United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
National Defense Rail Act - Requires studies or assessments of: (1) security risks associated with freight and intercity passenger rail transportation; (2) security priorities; (3) rail crossing delay security issues; (4) existing rail safety regulations; (5) foreign rail transport security programs; and (6) the feasibility of passenger, baggage, and cargo screening. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) establish a national high-speed ground transportation policy; and (2) provide 100 percent financial assistance to develop and implement high-speed rail corridors according to designated priorities, including the elimination of hazards of railway-highway crossings. Requires such projects to comply with Buy American and competitive bidding requirements, and specified labor standards, including the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act. Defines the national rail passenger transportation system. Authorizes Amtrak to operate an intercity rail service or route not included in such system, as specified. Declares that nothing in this Act is intended to preclude Amtrak from restoring, improving, or developing non-high-speed intercity passenger rail service. Repeals the requirement that Amtrak be self-sufficient. Authorizes additional appropriations for Amtrak for retirement of principal and interest on its debt service, and for improving accessibility for the elderly and people with disabilities, including compliance with environmental regulations. Authorizes appropriations for the Northeast Corridor, long and short distance trains, and State-supported routes. Directs the Secretary to re-establish the Northeast Corridor Safety Committee. Revises requirements concerning the Amtrak board of directors. Requires an independent audit of Amtrak operations and the development of a five-year financial plan. Revises requirements of the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 concerning loans and loan guarantees. Directs the Secretary to establish a rail passenger cooperative research program, including an advisory board.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Right Start Act of 2003 - Extends and increases authorizations of appropriations for: (1) the Head Start Act; (2) State entitlements to funding for child care, under Social Security Act (SSA) provisions for block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families (TANF); and (3) services to low-income families through the social services block grant under SSA. Increases set-aside portion of funds for child care quality under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990. Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act - IMPACT Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to address issues of overweight and obesity. Expands certain existing grant programs for health professional training to include the treatment of overweight and obesity. Creates grant programs at the local level to promote increased physical activity and improved nutrition. Expands an existing coordinated school health program to include grants for the development of programs which focus on healthy lifestyle, including balanced diet and physical activity. Authorizes the collection and analysis of data concerning the fitness levels of children and youth. Requires a study of the food and nutrition assistance programs run by the Department of Agriculture to determine how they can be improved or altered to help prevent obesity and overweight. Requires an evidence report study on the effectiveness of weight reduction programs. Permits the use of preventive health and health services block grants for community education programs which promote healthy eating and exercise habits. Creates a Medicare demonstration project to reduce obesity and other chronic disease risks in older Americans. Makes grants available to local healthcare delivery systems for overweight and obesity treatment and prevention demonstration programs. Provides grants and contracts for a national youth media campaign to change children's health behaviors. Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act - Family Income to Respond to Significant Transitions Insurance Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make grants to a State or local government to pay for the Federal share of the cost of carrying out projects that assist families by providing wage replacement for eligible individuals responding to caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a son or daughter or other family caregiving needs. Family and Medical Leave Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to extend coverage to employees at worksites where the employer employs at least 25 (currently 50) employees at the worksite and within 75 miles of that worksite. Amends FMLA and Federal civil service law to entitle to leave those employees who must address the effects of domestic violence. Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2003 - Permits the Office of Personnel Management to contract with one or more employing agencies to conduct a demonstration project that provides paid leave for eligible individuals who are responding to caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a son or daughter or other family caregiving needs. Requires the leave to last for at least six weeks during a 12-month period. Time for Schools Act of 2003 - Amends FMLA to allow employees covered by such Act to take up to 24 hours, during any 12-month period, of school involvement leave to participate in: (1) an academic activity of their child's school, such as a parent-teacher conference or an interview for a school; or (2) literacy training under a family literacy program. Amends Federal civil service law to provide the same school involvement leave allowance for Federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Educational Excellence for All Learners Act of 2003 - Expresses the sense of the Senate that the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 should be fully funded. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to extend the authorization of appropriations for: (1) title I (improving academic achievement of the disadvantaged) part A (grants for basic programs of local educational agencies, LEAs); (2) education of migratory children; and (3) advanced placement incentive program grants. Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to extend the authorization of appropriations for assistance for education of all children with disabilities. Directs the Secretary of Education to make annual determinations as to whether each State's public school system provides all its students with educational resources to succeed academically and in life. Requires such education to enable students to: (1) acquire knowledge and skills necessary for responsible citizenship; (2) meet challenging academic achievement standards; and (3) compete and succeed in a global economy. Specifies what each system must provide. America's Better Classrooms Act of 2001 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a limited tax credit for qualified public school modernization bonds (construction and zone academy bonds) and tribal school modernization bonds. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to provide for employment and training activities related to the construction or reconstruction of public school facilities. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to extend the authorization of appropriations for: (1) Gear Up programs, Federal TRIO programs, and programs for students whose families are engaged in migrant or seasonal farmwork; and (2) Indian tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, historically Black colleges and universities, challenge grants to eligible institutions, the minority science and engineering improvement program, and Hispanic-serving institutions. Amends the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Organization Act to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish within NTIA's Technology Opportunities Program a digital network technologies program to award educational instruction grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to: (1) historically Black colleges or universities; (2) Hispanic-, Alaska Native-, or Native Hawaiian-serving institutions; (3) tribally controlled colleges or universities; or (4) institutions with a substantial number of minority, low-income students who received assistance under HEA. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act of 1996 to eliminate the prohibition against provision of postsecondary education benefits based on State residency to an illegal alien unless a U.S. citizen or national is eligible for similar benefits without regard to such residency. Expresses the sense of the Senate that an individual Pell Grant's maximum amount should be: (1) increased to $4,500; and (2) the amount eligible students receive. Makes appropriations for an emergency additional amount for FY 2003, available through FY 2004, for the Pell Grant program. Amends HEA title IV to provide for a phase-out of student loan origination fees. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make the Hope and Lifetime Learning credits refundable.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Veterans Health Care Funding Guarantee Act of 2003 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) make available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for programs, functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration for FY 2005 120 percent of the amount obligated during FY 2002; and (2) adjust the amount provided after FY 2005 based on the number of enrolled veterans and the number of others eligible for and provided care and the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index. Repeals provisions which: (1) prohibit the appropriation, obligation, or use of funds for any Department of Veterans Affairs major medical facility project or lease unless such funds have been specifically authorized by law; (2) require the Secretary to submit to specified congressional committees a prospectus of a proposed medical facility involving an expenditure of more than $4 million or facility lease with an average annual rental of more than $600,000; and (3) require the Secretary to give Congress notice before obligating an amount of funds for a major medical facility project that would cause the total amount obligated to exceed the amount specified in the law for that project by more than 10 percent, and when proposing that funds be used for a purpose other than the purpose for which such funds were appropriated.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Elimination of Double Subsidies for the Hardrock Mining Industry Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to disallow the percentage depletion allowance for hardrock mines located on land currently subject to the general mining laws, or on land patented under such laws. Establishes the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Trust fund in the Treasury. Appropriates to such Fund amounts equal to 25 percent of the additional revenues received by reason of the above change in the percentage depletion allowance. Prescribes guidelines under which such fund shall be available to the Secretary of the Interior for reclamation and restoration of lands and water resources adversely affected by mineral and mineral material mining (excluding coal and fluid materials).
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Justice Enhancement and Domestic Security Act of 2003 - Incorporates provisions entitled as follows: (1) the First Responders Partnership Grant Act of 2003 (authorizes grants to support public safety officers in efforts to protect homeland security and prevent and respond to acts of terrorism); (2) the Safe Borders Act of 2003 (authorizes appropriations for hiring additional Immigration and Naturalization Service personnel and for border security protection technology); (3) the Military Tribunal Authorization Act of 2003 (authorizes the President to establish tribunals for the trial of suspected terrorists and individuals who aid or abet terrorists); (4) the Anti-Terrorist Hoax and False Report Act of 2003; (5) the National AMBER Alert Network Act of 2003 (requires the Attorney General to assign an AMBER Alert Coordinator of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to act as a national coordinator of the AMBER Alert communications network); (6) the Prosecutorial Remedies and Tools Against the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003; (7) the Protecting Our Children Comes First Act of 2003 (reauthorizes and increases funding for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children); (8) the National Child Protection and Volunteers for Children Improvement Act of 2003; (9) the Seniors Safety Act of 2003 (includes provisions regarding crimes against seniors, health care and pension fraud, telemarketing fraud, violations of nursing home rules and regulations, and restitution of elderly crime victims); (10) the Identity Theft Victims Assistance Act of 2003; (11) the Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2003; (12) the Social Security Number Misuse Prevention Act of 2003; (13) the Crime Victims Assistance Act of 2003 (requires a responsible official to arrange reasonable protection of a victim from a suspected offender and sets forth consultation and participatory rights of a victim at detention hearings, trials, and sentencing proceedings); (14) the Providing Reliable Officers, Technology, Education, Community Prosecutors, and Training in Our Neighborhoods Act of 2003 (PROTECTION Act); (15) the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act of 2003; (16) the Federal Prosecutors Retirement Benefit Equity Act of 2003; (17) the Federal Bureau of Investigation Reform Act of 2003 (revises whistle blower protections); (18) the DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2003 (provides for a recommended national protocol on collecting and processing DNA evidence at crime scenes); (19) the Say No to Drugs Community Centers Act of 2003; (20) the Our Lady of Peace Act of 2003 (revises requirements and provides grants for firearms eligibility determination information and technology); (21) the Ballistics, Law Assistance, and Safety Technology Act of 2003 (BLAST Act) (sets forth firearms ballistics testing and record keeping requirements); (22) the Innocence Protection Act of 2003 (sets forth procedures governing DNA testing of a person convicted of a Federal crime and provides grants for legal representation provided to indigent defendants in State capital cases); and (23) the Anti-Atrocity Alien Deportation Act of 2003 (provides for the inadmissibility and deportability of aliens who have committed acts of torture or extrajudicial killings abroad). Provides for establishment of: (1) a Rural Policing Institute; (2) a protective function privilege with respect to testimony by Secret Service personnel; (3) the Office of Special Investigations within DOJ to investigate and take legal action to denaturalize certain aliens; and (4) the Advisory Committee on Cargo Theft.. Provides for grants for: (1) treatment facilities in rural States and economically depressed communities, residential treatment centers for drug-addicted women with minor children, and residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment programs for juveniles; (2) drug treatment alternative to prison programs; and (3) community-based justice programs for the prosecution of firearm-related crimes (Project Exile).
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Veterans and Military Personnel Fairness Act of 2003 - Removes, for months beginning on or after October 1, 2003, the requirement that qualifying offsetting legislation be enacted before a member or former member of the armed forces may be paid military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation concurrently without deduction. Repeals, as of such date, a special compensation program for certain severely disabled military retirees. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) make available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for programs, functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration for FY 2005 120 percent of the amount obligated during FY 2003; and (2) adjust the amount provided after FY 2005 based on the number of enrolled veterans and the number of others eligible for and provided care and the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index. Armed Forces Tax Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income as a qualified military benefit the amount of the death gratuity payable under chapter 75 of title 10 of the United States Code, effective with respect to deaths occurring after September 10, 2001. Authorizes a member of the uniformed services or the Foreign Service serving on "qualified official extended duty" to extend for ten years the five-year period utilized in determining full exclusion of gain from the sale of a principal residence. Exempts amounts received under the Homeowners Assistance Program from: (1) inclusion as gross income; and (2) consideration as wages for Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax purposes (including Medicare). Extends combat zone filing rules to contingency operations. Provides a deduction for itemizers and non-itemizers for unreimbursed overnight travel, meals, and lodging expenses of National Guard and Reserve members who must travel as part of their official duties. States that all property of a "covered expatriate" shall be treated as sold on the day before the "expatriation date" for its fair market value. Permits an individual to make an irrevocable decision to be taxed as a U.S. citizen with respect to all property otherwise covered by the expatriation provisions. Excludes certain U.S. real property interests from the provisions of this Act. Subjects retirement plans to the provisions of this Act. Includes in a recipient's gross income the value of property received by gift or bequest from a covered expatriate, with exceptions. Establishes IRS service user fee authority through September 30, 2012. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to deny a former citizen reentry into the United States for noncompliance with the provisions of this Act. (Current law denies reentry based upon tax-motivated expatriation.)
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2003 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the Federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.90 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; and (2) $6.65 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day. Makes Federal minimum wage requirements applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sets forth a transition period during which a specified minimum wage there shall be gradually increased to equal the Federal minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Health Care Coverage Expansion and Quality Improvement Act of 2003 - Requires a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer that provides health insurance coverage, to conduct utilization review activities in connection with the provision of benefits under such plan or coverage only in accordance with a utilization review program, as specified. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Health Care Consumer Assistance Fund, to be used to award grants to eligible States to carry out consumer assistance activities designed to provide information, assistance, and referrals to consumers of health insurance products. Requires access to care, including non-network providers, timely access to specialty care, direct access to specialists in obstetrics and gynecology, investigational drug and device coverage, coverage for patients in clinical trials, and the inpatient period for breast cancer patients. Prohibits restricting a health care professional's communications with a patient, discrimination against a provider solely because of the provider's license or certification, improper incentives, and retaliation for patient advocacy, including by providers. Requires prompt claims payment. Delays the required submission date of a letter of credit by carriers administering Supplementary Medical Insurance. Sets forth patient safety improvement provisions. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to prohibit certain employee group health plans or related insurances providing both medical-surgical and mental health benefits from imposing mental health treatment limitations or financial requirements unless comparable limitations and requirements are imposed upon medical-surgical benefits. Provides for the automatic enrollment in Title XXI (currently, the State Children's Health Insurance Program - renamed the FamilyCare Program under this Act) of the Social Security Act of children born to title XXI parents. Provides expanded Medicaid benefits for disabled children and for psychiatric care for individuals under age 21. Amends Social Security Act provisions with respect to the welfare-to-work transition under the Medicaid program. Authorizes the Secretary to award demonstration grants to a limited number of States to conduct innovative programs designed to improve outreach to homeless individuals and families under specified programs for the homeless (including Medicaid and FamilyCare) with respect to enrollment of such individuals and families and the provision of services under such programs. Amends the Indian Health Care Act to guarantee specified amounts of funding for Indian health care.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Global Climate Security Act of 2003 - Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President and Congress should make reducing and preparing for the risks of global climate change a higher priority. Delineates measures that should be taken, including requiring reductions in carbon dioxide and other pollutants from electric power plants and developing an early warning system of biological and ecological indicators. National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Registry Act of 2003 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish and administer: (1) a national greenhouse gas emissions information system to collect annual lists required to be submitted under this Act of an entity's greenhouse gas emissions and their sources; and (2) a national greenhouse gas registry to collect voluntarily reported information on emissions reductions. Directs the Administrator and the Secretaries of Commerce, Agriculture, and Energy to develop greenhouse gas emissions quantification and verification protocols, electronic reporting methods, and accounting and reporting standards. Requires the Administrator to publish an annual national greenhouse gas emissions inventory. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should demonstrate international leadership and responsibility concerning the risks posed by climate change through meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and participation in international efforts, including treaties. Rio Agreement Commission Establishment Act - Establishes the Commission to Implement the Rio Agreement (concerning greenhouse gas emission reductions). Addresses greenhouse gas emissions issues through: (1) a national assessment of climate change impacts; (2) a review of emission reduction policies and measures; (3) environmental impact statements; (4) an emissions goal; (5) corporate environmental disclosure; (6) methodology for measuring emissions from imports; (7) a review of trade and innovation effects; (8) emissions reduction grants; and (9) modifications to revenue statutes.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Prescription Drug Benefit and Cost Containment Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish: (1) a Medicare Outpatient Prescription Drug Benefit Program under new part D; (2) a Prescription Drug Account in the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund; and (3) a Medicare Prescription Drug Advisory Committee. Provides for: (1) part D benefits under Medicare+Choice plans under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice); and (2) Medicare cost-sharing and other assistance for low-income individuals. Revises requirements for Medicare supplemental insurance policy (Medigap) benefit packages to conform to changes made by this Act. Provides for coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for all Medicare beneficiaries under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study and report to Congress on the feasibility and advisability of establishing a uniform format for pharmacy benefit cards provided to beneficiaries. Expands the membership and duties of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC). Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise provisions concerning the timing of generic drug availability. Requires applicants (pharmaceutical companies) to register their patents with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within 30 days of approval (or issuance for subsequently issued patents). Makes failure to timely register a bar to civil actions for patent infringement. Requires applications for new drugs (NDA) or abbreviated new drug applications (ANDA) which rely upon investigations not conducted by or for the applicant and which concern a patent that claims both the drug and a method of use or more than one method of use to include a certification on a claim-by-claim basis that the patent is invalid or will not be infringed (known as a Paragraph IV filing/certification) by the new drug's (generic) manufacture and a statement regarding the method(s) of use claim. Prohibits (for subsequently issued patents) an extension of the 30-month stay of FDA approval for any new drug where an ANDA or NDA contains a Paragraph IV filing/certification and the patent holder indicates an intention to bring a patent infringement suit against the new (generic) drug's manufacturer. Makes failure to timely file a civil action for infringement a bar to later action. Requires the first generic applicant with a Paragraph IV filing to forfeit the 180 day marketing exclusivity period to a subsequent generic applicant if the first generic applicant engages in certain behaviors (forfeiture events) which delay or prevent the marketing of the generic drug. Adds provisions on importation of prescription drugs and pediatric labeling of drugs and biological products.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Repeals provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 amending the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program under the Public Health Service Act. Repeals modifications to the definitions of manufacturer and vaccine-related injury or death and an added definition of vaccine. States that this Act shall be deemed to have taken effect as though enacted as part of the enactment of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Veterans' Higher Education Opportunities Act of 2003 - Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to change the amount of monthly veterans' educational assistance allowance under the Montgomery GI Bill from a fixed amount adjusted for inflation to an amount equal to the average monthly costs of tuition and expenses for commuter students at public institutions of higher education that award baccalaureate degrees (75 percent of such amount for veterans whose initial obligated period of active duty is two years). Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to determine such average monthly costs each year and to publish such amounts in the Federal Register.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Equal Rights and Equal Dignity for Americans Act of 2003 - Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Attorney General (AG), upon request, to provide assistance with the investigation or prosecution of any crime that constitutes: (1) a Federal crime of violence; (2) a felony under State or Indian tribal law; and (3) is motivated by prejudice based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability, or is a violation of State or Indian tribe hate crime laws. Amends the Federal criminal code to provide criminal penalties for certain hate crimes. Authorizes funding for enforcing civil rights laws and for indigent defense. Indian Trust Asset and Trust Fund Management and Reform Act of 2003 - Amends the American Indian Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 to expand the annual audit responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior. Prescribes guidelines for development and implementation of an Indian Trust Fund and Trust Asset Management and Monitoring Plan. Establishes the position of Deputy Secretary for Trust Management and Reform to oversee all trust fund and trust asset matters of the Department of the Interior. Establishes the Office of Trust Reform Implementation and Oversight, headed by the Deputy Secretary, to supervise activities of specified senior officials who administer Indian trust assets or funds. Instructs the Deputy Secretary to establish a Tribal Task Force on Trust Reform. Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should enact legislation: (1) to ban the practice of racial profiling; and (2) to require law enforcement agencies to take steps to prevent the practice. Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to revamp proscriptions against sex discrimination in wages. Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2003 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by covered entities. Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance and Employment Act - Amends the following Acts to prohibit specified discriminatory practices concerning genetic information: (1) the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974; (2) the Public Health Service Act; (3) the Internal Revenue Code; and (4) title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act . Protecting Americans' Medical Privacy Act - States that specified modifications made by the August 2002 medical privacy rule to the December 2000 medical privacy rule governing consent for uses or disclosures for treatment, payment, or health care operations shall have no force or effect. Prohibits the collection of information on U.S. citizens inside the United States for intelligence or law enforcement purposes by any member of the Armed Forces or civilian employee of the Department of Defense. Help America Vote Act of 2002 (sic) - Authorizes appropriations to implement the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and the Help America Vote Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2000
Peace Through Negotiations Act of 2000 - Declares it to be U.S. policy to oppose the unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state, to withhold diplomatic recognition of any Palestinian state that is unilaterally declared, and to encourage other countries and international organizations to withhold diplomatic recognition of any Palestinian state that is unilaterally declared. Sets forth certain measures that shall be applied in the event that a Palestinian state is unilaterally declared, including: (1) to make it unlawful for the government of any unilaterally declared Palestinian state, the Palestinian Authority, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), or any successor entities to establish an office in the United States; (2) to bar of U.S. assistance to the government of any unilaterally declared Palestinian state, the Palestinian Authority (or to any successor entity), and any programs or projects in the West Bank or Gaza (except humanitarian assistance); (3) to withhold a specified percentage of the U.S. contribution to any international organization that recognizes a unilaterally declared Palestinian state; and (4) to oppose such state's membership in any international financial institution or the extension by such institution of any loan or other financial assistance to it. Authorizes the President to suspend, for one year, the application of a specified number of such measures provided he determines and certifies to specified congressional committees that such suspensions are in the national security interests of the United States or the application of such measures would significantly hinder the prospects for a negotiated peace agreement in the Middle East.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2000
Prohibits the importation into the United States of textile or apparel products from Burma until the President determines and certifies to Congress that it has made progress in: (1) reversing gross violations of internationally-recognized human rights and worker rights; (2) implementing democratic government; and (3) cooperating with U.S. counter-narcotics efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2000
Abel and Mary Nicholson House National Historic Site Study Act of 2000 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to: (1) study and report to specified congressional committees on the suitability and feasibility of designating the Abel and Mary Nicholson House in Salem County, New Jersey, as a unit of the National Park System; and (2) consider management alternatives to create an administrative association with the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2000
Authorizes the President to award, posthumously, congressional gold medals to Oskar Schindler and Varian Fry in recognition of their contributions to the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2000
Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2000- Title I: Endangered Species Recovery - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to direct Federal agencies significantly affected by species recovery plan goals or management actions to develop and implement recovery implementation plans that, among other things, identify lands or waters under agency jurisdiction that may provide suitable habitat for the species and actions needed to acquire additional habitat or contribute to species recovery on agency lands or waters. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior or Commerce, as appropriate, to enter into endangered species conservation agreements with owners of lessees of real property. Expands elements of conservation plans required to be submitted by applicants for permits authorizing takings. Provides for a streamlined application and approval procedure for incidental take permits and conservation plans determined to be low effect, small scale plans. Sets forth requirements for the deposit of performance bonds and other financial security by incidental take permit (other than low effect, small scale) applicants. Establishes the Habitat Conservation Plan Fund. Requires the Secretary to encourage the development of multiple landowner, multispecies conservation plans. Provides for regulations establishing a development process which ensures an equitable balance of participation among citizens with primary interests in economic development activities that may affect species conservation, and citizens whose primary interest is in species conservation, respectively. Directs the Secretary to establish a Community Assistance Program to provide timely and accurate information to local governments and property owners on impacts of actions under, and assistance on compliance with, the Act. Reauthorizes the Act through FY 2004. Title II: Species Conservation Tax Incentives - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish a tax exclusion for cost-sharing payments under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program; (2) provide special rules regarding deductions for qualified conservation contributions; (3) exclude from estate tax property subject to endangered species conservation agreements; and (4) revise the definition of land subject to a qualified conservation easement to mean land located in the United States or any U.S. possession for purposes of expanding the estate tax exclusion for such land.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2000
Community Renewal and New Markets Act of 2000 - Title I: Incentives for Distressed Communities - Subtitle A: Designation and Treatment of Renewal Zone s- Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to provide for the designation of up to 30 renewal zones. Treats a renewal zone as an empowerment zone. Subtitle B: Modification of Incentives for Empowerment Zones - Revises provisions concerning empowerment zones, including: (1) extending empowerment zone treatment through 2009; (2) a 15 percent employment credit for all empowerment zones; (3) increased expensing under section 179 (election to expenses certain depreciable assets); (4) exclusion from gross income of limited amounts capital gain from the sale or exchange of a qualified empowerment zone asset; and (5) funding. Subtitle C: Modification of Tax Incentives for DC Zone - Extends and expands IRC District of Columbia Enterprise Zone provisions. Subtitle D: New Markets Tax Credi t- Establishes a new markets tax credit. Subtitle E: Modification of Tax Incentives for Puerto Rico - Revises the of Puerto Rico economic activity tax credit. Subtitle F: Individual Development Accounts - Permits any qualified financial institution, qualified nonprofit organization, or Indian tribe to establish one or more qualified individual development account programs. Defines such an account as an account established for an eligible individual as part of a qualified individual development account program. Sets forth provisions concerning such accounts, including: (1) the structure and administration of account programs; (2) procedures for opening an account and qualifying for matching funds; (3) account contributions and withdrawals; and (4) disregarding account funds of program participants for purposes of certain means-tested Federal programs. Subtitle G: Additional Incentives - Provides for, among other things: (1) the exclusion of certain amounts received under the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program and the F. Edward Hebert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship and Financial Assistance Program; (2) the extension of enhanced deduction for corporate donations of computer technology; (3) the extension of the adoption tax credit; and (4) the treatment of Alaska Native Settlement Trusts and Indian tribal governments under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act. Title II: Tax Incentives for Affordable Housing - Subtitle A: Low-Income Housing Credit - Modifies the low-income housing credit. Subtitle B: Historic Homes - Establishes a credit equal to 20 percent of the qualified rehabilitation expenditures made by a taxpayer with respect to a qualified historic home. Subtitle C: Forgiven Mortgage Obligations - Excludes from gross income certain forgiven residential mortgage obligations. Subtitle D: Mortgage Revenue Bonds - Provides: (1) for an increase in the purchase price limitation under mortgage subsidy bond rules based on median family income; (2) revised rules for residences located in presidentially declared disaster areas. Subtitle E: Property and Casualty Insurance - Exempts from income tax State-created organizations providing property and casualty insurance for property for which such coverage is otherwise unavailable. Title III: Tax Incentives for Urban and Rural Infrastructure - Increases the State ceiling on private activity bonds. Modifies the expensing of environmental remediation costs. Provides credits for: (1) broadband internet access; and (2) holders of qualified Amtrak bonds. Includes customer connection fees (including fees to connect a customer's line to or extend a main water or sewer line) as an excludable corporate income item within the definition of "contribution in aid of construction." Includes qualified leasehold improvement property as 15 year property for purposes of the accelerated cost recovery depreciation rules. Title IV: Tax Relief for Farmers - Set forth provisions concerning farmers, including: (1) providing specified deductions and credits (including a deduction for cash paid to a Farm, Fishing, and Ranch Risk Management Accounts; (2) exempting agricultural bonds from the State volume cap; and (3) income averaging. Title V: Tax Incentives for the Production of Energy - Sets forth provisions concerning the production of energy, including: (1) expensing geological and geophysical expenditures; (2) a credit for marginal domestic oil and natural gas well production; and (3) the definition of "foreign base company oil related income." Title VI: Tax Incentives for Conservation - Sets forth provisions concerning conservation, including: (1) the exclusion of 50 percent of gain on certain sales of land or interests in land or water to qualified entities for conservation purposes; (2) a deduction for the certain energy efficient commercial property expenditures; (3) modification of the credit for electricity produced from biomass; and (4) a credit for certain hybrid automobiles. Title VII: Additional Tax Provisions - Revises provisions concerning: (1) the nonaccrual experience method of accounting; (2) the exemption from personal holding company tax for lending or finance companies; (3) a deduction for certain expenses incurred in support of Native Alaskan subsistence whaling; and (4) an excise tax on persons who acquire structured settlement payments in factoring transactions.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2000
Commends the people of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for their courage in participating in the September 24, 2000, elections and for their decision to embrace democracy, the rule of law, and integration into the international community by rejecting dictatorship and isolationism. Reasserts the strong desire to reestablish the historic friendship between the American and Serbian people. Expresses support for a comprehensive assistance program and full economic integration for Yugoslavia once a democratic government that respects the rule of law, human rights, and a market economy is established.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2000
Authorizes Frederick Douglass Gardens, Inc., to establish a memorial and gardens on Department of the Interior lands in the District of Columbia or its environs in honor and commemoration of Frederick Douglass.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2000
FamilyCare Act of 2000 - Renames the State Children's Health Insurance program (SCHIP) under title XXI of the Social Security Act (SSA) as the FamilyCare program to provide for: (1) FamilyCare coverage of parents under Medicaid (SSA title XIX) as well as new SSA title XXI; (2) optional FamilyCare coverage of parents of targeted low-income children; (3) automatic eligibility for FamilyCare coverage of children born to a parent on Family Care assistance; (4) optional coverage of legal immigrants and of children through age 20 under both Medicaid and FamilyCare; (5) application of simplified FamilyCare procedures under Medicaid; (6) increased welfare-to-work transition (from six months to 12 months) under FamilyCare; (7) elimination of the 100 hour rule and other SSA title IV part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) related eligibility restrictions under FamilyCare; (8) limitations on specified conflicts of interests under SSA titles XIX and XXI; (9) increased FamilyCare allotment for FY 2002 through 2004; and (10) authority to pay Medicaid expansion costs from the FamilyCare appropriation. Makes appropriations. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program to award demonstration grants to States to allow them to demonstrate the effectiveness of innovative ways to increase access to health insurance through market reforms and other innovative means. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to award demonstration grants to a limited number of States to conduct innovative programs designed to improve outreach to homeless individuals and families under specified programs for the homeless (including SCHIP) with respect to enrollment of such individuals and families under such programs and the provision of services under such programs. Makes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2000
Amends Federal law to direct the Postal Service to establish a special postage rate for first-class mail (semipostal stamp) in order to afford the public a convenient way to contribute to funding for the establishment of the World War II Memorial. Provides for the rate to include a differential of not to exceed 25 percent with amounts received to be paid to the American Battle Monuments Commission for such Memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2000
Latino and Immigrant Fairness Act of 2000 - Title I: Central American and Haitian Parity Act - Central American and Haitian Parity Act of 2000 - Amends the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (Act) to: (1) extend permanent resident status adjustment provisions to qualifying Salvadoran, Guatemalan, Honduran, and Haitian nationals; and (2) extend the application filing deadline. Permits certain pending applications filed by Salvadoran or Guatemalan nationals under the Act or Haitian nationals under the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998 to be converted to an application for status adjustment under the Act. Amends such Acts to: (1) authorize the Attorney General to waive certain grounds of inadmissibility; and (2) provide for issuance of immigrant visas to certain spouses and children. Provides for the limited reopening of certain orders of deportation, exclusion, or removal by certain Haitian, Cuban, or Nicaraguan nationals. Title II: Restoration of Section 245(i) Adjustment of Status Benefits - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the restriction that only aliens with preference petitions or labor certifications filed by January 14, 1998, are eligible to adjust to permanent resident status without leaving the United States if they entered without inspection or fall within one of other specified classes (including aliens accepting unauthorized employment and aliens not maintaining legal nonimmigrant status). Title III: Extension of Registry Benefits - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Ac to extend registry benefits to aliens who entered the United States prior to January 1, 1986.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2000
Medicare Early Access and Tax Credit Act of 2000 - Title I: Access to Medicare Benefits for Individuals 62-to-65 Years of Age - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new part D (Purchase of Medicare Benefits by Certain Individuals Age 62-to-65 Years of Age) under which an enrollee is entitled to the same Medicare benefits as an individual entitled to benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) and enrolled under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Provides for the determination and payment of monthly premiums under the new part D program. Creates in the Treasury the Medicare Early Access Trust Fund to hold the premiums paid pursuant to this Act and savings from new fraud and abuse initiatives that are obtained pursuant to the Medicare Fraud and Reimbursement Reform Act of 1999. Provides for oversight and accountability concerning the status of the Trust Fund. Title II: Access to Medicare Benefits for Displaced Workers 55-to-62 years of Age - Amends SSA title XVIII to provide access to Medicare benefits to displaced workers (and their spouse) 55-to-62 years of age. Title III: COBRA Protection for Early Retirees - Subtitle A: Amendments to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) continuation benefits for certain retired workers who lose retiree health coverage. Subtitle B: Amendments to the Public Health Service Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide for COBRA continuation benefits for certain retired workers who lose retiree health coverage. Subtitle C: Amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for COBRA continuation benefits for certain retired workers who lose retiree health coverage. Title IV: Financing - Provides that any increase in Medicare payments resulting from enactment of this Act shall be offset by reductions in Medicare payments pursuant to the anti-fraud and -abuse provisions of the Medicare Fraud and Reimbursement Reform Act of 1999. Title V: Credit Against Income Tax for Medicare Buy-In Premiums and for Certain COBRA Continuation Coverage Premiums - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide an individual with a tax credit for 25 percent of certain COBRA continuation coverage premiums and Medicare buy-in premiums.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2000
National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Commemoration Act of 2000 - Establishes the National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Commission to, among other things: (1) carry out a plan to commemorate, on March 14, 2003, the centennial of the beginning of the System; and (2) make recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior on a long-term plan for the System and measures to enhance natural resources stewardship and expand public enjoyment of the System. Directs the Secretary to develop a long-term plan for the System to address: (1) priority staffing and operational needs; (2) priority maintenance and construction needs; and (3) any transition costs in conducting analyses of newly acquired refuge lands. Designates 2003 as Year of the Wildlife Refuge. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2000
Early Learning Opportunities Act - Provides funds for increasing: (1) availability of early learning programs; and (2) compensation for child care providers. Declares that no person, including a parent, shall be required to participate in any program of early childhood education, early learning, parent education, or developmental screening under this Act. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect the rights of parents otherwise established in Federal, State, or local law. Declares that no entity receiving funds under this Act shall be required to provide services under this Act through a particular instructional method or in a particular instructional setting. Authorizes appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Directs the Secretary of HHS (the Secretary) and the Secretary of Education to develop mechanisms to resolve administrative and programmatic conflicts between Federal programs that would be a barrier to parents, caregivers, service providers, or children related to the coordination of services and funding for early learning programs. Requires nonrestrictive use of equipment and supplies for collaborative activities funded under this Act and other law providing for Federal child care or early learning programs. Directs the Secretary to award grants to States to award subgrants to Local Councils to pay the Federal share of the cost of carrying out early learning programs in the locality served by the Local Council. Sets forth requirements for: (1) non-Federal share; (2) uses of funds; (3) duties of Lead State Agencies and of Local Councils; (4) reservations of funds for Indian tribes, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians; (5) State allotments based on numbers of children age four and younger and of such children in families below the poverty line; (6) Federal and State grant administration; (7) State eligibility and preferences for Local Councils, and Local Council preferences for projects; (8) performance goals; and (9) local allocations, applications, and administration.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2000
Truthfulness, Responsibility, and Accountability in Contracting Act of 2000 - Requires the head of each Federal agency to certify to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (who shall make such certification public) its compliance with the requirements of this Act. (Sec. 3) Prohibits agency heads from entering any service contracts until the OMB Director: (1) determines that the agency is making substantial progress toward meeting the requirements in the certification; or (2) waives suspension of contracting authority in the interest of national security, extraordinary economic harm, or patient care. Requires the Comptroller General to monitor the compliance of any agency operating under a suspension of contracting authority. (Sec. 4) Requires each agency to establish, according to OMB guidelines, a centralized reporting system with respect to both contracting out and contracting in. Specifies frequency and contents on such reports. Requires every agency to file a separate annual report on the number of Federal employee positions and positions held by non-Federal employees under a contract that has been subject to public-private competition during the past fiscal year. Requires OMB to compile and submit all such reports to specified congressional committees for eventual publication on the Internet. (Sec. 5) Requires any agency decision to initiate or continue a privatization, outsourcing, contracting in, or contracting out for the performance of a function to be based on the results of a public-private competition process meeting certain requirements. Requires an agency to commence or continue the performance of a function by Federal employees if, under a specified cost comparison, the agency determines that at least a ten-percent cost savings would not be achieved by contractor performance of the function. (Sec. 6) Requires an agency either to conduct a new public-private competition or to convert the function to Federal employee performance, if a report indicates that, for two consecutive years, the actual cost of privatization, outsourcing, contracting in, or contracting out of a particular function exceeds the anticipated cost of contractor performance, or fails substantially to meet quality control standards. States that any resulting terminations for convenience may be undertaken without cost to the U.S. Government. Requires an agency to subject to public-private competition each fiscal year an equivalent number of Federal employee positions and positions held by non-Federal employees under a contract. (Sec. 7) Directs the Secretary of Labor to survey the wages and quantifiable benefits provided by contractors to non-Federal personnel working in various occupations under contracts entered into during the two fiscal years immediately preceding enactment of this Act. Requires the OMB Director to review the survey and report to specified congressional committees on the extent to which the wages and quantifiable benefits paid by contractors are comparable to the wages and quantifiable benefits earned by Federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2000
Authorizes the President, on behalf of Congress, to present a gold medal to General Wesley K. Clark, in recognition of his outstanding leadership and service as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during the military operations against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2000
Streamlined Environmental Reporting and Pollution Prevention Act of 2000 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to integrate and streamline reporting requirements. Requires the Administrator, to ensure consistency and facilitate use of the integrated reporting system to be established, to: (1) allow each person required to submit information to the Administrator to report to one point of contact using a single electronic system or paper form and, in the case of an annual reporting requirement, at one time during the year; (2) identify environmental or occupational safety or health reporting requirements that are not administered by the Administrator; (3) implement data standards and a nomenclature understandable to persons without environmental expertise; (4) consolidate reporting of data that would be required to be reported at more than one point in the same data submission; (5) provide for data formats and submission protocols that conform with public-domain standards for electronic commerce, are accessible to a majority of reporting persons, and provide for data integrity and reliability; (6) establish a National Environmental Data Model that the Administrator shall use as the framework for databases on which reported information shall be kept and that the Administrator shall allow other Federal agencies and governments to use; (7) establish an electronic commerce service center to provide technical assistance to persons submitting electronic reports; (8) provide each reporting person access to scientifically sound, publicly available information on pollution prevention technologies and practices; (9) provide protection of confidential business information; and (10) provide free software to assist reporting persons in assembling information and receiving information on pollution prevention technologies and practices. Provides that nothing in this Act requires a person to use the integrated reporting system instead of an individual reporting system. (Sec. 4) Requires the Administrator, at the request of any Federal, State, tribal, or local agency, to coordinate the integration of reporting required under this Act with similar efforts by the agency that are consistent with this Act. Authorizes the Administrator to develop a procedure under which a person that is required to report information under laws administered by the Administrator and laws administered by a State, tribal, or local agency to report all required information through one point of contact using a single electronic system or paper form and, in the case of an annual reporting requirement, at one time each year. Directs the Administrator, to facilitate reporting by persons with facilities in more than one State, tribal, or local jurisdiction, to encourage the use of a common data format by any State, tribal, or local agency coordinating with the Administrator. (Sec. 6) Requires the Administrator to report to Congress on provisions of law that explicitly prohibit or hinder the integration of reporting and other actions required under this Act. (Sec. 7) Provides that nothing in this Act: (1) changes any provision of Federal or State law or the obligation of any person to comply with any provision of law; (2) shall alter any person's obligation to provide information required under any reporting requirement; or (3) authorizes the Administrator to require the reporting of additional information or to prohibit the reporting of information currently reported.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2000
Violence Against Women Act of 2000 - Title I: Strengthening Law Enforcement to Reduce Violence Against Women - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Attorney General (AG) to make grants to provide technical assistance and equipment to police departments, prosecutors, courts, and tribal jurisdictions to facilitate the widespread enforcement of protection orders. Revises provisions of the Federal criminal code governing the full faith and credit of protection orders. Designates State, local, and Indian tribal courts as eligible grantees under the program to combat violent crimes against women. Reauthorizes through FY 2005 various programs which address violence against women, including domestic violence and stalking offenses. Title II: Strengthening Services to Victims of Violence - Authorizes the AG to award grants to increase the availability of legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault. Reauthorizes through FY 2005 various grants and programs under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. Title III: Limiting the Effects of Violence on Children - Authorizes the AG to make grants to States, local governments, and Indian tribal governments for the provision of supervised visitation and safe visitation exchange of children by and between parents in situations involving domestic violence, child abuse, or sexual assault. Reauthorizes through FY 2005 runaway and homeless youth grants and programs for victims of child abuse. Title IV: Strengthening Education and Training to Combat Violence Against Women - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for model programs of education and training in appropriate responses to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Title V: Battered Immigrant Women - Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide certain protections to battered immigrant women. Title VI: Extension of Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund - Extends through FY 2005 the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2000
Amends Federal law to direct the Postal Service to establish a special (semipostal) postage rate for first-class mail in order to afford the public a convenient way to contribute to funding for the establishment of the World War II Memorial. Expresses the sense of Congress that nothing in this Act should: (1) directly or indirectly cause a net decrease in total funds received by the American Battle Monuments Commission below the level that would otherwise have been received but for the enactment of this section; or (2) affect regular first-class rates of postage or any other regular rates of postage.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2000
Expresses: (1) continuing support for freedom of speech and the independent media in the Russian Federation; (2) concern over the failure of the Russian Government to privatize major segments of the Russian media; (3) concern over the pattern of Russian officials' surveillance and intimidation of Russian citizens and media; (4) regret and dismay at the detention and continued prosecution of Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty journalist Andrei Babitsky; and (5) concern over the breaches of Russian legal procedure in the raid by the Russian Federal Security Service on Media-Most and the arrest of Vladimir Gusinsky. Calls on the President to express to the Russian President his concern for freedom of speech and the independent media in the Russian Federation and to emphasize the U.S. concern that official pressures against such independent media and political manipulation of the state-owned Russian media are incompatible with democratic norms.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2000
Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance and Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for the establishment and operation of a national sanctuary system for all surplus federally owned chimpanzees that are no longer needed in research conducted or supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, or other Federal agencies. Mandates that any chimpanzee that is not owned by the Federal Government be accepted into the system if the owner transfers title to the chimpanzee to the sanctuary system. Provides for standards for permanent retirement of chimpanzees into the system. Requires such standards to empower the Secretary to authorize imposition of a fee (except in certain circumstances) for accepting a non-Federal chimpanzee into the system. Provides for funding. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants or contracts for the operation of facilities that provide for the retirement of chimpanzees in accordance with the same standards that apply to the sanctuary system.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2000
Postmasters Fairness and Rights Act - Amends Federal law to prescribe guidelines within which the Postal Service shall propose changes in pay policies, schedules, and fringe benefit programs affecting postmasters which are to be in effect during the period covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the Postal Service and certain recognized bargaining representatives. Grants certain qualified postmasters' organizations the right to participate in program planning and development pertaining to pay policies, schedules, and fringe benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2000
Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act of 2000 - Title I: Brownfields Revitalization Funding - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish programs to provide grants to eligible entities (including local government units, redevelopment agencies, States, and Indian tribes) for: (1) inventorying, characterizing, assessing, and conducting planning related to brownfield sites; and (2) remediating brownfield sites through loans. Defines a "brownfield site," with exceptions, as real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which is complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance or pollutant. Includes within such definition a site contaminated by a controlled substance or mine-scarred land. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Brownfields Liability Clarifications - Exempts from liability under CERCLA certain owners of real property contiguous to property on which there has been a hazardous substance release or threatened release that is not owned by such persons. (Sec. 202) Absolves from liability for response actions bona fide prospective purchasers to the extent liability at a facility for a release or threat thereof is based solely on ownership or operation of a facility. Gives a lien upon a facility to the United States for unrecovered response costs in any casefor which the owner is not liable by reason of this section and the facility's fair market value has increased above that which existed before the action was taken. (Sec. 203) Deems a person, with respect to defenses to liability of an owner of after-acquired property, to have undertaken appropriate inquiry into the property's previous ownership and uses if the person demonstrates that inquiries were undertaken in accordance with specified requirements (for property purchased after May 31, 1997, compliance with an American Society for Testing and Materials standard until standards are issued by the Administrator). Deems the appropriate inquiry requirements to be satisfied by a facility inspection and title search that reveal no basis for further investigation in the case of property for residential or similar use purchased by a nongovernmental or noncommercial entity. Title III: State Response Programs - Adds CERCLA provisions authorizing the Administrator to provide grants to States or Indian tribes to establish or enhance response programs comprised of elements including survey and inventory of brownfield sites, public participation opportunities, oversight and enforcement authorities, and certification mechanisms. Authorizes appropriations. Restricts authority to take enforcement actions under CERCLA in cases of hazardous substance releases addressed by a State response plan. Authorizes the President to bring enforcement actions in certain instances, including cases where a State requests assistance, there is migration of contamination across State lines or onto Federal property, or there is an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health or welfare or the environment and additional response actions are likely to be necessary. Makes restrictions on the President's authority to take such actions applicable only at sites in States that maintain, update at least annually, and make publicly available a record of sites at which response actions have been completed in the previous year and are planned to be addressed under the State response program in the upcoming year. Applies enforcement action requirements only to response actions conducted after June 8, 2000. (Sec. 302) Requires the President to defer final listing of an eligible response site on the National Priorities List if the State is conducting a response action in compliance with a State response program that will provide long-term health and environmental protection or is actively pursuing an agreement to perform such an action with a capable person. Requires reasonable progress toward completion of actions for deferral of listing. Permits the President to decline to defer, or discontinue a deferral if: (1) deferral would be inappropriate because the State, as an owner, operator, or significant contributor is a potentially responsible party; (2) the criteria under the National Contingency Plan for issuance of a health advisory have been met; or (3) the other conditions under this section for deferral are no longer being met.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2000
Broadband Internet Access Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish the broadband credit which shall be the sum of: (1) the current generation broadband credit; plus; (2) the next generation broadband credit. Defines terms. Requires a study and report.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2000
Calls upon the President to: (1) issue a proclamation recognizing the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, reasserting the U.S. commitment to full implementation of the Act, and urging all signatory states to abide by their obligations under the Act; and (2) convey to all signatory states that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, democratic principles, economic liberty, and the implementation of related commitments continue to be vital elements in promoting a new era of democracy, peace, and unity in the region.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2000
Stop Tuberculosis (TB) Now Act - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to declare that a major objective of the foreign assistance program of the United States is to control tuberculosis, and that consequently Congress expects the agency primarily responsible for the administration of tuberculosis control health programs to focus upon implementation of Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course (DOTS) or other internationally accepted primary tuberculosis control strategies developed in consultation with the World Health Organization and other designated organizations. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2000
Authorizes the President to present gold medals on behalf of Congress to astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr., and Michael Collins, in recognition of their monumental and unprecedented feat of space exploration, as well as their achievements in the advancement of science and promotion of the space program.
![Official portrait of Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000123_200.jpg)