United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1991
Americans with Disabilities Luxury Tax Relief Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the luxury excise tax parts or accessories installed for use in passenger vehicles by disabled individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1991
Resolution Trust Corporation Reorganization Act - Amends the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to establish the Board of Governors of the Resolution Trust Corporation to oversee and manage the Resolution Trust Corporation. Declares that its members shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1991
Lead Exposure Reduction Act of 1991 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit the importing, manufacturing, processing, or distribution in commerce of certain products containing more than a specified percentage of lead. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to modify the allowable lead percentage for such products under certain conditions. Permits the Administrator to extend dates for compliance with such requirements for one year and to establish a performance standard for lead leaching from plumbing fittings and fixtures in lieu of the applicable restriction if such standard is at least as protective of human health and the environment as such restriction. Requires the Administrator to waive such requirements with respect to certain toys and recreational game pieces that are collectible items and scale models intended for adult acquisition. Directs the Administrator to publish regulations banning the sale of lead solder to plumbers and plumbing supply wholesalers and retailers. Prohibits the sale or promotion of: (1) any packaging which may be used for food for human consumption (or any food in such packaging) that includes any additive to which lead has been intentionally introduced, beginning 24 months after this Act's enactment; and (2) any packaging or product in packaging that includes such an additive, beginning 48 months after this Act's enactment. Sets allowable concentration levels for the incidental presence of lead in such packaging. Prohibits the sale or promotion of packaging exceeding such levels. Authorizes the Administrator to exempt from such requirements: (1) packaging manufactured prior to this Act's enactment date; and (2) packaging to which lead has been added to comply with Federal, State, or local health or safety requirements. Requires certificates of compliance with lead requirements to be retained by packaging manufacturers or distributors and made available to purchasers. Prohibits the manufacture, import, or distribution in commerce of food cans containing more than .2 percent lead by dry weight. Prohibits the importing, manufacturing, processing, or distributing in commerce of foils for wine bottles containing more than .1 percent lead by dry weight. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to delay the application of such requirements under certain conditions. Prohibits the sale of leaded gasoline at a price lower than that of unleaded gasoline sold at the same establishment. Prohibits, within six months of this Act's enactment, the sale of leaded gasoline for use in motor vehicles (other than farm vehicles) in a metropolitan statistical area or consolidated metropolitan statistical area with a 1980 population of 250,000 persons or more. Requires, effective January 1, 1996, manufacturers or importers of fuels containing lead or lead additives to submit quarterly reports to the Administrator on the lead content and volume of such fuels. Exempts from lead content requirements: (1) paint used by artists; (2) products used for medical purposes; (3) products used in connection with national security; (4) products used in the nuclear industry; and (5) products used in the mining industry to determine the presence of noble metals in geological materials. Directs persons manufacturing, processing, or importing any product containing more than .1 percent lead by dry weight to submit specified information to the Administrator. Exempts owners or operators of recycling facilities and manufacturers, processors, or importers of lead-acid batteries from such requirement. Requires the Administrator to update, and publish a compilation of, such information. Directs the Administrator to report to the Congress on such information and on recommendations for minimizing the release of lead into the environment and preventing human exposure to lead. Permits persons submitting inventory information to claim such information as confidential. Sets forth provisions concerning confidentiality applications. Requires the Administrator to promulgate regulations that provide for the labeling of products (other than lead-acid batteries) that pose a risk of human exposure to lead. Requires the labeling of toys and recreational game pieces that are collectible items and scale models to disclose that such items contain lead and are not suitable for children. Prohibits: (1) the placement into landfills and incineration of lead-acid batteries; and (2) the disposal of such batteries other than by recycling in accordance with this Act. Prohibits the disposal of batteries except by delivery to: (1) battery retailers or wholesalers; (2) regulated lead smelters or collection or recycling facilities; or (3) automotive dismantlers. Sets forth specified delivery and disposal requirements for battery retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. Directs battery retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers to accept from customers used batteries of the same type, and in an approximately equal quantity to, the batteries sold. Requires battery retailers to post notices in public areas of retail establishments that: (1) state that it is illegal to throw away motor vehicle or lead-acid batteries; (2) state that Federal law requires battery retailers to accept used batteries for recycling and allows a person to give used batteries to battery collectors, recyclers, or processors or to automotive dismantlers; and (3) encourage recycling of used batteries. Prescribes civil penalties for violations of such notice requirements. Makes it unlawful to sell a lead-acid battery that does not bear a permanent label stating that: (1) the battery contains lead; and (2) Federal law requires recycling and the seller must accept the return. Permits the Administrator to issue warnings and citations for noncompliance with battery labeling and notice requirements. Permits the export of lead-acid batteries for purposes of recycling. Directs the Administrator to undertake a program to promote monitoring, detection, and abatement of lead-based paint and other lead exposure hazards. Requires the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to establish: (1) standards for laboratory analysis of lead in paint films, soil, and dust; and (2) certification programs to assure the quality and consistency of such analyses, unless voluntary accreditation programs are operating nationwide. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, to establish parallel standards and certification programs for laboratory analysis of lead in blood. Requires the Secretary of Labor to develop minimum core curricula for technical training courses for lead-based paint abatement workers, supervisors, designers, inspectors, and building owners. Provides that such courses shall address factors associated with lead testing and abatement in various types of housing units. Authorizes the Secretary to evaluate such programs and to encourage State certification programs or the development of national proficiency tests. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to evaluate and develop standards and testing protocols for emerging products and techniques for detecting lead in paint films and dust. Directs the Administrator to report to the Congress on the efficacy and effectiveness of various abatement and management techniques in reducing lead dust levels. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program and develop standards for the evaluation of products and procedures for encapsulating or removing lead-based paint. Directs the Administrator to publish a list of products and procedures that meet performance standards. Requires the Administrator to issue guidelines for the management of lead-based paint debris. Prohibits the funding of travel of EPA employees outside the United States unless such guidelines are issued. Requires the Administrator to undertake a research project on lead exposure in children who have elevated blood lead levels or other indicators of elevated lead body burden. Directs the Secretary of Labor and the Administrator to conduct a long-term research study on the sources of lead exposure in construction workers. Requires the Administrator to sponsor public education and outreach activities to increase awareness of the scope and severity of lead poisoning from household sources, potential exposure to lead in schools and day care centers, and the need for abatement and management action. Directs the Administrator to issue guidelines concerning the action levels for lead in soil. Directs the Administrator to appoint a Coordinator for Lead Activities. Requires the Administrator to award grants to institutions of higher education for purposes of establishing Centers for the Prevention of Lead Poisoning. Limits the Federal share of Center operation costs. Limits grants to two-year periods. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, to: (1) encourage State public health officials to report blood-lead measurements to the Director; and (2) report to the Congress on the status of such reporting and the feasibility and desirability of instituting a national requirement for mandatory pre-school blood-lead screening. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary, acting through the Director, to establish a blood-lead laboratory reference project to assist State and local governments in establishing and improving the quality of laboratory measurements performed for childhood lead poisoning prevention programs. Requires the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to update a report submitted pursuant to the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 to include information on childhood and adult lead poisoning and estimates of adverse health outcomes associated with lead exposure. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem a food to be adulterated if: (1) it is packaged in a container containing solder or another ingredient with a lead content greater than .2 percent by dry weight; or (2) it is ceramic ware and the ability of such ceramic ware to leach lead does not conform with standards for ceramic ware established by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Requires the Secretary to establish standards and testing procedures with respect to lead in ceramic ware. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1991
National Recreational Trails Fund Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish the National Recreational Trails Trust Fund (Fund). Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to pay into the Fund an amount equivalent to 0.5 percent of total Highway Trust Fund receipts, adjusted triennially to reflect revenues from nonhighway recreational fuel taxes. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to use such amounts in the Fund to make grants to the States for constructing and maintaining recreational trails. Establishes the National Recreational Trails Act Advisory Committee.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1991
Expresses the sense of the Senate that it should be U.S. policy to specify reductions in the national emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by a date certain and to assume a leadership position in negotiating an international climate protection treaty that contains specific commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, including: (1) achieving agreements by industrialized nations to reduce current carbon dioxide emissions, by developing nations to limit their growth in emissions from fossil fuel combustion, and by all countries to limit the release of carbon dioxide due to deforestation and to take steps to cut emissions of other greenhouse gases; (2) establishing an international fund to help developing countries achieve such objectives, a mechanism for continuing international cooperation for development of efficient policies for future emissions reductions, and institutional mechanisms to facilitate cooperation in research, observation, and analysis, information exchange and reporting, technology development and transfer, and technical training and public education. Urges the United States to support, at the February 1991 negotiating session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Framework Convention on Climate Change, the establishment of a process that will allow negotiations of substantive provisions to accomplish each of these elements for inclusion in the convention that is to be concluded in June 1992.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1991
Military Reservists Small Business Relief Act - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Small Business Administration (the Administration) to defer, upon request, repayment on any direct loan incurred by a member of a reserve component of the armed forces prior to being ordered to active duty. Provides that during the deferral period repayment of principal and interest on the loan shall not be required, and no interest will accrue thereon. Prescribes guidelines for economic injury disaster loan assistance for military reservists' small businesses. Directs the Administration to: (1) utilize all its business development and management assistance programs (including State and private sector partners) to provide business counseling and training to small businesses adversely affected by the deployment of armed forces units in military or emergency situations; and (2) publicize such programs. States that for purposes of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) all direct and discretionary spending contained in this Act are emergency expenditures related to Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, or any successor thereto.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1991
Workers' Family Protection Act of 1991 - Requires the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (the Director), in cooperation with the Secretary of Labor, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA Administrator), the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and the Secretary of Energy, to study the prevalence of and issues related to contamination of workers' homes with hazardous chemicals and substances transported from their workplace (contamination). Requires the Director to identify industries prone to such contamination, evaluate current statutory and regulatory safeguards, and compile a review of the previous research. Requires the Director to provide grants to eligible States for case studies to evaluate the economic, physiological, and psychological effects on workers and their communities from, and preventive and remediation methods respecting, such contamination. Directs the Secretary of Labor, in cooperation with the EPA Administrator, to: (1) cooperate with and assist the Director and eligible grantee States in such studies; (2) evaluate effectiveness in addressing such contamination under programs established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986; (3) compile a review of previous related research on indoor air quality; and (4) evaluate whether current occupational safety and health and environmental laws and regulations pose an undue burden on families seeking to redress such contamination. Requires the Director to issue to the Congress an interim report and a final report including recommendations for addressing any overlap in jurisdiction over such contamination of the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Energy, the EPA Administrator, and the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Directs the Secretary of Labor to: (1) issue appropriate regulations to prevent release of hazardous chemicals and substances from a workplace or workers' clothing or persons; or (2) report to the Congress on why such regulations are unnecessary. Requires the Secretary, at a minimum, to: (1) determine whether additional regulations are needed to protect workers' families from employee-transported releases of lead, mercury, asbestos, pharmaceuticals, and other materials that may pose such risks, including commercial pesticide application and manufacture; (2) consider the risk of acute and chronic health effects; and (3) consider environmental law and regulations. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to remove charitable contributions of appreciated capital gain property as an item of tax preference for purposes of the alternative minimum tax.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an excise tax on the sale or exchange of any international airline route certificate. Imposes such tax on the transferor of such certificate. Makes such tax nondeductible for income tax purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1991
Title X Pregnancy Counseling Act of 1991 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, notwithstanding any other provision of law, to ensure that projects receiving assistance under title X of the Public Health Service Act offer pregnant women information and counseling on all legal and medical options. Requires that women requesting information regarding an unintended pregnancy be provided with nondirective counseling and referral on prenatal care, delivery, infant care, foster care, adoption services, and pregnancy termination.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1991
Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act Amendments of 1991 - Amends the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940 to prohibit an eviction or distress from being made during a period of military service with respect to a premise for which the agreed rent does not exceed $1,200 (currently, $150) per month, when such premise is occupied chiefly by the dependents of the person in military service, except upon leave of the court granted upon application or in a proceeding affecting the rights of possession. Extends the power of attorney coverage under such Act to include a power of attorney that by its terms expires after July 31, 1990. Provides professional liability protection for persons ordered to active duty after July 31, 1990, who, prior to such date, were engaged in the furnishing of health care services or other services determined by the Secretary of Defense to be professional services and who had in effect a professional liability insurance policy that does not continue coverage during the period of active duty. Specifies that an insurance carrier shall have no liability with respect to any claim that is based on professional conduct of a person that occurs during a period of suspension of such person's professional liability insurance under this Act. Requires an insurance carrier to suspend and to reinstate coverage of such affected person upon receipt of a written request from such person. Requires such person to request reinstatement within 30 days after release from active duty. Provides a minimum period of required coverage by the carrier following reinstatement, without an increase in the insurance premiums charged. Provides for the stay of a civil or administrative action for damages on the basis of professional liability of a person whose insurance has been suspended under these provisions if: (1) the action is based on an act or omission that occurred before the suspension was effective; and (2) the suspended insurance would, on its face, cover the alleged professional misconduct. States that the period of such stay shall not be included in any statute-of-limitations period. Outlines provisions concerning the death of a person whose professional liability insurance has been suspended and the consequences with respect to the suspended insurance coverage on previous or suspended (stayed) claims. Provides that any person employed and covered under an employer-offered health insurance policy who enters into active military service or training and is reemployed upon returning may not be subject to a waiting period or exclusion of coverage imposed in connection with coverage of a qualifying health or physical condition if: (1) the condition arose before or during such person's period of training or service; (2) no exclusion or waiting period would have been imposed for the condition during a period of coverage resulting from participation by such person in the insurance; and (3) the condition of such person has not been determined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to be service-connected. Provides that any person who, by reason of military service, is entitled to the rights and benefits of the Act shall be entitled upon release from such military duty to reinstatement of any health insurance which: (1) was in effect on the day before such service commenced; and (2) was terminated during the period of such service. Prohibits any exclusion or waiting period from being imposed in connection with reinstatement of health insurance coverage of a health or physical condition covered by the Act if: (1) the condition arose before or during such person's period of training or service; (2) no exclusion or waiting period would have been imposed for the condition during a period of coverage resulting from participation by such person in the insurance; and (3) the condition of such person has not been determined by the Secretary to be a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty. Requires a court, upon application, to stay a judicial action or proceeding involving any member of the armed forces serving on active duty outside the State in which the court is located until after June 30, 1991. Provides that an application by a person in military service for a stay, postponement, or suspension of the payment of any tax, fine, penalty, insurance premium, or other civil obligation shall not provide that basis for denial or revocation of, or a change in, credit by creditors, a presumption that such individual cannot pay his or her debts due and owing, or refusal of an insurer to insure such individual. Amends existing law which allows reservists ordered to active duty for not more than 90 days to reemployment rights by removing the 90-day limitation.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1991
National Infrastructure Council Act of 1991 - Establishes the National Infrastructure Council to: (1) develop and coordinate Federal infrastructure policy; (2) prepare an annual assessment of national infrastructure needs and requirements; (3) develop a program of infrastructure education with the National Research Council; (4) establish guidelines and procedures for the coordination and provision of Federal assistance to States and local governments on all infrastructure matters; (5) develop priorities and recommendations for Federal infrastructure investments; and (6) transmit its priorities and recommendations to the President and the Congress. Establishes: (1) a National Infrastructure Council Account in the Treasury; and (2) an Advisory Board to the Council to provide the Council with the views of the private sector and non-Federal public entities. Requires the Council to implement the Infrastructure Technology Transfer and Information Assistance Program for furnishing assistance to State and local governments. Authorizes the Council to provide a clearinghouse of requests from public and private entities and persons for technology programs and research and development programs relating to infrastructure. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Council to establish a program to provide technical assistance to State and local governments for construction, improvement, rehabilitation, operation, or maintenance of infrastructure. Outlines the non-Federal share of the costs of such program. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Council to carry out a five-year program to promote the use of innovative technology in the design, construction, improvement, rehabilitation, use, operation, and management of infrastructure. Authorizes appropriations. Permits the Council to develop and implement a national infrastructure education program. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Council to conduct a study of, and develop recommendations concerning, the feasibility and viability of Federal infrastructure projects. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1991
National Energy Policy Act of 1991 - Establishes as national goals: (1) the identification of an appropriate mix of policies that have the potential of stabilizing and reducing the generation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the United States; and (2) the promotion of international cooperation in addressing potential global climate change through the establishment of an international framework convention on global climate change. Title I: Energy Policy Initiatives - Mandates that the first National Energy Policy Plan submitted by the President to the Congress (and each subsequent Plan) include a least-cost energy strategy prepared by the Secretary of Energy (the Secretary). Prescribes strategy guidelines. Amends the Energy Security Act to repeal energy target provisions. Directs the Secretary to appoint a Director of Climate Protection within the Department of Energy to participate in: (1) global climate change policy considerations; and (2) least-cost energy strategy considerations. Requires the Director to contract with the National Research Council for the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering (the Academies) to review and report to the Congress on trends in greenhouse gases and global climate change. Requires a report to the Office and the Congress. Requires the President to transmit to the Congress his assessment of such report. Title II: Energy Efficiency Initiatives - Requires the Secretary to: (1) submit periodic evaluations to the Congress regarding energy efficiency policy options necessary to produce certain percentage decreases in U.S. energy use; (2) pursue a research and development program intended to improve energy efficiency and productivity in energy-intensive industries and industrial processes; (3) undertake joint ventures to encourage commercialization of technologies developed from such program; and (4) conduct competitive solicitation for joint venture proposals and provide financial assistance to such ventures. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1994. Amends the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA) to set a deadline by which each Federal agency must: (1) install energy conservation measures in its Federal buildings with specified payback periods; (2) submit a list of projects to the Secretary which meets such payback criterion and indicates total energy and cost savings involved; and (3) have substantially completed at least 25 percent of such projects as would account for 25 percent of total energy savings. Directs the Secretary to develop guidelines in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of the General Services Administration with respect to the selection of energy service contractors. Sets forth a deadline by which: (1) each Federal agency must consider the energy efficiency of all potential building space at the time of lease renewal or entering into a lease; and (2) all federally owned and leased space under construction must meet model Federal building standards for energy efficiency. Amends the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technology Competitiveness Act of 1989 to direct the Secretary to solicit proposals and provide financial assistance for joint ventures in fuel cell technology to demonstrate critical enabling technologies to accelerate commercialization of electric energy production from fuel cells. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the NECPA to repeal the prohibition against the supply and installation of residential energy conservation measures by utilities. Directs the Secretary to provide financial assistance to support a voluntary, national window rating program to develop window energy ratings and labels. Directs the Federal Trade Commission to prescribe labeling rules for windows and window systems. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1994. Directs the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration to report to the Congress regarding the acquisition of energy efficiency information. Requires the Secretary to: (1) submit a feasibility report to the Congress regarding the mandatory use in Federal facilities of compact fluorescent lamps instead of incandescent lamps; and (2) submit a plan to the Congress for the demonstration in Federal facilities of energy efficiency technologies that are ready for commercial demonstration but are not widely available commercially. Amends the NECPA to direct the Secretary to: (1) promulgate procedural guidelines enabling the States to assign energy efficiency ratings to residential buildings; and (2) establish a technical assistance program to State and local governments adopting energy efficiency rating systems or building codes. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to mandate that State regulatory commissions consider a least-cost ratemaking standard under which utility investments in demand-side measures shall be as profitable as investments in new generation facilities (thus creating an economic incentive for utilities to promote residential energy conservation measures). Requires the Secretary to report to the President and the Congress an evaluation of: (1) the results of least-cost planning methodologies implemented by electric utilities; and (2) the extent to which ratemaking methodologies implementing least-cost planning take into account the impact of such measures on electric utilities' profitability. Amends the NECPA to require the Secretary to: (1) conduct a fuel cell systems demonstration program in Federal buildings; and (2) report to the Congress on the program's implementation. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1994. Title III: Energy Research and Development Initiatives - Requires the Secretary to: (1) consider specified criteria when establishing research and development priorities; (2) biennially submit to the Congress a management plan for research, development, and commercialization of energy technologies; (3) implement an engine and vehicle fuel research and demonstration program on systems that offer a potential reduction in the generation of greenhouse gases, and that improve transportation energy uses; and (4) emphasize advanced gas turbine cycles (and their incorporation of energy efficient materials for high efficiency electric and automotive power generation) when implementing a high efficiency heat engine research, demonstration, and commercialization program. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1994. Directs the Secretary to conduct a natural gas cofiring research, development, and demonstration program with respect to electric utility units and large industrial boilers. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Secretary to establish within the Department of Energy a program to develop technologies to a point where private industry will undertake further commercial development. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to conduct demonstration programs regarding: (1) magnetic and inertial confinement fusion for the production of electricity; and (2) coal-based technologies. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1994. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements or joint ventures with certain urban area transit authorities to demonstrate the feasibility of using natural gas or other alternative mass transit fuels. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1994. Directs the Secretary to implement and finance a fleet vehicle program for the commercialization of natural gas and other alternative fuels. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1994. Directs the Secretary of Labor to implement a technician training and certification program for the conversion of conventionally fueled vehicles to natural gas and alternative fuels. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1994. Directs the Secretary to conduct or expand the following demonstration programs: (1) specified aspects of improved natural gas and alternative fueled vehicle technology; (2) increased availability of natural gas from specified sources; (3) natural gas and electric heating and cooling technologies for residential and commercial buildings; and (4) electric vehicle and battery technology. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1994. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress the results of an assessment of the statutory, economic, and regulatory barriers to expanded hydroelectric capacity development at existing dams. Electric Vehicle Technology Development and Demonstration Act of 1991 - Requires the Secretary to: (1) identify by a specified deadline the nonattainment areas in which conventionally fueled vehicles contribute significantly to that nonattainment and in which the use of electric vehicles could contribute to attainment of National Air Quality Standards; (2) designate nonattainment areas eligible to participate in a specified electric vehicle research and demonstration program; (3) report to the Congress on the program's status; and (4) report to the Congress on the extent to which nuclear fission generated electricity can safely and reliably supply electricity and reduce greenhouse gases. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1994. Title IV: Miscellaneous - Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on: (1) specified aspects of methane generation; (2) measures that could reduce atmospheric methane concentrations from sources within the United States; and (3) methane emissions from countries other than the United States. Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to establish an interagency working group known as the Committee on Renewable Energy Commerce and Trade (CORECT) to recommend coordinated Federal actions and programs promoting the export of U.S. renewable energy and energy efficiency products and technologies. Authorizes the Committee to establish renewable energy industry information outreach offices in the Pacific Rim and the Caribbean Basin. Mandates that a program established by the Secretary of Commerce for enhancing commerce in renewable energy technologies shall provide for an information program regarding: (1) the specific energy technology needs of lesser developed countries; (2) the technical and economic competitiveness of various renewable energy and energy efficiency resources technologies; and (3) the status of ongoing technology assistance programs. Requires the Secretary to report biennially to the Congress concerning the range of environmental and energy technologies necessary to meet the energy needs of developing countries. Mandates that a certain management plan required under the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technology Competitiveness Act of 1989 include a five-year implementation plan for joint ventures with U.S. manufacturers (including assistance to smaller manufacturers) for the development and marketing of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies in key lesser-developed countries. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1994. Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress the results of a comparative fuel cycle cost analysis with respect to the United States, Europe, and Asia. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 to establish a secretariat within the Department of State to prepare for the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. Title V: Natural Resource Policy - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of ecological and environmental resources that could be affected by global climate change. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to report to the President and the Congress on the feasibility of a National Reforestation Initiative. Directs the Secretary of Energy to transmit to the Congress a study of the potential for reducing carbon dioxide emissions by undertaking targeted urban tree and vegetative plantings, including landscaping and the use of natural windbreaks designed to reduce the air conditioning and heating needs of buildings.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1991
Authorizes the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to plan and design an extension of the National Air and Space Museum at Washington Dulles International Airport. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require that payment under a life insurance contract on the life of an insured who is terminally ill be treated as a death benefit, making such payment eligible for tax exclusion from gross income. Provides that any reference to life insurance shall be treated as referring to a qualified terminal illness rider. Provides for the tax treatment of such riders. Describes such a rider as one which provides for payments to an individual upon the insured's becoming terminally ill. Provides that applicants for or recipients of assistance under the Social Security Act may not be required to elect to receive accelerated death benefits under life insurance policies.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1991
Recognizes the 200th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Portugal. Asserts the continued friendship and cooperation between the peoples of such countries. Authorizes and requests the President to issue a proclamation recognizing the bicentennial of United States and Portuguese diplomatic relations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1991
Urges the President to conclude an agreement with the other foreign governments allied with the United States in the Persian Gulf War for the establishment of an international tribunal with jurisdiction to judge and punish Saddam Hussein for conducting unprovoked war against Kuwait and Israel, including the targeting, maiming, and killing of innocent civilians, and for abusing prisoners of war.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 1991
Motor Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Act - Amends the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act to establish average fuel economy standards for passenger automobiles and automobiles other than passenger automobiles (light trucks) (for model years 1996 and thereafter). Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary), to modify such standards for model year 1996 and thereafter. Directs the Secretary, in response to petitions filed at least 12 months in advance of the model year, to conduct a rulemaking proceeding to determine whether to increase or decrease such standard to a level that is the maximum feasible average fuel economy for that model year, except that such standard shall not be reduced below a level equal to the average fuel economy achieved by the manufacturer of such vehicle for model year 1988, as multiplied by a specified percentage. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to report annually to specified congressional committees on a study which: (1) examines the accuracy of fuel economy testing of passenger automobiles and light trucks; and (2) assesses the extent to which fuel economy deteriorates during the lifetime of such vehicles. Directs the Secretary of Energy to distribute at least 100 explanatory booklets each year to every dealer and additional numbers if requested. Requires the Secretary to provide for a review and report to the Congress by the National Academy of Sciences on the current state of research and development in light truck fuel economy and passenger automobile fuel economy and an assessment of the potential for improving the fuel efficiency and reducing the energy consumption of passenger automobiles and light trucks. Requires the Secretary of Energy to study and report to the Congress on the future options for regulating the fuel efficiency of such vehicles beyond 2001. Provides for the judicial review of average fuel economy standards (including modifications thereof) established under this Act. Doubles the civil penalty for repeated violations of the fuel economy standard. Requires such penalty to be adjusted for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 1991
Andean Trade Initiative Act - Authorizes the President to grant duty-free treatment to eligible articles from an Andean beneficiary country. Sets forth factors the President must take into account in determining whether to designate a country a beneficiary country, limited to a choice of Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to require goods imported from a U.S. insular possession to receive duty treatment no less favorable than the treatment afforded such goods imported from a beneficiary country. Authorizes the President to withdraw or suspend the designation of a country as a beneficiary country or the application of duty-free treatment to a product if circumstances have changed to bar such designation. Sets forth criteria with respect to the eligibility for duty-free treatment of products manufactured in a beneficiary country. Declares that duty-free treatment shall not apply to: (1) textile and apparel articles which are subject to textile agreements; (2) footwear not designated as eligible under the General System of Preferences; (3) tuna in airtight containers; (4) petroleum; (5) certain watches; (6) certain articles which are subject to reduced rates of duty; or (7) certain sugars, syrups, and molasses. Requires the President to reduce duty rates on handbags, luggage, flat goods, work gloves, and leather wearing apparel that: (1) are the product of a beneficiary country; and (2) were not designated on August 5, 1983, as eligible articles under the General System of Preferences. Authorizes filing of a petition with the Secretary of Agriculture with a request for emergency relief regarding a perishable product if it has already been filed with the International Trade Commission (ITC) alleging injury from imports from a beneficiary country. Authorizes the President to withdraw duty-free treatment with respect to such products after the Secretary's recommendation to take emergency action under this Act. Makes conforming amendments to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. Requires the ITC to report to the Congress on the economic impact of this Act on U.S. industries and consumers. Requires the Secretary of Labor to review and analyze the impact of this Act on U.S. labor.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1991
Special Needs Adoption Assistance Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax deduction for qualified adoption expenses for children with special needs. Allows such deduction whether or not a taxpayer itemizes deductions. Amends Federal law to direct the Office of Personnel Management to establish a demonstration program under which an employee is reimbursed for qualifying adoption expenses incurred in connection with the adoption of a child with special needs. Requires a report to the President and the Congress by October 1, 1992, on such program.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1991
National Voter Registration Act of 1991 - Requires each State to establish procedures with respect to presidential and congressional elections to permit voter registration by: (1) application in person simultaneously with application for a motor vehicle driver's license; (2) mail application; or (3) application in person at designated Federal, State, or nongovernmental office locations. Declares that this Act does not apply to any State that has no voter registration requirement with respect to elections for Federal office, or in which voters may register at the polling place at the time of a general election for Federal office. Requires each State to: (1) assure that any eligible applicant who submits an application by a certain deadline before the election is registered to vote in the election; (2) require the appropriate State election official to notify each applicant of the disposition of the application; (3) provide that the name of a voter may not be removed from the official list of eligible voters except by reason of death, criminal conviction, mental incapacity, change in residence, or voter request; (4) inform applicants under this Act of voter eligibility requirements and penalties provided by law for submission of a false voter registration application; (5) incorporate in application forms and other forms used at locations specified in this Act some means by which the person completing the form may decline to register to vote in elections for Federal office; and (6) provide a registration form to any individual who does not decline to register. Provides that any State program or activity to protect the integrity of the electoral process by assuring an accurate and current voter registration roll for elections for Federal office: (1) shall be uniform and nondiscriminatory; and (2) shall not result in the removal of the name of any person from the official list of registered voters for failing to vote. Prohibits a general or comprehensive program which is designed to systematically remove ineligible voters from the rolls from taking place less than 60 days prior to a primary or general election for Federal office. Prohibits a State from removing the name of a voter from the official list of eligible voters for Federal elections on the grounds that the registrant has moved, unless such registrant: (1) confirms in writing that he or she has changed residence to a place outside the jurisdiction of the registrar; or (2) has failed to respond to a notice from the registrar and has not appeared to vote and, if necessary, correct the address in an election during a certain period. States that in the event of a change of address, for voting purposes, of a voter to another address within the same jurisdiction, the registrar shall correct the voting registration list accordingly. Prohibits such voter's name from being removed from the registry of eligible voters by reason of such change of address, except as provided in this Act. Requires the United States attorney to give the chief State election official written notice of an offender's felony conviction in Federal district court. Amends Federal postal rate law to require the Postal Service to make certain lower postal rates available to State or local election officials who certify that a mailing is in furtherance of this Act. Directs the Federal Election Commission to: (1) develop a mail voter registration application form for Federal elections; (2) submit, not later than June 30 of each odd-numbered year, to the Congress a report assessing the impact of this Act on the administration of Federal elections during the preceding two-year period; and (3) provide information to the States with respect to their responsibilities. Requires each State to designate a chief State election official to coordinate State functions under this Act. Provides a private right of action for an individual aggrieved by a violation of this Act. Provides for the awarding of attorney fees to the prevailing party, other than the United States. Imposes criminal penalties upon any person who: (1) intimidates, threatens, or coerces any person for registering or voting or exercising any right under this Act; or (2) deprives or defrauds the inhabitants of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1991
Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act - Makes it unlawful for any licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer to sell, deliver, or transfer a handgun to an unlicensed individual unless: (1) after the most recent proposal of such transfer by the individual, the transferor has received a statement of eligibility from the individual, has notified the chief law enforcement officer for such individual's place of residence about the proposed transfer, and either has received a response indicating that such transfer is not prohibited by law or has not received a response indicating otherwise within seven days; (2) the individual has presented to the transferor a statement from the officer, issued in the past ten days, that the individual requires a handgun because of a threat to him or his family; (3) the individual has presented to the transferor a permit to possess a handgun that has been issued in the past five years by the State in which the transfer is to take place under a State law which requires law enforcement verification of the individual's legal qualification to possess a handgun; (4) State law either requires a waiting period of at least seven days or requires that an authorized government official verifies that the information available to such official does not indicate that possession of a handgun by the purchaser would be unlawful; or (5) the transferor has received a report from any system of felon identification established by the Attorney General under the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 that the individual's possession or receipt of the handgun would not violate Federal, State, or local law. Requires the statement of eligibility to include a statement that the individual: (1) is not under indictment for and has not been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year; (2) is not a fugitive; (3) is not an unlawful user of, or addicted to, a controlled substance; (4) has not been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution; (5) is not an alien who is illegally in the United States; (6) has not been dishonorably discharged from the armed forces; and (7) is not a person who has renounced U.S. citizenship. Requires any transferor who, after a transfer, receives a report from such officer that receipt or possession of the handgun by the individual violates the law, to: (1) furnish information about the transfer and the individual to the chief law enforcement officer of the transferor's place of business and the individual's place of residence; and (2) keep confidential any information received which is not otherwise available to the public, with exceptions. Requires a transferor to retain a copy of the individual's statement. Requires the law enforcement officer to destroy any copy of the individual's sworn statement and any record containing information derived from such statement within 30 days, unless such officer determines that the transaction would violate Federal, State, or local law.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1991
Commends the bravery and professionalism of the armed forces. Extends sympathy to the families and loved ones of those killed, missing in action, or taken prisoner by the Government of Iraq. Demands that the Iraqi Government abide by the principles and obligations of the Third Geneva Convention concerning the treatment of prisoners of war and condemns Iraq's failure to do so.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1991
Condemns Soviet violence against the people and democratic governments of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Urges the President to immediately review all economic benefits provided by the U.S. Government to the Soviet Union and report to the Congress on whether such benefits should be suspended in light of Soviet actions in the Baltic States, suspend all ongoing technical exchanges, consider withdrawing U.S. support for Soviet membership in the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, or General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and withhold Most Favored Nation trade treatment until: (1) Soviet troops refrain from obstructing the functioning of the democratic governments of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia; (2) Soviet "Black Beret" internal security forces are withdrawn from the Baltic States; (3) Soviet authorities cease their interference with the media in such States; (4) good-faith negotiations between the governments of such States and the Soviet Union on the restoration of sovereignty to such States have begun; and (5) concrete assurances are received from President Gorbachev that grain purchased with U.S. credits will not be used to coerce such States or any Soviet republic to sign the Union Treaty. States that the United States should consult with and encourage its allies to follow a similar policy. Urges the President to explore means of increasing direct diplomatic ties with the Baltic States. Declares that the U.S. Senate will take the status of events in the Baltic States into account when considering all future agreements with the Soviet Union.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1991
Condemns the unprovoked attacks by Iraq on Israel. Declares that the use of SCUD missiles to attack civilian targets is a form of terrorism. Expresses sympathy for the casualties and destruction caused by the Iraqi attacks. Recognizes Israel's right to defend itself. Commends the Israeli Government for its restraint and the Israeli people for their perseverance in the face of such attacks. Commends the administration for its decision to provide Patriot missiles to Israel. Reaffirms America's continued commitment to providing Israel with the means to maintain its security and freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1991
Authorizes the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to establish a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr., in the District of Columbia and its environs. Prohibits the United States from paying any expense of establishing the memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1991
Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to modify the ban on honoraria to allow Federal officers and employees, other than Representatives in, or Delegates or Resident Commissioners to, the Congress and noncareer officers and employees whose rate of basic pay exceeds GS-15, to receive an honorarium for an article in a bona fide publication, a speech, or an appearance if: (1) the subject of the article, speech, or appearance and the reason for which the honorarium is paid is unrelated to the recipient's official duties or status; and (2) the party offering the honorarium has no interests that may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the recipient's official duties. Prohibits the amount of such honorarium accepted from exceeding the usual and customary fee for the services for which the honorarium is paid, up to $2,000. Subjects the acceptance of any honorarium to financial disclosure under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. Extends the period within which the Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate must send a copy of each financial disclosure report filed by a Member or candidate to the appropriate State officer designated under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 1991
Agent Orange Act of 1991 - Presumes the following diseases to be service-connected and resulting from exposure to dioxins and other herbicide agents during service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era unless there is affirmative evidence to the contrary: (1) non-Hodgkins lymphoma, each soft-tissue sarcoma (with certain exceptions), and chloracne or other consistent acneform diseases becoming manifest to a degree of disability of ten percent or more; and (2) those additional diseases that the Secretary determines warrant such a presumption by reason of having a positive association with a herbicide agent, if they become manifest within the appropriate period. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to prescribe regulations providing that a presumption of service connection is warranted whenever it is determined by the Secretary that a positive association exists between the exposure of humans to a herbicide agent and the occurrence of a disease in humans. Requires the Secretary to take into account reports received from the National Academy of Sciences, as well as other sound medical and scientific information. Outlines procedures to be followed by the Secretary in weighing evidence, reporting information, and making conclusions for or against the positive association and, therefore, the service-connection presumption. Provides for the issuance of final regulations listing the diseases for which positive associations have been found or removing the presumption for a disease. Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) under which NAS shall review and summarize the scientific evidence (and its strength) concerning the association between exposure to a herbicide agent during service in Vietnam and each disease suspected to be associated with such exposure. Provides for NAS: (1) scientific determinations concerning diseases; (2) recommendations for additional studies to resolve areas of uncertainty relating to herbicide exposure; (3) subsequent reviews; and (4) reports, at least biennially, to the Secretary and the Senate and House Veterans' Affairs Committees (the veterans' committees). Terminates the agreement ten years after the fiscal year of the first report from NAS. Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with another body if the Secretary cannot reach an agreement with NAS within two months after enactment of this Act. Amends the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 1988 to direct the Secretary to annually furnish updated information on health risks associated with exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era. Extends through 1993 the eligibility for hospital, nursing home, or domiciliary care and medical treatment of individuals who served in Vietnam and who have been determined to have been exposed to dioxin or a toxic substance in a herbicide as the result of such service and of veterans exposed to ionizing radiation while serving between September 11, 1945 and July 1, 1946. Directs the Secretary to compile and analyze, on a continuing basis, all clinical data obtained by the Department of Veterans Affairs in connection with examinations and treatment furnished to veterans by the Department after November 3, 1981, for exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam and which is likely to be useful in determining the exposure to such agents and the disabilities suffered. Requires an annual report on such compilations and provides funding. Directs the Secretary, for facilitating research on the effects of exposure to herbicides used in Vietnam, to establish and maintain a system for the collection and storage of voluntarily contributed blood and tissue samples of veterans who served there. Provides for: (1) specimen security; (2) authorized uses; (3) limitations on acceptance of samples; and (4) authority based on specific funding. Directs the Secretary to establish a scientific research feasibility studies program for conducting research on health hazards resulting from: (1) exposure to dioxin; (2) exposure to other toxic agents in herbicides used in Vietnam; and (3) active military service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era. Outlines program and report requirements. Directs the Secretary to consult with NAS. Directs the Secretary, upon the request of a Vietnam veteran who has applied for Department medical care and filed a claim for, or is in receipt of, disability compensation, to obtain a blood sample to conduct a test for the presence of a specified dioxin. Provides for notification to the veteran of test results and significance and requires such blood sample to be maintained as part of the collection of blood and tissue samples required under this Act. Makes conforming amendments and provides for alternative effective dates.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 1991
Title I: Short Title - End of the Cold War Act of 1991. Title II: Elimination of Ideological Restrictions and Lists - Finds that during the Cold War the United States maintained lists of foreign persons (Lookout Lists) with unacceptable opinions in order to exclude such persons from entry into the United States. Finds that the United States also made it a criminal offense to express opinions concerning the desirability of revolution even when the person in no way incited persons or conspired to commit any criminal offense. Requires the Government to delete from any Lookout Lists the names of any aliens listed because of any past, current, or expected beliefs, statements, or associations that would be lawful within the United States. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make excludable from entry into the United States any alien whose entry or activities would have a serious adverse foreign policy consequence for the United States. Prohibits exclusion under such Act due to past, current, or expected beliefs, statements, or associations that would be lawful within the United States. Title III: Unification of United States Diplomacy - Requires the transfer to the Secretary of State of all the functions, powers, and duties of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Requires the President, as part of his annual budget submission to the Congress, to include an aggregate amount of budget outlays for the prior fiscal year for national and tactical intelligence activities, including intelligence activities carried out by the Department of Defense. Title IV: Prohibition on Channeling or Diverting Funds to Carry Out Activities for Which United States Assistance is Prohibited - Provides that whenever a provision of U.S. law prohibits all U.S. assistance from being provided to a specified foreign country, region, government, group, or individual, then no officer or employee of the executive branch may: (1) hold, use, or transfer funds for such purpose; (2) use any funds or facilities to assist any transaction whereby a foreign government or person or U.S. person provides such funds; or (3) provide any U.S. assistance to any third party in order to carry out such banned activities. Provides criminal and civil penalties for such prohibited action. Requires the President to notify the Congress whenever such a prohibition exists and any executive branch officer or employee advocates, promotes, or encourages the provision of funds or property by any foreign government, foreign person, or U.S. person for similar activities. Title V: Environmental Compliance - Federal Government Environmental Compliance Act - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to undertake a comprehensive review of existing environmental practices and procedures within the Departments of Defense and Energy and to report to the Congress on the degree to which facilities of such Departments are in compliance with existing State and Federal environmental statutes. Requires the Administrator to notify the Secretaries of Defense and Energy of his findings. Requires such Secretaries to: (1) report to the Congress all previous and ongoing violations of State and Federal environmental regulations; (2) report such violations to all relevant States and municipalities; and (3) submit to the Congress a comprehensive plan for bringing their departments into compliance with such regulations. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 1991
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should immediately review all economic benefits provided by the U.S. Government to the Soviet Union, report to the Congress on whether such benefits should be suspended in light of Soviet actions in the Baltic States, suspend all ongoing technical exchanges, consider withdrawing U.S. support for Soviet membership in the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, or General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and withhold Most Favored Nation trade treatment until: (1) Soviet troops refrain from obstructing the functioning of the democratic governments of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia; (2) the troops that were deployed following the January 7 announcement by the Soviet Defense Ministry, (of the deployment of additional troops to specified republics) are withdrawn; (3) Soviet authorities cease their interference with the media in such States; (4) good-faith negotiations between the governments of such States and the Soviet Union on the restoration of sovereignty to such States have begun; and (5) concrete assurances are received from President Gorbachev that grain purchased with U.S. credits will not be used to coerce such States or any Soviet republic to sign the Union Treaty. States that the United States should consult with and encourage its allies to follow a similar policy.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Higher Education Tax-Exempt Bond Reform Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for the tax treatment of bonds of certain nonprofit tax-exempt organizations in a manner similar to governmental bonds.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 1991
Authorizes persons having claims against the United States for damage to the vessel Iver Chaser as a result of a 1984 explosion in Nicaragua's territorial waters to file claims with the Secretary of State. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to pay amounts to persons certified by the Secretary of State. Prohibits the Secretary of State from certifying any claim if the Iver Chaser was used for military or security operations by the Sandinista Government of Nicaragua.