United States · United States Congress · 21 March 1991
Declares that the Senate: (1) extends a warm welcome to His Excellency Lech Walesa, President of the Republic of Poland, upon the occasion of his State Visit to the United States; (2) recalls the historic ties between the people of both countries; (3) applauds his commitment to economic and political reform; (4) reaffirms the Senate's and U.S. people's support for the independence and security of Poland; (5) looks forward to cooperation with Poland on issues relating to security and stability in Europe; and (6) commends the Bush Administration's decision to reduce Poland's debt to the United States, applauds the Paris Club's decision to reduce Poland's foreign debt, and urges Poland's private creditors to do the same.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1991
Recognizes the role of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) in preserving a national rail passenger system and providing Americans with an energy efficient, environmentally preferable transportation alternative. Declares that the need for a balanced national transportation system dictates that transportation planners consider the many advantages of improved rail passenger services as they look to addressing national and regional transportation concerns.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1991
Residential Energy Efficiency Policy Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income the value of any financial assistance or service provided by a public utility to a residential customer for the purchase or installation of energy or water conservation measures.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1991
Establishes the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs to receive, concurrently with other committees of the Senate with jurisdiction, all messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to U.S. personnel unaccounted for from military conflicts.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1991
Biotechnology Patent Protection Act of 1991 - Amends Federal patent law to provide for the patentability of certain processes which are sought to be patented in the same application as the machine, manufacture, or composition of matter with which they are associated.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Savings and Investment Incentive Act of 1991 - Title I: Retirement Savings Incentives - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to remove the limitations on deductions for individual retirement plans and provides a cost of living adjustment for deductible amounts. Establishes special individual retirement accounts that are nondeductible. Makes such accounts nontaxable if earnings on contributions are held for at least five years. Applies the early withdrawal penalty to distributions made before the end of the five year-period. Title II: Penalty-Free Distributions - Provides exemptions from the ten-percent penalty on early withdrawals from individual retirement plans for: (1) first home purchases; (2) higher education expenses; and (2) financially devasting medical expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Environmental Marketing Claims Act of 1991 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish an environmental marketing claims regulatory program and an Independent Advisory Board to advise and make recommendations on the regulation of such claims. Requires the Administrator, in promulgating such regulations, to ensure that such claims are related to a specific environmental impact or attribute to ensure that the claims are not false or deceptive. Provides that such claims shall be substantiated on the basis of the best available scientific information. Requires the Administrator to assign products to categories based on the composition and packaging of the product. Sets forth requirements with respect to claims of recycled content, recyclability, reusability, compostability, or degradability of a product. Directs the Administrator to determine whether it is appropriate to promulgate additional regulations to: (1) reflect the best available technology to encourage higher performance levels in products and packaging; and (2) reflect the most recent scientific and practical knowledge of technological advances and improvements in manufacturing techniques and waste management. Provides for the triennial review of regulations. Authorizes interested individuals to petition the Administrator to promulgate additional regulations. Provides that an environmental marketing claim: (1) may be made two years after this Act's enactment if the environmental characteristic in the claim uses terms defined by the Administrator; (2) may not state the absence of an environmental attribute unless the attribute is a usual characteristic of the product or package or the Administrator permits such a statement because the statement would assist consumers making value comparisons with respect to environmental claims among products and packages; and (3) may not be made because the claim is misleading in light of another environmental characteristic of the product or package. Requires persons who intend to use environmental marketing claims for which the Administrator has promulgated a regulation to certify to the Administrator that the claims meet this Act's requirements. Directs persons using claims to resubmit a certification to the Administrator that the claims meet this Act's requirements if: (1) changes have been made in the product or the package that would affect its ability to meet previous regulatory requirements of the claim; or (2) new regulations have been promulgated under this Act relating to the claim being used. Makes it unlawful to fail to comply with regulations or certification requirements. Prescribes civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Sets forth provisions concerning citizen suits. Directs the Administrator to conduct a public information and education campaign to enable consumers to: (1) recognize environmental marketing claims regulated under this Act and be able to distinguish them from other claims; (2) have information about the criteria used by the Administrator in establishing standards and definitions for such claims; and (3) have a better understanding about the environmental effects of products and packages. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the 1991 reauthorization of mass transit programs be considered as part of the solution to this country's transportation problems.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Requests the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to publish, before the expiration of 102d Congress, proposed amended regulations that specify the components of an adequate operator training program and certification system for operators of powered industrial trucks.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Allows use of the rotunda of the Capitol on April 11, 1991, and April 30, 1992, for ceremonies to observe the days of remembrance of victims of the Holocaust.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1991
Federal Facility Compliance Act of 1991 - Requires Federal agencies to perform assessments of hazardous substance releases from solid waste management units at each hazardous substance treatment, storage, or disposal facility owned or operated by such agencies after November 19, 1980. Requires such assessments to indicate whether such facilities are in compliance with specified environmental laws and to be provided to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to States in which such facilities are located. Directs the EPA Administrator to inspect such facilities annually to enforce compliance with such laws. Requires such inspections to include an analysis of groundwater monitoring. Makes inspection records available to the public. Requires Federal agencies owning or operating such facilities to reimburse the EPA for inspection costs. Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to waive sovereign immunity for Federal agencies with respect to certain requirements under such Act. Makes Federal employees subject to criminal sanctions under Federal or State solid or hazardous waste laws. Permits Federal agencies to: (1) represent or expend funds to represent an employee in State criminal proceedings if the actions for which representation were requested appear to have been performed within the scope of the employee's employment; and (2) reimburse an employee for defense costs in Federal criminal proceedings if actions were performed within such scope. Authorizes the Administrator to commence enforcement actions against Federal agencies pursuant to this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1991
Modifies the criteria under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 with respect to the selection of military installations for closure or realignment to include a determination of the extent to which a proposed closure or realignment is consistent with a fair allocation across the United States of the economic burden of base closures and realignments.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) all Arab nations should recognize Israel, end the economic boycott against Israel, end the state of belligerency with Israel, and enter into direct negotiations with Israel for the purpose of concluding peace treaties and establishing full diplomatic relations; and (2) the United States should use all available means to influence and encourage the Arab states which were allied with it in the Persian Gulf War to achieve those objectives.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Radon Testing for Safe Schools Act - Amends the Indoor Radon Abatement Act of 1989 to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish guidelines on testing for and remediating radon in school buildings. Requires local educational agencies located in areas designated as priority radon areas to conduct radon tests in school buildings owned or operated by such agencies. Directs the Administrator to designate such areas by September 30, 1991. Makes test results available for public review. Requires testing to be supervised by a person who has received instruction pursuant to an EPA or State-approved program and requires the use of devices and methods approved by the radon proficiency program. Extends the authorization of appropriations for grant assistance to States for radon programs through FY 1992. Earmarks funds for radon remediation measures for local educational agencies and for grants to such agencies to reduce radon levels. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Civil Rights Amendments Act of 1991 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of affectional or sexual orientation. Provides that this Act shall not be construed to permit a finding of discrimination based on statistical differences or the fashioning of any remedy requiring a quota.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the targeted jobs credit permanently. Increases the maximum age requirement for economically disadvantaged youth from 23 to 25. Allows employers to use the targeted jobs credit for employment of economically disadvantaged Persian Gulf veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Social Security Notch Adjustment Act of 1991 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to establish a new formula for computing the primary insurance amount of individuals who attain age 65 in or after 1982 and would otherwise be subject to the benefit computation rules of the Social Security Amendments of 1977. Extends the application of such transitional benefit computation rules to those who become eligible for benefits before 1989. (Currently those who become eligible after 1983 are subject to the benefit computation rules of the Social Security Amendments of 1977.)
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Amends the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1986 to require that Federal, State, and local programs for drug and alcohol abuse education and prevention also address problems associated with tobacco use.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the excise tax on cigarettes from: (1) $12 ($10 during 1991 or 1992) to $16 per thouand for small cigarettes; and (2) $25.20 ($21 during 1991 or 1992) to $33.60 per thousand for large ones. Imposes a tax on the floor stocks of cigarettes removed before the effective date of this Act, and on certain imported cigarettes entered after such date. (Effectively raises the excise tax on a pack of cigarettes from 20 cents to 32 cents.)
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Adolescent Tobacco Prevention Act of 1991 - Authorizes appropriations enabling the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make incentive grants to States which enact legislation prohibiting: (1) the sale of tobacco products to minors; (2) the sale of tobacco products in vending machines located on premises where the presence of minors is permitted; and (3) the distribution of free tobacco product samples. Amends the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act to require the Secretary to conduct an outreach program informing minors of the health hazards of smoking. Authorizes appropriations enabling the Secretary of Education to make incentive grants to States which enact legislation: (1) prohibiting minors from smoking in school buildings and on school grounds and buses; and (2) requiring schools to establish adult smoking areas that are separate from students and to protect students from exposure to smoke. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the tax on cigarettes for FY 1992 through 1996. Requires deposit of the increase in cigarette tax revenues into the Adolescent Tobacco Prevention Trust Fund from which incentive grant funds shall be obtained. Establishes such Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Adolescent Tobacco Prevention Act of 1991 - Authorizes appropriations enabling the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make incentive grants to States which enact legislation prohibiting: (1) the sale of tobacco products to minors; (2) the sale of tobacco products in vending machines located on premises where the presence of minors is permitted; and (3) the distribution of free tobacco product samples. Amends the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act to require the Secretary to conduct an outreach program informing minors of the health hazards of smoking. Authorizes appropriations enabling the Secretary of Education to make incentive grants to States which enact legislation: (1) prohibiting minors from smoking in school buildings and on school grounds and buses; and (2) requiring schools to establish adult smoking areas that are separate from students and to protect students from exposure to smoke.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to include among the options for required warnings in connection with cigarette advertising and labeling a Surgeon General's warning that smoking is addictive. Makes a corresponding amendment to the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 with respect to the use of smokeless tobacco.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the U.S. Government should be actively involved in promoting American small businesses to help rebuild Kuwait; (2) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration and the Secretaries of Commerce, Defense, and State should cooperate in providing assistance to American small businesses seeking to become involved in such rebuilding; and (3) the Administrator should conduct a public information campaign using local and national offices to advise American small businesses about becoming involved in such activities.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Department of the Environment Act of 1991- Title I: Elevation of the Environmental Protection Agency to Cabinet Level - Department of the Environment Act - Redesignates the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the Department of the Environment, an executive agency to be administered by a Secretary of the Environment. Encourages the Secretary to: (1) assist the Secretary of State in participating in international environmental protection agreements and organizations; (2) conduct research on international environmental problems and develop responses to such problems; and (3) provide technical and other assistance to foreign countries and international bodies to improve the environment. Provides for the continuance of specified EPA positions without renomination or reconfirmation. Establishes: (1) a Bureau of Environmental Statistics within the Department; and (2) an Advisory Council on Environmental Statistics to advise the Bureau on statistics and analyses. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary of the Environment to make grants to, and enter into contracts with, State and local governments to assist in data collection. Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences for a study and report on the adequacy of the Department's data collection procedures and capabilities. Sets forth administrative provisions concerning the acquisition of gifts, property, copyrights, and patents by the Department. Provides that the EPA seal shall be the official departmental seal until the Secretary approves another seal. Prescribes civil and criminal penalties for unauthorized uses of the seal. Authorizes the Secretary to promulgate regulations governing advisory committee standards of conduct and compensation. Sets forth conflict-of-interest disclosure requirements for persons entering into contracts or other arrangements for the provision of services with the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations requiring public notice to be given when the award of a contract, agreement, or other arrangement may result in a conflict-of-interests. Title II: Environmental Role of the United States in International Organizations to Which It Belongs - Urges the Secretary of State to convene international conferences to encourage the exchange of information on energy efficiency and environmentally acceptable renewable energy sources. Requires the President to encourage the establishment of an international office to monitor annual generation of carbon dioxide and trace gases on a country-by-country basis. Title III: Establishment of the Commission on Improving Environmental Protection - Establishes the Commission on Improving Environmental Protection to make recommendations on the implementation of Federal environmental laws to protect human health and the environment. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: Effective Date - Sets forth the effective date of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Authorizes the President to present a gold medal to General H. Norman Schwarzkopf in recognition of his exemplary performance in coordinating the planning, strategy, and execution of U.S. combat action and his invaluable contributions to the United States and to the liberation of Kuwait. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Applauds and expresses the appreciation of the Nation to President George Bush, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Colin Powell, Desert Storm Commander Norman Schwarzkopf, the American forces deployed in the Persian Gulf region, the forces from our coalition partners, and the families of American service men and women participating in Operation Desert Storm. Sends condolences to the families of those killed during such operation. Demands from Saddam Hussein: (1) the immediate release of all prisoners of war held by Iraq; (2) a complete accounting for all American and coalition forces listed as missing in action or otherwise unaccounted for; and (3) the immediate and unconditional release and return of all Kuwaiti citizens held by Iraqi forces. Urges all relevant authorities to seriously examine the issue of possible war crimes by Hussein and other Iraqi military leaders and forces and to hold Iraq responsible in principle for reparations for the destruction caused by the invasion and occupation of Kuwait.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1991
Live Performing Arts Labor Relations Amendments - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to exclude specified types of employers and performers in the live performing arts from coverage under unfair labor practice provisions: (1) prohibiting specified contracts or agreements between employers and labor organizations; and (2) prohibiting specified actions of labor organizations to force or require cessation of dealings with others, joining of labor or employer organizations, or recognition of or negotiation with labor organizations not certified as representative. Permits such employers to: (1) agree with a labor organization to make membership in it a condition of performing arts employment; and (2) make agreements with a labor organization covering performing artists even if its majority status has not yet been established. Defines "employer" to include purchasers of live musical performance services. Defines "employee" to include independent contractors engaged to perform live musical services.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 1991
Indoor Air Quality Act of 1991 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a national research, development, and demonstration program to assure the quality of indoor air, including coordinating and accelerating efforts related to the causes, detection, and correction of contaminated air. Requires such program to include information collection and dissemination, cooperative research, grants, studies, development of techniques, facility construction, and conferences. Requires that research focus on human health effects and the identification of types and levels of contaminants likely to cause harm, including the development of methodology and techniques for detection and control. Authorizes the Administrator to assist technology demonstration activities based on a technology's potential to cost effectively control sources of contaminants. Limits Federal funding to 75 percent of the costs of such projects. Requires the Administrator to publish general reports on the findings of such demonstration projects. Directs the Administrator to conduct a national assessment of indoor air pollution in buildings owned by local educational agencies and child care facilities. Requires the Administrator to report to the Congress on issues related to chemical sensitivity disorders. Repeals title IV of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 concerning radon and indoor air quality research. Directs the Administrator to publish bulletins assessing technologies and management practices for the control and measurement of indoor air contaminants. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health to develop a course to provide training in: (1) ventilation system operation and maintenance; (2) maintenance of records concerning indoor air quality; and (3) the identification of health threats posed by indoor air pollutants, pollutant sources, and options for reducing exposure to contaminants. Authorizes fees for such training. Requires the Administrator to conduct a program to analyze the adequacy of existing standards and guidelines to protect the public from indoor air contaminants. Directs the Administrator to publish and biennially revise a list of contaminants known to occur in indoor air at levels expected to cause adverse health effects. Provides for additions to such list upon application of a State Governor. Requires the Administrator to publish advisory materials addressing the health effects of listed contaminants. Directs the Indoor Air Quality and Total Human Exposure Committee of the EPA Science Advisory Board to assist in the listing and advisories. Requires advisories to be updated at least once every five years. Directs the Administrator to develop and publish a national indoor air quality response plan to reduce human exposure to listed indoor air pollutants and attain contaminant levels protective of human health. Requires the response plan to identify the contaminant, the basis for the action, the nature of the response, the responsible Federal authority, and the necessary financial resources. Requires the Administrator and the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) to develop and implement a program to respond to and reduce indoor air contamination in Federal buildings and to demonstrate methods of reducing indoor air contamination in new Federal buildings. Directs the GSA Administrator to prepare response plans addressing indoor air quality in Federal buildings. Exempts certain buildings for national security, demolition, or special use reasons. Directs the GSA Administrator to reserve .5 percent of funds used for construction of new Federal buildings for measures to reduce indoor air contaminant concentrations in such buildings. Requires that any new EPA building be designed, constructed, and maintained as a model to demonstrate practices for protection of indoor air quality. Directs the GSA Administrator to provide a method to allow workers and the public to file complaints concerning indoor air quality in Federal buildings. Requires the GSA Administrator to designate an Indoor Air Quality Coordinator for each Federal building owned or leased by GSA. Requires each Coordinator to complete the indoor air training course established pursuant to this Act. Provides that the GSA Administrator shall not reestablish leases for buildings in which the lessee has failed to designate and train a Coordinator. Authorizes grants to States for the development and implementation of management strategies and indoor air quality assessment and response programs similar to those of the Federal program. Directs the Administrator to establish the Office of Indoor Air Quality within the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation to implement agency responsibilities under this Act. Establishes a Council on Indoor Air Quality to coordinate Federal indoor air quality activities and review and comment on the national indoor air response program and the Federal building response plan. Requires the Council to report to the Congress on a biennial basis. Directs the Administrator to establish a national indoor air quality clearinghouse which shall operate a toll-free hotline on indoor air quality. Requires the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to implement a Building Assessment Demonstration Program to support the development of methods, techniques, and protocols for assessing indoor air contamination in non-residential, non-industrial buildings and to provide contamination reduction assistance and guidance to building owners and occupants. Sets forth building assessment report requirements. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 1991
Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 and the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 to apply the same honoraria provisions to Senators and officers and employees of the Senate as apply to Members of the House of Representatives and other officers and employees of the Government. Amends the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 to repeal provisions providing for annual cost-of-living salary increases for Senators and concurrent reductions in the limit on honoraria.
United States · United States Congress · 20 February 1991
Consumer Protection Against Price-Fixing Act of 1991 - Amends the Sherman Act to set forth evidentiary standards for price-fixing actions. Requires the court to allow the issue of concerted action to fix prices to be decided by the trier of fact if there is sufficient evidence from which a trier of fact could reasonably conclude that: (1) the supplier of a good or service received from a competitor of a reseller an express or implied suggestion, request, or demand that the supplier take steps to curtail or eliminate price competition; and (2) such communication was the major reason that the supplier terminated sales or supplies to the reseller. Prohibits the court from allowing the trier of fact to consider whether an individual and a competitor engaged in concerted action to set prices in violation of this Act if the court determines that the trier of fact could only find concerted action by making implausible inferences. Provides that the fact that a supplier and a reseller entered into an agreement to establish the resale price of a good or service shall be sufficient to constitute a price fixing violation, except when the agreement is to establish the maximum resale price of a good or service. Specifies that an agreement between the seller and the purchaser of a good or service to terminate another purchaser as a dealer or to refuse to supply such other purchaser because of that purchaser's pricing policies violates this Act, regardless of whether or not a specific price or price level is agreed upon.
United States · United States Congress · 20 February 1991
Mining Law Reform Act of 1991 - Title I: Disposition of Mineral Deposits - Declares that all public domain mineral lands shall be open to any person for location of a mining claim according to prescribed recordation requirements and filings. Reserves to the United States all surface and subsurface rights and interests (including royalties) in claimed lands, except for locatable minerals subject to a claim located, recorded, and maintained under this Act. Declares that claims shall be conclusively presumed to be abandoned 20 years after the location notice is filed unless locatable minerals have been or are being produced in sufficient quantities. Prescribes guidelines for: (1) an annual holding fee to maintain a claim; (2) surface use permits for milling, processing or beneficiation activities; (3) a mining plan of operations; (4) mineral production royalty payments; and (5) the allocation of user fees and administrative fees between the States and the Federal Government. Title II: Environmental Protection - Directs the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) to take action to assure that all mineral activities are conducted in a manner to minimize adverse impact upon the environment. Prescribes criteria for development of: (1) land use planning guides; (2) land reclamation standards; and (3) financial guarantees for mining area reclamation activities. Requires the Secretary to conduct biannual compliance inspections. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Authorizes citizens' suits to compel compliance with this Act. Title III: Hardrock Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund - Establishes the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Fund to be administered by the Secretary (acting through the Director, Bureau of Land Management) for the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past hardrock mining. Outlines lands and waters eligible for reclamation expenditures. Provides for Fund allocation on an annual basis in the form of grants to eligible States. Prescribes criteria for State reclamation programs eligible for Fund expenditures. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: Savings and Administrative Provisions - Subjects mining claims and patents to the requirements of this Act, including certain existing claims. Amends Federal law to provide that no mineral deposit material (including sand, stone, gravel, pumice, pumicite, cinders, or clay) shall have such distinct and special value as to be deemed a valuable mineral deposit within the meaning of U.S. mining laws. Sets forth conversion guidelines for mineral materials asserted to have some property giving them distinct and special value under the Mining Law of 1872. Repeals the Building Stone Act and the Saline Placer Act. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to administer Federal mining law activities on National Forest System lands. Directs the Secretary to collect user fees from claimants to reimburse Federal administrative expenses. Repeals the Mining Law of 1872, and certain filing requirements of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1991
Federal Energy Management Amendments Act of 1991 - Amends the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA) to set a deadline by which each Federal agency must: (1) install energy conservation measures in its Federal buildings with specified payback periods; (2) submit a list of projects to the Secretary of Energy (Secretary) which meet such payback criterion and indicate total energy and cost savings involved; and (3) have substantially completed at least 25 percent of such projects, or those projects that would account for 25 percent of total energy savings. Directs the Secretary to develop guidelines with respect to the selection of energy service contractors. Requires: (1) each Federal agency that leases space in a building after January 1, 1994, to consider the energy efficiency of such building at the time of renewing of entering into a new lease; and (2) all government owned and leased space constructed after such date to meet model Federal building standards for energy efficiency. Sets forth specified procedures for implementation of energy conservation measures for each Federal agency. Amends the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technology Competitiveness Act of 1989 to require the Secretary to solicit proposals for, and provide financial assistance to, joint ventures for the demonstration of fuel cells technology. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the NECPA to require the Secretary to: (1) conduct a fuel cell systems demonstration program in Federal buildings; and (2) report to the Congress on the program's implementation. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to study the cost of environmental externalities associated with the use of different fuels and renewable and clean energy sources and technologies, and to prepare a report assigning monetary values to such externalities and describing the methodology used to obtain them. Requires submission of the report to specified congressional committees.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1991
Americans with Disabilities Luxury Tax Relief Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the luxury excise tax parts or accessories installed for use in passenger vehicles by disabled individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1991
Lead Exposure Reduction Act of 1991 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit the importing, 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. Permits the Administrator to extend dates for compliance with such requirements for one year and to establish a performance standard for lead leaching from plumbing fittings and fixtures in lieu of the applicable restriction if such standard is at least as protective of human health and the environment as such restriction. Requires the Administrator to waive such requirements with respect to certain toys and recreational game pieces that are collectible items and scale models intended for adult acquisition. Directs the Administrator to publish regulations banning the sale of lead solder to plumbers and plumbing supply wholesalers and retailers. Prohibits the sale or promotion of: (1) any packaging which may be used for food for human consumption (or any food in such packaging) that includes any additive to which lead has been intentionally introduced, beginning 24 months after this Act's enactment; and (2) any packaging or product in packaging that includes such an additive, beginning 48 months after this Act's enactment. Sets allowable concentration levels for the incidental presence of lead in such packaging. Prohibits the sale or promotion of packaging exceeding such levels. Authorizes the Administrator to exempt from such requirements: (1) packaging manufactured prior to this Act's enactment date; and (2) packaging to which lead has been added to comply with Federal, State, or local health or safety requirements. Requires certificates of compliance with lead requirements to be retained by packaging manufacturers or distributors and made available to purchasers. Prohibits the manufacture, import, or distribution in commerce of food cans containing more than .2 percent lead by dry weight. Prohibits the importing, manufacturing, processing, or distributing in commerce of foils for wine bottles containing more than .1 percent lead by dry weight. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to delay the application of such requirements under certain conditions. Prohibits the sale of leaded gasoline at a price lower than that of unleaded gasoline sold at the same establishment. Prohibits, within six months of this Act's enactment, the sale of leaded gasoline for use in motor vehicles (other than farm vehicles) in a metropolitan statistical area or consolidated metropolitan statistical area with a 1980 population of 250,000 persons or more. Requires, effective January 1, 1996, manufacturers or importers of fuels containing lead or lead additives to submit quarterly reports to the Administrator on the lead content and volume of such fuels. Exempts from lead content requirements: (1) paint used by artists; (2) products used for medical purposes; (3) products used in connection with national security; (4) products used in the nuclear industry; and (5) products used in the mining industry to determine the presence of noble metals in geological materials. Directs persons manufacturing, processing, or importing any product containing more than .1 percent lead by dry weight to submit specified information to the Administrator. Exempts owners or operators of recycling facilities and manufacturers, processors, or importers of lead-acid batteries from such requirement. Requires the Administrator to update, and publish a compilation of, such information. Directs the Administrator to report to the Congress on such information and on recommendations for minimizing the release of lead into the environment and preventing human exposure to lead. Permits persons submitting inventory information to claim such information as confidential. Sets forth provisions concerning confidentiality applications. Requires the Administrator to promulgate regulations that provide for the labeling of products (other than lead-acid batteries) that pose a risk of human exposure to lead. Requires the labeling of toys and recreational game pieces that are collectible items and scale models to disclose that such items contain lead and are not suitable for children. 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. Prohibits the disposal of batteries except by delivery to: (1) battery retailers or wholesalers; (2) regulated lead smelters or collection or recycling facilities; or (3) automotive dismantlers. 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, and in an approximately equal quantity to, the batteries sold. Requires 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; (2) state that Federal law requires battery retailers to accept used batteries for recycling and allows a person to give used batteries to battery collectors, recyclers, or processors or to automotive dismantlers; and (3) encourage recycling of used batteries. Prescribes civil penalties for violations of such notice requirements. Makes it unlawful to sell a lead-acid battery that does not bear a permanent label stating that: (1) the battery contains lead; and (2) Federal law requires recycling and the seller must accept the return. Permits the Administrator to issue warnings and citations for noncompliance with battery labeling and notice requirements. Permits the export of lead-acid batteries for purposes of recycling. Directs the Administrator to undertake a program to promote monitoring, detection, and abatement of lead-based paint and other lead exposure hazards. Requires the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to establish: (1) standards for laboratory analysis of lead 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. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, to establish parallel standards and certification programs for laboratory analysis of lead in blood. Requires the Secretary of Labor 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. Authorizes the Secretary to evaluate such programs and to encourage State certification programs or the development of national proficiency tests. Requires the Secretary of Commerce 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 Secretary of Commerce 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. Directs the Secretary of Labor and the Administrator to conduct a long-term research study on the sources of lead exposure in construction workers. Requires the Administrator to sponsor public education and outreach activities to increase awareness of the scope and severity of lead poisoning from household sources, potential exposure to lead in schools and day care centers, and the need for abatement and management action. Directs the Administrator to issue guidelines concerning the action levels for lead in soil. 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. Limits grants to two-year periods. 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. 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 and adult lead poisoning and estimates of adverse health outcomes associated with lead exposure. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem a food to be adulterated if: (1) it is packaged in a container containing solder or another ingredient with a lead content greater than .2 percent by dry weight; or (2) it is ceramic ware and the ability of such ceramic ware to leach lead does not conform with standards for ceramic ware established by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Requires the Secretary to establish standards and testing procedures with respect to lead in ceramic ware. Authorizes appropriations.
![Official portrait of Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000123_200.jpg)