United States · United States Congress · 22 February 1991
Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act - Prohibits a State, or any political subdivision, from sponsoring, operating, advertising, authorizing, licensing, or promoting any lottery, sweepstake, or other betting, gambling, or wagering scheme based, directly or indirectly, on any game or games engaged or conducted or scheduled by any professional or amateur sports organization, or on any performance or performances in such games.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 1991
Declares that it is the sense of the Congress that: (1) the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans, including Arab Americans, should be protected at all times, and particularly during international conflict or war; (2) the Federal Bureau of Investigation should work with other government agencies and community leaders to prevent, investigate, and report hate crimes and other discrimination against Arab Americans and other minorities; and (3) Federal agencies should avoid encroaching on civil rights and civil liberties or reinforcing ethnic stereotypes.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 1991
Commends the Peace Corps on its 30th anniversary and those who have served as Peace Corps volunteers. Reaffirms U.S. commitment, through the Peace Corps, to help peoples in other countries to meet their needs.
United States · United States Congress · 20 February 1991
Mining Law Reform Act of 1991 - Title I: Disposition of Mineral Deposits - Declares that all public domain mineral lands shall be open to any person for location of a mining claim according to prescribed recordation requirements and filings. Reserves to the United States all surface and subsurface rights and interests (including royalties) in claimed lands, except for locatable minerals subject to a claim located, recorded, and maintained under this Act. Declares that claims shall be conclusively presumed to be abandoned 20 years after the location notice is filed unless locatable minerals have been or are being produced in sufficient quantities. Prescribes guidelines for: (1) an annual holding fee to maintain a claim; (2) surface use permits for milling, processing or beneficiation activities; (3) a mining plan of operations; (4) mineral production royalty payments; and (5) the allocation of user fees and administrative fees between the States and the Federal Government. Title II: Environmental Protection - Directs the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) to take action to assure that all mineral activities are conducted in a manner to minimize adverse impact upon the environment. Prescribes criteria for development of: (1) land use planning guides; (2) land reclamation standards; and (3) financial guarantees for mining area reclamation activities. Requires the Secretary to conduct biannual compliance inspections. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Authorizes citizens' suits to compel compliance with this Act. Title III: Hardrock Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund - Establishes the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Fund to be administered by the Secretary (acting through the Director, Bureau of Land Management) for the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past hardrock mining. Outlines lands and waters eligible for reclamation expenditures. Provides for Fund allocation on an annual basis in the form of grants to eligible States. Prescribes criteria for State reclamation programs eligible for Fund expenditures. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: Savings and Administrative Provisions - Subjects mining claims and patents to the requirements of this Act, including certain existing claims. Amends Federal law to provide that no mineral deposit material (including sand, stone, gravel, pumice, pumicite, cinders, or clay) shall have such distinct and special value as to be deemed a valuable mineral deposit within the meaning of U.S. mining laws. Sets forth conversion guidelines for mineral materials asserted to have some property giving them distinct and special value under the Mining Law of 1872. Repeals the Building Stone Act and the Saline Placer Act. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to administer Federal mining law activities on National Forest System lands. Directs the Secretary to collect user fees from claimants to reimburse Federal administrative expenses. Repeals the Mining Law of 1872, and certain filing requirements of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 1991
Resolution Trust Corporation Funding Act of 1991 - Amends the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to authorize additional funding to the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) to cover losses in resolving thrift institutions. Prohibits the obligation of such funds after FY 1991. Requires the Oversight Board to transmit to specified congressional committees: (1) RTC's audited financial statements within 180 days after the end of the fiscal year to which those audits apply; and (2) a detailed financial operating plan by the beginning of each calendar quarter. Outlines plan contents. Requires the Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision to deliver to the Oversight Board on a quarterly basis a list of savings associations in danger of default. States that whenever agency reports are not provided timely to the Congress, the President of the Oversight Board and the head of the responsible agency shall testify before certain congressional committees about the causes and the remedial steps taken with respect to the reporting delinquency. Amends the Federal Home Loan Bank Act and the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to provide that officials of the RTC, the Oversight Board, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation are not subject to personal civil liability under the Securities Act of 1933 for asset disposition activities undertaken within the scope of their employment. Amends the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to authorize the RTC and the Oversight Board to indemnify any of their personnel (including FDIC personnel) who perform services for them.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1991
Trade Agreement Compliance Act of 1991 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to require the United States Trade Representative (USTR), at the request of an interested person, to determine whether a foreign country is complying with any agreement it has with the United States. Requires the USTR to take specified action under the Act if he or she determines that such country is in material noncompliance with any agreement. Requires the amendments made by this Act to be consistent with U.S. international obligations, including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1991
Extends congratulations to the USO on its 50th anniversary. Commends its work in support of the military personnel and their families serving in the United States and around the world.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1991
Amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 to declare that a foreign principal shall be considered to control a person in major part if: (1) such principal holds more than 50 percent of equitable ownership in such person; or (2) such principal, subject to rebuttal evidence, holds at least 20 percent but not more than 50 percent of equitable ownership in such person. Requires agents of foreign principals who have filed registration statements to file supplements to such statements with the Attorney General on January 31 and July 31 of each year. Authorizes agents with accounting systems using different fiscal years to petition the Attorney General to permit the filing of statements at the close of the first and seventh month of such fiscal year in lieu of the required dates. Provides that the exemption from the foreign agent registration requirement for individuals providing legal representation for a foreign principal before a U.S. agency shall apply only to representation before the Patent and Trademark Office. Imposes civil penalties upon persons who have: (1) failed to file registration statements; or (2) omitted a material fact or made false statements on registration statements. Authorizes the Attorney General to serve civil investigative demands on persons in control of material relevant to investigations concerning violations of registration requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1991
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to revise its application. Revises minimum wage and maximum hours provisions (as well as provisions for special industry committees for American Samoa) to apply such requirements specifically to employers of employees who in any workweek are engaged in industrial homework and who are either engaged in commerce or in the production of goods in commerce (in addition to any other employees so employed). Revises the scope of the application of requirements relating to wage rate orders for employers in American Samoa, prohibition of sex discrimination in wage rates, and handicapped workers.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1991
Defense Production Act Amendments of 1991 - Title I: Amendments to the Defense Production Act of 1950 - Part A: Declaration of Policy - Revises the declaration of policy under the Defense Production Act of 1950 to state that such Act affords the President an array of authorities to shape defense preparedness programs and to take appropriate steps to maintain and enhance the defense industrial and technological base (the defense base). Requires executive agencies and departments responsible for defense acquisition to continuously assess the capability of the defense base to satisfy peacetime requirements as well as increased mobilization production requirements. States that plans and programs to carry out the policy stated above shall duly consider the promotion of efficiency and competition. Expresses certain congressional findings disapproving the growing U.S. dependence on foreign sources for critical components and materials used to manufacture major weapons systems for our national defense. States that it is imperative for the United States to preserve and strengthen its industrial and technological capabilities. Part B: Amendments to Title I of the Defense Production Act - Directs the President, within five years, to review the inventory of weapons systems and defense equipment and to designate as an essential weapons system those items deemed appropriate. Requires the President to identify critical components and critical technology items utilizing information from the Defense Industrial Base Information System (established under this Act). Authorizes the President to limit to domestic procurement those critical components and critical technology items needed to meet national security requirements. Authorizes the President to provide appropriate incentives to develop, maintain, modernize, or expand the productive capacities of domestic sources for critical components, critical technology items, or industrial resources within an industry deemed essential for national security. Authorizes the use of funds provided later under this Act for guaranteeing the purchase or lease of advanced manufacturing equipment. Requires the President to give a preference to small businesses in providing assistance authorized under this Act. Authorizes the President to stockpile appropriate supplies of critical components and critical technology items to meet the needs of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the production needs of firms furnishing essential weapons systems to DOD during peacetime and various stages of graduated mobilization, wherever it is determined that necessary quantities of such items cannot be obtained from domestic sources. Requires biennial reports on activities taken to preserve and revitalize the defense base. States that nothing in this Act shall be interpreted to: (1) provide for the imposition of wage or price controls without prior authorization of such action by joint congressional resolution; or (2) require action or compliance by any private person to assist in the production of, or involvement in, chemical or biological warfare capabilities except in time of war or national emergency. Part C: Amendments to Title III of the Defense Production Act - Expands the existing loan guarantee authority of the President to include providing such authority for the procurement of industrial resources or a critical technology item for the national defense. Increases from $25,000,000 to $50,000,000 the maximum loan guarantee amount that may be made before a specific authorization by law is needed. Makes the same changes for loans made to private business enterprises under such Act. Authorizes the President to provide for purchases or purchase commitments for an industrial resource or a critical technology item for Government use or resale. (Currently, such purchases or purchase commitments are permitted for the purchase of metals, minerals, and other material.) Prohibits the President from executing a contract for purchases or purchase commitments unless: (1) the industrial resource or critical technology is essential to the national defense; (2) U.S. industry cannot reasonably provide such resource or technology in a timely manner; or (3) U.S. national defense demand for the resource or technology is equal to or greater than the output of domestic industrial capability determined to be available for national defense. Increases from $25,000,000 to $50,000,000 the maximum industrial resource shortfall authorized to be reached by the President before a specific authorization by law is required. Waives such requirements, along with requirements concerning loan guarantees and loans to private business enterprises, during periods of national emergency declared by the Congress or the President. Extends the term for purchases or purchase commitments from September 30, 1995, to a date not more than ten years from the date such purchase, commitment, or sale was initially made. Establishes in the Treasury the Defense Production Act Fund to carry out the purposes of title III of such Act. Establishes a maximum Fund balance. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to designate a Fund manager to manage such Fund and report to the Congress annually on Fund activities. Provides for the determination of liabilities against the Fund. Transfers a specified amount to such Fund from the National Defense Stockpile Transaction Fund. States that it shall be the policy of the U.S. Government that: (1) no agency of the United States shall encourage or commit U.S. firms to any offset arrangement in connection with the sale of defense goods or services to foreign governments; (2) Government funds shall not be used to finance offsets in security assistance transactions except under specified procedures; (3) nothing in this Act shall prevent U.S. agencies from fulfilling obligations incurred through international agreements entered into prior to enactment of this Act; (4) the decision whether to engage in offsets and in negotiating and implementing offset arrangements lies with the companies involved; and (5) any exceptions to such policy shall be approved by the President after receiving the recommendation of the National Security Council. Directs the Secretary of Defense to lead an interagency team to consult with foreign nations on limiting the adverse effects of offsets in defense procurement and to report to specified congressional committees. Requires the Secretary of Commerce (currently, the President) to prepare a report on the impact of offsets on the defense preparedness, industrial competitiveness, employment, and trade of the United States, as required under the Defense Production Act of 1950. Provides that if a U.S. firm enters into a contract for the sale of a weapon system or defense-related item to a foreign country or foreign firm and such contract is subject to an offset agreement exceeding $5,000,000, such firm shall furnish an offset agreement to a designated defense official and information concerning such sale. Provides for the protection of confidential information provided to such defense official. Outlines information to be included in the reports prepared by the Department of Commerce. Requires findings and recommendations contained in such reports to be considered by representatives of the United States during bilateral and multilateral negotiations aimed at minimizing the adverse effects of offsets. Requires the President to issue biennial reports assessing those subsectors of the U.S. economy which have been identified as being critical to the development and production of components required for the production of weapons systems and other items of military equipment and the provision of services essential to the national defense. Outlines matters to be considered in such reports, including capacity and capabilities of domestic sources, the extent of foreign dependencies for items of military material, and reasons for decline in U.S. capabilities to meet peacetime and mobilization requirements. Part D: Amendments to Title VII of the Defense Production Act - Requires small business concerns to be given the maximum practicable opportunity to participate as contractors and subcontractors in all programs to maintain and strengthen the nation's defense base under the Defense Production Act of 1950. Requires representatives of small business concerns to participate in such advisory committees as may be established under such Act, and requires small business concerns to be given access to appropriate information to the maximum extent practicable. Requires the President to allocate a fair share of material authorized under the Act to small business concerns, especially to new concerns or individual firms facing undue hardship. Limits the authority of the President to delegate any power conferred upon him by this Act, including the redelegation of such authority. Permits executives being trained and organized in the National Defense Executive Reserve and participating in voluntary agreements or plans or actions under direction of the President and pursuant to treaty obligations to be given antitrust and breach of contract immunity when undertaking any emergency actions. Exempts such activities from provisions of the Advisory Committee Act. Requires the President to provide for the establishment of an information system on the domestic defense industrial base which includes a systematic and continuously-updated procedure to collect and analyze information necessary to evaluate: (1) the adequacy of domestic industrial capacity and capability in critical components, technologies, and technology items essential to national security; and (2) dependence on foreign sources for industrial parts, components, and technologies essential to defense production. Requires the current defense information network to be incorporated into such information system. Provides sources of, and uses for, such information as collected and analyzed, including review and production-base analysis purposes. Directs the President to require the Secretary of each military department to incorporate in such system a complete analysis of the production base of two major weapons systems of such department. Directs the President to provide for the establishment of, and report to the Congress on, a strategic plan for developing a cost-effective, comprehensive information system capable of identifying vulnerability in critical components, technologies, and technology items. Directs the President to require the Secretaries of Defense and of Commerce, as well as the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, to consult with one another, provide information assistance and access, and coordinate standards, definitions, and specifications for information on defense production between Federal departments and agencies. Requires the President, upon establishment of the information system, to convene a task force to establish guidelines and procedures to ensure that all Federal departments and agencies which acquire information with respect to the domestic defense industrial base are fully participating in the system. Requires the President to report on the domestic adequacy or inadequacy of critical components, technologies, and technology items needed for the defense industrial base. Authorizes appropriations. Exempts any regulation or order issued under the Defense Production Act of 1950 from the Administrative Procedure Act. Waives certain Federal employment restrictions (conflict-of-interests provisions) in the case of a special Government employee if the President determines and certifies that it is in the public interest to grant the waiver and that the services provided by the employee are critically needed for the benefit of the Government. Limits the Government-wide waivers to 50, with 25 such waivers to be granted only to Department of Energy employees for use in discharging responsibilities with respect to ensuring adequate energy supplies during the Middle East crisis. Requires a designated agency ethics official to prepare a report at the end of the employment of an employee granted such a waiver describing the activities to which the waiver applied. Require such report to be filed with the President and the Director of the Office of Government Ethics. Part E: Technical Amendments - Limits the use of presidential authority to prioritize contracts having a bearing on national defense over other Government contracts or orders. Increases from $1,000 to $10,000 the possible fine for the willful violation of certain information disclosure rules. Revises provisions concerning certain employment appointment procedures in connection with appointments made by the President in order to carry out the provisions of the Defense Production Act. Part F: Repealers and Conforming Amendments - Repeals specified provisions of such Act which: (1) provide for the effective date of a synthetic fuel action sent to the Congress by the President; (2) provide for voluntary agreements and plans of action for international agreements for the international allocation of petroleum products and related information systems; (3) provide for the accrual of interest on remaining funds authorized and appropriated to carry out such Act; (4) establish the Joint Committee on Defense Production; (5) disqualify certain persons for employment under such Act; (6) require a feasibility study of the application of uniform cost accounting standards under defense procurement contracts; and (7) establish the National Commission on Supplies and Shortages. Part G: Reauthorization of Selected Provisions - Authorizes appropriations for FY 1991 through 1993 to carry out the Defense Production Act of 1950. Terminates all authority under the Act as of the end of FY 1993. Title II: Additional Provisions to Improve Industrial Preparedness - Part A: Encouraging Improvement of the Defense Industrial Base - Directs the President to issue a procurement policy providing for the solicitation and award of contracts for critical components or critical technology items where only domestic sources must be eligible for their award or where a specified percentage of domestic participation is required in the total estimated value of the contract. Waives such requirements if the contracting officer determines that such restrictions are likely to have a significant adverse impact on national interests. Requires the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to be modified to include such contracting requirements for the procurement of critical components or critical technology items. Directs the President to prescribe an acquisition policy which requires that the acquisition plan for any major system or any other acquisition program so designated provides for contract solicitation provisions which encourage competing offerors to acquire modern industrial facilities and production systems for utilization in the performance of the contract as well as other modern equipment to increase productivity of the offerors while reducing the costs of production. Outlines provisions authorized to be included in such contract provisions. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of Defense, as part of his study of the defense acquisition process under the Defense Management Review, shall consider: (1) the full allowability of independent research and development bid and proposal costs; and (2) an increase in the progress payment rate on defense contracts. Part B: Miscellaneous - Requires the Code of Federal Regulations to be amended to specify the circumstances under which a contractor who has engaged in an unfair trade practice may be found to lack business integrity or honesty that seriously and directly affects his or her responsibility to perform any Government contract or subcontract. Title III: Amendment to Related Laws - Finds that congressional interest in energy security and the availability of energy for defense mobilization, industrial preparedness, and other purposes of the Defense Production Act has also been expressed in other laws. Directs the President to submit to the Congress biennially the projected capacity and potential prospects for the use of alternative and renewable sources of energy for such purposes. Amends the Geothermal Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1974 to extend the period of loan guaranties and interest assistance provided under such Act through FY 1993. Title IV: Fair Trade in Financial Services - Fair Trade in Financial Services Act of 1990 - Amends the International Banking Act of 1978, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) submit biennial status reports to the Congress regarding foreign treatment of certain U.S. business interests; and (2) initiate negotiations with foreign countries to ensure that they offer U.S. banking and bank holding companies, securities brokers and dealers, and investment advisers the same competitive opportunities as are available to their foreign counterparts. Authorizes the Secretary to publish in the Federal Register a determination that a foreign country does not accord national treatment to such U.S. business interests. Authorizes a Federal banking agency, or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), after notice of such determination, to include such determination as a basis for denial of certain foreign trade applications (to conduct banking, securities, or investment advice activities in the United States) from such foreign country in reports required under the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988. Directs the Secretary to review such determinations annually and rescind determinations, if appropriate. Amends the International Banking Act of 1978 to preclude banking interests from such countries from commencing or conducting business in this country as of the date of the Secretary's determination unless prior approval has been obtained from a Federal banking agency (including, under certain circumstances, a State banking agency). Outlines the factors to be considered by the Secretary and the banking and securities regulatory agencies in their exercise of discretion with respect to existing foreign operations in the United States. Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to provide that, subsequent to the Secretary's determination in the Federal Register that a foreign country does not accord national treatment to U.S. securities or investment adviser interests, a person from such foreign country may not acquire control of a registered broker, dealer, or investment adviser unless the SEC has been duly notified and has not prohibited such acquisition. Amends the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 to direct the Secretary of the Treasury, together with other appropriate agencies and representatives, to conduct an investigation to determine the extent of interdependence of U.S. financial services sectors and foreign countries whose financial services institutions provide financial services in the United States, or whose persons have substantial ownership interests in U.S. financial institutions, and the economic, strategic, and other consequences of that interdependence for the United States. Directs the Secretary to report the results of this investigation within two years to the President, the Congress, and other specified commissions, departments, and agencies as deemed appropriate by the Secretary. Title V: Effective Dates - Sets forth effective dates for provisions of this Act.
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
Omnibus Export Amendments Act of 1991 - Title I: Export Administration Act Amendments - Export Administration Act Amendments of 1991 - Amends the Export Administration Act of 1979 (the Act) with respect to the export of U.S. goods and technology to foreign countries. Requires the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to grant an export distribution license primarily on the basis of the reliability of an applicant and foreign consignees to prevent the diversion of items to an unauthorized use or consignee. (Currently, refers to "controlled countries" only). Requires the Secretary to modify each item on the control list to specify performance and other identifying characteristics of technical data subject to national security and foreign policy controls, or to export controls under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978. Requires any such data that is subject to licensing requirements to be included on such control list concurrent with implementation of the Core List agreed to by the Coordinating Committee (CoCom). Declares that no later than December 31, 1991, no permission may be required for the export of goods or technology to, or reexport of such items from, a country which maintains export controls on such items cooperatively with the United States pursuant to the agreement with CoCom. Authorizes the Secretary to require permission for export or reexport of such items (including supercomputers, nuclear sensitive technology, and devices for surreptitious interception of wire or oral communications) to unreliable end users. Authorizes the Secretary to require permission to export or reexport such items pursuant to special multilateral control arrangements agreed to by CoCom, if all countries in which such items are produced agree to equivalent licensing requirements. Requires the Secretary, if he or she determines a country is noncompliant with the CoCom or other applicable control agreement, to require permission to export or reexport such items to such country, and to reexport them from that country. Declares that no permission may be required to reexport U.S. technology from a country when the technology to be reexported is incorporated in other technology, and other specified conditions are met. Requires the Secretary, with respect to the definition of "supercomputer," to establish and publish in the Federal Register a performance-based indexing system to ensure that such definition and all controls and security safeguard procedures on supercomputer exports and reexports are commensurate with technological advances. Sets forth circumstances under which such safeguards are not required. Requires the Secretary to revise the "Processing Data Rate" which is used to determine licensing requirements for computers (other than supercomputers). Declares it is U.S. policy that licensing treatment of controlled countries should be revised for those countries that: (1) represent a lesser strategic threat; and (2) implement an effective export control system. Requires the Secretary to issue regulations implementing the agreement reached in the Coordinating Committee High Level Meeting of June 6 and 7, 1990, relating to removal of controls, national discretion, and favorable consideration of export licenses. Directs the Secretary of State to seek the approval of CoCom with respect to the proposal that no permission be required to export computers (the export of which to China would require only notification of CoCom members) to any country. Requires the Secretary to submit to specified congressional committees a report describing the implementation of the agreement reached at the CoCom Meeting. Prohibits items from being included on both the Commodity Control List and the United States Munitions List. Terminates such prohibition on June 30, 1992. Requires the Secretary of State to propose to the CoCom as part of the U.S. "Core List" proposal that countries of a lesser strategic threat should, in the case of telecommunications exports, be accorded the CoCom's least restrictive control procedures. Directs the United States, with respect to such countries, to propose to the CoCom that exports of computer network software and related equipment for civilian end use shall be accorded the same licensing treatment as that permitted for computer systems exported for interconnection to such networks, and shall be treated in accordance with telecommunications controls established by the CoCom. Requires the President to submit to specified congressional committees a study of the national security implications of the transfer of telecommunications equipment and technology to controlled countries under the Act. Requires the Secretary, in implementing the national discretion and favorable consideration procedures agreed to by CoCom, to: (1) consider the actions of other CoCom members in approving or denying export licenses that are subject to such procedures; and (2) seek to ensure that U.S. exports are not placed at a competitive disadvantage. Sets forth requirements with respect to the issuance or denial of a license for the export of goods and technology subject to such CoCom procedures. Declares it to be U.S. policy: (1) in considering the submission of general exception cases to CoCom, to ensure consistency in the treatment of U.S. exporters and exporters from CoCom countries, and to support democrary and economic development in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union; and (2) to provide specific guidelines to U.S. exporters with respect to goods, sectors, and end users eligible for such exceptions, and to notify such exporters of all agreements adopted by CoCom with respect to such exceptions. Requires the control list to reflect multilateral control agreements reached by CoCom. Requires the Secretary to: (1) review for removal, at least once each year, all goods and technology on the control list; and (2) make such review the basis for proposed revision of the International Industrial List. Terminates, as of September 30, 1992, and as of the end of each two-year period thereafter, all national security controls on the export of goods and technology to countries other than a controlled country, unless the Secretary determines that such items would make a significant contribution to the military potential of another country and would prove detrimental to U.S. security. Requires the United States to propose a policy to CoCom for termination of all controls on exports to any controlled country, except in certain circumstances. Requires the Secretary of State, no later than November 1, 1992, and not later than the end of each two-year period thereafter, to submit to CoCom a proposal to terminate such controls on controlled countries. Declares that an export control shall be considered to be unilaterally maintained by the United States if it is a restriction, condition, or interpretation imposed by the Secretary upon goods or technology, or upon a license application for the export of such items, that is not imposed in similar circumstances by other governments of CoCom. Requires the Secretary to ensure that no new unilateral controls are created. Declares that, in specified circumstances, approval shall be presumed for license for export to a country of any controlled goods, without regard to their technical specifications, for trade show purposes. Declares that any license for the export of goods or technology shall also authorize the export of operation technical data related to such items, whether or not such data is referenced in such license, if the technical level of the data does not exceed the minimum level necessary to install, repair, or use such items. Changes from discretionary to mandatory the Secretary's authority to establish indexing procedures which provide for automatic increases (instead of the currently authorized annual increases) in the performance levels of certain goods or technology subject to export licensing controls. Requires removal of goods or technology which no longer meet the performance levels increased pursuant to such procedures from the commodity control list, unless the Secretary determines that removal of controls will permit exports detrimental to U.S. national security, and reports that determination to specified congressional committees. Directs the Secretary to require technical advisory committees to recommend indexing procedures for certain goods or technology. Requires the Secretary to review, and report to the Congress on, the goods and technology available from newly industrialized countries to determine if such items are of such sophistication that they warrant multilateral export controls. Requires the Secretary of State to propose to CoCom to initiate negotiations with such countries to reach agreements with respect to the restriction of exports or to obtain their participation in CoCom if the Secretary determines that such multilateral controls are warranted. Requires the Secretary of State to submit to CoCom any U.S. proposal that would apply a final determination affecting U.S. exports to controlled countries. Makes the Secretary a member of the permanent U.S. delegation to CoCom. Requires the Secretary to terminate licensing benefits to countries that fail to maintain export restrictions comparable to those maintained by CoCom. Requires the Secretary to publish the full text of CoCom's three International Control Lists, together with all notes and understandings concerning the list agreed to by CoCom. Provides for the confidentiality of such matter if it is determined that its publication would be contrary to national or international security, or inconsistent with U.S. obligations to CoCom. Authorizes the Secretary to approve, only after consulting with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State, license applications for the export of goods and technology to: (1) countries of concern regarding missile and chemical and biological weapons proliferation; and (2) Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria or other country which has supported international terrorism. Requires the Secretary of State to maintain a list of such countries. Sets forth requirements with respect to the approval or denial of license applications. Increases the criminal and civil penalties for violations of the national security and foreign policy export control laws of the United States. Requires the President to apply specified economic sanctions against foreign persons who violate negotiated agreements to restrict exports for national security purposes or an export control system maintained by a controlled country that is receiving licensing benefits from CoCom because of its status as a lesser strategic threat. Includes as a sanction against foreign violators the revocation of any issued export license and the entry of an order by the Secretary denying all export privileges to such person. Declares that all goods or technology seized for violation of the export laws shall be forfeited to the United States. Makes sums for export enforcement under the Act available for undercover investigative operations for the detection and prosecution of violations of such Act by the Office of Export Enforcement of the Department of Commerce. Provides for the judicial review of specified determinations made under the Act. Urges the U.S. representative to CoCom to oppose preferential treatment in the licensing of exports to China because of its human rights abuses. Urges the denial of permission to export goods and technology (chemical weapons and missile technology) to China unless it gives adequate assurances regarding end-use and nontransfer of such items to a country or project of concern. Prohibits the export of U.S. satellites that are intended for launch from a Chinese launch vehicle. Authorizes the President to waive this ban on a case-by-case basis. Expresses the sense of the Congress that no exports to the Soviet Union may be licensed: (1) until the President certifies to the Congress that such country has entered into negotiations with Lithuania with respect to its self-determination; and (2) if it restricts the emigration of Jews. Amends Federal law to prohibit the issuance of a license to U.S.-owned firms (subsidiaries) to carry on certain trade activities with Cuba. Amends the Act to authorize appropriations to the Department of Commerce for FY 1991. Extends the Act through June 30, 1992. Title II: Export Promotion - Amends the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 to increase from eight to 12 the number of missions that the Secretary may designate abroad and for which senior Commercial Service Officers will be able to use the diplomatic title of Minister-Counselor. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on the adequacy of the training of officers and employees of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service in areas of writing commercial reports, language skills, cultural awareness, and public speaking. Includes within the definition of "multilateral development bank" the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Directs the Secretary to increase the number of Commercial Service Officers by two in each of the five countries with which the United States had the greatest trade deficit in calendar year 1990. Revises the qualifications of participants in the Market Development Cooperator Program to include expertise in the area of methods of distribution of goods and services. Requires the Secretary of State, not later than May 31 of each year (currently, every January 31), to report to specified congressional committees on the economic policy and trade practices of every country the United States has as a trading partner. Requires the Secretary to submit, not later than May 31 of each year, a report on the international economic position of the United States. Requires the Comptroller General, not later than June 30, 1991, to transmit to specified congressional committees a report that: (1) analyzes ways to promote U.S. exports; and (2) addresses the progress of Federal and State coordination of export promotion activities. Amends the Export Administration Amendments Act of 1985 to authorize appropriations for FY 1991 for the Department of Commerce for export promotion programs. Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to require the Export-Import Bank to expend all amounts appropriated to the interest subsidy payment program for payments to commercial lending institutions and other lenders with respect to loans made by such lenders to support the export of U.S. goods and services. (Currently, the Bank has only discretionary authority to expend such amounts.) Extends such program through FY 1992. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the President to report to specified congressional committees about why Export-Import Bank funding for exports to Yugoslavia has not been restricted because of its human rights violations. Amends the International Development and Finance Act of 1989 to repeal provisions regarding: (1) the reimbursement of travel and subsistence expenses incurred by Export-Import Bank employees; and (2) limitations on the authorization of appropriations for FY 1990 through 1992 to the Tied Aid Credit Fund. Title III: Missile Technology - Declares it to be U.S. policy to take appropriate measures to discourage the proliferation of technology to produce or acquire missiles of mass destruction. Amends the Act to require the Secretary of State to negotiate with other foreign countries, including member countries of CoCom, the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the Australia Group, and the Nuclear Suppliers' Group, with respect to their cooperation in restricting the export of goods and technology that can be used in making chemical, biological, nuclear, and other weapons systems. Requires the Secretary to establish, as part of the control list, a list of all dual use goods and technology on the MTCR Annex (which may also include goods and technology that would provide an impact on the development of missile delivery systems and are not included in the MTCR Annex but which the United States is proposing to include on such Annex). Declares that the Secretary shall require a license for the export of listed items: (1) to another country; and (2) that the exporter knows is destined for a project or facility for the design, development, or manufacturer of a missile in a country that is not an MTCR coherent. Provides for the denial of such licenses if the ultimate consignee of such items is a facility in a country that: (1) is not an adherent to the MTCR and the facility is designed to develop missiles; and (2) has repeatedly provided support for terrorism. Requires the Secretary to establish a procedure for sharing information with appropriate intelligence officials that will ensure effective monitoring of transfers of MTCR equipment or technology and other missile technology. Directs the President to impose certain sanctions against persons who export, transfer, or otherwise engage in the trade of any MTCR item in violation of the U.S. export control laws. Declares such sanctions to include: (1) the denial of an export license; and (2) other appropriate penalties. Provides for the waiver of such sanctions. Amends the Arms Export Control Act to require the Secretary of State to establish, as part of the U.S. Munitions List, a list of all MTCR items that are not controlled under a specified section of the Act. Provides for sanctions against U.S. or foreign persons who export, transfer, or otherwise engage in the trade of MTCR items in violation of the U.S. export control laws. Directs the President to report to the Congress on international transfers of aircraft the Secretary of State has reason to believe may be intended for use in delivery of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons. Title IV: Chemical and Biological Weapons Proliferation - Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 - Subtitle A: Measures to Prevent the Proliferation of Chemical and Biological Weapons - Declares it is U.S. policy to: (1) seek multilaterally coordinated efforts with other countries to control the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons; and (2) strengthen efforts to control chemical agents, precursors, and equipment. Requires the President to use the U.S. export control laws to control the export of defense articles, defense services, goods, and technologies that he determines would assist a country in acquiring the capability to produce or use such weapons. Amends the Act to require the Secretary to establish a list of goods and technology that would assist a foreign government or group in acquiring chemical or biological weapons. Requires a validated export license for the export of such items to another country. Requires the President to impose certain sanctions against foreign persons if he determines that they knowingly contributed to the efforts of a country to acquire, use, or stockpile chemical or biological weapons. Declares such sanctions to include: (1) denial of U.S. procurement contracts for goods or services from such foreign persons; and (2) prohibition against importation of products from such persons. Authorizes the President to waive imposition of such sanctions if he determines that is in the national security interests of the United States. Amends the Arms Export Control Act to set forth similar provisions. Subtitle B: Sanctions Against the Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons - Requires the President to make a determination with respect to whether a country has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals. Authorizes specified congressional committees to request the President to make such determination with respect to the use of such weapons. Requires the President to impose certain sanctions against foreign countries that have been found to have used such weapons. Declares such sanctions to include: (1) termination of assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (except humanitarian assistance and agricultural commodities); (2) termination of arms sales and arms sales financing; (3) opposition to the extension of multilateral development bank assistance; (4) denial of U.S. credit; (5) prohibition of U.S. bank loans (except for loans for purchasing agricultural commodities); (6) prohibition of the export of certain goods and technology; (7) restriction on the import of such country's goods, including petroleum products; (8) suspension of diplomatic relations; and (9) termination of air carrier landing rights. Provides for the removal and waiver of such sanctions. Subtitle C: Reporting Requirements - Requires the President to submit to the Congress annual reports on the efforts of countries to acquire chemical or biological weapons. Title V: Sanctions Against Iraq - Iraq International Law Compliance Act of 1990 - Subtitle A: Response to Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait - Requires the President to consult with the Congress with respect to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, including U.S. actions. Requires the President to continue to impose the trade embargo (except humanitarian assistance) and other economic sanctions against Iraq and Kuwait. Requires the Congress to be notified with respect to exceptions to and termination of such sanctions. Authorizes the President to prohibit the importation of the products of a foreign country that has not prohibited the importation or exportation of products to or from Iraq if he determines such action would promote the effectiveness of U.N. economic sanctions against Iraq and is consistent with the national interest. Sets forth both civil and criminal penalties for violations of the embargo. Subtitle B: Response to Iraq's Long-Standing Violations of International Law - Urges the President to seek multilateral cooperation to: (1) deny dangerous technologies to Iraq; (2) induce it to respect internationally recognized human rights; and (3) induce it to allow international humanitarian and human rights organizations to have access there and in Kuwait, including northern Iraq traditionally inhabited by Kurds. Requires the imposition of certain sanctions against Iraq, including: (1) denial of arms sales and arms sales financing; (2) prohibition on the export of goods and technology; (3) denial of licenses for the export of nuclear material; and (4) denial of certain economic assistance. Authorizes the President to waive such sanctions if he makes a specified certification to the Congress. Title VI: Miscellaneous Provisions - Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Soviet Union should cease military assistance to Cuba. Requires the President to submit to the Congress an analysis of the impact on efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East of specified Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) attacks against Israelis. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to submit to the Congress a report on illegal activities of the PLO in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1991
PRIME Retirement Account Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a simplified retirement plan for small business to be known as PRIME accounts (private retirement incentives matched by employers). Allows an income tax deduction to employees who make pre-tax contributions of up to $3,000 annually to a PRIME account and requires an employer to match such contributions up to three percent of the employee's compensation. Declares that such accounts are not to be treated as pension plans. Excludes such accounts from limitation on the maximum amount allowed for retirement savings deductions. Specifies the pension plan rules that are applicable to PRIME accounts. Establishes a 25-percent penalty on withdrawals made from such accounts during the first three years. Imposes penalties upon: (1) account trustees for failure to provide requirement information to employers; and (2) employers for failure to make required notifications to employees.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1991
National Teacher Act of 1991 - Title I: Recruitment - Part A: Loan Forgiveness for Teachers Demonstration Program - Directs the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to assume the obligation to repay specified portions of a Stafford loan (a student loan made, insured, or guaranteed under specified provisions of the Higher Education Act of 1965) for any borrower employed as a full-time teacher: (1) in a school which qualifies for loan cancellation for Perkins loan recipients who teach in such schools; and (2) of mathematics, science, foreign languages, special education, bilingual education, or any other field of expertise where the State educational agency (SEA) determines there is a shortage of qualified teachers. Provides for cancellation of increasing portions of such student loans for a one- to five-year period of such teaching service. Provides also for forgiveness of portions of student loans for borrowers who return to higher education after graduation to obtain a teaching certificate. Provides for repayment of such specified portions of principal and interest by the Secretary to the eligible lender or holder. Part B: Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarships - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to extend through FY 1995 the authorization of appropriations for the Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarships program. Part C: Teacher Corps - Authorizes a new Teacher Corps program. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) make grants to SEAs to conduct teacher corps activities; and (2) award scholarships to teacher corps members. Bases the amounts of such grants to SEAs on school-age population. Directs the Secretary to: (1) disseminate information about availability of teacher corps scholarships; and (2) foster communication among teacher corps members. Specifies authorized uses of grant money by SEAs. Allows local educational agencies (LEAs) to use grant funds to: (1) carry out induction programs for new teacher corps members (and other new teachers); and (2) ensure that teacher corps members participate in one for at least one year, including work with a designated mentor teacher. Requires the SEA, in cooperation with the State higher education agency, to select teacher corps members according to its own criteria. Requires special consideration for those who intend to teach students with disabilities, limited English proficient students, or preschool age children. Requires priority consideration for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities and individuals with disabilities, who are underrepresented in the teaching profession or in the curricular areas in which they are preparing to teach. Sets forth individual application requirements. Sets forth SEA and LEA grant application requirements. Requires descriptions of teacher shortages, corps members' employment placement, and induction programs for corps members and other new teachers. Makes individuals eligible to receive such scholarships for up to three years during enrollment in any of the following programs of study: (1) a baccalaureate or associate degree; (2) one or two post-baccalaureate years of a masters or specialist degree or teaching certificate; or (3) two years of an associate's degree in early childhood education or development, or one year of a child development associate credential program. Makes individuals pursuing the aforementioned kinds of post-baccalaureate study eligible to receive such a scholarship during any of the first three years they are employed as a teacher, in order to defray the costs of such study. Makes individuals with a bachelor's degree who wish to enter teaching from another profession eligible for such a scholarship for the instruction necessary to enter the teaching profession in the State where they wish to teach. Allows such instruction to be provided while the individual is employed as a provisional teacher, at the discretion of the SEA and LEA. Limits the amount of such a scholarship to an individual to the lesser of $5,000 per year or the cost of attendance for a maximum of three years. States that such scholarship shall be considered in determining eligibility for student assistance under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Requires scholarship agreements to include assurances of: (1) satisfactory academic progress and participation in teaching-related activities during a course of study which meets State requirements for teacher preparation; and (2) teaching for five years in a school which qualifies for Perkins loan cancellation for its teachers. Allows members to transfer to another such school in an LEA within the State or to another State with a program, upon approval of the sending or receiving LEA or State. Prescribes additional assurances such agreements must include. Provides for repayment of scholarships and for cancellation of such obligation under specified conditions. Provides for publication of, and recruitment for, the teacher corps scholarship program, particularly for minority students. Authorizes appropriations for such new Teacher Corps program for FY 1992 through 1996, but conditions such funding upon the attainment of a specified minimum funding level for the Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarships program. Limits the portion of Teacher Corps program funds which may be used for LEA induction and mentor programs for new corps members and other new teachers. Part D: Foreign Language Competence for the Future - Foreign Language Competence for the Future Act of 1990 - Amends the Star Schools Program Assistance Act (title IX of the Education for Economic Security Act) to authorize appropriations in necessary amounts for FY 1993 to carry out Star Schools program assistance. Requires applications for such assistance for instructional programming to provide assurances that such programming will be designed in consultation with teachers of the applicable subject matter and grade level. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible consortia to: (1) operate critical languages and area studies programs; (2) develop and acquire educational equipment and materials; and (3) develop teacher training programs, texts, curricula, and other activities designed to improve and expand the instruction of foreign languages at elementary and secondary schools. Limits the maximum amount of such a demonstration grant to an eligible consortium in any single fiscal year. Requires that a consortium eligible for such demonstration grants consist of a cooperative effort between entities in one or more States that must include at least: (1) one institution of higher education; (2) one secondary school with experience in teaching critical foreign languages; and (3) one secondary school in which at least 25 percent of the students are eligible to be counted under certain provisions for education of disadvantaged students (under Chapter 1 of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965). Allows such consortia to include a not-for-profit organization to provide services not otherwise available from the other entities. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1996. Part E: Miscellaneous Provision - Amends HEA provisions for Perkins loan cancellation to allow: (1) the Secretary to use the previous year's list of eligible schools if a new list is not available before May 1 of any year; and (2) any teacher to continue to receive loan forgiveness in subsequent years of service at a school that loses such eligibility. Title II: Teacher Enhancement - Part A: National Teacher Academies - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to institutions of higher education, private nonprofit education organizations, or combinations of such entities to establish and operate national teacher academies. Requires one such academy in each of the following subject areas commonly taught in elementary and secondary schools: (1) mathematics; (2) National Writing Project; (3) civics and government; (4) basic skills and literacy instruction; (5) the arts, including art, music, and the performing arts; (6) history, geography, and sociology; (7) economics; (8) life sciences; (9) physical sciences; and (10) foreign languages. Requires academy staff to be selected from the most accomplished and prominent scholars in the relevant fields and methodologies. Provides that such grants shall be for five years, and awarded under a competitive bidding process. Requires special consideration for eligible recipients that have demonstrated effectiveness in establishing and administrating a national network of individuals who assist in teacher training programs at State and local levels. Limits such awards to eligible applicants who have demonstrated expertise in both the subject area and in-service teacher training. Requires grant funds to be used for: (1) in-service training for teachers and administrators; (2) summer institutes; (3) leadership team training for professional development schools; and (4) support services for professional development schools, including national networks of individuals, counseling assistance, and information services. Requires that school administrators and teachers from each congressional district, including the leadership team, participate in summer institutes. Sets forth grant application requirements, with a special rule for the National Academy on Basic Skills and Literacy Instruction. Authorizes the Secretary to award a grant to the National Writing Project to establish and operate one such teaching academy. Sets forth requirements for such grant, the Federal share, teacher training programs, and classroom teacher grants. Requires the National Writing Project to establish and operate a National Advisory Board. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1996. Part B: Professional Development Schools - Directs the Secretary to allot to each State educational agency an equal amount for each congressional district in the State to establish and operate professional development schools. Requires that one such school be established in each congressional district. Allows the State educational agency to combine several of the authorized schools into a single school in States where several congressional districts are served by a local educational agency, or in States receiving small allotments. Provides that such grants shall be for five years, and renewable, and awarded under a competitive bidding process. Provides that professional development schools for specified U.S. territories and possessions in the Pacific are to be combined into a single school and administered by the Center for the Advancement of Pacific Education, in Honolulu, Hawaii, or its successor. Requires that such grant funds shall be used to: (1) provide professional development programs for teachers; and (2) pay costs of release time, stipends, college or university credit, curricular materials, and other expenses. Requires such professional development programs under this part to include individuals who have participated in the parallel program under part A. Requires each professional development school funded under this part whose teachers are served by a national academy funded under part A to conduct an in-service training program each year in each of the course content areas for which teachers receive training at the national academy. Requires each eligible grant recipient under this part to establish a ten-member steering committee. Requires each such committee to establish a three-person leadership team for each national teacher academy assisted under part A. Requires that Christa McAuliffe Career Teacher Corps participants be encouraged, upon return from their award period, to assist in the development and operation of the appropriate professional development school. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1996. Part C: Christa McAuliffe Career Teacher Corps - Amends HEA to rename and revise the Christa McAuliffe Fellowship Program as the Christa McAuliffe Career Teacher Corps (Career Corps), which is to be a national fellowship program for experienced teachers and a complement to the Teacher Corps program for new teachers established under title I. Provides for: (1) grants to SEAs to conduct Career Corps activities and award fellowships to Career Corps members, with grant amounts based on school-age population of the State; (2) fellowship award distribution, amounts, and authorized uses; (3) selection of Career Corps members; (4) application evaluation by a statewide panel; (5) special consideration for individuals intending to use awards to improve or acquire skills in science or mathematics or to teach or provide related services to students with disabilities, limited English proficient students, or preschool age students; (6) fellowship agreements and repayments for noncompliance; (7) State applications; and (8) State use of program funds. Requires fellowship recipients to agree to spend up to a one-year period during which the Career Corps member is released from teaching responsibilities to participate in: (1) sabbaticals for study, research, or academic improvements; (2) consultation with or assistance to other school districts or private school systems, or development of special innovative programs for in-service teacher training or student achievement; or (3) expansion or replication of model programs of staff development. Requires that the Career Corps member be encouraged, during the two years following the award period through professional development school, if one exists, to: (1) participate in an induction program for new teachers by acting as a mentor to new Teacher Corps members or other new teachers, in their same substantive field of expertise where practicable, or make some other contribution to Teacher Corps programs; and (2) assist in developing in-service training programs through the professional development school, if it exists. Requires that Career Corps members be given the opportunity to participate in activities developed by the Secretary and SEA to foster communication among Career Corps members. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1996. Title III: Demonstrations - Amends the Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching Act to provide for the following demonstration programs: (1) class size research; (2) new careers for teachers; (3) minority teacher recruitment; and (4) restructuring of schools and school-based management. Directs the Secretary to make demonstration grants to LEAs having elementary and secondary schools with large classes in order to demonstrate the advantages of reducing the size of classes. Provides for the Federal share of such program payments. Gives priority to projects involving young students and at-risk students. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible recipients to pay the Federal share of costs of establishing and operating programs to attract minority candidates to teaching careers. Makes eligible for such grants consortia of institutions of higher education and LEAs working with the State educational agency and the appropriate State or local teacher credentialing body. Provides that such grants shall be for two years, with up to three years of renewals, and awarded under a competitive bidding process. Allows grant funds to be used to pay tuition, release time, and child care stipends for program participants. Gives priority to programs focusing on recruitment of minorities, and special consideration to programs recruiting speakers of non-English languages who have been trained as teachers in their home countries or individuals already employed in an LEA. Authorizes the Secretary to pay the Federal share of making grants to carry out programs and activities to: (1) improve recruitment and training opportunities for minority, including language minority, individuals in education; and (2) increase the number of minority, including language minority, teachers in elementary and secondary schools. Sets forth application requirements and authorized uses of such funds by LEAs, higher education institutions, SEAs, State higher education agencies, and community-based organizations. Establishes a program of grants for planning and implementing the restructuring of school organization, school management, or instructional programs in elementary and secondary schools. Authorizes the Secretary to make such grants, on a competitive basis and for a three-year period, to such schools, LEAs, and consortia of such schools or LEAs (with or without nonprofit organizations with relevant experience). Requires grant applications to include a plan for widespread consultation with parents, community members, school system employees, and the private sector in planning and implementing such school restructuring. Requires a school restructuring implementation plan prior to the second grant year. Requires broad geographic distribution in grant awards with special consideration for restructing plans which benefit: (1) students or a school with below-average academic performance; and (2) eligible entities serving a large number of minority or disadvantaged students. Sets the Federal share at 50 percent, and requires that at least 50 percent of the non-Federal share come from nongovernmental sources. Authorizes appropriations in increased amounts for FY 1992 through 1996 to carry out the Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching Act. Sets a maximum limit on the reservation of a portion of such funds to carry out family-school partnership programs. Title IV: Studies and Evaluations - Part A: Teacher Job Bank Study and Demonstration - Directs the Secretary, through the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), to study the feasibility of establishing: (1) a clearinghouse to operate a national teacher job bank; and (2) regional clearinghouses composed of several SEAs to test the teacher job bank concept. Directs the Secretary, through OERI, to contract with one or more State entities, nonprofit organizations, or institutions of higher education to pay the Federal share of the costs of establishing a Teacher Job Bank Clearinghouse as a national demonstration on a regional basis. Part B: Study of Pension Portability - Directs the Secretary, through OERI, to conduct a pension portability study of the feasibility of permitting teachers and administrators to transport pension benefits among States and LEAs. Part C: Study of Alternative Ways to Increase Minority Participation in the Teaching Profession - Directs the Secretary to study, and report on, alternative ways to increase minority participation in the teaching profession, focusing on: (1) barriers to entry into the profession for qualified minority group members; (2) options for addressing such barriers; (3) alternative assessment mechanisms; and (4) possibilities for increasing the supply of minority teachers. Part D: Miscellaneous Provisions - Requires evaluations of and reports on the following programs: (1) the student loan forgiveness for teachers demonstration; (2) Teacher Corps; (3) national teacher academies; (4) professional development schools; (5) the class size research and demonstration project; (6) the new careers for teachers demonstration; (7) the minority teacher recruitment demonstration; and (8) the restructuring of schools and school-based management demonstration. Part E: Authorization of Appropriations - Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 through 1996 to carry out this title.
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 · 31 January 1991
Demands that Iraq permit the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit all American and other prisoners of war (POWs) at the earliest possible time. Condemns the Iraqi Government for brutal mistreatment of American and other POWs, for deliberately placing their lives in danger, and for other violations of the Third Geneva Convention.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1991
Money Laundering Enforcement Amendments of 1991 - Title I: Termination of Charters and Insurance - Amends the Revised Statutes, the Home Owners' Loan Act, and the Federal Credit Union Act to prescribe procedures for revoking the charters of national banks, savings associations, and credit unions convicted of certain money laundering or cash transaction reporting offenses. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the Federal Credit Union Act to: (1) prescribe procedures for terminating the insured status of State depository institutions or credit unions convicted of certain money laundering or cash transaction reporting offenses; and (2) revise procedures to remove institution-affiliated parties and personnel involved in currency reporting violations. Amends Federal law to authorize access by State financial institution supervisors to currency transactions reports. Title II: Money Laundering Enforcement - Amends Federal law to direct the Secretary of the Treasury (the Secretary) to: (1) prescribe regulations requiring each depository institution to report to the Secretary certain non-bank financial institution customers for identification purposes; and (2) transmit such reports to appropriate State financial institution regulatory agencies. Authorizes a civil money penalty for violation of such reporting requirements. Amends Federal criminal law to prescribe seizure and forfeiture procedures (including imprisonment) for parties involved in an illegal money transmitting business. Amends the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 to prohibit financial institutions and their employees from disclosing the existence of a special reporting order to any person except as prescribed by the Secretary. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to promulgate regulations requiring businesses that engage in funds transfers to maintain (and make available to the Secretary upon request) records of payment orders (including international transactions). Amends the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 to authorize a Federal agency to transfer financial records to the Secretary solely for criminal investigative or prosecutive purposes related to money laundering. Directs the Secretary to report to certain congressional committees the advantages and disadvantages of changing the size, denomination, or color of U.S. currency for money laundering enforcement purposes. Requires the Attorney General to report to the Congress the extent to which compliance with money laundering controls would be enhanced by issuing prosecutorial guidelines. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a team of experts to assist and train foreign governments in expanding their capabilities for investigating and prosecuting money laundering violations and related laws.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1991
First-Time Homebuyer Opportunity Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of a first-time homebuyer up to $10,000 of individual retirement plan distributions used within 90 days to acquire a principal residence. Requires that amounts equal to the distributions in question be paid into the affected account at least 12 months prior to the purchase of the home.
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 · 24 January 1991
High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 - Declares that this Act does not apply to computer systems that process classified information or are used in connection with certain defense purposes. Allows Federal agencies and departments to procure prototype or early production models of new high-performance computer systems and subsystems to stimulate hardware and software development. Amends the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 to direct the President, through the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology (Council), to develop and implement a National High-Performance Computing Plan, to be submitted to the Congress within one year of this Act's enactment and revised at least biennially. Requires the plan to recommend a five-year proposal of goals and priorities for a Federal high-performance computing program. Describes required plan contents, including funding requirements, roles for various Federal agencies, and establishment of a national multi-gigabits-per-second computer network (to be known as the National Research and Education Network (Network). Requires the Plan to take into consideration the activities of the Library of Congress. Designates the Council as the lead entity responsible for development and implementation of the plan, directing it to coordinate related activities among Federal agencies and departments and review budget estimates. Directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to establish a High-Performance Computing Advisory Panel to provide the Council with an assessment of the plan. Directs each Federal entity involved in high-performance computing to submit, as part of its annual budget request, a report on the role of its activities with regard to the plan and relevant budget requests. Instructs the Chairman of the Council to submit to the President and to the Congress, by March 1 annually, a report on plan achievements and progress. Requires the National Science Foundation (NSF) to provide for the establishment of the Network by 1996 to link government, industry, and the education community. Designates the Department of Defense, through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, as the lead agency for research and development of advanced fiber optics technology, switches, and protocols needed to develop the Network. Gives to the NSF, within the Federal Government, the primary responsibility for connecting colleges, universities, and libraries to the Network. Directs the Council to carry out certain functions, including: (1) developing goals and strategies; (2) identifying the roles of Federal agencies and departments; and (3) overseeing the Network's operation and evolution. Requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to adopt standards and guidelines to provide interoperability, common user interfaces, and enhanced security for the Network. Authorizes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense, the Department of Commerce, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency to allow Federal research grant recipients to use grant funds to pay for computer networking. Requires the Director of the OSTP to report to the Congress on specified matters, including: (1) funding mechanisms for the Network, including user fees, industry support, and continued Federal investment; (2) a plan for the eventual commercialization of the Network; (3) charging commercial information service providers for Network access; (4) charging Network users for commercial services; (5) the technological feasibility of allowing commercial services to use the Network and other federally-funded networks; (6) copyright protection; and (7) resource security and user privacy. Requires the NSF to provide funding to enable researchers to access supercomputers. Sets forth other responsibilities of the NSF, including promoting development of information services that could be provided over the Network. Authorizes appropriations to the NSF for the purposes of this Act. Requires the NASA to continue to conduct basic and applied research in high-performance computing, with specified emphases. Authorizes appropriations to NASA for the purposes of this Act. Requires the NIST to: (1) adopt standards and guidelines, and develop measurement techniques and test methods, for the interoperability of high-performance computers in networks and for common user interfaces to systems; and (2) develop benchmark tests and standards for high performance computers and software. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a study regarding the impact of Federal procurement regulations which require that contractors providing software to the Federal Government share the rights to proprietary software development tools that the contractors used to develop the software.
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
State Minimum Return Act of 1991 - Declares any State eligible for a positive reallocation of Federal expenditures in the categories of procurement contracts and need-based programs if the State has a Federal expenditure to Federal tax ratio of less than 90 percent. Declares any State with a ratio of between 90 and 100 percent eligible for a positive reallocation in the category of procurement contracts. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to determine a State's eligibility, taking into account subsidies for water and power programs through Government corporations. Declares all Federal expenditures subject to reallocation, except expenditures for: (1) subsidized water and power programs; (2) compensation and allowances of Federal officers and employees; (3) maintenance of Federal buildings and installations; (4) offsetting receipts; and (5) programs for which the Government assumes the total cost and in which direct payment is made to nongovernmental recipients. Sets forth reallocation mechanisms designed to ensure that by the end of FY 1996 each State receives an amount of Federal spending equal to at least 90 percent of the State's Federal tax burden. Amends the Consolidated Federal Funds Report Act of 1982 to extend through FY 1996 the reporting requirements of the OMB Director with respect to Federal funds obligated for expenditure or expended in each State and various local units. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to study and report to the Congress on the impact of Federal spending, tax policy, and fiscal policy on State economies and the economic growth rate of States and regions.
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.
![Official portrait of Sen. Riegle, Donald W., Jr. [D-MI]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000249_200.jpg)