 15 Claude D. Pepper Comprehensive Independence Centers for geriatric research and training of researchers and for the demonstration and dissemination of the applications of such research. Authorizes appropriations for such centers. Title III: Availability of Information to Health Professionals, Older Americans, and the General Public - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to prepare a comprehensive plan for a National Independence for Older Americans Information Program. Provides for the establishment of an information clearinghouse, a toll-free telephone communications system, and public information campaigns concerning the maintenance and improvement of the health and independence of older Americans. Authorizes appropriations to carry out this title. Title IV: Prevention of and Recovery from Chronic Illness - Requires the National Institute on Aging to support research, and report to the Congress, on the most effective: (1) techniques of geriatric assessment; (2) method of targeting comprehensive geriatric assessment to appropriate populations of older persons to determine their health care needs; and (3) means of providing for such needs to maximize health and independence. Directs the Secretary to develop: (1) model techniques to aid in the prevention and rehabilitation of older persons from frailty and other mobility problems; and (2) model curricula for the health professions for training in the use of such techniques. Authorizes the National Institute on Aging to establish up to five demonstration programs at Comprehensive Independence Research Training and Demonstration Centers to prevent the loss of mobility and to help frail older persons regain independence, using existing and experimental techniques. Directs the Secretary to conduct research on the extent to which falls are associated with the loss of an individual's confidence in functioning independently and his or her need for long-term care. Requires the Secretary to develop and report to the Congress on the development of: (1) model techniques to aid in the recovery and rehabilitation of older persons from chronic and debilitating illness; and (2) model curricula for the health professions for training in the use of such techniques. Authorizes appropriations to carry out this title. Title V: Research on Health, Retirement, and Independence - Directs the Secretary to: (1) commence a ten-year health and retirement history survey and; (2) establish an advisory panel on data collection to review existing government surveys and census data to coordinate information on the health and retirement status of older Americans. Requires the National Center for Health Statistics to: (1) include persons age 75 and over in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; (2) develop questions related to health promotion and disease prevention for older persons for inclusion in the National Health Interview Survey and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; and (3) develop questions related to the health promotion and disease prevention practices of health care providers with special relevance to older persons for inclusion in the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Directs the National Institute on Aging to request proposals from individual and team investigators on behavioral, social, and environmental mechanisms for promoting the health and independence of older Americans. Authorizes appropriations for carrying out this title. Title VI: Authorization of Appropriations for NIH - Authorizes FY 1991 appropriations to be added to the National Institute on Aging and other institutes in proportion to their current spending levels on aging research.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1990
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the Government of Israel should reopen universities in the West Bank and Gaza; and (2) these institutions should remain open, not be closed for political purposes, and be respected as centers of education.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1990
Money Laundering Enforcement Act of 1990 - Amends Federal law regarding monetary transactions to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe regulations under which a depository institution must identify its nonbank financial institution customers to the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to share such information with State supervisory agencies. Authorizes the Secretary to impose civil penalties for non-compliance with such disclosure requirements. Amends the Federal criminal code to impose penalties for money transmitting businesses operating in violation of State law. Directs the Secretary to promulgate procedures designed to insure that domestic financial institutions guard against money laundering. Prohibits a financial institution or its personnel from disclosing the existence of a geographic targeting order (subjecting financial institutions in a certain area to special reporting requirements for lower dollar thresholds for a limited time). Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to direct the Secretary to prescribe final record-keeping regulations for international monetary transactions made by money transmitting and check cashing businesses and businesses that issue and redeem money orders and travelers checks. Amends the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 to extend the period during which: (1) Federal law enforcement agencies may continue receiving information reported to the Internal Revenue Service regarding cash transactions of $10,000 or more; and (2) the IRS may use the income generated by an undercover business operation to cover the expenses of such business. Amends the Right to Financial Privacy Act (RFPA) to authorize an agency to transfer financial records to another agency without notice to the customer if the records are within the recipient agency's jurisdiction and relevant for law enforcement purposes. Declares that the RFPA does not apply to financial records transferred by a financial institution to the Secretary for possible violations of the Bank Secrecy Act. Exempts such institutions from civil liability under State law for disclosures made in good faith suspicion of customer violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 1990
Lead Exposure Reduction Act of 1990 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit the manufacturing, processing, or distribution in commerce of certain products containing more than a specified percentage of lead. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to modify the allowable lead percentage for such products under certain conditions. Prohibits the manufacture, import, or distribution in commerce of food cans containing more than .1 percent lead by dry weight. Prohibits the sale of leaded gasoline at a price lower than that of unleaded gasoline sold at the same establishment. Directs persons manufacturing, processing, or importing any product containing more than .1 percent lead by dry weight to submit specified information to the Administrator. Requires the Administrator to publish a compilation of such information. Directs owners and operators of primary and secondary lead smelters or refiners and of battery manufacturing facilities to report to the Administrator on lead emissions from their facilities. Requires such facilities to be equipped with emissions monitoring devices meeting the Administrator's requirements. Directs manufacturers or importers of products containing more than .1 percent lead by dry weight to indicate the percentage of lead on such products' labels. Provides for interim labeling requirements until the Administrator promulgates labeling regulations. Prohibits the processing or manufacturing of products with lead contents exceeding .1 percent unless the product is listed in the Administrator's compilation of information or: (1) the manufacturer or processor has submitted a specified notice to the Administrator prior to such manufacturing or processing; (2) such person complies with certain test data requirements; and (3) the Administrator has determined that the product is not likely to contribute to the dispersion of lead in the environment and no comparable product is available in commerce. Prohibits: (1) the placement into landfills and incineration of lead-acid batteries; and (2) the disposal of such batteries other than by recycling in accordance with this Act. Requires persons to dispose of batteries by delivery to: (1) battery retailers or wholesalers; (2) permitted secondary lead smelters; or (3) permitted collection or recycling facilities. Sets forth specified delivery and disposal requirements for battery retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. Directs battery retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers to accept from customers used batteries of the same type as the batteries sold. Requires battery wholesalers who sell to retailers to provide for removal of batteries from the retailers' place of business. Directs battery retailers to post notices in public areas of retail establishments that: (1) state that it is illegal to throw away motor vehicle or lead-acid batteries and that Federal law requires an exchange of used batteries for new batteries; and (2) encourage recycling of used batteries. Prohibits the sale of any lead-acid battery unless the battery bears a label containing such language. Permits the Administrator to inspect any establishment and to issue warnings and citations for noncompliance. Prescribes civil and criminal penalties for violations of lead-acid battery provisions. Directs the Administrator to undertake a program to promote monitoring, detection, and abatement of lead-based paint and other lead exposure hazards. Requires the Administrator to establish: (1) standards for laboratory analysis of lead in blood and in paint films, soil, and dust; and (2) certification programs to assure the quality and consistency of such analyses, unless voluntary accreditation programs are operating nationwide. Requires the Administrator to develop minimum core curricula for technical training courses for lead-based paint abatement workers, supervisors, designers, inspectors, and building owners. Provides that such courses shall address factors associated with lead testing and abatement in various types of housing units. Directs the Administrator to evaluate such programs and to encourage State certification programs or the development of national proficiency tests. Requires the Administrator to evaluate and develop standards and testing protocols for emerging products and techniques for detecting lead in paint films and dust. Directs the Administrator to report to the Congress on the efficacy and effectiveness of various abatement and management techniques in reducing lead dust levels. Requires the Administrator to establish a program and develop standards for the evaluation of products and procedures for encapsulating or removing lead-based paint. Directs the Administrator to publish a list of products and procedures that meet performance standards. Requires the Administrator to issue guidelines for the management of lead-based paint debris. Prohibits the funding of travel of EPA employees outside the United States unless such guidelines are issued. Requires the Administrator to undertake a research project on lead exposure in children who have elevated blood lead levels or other indicators of elevated lead body burden. Requires the Administrator to sponsor public education and outreach activities to increase awareness of the scope and severity of lead poisoning from household sources and the need for abatement and management action. Directs the Administrator to issue guidelines concerning the levels for lead in soil at which appropriate action must be taken. Directs the Administrator to appoint a Coordinator for Lead Activities. Requires the Administrator to award grants to institutions of higher education for purposes of establishing Centers for the Prevention of Lead Poisoning. Limits the Federal share of Center operation costs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, to: (1) encourage State public health officials to report blood-lead measurements to the Director; and (2) report to the Congress on the status of such reporting and the feasibility and desirability of instituting a national requirement for mandatory pre-school blood-lead screening. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary, acting through the Director, to establish a blood-lead laboratory reference project to assist State and local governments in establishing and improving the quality of laboratory measurements performed for childhood lead poisoning prevention programs. Amends the Clean Air Act to set forth a specific revised national ambient air quality standard for lead if the Administrator fails to promulgate such standard. Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to set forth a specific revised national primary drinking water regulation for lead and require quarterly monitoring of lead at end users' taps if the Administrator fails to promulgate such regulation. Requires the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to update a report submitted pursuant to the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 to include information on childhood lead poisoning. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 1990
Police Protection Act of 1990 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to direct the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to promulgate regulations to establish mandatory Federal standards and test protocols for body armor in consultation with Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies, law enforcement organizations and associations, and representatives of major manufacturers of body armor to ensure that law enforcement officers are protected by effective body armor. Establishes NIJ Ballistic Resistance of Police Body Armor standard number 0101.03 as the interim standard for the manufacture, sale, or distribution in commerce of body armor until the Federal standards are established. Requires manufacturers of body armor subject to the Federal standards to: (1) submit representative samples of body armor on a periodic basis to NIJ to be tested for compliance with the Federal standards; and (2) affix labels to body armor manufactured in compliance with such standards. Establishes criminal and civil penalties for manufacturing, offering for sale, or distributing in commerce any body armor not complying with the interim standard or mandatory Federal standards. Directs the General Accounting Office to complete a study of all body armor standards and test protocols for body armor for submission to NIJ and the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 1990
Medigap Simplification Act of 1990 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require that Medicare supplemental policy issuers: (1) cover a core group of basic benefits and, if they offer other benefits, issue a policy covering only such basic benefits; and (2) provide prospective purchasers of a policy with a summary information sheet describing policy benefits and the amount of any premiums attributable to optional benefits. Requires the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) or, upon the NAIC's default, the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate simplification standards which set the core group of basic benefits policies must provide, limit the additional benefit packages that may be provided, and establish a uniform language and format to be used with respect to policy benefits. Prohibits the sale of policies which do not meet such standards, though permits approved waivers of such standards to test new or innovative benefits. Directs the NAIC to educate Medicare beneficiaries on the simplification standards. Prohibits a policy issuer from selling a policy without: (1) obtaining a written statement of the buyer indicating any Medicare supplemental policies or Medicaid (title XIX of the Social Security Act) coverage the buyer may have; and (2) notifying the buyer of the possibility and effect of his or her coverage under the Medicaid program and the address and telephone number of any State Medicare supplemental policy counseling program and the State Medicaid office. Prohibits the issuer from selling a policy to a person who indicates that he or she is eligible for Medicaid coverage which would duplicate coverage under such policy. Penalizes individuals who sell a policy in violation of such requirements. Directs the Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration to conduct a study and report to the Congress on the use of Medicare supplemental policies by individuals who are entitled to Medicaid benefits. Authorizes appropriations for a grant program to assist States in establishing toll-free consumer hotlines providing information on Medicare supplemental policies issued in States and Medicare and Medicaid benefits available to Medicare-eligible individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 1990
Designates the week of October 14 through October 20, 1990, as National Radon Action Week.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 1990
Designates the second Sunday in October 1990 as National Children's Day.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1990
Conveys the appreciation, affection, and respect of the Congress to Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy on the occasion of her 100th birthday, July 22, 1990. Authorizes and requests the President to designate such day as Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Family Appreciation Day.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1990
Extends the congratulations of the Congress to the National Federation of the Blind on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, November 16, 1990, and notes with appreciation the significant contributions made by it in improving the quality of life, the public image, and increasing public understanding of the blind.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 1990
Medicare Bone Mass Measurement Coverage Act of 1990 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare coverage of bone mass measurements.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1990
Authorizes the Secretary of Education to provide financial assistance to the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars for construction and related costs of a student residence and classroom building in Washington, D.C. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1991 through 1993.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1990
Osteoporosis and Related Bone Disorders Research, Education, and Health Services Act of 1990 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMSD) and the Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to expand and intensify research on osteoporosis and related bone disorders. Requires, with respect to osteoporosis and related bone disorders: (1) the NIAMSD Director to increase the number of Specialized Centers of Research; and (2) the NIA Director to increase the number of program project grants devoted to creating centers of excellence. Authorizes appropriations. Establishes in the Department of Health and Human Services the Interagency Council on Osteoporosis and Related Disorders and the Advisory Panel on Osteoporosis and Related Disorders. Authorizes appropriations for the Advisory Panel. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make up to three grants to establish model health promotion projects for community-based education on osteoporosis, with each project targeting one of these groups: young and teenage girls, midlife women, and older men and women. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the NIAMSD Director to make grants or enter into contracts to establish a Resource Center on Osteoporosis and Related Disorders to: (1) disseminate information about research results, services, and educational materials to health professionals, patients, and the public; and (2) coordinate leadership training for the development of health professional resource networks. Requires grant and contract recipients to establish: (1) a central computerized information system to, among other matters, translate scientific and technical information into information readily understandable by the general public; and (2) a national toll-free telephone information line. Requires the grant or contract recipient to charge fees for providing information, but allows exceptions for individuals and organizations unable to pay. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1990
Designates the week of November 12 through 18, 1990, as National Critical Care Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 1990
Pharmaceutical Access and Prudent Purchasing Act of 1990 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require States which provide Medicaid coverage of prescribed drugs to pay pharmacists the lesser of the actual charge for the drug or the 90th percentile of actual charges for the drug in the State. Permits a State, either individually or in cooperation with other States, to establish a program for negotiating Medicaid prescription drug price reductions with drug manufacturers which may include the creation of a list of drugs preferred for their cost-effectiveness over other therapeutically equivalent drugs and sold at a reduced price as a result of such negotiations. Limits Medicaid coverage of prescribed drugs that have one or more therapeutic alternates to preferred drugs and non-preferred drugs which the prescriber determines to be medically necessary. Directs States to establish a drug utilization review program addressing the safety and proper use of prescription drugs. Provides Federal funding for 75 percent of drug utilization review program costs from 1991 through 1993. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and distribute: (1) a standard claim form and a standard electronic claim format to be used in requesting Medicaid payment for outpatient drugs; and (2) a standard reporting format for States to use in reporting expenditures, results of drug utilization review activities, and other information concerning activities under this Act deemed necessary by the Secretary. Provides Federal funding for 75 percent of State costs in adopting, and converting to the use of, such forms during 1991 and 1992. Directs the Secretary to evaluate: (1) the potential for uniting drug price negotiations carried out by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs with negotiations by the Federal prescription drug negotiating group to be established pursuant to this Act; (2) the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of point-of-service electronic claim management and prospective drug utilization review systems involving pharmacists; and (3) the impact on quality of care and cost-effectiveness of paying pharmacists for drug utilization review services. Requires the Secretary to negotiate with drug manufacturers who require purchasers to pay for their associated services for waiver of the application of such requirement to nursing homes, federally funded hospitals and appropriately selected outpatient pharmacies which purchase their drugs. Directs the Comptroller General to evaluate States' drug price negotiating and drug utilization review programs. Requires the Secretary to establish a National Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee composed of medical and scientific professionals who shall continuously review and evaluate the relative safety, efficacy, and comparability of Medicaid outpatient drugs so as to determine those drugs which have therapeutic alternates and may be designated as preferred drugs via the drug price negotiating process. Requires States which provide Medicaid coverage of prescribed drugs but have not achieved substantial drug price reductions through a negotiating program by 1993 to participate in a State or Federal prescription drug negotiating group by June 30, 1993. Directs the Secretary to establish such Federal group within one year after this Act's enactment. Excludes drugs for which there are no therapeutic alternates from drug price negotiations. Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress by 1995 on the performance of drug price negotiating groups.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 1990
Amends the International Claims Settlement Act of 1949 to provide for the vesting in such officer or agency as the President may designate of a portion of Vietnamese property (other than property of private persons) in which transactions were prohibited as of April 30, 1975, under specified regulations. Requires the property vested to be a portion of property which, when liquidated, will render: (1) an amount necessary to pay all certified awards made by the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States for claims against Vietnam; and (2) an amount equal to five percent of the total of such certified awards to pay the costs of the Commission and the Department of the Treasury. Directs the designee of the President to liquidate the vested property as expeditiously as possible. Requires the proceeds from such liquidation to be covered into the Claims Fund established for Vietnamese claims. Requires the United States, upon full payment of such certified awards, to succeed to all of the rights against Vietnam which form the basis of such awards. Prohibits rights from being asserted against Vietnam unless the U.S. Government accords Vietnam full credit for the property vested under this Act. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to require the recipients of such awards to release to the U.S. Government all claims against the U.S. Government or Vietnam arising from the expropriations that are the basis of such awards. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of State, in developing the U.S. position for balancing of claims in future negotiations with Vietnam, should give full credit to Vietnam upon the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States for the property vested under the provisions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 1990
Condemns the recent violence against unarmed civilians in Nimba County, Liberia. Calls upon all parties to the conflict to comply with provisions of the Geneva Convention which establish the right of noncombatants to humane treatment. Urges the President to: (1) convey to the Government of Liberia U.S. concerns about human rights abuses in Liberia since 1980; (2) urge such Government to quickly resolve the conflict in a manner which permits Liberian refugees to return to their homes; (3) support efforts to meet humanitarian needs of such refugees in neighboring countries; (4) bar U.S. military advisors from accompanying Liberian troops in fighting the insurgency in Nimba County; and (5) consider recent events in such County in making the assessment to human rights required under the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1990. Sets forth conditions for resumption of military assistance to Liberia in the event that the suspension of foreign assistance is no longer required under provisions restricting assistance to countries in default on foreign assistance loans. Calls on the Liberian Government to honor its commitment to hold scheduled elections in 1991 and to ensure a free and fair election process.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 1990
Homelessness Prevention and Community Revitalization Act of 1990 - Title I: Family Support Centers - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to eligible agencies (as defined in this Act) for comprehensive supportive services for low-income families, especially very low-income families living in subsidized housing who were previously homeless or who are at risk of becoming homeless. Requires a participating agency to: (1) establish at least one primary location family support center; and (2) employ family case managers. Authorizes planning grants. Title II: Provision of Services to Elderly Individuals and Individuals With Chronic and Debilitating Illnesses and Conditions - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary to make grants to eligible agencies for health and related services for low-income elderly or low-income seriously ill persons, especially very low-income elderly or seriously ill persons who were homeless or who are at risk of becoming homeless or institutionalized. Requires a participating agency to establish at least one primary location home health service program. Authorizes planning grants. Title III: Mental Health Services Grants for Group Homes for Homeless Individuals - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary to make grants to eligible agencies for housing based services to previously homeless low-income mentally ill persons who will reside in a group home. Requires a participating agency to establish a primary location mental health services program. Authorizes planning grants. Provides with regard to grants under titles I, II, and III of this Act for: (1) 80 percent Federal funding; (2) maximum grants of $50,000 per agency; (3) obligated amounts for staff training; and (4) FY 1991 through 1995 appropriations. Title IV: Community Development Corporation Improvement Grants - Amends the Community Economic Development Act of 1981 to direct the Secretary to make grants for community development corporation: (1) business management enhancement; (2) operations; and (3) equity accounts for low-income housing development. Authorizes appropriations. Title V: Plan for Cooperation - Requires the Secretary and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to prepare and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a specified cooperation plan.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1990
Designates the month of June 1990 as National Huntington's Disease Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1990
Designates June 25, 1990, as Korean War Remembrance Day. Authorizes and requests the President to urge that the American flag be flown at half staff on such day in honor of the Americans who died as a result of their service in the Korean War.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 1990
Designates the week of November 11 through 17, 1990, as National Women Veterans Recognition Week.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 1990
Expresses the sense of the Congress that Greyhound Lines, Inc., and the Amalgamated Transit Union should negotiate to resolve their dispute promptly, under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and the Secretary of Labor.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1990
Antarctica Protection Act of 1990 - Makes it unlawful to engage in, finance, or provide assistance to, any Antarctic minerals resource activity. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of State should enter into negotiations with specified consultative parties of the Antarctica Treaty to conclude an international agreement to: (1) prohibit Antarctic mineral resource activities by all nations; (2) grant Antarctica special protective status as an International Reserve-Land of Science for wilderness protection, international cooperation, and scientific research; (3) conserve and protect Antarctica and its associated ecosystems; and (4) ensure that all scientific investigation relating to geological processes and structures is made available to the international scientific community. Expresses the sense of the Congress that any international agreement relating to Antarctica that is submitted to the Senate for ratification should be consistent with the purposes of this Act. Applies environmental impact assessment requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to Antarctica activities of Federal agencies or entities receiving Federal assistance. Prescribes civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1990
Antarctic Environmental Protection Act of 1990 - Amends the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 to require the Director of the National Science Foundation to: (1) prepare and annually update a waste management plan for wastes produced or disposed of in Antarctica by U.S. citizens; and (2) issue regulations requiring U.S. citizens engaged in activities in Antarctica to comply with specified waste disposal practices. Requires the Director to establish a long-term program for the removal of specified wastes produced or disposed of in Antarctica by U.S. citizens. Directs the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to issue regulations: (1) requiring all vessels engaged in U.S. activities in Antarctica, including tourist expeditions, to be equipped with compaction, storage, and incineration facilities (or stockpiling facilities for vessels not capable of being fitted with waste disposal facilities); and (2) prohibiting U.S. citizens from employing any vessel in Antarctica unless such vessel contains such facilities. Makes it unlawful for any individual in charge of a vessel or any U.S. citizen employing a vessel in Antarctica to: (1) intentionally discharge oil or dispose of plastic in the Antarctic marine environment; (2) dispose of dunnage, lining, or packing materials less than 25 nautical miles from the closest land or ice shelf; (3) dispose of food waste or other garbage less than 12 nautical miles from the closest land or ice shelf; or (4) discharge sewage within 12 nautical miles of the closest land or ice shelf. Prescribes civil penalties for disposal violations or for violations of waste disposal facility requirements. Makes vessels committing disposal violations or violations concerning compliance with specified international shipping conventions liable in rem for such penalties. Requires all vessels supporting U.S. activities in Antarctica to comply with specified international conventions relating to pollution prevention and ship safety. Directs the Secretary to issue regulations requiring all vessels supporting U.S. activities in Antarctica and all U.S. facilities in Antarctica where oil is stored to have contingency plans and the capability and equipment to respond, prevent, and clean up oil spills. Makes such parties liable for the removal of oil and for the restoration of any natural resources, specially-protected areas, or sites of special scientific interest. Prescribes civil penalties if such restoration is not feasible. Requires the President to direct the Secretary of State to initiate actions within the International Maritime Organization to secure designation of the waters south of 60 degrees south latitude as a special area under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 and the Protocol of 1978 Relating Thereto. Directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to develop and implement an environmental monitoring program for Antarctica. Requires regulations promulgated pursuant to the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 to include requirements for specially-protected areas. Requires the Director to issue regulations designating as a pollutant any substance which is liable, if introduced into Antarctica, to: (1) create health hazards or harm living resources; or (2) damage amenities or interfere with other legitimate uses of Antarctica. Provides for the issuance of permits to regulate the discharge of such pollutants into the Antarctic environment by U.S. citizens. Applies the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to all Federal activities in Antarctica. Requires the Secretary of State, before submitting the Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities to the Senate for ratification, to prepare an environmental impact statement on the Convention. Sets forth provisions concerning citizen suits. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1990
Designates October 17, 1990, as National Drug-Free Schools and Communities Education and Awareness Day.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1990
Designates September 1990 as National Awareness Month for Children with Cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1990
Designates the period of October 21 through 27, 1990, as National Humanities Week.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1990
Declares that it is the sense of the Congress that the United States should: (1) promote maximum conservation and protection of the world's whales; (2) work to continue the International Whaling Commission moratorium on the commercial killing of whales and maintain zero catch limits for all whale stocks for at least another decade; (3) work to strengthen the Commission and encourage it to carry out long-term, nonlethal research for all whale stocks on a global basis; and (4) in promoting protection, make use of diplomatic channels, domestic and international law, and all other means.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1990
Congressional Commitment to Long-Term Care Concurrent Resolution - Expresses the sense of the Congress that payments to long-term care providers under titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act be sufficient to maintain the highest quality of patient care in nursing homes.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1990
International Child Protection and Recovery Act of 1990 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit the U.S. entry of an alien spouse or former spouse who withholds outside the United States a child having claim to U.S. citizenship from the U.S. citizen father or mother.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1990
Designates October 1990 as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1990
Designates October 1, 1990, to October 1, 1991, as Year of the Wetlands.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1990
Designates September 1990 as Jewish Community Center Month.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 1990
Designates September 1990 as National Craft Month.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 1990
Prohibits the obligation of funds appropriated after this Act's enactment for procurement or military construction for the MX rail garrison missile system. Reduces current procurement and construction funds requested for such system.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 1990
Mickey Leland Memorial Domestic Hunger Relief Act - Title I: Reducing Childhood Hunger - Subtitle A: Eliminating the Excess Shelter Deduction Cap - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to revise and increase the excess shelter expense deduction for FY 1991 and 1992. Subtitle B: Adequacy of Food Stamp Benefits - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to adjust the basic benefit level upwards by specified increments at the beginning of each fiscal year from FY 1991 through 1995 until it reaches 105 percent of the cost of the thrifty food plan. Subtitle C: Protecting Households in Special Circumstances - Directs the Secretary to provide for emergency allotments to eligible households to replace food lost in a disaster. Excludes from the computation of household income any State allowance (provided at least annually) for obtaining school clothes for children in school or child care. Provides for allotment increases to cover State or local sales taxes for participants in demonstration projects. Authorizes a State, on or after April 1, 1992, and with the Secretary's approval, to implement an electronic food stamp benefit transfer system. Redefines "food" with regard to the homeless for purposes of such Act. Permits State agencies to develop standard estimates of the shelter and related expenses which homeless households may reasonably be expected to incur in order to certify such households based on reported expenses not exceeding such an estimate. Title II: Promoting Self-Sufficiency - Excludes the first $50 a month received as child support from consideration as income in determining the food stamp allotments of households also receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) benefits. Increases from $4,500 to $5,500 from January 1 through September 30, 1991, with annual cost-of-living adjustments to follow, the limit on the fair market value of vehicles that food stamp recipients may own. Directs the Secretary to conduct a sufficient number of demonstration projects to evaluate the effects of excluding from such vehicle calculation the value of: (1) any licensed vehicle used for certain income-producing, transportation, or shelter purposes; and (2) one licensed vehicle used for job-related or job-seeking purposes (including commuting), for pursuing education or training, or for securing food or food stamp benefits. Allows States to use their own agency-designed forms instead of forms approved by the Secretary. Allows four States to give priority in the provision of services to voluntary participants (including both exempt and nonexempt), so long as performance standards are maintained. Authorizes an employment and training program to contain programs designed to increase the self-sufficiency of recipients through self-employment. Excludes from the computation of household financial resources any nonliquid resources necessary to allow the household to carry out an approved plan for self-sufficiency. Increases the dependent care deduction for purposes of eligibility and benefit levels. Increases the limit for reimbursements to recipients for costs incurred in employment and training activities. Revises: (1) low-income student eligibility provisions; and (2) educational expense exclusions. Excludes from income computation housing assistance payments made to a third party on behalf of a household member residing in transitional housing for the homeless. Title III: Simplifying Program Administration - Requires parents and minor children who live together to apply for food stamps as a single household. Requires the Secretary to issue rules under which State agencies must develop standards for identifying (for exclusion as inaccessible resources) those kinds of resources the household is unlikely to sell for any significant return because its interest is so slight or the cost of selling would be so great. Provides that a food stamp office need not consider any resources that the AFDC or supplemental security income benefit programs have already determined to be exempt. Directs State agencies to require only one adult representative of a household to sign all declarations required in the application process on behalf of the household. Makes recipients of State or local general assistance programs categorically eligible for food stamps. Changes from mandatory to discretionary aggregate allotments for households applying for benefits after the 15th day of the month. Title IV: Hunger in Rural America - Requires State agencies to designate rural project areas where low-income persons face substantial difficulties in getting transportation. Requires issuance of coupons by mail in such areas, except where households experience mail losses exceeding certain levels. Title V: Promoting Access for the Elderly and Disabled - Declares that State agencies, with respect to the excess medical deduction for the elderly and the disabled, shall not require further verification of a change in medical expenses if the change has been anticipated for the verification period. Requires annual adjustments to the value of the minimum food stamp benefit. Permits State agencies to establish a procedure allowing households whose regular food stamp benefits do not exceed $20 per month to receive up to $60 worth for intervals of up to three months. Requires that any applicant for or recipient of supplemental security income benefits be informed of the availability of food stamp benefits. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) make grants in FY 1991 through 1993 for demonstration projects to improve food stamp participation among homeless persons and families, low-income working families with children, and elderly and disabled persons; and (2) conduct pilot projects in FY 1994 and 1995 to test new food stamp procedures aimed at increasing rural participation. Title VI: Program Administration by State Agencies - Prohibits the application of disallowances for erroneous issuances or similar actions to any State for a fiscal year before FY 1991. Title VII: Program Integrity - Prohibits a wholesale-retail food concern from redeeming food stamps as a retail store unless: (1) it does a substantial level of retail food business; or (2) the Secretary determines that failure to so authorize the store would cause hardship to food stamp households. Requires applicant wholesale or retail food stores or concerns to provide the social security numbers of their owners, officers, and on-site managers. Increases fines for food stamp trafficking. Disqualifies a food store or concern permanently for selling guns, explosives, or controlled substances for food stamps, except that a fine may be imposed in lieu of disqualification under specified circumstances. Authorizes fines for: (1) food stores or concerns that accept loose coupons; and (2) unauthorized third-party food stamp acceptance. Reduces the election period during which a household required to repay a food stamp overissuance must decide whether to make such repayment through cash refund or allotment reduction. Title VIII: Reauthorization of Programs - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to make food stamp program authorization of appropriations permanent. Repeals allotment reduction and limitation on value provisions. Authorizes fund allocations through FY 1995 for food stamp job training. Extends through FY 1995 food stamp pilot program authority. Reauthorizes through FY 1995: (1) the nutrition assistance program for Puerto Rico; (2) the temporary emergency food assistance program under the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983; (3) the soup kitchen and food bank programs under the Hunger Prevention Act of 1988; (4) the commodity distribution and supplemental food programs under the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973; (5) the distribution of surplus commodities to special nutrition projects under the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981; and (6) the nutrition education program under the Food Security Act of 1985. Title IX: Miscellaneous - Amends the Commodity Distribution Reform Act and WIC Amendments of 1987 to: (1) make the food bank demonstration project permanent; and (2) authorize State option contracts (with reimbursement by a State distribution agency) for commodity distribution programs. Directs the Secretary to study and report to the appropriate congressional committees on the feasibility of providing food stamp allotments to elderly and disabled residents of board and care homes. Increases the amount and variety of food available under the Indian reservation food distribution program. Authorizes nutrition education grants. Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 with regard to the special supplemental food program for women, infants, and children (WIC) to: (1) establish a specified FY 1991 authorization of appropriations; and (2) make WIC authorizations permanent. Title X: Indian Nutrition Gardening Program - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an Indian (including Native Alaskan) gardening grant program to establish gardening operations on Indian reservations. Directs the Extension Service to provide training and technical assistance. Authorizes FY 1991 through 1994 appropriations. Title XI: Effective Dates - Sets forth effective dates for provisions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 1990
Designates August 7, 1990, as National Neighborhood Crime Watch Day.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 1990
Designates November 16, 1990, as National Philanthropy Day.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 1990
Designates October 1990 as Polish-American Heritage Month.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 1990
Designates the week of July 22 to 28, 1990, as National Week of Recognition and Remembrance for Those Who Served in the Korean War. Authorizes and requests the President to urge that the American flag be flown at half staff on July 27, 1990, in honor of those Americans who died as a result of their service in Korea.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 1990
Expresses the condolences of the Senate on the death of the Honorable Spark M. Matsunaga of Hawaii.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1990
Senatorial Election Public Funding and Campaign Act of 1990 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to provide for spending limits and benefits for Senate general elections. Sets forth eligibility requirements for such benefits, including: (1) that a candidate has raised contributions totaling a specified minimum amount based on the State voting age population; (2) that such contributions have come from individuals, and that no individual has contributed more than $250; (3) that a candidate will abide by spending and other limitations of this Act; (4) that a specified percentage of contributions have come from constituents; (5) that at least one other candidate has qualified for the same general election; and (6) that a candidate apply for benefits under this Act. Provides that a contribution may not be counted unless: (1) it is made on a written instrument identifying the person making the contribution; (2) it is not made through an intermediary or conduit; (3) it is made by an individual and does not exceed the aggregate of $250; and (4) it was received after January 1 of the year preceding the election. Provides for increasing threshold amounts under this Act in accordance with increases in the price index. Limits personal expenditures during an election cycle to $20,000. Prohibits benefits to an eligible candidate who spends for the primary election more than 67 percent of the limitation on expenditures for the general election or more than $2,750,000, whichever amount is less. Prohibits payments to a candidate who spends for a runoff election more than 20 percent of the maximum amount of the limitation applicable to such candidate. Establishes spending limitations for a candidate in a State with no more than one transmitter for a commercial VHF television station. Allows a candidate to establish a fund with private contributions of up to ten percent of the general election spending limit to defray the costs of legal and accounting services provided solely to ensure compliance with this Act. Permits the candidate to petition the Federal Election Commission for a waiver of such limitation if such costs exceed the limitation. Requires, upon the termination or dissolution of such fund, that remaining amounts be contributed to the Treasury to reduce the budget deficit or transferred to a subsequent compliance fund. Increases the primary and runoff election spending limits by the amount of independent expenditures against a candidate or for his opponent during the two-year election cycle. Allows a candidate to accept private contributions in the event of a prorated payment from the Senate Account. Establishes formulae for determining entitlements of candidates of a major party and for those not of a major party. Entitles candidates to certain broadcast media rates and mailing rates. Provides for additional payments and suspension of spending limits in cases where non-participating candidates and their committees exceed spending limitations. Permits candidates who receive such additional benefits to use funds to defray expenditures in the general election. Prohibits the use of such benefits to: (1) make any payments directly or indirectly to the candidate or the candidate's immediate family; (2) make expenditures other than to further the general election; (3) make expenditures in violation of State or Federal law; or (4) repay any loan except to the extent the proceeds of such loan were used to further the general election. Requires the Federal Election Commission to certify the eligibility of candidates to the Secretary of the Treasury in order for such candidates to receive benefits. Requires the Secretary to maintain in the Presidential Election Campaign Fund the Senate Account for the deposit of funds for payments to eligible candidates. Makes candidates liable for repayment to the Account for any excess amounts they receive. Provides for prorating payments when monies in such Account are insufficient. Directs the Commission, after each general election, to audit the campaign expenses of publicly financed candidates. Establishes criminal penalties for knowing or willful violations of this Act. Subjects Commission actions under this Act to judicial review by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Directs the Commission, after each election, to report to the Senate on actions taken under this Act. Authorizes appropriations to the Commission as necessary. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the amount an individual may designate to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund from $1 to $3 (and in the case of joint returns, from $2 to $6). Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to: (1) entitle to the lowest applicable broadcast rates during specified periods preceding elections only those eligible candidates who have agreed to contribution and spending limits and who are identifiable during at least 50 percent of the candidate's political broadcast; and (2) prohibit a broadcast station licensee from preempting the use of such station by legally qualified candidates for public office during such periods. Sets forth reporting requirements for Senate candidates relating to spending limitations, candidacy eligibility, and independent expenditures. Requires each political committee active in non-Federal elections and maintaining separate accounts for such purpose to file with the Commission reports of funds received into, and disbursements made from, such accounts for activities which may influence elections to Federal office. Requires, when two or more persons make expenditures in concert to promote the election or defeat of a candidate, each such person to report to the Commission on such expenditures. Requires political committees to report the name and address of secondary payees who provide goods and services to the candidate. Requires a Senate candidate, within 15 days of qualifying for a primary ballot, to file a declaration with the Commission stating whether he or she intends to expend from personal funds, and the funds of the candidate's immediate family, and incur personal loans in connection with the campaign in the aggregate of $250,000 or more for the election cycle. Requires a candidate who makes such expenditures to report to the Commission within 24 hours after such expenditures have been made, and thereafter, each time an expenditure exceeds $10,000. Requires the Commission to notify eligible candidates of such reports. Reduces to $2,500 the amount which multicandidate political committees may contribute to any candidate and his authorized political committees or to any other political committee. Limits the amount that political committees may contribute to House elections to $100,000 for a general or special election and $25,000 for a runoff election. Limits contributions to Senate elections to 30 percent of spending limits established by this Act for Senate candidates. Limits contributions to State committees of a political party to: (1) $25,000; or (2) two cents multiplied by the voting age population of the State, whichever is greater. Declares such contributions to State committees applicable to each two-year election cycle. Prohibits a congressional campaign committee from accepting, during a two-year election cycle, contributions from multicandidate political committees and separate segregated funds which exceed 30 percent of the total expenditures which may be made during such cycle by that committee on behalf of congressional candidates. Prohibits a national committee of a political party from accepting contributions from multicandidate political committees and separate segregated funds during the election cycle which equal an amount in excess of two cents multiplied by the voting age population of the United States. Provides that such prohibition does not apply to direct mail communications designed for fundraising purposes which make only incidental reference to Federal candidates. Provides for the accountability of contributions made by intermediaries or conduits. Describes when an expenditure shall not constitute an independent expenditure for purposes of this Act. Requires, when independent expenditures are made for television broadcast communications, that a statement appear continuously during such broadcast showing the name of the person or committee making such expenditure. Requires any type of general public communication to include such statement. Prohibits the use of campaign contributions to repay loans by a candidate to the candidate or the candidate's authorized committees. Makes referral to the Justice Department by the Commission mandatory in the case of criminal matters. Includes as a contribution to a Senate candidate an extension of credit for more than 60 days in an amount of more than $1,000. Provides for reduced postal rates for eligible Senate candidates. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require a non-eligible Senate candidate to disclose in advertisements or announcements that such candidate has not agreed to spending limits set forth under this Act. Repeals the exception which permits a Member of Congress who was such a Member on January 8, 1980, to convert excess campaign contributions to personal use. Requires presidential candidates to certify to the Commission that during the presidential primary and general election period, the candidate and his authorized committees and agents have not and will not solicit, receive, or spend, directly or indirectly, any funds in connection with a Federal, State, or local election unless such funds are subject to Federal fundraising and expenditure limitations. Prohibits a State committee of a political party from making any expenditure in connection with the general election campaign of any presidential candidate affiliated with such party which exceeds an amount equal to four cents multiplied by the voting age population of that State. Subjects to Federal fundraising and expenditure limitations any amount solicited, received, or spent by a national, State, or local committee of a political party, if such amount is solicited, received, or spent in connection with a Federal election. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to revise membership requirements of the Federal Election Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1990
Amends the Internal Revenue Code and title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to revise the employment tax treatment of certain crew members on fishing vessels.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1990
Designates the week beginning May 6, 1990, as National Correctional Officers Week.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1990
Urges the President to: (1) conclude the current phase of the Nuclear Testing Talks and request Senate consent to ratification of the Threshold Test Ban Treaty and the Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaty; (2) convey to the Soviet Union the desire of the United States to continue the bilateral Nuclear Testing Talks to agree upon a definite timetable for the early achievement of a verifiable comprehensive test ban; and (3) express to the states party to the Limited Test Ban Treaty the willingness of the United States to pursue negotiations in the Test Ban Treaty Conference to broaden such treaty into a comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.