United States · United States Congress · 6 October 1999
Alaska Native Claims Technical Amendments Act of 1999 - Amends the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to authorize an Alaska Native to transfer Settlement Common Stock to a descendant notwithstanding an adoption, relinquishment, or termination of parental rights that may have altered or severed the legal relationship between the donor and recipient. (Sec. 3) Includes any corporation, partnership, joint venture, sole proprietorship, trust, or affiliate with which a Native Corporation or its affiliate engages in one or more commercial transactions that exceed $20,000 in a calendar year within the entities excluded from the definition of "employer" for purposes of application of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Sec. 4) Includes as a Settlement Trust any trust operated for the benefit of shareholders (current law), Natives, and descendants of Natives. (Sec. 5) Includes within lands authorized to be allotted to Alaska Native veterans: (1) land in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska which the eligible person used and occupied; (2) land that was not vacant, unappropriated, and unreserved when the eligible person first used and occupied such land, but which prior to December 18, 1971, became vacant, unappropriated, and unreserved during the time the eligible person used and occupied the land; or (3) land that was not vacant, unappropriated, and unreserved when the eligible person first used and occupied such land, but which became vacant, unappropriated, and unreserved after the above date, and remains so. Makes eligible for such allotments Alaska veterans who served during the period between August 5, 1964, and May 7, 1975 (currently, the period between January 1, 1969, and December 31, 1971) and served on active duty for at least six months. Outlines allotment approval procedures, including the right to protest a proposed allotment. (Sec. 7) Withdraws for two years from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws certain lands in the vicinity of Elim, Alaska. Authorizes the Elim Native Corporation to select and receive title to 50,000 acres within the withdrawn lands to replace lands deleted from the original Norton Bay Reservation by executive order in 1929. Outlines selection procedures. States that conveyance of selected lands shall constitute full satisfaction of Corporation claims to replacement lands. (Sec. 8) States that no person acquiring a land interest under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act shall be liable for costs of removal or remedial action, any damages, or any third party liability arising out of any contamination on that land at the time the land was acquired unless such person was directly responsible for such contamination.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1999
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 1999 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit any physician from knowingly performing a partial-birth abortion in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, unless it is necessary to save the life of the mother. Prescribes penalties. Defines a "partial birth abortion" as an abortion in which a person, deliberately and intentionally, partially vaginally delivers a living fetus before killing the fetus and completing the delivery. Authorizes the father, if married to the mother at the time of the abortion, and the maternal grandparents of the fetus, if the mother is under 18 years of age, to obtain specified relief in a civil action, unless the pregnancy resulted from the plaintiff's criminal conduct or the plaintiff consented to the abortion. Authorizes a defendant accused of an offense under this Act to seek a hearing before the State Medical Board on whether the physician's conduct was necessary to save the life of the mother. Prohibits the prosecution of a woman upon whom a partial-birth abortion is performed for conspiracy to violate this Act or under provisions regarding punishment as a principal or an accessory or for concealment of a felony.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1999
Chugach Alaska Natives Settlement Implementation Act of 1999 - Title I: Easement for Access - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to grant to the Chugach Alaska Corporation (Chugach) a perpetual easement for access to and utilization and development of land interests in the vicinity of Carbon Mountain, Alaska, that were conveyed to Chugach pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). States that, if within six months the Secretary and Chugach fail to agree on easement terms and conditions, then such easement is hereby granted to Chugach as a conveyance under ANCSA. Title II: Cemetery Sites and Historic Places - Directs the Secretary to withdraw from all forms of appropriations: (1) all public lands for which Chugach filed an application for conveyance pursuant to ANCSA as a cemetery site or historical place which application was denied because the land was selected by and conveyed to a Village Corporation; and (2) all lands that the Federal Government acquired from Village Corporations or other private parties in the Chugach Region in connection with the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Program. Outlines Chugach application requirements for the withdrawn lands and requires lands previously selected by Chugach for such purposes to be evaluated for their eligibility as cemetery sites and historical places. Provides a reinstatement period for Chugach to refile an application for lands previously requested. Title III: Forest System Land Management - Directs the Secretary to coordinate the development, maintenance, and revision of land and resource management plans for units of the National Forest System in Alaska with the plans of the Alaska Native Corporations for the utilization of lands which are intermingled with, adjacent to, or dependent for access upon National Forest System lands.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 1999
Rural Alaska Access Rights Act of 1999 - Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to: (1) require all Federal public land managers in Alaska, or a region that includes Alaska, to participate in an Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) training class, and for future Alaska public land managers to complete ANILCA training; (2) require any alternative route across Alaska public lands chosen by the head of a Federal agency to be no less economically feasible and prudent than the route being sought by an applicant; (3) provide that nothing in such Act shall be construed to adversely affect rights-of-way established under Revised Statute 2477; (4) provide that reasonable regulations governing transportation across Alaska public lands shall not include any requirements for the demonstration of pre-existing use (requiring the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to limit any access prohibitions to the smallest area practicable and the shortest period of time); (5) allow the Secretary to grant easements and rights-of-way to private landholders across Alaska public lands for economic and other purposes; (6) prohibit the Secretary from imposing unreasonable fees or charges for those seeking to exercise such access rights; (7) require (currently permits) the Secretary to enable specified officials to participate in the development of an Alaska National Park System (System) conservation and management plan; (8) state that a current occupier of a cabin or other structure on System lands may not be required to waive, forfeit, or relinquish any possessory or personal interest therein; (9) authorize necessary repairs or minor alterations to such cabins or structures; (10) require fees for permits and leases to be reasonable and consistent with authorized uses; (11) include fish and wildlife dependent recreation as a purpose of Alaska national preserve units; (12) authorize the Secretary to designate zones where and periods when hunting, fishing, and trapping will be prohibited on Alaska public lands; (13) direct the Secretary of Agriculture to permit or regulate helicopter use and landings within Alaska National Forest Wilderness areas and Alaska National Forest Monument areas; and (14) prohibit the Secretary, on Alaska wilderness areas, from establishing management directives for administering any study area to preserve wilderness values prior to action by Congress on recommendations, if any, for wilderness designation of a study area.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 1999
Urges Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater to designate the Fairbanks, Alaska, Riverwalk Centennial Bridge community connector project as the Dr. William Ransom Wood Centennial Bridge.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 1999
National Medal of Honor Memorial Act - Recognizes the following sites to honor recipients of the Medal of Honor as National Medal of Honor sites: (1) the memorial under construction at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California, to be dedicated on November 5, 1999; (2) the memorial at the White River State Park in Indianapolis, Indiana, dedicated on May 28, 1999; and (3) the Congressional Medal of Honor Museum at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, currently situated on the U.S.S. Yorktown.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 1999
Medicare Patient Access to Technology Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for: (1) establishment of the Medicare Access to Technology Advisory Committee; and (2) annual adjustments to Medicare payment systems for changes in technology and medical practice. Provides for the treatment of new medical technologies under the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for hospital outpatient department services. Adds special rules for excluded technologies. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) make adjustments to the amounts payable under the PPS necessary to ensure that there is no increase or decrease in Medicare expenditures as a result of this Act; and (2) monitor the utilization of medical technology in hospital outpatient departments. Requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to report annually to the appropriate congressional committees on the changes in utilization of and access to medical technologies furnished under Medicare, together with recommendations for legislation and administrative actions to improve Medicare beneficiary access to appropriate medical technologies. Amends SSA title XVIII to prohibit the exclusion of a drug or biological from Medicare coverage because it is not reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member, if such drug or biological has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is prescribed for an FDA-approved use or a use supported in medical compendia. Directs the Secretary to: (1) accept recommendations for Health Care Financing Administration Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) level II code modifications yearly from the public; (2) cause determinations on recommendations received during the three months immediately preceding the last month of a calendar quarter to be made not later than the first day of the following calendar quarter; and (3) implement approved modifications to HCPCS level II codes established under Medicare (including the Medicare fee schedule database) with respect to the payment system not later than 180 days after the determination approving a modification was made. Sets forth a special rule for certain medical technologies with regard to HCPCS level II codes. Prohibits the Secretary from requiring a minimum period of marketing experience with respect to a drug or device as a condition of consideration or approval of a recommendation for a HCPCS level II code modification for such drug or device. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on the feasibility and desirability of opening meetings of the HHS Alpha-Numeric Editorial Panel to the public. Directs the Secretary to maintain and continue the use of HCPCS level III codes (as in effect on June 1, 1999), and to make them available to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 1999
Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make payments (timber related funds plus other Treasury funds as necessary to meet specified payment levels) to: (1) States from Forest Service lands for affected counties to use for public education and transportation; and (2) counties from Bureau of Land Management lands for public safety, law enforcement, education, and other public purposes. Obligates funds from such payments for eligible States and counties for resource management and Federal land restoration. Sets forth eligibility provisions. Requires the establishment of an Investment Project Advisory Committee for each National Forest and Bureau of Land Management district managing Federal lands. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 1999
American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act Amendments - Amends the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 (the Act) to: (1) provide a two-year term of office for the Special Trustee for American Indians; and (2) establish the Indian Trust Fund Reform Commission. Requires the Commission to prepare for submission to the Secretary of the Interior, specified congressional committees, and the Special Trustee's advisory board a recommended reinvention strategy for all trust management business cycles that ensures the proper and efficient discharge of the trust responsibility of the Federal Government to Indian tribes and individual Indians in compliance with the Act. Outlines strategy adoption procedures and requirements. Requires the Commission to: (1) recommend to Congress the Federal agency that should be responsible for regulating such Federal fund management activities; and (2) submit recommendations for legislation to implement the strategy adopted by the Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 1999
Amends the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act to transfer without consideration certain Federal property on or within one mile surrounding the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, to the Government of Puerto Rico. Makes Federal agencies exercising control over such lands responsible for the removal or clean up of any toxic or hazardous material.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 1999
Declares that the Senate: (1) congratulates the people of East Timor for their heroic vote for independence on August 30, 1999; (2) condemns the violence of the militias in East Timor and the inaction by the Government of Indonesia to end the violence; and (3) calls on such Government to end all violence in accordance with the May 5, 1999, agreement. Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the President should instruct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations to immediately seek the United Nations Security Council authorization for the deployment of an international force to address the security situation in East Timor; and (2) the United States should assist in this effort.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
United States Cruise Ship Tourism Development Act of 1999 - Title I: Operations Under Permit - Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to issue a permit for an eligible cruise vessel to operate in the transportation of passengers in the coastwise trade between ports in the United States. Terminates permit-issuance authority after three years. Sets forth itinerary operating requirements. Prohibits permitted cruise vessels operating in domestic itineraries from operating as ferries, carrying for hire both passengers and cargo, and operating between or among the islands of Hawaii. Provides for approving limited employment of foreign flag vessels. Requires the establishment of a priority system for cruise vessels, first priority being given to U.S.-built or rebuilt vessels. Prohibits eligible cruise vessels from operating in a domestic itinerary unless a proposed itinerary has been submitted. Title II: Post-Permit Operations of Eligible Cruise Vessels - Sets forth the requirements to be met following the expiration of a permit issued under this Act for an eligible cruise vessel not documented under the laws of the United States. Title III: Other Provisions - Amends provisions of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 relating to risk factors. Makes special provision for vessels carrying passengers for hire into Glacier Bay or other National Park Service areas.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
Native American Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program Consolidation Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), in cooperation with the Secretaries of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation, the Attorney General, and the Director of the National Institutes of Health, upon receiving an acceptable plan from an Indian tribe, to authorize such tribe to coordinate its federally funded alcohol and substance abuse by integrating the program services involved into a single, comprehensive program and reducing administrative costs through the consolidation of administrative functions. Sets forth plan requirements and provisions governing plan review, waivers of statutory requirements for plan implementation, and plan approval. Requires such officials to enter into an interdepartmental memorandum of agreement providing for the implementation of authorized plans. Establishes the Bureau of Indian Affairs as the lead agency with specified responsibilities, including use of a single format report for plans and projects and development of a single system of Federal oversight for the plan. Prohibits any reduction of Federal funds available to a participating tribe as a result of this Act. Provides for interagency fund transfers to carry out this Act. Makes any State with an alcohol and substance abuse program targeted to Indian tribes eligible to receive, at no cost, such Federal personnel assignments as the Secretary may deem appropriate to help ensure the success of such program. Requires the Secretary to permit Alaska Native villages or regional or village corporations to carry out a project under a plan that meets this Act's requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
Medicare Beneficiary Access to Quality Nursing Home Care Act of 1999 - Modifies the case-mix categories for the formula for determination of the payment to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), under the prospective payment system (PPS), for routine service costs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to increase the adjusted Federal per diem rate otherwise determined for services provided to any individual during the period in which such individual is in a Nursing Home Case-Mix and Quality Demonstration resource utilization group (RUGS III) category of care, by the applicable payment add-on (updated for FY 2001 by the applicable SNF market basket percentage change), according to a specified table of such categories (especially for high-acuity and medically complex patients). Limits the application of this Act to services provided on or after October 1, 1999, and before the earlier of October 1, 2001, or the date on which the Secretary implements a case-mix methodology that takes into account adjustments for the provision of non-therapy ancillary services and supplies such as drugs and respiratory therapy. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the formula for facility specific per diem rates with respect to the market basket update (inflation adjuster) to repeal the mandatory annualized one percent reduction in basket amount.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1999
Wildland Firefighters Pay Equity Act of 1999 - Amends Federal Civil Service provisions regarding the computation of overtime pay to provide that: (1) the overtime hourly rate of pay for U.S. Forest Service employees in the Departments of Agriculture and Interior engaged in emergency wildland fire suppression is an amount equal to one and one-half times the hourly rate of such employees' basic pay, whether such pay falls below, equals, or exceeds the minimum rate of basic pay for GS-10; and (2) all that amount is premium pay.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1999
Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 1999 - Authorizes appropriations for FY 2001 through 2003 to: (1) the President to provide assistance in the form of grants to treatment centers and programs in foreign countries that are carrying out projects or activities specifically designed to treat victims of torture for the physical and psychological effects of such torture; (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide grants to programs in the United States to cover the costs of services provided by domestic treatment centers in the rehabilitation of victims of torture (including treatment of the physical and psychological effects of torture); and (3) the President for the U.S. contribution to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should: (1) request the Fund to find new ways to support, and to encourage the development of new, treatment centers and programs carrying out rehabilitative services for victims of torture; (2) use the vote of the United States to support the work of the Special Rapporteur on Torture and the Committee Against Torture established under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; and (3) use the U.S. vote to establish a country rapporteur or similar mechanism to investigate human rights violations in a country if either the Special Rapporteur or the Committee Against Torture indicates that a systematic practice of torture is prevalent there. Directs the Secretary of State to report to specified congressional committees on required specialized training with regard to victims of torture for Foreign Service officers.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 1999
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to increase from ten to 20 percent the additional incentive payments for physician services provided in health professional shortage areas in Alaska and Hawaii.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 1999
United States Capitol Visitor Center Commemorative Coin Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue ten-dollar bimetallic coins, one-dollar silver coins, half-dollar clad coins, and if the Secretary determines that the minting and issuance of bimetallic coins is not feasible, five-dollar gold coins emblematic of the first meeting of the United States Congress in the U.S. Capitol Building. Mandates that all surcharges received from the coin sales be deposited in the Capitol Preservation Fund and made available to the U.S. Capitol Preservation Commission to aid in the construction, maintenance, and preservation of a Capitol Visitor Center.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 1999
Medicare Renal Dialysis Fair Payment Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to increase the payment amount for renal dialysis services furnished under the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 1999
Calls upon the Senate, when it adjourns on July 19, 1999, to do so as a further mark of respect for the grieving families of John F. Kennedy, Jr., Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and Lauren Bessette.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1999
Amends Federal law which established the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in New Hampshire to: (1) expand Site boundaries; and (2) increase the authorization of appropriations for Site activities.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1999
Amends the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 to extend through FY 2005 the authorization of appropriations for: (1) the Historic Preservation Fund; and (2) activities of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1999
Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River Mongaup Visitor Center Act of 1999 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, subject to the availability of appropriations, to: (1) enter into a 99- year lease with the State of New York for State-owned land within the boundaries of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River located at an area known as Mongaup near the confluence of the Mongaup and Upper Delaware Rivers in New York; and (2) construct and operate a visitor center on such land. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 1999
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise and extend the placed-in-service rules applicable to the credit for electricity produced from renewable sources. Provides, under the new rules, that: (1) a qualified wind facility is one originally placed in service after December 31, 1993, and before July 1, 2004; and (2) a qualified biomass facility (currently, limited to qualified closed-loop biomass facilities), with respect to any month, is one originally placed in service before July 1, 2004, if for such month biomass comprises not less than 75 percent (on a Btu basis) of the average monthly fuel input of the facility for the taxable year which includes such month, or in the case of a facility principally using coal to produce electricity, biomass comprises not more than 25 percent (on a Btu basis) of the average monthly fuel input of the facility for the taxable year which includes such month. Sets forth additional special rules for biomass facilities. Prohibits, subject to exception, the credit from applying to electricity produced at a qualified facility placed in service after June 30, 1999, and sold to a utility pursuant to a contract originally entered into before January 1, 1987.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Main Street Business Incentive Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to accelerate, from taxable years beginning in 2003 to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1998, the $25,000 maximum dollar limitation applicable to the expensing of certain depreciable assets under section 179 of the IRC. Expands the definition of section 179 property (while maintaining the exclusion for air conditioning and heating units) to include any tangible property used in a trade or business.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Father Theodore M. Hesburgh Congressional Gold Medal Act - Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal to Father Theodore M. Hesburgh in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to civil rights, higher education, the Catholic Church, the Nation, and the global community. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Naval Air Station Fallon Ranges, Nevada Title II: Nellis Air Force Range, Nevada Title III: Barry M. Goldwater Range, Arizona Title IV: Military Use of Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge Title V: Fort Greely and Fort Wainwright Training Ranges, Alaska Title VI: McGregor Range, Fort Bliss, New Mexico Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1999 - Terminates, upon the enactment of this Act, all withdrawals made under the Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1986. Title I: Naval Air Station Fallon Ranges, Nevada - Withdraws from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws specified lands and land interests within the Naval Air Station Fallon Ranges, Nevada. Transfers such lands and interests to the Secretary of the Navy for specified military uses. (Sec. 102) Requires the Secretary of the Interior to publish and file a map and legal description of the withdrawn lands. (Sec. 103) Authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to close areas of such lands as necessary for military operations, public safety, or national security. Directs the Secretaries of the Navy and the Interior to jointly prepare an integrated natural resources management plan for the withdrawn lands. Authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to enter into memoranda of understanding or cooperative agreements with the Secretary of the Interior or other appropriate Federal, State, or local agencies, Indian tribes, or other public or private organizations or institutions as necessary to implement such plan. Provides for the management and use of mineral resources on the withdrawn lands. Requires joint reports from such Secretaries concurrent with each plan review describing changes in the condition of the withdrawn lands. Directs such Secretaries to establish an intergovernmental executive committee for exchanging views, information, and advice relating to the management of the natural and cultural resources on the withdrawn lands. Authorizes the transfer back to the Secretary of the Interior of management responsibility over such withdrawn lands if: (1) the Secretary of the Interior determines that such lands are not being used for military purposes and that such failure is resulting in significant degradation of the natural and cultural resources of such lands; (2) the Secretary of the Navy is notified of, and given a reasonable period of time to correct, such deficiencies; and (3) the Secretary of the Interior determines that such deficiencies have not been corrected within such period. (Sec. 105) Makes the Secretary of the Navy responsible for all applicable environmental requirements on such lands during the withdrawal period, including any required environmental remediation. (Sec. 106) Terminates such withdrawal and reservation 25 years after the enactment of this Act. (Sec. 107) Directs the Secretary of the Navy, at least three years prior to such withdrawal termination, to notify Congress and the Secretary of the Interior whether the Navy will have a continuing military need, beyond the termination date, for any part of the withdrawn lands and, if so, to file an application for an extension of the withdrawal period. (Sec. 108) Directs the Secretary of the Navy to notify the Secretary of the Interior of the intention to relinquish any or all of such withdrawn lands during the withdrawal period due to the lack of continuing military need for such lands. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to accept jurisdiction over such lands, under certain conditions. (Sec. 109) Authorizes the delegation of the authority of the Secretaries of the Navy and the Interior for actions taken under this title. (Sec. 110) Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Nellis Air Force Range, Nevada - Withdraws from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws specified lands and land interests within the Nellis Air Force Range, Nevada. Transfers such lands and interests to the Secretary of the Air Force for specified military uses. Withdraws from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws all lands of the Pahute Mesa within the Nevada Test and Training Range, to be reserved for use by the Secretary of Energy. (Sec. 202) Requires the Secretary of the Interior to publish and file a map and legal description of the withdrawn lands. (Sec. 203) Authorizes the Secretary of the Air Force to close areas of lands withdrawn for such Secretary as necessary for military operations, public safety, or national security. Directs the Secretaries of the Air Force and the Interior to jointly prepare an integrated natural resources management plan for the lands withdrawn for the Secretary of the Air Force. Authorizes the Secretary of the Air Force to enter into memoranda of understanding or cooperative agreements with the Secretary of the Interior or other appropriate Federal, State, or local agencies, Indian tribes, or other public or private organizations or institutions as necessary to implement such plan. Provides for the management and use of mineral resources on the withdrawn lands. Requires joint reports from such Secretaries, concurrent with each plan review, describing changes in the condition of such withdrawn lands. Directs such Secretaries to establish an intergovernmental executive committee for exchanging views, information, and advice relating to the management of the natural and cultural resources on the withdrawn lands. Authorizes the transfer back to the Secretary of the Interior of management responsibility over such withdrawn lands if: (1) the Secretary of the Interior determines that such lands are not being used for military purposes and that such failure is resulting in significant degradation of the natural and cultural resources of such lands; (2) the Secretary of the Air Force is notified of, and given a reasonable period of time to correct, such deficiencies; and (3) the Secretary of the Interior determines that such deficiencies have not been corrected within such period. (Sec. 204) Provides for management by the Secretary of the Interior of that portion of the Desert National Wildlife Range withdrawn under this title. Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of the Air Force for replacement of Refuge System lands in Nevada transferred to such Secretary under this title. (Sec. 205) Makes the Secretary of the Air Force responsible for all applicable environmental requirements on such lands during the withdrawal period, including any required environmental remediation. (Sec. 206) Terminates such withdrawal and reservation 25 years after the enactment of this Act. (Sec. 207) Directs the Secretary of the Air Force, at least three years prior to such withdrawal termination, to notify Congress and the Secretary of the Interior whether the Air Force will have a continuing military need, beyond the termination date, of any part of the withdrawn lands and, if so, to file an application for an extension of the withdrawal period. (Sec. 208) Directs the Secretary of the Air Force to notify the Secretary of the Interior of the intention to relinquish any or all of such withdrawn lands during the withdrawal period due to the lack of continuing military need for such lands. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to accept jurisdiction over such lands, under certain conditions. (Sec. 209) Authorizes the delegation of the authority of the Secretaries of the Air Force and the Interior for actions taken under this title. (Sec. 210) Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Barry M. Goldwater Range, Arizona - Withdraws from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws all lands and land interests within the Barry M. Goldwater Range, Arizona. Transfers such lands and interests to the Secretaries of the Navy (East Range) and Air Force (West Range) for specified military uses. (Sec. 302) Requires the Secretary of the Interior to publish and file a map and legal description of the withdrawn lands. (Sec. 303) Authorizes the Secretaries of the Navy or Air Force to close areas of lands withdrawn for their respective use as necessary for military operations, public safety, or national security. Directs the Secretaries of the Navy, Air Force, and the Interior to jointly prepare an integrated natural resources management plan for the withdrawn lands. Authorizes the Secretary of the Navy and Air Force to enter into memoranda of understanding or cooperative agreements with the Secretary of the Interior or other appropriate Federal, State, or local agencies, Indian tribes, or other public or private organizations or institutions as necessary to implement such plan. Provides for the management and use of mineral resources on the withdrawn lands. Requires joint reports from such Secretaries concurrent with each plan review describing changes in the condition of such withdrawn lands. Directs such Secretaries to establish an intergovernmental executive committee for exchanging views, information, and advice relating to the management of natural and cultural resources on the withdrawn lands. Authorizes the transfer back to the Secretary of the Interior of management responsibility over such withdrawn lands if: (1) the Secretary of the Interior determines that such lands are not being used for military purposes and that such failure is resulting in significant degradation of the natural and cultural resources on such lands; (2) the Secretary of the Navy or Air Force is notified of, and given a reasonable period of time to correct, such deficiencies; and (3) the Secretary of the Interior determines that such deficiencies have not been corrected within such period. (Sec. 304) Makes the Secretaries of the Navy and Air Force responsible for all applicable environmental requirements on such lands during the withdrawal period, including any required environmental remediation. (Sec. 305) Terminates such withdrawal and reservation 25 years after the enactment of this Act. (Sec. 306) Directs the Secretaries of the Navy and Air Force, at least three years prior to such withdrawal termination, to notify Congress and the Secretary of the Interior whether the Navy or Air Force will have a continuing need, beyond the termination date, of any part of the withdrawn lands and, if so, to file an application for an extension of the withdrawal period. (Sec. 307) Directs the Secretary of the Navy or Air Force to notify the Secretary of the Interior of the intention to relinquish any or all of such withdrawn lands during the withdrawal period due to the lack of continuing military need for such lands. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to accept jurisdiction over such lands, under certain conditions. (Sec. 308) Authorizes the delegation of the authority of the Secretaries of the Navy, Air Force, and Interior for actions taken under this title. (Sec. 309) Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: Military Use of Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to manage Cabeza Prieta for the purposes for which such refuge and wilderness were established, and to support current and future military aviation training needs consistent with a 1994 Memorandum of Understanding between the Departments of the Interior and the Air Force. Directs the Secretaries of the Interior, Navy, and Air Force to extend such Memorandum for a period that coincides with the duration of the withdrawal and reservation of the Barry M. Goldwater Range under title III of this Act. Requires such Memorandum to be amended to meet future military aviation training needs of the Navy and Air Force. (Sec. 402) Directs the Secretaries of the Navy and Air Force, during the duration of the Goldwater Range withdrawal, to maintain a program of decontamination of the portions of Cabeza Prieta used for military training purposes at least at the level of cleanup currently achieved on such lands. (Sec. 403) Provides for the closure to the public of any portion of Cabeza Prieta that the Secretary of the Navy or Air Force determines to be necessary for military operations, public safety, or national security. Title V: Fort Greely and Fort Wainwright Training Ranges, Alaska - Withdraws from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws specified lands within the Fort Greely and Fort Wainwright Training Ranges in Alaska. Transfers such withdrawn lands to the Secretary of the Army for specified military purposes. (Sec. 502) Requires the Secretary of the Interior to publish and file a map and legal description of the withdrawn lands. (Sec. 503) Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to close areas of such withdrawn lands as necessary for military operations, public safety, or national security. Directs the Secretaries of the Army and the Interior to jointly prepare an integrated natural resources management plan for the withdrawn lands. Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to enter into memoranda of understanding or cooperative agreements with the Secretary of the Interior or other appropriate Federal, State, or local agencies, Indian tribes, or other public or private organizations or institutions as necessary to implement such plan. Provides for the management and use of mineral resources on the withdrawn lands. Requires joint reports from such Secretaries concurrent with each plan review describing changes in the condition of such withdrawn lands. Directs such Secretaries to establish an intergovernmental executive committee for exchanging views, information, and advice relating to the management of natural and cultural resources on the withdrawn lands. Authorizes the transfer back to the Secretary of the Interior of management responsibility over such withdrawn lands if: (1) the Secretary of the Interior determines that such lands are not being used for military purposes and that such failure is resulting in significant degradation of the natural and cultural resources on such lands; (2) the Secretary of the Army is notified of, and given a reasonable period of time to correct, such deficiencies; and (3) the Secretary of the Interior determines that such deficiencies have not been corrected within such period. (Sec. 504) Makes the Secretary of the Army responsible for all applicable environmental requirements on such lands, including any required environmental remediation. (Sec. 505) Terminates such withdrawal and reservation 25 years after the enactment of this Act. (Sec. 506) Directs the Secretary of the Army, at least three years prior to such withdrawal termination, to notify Congress and the Secretary of the Interior whether the Army will have a continuing need, beyond the termination date, of any part of the withdrawn lands and, if so, to file an application for an extension of the withdrawal period. (Sec. 507) Directs the Secretary of the Army to notify the Secretary of the Interior of the intention to relinquish any or all of such withdrawn lands during the withdrawal period due to the lack of continuing military need for such lands. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to accept jurisdiction over such lands, under certain conditions. (Sec. 508) Authorizes the delegation of the authority of the Secretaries of the Army and the Interior for actions taken under this title. (Sec. 509) Authorizes appropriations. Title VI: McGregor Range, Fort Bliss, New Mexico - Withdraws from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws specified lands in Otero County, New Mexico, and located within the McGregor Range. (Sec. 602) Directs the Secretary of the Interior to file a map and legal description of the withdrawn lands. (Sec. 603) Directs the Secretary of the Army to manage the withdrawn lands and to use them for military training and testing. Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to close areas as necessary for military operations, public safety, or national security. Directs the Secretaries of the Army and the Interior to jointly prepare an integrated natural resources management plan for the withdrawn lands. Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to enter into memoranda of understanding or cooperative agreements with the Secretary of the Interior or other appropriate Federal, State, or local agencies, Indian tribes, or other public or private organizations or institutions as necessary to implement such plan. Provides for the management and use of mineral resources on the withdrawn lands. Requires joint reports from such Secretaries concurrent with each plan review describing changes in the condition of such withdrawn lands. Directs such Secretaries to establish an intergovernmental executive committee for exchanging views, information, and advice relating to the management of natural and cultural resources on the withdrawn lands. Authorizes the transfer back to the Secretary of the Interior of management responsibility over such withdrawn lands if: (1) the Secretary of the Interior determines that such lands are not being used for military purposes and that such failure is resulting in significant degradation of the natural and cultural resources on such lands; (2) the Secretary of the Army is notified of, and given a reasonable period of time to correct, such deficiencies; and (3) the Secretary of the Interior determines that such deficiencies have not been corrected within such period. (Sec. 604) Makes the Secretary of the Army responsible for all applicable environmental requirements on such lands during the withdrawal period, including any required environmental remediation. (Sec. 605) Terminates such withdrawal and reservation 25 years after the enactment of this Act. (Sec. 606) Directs the Secretary of the Army, at least three years prior to such withdrawal termination, to notify Congress and the Secretary of the Interior whether the Army will have a continuing need, beyond the termination date, of any part of the withdrawn lands and, if so, to file an application for an extension of the withdrawal period. (Sec. 607) Directs the Secretary of the Army to notify the Secretary of the Interior of the intention to relinquish any or all of such withdrawn lands during the withdrawal period due to the lack of continuing military need for such lands. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to accept jurisdiction over such lands, under certain conditions. (Sec. 608) Authorizes the delegation of the authority of the Secretaries of the Army and the Interior for actions taken under this title. (Sec. 609) Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1999
Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish: (1) an eleventh region of the EPA, comprised solely of the State of Alaska; and (2) a regional office for the region located in the State. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1999
Nuclear Decommissioning Funds Clarification Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise provisions concerning, among other things: (1) the limitation on the amounts which may be paid into a Nuclear Decommissioning Reserve Fund; and (2) the deduction allowed for nuclear decommissioning costs.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1999
Reforestation Tax Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a deduction to a taxpayer who has a qualified timber gain in an amount equal to the qualified percentage of such gain. Decreases the amortization period for reforestation expenditures.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1999
Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1999 - Title I: Storage and Disposal - Sets forth a milestone schedule by which final decisions regarding development of the Yucca Mountain site as a nuclear waste repository shall be made by: (1) the Secretary of Energy (the Secretary); (2) the President; and (3) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Prescribes implementation guidelines. (Sec. 102) Cites circumstances under which the Secretary shall take title and transport for storage at the repository site such spent nuclear fuel amounts as the NRC determines cannot be stored onsite. (Sec. 103) Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to repeal its nuclear waste disposal provisions. Amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to substitute Environmental Protection Agency oversight of repository licensing standards with that of the NRC. (Sec. 105) Authorizes the Secretary to enter into settlement agreements and grant specified relief to contract holders to: (1) relieve harm caused by failure to meet Department of Energy commitments; or (2) settle legal claims arising out of such failure. Delimits expenditures which may be made from the Nuclear Waste Fund for costs incurred pursuant to a settlement agreement or backup storage contract. (Sec. 106) Prescribes implementation guidelines for an acceptance schedule. Title II: Transportation - Prescribes guidelines for transportation planning and readiness which encompasses: (1) shipping campaign transportation plans; (2) safe shipping routes and modes, including rail routes; (3) training and technical assistance for personnel; and (4) package certification requirements. States there shall be no shipments of radioactive waste through any State or Indian reservation lands until the Secretary has determined that acceptable training standards and technical assistance and funds to implement safe transportation have been available prior to shipment. (Sec. 202) Authorizes the Secretary to make grants from the Nuclear Waste Fund to implement transportation readiness. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a public education program regarding transportation of radioactive waste; (2) use private carriers for such transportation; and (3) apply specified employee protection provisions for persons engaged in the interstate commerce of radioactive waste disposal. Instructs the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate training standard regulations applicable to workers directly involved in the removal and transportation of radioactive waste. Prescribes training standards contents, including emergency responder training standards. Title III: Development of National Spent Nuclear Fuel Strategy - Establishes an Office of Spent Nuclear Fuel Research, within the Office of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology of the Department of Energy, to implement an integrated research, development and demonstration program on technologies for the treatment, recycling, and disposal of radioactive waste. Requires the Associate Director of such Office to involve national laboratories, universities, and the private sector to investigate technologies for the treatment, recycling and disposal of radioactive waste, and to submit an annual status report to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1999
Safety Net Preservation Act of 1999 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to establish a new prospective payment system for federally-qualified health centers and rural health clinics.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1999
Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999 - Title I: Use of Controlled Substances Consistent With the Controlled Substances Act - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to provide that for purposes of such Act, alleviating pain or discomfort in the usual course of professional practice is a legitimate medical purpose for the dispensing, distributing, or administering of a controlled substance consistent with public health and safety even if the use of such a substance may increase the risk of death. Declares that nothing in this Act authorizes intentionally dispensing or administering a controlled substance for purposes of causing death or assisting another person in causing death. Prohibits the Attorney General, in determining whether a controlled substance manufacturer, distributor, or dispenser registration is consistent with the public interest under the Act, from giving force and effect to State law permitting assisted suicide or euthanasia. Authorizes certain educational and research programs carried out by the Attorney General under the Act to include educational and training programs for local, State, and Federal personnel on the necessary and legitimate use of controlled substances in pain management and palliative care and means by which investigation and enforcement actions by law enforcement personnel may accommodate such use. Title II: Promoting Palliative Care - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Administrator of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research to carry out a program to: (1) develop and advance scientific understanding of palliative care; and (2) collect and disseminate protocols and evidence-based practices regarding such care, with priority given to pain management for terminally ill patients, and make such information publicly available. Defines "palliative care" as the active total care of patients whose prognosis is limited due to progressive, far-advanced disease. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to health professions schools, hospices, and other entities for programs to provide education and training to health care professionals in palliative care. Sets forth requirements for grant applicants. Provides for the evaluation of such programs to determine their effect on knowledge and practice regarding palliative care. Makes funds available for such grants and contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1999
Academic Achievement for All Act (Straight A's Act) - Allows States flexibility in combining and using use specified Federal elementary and secondary education formula program funds for State education priorities and programs, in exchange for being held accountable for meeting, in a five- year period, certain performance goals which they propose. (Sec. 3) Allows a State to opt to enter into such a performance agreement with the Secretary of Education, under which provisions of law relating to specified eligible programs shall not apply to the State, with certain exceptions. Includes under the terms of such agreements requirements relating to: (1) use of such funds to improve student achievement; (2) an accountability system; (3) performance goals and measures, and student achievement data; (4) fiscal responsibilities; (5) civil rights; (6) private school student and staff participation; (7) State financial participation; and (8) annual reports. (Sec. 4) Lists such eligible programs, under various provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), the Department of Education Appropriations Act of 1999, the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998, and the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. (Sec. 5) Sets forth requirements relating to: (1) within-State distribution of funds; (2) local participation; and (3) a set-aside for State administrative expenditures. (Sec. 8) Requires performance reviews at the end of the five-year period. Requires reductions of State administrative funds for States that have made little or no progress. Allows States that have met at least 80 percent of their performance goals to apply for renewal of performance agreements for an additional five-year period. (Sec. 10) Directs the Secretary annually to set aside sufficient funds from the Fund for the Improvement of Education under ESEA to grant achievement gap reduction rewards to States. Requires a performance reward to equal at least five percent of funds allocated to the State during the first year of the performance agreement for programs included in the agreement. Makes a State eligible to receive a reward if, over the five-year term of the performance agreement, it reduces by at least 25 percent the difference between the percentage of highest and lowest performing groups of students that meet the State's definition of proficient, with such reduction occurring in at least: (1) two content areas, one of which must be mathematics or reading; and (2) one grade level.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 1999
Spaceport Investment Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide the same treatment for spaceports as is provided for airports under the exempt facility bond rules.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 1999
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a deduction to a taxpayer who has a qualified timber gain in an amount equal to the qualified percentage of such gain.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1999
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income amounts received from a charitable organization as reimbursement for the operating expenses of a passenger automobile for the benefit of such organization.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1999
Amends rule IV of the Standing Rules of the Senate to require that the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States be recited at the commencement of the daily session of the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 1999
Lewis and Clark Expedition Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue one-dollar coins emblematic of the expedition of Lewis and Clark. Allocates surcharges from coin sales between the National Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council and the National Park Service for activities associated with the bicentennial commemoration of the expedition.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Surface Transportation Act of 1999 - Amends the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 to remove restrictions on the State Infrastructure Bank Pilot Program, including the limitation on the Secretary of Transportation's entering into cooperative agreements with no more than ten States for the establishment of State and multi-state infrastructure banks. (Sec. 3) Amends Federal transportation provisions to authorize a State to use for a project under the High Priority Projects Program any funds apportioned under such provisions for which the project is eligible. Allows a State, if a project is not eligible for such funds, to use for the project certain funds apportioned to the State under the Surface Transportation Program (STP). Directs that such apportioned funds be reimbursed from amounts allocated for the project in an amount equal to that used under this section, but not to exceed the total of the amounts allocated for the project. (Sec. 4) Authorizes the obligation of National Highway System funds for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of, and preventative maintenance for, intercity rail passenger facilities and rolling stock. Authorizes the use of STP funds for capital costs for transit projects eligible for assistance, including rail, or a combination of bus and rail. Makes eligible under the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program certain projects or programs that will have air quality benefits through acquisition, construction, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of, and preventative maintenance for, intercity rail passenger facilities and rolling stock. Transfers to Amtrak and publicly-owned intercity or intracity passenger rail lines specified highway and transit funds. (Sec. 5) Revises provisions regarding the Historic Bridges Program to eliminate a restriction that caps the amount of Federal-aid highway funds that can be spent on a historic bridge to a sum equal to the cost of demolition. (Sec. 6) Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to make a change with respect to the distribution of the Federal-aid obligation limitation to make all obligation authority for the program available as multi-year funding.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Physical Education for Progress Act - Amends title X (Programs of National Significance) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to, and enter into contracts with, local educational agencies (LEAs) to initiate, expand, and improve physical education programs for all kindergarten through 12th grade students. Requires such grants and contracts to be used for: (1) providing equipment and support to enable students to actively participate in physical education activities; (2) developing or enhancing physical education curricula to meet national goals for physical education developed by the Secretary in consultation with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education; and (3) providing funds for staff and teacher training and education. Requires LEA applications for such assistance to contain plans for school physical education programs that meet specified requirements, including: (1) curricula providing students with at least 150 minutes per week of instructional physical education per week, along with certain types of instructional contents; (2) physical education teachers with baccalaureate degrees qualifying them as physical education specialists; and (3) professional development opportunities for physical education teachers. Prohibits extracurricular activities such as team sports and Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program activities from being considered as part of the curriculum of a physical education program assisted under this Act. Sets forth requirements relating to: (1) proportionality of awards; (2) private school students and home-schooled students; (3) LEA reports for continued funding; (4) the Secretary's report to the Congress; (5) administrative costs; and (6) Federal share. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Defense Jobs and Trade Promotion Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the limitation on the amount of receipts attributable to military property which may be treated as exempt foreign trade income.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to classify any natural gas gathering line as seven-year property for purposes of depreciation. Defines natural gas gathering line.
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