United States · United States Congress · 7 October 1992
Swain County Settlement Act of 1992 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to make unappropriated funds for FY 1993 available for the completion of the road along the north shore of the Fontana Reservoir, North Carolina, pursuant to a specified agreement. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to pay, out of unappropriated funds for FY 1993, a specified sum to Swain County, North Carolina, in full and complete settlement of all claims against the United States, the Department of the Interior, and the Tennessee Valley Authority arising out of such agreement to compensate the county for the loss of a highway. Authorizes appropriations to carry out this Act if necessary funds are not made available for FY 1993. Requires the Secretary to allocate funds and personnel to place a suitable historical marker at or near the approach to the Cherokee Qualls Reservation at Soco Gap, North Carolina, in recognition of Soco Gap and the contribution of the Cherokee Nation to North Carolina and the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 1992
State Health Care Reform Incentive Act of 1992 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to permit States to seek waivers of program requirements in order to provide health care coverage under certain regular or alternative State programs. Establishes Federal requirements for such State programs. Sets forth payment provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 1992
Durable Medical Equipment Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act of 1992 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) define "medical equipment and supplies" to include durable medical equipment and prosthetics and orthotics and prosthetic devices; (2) require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue revised national standards for suppliers of medical equipment and supplies and to develop one or more standardized medical necessity certificates for suppliers of the items covered by the definition above; (3) permit suppliers of such items to complete information in such certificates identifying the supplier and the beneficiary, describing the item furnished, and giving the product code for such item; (4) set penalties for violations involving distribution of such certificates; (5) require the Secretary to develop and establish uniform national coverage and utilization review criteria for 200 items of medical equipment and supplies selected in accordance with specified standards, annually review to determine whether items not included among those selected should be subjected to such uniform criteria, and report to the Congress on the criteria's impact on item utilization; (6) prohibit the Secretary from issuing more than one supplier number to any supplier of medical equipment and supplies, except under certain circumstances; (7) specify the circumstances under which Medicare beneficiaries are not financially liable for items and services furnished by a supplier on an unassigned basis; (8) change payment methodology for nebulizers and aspirators and certain medical supplies; and (9) direct the Comptroller General to study and report to the Congress on services and supplies furnished to Medicare-eligible nursing facility residents, and on HHS changes to descriptions relating to the codes for medical equipment and supplies. Amends SSA title XI to modify anti-kickback provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 1992
Authorizes the President, on behalf of the Congress, to present a gold medal to John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie in recognition of his accomplishments as a musician. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to provide for the sale of bronze duplicates of the medal.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 1992
Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Clarification Act of 1992 - Authorizes law enforcement officers of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in accordance with regulations issued by the Secretary of the Interior, to: (1) carry firearms; (2) execute and serve any order, warrant, subpoena, summons, or other process issued by a court or officer of competent jurisdiction for the enforcement of any Federal law; (3) make an arrest without a warrant for any offense under Federal law committed within the officer's presence, or for any felony under Federal law if the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the person arrested has committed or is committing the felony; (4) cooperate with any State or political subdivision of a State in the enforcement of the laws of the State; and (5) perform any other law enforcement duty specified by the Secretary. Permits such officers, for purposes of law enforcement within any area that is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System or any other area owned or controlled by the Service, and in accordance with regulations issued by the Secretary, to: (1) perform acts to maintain law and order and protect persons and property; and (2) conduct an investigation of any offense under Federal law committed within the area in the absence of investigation of the offense by any other Federal law enforcement agency having investigative jurisdiction over the offense committed or with the concurrence of the other agency. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) designate any law enforcement officer of any Federal agency or State to act as a special police officer in areas of the System and to exercise authority established by this Act, subject to specified conditions; (2) cooperate with any State in the enforcement, within the System, of the laws or ordinances of the State; and (3) provide reimbursement to a State for expenditures incurred in connection with activities of the State pursuant to such designation. Sets forth provisions regarding the treatment of special police officers under this Act (in general, not as Federal employees or subject to Federal employment laws) and with respect to tort claims, workers' compensation, and specified provisions of the Federal criminal code.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 1992
Designates September 18, 1992, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Requires the POW/MIA flag to be flown on a flagstaff of the White House, the Departments of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, the Selective Service Commission, each national cemetery, and the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial on such day. Requires the flag to be flown on a flagstaff of each national cemetery and the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial on May 30, 1993 (Memorial Day), and on November 11, 1992 (Veterans Day). States that the flag shall be displayed as a symbol of national concern and commitment to resolving the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing, and unaccounted for.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 1992
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the Federal excise tax on boats should be repealed this year; (2) consideration of such repeal should not be contingent on the passage of any other tax legislation this year; and (3) the repeal should be effective as of January 1, 1992.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 1992
Denies nondiscriminatory treatment (most-favored-nation treatment) of the products of Serbia or Montenegro unless the President certifies to the Congress that such nation: (1) has made significant progress toward complying with the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (also known as the "Helsinki Final Act"), particularly with regard to human rights and humanitarian affairs as well as respect for minority rights in Kosovo and Vojvodina; (2) has ceased its armed conflict with other ethnic peoples of the region formerly comprising the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; (3) has ceased support of Serbian forces inside Bosnia-Hercegovina; and (4) has agreed to respect the borders of the six former Yugoslavian republics.
United States · United States Congress · 12 August 1992
World War II 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coins Act - Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should recognize the 50th anniversary of World War II by minting and issuing commemorative coins for the anniversaries of: (1) World War II; (2) the Battle of Normandy; and (3) "D-Day." Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) issue and mint such coins in five-dollar gold, one-dollar silver, and half-dollar clad denominations; and (2) determine the role that the American Battle Monuments Commission and the Battle of Normandy Foundation shall have in coin promotion and marketing. Mandates that surcharges received from the sale of such coins be deposited in a coinage profit fund and allocated, upon separate congressional authorization, to the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a World War II memorial and to the Battle of Normandy Foundation to dedicate, on the 50th anniversary of D-Day and Battle of Normandy Memorial in Normandy, France. Directs the Secretary to report semiannually to the Congress regarding implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 August 1992
Securities Private Enforcement Act of 1992 - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to set a statute of limitations on private rights of action. Prescribes guidelines for the award of reasonable fees and expenses incurred by the prevailing party in any implied private action. Declares that a defendant may be liable jointly and severally for damages in an implied private action only if the trier of fact specifically determines that the defendant knowingly engaged in securities fraud. Sets forth a liability allocation scheme to determine the percentage of responsibility among the parties if the trier of facts finds that the defendant did not knowingly engage in securities fraud. Declares that in any implied right of action that is certified as a class action: (1) the share of damages that is awarded to the representative plaintiff shall be calculated in the same manner as the share awarded to all other members of the plaintiff class; (2) if a party is represented by any attorney who owns or has a beneficial interest in the securities that are the subject of the litigation the court shall determine whether such interest constitutes a conflict of interest sufficient to disqualify the attorney from representing the party; (3) no broker or dealer may solicit or accept remuneration for assisting an attorney in obtaining the representation of any member of the class; and (4) funds disgorged as a result of Securities and Exchange Commission action shall not be distributed as payment for attorneys' fees or expenses incurred by private parties seeking a share of the disgorged funds (except as otherwise determined by the court). Amends specified Federal securities law to provide that subpoenas for witnesses who are required to attend Federal court in any district may run into any other district.
United States · United States Congress · 11 August 1992
Intellectual Property Protection Act of 1992 - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to require the International Trade Commission (ITC) to conclude at the earliest practicable time (currently, at the earliest practicable time, but not later than one year, or 18 months in more complicated cases) any investigation and make its determination with respect to unfair trade practices in the importation of articles into the United States or the infringement of intellectual property rights by an importer or foreign country. Requires the ITC, in order to promote expeditious adjudication, to establish a target date for its final determination. Prohibits the exclusion of such articles from entry, or issuance of a cease and desist order, where the ITC determines that an importer has established a sufficient counterclaim related to the unfair trade practice. Authorizes the forfeiture of bonds posted by an importer if, after investigation, the ITC determines that such importer has committed a violation. Authorizes the ITC, upon an importer's filing under oath of a complaint for declaratory relief, to declare the rights and other legal relations of the parties, whether or not further relief is or could be sought, in cases of actual controversy as to the existence of unfair methods of competition and unfair acts. Amends Federal law to require a district court, at a respondent's request, to stay civil actions before it that involve the same parties and claims that are also before the ITC until the ITC's determination becomes final.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 1992
Condemns the killing and destruction by the political factions in Somalia. Urges such factions to abide by the United Nations (UN) ceasefire and to allow the deployment of security forces to protect humanitarian relief deliveries and workers. Commends the efforts of UN Secretary-General Boutrous Ghali and his Special Envoy to Somalia, Ambassador Sahnoun. Pays tribute to the actions of relief agencies working in Somalia. Recognizes the July 27, 1992, statement of the President urging the UN to deploy a sufficient number of security guards to permit relief supplies to move into and within Somalia, and committing funds for such an effort. Calls upon: (1) the international community to immediately expand its relief efforts in Somalia; and (2) the President to work with the UN Security Council to deploy security guards immediately to assure that humanitarian relief gets to those most in need.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 1992
Declares that it is U.S. policy to seek international agreements prohibiting the sale, transfer, or export; limiting the use; and terminating the production, possession, or deployment of antipersonnel landmines. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should seek to negotiate an international agreement or a modification of the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or To Have Indiscriminate Effects to prohibit the sale, transfer, or export of antipersonnel landmines. Prohibits for a period of one year from this Act's enactment date: (1) sales, financing, transfers, and the issuance of licenses under the Arms Export Control with respect to antipersonnel landmines; and (2) assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 with respect to the provision of such landmines.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 1992
Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to revise content requirements with respect to countervailing and antidumping duty petitions and determinations. Prohibits an inference that there is no material injury from being made by the International Trade Commission (ITC) if the volume of imports has decreased after the initiation of a countervailing or antidumping duty investigation. Revises provisions regarding ITC determination of material injury with respect to: (1) price competition between imported merchandise and like U.S. products sold to the consumer; (2) the weighing of previous injurious dumping or subsidizations if a countervailing duty or antidumping duty petition is filed with respect to a product or like product which was the basis of a final affirmative determination during the three years preceding the filing of such petition; (3) treatment of negligible imports in subsequent countervailing duty and antidumping duty investigations; and (4) concentration of subsidized or dumped imports with respect to a market. Declares that in making a final determination with respect to the suspension or continuation of an antidumping duty investigation: (1) the ITC shall not consider as a factor supporting a negative determination any decrease in imports subject to such investigation or improvement in the condition of the domestic industry which occurred after the suspension agreement became effective; and (2) the administering authority shall not consider as a factor supporting a negative determination any decrease in foreign market value of imports subject to such investigation or any increase in U.S. prices which occurred after the suspension agreement became effective. Includes loans or loan guarantees by international development banks and the provision of capital and loans by a government for the expansion of production of an export within the definition of the term "subsidy." Requires the administering authority, when determining whether imported parts or components are circumventing an antidumping or countervailing duty order or finding, and whether to include such parts or components in such order or finding, to consider, among other things, the value and sources of supply of parts or components historically used in completion or assembly of the merchandise subject to such order. Authorizes the administering authority to include within the scope of such order or finding imported parts or components that are used in the completion or assembly of certain merchandise sold in the United States and subject to such order or finding, provided certain criteria are met, including that such merchandise is completed or assembled in the United States from parts or components supplied by the exporter or producer with respect to which such order or finding applies, from suppliers that have historically supplied the parts or components to that exporter or producer, or from any party in the exporting country supplying parts or components on behalf of such exporter or producer. Enables the administering authority to base such a decision on any of such factors by itself, rather than on all of them together. Sets forth similar provisions for merchandise completed or assembled in other foreign countries. Requires the administering authority to decide that a competitive benefit has been bestowed when the price for the input product is lower than the price that the manufacturer of merchandise which is the subject of a countervailing duty proceeding would otherwise pay for the product in obtaining it from an unsubsidized seller (currently any seller) in an arms-length transaction. Sets forth specified factors to be considered in the determination of such price. Declares diversionary input dumping to occur when: (1) a manufacturer incorporates into merchandise under an antidumping duty investigation a component which is the product of another country and which is the subject of an antidumping duty order or an international agreement to eliminate the effect of injurious imports (if entered into after an affirmative preliminary determination); and (2) the manufacturer under investigation purchased such component at a price which is less than the foreign market value. Declares that the foreign market value of imported merchandise may be the constructed value of such merchandise if the administering authority finds there is a reasonable basis to believe that diversionaly input dumping is occurring which has a significant effect on the cost of producing the merchandise under investigation. Requires the administering authority, if diversionary input dumping exists, to include the amount of such dumping when calculating the cost of such merchandise. Requires the administering authority to investigate whether such dumping is occurring whenever it has reasonable grounds to believe that: (1) it is occurring; (2) it has a significant effect on the cost of producing the merchandise under investigation; and (3) official Government or other reliable trade statistics indicate that subsequent to the imposition of an antidumping duty order or implementation of an international agreement regarding such imports, shipments of such imports to the United States have increased either in quantity or market share. Authorizes the administering authority to treat such investigation as an extraordinarily complicated case and extend the time period for making a preliminary determination with respect to such dumping. Requires the administering authority, with respect to receiving a petition, to monitor a downstream product to determine whether such merchandise is similar in description and use to merchandise that has been subject to at least one or more (currently, at least two) suspended countervailing duty or antidumping duty investigations or orders. Declares that amendments made by this Act shall apply to Canadian goods imported into the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 1992
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the National Institutes for the Environment should be established to: (1) provide a coordinated, nationwide program for establishing comprehensive environmental research priorities; and (2) support competitively awarded environmental research and training aimed at preventing and solving environmental problems.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 1992
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, as amended by the Customs and Trade Act of 1990, to continue, through December 31, 1994, the reduction of duties on gripping narrow fabrics of manmade fibers.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 1992
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, upon proper request filed with the appropriate customs officer, to liquidate or reliquidate without imposing any duties, and refund any duties paid, on a certain entry of warp knitting machines.
United States · United States Congress · 2 July 1992
Small Business Innovation Development Amendment Act of 1992 - Amends the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 to extend the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program from October 1, 1993, to October 1, 2000. Amends the Small Business Act regarding small business eligibility for Federal agency research and development awards to include in the three-phase evaluation process determining the technological feasibility of ideas those ideas which appear to have commercial potential. Prescribes minimum SBIR expenditure amounts for FY 1992 through 1997 and after. Requires each Federal agency that is required to establish an SBIR program to: (1) determine unilaterally research topics within its SBIR solicitations, giving special consideration to topics which permit substantial applicant participation in research project formulation; and (2) make payments in full to SBIR funding agreement recipients, subject to specified audit deadlines. Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (the Administrator) to modify directives for the conduct of general SBIR policy to provide for: (1) rights to data; (2) continued use of agency property; (3) follow-on contracts; and (4) increased amounts of Phase 1 awards. Repeals the requirement for an annual report by the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Provides that if a Federal agency required to establish an SBIR program makes an SBIR solicitation award for which it shall provide written justification of such award in its next annual report. Requires the Comptroller General to report to the Congress on specified aspects of SBIR program implementation. Includes Department of Defense (DOD) activities in the extension of programs under this Act and requires the evaluation process for research and development awards to consider the commercial potential of ideas. Revises the definition of "extramural budget" to remove an exclusion that provides that such definition shall not include amounts of DOD obligated solely for operational systems development. Increases the amount required to be expended by DOD for SBIR. Establishes a maximum amount for SBIR contracts awarded by DOD in the first phase.
United States · United States Congress · 2 July 1992
Cash Management Improvement Act Amendments of 1992 - Amends the Cash Management Improvement Act of 1990 (the Act) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe regulations for the timely disbursement of Federal funds with respect to each State by July 1, 1993. Extends the deadline for the Secretary to enter into agreements with States for intergovernmental financing and to prescribe regulations for such financing from October 24, 1992, until July 1, 1993, or by the first day of a fiscal year of the State which begins in 1993, whichever is later. Makes the Act effective on such date. Extends for one year the report to the Congress by the Comptroller General on the implementation of such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 July 1992
Extends eligibility for burial in a national cemetery and receipt of a burial flag to any member of the armed forces who has performed at least 20 years of service under honorable conditions and who is eligible for retired pay. (Current law provides such eligibility only to active duty members who perform at least 24 months of continuous active-duty service.)
United States · United States Congress · 2 July 1992
Makes eligible for the veterans' housing loan program an individual not otherwise eligible for such loan who has completed at least six years of service in the Selected Reserve and who, after completion of such service, was: (1) discharged honorably; (2) placed on the retired list; or (3) transferred to an element of the Ready Reserve other than the Selected Reserve after honorable service. Requires such individuals to pay a housing loan origination fee of: (1) two percent of the total loan amount if no down payment is made; (2) 1.5 percent if a down payment of at least five percent of the total loan amount is made; and (3) 1.25 percent if a down payment of ten percent or more is made.
United States · United States Congress · 2 July 1992
Minor Crop Protection Assistance Act of 1992 - Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to define "minor use" as the use of a pesticide on a commercial agricultural crop or site where: (1) the total U.S. acreage for the crop is less than 300,000 acres; (2) the acreage expected to be treated as a result of that use is less than 300,000 acres annually or the agricultural crop represents production from less than 300,000 acres annually; (3) the use does not provide sufficient economic incentive to support initial or continuing registration; and (4) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not determined that the use presents an unreasonable adverse environmental effect. Permits the Administrator, in handling the registration of a pesticide for a minor use, to waive applicable data requirements if determined that the absence of data will not prevent the Administrator from determining the incremental risk presented by the minor use and that such risk would have an unreasonable adverse environmental effect. Prohibits data that relates solely to a minor use, without the permission of the original data submitter, from being considered by the Administrator to support a minor use application by another person for ten years following the submission of the data. Terminates the exclusive use of such data if the registration is voluntarily cancelled or if the data are used to support a nonminor use. Provides for expedited review (within six months of submission) of applications to support minor use pesticide registrations. Grants registrants who make good faith requests for minor use waivers regarding required data and whose requests are denied a full time period for providing such data. Requires the Administrator, upon the request of a registrant, to extend the deadline for the production of data required solely to support a minor use pesticide up to four years if the registrant provides data to support other uses of the pesticide and a schedule to assure that the data production will be completed before the expiration of the extension. Applies the same extension conditions to data for reregistrations. Requires the Administrator to conditionally amend a registration to permit additional minor uses even if data is insufficient if the applicant has submitted satisfactory data pertaining to the proposed minor use and amending such registration would not increase environmental risks. Prohibits amendments if the pesticide meets or exceeds risk criteria associated with human dietary exposure and other specified conditions. Provides for extensions of minor use registration and data submission deadlines in cases where a registrant is not providing data to support a minor use but is providing data in a timely fashion to support other uses. Requires the Administrator, when a minor use registration application is filed no later than two years after another registrant voluntarily cancels registration for a similar use, to evaluate such application as if the voluntary cancellation had not yet taken place for purposes of data use, subject to environmental risk considerations. Directs the Administrator to assure coordination of minor use issues through the establishment of a minor use program within the Office of Pesticide Programs. Establishes and authorizes funding for a Department of Agriculture matching fund minor use program. Requires the program to be used to ensure the continued availability of minor use crop protection chemicals, including the data to support minor use pesticide registrations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1992
Declares that it is the sense of the Congress that any legislation passed by the Congress to address American health care needs must include coverage for mental disorders.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 1992
Honest Balanced Budget Act - Repeals provisions of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) with respect to: (1) emergency powers to eliminate deficits in excess of the maximum deficit amount; (2) budgetary treatment of social security trust funds; and (3) miscellaneous and related provisions. Prohibits, for FY 1994 and each fiscal year thereafter, the outlays of the operating segment of the United States budget from exceeding receipts. Requires, when such outlays exceed receipts, that the deficit be eliminated through revenue increases or spending reductions. Authorizes the waiver of such provisions in the case of war, recession, or natural disaster if the President requests such waiver and the Congress approves by a vote of three-fifths of the membership in both Houses. Requires that operating segment deficit spending subject to a waiver be paid for in full in the budget of the following fiscal year. Requires the budget, excluding trust funds, to be balanced by FY 1998 and each fiscal year thereafter. Requires the President and the Congress: (1) beginning in FY 1995 to develop and implement a plan to so balance the budget; and (2) after balancing the budget to pay down the debt to a reasonable level over a set period of time in order to reduce annual interest costs. Allows a waiver of such budget plan in the case of war, recession, or natural disaster if the President requests such waiver and the Congress approves by a vote of three-fifths of the membership in both Houses. Requires deficit spending subject to such waiver to be paid for in full in the budget of the following fiscal year. Requires the restoration of the statutory debt level within 24 months after the date of such waiver or suspension. Prohibits the Senate or the House of Representatives from considering any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would: (1) cause outlays to exceed receipts; (2) change any provision of this Act; or (3) increase the statutory debt limit after December 31, 1998. Allows a waiver or suspension of such prohibitions in the Senate or the House only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Members. Requires the President to submit a budget for FY 1994 to comply with the requirements of this Act. Requires the Congress to return a budget not in compliance to the President with a letter of reprimand and a request for a new budget. Declares it to be the policy of the United States that: (1) not later than December 31, 1993, the Congress amend the Internal Revenue Code to establish a special interest and debt retirement account dedicated to the reduction of interest and the public debt, to be activated by the President if necessary; (2) any revenues collected for interest and debt retirement be especially titled so that citizens may be aware of their purpose; (3) any revenues collected for interest and debt retirement be deposited in a separate trust fund account; (4) the trust fund be used only for the reduction of interest and the retirement of the public debt; (5) the Secretary of the Treasury administer such account with the advice of a bipartisan board; and (6) any special dedicated interest and debt retirement tax expire upon the elimination of the public debt to a specified target level.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 1992
United States - China Act of 1992 - Prohibits the President from recommending for a 12-month period in 1993 continuation of a waiver of human rights and emigration requirements for nondiscriminatory treatment (most-favored-nation treatment) for China under the Trade Act of 1974 unless a specified report is submitted to the Congress stating that China has: (1) taken steps to adhere to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in China and Tibet and allowed the unrestricted emigration of Chinese citizens who desire to leave for reasons of political or religious persecution; (2) accounted for and released prisoners who dissented in Tiananmen Square on June 3, 1989; and (3) prevented the export to the United States of products manufactured by convict or forced labor. Requires such report to state whether China has made significant progress in: (1) ceasing religious persecution in China and Tibet and releasing religious leaders incarcerated as a result of the expression of their religious beliefs; (2) ceasing unfair trade practices against U.S. businesses, and providing them access to Chinese markets, including lowering tariffs, removing nontariff barriers, and increasing the purchase of U.S. goods and services; and (3) adhering to the Missile Control Technology Regime, the Nuclear Suppliers Group controls and the Australian Group on Chemical and Biological Arms controls. Requires the President, if he recommends such extension, to include in a specified document submitted to the Congress a report on China's compliance with the above-mentioned objectives. Grants nondiscriminatory treatment to products produced by nonstate-owned enterprises in China. Requires the President, if he decides not to seek such extension, to ensure that members of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade take similar action with respect to China.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 1992
Local Exchange Infrastructure Modernization Act of 1992 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to exercise its authority to: (1) preserve and enhance universal telephone service at reasonable rates; (2) achieve universal availability of advanced network capabilities and information services; (3) assure a seamless nationwide distribution network through joint network planning, coordination, and service arrangements between and among local exchange carriers (LECs); (4) maintain high standards of quality for advanced network services; and (5) assure adequate communication for the public health, safety, defense, education, national security, and emergency preparedness. Defines "local exchange carrier" for purposes of such Act as a carrier that: (1) is required to provide upon request, under tariff or subject to other government oversight (by the FCC or a State commission), interstate and intrastate access services and telephone exchange service; (2) is, or was, a participant in one or more interstate pools established by the FCC, or would have been required to participate in one or more such pools had the carrier been engaged in interstate and intrastate access and telephone exchange service while such participation was mandatory; (3) is subject to the requirements imposed by the FCC or a State commission related to the provision of equal access; and (4) conforms with the provisions of the North American Numbering Plan applicable to the assignment of numbering resources for telephone exchange service, as defined by the Plan's Administrator. Requires the FCC to prescribe regulations that require: (1) joint coordinated network planning, design, and cooperative implementation among all LECs in the provision of public switched network infrastructure and services; (2) development of standards for interconnection between the LEC public switched network and others by appropriate standard-setting bodies; and (3) a LEC to share public switched network infrastructure and functionality with requesting LECs which serve a geographic area for which they lack economies of scale or scope for the particular required network functionality. Specifies that: (1) no LEC shall be prohibited from transporting or processing signalling and information for another LEC in adjoining or reasonably proximate serving areas upon request of that LEC to the same extent that the providing LEC is permitted to engage in such activities for itself; (2) nothing in such Act shall be construed to alter, limit, or supersede the authority of any State with respect to the regulation of intrastate communication service; and (3) nothing contained in Federal or State antitrust law shall render unlawful any action taken by a LEC or any individual or concerted action taken such as lobbying before the Congress, the FCC, or communicating by any means with other LECs, by any LEC, or its directors, officers, agents, employees, affiliates, subsidiaries, joint ventures, counsel, or other persons purporting to act on behalf of such carrier.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 1992
Women in Apprenticeship Occupations and Nontraditional Occupations Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) to promote an outreach program to inform employers and labor unions of the availability of technical assistance for preparing the workplace to employ women in apprenticeable occupations and other nontraditional occupations. Requires the Secretary to: (1) promote such program to employers through, but not limited to, the private industry councils in each service delivery area; (2) provide outreach to labor unions through, but not limited to, the building trade councils, joint apprenticeable occupations councils, and individual unions; and (3) give priority to employers in areas that have nontraditional employment and training programs specifically targeted to women. Sets forth various activities which such technical assistance provided by community-based organizations to employers and labor unions. Directs the Secretary to select a total of 50 employers or labor unions to receive such technical assistance. Requires each eligible community-based organization desiring to receive a competitive grant to provide such technical assistance to employers and labor unions to submit an application to the Secretary. Requires the Secretary to give priority to applications to community-based organizations that demonstrate specified types of experience and that have tradeswomen or women in nontraditional occupations as active members. Sets forth application requirements, including specified descriptions, assurances, and commitments. Directs the Secretary to serve as a liaison among employers, labor, and community organizations. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study of the participation of women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations, examining specified topics; and (2) report to the Congress within two years on such study, with recommendations. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 1992
Amends Federal banking law regarding the powers of national banking associations to declare that the limitations and restrictions pertaining to dealing in, underwriting, and purchasing securities for an association's own account do not apply to certain State and municipal obligations (thus permitting national banks to underwrite municipal revenue bonds).
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 1992
Designates February 21 through February 27, 1993, as American Wine Appreciation Week. Commends the winegrape and fruit growers and vintners of the United States for the production of high quality agricultural products.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 1992
Declares that the Congress adopts specified principles on rights and obligations with respect to the environment, to be known as the Earth Charter, and urges the nations participating in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in June 1992 to adopt the same rights and obligations as a separate Earth Charter. Includes within such principles: (1) the integration of environmental and development objectives with economic and trade policies; (2) the promotion of sustainable development; (3) respect for human rights; (4) the adoption of precautionary measures to prevent causes of environmental degradation; (5) a commitment to peace and security; (6) the elimination of unsustainable patterns of production and consumption; (7) the availability of information relevant to environment and development; (8) open and free market objectives; (9) the bearing of pollution costs by polluters; (10) the establishment of democratic institutions; (11) the elimination of poverty; and (12) assistance to developing countries.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1992
Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Agricultural Research Service, to make sweet potato research grants to land-grant colleges and universities. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1992
Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from taking any action with respect to any alleged violation of the requirements of title IV of the Social Security Act at issue in Mercado v. Department of Income Maintenance.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1992
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the Government of Thailand should promptly restore respect for human rights and democratic rule by taking specified steps, including: an immediate cessation of the use of lethal force against unarmed pro-democracy demonstrators; lifting the State of Emergency; releasing all those detained for the peaceful expression of their views; allowing those detained since May 18, 1992 immediate access to attorneys, medical personnel, and international humanitarian organizations; declaring amnesty for all those facing criminal charges since the February 1991 military coup for peacefully expressing their views; and fulfilling its stated commitment to peaceful negotiations and elected rule; (2) the U.S. Government should suspend joint military exercises with Thailand; and (3) the Secretary of State should convey these recommendations to the Thai authorities at the highest level and confirm that no U.S. economic or military assistance will be provided until a duly elected government is fully installed and human rights are respected.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 1992
Mathematics and Science Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit of $1,000 for certain full-time, public elementary and secondary school teachers who complete at an institution of higher education six credit hours in mathematics, science, or any other subject area for which the Secretary of Education determines there is a critical national need for additional teachers. Allows qualified science, mathematics, and critical-need teachers a deduction for education expenses at institutions of higher education relating to their certification. Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants available to any State for the purpose of conducting a mathematics or science secondary school feasibility study (to examine the costs and benefits of establishing a secondary school dedicated to the instruction of mathematics or science) if such State provides funds or other support in an amount of at least twice the amount of grant funds. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 1992
National Guard and Reserve Personnel Transition Benefits Act of 1992 - Title I: Personnel Protections Transition Plan - Provides that, during the period beginning on October 1, 1991, and ending on September 30, 1995 (force reduction transition period), no unit in the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve (the Reserve) of the armed forces may be deactivated and no member of the Reserve may be involuntarily separated from the armed forces, involuntarily reassigned to a unit or position not in the Reserve, or otherwise involuntarily given a status not in the Reserve before the Secretary of Defense has promulgated, implemented, and transmitted to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees regulations that govern the treatment of members of the Reserve assigned to such units and subjected to such actions, with exceptions. Specifies that: (1) the purpose of such regulations shall be to ensure that the members of the Reserve are treated with fairness, with respect for their service, and with attention to the adverse personal consequences of Reserve unit deactivations and other involuntary changes in their status; and (2) such regulations shall include such provisions as necessary to implement the provisions of this Act, as well as such other policies and procedures for the recruitment of personnel for the Reserve, and for the reassignment, retraining, separation, and retirement of Reserve members, as are appropriate for satisfying the needs of the Reserve together with such purpose. Directs that such regulations include: (1) the giving of a priority to Reserve personnel for reassignment to Reserve units not being deactivated and for transfer among the reserve components of the armed forces in order to facilitate reassignment to such units; (2) a requirement that the Secretaries of the military departments take diligent actions to ensure that members of the reserve components are informed in easily understandable terms of the rights and benefits conferred upon such personnel by this Act and by such regulations; and (3) such other protections, preferences, and benefits (protections) as the Secretary considers appropriate. Requires such regulations to apply uniformly to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Makes such protections inapplicable with respect to personnel who are separated or transferred under adverse conditions. Title II: Retired Pay - Authorizes the Secretary concerned (with exceptions) to grant a person under age 60, upon the application of such person, immediate reduced retired pay if: (1) as of October 1, 1991, such person has performed at least 20 years of service, or after that date and before October 1, 1995, completes 20 years of service; (2) the person is a member of the Reserve; (3) the person satisfies specified age and service requirements; and (4) the person applies for the immediate reduced retired pay within one year after the later of the date of the enactment of this Act or the date on which the person satisfies the applicable years-of-service requirement (such dates). Permits the Secretary concerned (with exceptions) to grant a person, upon application of such person, retired pay if: (1) as of October 1, 1991, such person has performed at least 15 years of service or after that date and before October 1, 1995, completes 15 years of service; (2) the person is a member of the Reserve; (3) the person satisfies specified age and service requirements; and (4) within one year after the later of such dates, the person applies for retired pay or requests transfer to an inactive status list. Authorizes the Secretary concerned (subject to restrictions consistent with the purpose set forth in this Act) to limit the applicability of provisions under this title to any category of personnel defined by such Secretary in order to meet a need of the armed forces under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned to reduce the number of members in certain grades, who have completed a certain number of years of service, or who possess certain military skills or are serving in designated competitive categories. Sets forth a formula for reduced retired pay for non-regular service members of the armed forces who retire before age 60. Title III: Additional Benefits - Entitles a member of the Reserve who, after completing at least six, and before completing 15, years of service, is involuntarily separated from the armed forces during the force reduction transition period, to separation pay. Sets forth a formula for determining the amount of such pay. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) the relationship of such pay to other service-related pay; and (2) uniformity of regulations among the various armed services. Provides that a person who involuntarily ceases to be a member of the Reserve during the force reduction transition period may be provided educational assistance for specified periods of time, based upon the number of years of service completed. Sets forth: (1) further provisions with respect to educational assistance; and (2) provisions regarding refunds of contributions in cases where a person's entitlement to such assistance is reduced below 36 months. Directs the Secretary of Defense to prescribe regulations to authorize a person who involuntarily ceases to be a member of the Reserve during the force reduction transition period to continue to use commissary and exchange stores for a specified period. Extends the period of group life insurance coverage from 120 to 365 days in the case of a former member of the Reserve. Sets forth requirements with respect to eligibility, payment of premiums, and actions necessary to implement this provision. Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned (with exceptions) to limit the applicability of a benefit provided under this title to any category of personnel defined by such Secretary in order to meet a need of the armed force under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned to reduce the number of members in certain grades, who have completed a certain number of years of service, or who possess certain military skills or are serving in designated competitive categories. Makes the provisions of this title inapplicable with respect to personnel who cease to be members of the Reserve under adverse conditions. Specifies that the eligibility of a member of a reserve component of the armed forces (after having involuntarily ceased to be a member of the Reserve) to receive benefits and privileges under this title terminates upon the involuntary separation of such member from the armed forces under adverse conditions.
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