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United States · Official source
3,423 records where Sen. Matsunaga, Spark M. [D-HI] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 1984
Designates November 1984 as National Hospice Month.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1984
Federal Interagency Arson Prevention and Control Task Force Act of 1984 - Establishes a Federal Interagency Arson Prevention and Control Task Force to coordinate Federal anti-arson programs and to provide assistance to State and local governments for the prevention and control of arson. Directs each Federal agency with arson related activities to report annually to the Task Force with respect to their efforts in providing Federal assistance to State and local governments for the prevention and control of arson. Directs the Task Force to transmit annually a report to Congress concerning its activities and success in preventing arson. Directs the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to assist the Task Force by providing access to personnel and resources of the Bureau.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1984
Designates October 16, 1984, as World Food Day.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 1984
Designates the month of August 1984 as Ostomy Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 1984
Designates the month of August 1984 as Ostomy Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 1984
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should seek agreements with other nations: (1) to plan for space station activities that would permit space rescue operations; and (2) for exchange of scientific and technical information that would aid such space rescue operations pursuant to specified space and rescue agreements. Urges the President to examine other opportunities for mutually beneficial international coordination of U.S. permanent space station programs.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 1984
Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide grants to nonprofit organizations for the development and implementation of poison control centers to provide services, including a toll-free hotline, for poisoning and drug overdose cases. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 1984
Designates the month of November 1984 as National Christmas Seal Month.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 1984
Reaffirms that it is U.S. policy to oppose the practice of torture by foreign governments through the implementation of laws and through public and private diplomacy. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should: (1) instruct the U.S. representative to the United Nations to continue to raise the issue of torture by such governments; and (2) continue to involve the U.S. Government in the formulation of international standards and the implementation of the draft Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Requests the Secretary of State to issue specified formal instructions to each U.S. mission chief regarding U.S. policy with respect to such torture. States that the Secretary of Commerce should continue to enforce the current restrictions on the export of crime control equipment pursuant to the Export Administration Act of 1979. Directs the heads of U.S. departments that furnish military and law enforcement training to foreign personnel to include in such training instruction regarding international human rights standards with respect to torture.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 1984
Congratulates and commends the United States of America Philharmonic Society for its work on behalf of the Nation's young musicians and its commitment to furthering better understanding among peoples of all nations through the language of music.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 1984
Designates the week of September 16 through September 22, 1984, as National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 1984
Congratulates and commends the USA Philharmonic Society for its work on behalf of the Nation's young musicians and its commitment to furthering better understanding among peoples of all nations through the language of music.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 1984
Grants a Federal charter to the National Society, Daughters of the American Colonists.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 1984
Designates the week of September 30 through October 6, 1984, as National High-Tech Week.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 1984
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should be encouraged in his efforts to achieve cuts in the amounts of nuclear weapons held by each nation and to establish a lasting peace. Calls upon him to direct consideration within the Government and to initiate discussions with the Soviets concerning the Joint Statement of Agreed Principles for Disarmanent Negotiations. Requests the President to: (1) report to the Congress by December 31, 1984, regarding the steps he has taken with respect to this resolution; and (2) submit a final report to the Congress by September 30, 1985, on the U.S. Government's reassessment of the Joint Statement and the progress made in discussions with the Soviets. Encourages private organizations, foundations, and citizens to assess the continued relevance of the Joint Statement and to determine a practical approach to achieve the agreed principles set forth therein.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 1984
Commends the Senior Companion Program on its tenth anniversary for its success in providing volunteer opportunities for older Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 1984
United States Scholarship Program for Developing Countries Act - Directs the President, acting through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Information Agency, to provide an undergraduate scholarship program for citizens and nationals of developing countries to study at American institutions of higher education. Requires that half of each payment to a student shall be in the form of a loan with repayment to be forgiven upon the student's prompt return to his or her country of origin for a period of no less than the years spent studying in the United States plus one. Sets forth guidelines for implementing the program. Directs the President, before allocating any funds, to consult with U.S. educational institutions, educational exchange organizations, U.S. missions, and the governments of participating countries on how to implement the guidelines. Authorizes the President to enter into agreements with foreign governments to further the scholarship program. Urges the Administrator of the agency primarily responsible for administering development assistance programs, in implementing such programs, to increase assistance for undergraduate scholarships for students of limited financial means from developing countries to study in the United States. Urges the President to take steps to expand the opportunities for Americans from all economic classes to study in developing countries. Authorizes the President to establish counseling and orientation services: (1) abroad to prepare foreign students for study in the United States; and (2) at U.S. schools to help them while they are in the United States. Directs the Board of Foreign Scholarships to advise and assist the President in the discharge of programs authorized by this Act. Requires the public and private sectors in the United States to be encouraged to contribute to the costs of the programs financed under this Act. Directs the President to engage the public and private sectors of developing countries in programs to maximize the use of program participants upon their return to their own countries. Authorizes the President to publicize the scholarship program abroad. Authorizes the President to provide English instruction abroad when necessary. Provides for funding to carry out this Act. Requires the President to report annually to Congress on the activities taken pursuant to this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 1984
Amends the Federal criminal code to define "armor piercing ammunition." Excludes from the definition: (1) shot gun shot required by Federal or State regulations for hunting; (2) frangible projectiles for target shooting; and (3) projectiles that the Secretary of Treasury determines are primarily intended for sporting purposes. Makes it unlawful for any person to manufacture or import armor piercing ammunition. Allows for: (1) the manufacture or importation of armor piercing ammunition for the use of the United States or any State or local government; and (2) manufacture for the sole purpose of exportation. Establishes a licensing fee of $1,000 per year for manufacturers and importers of armor piercing ammunition. Imposes an additional mandatory sentence of not less than five years for any person who uses or carries a firearm and is in possession of armor piercing ammunition during the commission of a violent felony. Provides that such sentence shall not be suspended nor probation nor parole granted.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 1984
Veterans' and Survivors' Compensation Rate Increase Act of 1984 - Title I: Disability Compensation Rate Increases - Increases the rates of: (1) veterans' disability compensation; (2) additional compensation for dependents; and (3) the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans. Title II: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Rate Increases - Increases the rates of: (1) dependency and indemnity compensation for spouses; (2) dependency and indemnity compensation for children; and (3) supplemental dependency and indemnity compensation for children. Title III: Alternative Rate Increases; Effective Date - Sets forth the effective dates for such increases. Makes the effective dates and amounts of increase contingent upon the percent of increase in benefits under title II of the Social Security Act scheduled to take effect on December 1, 1984.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 1984
Designates July 20, 1984, as Space Exploration Day.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 1984
Designates the week of September 10 through September 16, 1984, as Teenage Alcohol Abuse Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 1984
Designates July 10, 1984, as Food for Peace Day.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1984
Native American Culture and Art Development Act - Establishes a corporation to be known as the Institute of Native American Culture and Arts Development, with a board of trustees including Native Americans from the private sector, appointed by the President, and Members of Congress. Identifies the Institute's primary functions as: (1) scholarly study and instruction in Native American arts and culture; and (2) the establishment of degree-awarding programs in Native American art and culture. Establishes within the Institute: (1) a Center for Culture and Art Studies; and (2) a Center for Research and Cultural Exchange. Establishes the Institute as non-profit and tax-exempt. Prohibits the Institute from engaging in any political activity regarding elective public office. Transfers to the Institute the functions of the Institute of American Indian Arts. Directs the President of the Institute to submit an annual report to the Congress and the Board. Establishes the Institute of American Indian Arts, at Santa Fe, New Mexico, as the site of the Institute of Native American Culture and Arts Development. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 1984
Grants a Federal charter to the Women's Army Corps Veterans' Association.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 1984
Authorizes the Kahlil Gibran Centennial Foundation of Washington, District of Columbia, to erect a memorial on public ground in the District of Columbia in commemoration of the Lebanese-American poet and artist, Kahil Gibran. Provides that the memorial shall be in the form of a sculptured monument and shall be designated the Kahlil Gibran Memorial. Directs the Secretary of the Interior, with the approval of the National Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission, to select a site on public grounds for such memorial. Subjects the design and any plans for the memorial to the approval of the Secretary, the National Commission of Fine Arts, and the National Capital Planning Commission. Prohibits the United States or the District of Columbia from expending any money for the establishment of the memorial. Provides that the authority of this resolution shall lapse unless: (1) construction is commenced within five years from the enactment of this resolution; and (2) prior to the commencement of construction, the Secretary determines that sufficient funds are available for the completion of the memorial. Makes the maintenance and care of the monument the responsibility of the Secretary of the Interior.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 1984
Designates the month of September 1984 as National Sewing Month.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 1984
Designates the week of December 9 through December 15, 1984, as National Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1984
Designates July 1984 as National Ice Cream Month and July 15, 1984, as National Ice Cream Day.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1984
Designates the week of October 14 through October 20, 1984, as Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1984
Health Professions and Nursing Educational Assistance Amendments of 1984 - Title I: Health Professions Educational Assistance - Part A: Authorization of Appropriations - Amends title VII (Health Research and Teaching Facilities and Training of Professional Health Personnel) of the Public Health Service Act to authorize FY 1985 through 1988 appropriations for: (1) construction and equipment; (2) health education assistance loans; (3) student loans and scholarships for students of exceptional need; (4) departments of family medicine; (5) area health education centers; (6) physician assistants training; (7) general medicine and dentistry training; (8) internal medicine and pediatrics; (9) educational assistance to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds; (10) curriculum development grants; (11) financial distress assistance; (12) graduate health administration and other related graduate programs; (13) public health traineeships; (14) preventive medicine training; and (15) allied health grants and assistance to disadvantaged individuals in allied health training. Part B: Program Revisions - Defines graduate programs in clinical psychology for purposes of such title. Includes such programs within the scope of educational assistance to persons from disadvantaged backgrounds. Sets forth specified rulemaking procedures. Authorizes grant authority for teaching facilities equipment. Requires schools participating in the health professions student loan program to provide specified loan information to the recipient-student. Provides for Federal assumption of defaulted loans after a school has unsuccessfully pursued specified collection procedures. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit disclosure of defaulters' addresses to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for loan collection purposes. Establishes a loan-in-kind repayment program to permit the Secretary to reduce the debts of health professions school graduates for the performance of service in academic, nonprofit research, or community or public service employment. Sets forth program provisions. Requires the Secretary to submit annual program reports to Congress. Prohibits first-year scholarships to students of exceptional financial need from exceeding yearly total attendance costs. Sets forth eligibility and application provisions for public health school capitation grants. Requires (presently authorizes) the Secretary to obligate ten percent (presently up to ten percent) of area health education center appropriations for special projects. Authorizes grants for advanced educational programs in the general practice of dentistry. Requires obligation of at least ten percent of family medicine and general dentistry appropriations for such grants. Authorizes grants for health professions pilot and special projects, including curriculum and faculty development. Permits funding of graduate health administration programs with at least 20 students and a specified minority enrollment. Authorizes grants for special projects in: (1) biostatistics or epidemiology; (2) health planning and administration; (3) environmental health sciences; (4) nutrition; (5) behavioral sciences; (6) geriatrics; (7) health promotion and disease prevention; (8) alcoholism; (9) sexually transmitted diseases; (10) medical care costs; and (11) accidents within and outside the workplace. Authorizes FY 1985 through 1988 appropriations. Authorizes FY 1985 through 1988 appropriations for educational assistance to disadvantaged individuals in allied health training. Repeals statutory authority for: (1) the Lister Hill scholarship program; (2) family medicine training grants; (3) education of U.S. students returning from foreign medical schools; and (4) occupational health training and education centers. Title II: Nurse Training - Amends title VIII (Nurse Training) of the Public Health Service Act to authorize FY 1985 through 1988 appropriations for: (1) advanced nurse training; (2) nurse practitioner; (3) demonstration projects; (4) special projects; (5) traineeships for advanced training of professional nurses; and (6) traineeships for nurse anesthetists.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1984
Designates the week of September 16 through September 22, 1984, as Emergency Medicine Week.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1984
Designates June 18, 1984, as National Child Passenger Safety Awareness Day.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1984
Designates the month of November 1984 as National Alzheimer's Disease Month.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1984
Designates January 27, 1985, as National Jerome Kern Day.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1984
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Federal Government take immediate steps to support funding for a national storm-scale operational and research meteorological (STORM) program under the leadership of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the Department of Commerce, with the cooperation of other interested and appropriate departments and agencies. Sets forth certain times the President should submit to Congress proposed activities of the program, including budgetary requirements, progress reports, and a statement of activities.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 1984
Alcohol Abuse, Alcoholism, and Drug Abuse Amendments of 1984 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize FY 1985 through 1987 appropriations for research and demonstration programs of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through NIAAA, to make demonstration project grants for alcoholism and alcohol abuse prevention and treatment. Authorizes FY 1985 through 1987 appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary, through NIDA, to make demonstration project grants for drug abuse and treatment. Gives priority for primary prevention programs. Directs: (1) the Secretary to coordinate applications within a State; and (2) the State program agency to submit its application evaluation to the Secretary within 30 days of receipt. Directs the Secretary to encourage programs for racial and ethnic minorities, youth, women, the elderly, the handicapped, and families of drug abusers. Limits grants to a maximum of five years. Authorizes FY 1985 through 1987 appropriations. Sets aside at least 25 percent of annual appropriations for primary prevention and intervention programs. Repeals specified demonstration grant provisions of the Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970, and the Drug Abuse, Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Act. Directs the Secretary: (1) through NIAAA to carry out research on the prevention, causes, treatment, and impact of alcoholism and alcohol abuse among women; and (2) through NIDA to carry out similar research on drug abuse among women. Authorizes FY 1985 through 1987 appropriations. Directs the Secretary, by January 1, 1985, to prepare and submit to Congress a national plan to combat alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Requires such report to include: (1) a model State program; (2) an analysis of funds spent for treatment and their settings; (3) a description of other health related alcohol problems; and (4) legislative recommendations. Authorizes television public service announcements to educate the public about the problems of alcohol and drug abuse. Repeals title IV of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 1984
Designates June 13, 1984, as Harmon Killebrew Day.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1984
Older Americans Act Amendments of 1984 - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to declare as an objective of the Act that community services provided under the Act should place emphasis on maintaining a continuum of care for the vulnerable elderly. Directs the Commissioner on Aging to develop linkages with utilization and quality control peer review organizations under the Social Security Act in order to insure the development of community alternatives. Increases the number of programs related to the purposes of the Act, for purposes of Federal agency cooperation. Revises provisions relating to the appointment of members to the Federal Council on Aging. Authorizes appropriations for the Council for FY 1985, 1986, and 1987. Provides for the annual authorization of appropriations to conduct program and project evaluations in an amount not exceeding one-tenth of one percent of annual funding or $300,000, whichever is lower. Defines the term: (1) "multipurpose senior center" to mean a community facility for the organization and provision of a broad spectrum of services, which shall include, but not be limited to, provision of health, social, nutritional and educational services and the provision of facilities for recreational activities for older individuals; and (2) "focal point" to mean a facility established to encourage the maximum collocation and coordination of services for older individuals. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1985, 1986, and 1987 for grants for: (1) supportive services and senior centers; (2) congregate nutrition services; and (3) home delivered nutrition services. Permits a State to use up to one percent of its allotment for conducting effective demonstration projects in health and nutrition education. Requires a State agency designating an area agency on aging to give the right of first refusal to a unit of general purpose local government when the boundaries of such a unit and the boundaries of the area are reasonably contiguous. Requires area plans: (1) to provide supportive services for families of elderly victims of Alzheimers' disease and other neurological diseases and organic brain disorders; (2) to provide services for the prevention of elder abuse; and (3) in providing services, to give preference to older individuals, especially minorities, with the greatest economic or social needs. Requires an area agency before requesting a waiver of any requirements for furnishing services to conduct a public hearing. Repeals the authority of grant recipients to charge for meals. Permits grant recipients to request voluntary contributions for meals. Requires a State plan to provide that with respect to services for the prevention of elder abuse: (1) the State will identify the public and private nonprofit entities involved in the prevention, identification, and treatment of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (2) the State will, based on such identification, determine the extent to which the need for services for the prevention of elder abuse are unmet; (3) the State will establish, in areas where the need for services is unmet, a program for public education to identify and prevent elder abuse, receive reports of elder abuse, and refer complaints to law enforcement agencies; (4) the State will not permit involuntary or coerced participation in the program of services by alleged victims, abusers, or their households; and (5) all information gathered shall remain confidential unless all parties to the complaint agree to the release of the information, except that the information may be released to a law enforcement agency. Requires a State plan to provide assurances that each State will: (1) provide inservice training opportunities for personnel of agencies and programs funded under the Act; and (2) assign personnel to provide State leadership in developing legal assistance programs for the elderly throughout the State. Requires each State to establish at least one demonstration project for health and nutrition education to be conducted by one or more area agencies on aging. Limits State expenditures for plan administration to an amount not exceeding five percent of its allotment or $500,000, whichever is greater, except that in the case of Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands, the amount shall be five percent or $200,000, whichever is greater. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1985, 1986, and 1987 for the surplus commodities program under the Act. Prohibits State agencies and area agencies on aging from requesting information or data of providers which is not pertinent to a payment made under the Act. Directs the Commissioner to make grants to States with approved State plans for: (1) supportive services for the prevention of elder abuse; and (2) inservice training and State leadership for legal assistance activities. Revises provisions relating to training, research, and discretionary projects and programs. Authorizes appropriations for such projects and programs for FY 1985, 1986, and 1987. States that the purpose of such projects and programs is to expand the knowledge and understanding of aging and the aging process, to design and test innovative ideas in programs and services for older individuals, and to help meet the needs for trained personnel in the field of aging. Directs the Commissioner to administer such projects and programs through the Administration on Aging. Provides for the special consideration of Alzheimers' disease with respect to such projects and programs. Provides for the dissemination of information with respect to project results. Directs the Commissioner, upon request, to provide assistance to State agencies on aging, to work in conjunction with State protective service agencies so as not to duplicate activities already undertaken by such protective service agencies, for the provision of technical assistance and development of training materials for personnel in State and area agencies who are engaged or intend to engage in the prevention, identification, and treatment of elder abuse. Limits to 12 percent of Federal funding the amount which shall be available for the costs of administration of a State's older American community service employment program. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to coordinate such employment program with programs of the Job Training Partnership Act, the Community Services Block Grant Act, and the Vocational Education Act of 1984, if the Secretary determines that to do so would increase job opportunities available under the Older Americans Act of 1965. Requires each State receiving funds under the older American community service employment program to report to the Secretary annually concerning the equitable distribution of funds within the State. Authorizes appropriations for such employment program for FY 1985, 1986, and 1987. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1985, 1986, and 1987 for grants to Indian tribes under the Act. Amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to add to the definition of the term "employee." States that such term includes any individual who is a U.S. citizen employed by an employer in a workplace in a foreign country. Provides that the provisions of such Act shall not prohibit the compulsory retirement of any employee between 65 and 70 years of age who, between the two year period immediately before retirement, is employed in a bona fide executive position, if such employee is entitled to an immediate nonforfeitable annual retirement benefit of at least $44,000. (Current law provides that the benefit must be at least $27,000.)
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1984
Designates the week beginning September 2, 1984, as National School-Age Child Care Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 1984
Amends the Tariff Schedules of the United States to permit the duty-free entry of scrolls or tablets of wood or paper which are imported for use in public or private religious observances.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1984
Developmental Disabilities Act of 1984 - Amends the Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act of 1963 to cite title I of such Act as the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. States that with regard to State grants and university-affiliated facilities grants under this Act, the Federal project share shall be 75 percent generally, and 90 percent in poverty areas. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) recordkeeping and audits; (2) U.S. recovery rights for facility sale or nonuse; (3) State operations control; and (4) reporting requirements of of the States and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Requires the Secretary to consult with the Secretary of Education before awarding grants or approving any State plan under this Act. Provides for grant recipient employment of handicapped persons. Sets forth congressional findings respecting the rights of persons with developmental disabilities. Requires a State to have a plan approved by the Secretary in order to receive planning and service funds. Sets forth plan requirements, including the establishment of a State Planning Council to serve as an advocate for persons with developmental disabilities. Requires each State program to include a habilitation plan as provided for under this Act. Requires such plans to be reviewed at least annually. Authorizes FY 1985 through 1987 appropriations. Allocates State amounts based on: (1) population; (2) financial need; and (3) the extent of need for such services. Prohibits any State from receiving such grants unless it has in effect a system to protect and advocate the rights of persons with developmental disabilities. Sets forth such a system's requirements. Authorizes FY 1985 through 1987 appropriations. Directs the Secretary to make grants to university affiliated facilities to aid in the provision of interdisciplinary training, the conduct of service demonstration programs, and the dissemination of information which will increase and support the independence, productivity, and integration into the community of persons with developmental disabilities. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to: (1) a recipient facility for satellite feasibility studies, applied research, or service-related-training; and (2) assist in establishing satellite centers, including administrative and operating costs. Requires the Secretary to establish implementing regulations within six months. Authorizes FY 1985 through 1987 appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to make special project grants. Directs the Secretary to prepare and submit to Congress within six months a study on intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded. Authorizes FY 1985 through 1987 appropriations for such purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1984
Civil Rights Act of 1984 - Amends the Education Amendments of 1972, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 and the Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination by any recipient of Federal financial assistance. (Currently, discrimination is prohibited only in a program or activity receiving Federal assistance.) Defines the term "recipient" to extend comprehensive coverage for purposes of the four Acts to any State or local governmental unit, any public or private agency or entity, and any subunit successor, assignee, or transferee of any such unit, agency, or entity.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1984
SSI Equitable Improvements and Reform Amendments of 1984 - Title I: Treatment of Income - Amends title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act to exclude from income unearned income received in the form of real or personal property: (1) if it meets the existing criteria for exclusion from resources; (2) which is of a type not normally converted into cash or otherwise used for the production of income, which is not so converted or used, and which cannot be used for food or clothing; or (3) which is received as a gift or heirloom possessing emotional or sentimental value and which is not converted into cash or otherwise used for the production of income. Makes permanent SSI and AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children, part A of title IV of the Social Security Act) provisions which exempt in-kind home energy assistance provided by a private nonprofit organization. Provides for the exclusion of certain interest and dividend income. Provides that any temporary one-time income which is received by an individual in the individual's initial month of SSI eligibility shall be taken into account only for that month. Excludes from income amounts received by holocaust survivors as reparations from foreign countries. Title II: Treatment of Resources - Provides that to the extent that an overpayment results because a recipient's resources exceed the applicable limit, such overpayment shall be determined to be the lesser of: (1) the amount of benefits received or for which the recipient would have been eligible but for such resources; or (2) the amount by which the value of the resources exceeded the applicable resource limit. Modifies penalties where assets are transferred at less than fair market value. Provides that if assets are so transferred, the period of ineligibility shall bear a reasonable relationship to the uncompensated value of such resource. Permits a waiver of the penalty if: (1) the individual is in a hospital, nursing home, or other medical institution and cannot reasonably be expected to be discharged; (2) title was transferred to the individual's spouse or to the individual's child who is under age 21 or is blind or disabled; (3) the individual intended to dispose of the resource either at fair market value or for other valuable consideration; or (4) the inclusion of the resource in the individual's resources would work an undue hardship. Provides that in any event, if a State waives a similar penalty under Medicaid (title XIX of the Social Security Act) for such individual, the SSI penalty shall also be waived. Excludes from resources, for 12 months from the date of receipt, SSI or OASDI (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance, title II of the Social Security Act) underpayment amounts received in the form of a retroactive check. Increases the SSI resources limit for single individuals from $1,500 to $2,000, and for married couples from $2,250 to $3,000. Excludes from the SSI resources limit an automobile, household goods, and personal effects. (Current law also exempts such items, but only to the extent determined reasonable by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.) Title III: Determination of Benefit Amounts - Revises SSI provisions providing for a one-third reduction in benefits for an SSI recipient who lives in another person's household and who receives support and maintenance in kind from such person. Provides that an individual shall not be considered to be "living in another person's household and receiving support and maintenance in kind from such person" if such individual lives in a household with another person and such individual's pro rata share of the expenses of maintaining such household does not exceed the benefit payable to an individual with no other income who is living in another person's household and receiving support and maintenance from such person. Provides for the continuation of regular SSI benefits until the end of the second consecutive month of institutionalization if an eligible individual is institutionalized. Increases the benefits standard payable annually to: (1) an institutionalized individual from $300 to $420; and (2) an institutionalized couple from $600 to $840. Title IV: Provisions Relating to Eligibility - Provides that a disabled child who is living outside the United States with his or her parents shall maintain SSI eligibility so long as the parents retain legal residence in the United States. Provides for the payment of benefits due a deceased SSI recipient to certain individuals who contributed to the support of the deceased. (Current law provides for the payment of benefits following a beneficiary's death only to the surviving spouse.) Provides for an exemption from the requirement that an SSI applicant or recipient must file for OASDI or other pension benefits if receipt of such benefits would cause the applicant or recipient to be ineligible for SSI or Medicaid. Reduces from six months to one month the length of time that an SSI individual and spouse must live separately before they will be treated as separate individuals for SSI purposes. Title V: Overpayments, Underpayments, and Benefit Reductions - Provides that, in situations where there has not been fraud in connection with an SSI overpayment, overpayments shall be recovered through adjustments in future benefits which do not reduce any benefit payment by more than the greater of ten percent or ten dollars. Expands the SSI interim assistance program to include payment of retroactive SSI funds to a State for assistance provided during any period following the termination of an individual's SSI benefits, if and to the extent that: (1) the individual is subsequently found on reconsideration of the termination to have been eligible for such benefits; and (2) a retroactive payment of benefits for months in that period is due the individual. Repeals the penalty imposed against an SSI recipient because the group living facility in which the recipient lives fails to meet applicable standards. Increases from $100 to an amount equal to monthly SSI benefits for three months the emergency cash advances available to a presumptively eligible individual. Provides that: (1) if at any time both an overpayment and an underpayment exist in the case of an individual without a final adjustment or recovery having yet been made with respect to either of them, no such adjustment shall be made with respect to the underpayment until the individual has had a reasonable opportunity to seek a waiver of the overpayment; and (2) the existence of the underpayment shall not preclude the granting of such a waiver of the overpayment or otherwise affect the disposition thereof. Prohibits the Secretary from taking any action to recover an SSI overpayment until the Secretary has sent the SSI recipient who has been overpaid a notice containing, in clear and understandable language, certain information, including a statement of the individual's right to seek a waiver of the overpayment and to seek a reconsideration of the determination that an overpayment exists. Title VI: Extension of SSI Program - Includes the Virgin Islands and Guam within the SSI program. Directs the Secretary to conduct a study of the feasibility of extending the SSI program to Puerto Rico and to report the results to Congress. Title VII: Other Amendments - Directs the Secretary to conduct a statistically reliable survey of current and potential recipients of SSI benefits, with the objective of determining the extent to which the program is being used by individuals who are or may be eligible for SSI benefits and the extent to which current data (on the number of such individuals and their reasons for filing or not filing SSI applications) are accurate, and to report the results of such survey to Congress together with any recommendations. Directs the Secretary to establish and conduct an ongoing program designed to provide information about SSI benefits (and State supplementary benefits) to individuals who are not currently receiving such benefits. Directs the Secretary to assist applicants and recipients in executing and filing applications for SSI benefits and in furnishing any other information which may be required, with particular attention to cases where such applicants and recipients because of their physical or mental condition are incapable without undue difficulty of executing or filing such applications or furnishing such information. Directs the Secretary to take certain steps to assure that all information and forms for SSI applicants and recipients are clear and readily understandable. Sets forth the effective date.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1984
Authorizes and requests the President to designate May 6, 1984, as National Nurse Recognition Day.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1984
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should: (1) pursue with the Soviet Union the resolution of concerns over compliance with strategic and other arms control agreements through the Standing Consultative Commission and other diplomatic channels; and (2) continue its commitments under such agreements as long as the Soviet Union continues to observe such agreements, or until a new agreement is concluded. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should consider the impact of any changes to his policy regarding such agreements on the long-term security interests of the United States and its allies.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1984
Authorizes and directs the Secretary of the Treasury to pay a specified sum to each of three named survivors and to the estate of a named deceased individual in full satisfaction of all claims against the United States arising out of the deaths of four family members in a fire in Bangkok, Thailand, where such family was quartered by the U.S. Army while awaiting transfer to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 1984
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the recommendations of the President's Private Sector Survey on Cost Control (the Grace Commission) relating to the Veterans Administration (VA) health care system should be rejected as a matter of national policy. (The Grace Commission recommended a series of reductions in the provision of care by the VA, including the reduction of a patient's stay in a VA facility, the elimination of unobligated VA facility construction funds, and the conversion and phasing out of existing, old facilities.)
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 1984
International Travel Act of 1961 Authorization Act of 1984 - Amends the International Travel Act of 1961 to authorize appropriations for FY 1985 to carry out such Act. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a field office of the U.S. Commercial Service in Rapid City, South Dakota. Directs the Secretary to establish six Regional Liaison Centers for the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration. Requires the Centers to: (1) provide technical assistance to tourism offices of States within the region which the Center serves; and (2) serve as a liaison between such State offices and offices of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to establish procedures to ensure that at least one employee in each U.S. embassy located in a foreign nation is trained to promote travel to and within the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 1984
Veterans' Administration Health Care Amendments of 1984 - Directs the Administrator of Veterans Affairs to designate one office in each Veterans Administration (VA) health care facility and central office to provide referrals to veterans for outside care. Grants priority to veterans 50 percent service disabled or age 65 or older. Authorizes the Administrator to contract for halfway house care at prevailing community rates as part of the alcohol treatment and rehabilitation program. Directs the Administrator to establish the parameters of treatment under such program. Directs the Administrator to report annually to the Veterans' Affairs Committees on a survey of all such VA programs. Makes such programs permanent. Includes devices for the hearing-impaired among the medical services the VA will provide to eligible veterans. Directs the Administrator to establish within the Mental Health and Behavorial Sciences Services of the Department of Medicine and Surgery the position of Associate Director for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder to develop policies and coordinate services for the treatment of Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Requires the Associate Director to: (1) coordinate inpatient care by medical region and ensure referrals and followup care; and (2) conduct education and training programs for Department employees. Directs the Chief Medical Director to establish a task force on the care and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder to advise the Director on policy regarding treatment modes and standards. Requires the Administrator to report to the Veterans' Affairs Committees within nine months on the posttraumatic stress disorder program. Directs the Administrator to report to the Veterans' Affairs Committees by the end of FY 1985 on programs, current and prospective, to provide care and support to terminally and chronically ill veterans and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 1984
Small Business Competition Enhancement Act of 1984 - Amends the Small Business Act to set forth specified evaluation considerations which must be weighed by Federal agencies with respect to solicitations for competitive and noncompetitive awards of development or production contracts for a major system. Provides a waiver for certain evaluation considerations if the contracting officer determines in writing that such requirement would not be applicable to the production contract or would not be in the best interests of the Government. Requires an agency before it can establish any prequalification requirement with respect to the awarding of a contract to: (1) prepare a written justification stating the reasons for the restriction and why free and open competition is not feasible; (2) specify in writing and make available upon request all standards which a contractor, or its product, must meet in order to become qualified; (3) provide an opportunity for a contractor to demonstrate its ability to meet such standards; and (4) inform such contractor as to whether qualification has been attained. Sets forth procedures an agency must follow in the event that the number of available qualified sources or products is less than five. Sets forth additional information which is to be included in all notices of proposed competitive and noncompetitive civilian and defense procurement actions of $10,000 and above. Requires an agency to: (1) publicly post solicitations which would have been synopsized in the Commerce Business Daily if it had equalled or exceeded the applicable dollar threshold for such publication; and (2) make available to small businesses the solicitation package for solicitations posted in abstract form and permit the copying of such solicitation. Declares it to be the policy of the United States that small businesses and small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals shall have to the maximum extent possible the opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts and subcontracts which are in excess of $10,000 and are not for personal services for subsystems, assemblies, components, and related services for major systems. Requires an agency with responsibility for a major system to include provisions relating to specified technical data in all production contracts in order to foster competitive procurement of spare parts requirements to maintain such systems. Provides a waiver for such provisions if the contracting officer determines in writing that any such provision would not be applicable to the production contract or would not be in the best interests of the Government. Requires an agency: (1) within one year after the enactment of this Act, to develop a plan for the management of such technical data received under contracts for the development, production, modification, or maintenance of major systems within its jurisdiction; and (2) within five years after the enactment of this Act, to complete implementation of such management plan and include the technical data for each major system within its jurisdiction. Specifies other matters the management plan shall address. Requires the Comptroller General, not later than 18 months after the enactment of this Act, to transmit to the Congress a report evaluating the plans of specified Federal agencies for the management of technical data for major systems within their jurisdiction. Requires a contracting officer, under specified circumstances, to initiate a review of the validity of restrictions on the Government's rights in technical data furnished under contract. Sets forth procedures for the certification of such restrictions. Requires the Small Business Administration to assign to each major procurement center a breakout procurement center representative who shall: (1) participate in evaluating the maintenance of a major system during its service life and determine whether requirements are to be procured through other than free and open competition; (2) review procurement method codes that restrict competition among small businesses and to request reevaluation of such restrictions by agency personnel; (3) review restrictions on competition that arise out of restrictions on the Government's rights in technical data and, when appropriate, recommend that the contracting officer initiate a review of the validity of such restriction; (4) obtain technical data for the preparation of a competitive solicitation package; and (5) have access to the unclassified procurement records and other data of the procurement center. Directs each agency to assign technical advisors to assist each breakout procurement center representative.