United States · United States Congress · 20 June 1983
Provides that the United States relinquishes to the respective States all right, title, and interest of the United States with respect to historical shipwrecks and structures on the seabed or in the subsoil of lands beneath the navigable waters within the boundaries of such States. Provides that the U.S. maritime law of salvage shall not apply to such shipwrecks or structures.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 1983
Interstate System Resurfacing, Restoration, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Amendments of 1983 - Revises the apportionment formula for resurfacing, restoring, rehabilitating, and reconstructing the Interstate Highway System.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 1983
Amends the Tariff Schedules of the United States to suspend the duties on semiconductors and computers. Declares such suspension to become effective by April 1, 1984, or within six months from the date of enactment of this Act, whichever is later, if the President has determined that such suspensions of duties are in the national economic interest.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 1983
Veterans' Disability Compensation and Survivors' Benefits Amendments of 1983 - Title I: Compensation Rate Increases - Increases the rates of veterans' disability compensation. Permits the Administrator of Veterans Affairs to adjust the rates of disability compensation for other specified persons. Increases the rates of additional compensation for dependents. Increases the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans. Title II: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Rate Increases - Increases the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses according to a specified table. Increases the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for children. Increases the rates of supplemental dependency and indemnity compensation for children. Title III: Effective Date - Sets forth the effective date for this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1983
Emergency Wetland Resources Act of 1983 - Title I: Extension of Wetlands Loan Act - Amends the Wetlands Loan Act to extend from September 30, 1983, to September 30, 1993, the authorization of appropriations for the preservation of wetlands and other waterfowl habitat. Repeals provisions which provide that such funds shall be treated as an advance and require the repayment of such funds. Title II: Revenues for Migratory Bird Conservation Fund - Permits charging an admission fee at certain designated units of the National Wildlife Refuge System in order to provide additional revenues for the conservation of the nation's wetland resources. Requires such fees to be deposited into the migratory bird conservation fund (the fund). Requires annual reports by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the House and Senate concerning such fees. Increases the price of the migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp. Requires import duties collected on hunting arms and ammunition to be paid into the fund. Provides for an annual payment of $75,000,000 into the fund from the Land and Water Conservation Fund between October 1, 1983, and September 30, 1993. Title III: Financial Assistance to States for Wetlands Acquisition - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide up to $50,000,000 annually from the fund to the States for wetlands acquisition during the period between October 1, 1983, and September 30, 1993. Requires a State in order to receive its allotment to: (1) submit a comprehensive fish and wildlife resource management plan to the Secretary which ensures the perpetuation of these resources; or (2) submit to the Secretary full and detailed statements of any proposed wetlands acquisition project. Authorizes the Secretary to finance up to 75 percent of a State's plan or project, if the Secretary approves the plan or project. Title IV: Wetlands Inventory and Trend Analysis - Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to continue the National Wetlands Inventory Project and to: (1) produce final National Wetlands Inventory maps for the entire United States (specifies dates at which different maps are to be completed); and (2) produce, by September 30, 1985, and at ten year intervals thereafter, reports to update and improve the information contained in the report dated September 1982 and entitled "Status and Trends of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitat in the Coterminous United States, 1950's to 1970's." Authorizes appropriations for the above maps and reports. Directs the Secretary, by September 30, 1985, to prepare and submit to Congress a report regarding wetlands losses in the United States. Authorizes appropriations for such report.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to qualify for the full amount of the investment tax credit certain vessels (and a barge or container which is part of the complement of such vessel) financed by capital construction funds as established under the Merchant Marine Act of 1970. (Present law requires a reduction in the investment tax credit for vessels financed by capital construction funds.)
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1983
Requires the Attorney General and all other appropriate Federal agencies and officials to enforce the antitrust laws, including the prohibition against vertical price restraints. Directs such officials and agencies to cease propounding arguments in court designed to weaken such prohibition, and to submit to Congress proposed legislation to make any desired changes in such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1983
Renewable Energy Tax Incentive Act of 1983 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the residential energy income tax credit for renewable energy sources for five years from 1985 to 1990. Increases from 15 percent to 25 percent the investment tax credit for solar, wind, geothermal, and ocean thermal property. Extends such credits for five years from 1985 to 1990. Extends such credits for hydroelectric generating property and biomass property for five years from 1985 to 1990. Reestablishes the credit for congeneration property until 1990. Qualifies until 1995 affirmative commitments for solar, wind, geothermal, ocean thermal, biomass, and cogeneration projects begun by December 31, 1990. Eliminates the 20 percent limitation for oil and natural gas used in cogeneration facilities. Allows the regular investment tax credit percentage with respect to certain energy property even if such property is a structural component of a building. Qualifies as biomass property methane-containing gas produced by anaerobic digestion from nonfossil waste materials. Revises the definition of geothermal deposit to lower the required temperature to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. (Present regulations require a temperature of 122 degrees Fahrenheit.)
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make certain types of heat pumps eligible for the residential energy income tax credit and the investment tax credit for energy property. Qualifies for such credit heat pumps which transmit or use solar energy stored in ground water.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1983
Expresses the support of the Senate for Lebanon's and Israel's agreement on arrangements for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon. Calls upon other nations to work toward the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon. Emphasizes the need of all nations to recognize the sovereignty of Lebanon. Urges Syria and the Palestine Liberation Organization to agree to the arrangements for the withdrawal of their forces from Lebanon.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 1983
Education for Economic Security Act - Title I: National Science Foundation Mathematics and Science Programs - Part A: Teacher Institutes - Authorizes the National Science Foundation (the Foundation) to make grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) and institutions of higher education, applying jointly, for teacher institutes to enhance the subject matter skills of public and private elementary and secondary school teachers of mathematics and physical and life sciences. Sets forth application requirements for such grants. Directs the Director of the Foundation: (1) to assure an equitable distribution of such institutes among and within States; and (2) award at least one institute in each State. Limits any such grant to a single applicant to $200,000 in any fiscal year. Permits such institutes to involve the cooperation of advance technology and other businesses able to assist in mathematics and science teaching. Directs the Foundation to ensure that consideration is given to applications designed to meet the needs of underrepresented and underserved populations. Part B: Mathematics and Science Education Development Programs - Authorizes the Foundation to enter into agreements with institutions of higher education or LEAs for programs and materials for: (1) training, retraining, and inservice training of elementary and secondary school teachers in the fields of mathematics and science, including physical and life sciences; and (2) elementary and secondary school courses of study in such fields. Sets forth application requirements for grants and cooperative agreements under this part. Directs the Foundation to ensure that consideration is given to applications designed to meet the needs of underrepresented and underserved populations. Part C: Science and Mathematics Excellence in Teaching Awards - Authorizes the Foundation to make excellence in teaching mathematics and science awards of $5,000 each to elementary and secondary school teachers. Directs the Foundation to adopt selection procedures designed to assure that such awards will be equitably distributed among the States. Sets forth application requirements for such awards. Part D: Congressional Merit Scholarships - Congressional Merit Scholarships in Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education - Authorizes the Foundation to award scholarships to individuals enrolled at institutions of higher education who demonstrate outstanding potential for, and who plan to pursue, careers in teaching mathematics or science in elementary or secondary schools. Limits the period of such a scholarship to: (1) four academic years at any institution of higher education offering educational activities designed to prepare individuals for such careers; and (2) periods of study commencing not sooner than the third undergraduate year. Requires such individuals to concentrate, at the undergraduate level, in: (1) mathematics or science, and indicate a serious intent to teach such subject at the elementary or secondary school level; or (2) engineering, and indicate a serious intent to teach such subject at the postsecondary level, in an engineering discipline which the Foundation has determined a shortage of qualified teachers. Authorizes the Foundation to establish criteria for the selection of merit scholars. Limits the number of scholars selected to two times the number of Members of Congress from each State (and ten individuals in the case of the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico). Requires each merit scholarship recipient to agree to pursue such a teaching career for at least two years for each academic year in which the scholarship is received. Sets each merit scholarship award at $5,000 for each academic year of study. Conditions scholarship payment upon the student's maintaining satisfactory progress and full-time study. Authorizes the Foundation to require reports on student progress. Part E: Discretionary Funds of the Director - Authorizes the Director of the Foundation, from funds available for this part, to make grants to, and enter into contracts with, any public agency or any private organization to carry out any activity authorized by this title. Authorizes the Director to conduct directly or by grant or contract: (1) a faculty exchange program between institutions of higher education (particularly institutions having established and nationally recognized research facilities) and eligible institutions; and (2) programs of national significance promoting the improvement of instruction in the fields of mathematics, science, and engineering. (Defines "eligible institutions," for such purposes, as institutions of higher education which demonstrate a commitment to meet the special educational needs of students who are members of a minority group or who are economically or educationally disadvantaged and which: (1) have an enrollment which includes a substantial percentage of such students; or (2) are located in a community that is not within commuting distance of a major institution of higher education.) Part F: General Provisions - Sets forth administrative provisions granting the Foundation specified powers to carry out this title. Directs the Foundation to report annually to the President and the Congress on its operations under this title. Makes specified provisions under title II of this Act relating to participation of children and teachers from private schools applicable to payments under this title. Applies to programs under this part specified provisions of the General Education Provisions Act prohibiting Federal control of education. Authorizes appropriations to carry out: (1) part A for FY 1984 and 1985; (2) part B for FY 1985; (3) part D for FY 1984 and 1985; (4) parts C and E for FY 1985; and (5) the graduate fellowship program under the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 for FY 1984 and 1985. Title II: Education for Economic Security - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to States and discretionary grants to strengthen teacher skills and instruction in mathematics, science, computer learning, and foreign languages. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1984 and 1985 to carry out this title. Directs the Secretary to reserve ten percent of such appropriations for discretionary grants of national significance. Directs the Secretary to allot to each State from 90 percent of such appropriations for each fiscal year an amount based on the relative number of children aged five through 17 in such State. Provides that no State shall receive less than one-half of one percent of the funds appropriated for any fiscal year. Provides for reallotments, based on the Secretary's estimates, of sums exceeding a State's needs. Authorizes additional appropriations for allotment to: (1) Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands; and (2) the Secretary of the Interior for programs in schools operated for Indian children. Apportions 70 percent of each State's allotment to elementary and secondary education programs and 30 percent to higher education programs. Sets forth requirements for the State education agency (SEA) distribution of such funds for elementary and secondary education programs to local education agencies (LEAs) based on public and private school enrollment and on public school enrollment of children from families below the poverty level. Sets forth the uses for which specified portions of such elementary funds are to be put, including: (1) inservice training of teachers, including vocational educational teachers, and other appropriate school personnel in the fields of mathematics and science; (2) computer learning and instruction, foreign language instruction, and instructional materials and equipment related to mathematics and science instruction; (3) purchase of computer and computer-related instructional equipment; (4) strengthening instruction in foreign languages; (5) SEA demonstration and exemplary programs, including special projects for historically underrepresented and underserved populations (females, minorities, handicapped individuals, individuals with limited English proficiency, and migrant students) and for gifted and talented students (including magnet schools for such students); (6) SEA technical assistance to LEAs, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations, including museums, libraries, and educational television stations in conducting programs for mathematics, science, languages, and computer learning; and (7) State assessment and administrative costs. Sets forth requirements for distribution of funds for higher education programs by State agencies for higher education. Requires that at least 75 percent of such funds be used for grants to private and public institutions of higher education for: (1) traineeship programs for new teachers who will specialize in teaching secondary school mathematics and science; (2) retraining secondary school teachers with other specialties to specialize in teaching mathematics, science, or computer learning (including providing stipends for participation in institutes under title I); and (3) inservice training for elementary, secondary, and vocational school teachers, and other appropriate school personnel to improve teaching skills in mathematics, science, and computer learning (including providing stipends for participation in institutes under title I). Requires each grant recipient to: (1) consider the needs of historically underrepresented and underserved groups and the gifted and talented; and (2) enter into an agreement with an LEA or LEA consortium to provide inservice training and retraining for elementary and secondary school teachers in the public and private schools of the LEA school district. Requires that the State agency for higher education use at least 20 percent of such funds for cooperative programs among institutions of higher education, LEAs, SEAs, private industry, and private nonprofit organizations, including museums, libraries, educational television stations, and professional mathematics, science, and engineering societies, for projects to improve student understanding and performance in science, mathematics, and critical foreign languages. Permits the State agency for higher education to use up to five percent of such funds for State assessment and administrative costs. Requires each State desiring to receive grants under this title to submit to the Secretary, within the first year for which such funds are available, an assessment of the status of mathematics, science, foreign language, and computer learning within the State. Sets forth requirements relating to such assessments. Sets forth requirements for State applications for funds under this title. Sets forth requirements for assessments by LEAs. Sets forth provisions for participation of children and teachers from private schools in programs under this title. Sets forth requirements for the use of the ten percent of appropriations for this title reserved in the Secretary's discretionary fund for programs of national significance. Directs the Secretary, from 75 percent of such funds, to make to SEAs and LEAs, institutions of higher education, and private nonprofit organizations for programs of national significance in mathematics and science instruction, computer learning, and foreign language instruction in critical languages. Directs the Secretary to give special consideration to assistance for: (1) magnet schools for gifted and talented students; and (2) special services to historically underserved and underrepresented populations in the fields of mathematics and science. Directs the Secretary to reserve a specified amount from such grant funds for the Director of the National Institute of Education to conduct evaluation and research. Directs the Secretary, from 25 percent of such funds, to make grants to institutions of higher education for instruction in critical foreign languages. Directs the Secretary to: (1) consult with the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Health and Human Services, and the Director of the National Science Foundation in determining which languages are critical to national security, economic, and scientific needs; and (2) publish a list of such languages in the Federal Register. Sets forth provisions for payments for programs under this title. Title III: National Science Foundation Program for Partnerships in Education for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering - Partnerships in Education for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Act - Authorizes the National Science Foundation to make grants to States to pay the Federal share of the costs of specified higher education programs and activities. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1984 and 1985 to carry out this title. Sets forth authorized activities for which States may use partnership in education program grants. Includes among authorized higher education partnership programs: (1) improvement of postsecondary instruction in mathematics, science, computer science, and engineering; (2) scholarships for students in such fields; (3) faculty exchange programs by institutions of higher education and businesses within the State; (4) research in such fields; (5) instructional equipment for such fields; and (6) promotion of public understanding of science, mathematics, and computer science. Includes among authorized elementary and secondary school partnership programs (to be carried out by LEAs): (1) exchange programs between teachers of mathematics, science, or computer science and personnel of local businesses; (2) training and retraining of teachers in such fields under cooperative arrangements between State or LEAs and appropriate businesses; and (3) secondary school student observation, participation, and work in local businesses. Permits both higher education and elementary and secondary school partnerships to include institutions of higher education, businesses, nonprofit private organizations, local educational agencies, professional mathematics and scientific associations, museums, libraries, educational television stations, and States. Sets forth requirements for State applications for grants under this title. Permits two or more States or a regional consortium of States to file a joint application. Sets forth requirements for applications by institutions of higher education and local educational agencies. Directs the Foundations to adopt approval procedures designed to assure equitable distribution of grants among the States. Makes specified provisions of title II of this Act relating to participation of children and teachers in private schools applicable to payments under this title. Sets the Federal share of the cost of programs under this title at 50 percent. Permits the non-Federal share of such costs to be in cash or inkind. Limits to 15 percent that portion of funds appropriated under this title in any fiscal year which may be paid to any single State. Title IV: Presidential Awards for Teaching Excellence in Mathematics and Science - Authorizes the President to make Presidential Awards for Teaching Excellence in Mathematics and Science to secondary school teachers. Authorizes the making of 100 such awards annually. Directs the President to: (1) select for such awards at least one secondary school teacher from each of the several States, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and (2) carry out this title, including the establishment of selection procedures, after consultation with the Secretary of Education, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and other appropriate officials of Federal agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1983
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act - Establishes the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as a charitable and nonprofit corporation which is not an agency or establishment of the United States. States that the purposes of the Foundation are: (1) to encourage, accept, and administer private gifts of property for the benefit of, or in connection with, the activities of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and (2) to conduct such other activities as will further the conservation and management of the fish and wildlife resources of the United States. Sets forth provisions relating to: (1) the Board of Directors of the Foundation; (2) the rights and obligations of the Foundation; (3) tax-exempt status; (4) volunteers; (5) audits and reports; and (6) petition of the Attorney General for equitable relief. Releases the United States from liability for any debts, acts, or omissions of the Foundation. States that the right to repeal, alter, or amend this Act at any time is expressly reserved to the Congress. Authorizes appropriations for ten years.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1983
School Lunch Pilot Project Act of 1983 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture in carrying out the school lunch pilot project study to: (1) provide to participating school districts, in lieu of commodities, all cash assistance or all commodity letters of credit; (2) continue the study through June 30, 1986; (3) increase the number of participating districts from 60 to 100; (4) meet project expenses from specified sources; (5) consult with and get approval of the Comptroller General before altering such project; and (6) report to the appropriate congressional committees by December 15, 1986. Requires the Comptroller to report to the appropriate congressional committees every six months through June 30, 1986. Requires the Department of Agriculture, upon request, to compensate a participating district for losses sustained as a result of the Department's previous change in project methodology. Authorizes appropriations for such purpose.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1983
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code to provide that the pensions received by retired judges who are assigned to active duty shall not be treated as wages for purposes of title II.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1983
Disapproves the proposal of the Study Group on Senate Practices and Procedures to abolish the Committee on Veterans' Affairs by merging it with the Committee on Armed Services.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the excise tax on sales of heavy trucks and trailers piggyback trailers or semitrailers designed for use principally in connection with trailer-on-flatcar service by rail.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1983
Authorizes the erection of a memorial on public grounds in the District of Columbia, or its environs, in honor and commemoration of members of the armed forces who served in the Korean war. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to select, with the approval of the National Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission, a suitable 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. Declares that no moneys belonging to the United States or the District of Columbia shall be expended for the erection of such memorial. Authorizes appropriations for site acquisition and preparation in the event nonpublic land is selected for the memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 1983
Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1983 - Enacts into law the short titles "Civil Rights Act of 1968" and "Fair Housing Act". Amends the Fair Housing Act to expand the definition of "discriminatory housing practice" to include any violation under such Act (thus codifying case law which holds that the obligation of Federal agencies to administer programs affirmatively to further the purposes of fair housing and the prohibition against interference with rights under the Act are separately actionable). Adds new definitions of "handicap", "aggrieved person" and "familial status." Excludes from the meaning of "handicap" any impairment consisting of alcohol or drug abuse or which would be a direct threat to the property or safety of others. Defines "familial status" as one or more minors being domiciled with their parent or guardian. Retains the two current exemptions from the prohibition against the discriminatory sale or rental of housing which are given to: (1) an owner of three or less single-family houses; and (2) the owner of a dwelling consisting of four or fewer family units who also resides in such dwelling (the "Mrs. Murphy" exemption). Makes it unlawful to: (1) refuse to sell or rent to a handicapped person unless such handicap would prevent a prospective occupant from conforming to specified non-discrimination rules and practices; and (2) discriminate against a handicapped person in the conditions of sale or rental, or in the provision of related services or facilities. Includes within such discrimination a refusal to: (1) permit reasonable modifications to permit access to the premises (but only if a renter agrees to restore the premises to their original condition); and (2) make reasonable accommodations in policies, services, or facilities to afford handicapped persons equal enjoyment of the premises. States that such discrimination shall not include a refusal to: (1) make alterations at the expense of sellers, landlords, owners, or persons acting on their behalf; (2) make modifications which would unreasonably inconvenience others; and (3) allow architectural modifications which materially decrease the value of a building or alter its intended use. Prohibits discrimination against families with children. Makes it unlawful for an insurer to discriminate in the provision or terms of insurance against hazards to a dwelling because of the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, national origin or familial status of persons owning or residing in or near the dwelling. Adds handicapped persons as a protected class under other existing prohibitions on discriminatory activities. Modifies the housing financing discrimination provision to prescribe all conduct which denies or "otherwise makes unavailable" financial assistance because of race, color, religion, handicap, national origin, or familial status. Includes with such prohibition persons in the business of selling, brokering, or appraising real property. States that nothing in this Act is to be construed to defeat any reasonable local, State or Federal restrictions on the maximum number of persons permitted to occupy a dwelling unit. Provides that familial status does not apply to any State or Federal programs aimed at assisting elderly persons. Establishes the Fair Housing Review Commission, composed of three members appointed by the President for staggered six-year terms. Stipulates that no more than two members may be of the same political party. Directs the Commission to: (1) appoint administrative law judges and other employees as necessary to carry out its functions; (2) promulgate a code of ethics to assure the independence of such judges; (3) promulgate rules of discovery for its proceedings consistent insofar as practicable with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure; and (4) consider appeals from the proposed orders of the administrative law judges upon application of a party. Includes Federal agencies having regulatory authority over financial institutions within the executive departments and agencies which are currently required to administer their housing programs in an affirmative manner. Authorizes the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide financial as well as technical assistance to public and private organizations seeking to remedy housing discrimination. Establishes a new administrative enforcement procedure within the Department of Housing and Urban Development in addition to the current enforcement provisions of title VIII (allowing civil actions by private parties and the Attorney General). Directs the Secretary to make an investigation of all alleged discriminatory housing practice on his or her own initiative or upon the filing of a charge by an aggrieved person within one year of the alleged discrimination. Requires the Secretary to attempt to correct the discriminatory practice by informal methods of conciliation. Requires the Secretary, if the aggrieved person and respondent consent to binding arbitration, to refer the charge to an arbitrator made available by the Community Relations Service of the Department of Justice. Continues the current authority of the Secretary to utilize discovery measures. Retains the current penalty for failing to produce information (up to a $1,000 fine and/or one year's imprisonment). Makes certain changes in the current requirements for referring charges to State or local agencies for investigation and enforcement. Specifies, with respect to the rights and remedies provided by such agencies, the elements of "substantial equivalency which permit certification and referrals of discrimination charges. Eliminates the Secretary's authority to recall referrals in the interest of justice or to protect the rights of the parties. Prohibits further action by the Secretary unless the agency fails to act in a timely fashion (current law gives the agency 30 days to commence proceedings). Requires the Secretary and other Federal agencies to cooperate to avoid duplication of their housing discrimination authority. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements to permit other agencies to carry out such responsibilities within their jurisdictions. Directs the Secretary to enter into agreements with specified Federal agencies for such purpose with respect to depository institutions. Permits an action for temporary or preliminary relief to be brought on behalf of the Secretary in accordance with rule 65 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure when the Secretary establishes that voluntary compliance is unobtainable and prompt judicial action is necessary. Permits the Secretary to file an administrative complaint or refer the matter to the Attorney General for civil action if the investigation supports a finding of reasonable cause, except with respect to matters involving land use controls, which must be referred. Specifies the hearing procedures to be utilized if an administrative complaint is issued. Permits the administrative law judge to award appropriate relief and a civil penalty of up to $10,000. Permits the filing of a position for judicial review of a final order in an appropriate court of appeals within 60 days after entry of such order. Provides that the findings of fact shall be conclusive if supported by substantial evidence in the record considered as a whole. Authorizes the administrative law judge to assess civil penalties for noncompliance with a final administrative order. Makes certain revisions in the private right of action for aggrieved persons under the Fair Housing Act. Extends the statute of limitations from 180 days to two years. Disallows simultaneous administrative and judicial proceedings involving the same charge. Permits the Attorney General to intervene upon certification that the civil action is of general public importance. Continues the current provision permitting the appointment of counsel. Removes the existing $1,000 limit on punitive damages for willful violations. Continues the authority of the Attorney General to initiate civil actions where there is reasonable cause to believe that a pattern or practice of resistance to title VIII rights has occurred. Permits the intervention of aggrieved persons in such actions. Permits the award of costs, including reasonable attorney's fees, to prevailing parties in court and administrative proceedings (current law permits an award of attorney's fees only to prevailing parties who are financially unable to assume them). Authorizes appropriations for this Act, effective October 1, 1983.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 1983
Designates August 1, 1983, as Helsinki Human Rights Day. Authorizes and requests the President to issue a proclamation reasserting the American commitment to the human rights and humanitarian provisions of the Helsinki accords. Requests the President to continue to raise the issue of noncompliance with the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1983
States that: (1) Congress rejects President Reagan's proposals for Medicare cuts in his 1984 budget because they put an unfair burden on beneficiaries; and (2) the appropriate committees in both the Senate and House of Representatives should study and make recommendations concerning how the solvency of the Medicare program can be assured by constraining medical care costs and making other changes affecting the program.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 1983
Operational Testing and Evaluation Act of 1983 - Establishes in the Department of Defense a Civilian Director of Operational Testing and Evaluation appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Requires such Director to perform all duties relating to operational testing and evaluation in the Department. Requires such Director to advise and report directly to the Secretary of Defense. Grants such Director access to all necessary Department records. Permits the Director to require observers to be present during testing. Directs the Secretaries of the military departments to report all testing results to the Director. Requires the Director to respond to congressional requests for information. Prohibits the obligation of funds for operational testing without the advance approval of the Secretary. Directs the President to request separate budget authority for the Director's activities. Grants the Comptroller General access to all records of the Department of Defense.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 1983
Tobacco Deregulation Act of 1983 - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 and the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 to repeal specified tobacco programs, including: (1) price supports; (2) parity payments; (3) review and adjustment of quotas; and (4) marketing quotas. Amends the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 and the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act to prohibit agricultural commodity assistance for tobacco. Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Assistance Act to prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from issuing any tobacco handling orders. Makes such provisions applicable to the 1984 and subsequent tobacco crops. Repeals provisions relating to compacts among States providing for the control or production of, or commerce in, tobacco within such States. Withdraws congressional consent to such compacts. Provides for sliding-scale based payments to low-income tobacco farmers (1982 adjusted gross income up to $24,000) who have terminated acreage allotments and marketing quotas.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that the fact that a motor vehicle operating agreement contains a terminal rental adjustment clause shall not be taken into account in determining whether such agreement is a lease. Defines "motor vehicle operating agreement" to mean any agreement with respect to a motor vehicle under which the lessor (1) is personally liable for the repayment of, or (2) has pledged property, other than property subject to the agreement or property directly or indirectly financed by indebtedness secured by property subject to the agreement, as security for all amounts borrowed to finance the acquisition of property subject to the agreement. Defines "terminal rental adjustment clause" to mean a provision of an agreement which permits or requires the rental price to be adjusted upward or downward by reference to the amount realized by the lessor under the agreement upon sale or other disposition of such property.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 1983
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should: (1) continue to express U.S. opposition to the forced exile of Ida Nudel; and (2) urge the Soviet Union to provide her with adequate medical care, grant her residence status in Moscow, and allow her to emigrate to Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1983
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to revise: (1) the criteria under the category "Mental Disorders" in the "Listing of Impairments" in effect under part 404 of title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations which are used to make individualized determinations of disability for purposes of determining eligibility for disability benefits under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act; and (2) the methods and procedures for assessing the residual functional capacity of individuals having mental impairments. Requires the Secretary to appoint a panel of outside experts to make recommendations with respect to such revisions. Prohibits the Social Security Administration from carrying out continuing eligibility reviews with respect to individuals previously determined to be under a disability due to mental impairment until such revisions have been established by final regulation. Makes such prohibition inapplicable in any case involving fraud or where an individual is engaged in substantial gainful activity. Sets forth requirements for the redetermination of disability determinations made after the enactment of this Act and before the date on which the Secretary's revisions are established by final regulation. Amends titles II and XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act to require that a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist complete the medical portion of the sequential evaluation and residual functional capacity assessment in cases where an individual alleges to be under a disability due to a severe mental impairment.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 1983
Agricultural Productivity Act of 1983 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) make an inventory of existing research and extension materials and recommend further areas of research regarding crop rotation, intercropping, biological pest control, and other related farming and soil conservation systems; and (2) make such information available to the public. Directs the Secretary to conduct research on 12 pilot farms (having specified mixes of livestock and crops) to examine the effects of the transition from practices relying on chemical fertilizers and pesticides and traditional soil tillage to systems relying on organic and biological pest control, crop rotation, and conservation tillage. Requires such farms to be chosen within 120 days. Directs the Secretary to make a parallel study of 12 farms which have been using such farm systems for at least five years. Sets the term of such projects at five years each. Sets forth on-farm study data, including soil profile changes, crop yields, energy and water use, and farm income. Directs the Secretary to make payments to the owner of a pilot farm if the Secretary determines such payments are justified. Stipulates that these payments may be made only during a project's last four years. Directs the Secretary to coordinate such pilot farms project with specified Federal and State agricultural services, colleges, and farmers. Directs the Secretary to report to the appropriate congressional committees: (1) within 15 months regarding the information inventory; and (2) by April 1 of each year from 1985 through 1988 regarding the pilot farms, with a final project summary and recommendations by April 1, 1989. Provides for a five-year program of intercropping assistance under the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act. Authorizes ceilinged appropriations for FY 1984 through 1988.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers to value excess inventory at its net realizable value. Defines "excess inventory" as that part of inventory which the taxpayer reasonably expects will be disposed of at less than full realization of cost. Allows taxpayers to spread over ten years any increases in inventory value due to a change from the first in, first out (FIFO) to the last in, first out (LIFO) method of accounting.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 1983
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shall be maintained as a scientifically sound Federal institution to safeguard the American people's interest in the oceans and atmosphere. Expresses the sense of the Senate that NOAA's institutional integrity should be preserved through comprehensive authorization legislation.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 1983
Declares that the Senate deplores the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon. Urges specified Federal officials to hold memorial or other commemorative ceremonies to honor the victims of the bombing.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 1983
National Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Act of 1983 - Establishes a National Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission to evaluate existing and potential public outdoor recreation policies, programs, and opportunities and to recommend outdoor recreation policies and activities which should be instituted at the Federal, State, and local levels and by the private sector in order to protect existing recreation resources and to meet future recreation needs. Requires the Commission to report its findings and recommendations to the President and Congress within 18 months after its establishment. Terminates the Commission six months after submission of its report. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1983
Amends the Small Business Act to treat businesses owned by Indian tribes (including any Alaskan Native village or regional or village corporation) as socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses for purposes of the Small Business Administration's business development program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 1983
Prohibits U.S. agencies from spending money to produce lethal binary chemical munitions. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should continue and intensify efforts at the Disarmament Talks in Geneva to achieve with the Soviet Union a mutual and verifiable ban on the production and stockpiling of such munitions.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 1983
Competitive Shipping and Shipbuilding Act of 1983 - Requires that, by 1984, five percent of all bulk cargoes imported into or exported from the United States by water be carried on U.S.-flag ships. Requires yearly one percent increases until the percentage of bulk cargoes carried on U.S.-flag ships reaches 20 percent. Provides for credit to importers and exporters for the use of U.S.-flag ships for the transportation of bulk cargoes between foreign ports. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to provide relief from the requirements of this Act upon a finding that U.S.-flag ships are not available within guideline rates. Sets forth factors which the Secretary shall consider in determining the extent of relief granted. Requires the Secretary to establish and publish guideline rates for the carriage of bulk cargoes subject to this Act. Requires the Secretary to assure that such rates take into account certain objectives. Requires the Secretary, in order to establish guideline rates, to estimate the current cost of operating U.S.-flag ships in the foreign bulk trades of the United States and of constructing such ships. Requires such cost estimates to be published within six months after enactment of this Act. Requires such estimates to be revised annually. Requires that such rates: (1) be reviewed and adjusted at least annually; (2) not reflect costs greater than the estimated current costs; and (3) be the maximum rates which may be charged for the charter of U.S.-flag ships for the transportation of bulk cargoes governed by this Act. Requires the Secretary to establish and publish interim guideline rates in the first calendar year following the enactment of this Act. Sets forth factors to be taken into account in determining such rates. Requires the Secretary to appoint and consult with an advisory committee to establish and review U.S.-flag ship operating costs, shipyard construction costs, guideline rates, and regulations. Requires anyone engaged in importing or exporting bulk commodities in U.S. foreign commerce whose business volume exceeds $1,000,000 annually to report to the Secretary on the percentages of such person's exports and imports carried on U.S.-flag ships. Requires anyone who fails to transport the required percentage of U.S. bulk cargoes to use exclusively U.S. flag ships until the deficiency has been recouped, unless Secretarial relief has been granted. Establishes civil penalties for violations of this Act. Sets forth procedures for the investigation, prosecution, and judicial review of violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1983
Oil Spill Liability and Compensation Act of 1981 - Title I: Oil Spill Liability and Compensation - Subjects the owner or operator of a vessel or facility to liability for oil discharged in violation of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (unless the discharge was caused as an act of God, war, or by a third party). Causes such owners and operators to be liable for: (1) all actual costs of removal incurred by the United States or a State under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Intervention on the High Seas Act, or the Deepwater Port Act of 1974; (2) any removal costs incurred by any person, as removal is defined under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act; and (3) specified damages for economic loss or loss of natural resources resulting from such a discharge. Limits such liability, but stipulates than an owner or operator shall be liable for all damages and removal costs in the case of: (1) willful misconduct or negligence; (2) violation of applicable safety, construction, or operating standards or regulations; (within the knowledge or privity of the owner or operator); or (3) a refusal to provide reasonable cooperation and assistance requested by a responsible official. Provides that owners or operators subject to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act shall bear all costs of removal. Authorizes the President to establish additional limitations on liability for certain facilities; and, from time to time, to increase established limitations to reflect specified factors. Provides for third party liability. Directs that money in the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (established in title II of this Act) be used for, among other things: (1) payment of removal costs; and (2) related research. Sets forth procedures for asserting claims against the Fund. Requires any claimant, prior to asserting a claim, to present the claim to the owner, operator, or guarantor of the vessel or facility from which the oil was discharged. Directs the President to: (1) prescribe forms and procedures for filing claims; and (2) attempt to arrange a settlement. Authorizes the President to establish and to pay a claim or to submit a claim to a Board of Arbitrators. Permits a claimant, dissatisfied with an award, to appeal to the Board of Arbitrators. Requires the owner and operator of any offshore vessel and/or facility to establish and maintain stated levels of financial responsibility sufficient to satisfy claims. Title II: Trust Fund Establishment and Collections - Establishes the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Provides that the Fund shall consist of: (1) amounts derived from an additional petroleum tax of 1.3 cents per barrel, imposed by an amendment to the Internal Revenue Code; (2) amounts recovered under title I of this Act; (3) penalties imposed under title I of this Act or under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and other unobligated funds available under such Act; (4) all assets of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Liability Fund; (5) all assets of the Deepwater Port Liability Fund; and (6) all assets of the Offshore Oil Pollution Compensation Fund established under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Amendments of 1978. Establishes a minimum amount of $30,000,000 to be maintained in the Trust Fund. Establishes the order in which unpaid claims are to be paid. Limits the liability of the United States to the amount in the Trust Fund. Provides for Trust Fund borrowing, as repayable advances, from the General Fund of the Treasury. Title III: Miscellaneous Provisions - Sets forth effective dates and conforming amendments. Directs the President, in cooperation with the Comptroller General, to study possible incentives for safer operation of vessels and facilities to prevent oil discharges, and to report to the Congress by July 1, 1983.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 1983
Environmental Poisoning Victim Compensation Act - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act ("the Superfund Act") to revise the definition of damages under such Act to include damages for personal injury or economic loss. Provides that claims for such damages may be asserted against the Hazardous Substance Response Fund for: (1) all medical expenses; (2) limited amounts compensating individual loss of regular earnings; and (3) limited amounts as death benefits. Lowers (from 85 percent) to 50 percent the amount of the money credited to the Fund which is available only for certain purposes relating to governmental costs. Directs the President to delegate authority to settle such claims against the Fund under this Act to officials of any State which agree to provide 20 percent of the administrative costs of such a claims program and which possess specified qualifications. Sets forth the types of proof which a claimant must provide in any claim asserted against the Fund under this Act. Provides, in the case of injury or disease due to mutagenic or teratogenic effects, that "the individual on whom the claim is based" with respect to exposure to a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant refers to a parent of the individual with the injury or disease. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and in cooperation with the National Toxicology Program and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to prepare Hazardous Substance Presumption Documents for particular hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants and their relation to injuries or diseases. Directs the Secretary, within 18 months of the enactment of this Act, to publish such documents for dioxin- and dibenzofurn-containing wastes, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticide manufacturing wastes, pesticides whose registration has been cancelled or which are subject to a rebuttable presumption against registration, cadmium, chromium, and lead. Provides for appeals from decisions of State officials in such claims programs. Permits causes of action for subrogated rights for claims paid under such claims programs against any person liable for release of the hazardous substance and the exposure of the individual on which the claim is based, except in cases which occurred wholly prior to the enactment of this Act. Provides that no person who asserts such a claim against the Fund and receives an award may be barred from pursuing such claim or cause of action against any party or parties alleged to be responsible, under any provision of State law or specified provisions of such Act. Requires the claimant to reimburse the Fund in an amount equal to the award in any such action, up to the amount of the claim awarded against the Fund. Authorizes the court to assess litigation costs against the claimant if the award in such action does not exceed the award from the Fund by at least 25 percent. Provides for reduction of any such award from the Fund by the amount received due to such injury or disease from any benefit program or other collateral source of a public nature. Declares that each State should adopt specified changes in the procedural and substantive rules followed by State courts in actions seeking compensation for personal injury resulting from a release of a hazardous substance from a vessel or a facility. Raises (from $1,380,000,000) to $6,000.000,000 the sum of the amounts received in the Fund which must be reached for the authority to collect environmental taxes (on petroleum and certain chemicals) to be terminated before September 30, 1990.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 1983
Environmental Poisoning Compensation Act - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (the "Superfund Act") to extend the liability of specified owners, operators, or other responsible persons under such Act to cover any out-of-pocket medical expenses for personal injury resulting from a release of hazardous substances. Excludes liability for such medical expenses from the limitations on the amounts of liability set forth in such Act. Provides that such claims for medical expenses may be asserted against the Hazardous Substance Response Fund. Revises the definition of damages under such Act to include damages for personal injury. Lowers (from 85 percent) to 66 2/3 percent the amount of the money credited to the Fund which is to be available only for certain purposes relating to governmental and other persons' response costs and to other specified governmental costs. Raises (from $1,380,000,000) to $6,000,000,000 the sum of the amounts received in the Fund which must be reached for the authority to collect environmental taxes (on petroleum and certain chemicals) to be terminated before September 30, 1990.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 1983
National Archives and Records Administration Act of 1983 - Establishes the National Archives and Records Administration as an independent establishment in the executive branch. Requires the Administration to be directed by the Archivist of the United States who shall be appointed by the President for a ten-year term. Directs the Archivist to appoint a Deputy Archivist. Sets forth the administrative duties and authority of the Archivist. Requires the Archivist to submit to Congress an annual report concerning the administration of functions of the Archivist and the Administration. Transfers to the Administration and the Archivist the functions, duties, and authority of the General Services Administration (GSA) and its Administrator, respectively, concerning: (1) congressional printing and binding; (2) the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations; (3) the distribution and sale of public documents; (4) archival administration; (5) presidential records; (6) the National Archives Trust Fund Board; (7) the National Historical Publications Commission; (8) records management; (9) the disposal of records; (10) official territorial papers; (11) Indian records placed with the Oklahoma Historical Society; (12) public laws, Constitutional amendments, and the United States Statutes at Large; and (13) electoral credentials and certificates. Transfers to the Administration the National Archives and Records Service and the office of Office Information Services of the Office of Information Resources Automated Data and Management (presently within GSA).
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 1983
Economic Equity Act of 1983 - Title I: Tax and Retirement Matters - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that the maximum deduction for contributions to an individual retirement plan: (1) shall be computed separately for each individual who is married; and (2) in the case of a married individual who has no compensation or less compensation than that of the spouse, shall be determined as if such compensation were the same as that of the individual's spouse. Treats alimony as compensation for purposes of determining an individual's income tax deduction for retirement savings. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code to require that a retirement plan that provides an annuity to a participant with at least ten years of creditable service shall provide a survivor's annuity for the spouse of a participant who dies before the annuity starting date in an amount not less than the amount that would have been made under the survivor's annuity if the participant has survived and retired on such annuity date. Provides that a participant's election not to take a joint and survivor's annuity shall not be effective unless the spouse of the participant consents in writing to such an election. Requires a retirement plan to treat an individual who was the spouse of the participant on the annuity starting date and who survives the participant as if such individual were the spouse of the participant on the date of death of the participant whether or not divorced after the annuity starting date. Allows the assignment of the benefits of a qualified retirement plan in the case of a judgment decree or order relating to child support, alimony payments, or marital property rights pursuant to a State domestic relations law. Amends ERISA to lower the age limitation for participation in a qualified retirement plan from age 25 to age 21. Amends ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code to provide for accruals of creditable service to continue while an individual is on approved maternity or paternity leave at the rate of 20 hours service for each week of approved leave. Entitles former spouses of civil service employees or Members of Congress, who were married to an employee or Member for at least ten years during creditable service, to an annuity based upon a portion of retired or retainer pay unless otherwise provided by a spousal agreement or a state court decree of divorce or annulment. Entitles former spouses to survivor's benefits under the civil service plan unless the former spouse remarries before becoming 60 years of age or the employee or Member and former spouse elect to waive such benefit. Requires that such waiver be jointly made in writing. Includes displaced homemakers as a targeted group for purposes of the targeted jobs tax credit. Defines "displaced homemaker" as a person who: (1) has not worked, except in the home, for a substantial number of years; (2) has been dependent on public assistance or on the income of a family member but is no longer supported by that income; and (3) is a member of an economically disadvantaged family and is experiencing difficulty obtaining or upgrading employment. Increases the zero bracket amount for heads of households from $2,300 to $3,400. Title II: Dependent Care Program - Increases the income tax credit for household and dependent care services from a maximum of 30 percent of amounts paid to a maximum of 50 percent of amounts paid. Reduces such percentage to a minimum of 20 percent based on the taxpayer's adjusted gross income. Makes such income tax credit refundable. Treats as tax-exempt organizations certain organizations which provide nonresidential dependent care to the general public. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (through the Commissioner of the Administration of Children, Youth, and Families) to establish a grant program to assist nonprofit organizations in the establishment or operation of community-based child care information. Title III: Nondiscrimination in Insurance - Nondiscrimination in Insurance Act of 1983 - Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in the consideration of applications for, or the granting of, insurance policies and the terms of such policies. Permits insurers who regularly provide insurance solely to persons of a single religious affiliation to continue to do so. Grants to State or local governments having insurance discrimination laws the primary opportunity to enforce this Act. Permits an aggrieved person to file a civil action in State or Federal court against an insurer, if a State or local authority: (1) has received notice of a complaint and fails to act within 60 days; or (2) has no insurance discrimination laws. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring a civil action in district court when there is reasonable cause to believe that a person or group is engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to the rights granted by this Act and that such denial raises an issue of general public importance. Title IV: Regulatory Reform and Sex Neutrality - Requires the head of each Federal agency to: (1) conduct an ongoing review of the rules, regulations, programs, and policies of the agency to identify any which result in different treatment based on sex; and (2) submit annually a report to the Congress on such review. Sets forth rules of statutory construction relating to gender. Title V: Child Support Enforcement - Amends the Social Security Act to specify that the purpose of the child support enforcement program is to assure compliance with obligations to pay child support to each child in the United States living with one parent. Allows offsets of income tax refunds of an absent parent on behalf of children not receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (present law permits such offsets only in the case of children receiving AFDC payments). Requires States to establish a child support clearinghouse through which child support payments can be paid, recorded and forwarded. Revises State child support enforcement procedures. Allows allotments for child and spousal support to be taken from the pay of Federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 1983
Expresses the sense of Congress that the family planning program under title X of the Public Health Service Act should be administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services.