United States · United States Congress · 3 October 1997
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the low-income State housing credit ceiling amount; and (2) provide for a cost-of-living adjustment for such amount.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 1997
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the post-1987 reduction in the State ceiling on private activity bonds. Provides, beginning in 1999, for cost-of-living adjustments in the State ceiling on such bonds.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 1997
Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide that investment managers under ERISA shall include fiduciaries registered solely under State law only if Federal registration is prohibited under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940. Treats a fiduciary as meeting certain ERISA filing requirements if the information is available to the Secretary of Labor from a centralized electronic or other record-keeping database.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 1997
Estuary Habitat Restoration Partnership Act of 1997 - Establishes the Estuary Habitat Restoration Collaborative Council, to be composed of specified Federal officials. Directs the Council to develop an estuary habitat restoration strategy to ensure a comprehensive approach to the selection and prioritization of estuary habitat restoration projects and the full coordination of Federal and non-Federal activities related to such restoration. Requires, as part of such strategy, the development of: (1) a framework for coordinating and streamlining existing Federal plans and programs; and (2) proposals to maximize incentives for public-private partnerships and to leverage Federal resources to encourage increased private sector involvement in such restoration. Sets forth factors to be considered by the Council in determining project selection and assistance eligibility. Authorizes a restoration project to be designated as a priority project if it meets selection criteria and: (1) it addresses a restoration goal identified in the strategy; (2) it is part of an approved Federal estuary management or habitat restoration plan; (3) the non-Federal share of the project exceeds 50 percent; and (4) there is a nonpoint source program upstream of the project that addresses upstream sources that would otherwise re-impair the restored habitat. Gives such projects a higher priority for funding. Permits the Council to pay up to 25 percent of the cost of interim actions of restoration activity, pending completion of the strategy. Prohibits selection of a project until non-Federal interests have entered into specified written cooperation agreements pertaining to water resources projects in accordance with the Flood Control Act of 1970. Requires such agreements to provide for project maintenance and monitoring. Authorizes appropriations for the Council. Requires non-Federal applicants for assistance to demonstrate that a project meets this Act's requirements and selection criteria. Limits the Federal share of assistance to between 25 and 65 percent of a project's cost. Raises the maximum limit to 75 percent of the cost in cases of demonstrated need. Authorizes the Council to use funds made available under this Act to pay the share of costs of estuary habitat restoration activities eligible for funding under other laws if such activities would also be eligible for funding under this Act. Directs the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere to maintain a database of information on projects funded by the Council. Makes certain funds provided under the Water Resources Development Acts of 1986 and 1996 available to States and non-Federal persons in carrying out interim actions or projects under this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Secretary of the Army to give estuary habitat restoration projects the same consideration as irrigation, navigation, or flood control projects and to establish such restoration as a primary mission of the Army Corps of Engineers. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out such projects. Directs the Comptroller General to report to the Congress and the Secretary on the extent to which the Council needs additional personnel and administrative resources to carry out this Act, including recommendations for necessary additional funding.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 1997
Pfiesteria Research Act of 1997 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of Commerce (acting through the Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service), the Secretary of Health and Human Services (acting through the Directors of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) establish a research program for the eradication or control of Pfiesteria piscicida and other aquatic toxins; and (2) make grants to specified colleges, universities, and other entities in affected States for carrying out such research. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 1997
National Flood Insurance Reauthorization Act of 1997 - Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to extend the National Flood Insurance Program from FY 1997 through 2002.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 1997
Teacher Excellence in America Challenge Act of 1997 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to replace current State and local Programs for Teacher Excellence with a Teacher Excellence in America Challenge program under which the Secretary of Education may award competitive grants to professional development partnerships for 80 percent of the cost of providing teacher preparation, induction, classroom experience, and professional development opportunities to prospective, beginning, and veteran teachers while improving the education of students in the classroom. Provides for such professional development partnerships among institutions of higher education, elementary schools or secondary schools, local educational agencies (LEAs), State educational agencies, teacher organizations, and nonprofit organizations. Requires that priority be given to partnerships serving elementary schools, secondary schools, or LEAs that serve high percentages of children from families below the poverty line. Lists activities for which partnerships shall use such grants, excluding construction, renovation, or repair of any school or facility. Sets forth requirements for grant applications and partnership assurances. Directs the Secretary to reserve a certain amount of funds under this Act for national evaluation and information dissemination activities. Authorizes appropriations. Repeals the following HEA programs: (1) National Teacher Academies; (2) Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarships; (3) the Teacher Corps; (4) the Class Size Demonstration Grant program; (5) Middle School Teaching Demonstration Programs; (6) New Teaching Careers programs (for minority teacher recruitment); and (7) Programs for Special Populations, including the National Mini Corps Program, Foreign Language Instruction, Small State Teaching Initiative, Faculty Development Grants, and Early Childhood Education Training.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 1997
Expresses the condolences of the Congress on the death of Mother Teresa. Designates September 13, 1997, as a National Day of Recognition for the humanitarian efforts of Mother Teresa and those who have labored with her in service to the poor and afflicted of the world.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 1997
National Discovery Trails Act of 1997 - Amends the National Trails System Act to provide for the establishment, as components of the National Trails System, of national discovery trails which shall be extended, continuous interstate trails located so as to provide for outdoor recreation and travel and to connect representative examples of America's trails and communities. Permits such trails to be designated on nonfederal lands, with an owner's consent. Allows such consent to be revoked at any time. Prohibits a trail from being considered feasible and desirable for designation as a national discovery trail unless it: (1) links one or more areas within the boundaries of a metropolitan area and joins with other trails, tying the National Trails System to significant recreation and resources areas; (2) is supported by a competent trailwide nonprofit organization and has extensive local and trailwide support by the public, user groups, and affected State and local governments; and (3) extends and passes through more than one State and, at a minimum, is a continuous, walkable route, exclusive of any nonfederal property for which an owner has not provided consent for inclusion and use. Requires the appropriate Secretary for each national discovery trail to administer the trail in cooperation with a competent trailwide nonprofit organization. Designates as a national discovery trail the 6,000-mile American Discovery Trail which shall extend from Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware to Point Reyes National Seashore in California, traveling northern and southern routes from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Denver, Colorado. Requires the administering Federal agency, within three complete fiscal years after designation of a national discovery trail, to provide for a comprehensive plan for the protection, management, development, and use of the Federal portions of the trail and provide technical assistance to States, local units of government, and private landowners, as requested, for nonfederal portions of the trail.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 1997
Authorizes the President to present a gold medal to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to religious understanding and peace. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike duplicate medals in bronze. Authorizes appropriations from the Numismatic Public Enterprise Fund, where sales proceeds shall be deposited.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 1997
Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to extend the Export-Import Bank's authority from FY 1997 through 2001. Makes funds available for the Tied Aid Credit Fund without fiscal year limitation. Extends from FY 1997 through 2001 Bank authority to provide financing for the export of nonlethal defense articles or services whose primary end use will be for civilian purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 1997
Amends the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 to set forth the annual rates of basic pay for officers and members of the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division. Sets a limitation on certain pay period earnings with respect to premium pay paid to and compensatory time authorized for such officers and members.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1997
Quiet Communities Act of 1997 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to reestablish an Office of Noise Abatement and Control, which shall be responsible for coordinating Federal noise abatement activities, updating or developing noise standards, providing technical assistance to local communities, and promoting research and education. Requires the Administrator to: (1) conduct a study of airport noise, examining the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) selection of noise measurement methodologies, health impact thresholds, and abatement program effectiveness; and (2) submit such study to the Congress and the FAA. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 1997
Amends Federal aviation law to declare that nothing in such law or in the Death on the High Seas Act shall affect any remedy existing at common law or under State law with respect to any injury or death arising out of any aviation incident occurring on or after January 1, 1995.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 1997
Ocean and Coastal Research Revitalization Act of 1997 - Amends the National Sea Grant College Program Act to add or modify various definitions. (Sec. 5) Replaces provisions establishing and administering the National Sea Grant College Program with provisions maintaining such a program and setting forth its elements and the Program duties of the Secretary of Commerce. (Sec. 6) Repeals provisions authorizing grants and contracts regarding specified international activities, including research, education, and technology transfer. (Sec. 7) Replaces provisions providing for the designation of sea grant colleges and regional consortia with provisions setting forth the criteria for designation as a sea grant college or institute and designee duties. (Sec. 8) Repeals provisions mandating support of graduate fellowships related to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. (Sec. 9) Modifies requirements regarding the sea grant review panel. (Sec. 10) Authorizes appropriations to carry out the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 1997
Landmine Elimination Act of 1997 - Prohibits, beginning on January 1, 2000, funds appropriated or otherwise available to any Federal department or agency from being obligated or expended for new deployments of anti-personnel landmines. Requires the Secretary of Defense to report to the Congress on actions and proposals to substitute for new deployments of such landmines on the Korean Peninsula. Allows the President to delay application of the prohibition with respect to the Peninsula if, not later than January 1, 2000, and each year thereafter, the President certifies the Congress that new deployments of anti-personnel landmines on the Peninsula in the event of a Korean war or a period of emergency in Korea declared by the President would be indispensable to the defense of the Republic of Korea in such year.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 1997
National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1997 - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to establish in the National Park Service (NPS) a program to be known as the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom under which the Secretary shall: (1) produce and disseminate educational materials about the Railroad; (2) provide technical assistance to other government agencies, private entities, or the Governments of Canada, Mexico, or any appropriate Caribbean country to ensure coordination of Federal and non-Federal elements of the Network; and (3) regulate use of an official symbol for the Network. Includes within the Network: (1) NPS units or programs pertaining to the Underground Railroad; (2) Federal, State, local, or privately-owned properties pertaining to the Railroad that have a verifiable connection to it and that are included or eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places; and (3) governmental or nongovernmental facilities or programs of educational, research, or interpretive natures that are directly related to such Railroad. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1997
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 1997 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by covered entities, including an employing authority or office to which specified provisions of the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991 or the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 apply. Prohibits related retaliation and coercion. Declares that: (1) this Act does not apply to the provision of employee benefits for the benefit of an employee's partner; and (2) a disparate impact does not establish a prima facie violation of this Act. Prohibits: (1) quotas and preferential treatment; and (2) the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from entering into a consent decree that includes a quota or preferential treatment. Declares that this Act does not apply to: (1) religious organizations (except regarding employment in a position the duties of which pertain solely to activities of the organization that generate unrelated business income subject to taxation under specified Internal Revenue Code provisions); (2) the armed forces; or (3) laws creating special rights or preferences for veterans. Provides for enforcement. Disallows State immunity. Makes the United States or a State liable for all remedies (except punitive damages, with compensatory damages available to the extent specified in certain existing provisions of law) to the same extent as under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Allows recovery of attorney's fees. Requires posting notices for employees and applicants.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1997
Authorizes the Government of India to establish a memorial to honor Mahatma Gandhi on specified Federal land in the District of Columbia. Prohibits the United States from paying any expense of establishing the memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1997
Declares a named individual to have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence under the Immigration and Nationality Act upon payment of the required visa fee.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 1997
Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act of 1997 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to prohibit a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer providing group coverage, from: (1) excluding or restricting benefits for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, and outpatient services if the plan provides benefits for other outpatient prescription drugs, devices, or outpatient services; (2) denying eligibility based on use or potential use of such items or services; (3) providing monetary payments or rebates to a covered individual to encourage acceptance of less than the minimum protections available; (4) penalizing, reducing, or limiting a professional's reimbursement because the professional prescribed such drugs or devices or provided such services; or (5) providing incentives to a professional to induce the professional to withhold drugs, devices, or services. Amends the Public Health Service Act to apply those prohibitions to coverage offered in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 1997
Establishes as a nonprofit corporation the National Military Museum Foundation to: (1) preserve military artifacts having historical or technological significance; (2) facilitate research on military history; (3) promote partnerships between the Federal Government and the private sector for the preservation of such artifacts; (4) engage in related military history documentation and preservation activities; and (5) recognize and honor the individuals who have served in the armed forces. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 1997
Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal to Mother Teresa of Calcutta in recognition of her contributions to humanitarian and charitable activities. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike a suitable gold medal. Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Declares these medals to be national medals. Authorizes appropriations. Mandates deposit of sale proceeds in the Numismatic Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: America Reads Challenge Act Title II: General Provisions Title I: America Reads Challenge Act - Part 1: Program Authorized - Makes appropriations to the Secretary of Education and provides for funds from the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Corporation for National and Community Service for joint financial support for effective local reading programs for preschool-aged children and children attending both public and private schools. Part 2: Grants to States - Directs the Secretary and the CEO to use specified amounts of funds for grants to States for subgrants to local reading programs and local "Parents As First Teachers" programs. Part 3: Local and Regional Grants to Support Effective Models and Exemplary Partnerships - Directs the Secretary and the CEO jointly to: (1) make competitive grants for various local, regional, and national activities that identify and promote effective and promising practices for helping all children read well and independently by the end of the third grade; and (2) ensure that at least ten percent of such funds are awarded to national or regional information networks or other programs to provide support, training, and educational materials to assist parent to help their children become successful readers by the end of the third grade. Part 4: Supportive Activities - Directs the Secretary and the CEO to use certain reserved funds: (1) for technical assistance, dissemination of materials and information about best practices, and other activities; and (2) to evaluate programs under this Act. Title II: General Provisions - Authorizes the Secretary and the CEO to waive certain provisions of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 under specified conditions. (Sec. 203) Prohibits use of funds under this Act for: (1) awards to a pervasively sectarian organization; or (2) support of religious worship, instruction, or proselytization.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 1997
Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 1997- Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to include certain service in the organized military forces of the Philippines and service as Philippine Scouts within the definition of active U.S. military service for purposes of eligibility for various veterans' benefits for former active-duty military personnel.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 1997
Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1997 - Repeals the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935. Prescribes procedural guidelines for both Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and State access to records of a holding company (including subsidiaries, associates and affiliates) of a public utility or natural gas company. Instructs FERC to promulgate a final rule to exempt specified holding companies from such access requirements. Requires FERC to exempt any person or transaction from such access requirements if it finds that regulation of such person or transaction is irrelevant to the jurisdictional rates of a public utility company. Retains the jurisdiction of FERC and State commissions to determine whether a public utility company may recover in rates any costs of affiliate transactions. Declares this Act inapplicable to: (1) the United States; (2) a State or its political subdivision; and (3) a foreign governmental authority not operating in the United States. Grants FERC certain Federal Power Act enforcement powers. Transfers from the Securities and Exchange Commission to FERC all books and records that relate primarily to the functions vested in FERC by this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Federal Power Act to repeal its conflict of jurisdiction guidelines.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1997
Chesapeake Bay Restoration Act of 1997 - Revises provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to: (1) continue the Chesapeake Bay Program; and (2) maintain a Program Office to provide specified support to the Chesapeake Executive Council. Authorizes the Administrator to provide technical assistance and assistance grants to nonprofit private organizations and individuals, State and local governments, colleges and universities, and interstate agencies to carry out the Program. Provides the Federal and non-Federal share of various Program costs. Provides for Chesapeake Bay Agreement (an agreement among signatory members to restore and protect the Bay's ecosystem) implementation grants, with specified Federal and non-Federal shares. Requires any Federal agency that owns or operates a facility within the Bay watershed to participate in regional and subwatershed planning and restoration programs. Requires the Administrator to ensure that management plans are developed and that implementation is begun by signatories to the Agreement for the Bay tributaries to achieve specified water nutrient and quality goals and habitat restoration and protection. Authorizes the Administrator to offer technical assistance and assistance grants for a small watershed grants program within the Bay. Directs the Administrator to study and report to the Congress on Program goals, effects, and needs. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1998 through 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1997
Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Act of 1997 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to provide technical and financial assistance to: (1) identify, conserve, restore, and interpret natural, recreational, historical, and cultural resources within the Chesapeake Bay watershed; (2) identify and utilize such sources as Chesapeake Bay Gateways sites for enhancing public education of and access to the Bay; (3) link such Gateways sites with trails, roads, byways, and other connections; (4) develop and establish Chesapeake Bay Watertrails comprising water routes and connections to the Gateways sites and other land resources within the watershed; and (5) create a network of Gateways sites and Watertrails, including within such network State or Federal parks or refuges, historic seaports, and archaeological, cultural, historical, or recreational sites. Directs the Secretary to establish a Chesapeake Bay Gateways Grants Assistance Program. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 1997
Congratulates the residents of Jerusalem and the people of Israel on the 30th anniversary of the reunification of that city. Calls upon the President and the Secretary of State to publicly affirm as a matter of U.S. policy that Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of Israel. Urges U.S. officials to refrain from any actions that contradict U.S. law on this subject.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1997
ISTEA Reauthorization Act of 1997 - Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) for FY 1998 through 2003 for: (1) the National Highway System; (2) the Interstate maintenance program; (3) the surface transportation program; (4) the bridge program; (5) congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program; (6) the minimum allocation program; (7) apportionment adjustments; (8) the Interstate System reimbursement program; (9) certain projects under the Federal lands highways program; (10) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) highway safety programs; and (11) FHWA highway safety research and development. (Sec. 4) Amends Federal-aid highway law to revise the formula for determining the State apportionment of funds for the National Highway System and the surface transportation program. Extends through FY 2003 the set aside of Federal highway funds for discretionary projects for the resurfacing, restoring, rehabilitating, and reconstructing of routes on the Interstate System (4 R projects). (Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary of Transportation, not later than April 1, 2000, to report to specified congressional committees recommended adjustments to the formula used to apportion funds to States for the congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program, and to the amount apportioned for the program, to reflect changes since the enactment of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) in: (1) national ambient air quality standards under the Clean Air Act; and (2) the emission control requirements that result from such standards. Directs the Secretary to withhold ten percent of the apportionments if the recommendations are not enacted into law by October 1, 2000. Revises the formula for the apportionment of funds under the program. Adds transportation projects which will have air quality benefits, and consist of certain intercity rail passenger activities, to the eligible projects that a State may obligate congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program and surface transportation program funds. Limits a State's obligation for such projects to no more than 50 percent of the apportioned funds. (Sec. 6) Extends for an additional six-fiscal year period the obligation of a State to allocate surface transportation program funds for Federal-aid highways and highway safety construction in urbanized areas with a population over 200,000. (Sec. 7) Increases the minimum amount of apportioned highway bridge replacement and rehabilitation program funds that a State shall receive in any fiscal year. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1998 through 2003 for the discretionary bridge program. (Sec. 8) Revises for FY 1998 and each fiscal year thereafter the formula for determining the amount of highway funds that would be required to ensure a State's percentage of the total apportionments in each fiscal year and allocations for the prior fiscal year for specified transportation programs is not less than 90 percent of the percentage that the population of the State is of the population of the United States. (Sec. 10) Provides for the adjustment of funds apportioned to States for the surface transportation program. (Sec. 11) Extends through FY 2003: (1) the strategic highway research program; (2) the applied research and technology program; (3) intelligent transportation systems; (4) the scenic byways program; (5) construction of ferry boats and ferry terminal facilities; and (6) the national recreational trails program. (Sec. 15) Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a comprehensive initiative to carry out a comprehensive research program to investigate and understand the relationships between transportation, land use, and the environment; and (2) award transportation and land use planning and policy grants to State, regional, and local agencies, including metropolitan planning organizations. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 16) Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) for FY 1998 through 2003 for construction of the Appalachian development highway system.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1997
Senior Citizen Home Equity Protection Act - Amends the National Housing Act with respect to home equity conversion mortgages to: (1) require full disclosure to the mortgagor of all mortgage costs, including estate planning, financial advice, or other related costs; and (2) provide for imposition of restrictions by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to ensure that the mortgagor is not charged for such costs.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 1997
Mammography Quality Standards Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations to carry out provisions relating to the certification of mammography facilities. Requires that appeals from certification denials follow procedures in effect at that time (currently, in effect on a specified date). Modifies mammogram record retention requirements. Allows inspection of facilities (currently, certified facilities) for compliance with certification requirements and mammography quality standards (currently, compliance with mammography quality standards). Allows inspections to be conducted by a local agency on behalf of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Empowers the Secretary to require a facility to notify patients who received mammograms if the Secretary determines the quality was so inconsistent with standards as to present a significant risk to the individual or public health. Authorizes civil money penalties for failure to comply. Allows certificate suspension or revocation for a failure to comply with an accreditation body's requests for records or materials. Modifies requirements for certification suspension before holding a hearing.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 1997
Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Research Act of 1997 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to mandate a program for the conduct and support of research and training regarding Parkinson's disease. Directs the Director of the National Institutes of Health to provide for coordination of the program among all the national research institutes conducting Parkinson's research. Requires coordination to include the convening of a research planning conference at least once every two years. Provides for each such conference to prepare and submit to certain congressional committees a report concerning the conference. Requires Core Center Grants to encourage the development of innovative multidisciplinary research and provide training concerning Parkinson's, designating each grant recipient as a Morris K. Udall Center for Research on Parkinson's Disease. Establishes a grant program to support investigators with a proven record of excellence and innovation in Parkinson's research and who demonstrate potential for significant breakthroughs in the understanding of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of Parkinson's. Limits the availability of grants for a period not to exceed five years. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1997
Firefighters Pay Fairness Act of 1997 - Amends Federal law to provide that, for Federal fire fighters, the annual rate of basic pay shall be calculated on the basis of 26 administrative biweekly work periods of up to 106 hours each. Prescribes a formula for computing the basic biweekly pay of Federal employees who are not fire fighters but perform fire fighting duties. Extends existing biweekly pay period and pay computation requirements to Federal fire fighters and employees in and under the judicial branch. Removes employees of the District of Columbia government from coverage by such requirements. Repeals the current exception from such requirements for employees on the Isthmus of Panama in the service of the Panama Canal Commission. Requires compensation at time-and-a-half per hour for any hours worked in excess of 106 during a biweekly pay period by fire fighters subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Prescribes basic rates of pay for fire fighters: (1) promoted to a supervisory position; and (2) selected and assigned for training. Adds certain pay retention rights for Federal fire fighters subject to a reduction or termination of a rate of pay established under this Act. Authorizes a Federal agency to pay cash awards of up to five percent of basic pay to fire fighters or other employees performing fire fighting duties who make substantial use of: (1) special skills, such as handling hazardous materials; or (2) a certification or license, such as certification as an emergency medical technician. Requires the Office of Personnel Management to report to the Congress with respect to transition and funding increase plans and regulatory or legislative modifications necessary to prevent diminution in retirement benefits under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1997
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 1997
Anti-Gun Trafficking Act of 1997 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to prohibit any licensed firearms dealer from selling: (1) two or more handguns to an unlicensed individual during any 30-day period; or (2) a handgun to an unlicensed individual who purchased a handgun during the 30-day period ending on the date of the sale. Makes such prohibition inapplicable to an exchange of one handgun for one handgun. Bars any unlicensed individual from purchasing two or more handguns during any 30-day period. Sets penalties for violations. Increases penalties for making knowingly false statements in connection with firearms. Extends the deadlines for the destruction of: (1) records related to handgun transfers subject to the waiting period; and (2) records of the national instant criminal background check system. Revises the definition of "engaged in the business" as applied to a firearms dealer to include any person who transfers more than one handgun in any 30-day period to a person who is not a licensed dealer.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 1997
End the Trade Deficit Act - Establishes the Emergency Commission To End the Trade Deficit, whose purpose is to develop: (1) a trade policy plan to eliminate the U.S. trade deficit by the year 2007; and (2) a competitive trade policy for the 21st century. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 1997
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of Commerce should ensure that the information requested in the 2000 decennial census of population with respect to ancestry will be at least as comprehensive as the information that was requested in the 1990 decennial census (in terms of its content and the range of respondents from whom it is sought).
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1997
Celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first amendment to the Older Americans Act of 1965 to establish a nutrition program for older individuals. Recognizes that nutrition programs carried out under such Act continuously have made an invaluable contribution to the well-being of older individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1997
Expresses the sense of the Congress that cost-of-living adjustments for Federal retirees should be paid beginning in January of each year, as current law prescribes, and should not be delayed, whether as part of a budget agreement or otherwise.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Amends the Investment Advisers Supervision Coordination Act to postpone its effective date from (the current) 180 days to 270 days after its date of enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1997
Federal Employee Compensation Protection Act of 1997 - Amends Federal civil service and armed forces law to provide for the temporary continuance of basic civilian and military pay and associated benefits and allowances of Federal and District of Columbia personnel during any period of lapsed appropriations in which they perform service or are furloughed due to the failure to timely enact appropriations legislation for the employee's agency. Appropriates funds for such purposes, which shall be charged to the applicable appropriation, fund, or authorization whenever the regular appropriation bill becomes law.