United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2000
Kids 2000 Act - Directs the Attorney General to make grants to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America for the purpose of funding effective after-school technology programs, such as PowerUp, in order to provide: (1) constructive technology-focused activities that are part of a comprehensive program to provide access to technology and technology training to youth during after-school hours, weekends, and school vacations; (2) supervised activities in safe environments for youth; and (3) full-time staffing with teachers, tutors, and other qualified personnel. Directs the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to make sub-awards to local boys and girls clubs authorizing expenditures associated with providing technology programs, including the hiring of teachers and other personnel and the procurement of goods and services, including computer equipment. Sets forth provisions regarding grant eligibility, application requirements, and criteria for making grant awards. Authorizes appropriations. Allows funds to carry out this Act to be derived from the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2000
American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 - Increases available nonimmigrant H-1B specialty occupation visas for FY 2000 through 2002. (Sec. 3) Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from certain annual visa limitations an alien who is: (1) employed at an institution of higher education, or nonprofit or governmental research facility; or (2) a graduate degree recipient. (Sec. 4) Makes employment-based immigrant visas available on a quarterly basis without regard to per-country limitations if unused visas are available. (Sec. 5) Authorizes qualifying specialty occupation aliens to accept new employment upon filing of the employer petition. (Sec. 6) Provides one-year extensions of authorized H-1B stay for specialty occupation aliens in cases of permanent residence adjudications lasting 365 days or longer. (Sec. 7) Extends certain fee and labor application attestation and investigative authorities. (Sec. 8) Provides, with respect to nonimmigrant visa petitions subject to numerical limitations, for the restoration of fraudulently obtained visas, effective in the fiscal year of petition revocation. (Sec. 9) Directs the National Science Foundation to conduct a study of the divergence to high technology access (digital divide).
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2000
Stamp Out Domestic Violence Act of 2000 - Amends Federal law to require the Postal Service to establish a special rate of postage for first class mail that is up to 25 percent higher than the regular rate as a voluntary alternative that the public may use to contribute to funding for domestic violence programs. Requires collected amounts to be paid to the Department of Justice. Expresses the sense of the Congress that nothing in this Act should: (1) cause a net decrease in total funds received by the Department or any other Federal agency below the level that would have otherwise been received but for this Act's enactment; or (2) affect first-class or other regular postage rates. Requires special postage stamps to be made available to the public. Directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the operation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2000
Medical Error Reduction Act of 2000 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants available to States to establish reporting systems designed to reduce medical errors and improve health care quality. Requires States, in order to be eligible for such grants, to provide assurances that the grant will be used to establish and implement a medical error reporting system using guidelines developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Directs the Agency to develop and publish such guidelines. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency, to establish a program under which funding will be provided for at least 15 demonstration projects to be competitively awarded in health care facilities and organizations in geographically diverse locations to determine the causes of medical errors and develop specified methods to reduce, minimize, and provide for reporting and corrective action of, such errors. Provides that at least five of such projects shall require participating health care providers to report adverse events and health- or medication-related errors to the patient and patient's family member. Permits the use of reported information only for purposes of evaluating the ability to reduce errors in delivery of care. Subjects such information to confidentiality requirements and makes it inadmissible as evidence in any civil or criminal action. Prohibits disclosure of such information under the Freedom of Information Act as well. Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide for establishment of a national database of medical errors to contain information collected under this Act; (2) provide information to educate patients and family members about their role in reducing medical errors; (3) develop programs that encourage patients to take a more active role in their medical treatment; and (4) make grants to health professional associations and other organizations to provide training in ways to reduce medical errors. Requires the Secretary to report to appropriate congressional committees on: (1) costs associated with implementing a program that identifies factors that contribute to errors and which includes upgrading the heath care computer systems and other technologies in the United States to reduce medical errors; and (2) the success of each demonstration project, data collected by States, best methods for reducing medical errors and costs associated with applying such methods, and sharing information on best practices to reduce such errors in Federal health care programs. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2000
Amends Federal aviation law to declare that nothing in such law or in the Death on the High Seas Act with respect to additional remedies 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 · 7 February 2000
Biomedical Revitalization Resolution of 2000 - Expresses the sense of the Senate that funding for the National Institutes of Health should be increased by $2.7 billion in FY 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2000
American Hospital Preservation Act of 2000 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), as amended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999 with regard to provisions on the one year sole community hospital payment increase, to reset the applicable percentage increase for FY 2001 and each subsequent fiscal year to the market basket percentage increase for hospitals in all areas for purposes of updating payments to prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals for inpatient hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2000
Stem Cell Research Act of 2000 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct, support, or fund research on or utilizing human embryos for purposes of generating embryonic stem cells only in accordance with this Act. Requires, for purposes of carrying out research, that human embryonic stem cells be derived only from embryos that otherwise would be discarded that have been donated from in- vitro fertilization clinics with the written informed consent of the progenitors. Prohibits human embryonic stem cell research from resulting in the creation of human embryos or in the reproductive cloning of a human being. Makes it unlawful for any person receiving Federal funds to knowingly acquire, receive, or otherwise transfer any human gametes or embryos for valuable consideration if such action affects interstate commerce. Directs the Secretary, in conjunction with the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to issue guidelines governing human embryonic stem cell research. Requires such guidelines to ensure that: (1) all Federal research protocols and consent forms involving human embryonic stem cell research must be reviewed and approved by an institutional review board; and (2) such board is empowered to make determinations as to whether proposed research is in accordance with NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. Requires the Secretary to report annually to the appropriate congressional committees on activities carried out under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2000
Provides for the naturalization of a named individual without his being administered the oath of renunciation and allegiance otherwise required by the Immigration and Nationality Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2000
Calls on the Government of the People's Republic of China to: (1) immediately release Yongyi Song from imprisonment and drop all charges against him; (2) guarantee in its legal system fair and professional treatment for criminal defense lawyers; and (3) open more criminal proceedings to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
Milton Friedman Congressional Gold Medal Act - Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal to Milton Friedman in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to individual freedom and opportunity in American society through his exhaustive research and teaching of economics and his extensive writings on economics and public policy. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such national medal. Requires proceeds to be deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the Senate Foreign Relations Committee should hold hearings on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); and (2) the Senate should act on CEDAW by March 8, 2000, International Women's Day.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
Declares that the Senate: (1) recognizes the contribution of older persons to their communities; and (2) commends the work of organizations that participate in programs assisting older persons and that promote the goals of the International Year of Older Persons.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Makes Federal tort claims coverage applicable to any claim resulting from: (1) an injury sustained by a member of the armed forces while on active duty arising or resulting from, or aggravated by, a negligent or wrongful act or omission of another member of the armed forces or the Federal Government; or (2) the death of a member resulting from such injury.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1999
Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports Act of 1999 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicaid coverage of community attendant services and supports for eligible individuals with disabilities. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible States which have established a Consumer Task Force to assist the State in its development of real choice systems change initiatives with regard to consumer-responsive long-term services to eligible individuals. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the National Council on Disability to review and report to Congress on: (1) certain Medicaid regulations on home health and personal care services; and (2) how Medicaid expenditures can be reduced by the furnishing of community attendant services and supports. Directs the Secretary to establish a task force to examine appropriate methods for financing long-term services and supports.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1999
Vietnam Veterans Recognition Act of 1999 - Authorizes the American Battle Monuments Commission to place within the Vietnam Veterans Memorial a plaque to honor Vietnam veterans who died after service in the Vietnam War, but as a direct result of such service, and whose names are not otherwise eligible for placement on the Memorial wall.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
High-Speed Rail Investment Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a limited tax credit to holders of a qualified Amtrak bond. Sets forth definitions, State matching requirements, and other rules.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Money Laundering Abatement Act of 1999 - Amends Federal law regarding monetary transactions to prohibit a depository institution or branch of a foreign bank from: (1) opening or maintaining an account in the United States for a foreign entity or representative unless a record is maintained in the United States that identifies by verifiable name and account number each person having an ownership interest in the account, or some or all of the share of such foreign entity are publicly traded; and (2) opening or maintaining a correspondent account in the United States for a foreign banking institution or correspondent bank relationship with a foreign banking institution that is either organized under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction, and is not subject to comprehensive oversight on a consolidated basis in such jurisdiction. (Sec. 3) Requires a financial institution to comply within 48 hours with a Federal banking agency request for anti- money laundering information. (Sec. 4) Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe regulations governing maintenance of concentration accounts by financial institutions to ensure that such accounts are not used to prevent association of the identity of an individual customer with the movement of funds of which the customer is the direct or beneficial owner. (Sec. 5) Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to require each depository institution engaging in private banking to establish due diligence procedures for ongoing review of private banking customer accounts. (Sec. 6) Amends Federal criminal law to: (1) expand the designations of unlawful laundering of monetary instruments; (2) impose a fine and imprisonment for false statements to financial institutions concerning the identity of a customer; and (3) grant district courts jurisdiction over any foreign person that commits a financial transaction offense in the United States, including court issuance of a pretrial restraining order. (Sec. 8) Authorizes appropriations for the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the Department of the Treasury to implement an automated database to alert law enforcement officials if Currency Transaction Reports or Suspicious Activity Reports disclose patterns of illegal activity, including multiple Currency Transaction Reports or Suspicious Activity Reports which name the same individual within a prescribed period of time.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Medicare Geographic Reclassifications Equity Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to ensure that geographic reclassifications of hospitals from one urban area to another urban area produce no reduced wage indexes for the urban area in which the hospital was originally classified.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 1999
National Police Athletic League Youth Enrichment Act of 1999 - Directs the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice, for each of FY 2000 through 2004, to award a grant to the Police Athletic League (PAL) for the purposes of establishing PAL chapters to serve public housing projects and other distressed areas and expanding existing chapters to serve additional youths. Requires PAL, in order to be eligible to receive a grant, to submit to the Assistant Attorney General an application which shall include: (1) a long-term strategy to establish 250 additional chapters and a detailed summary of those areas in which new chapters will be established, or in which existing chapters will be expanded to serve additional youths, during the next fiscal year; (2) a plan to ensure that there are a total of not less than 570 chapters in operation before January 1, 2003; (3) a certification that there will be appropriate coordination with those communities where new chapters will be located; and (4) an explanation of the manner in which new chapters will operate without additional, direct Federal financial assistance once assistance under this Act is discontinued. Directs the Assistant Attorney General to review, and take action on, an application within 120 days after the date of submission. (Sec. 6) Directs that amounts made available under a grant awarded under this Act be used by the PAL to provide funding for the establishment of PAL chapters serving public housing projects and other distressed areas, or the expansion of existing PAL chapters. Requires that each new or expanded PAL chapter assisted carry out not less than four programs during non-school hours, of which: (1) not less than two programs shall provide mentoring assistance, academic assistance, recreational and athletic activities, or technology training; and (2) any remaining programs shall provide drug, alcohol, and gang prevention activities; health and nutrition counseling; cultural and social programs; conflict resolution training, anger management, and peer pressure training; job skill preparation activities; or Youth Police Athletic League Conferences or Youth Forums. (Sec. 7) Sets forth reporting requirements. (Sec. 8) Authorizes appropriations. Sets aside specified percentages of grant sums for research and evaluation, technical assistance, and management and administration.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 1999
Hunger Relief Act of 1999 - Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to remove specified restrictions on qualified aliens' eligibility for food stamp and supplemental security income benefits. Exempts food stamp provisions respecting aliens from: (1) the five-year waiting period for Federal means-tested public benefits eligibility; (2) inclusion of sponsor income and resources to an alien for State benefits eligibility; and (3) sponsor reimbursement requirements in cases of hardship. Sets forth effective dates for: (1) aliens; and (2) refugees and asylees. (Sec. 3) Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to authorize a State to use an alternative State auto valuation rather than the Federal one in order to provide a lower household resource attribution for food stamp program purposes. (Sec. 4) Increases, and indexes for inflation, the food stamp excess shelter deduction. (Sec. 5) Amends the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to authorize additional appropriations for commodity purchases under the emergency food assistance program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 1999
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to revoke immediately all slots and exemptions to the High Density Slot Rule held by British air carriers at O'Hare International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport until the Governments of the United Kingdom and the United States have signed an agreement that provides: (1) for approval of all U.S. air carrier applications for air routes from the United States to the United Kingdom pending on October 14, 1999; and (2) slots at Heathrow International Airport to U.S. air carriers that do not have any slots there, without affecting any slots held by other U.S. air carriers at such airport. Directs the Secretary of State to file immediately a notice to terminate the Agreement Between the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Concerning Air Services if the Government of the United Kingdom and the United States have not signed an open skies agreement (according to Department of Transportation Order 92-8-13) by December 31, 2000.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 1999
Drug Court Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 1999 - Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to States, State courts, local courts, units of local government, and Indian tribes for programs that involve: (1) continued judicial supervision over offenders with substance abuse problems who are not violent offenders; and (2) the integrated administration of related sanctions and services. Prohibits the participation of violent offenders in such programs. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for FY 2000 through 2003 to enable the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide drug treatment services in conjunction with drug court programs. Authorizes appropriations to the Attorney General for such fiscal years for such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 1999
Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act - Amends the Federal judicial code to revise the definition of "agency or instrumentality of a foreign state" for purposes of provisions regarding exceptions to: (1) the jurisdictional immunity of a foreign state where money damages are sought against a foreign state for personal injury or death that was caused by an act of torture, extrajudicial killing, aircraft sabotage, hostage taking, or the provision of material support or resources for such an act (jurisdictional provisions); and (2) the immunity from attachment or execution where the judgment relates to a claim for which the foreign state is not immune (attachment provisions). Directs that moneys due from or payable by the United States to any State against which a judgment is pending under jurisdictional provisions be subject to attachment and execution in like manner and to the same extent as if the United States were a private person. Authorizes the President, upon determining on an asset-by-asset basis that a waiver is necessary in the national security interest, to waive attachment provisions in connection with (and prior to the enforcement of) any judicial order directing attachment in aid of execution or execution against the premises of a foreign diplomatic mission to the United States, or any funds held by or in the name of such foreign diplomatic mission determined by the President to be necessary to satisfy actual operating expenses of such foreign diplomatic mission. Specifies that a waiver shall not apply to the proceeds of: (1) such use if the premises of a foreign diplomatic mission has been used for any non-diplomatic purpose (including use as rental property); or (2) a sale or transfer if any asset of a foreign diplomatic mission is sold or otherwise transferred for value to a third party. Treats all assets of any agency or instrumentality of a foreign state as assets of that foreign state.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 1999
Providing Reliable Officers, Technology, Education, Community Prosecutors, and Training In Our Neighborhoods Act of 1999 or PROTECTION Act - Modifies provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (the Act) regarding public safety and community policing ("cops on the beat" program, COPS) to authorize the Attorney General to use funding under COPS grants to: (1) increase prosecutor presence and to enhance law enforcement access to new technologies; (2) pay overtime to existing career law enforcement officers to the extent that such overtime is devoted to community policing efforts; and (3) promote higher education among in-service State and local law enforcement officers by reimbursing them for the costs associated with seeking a college or graduate school education. Includes among permitted additional grant projects: (1) specialized integrity and ethics training; (2) innovative proactive crime control and prevention programs involving school officials and religiously-affiliated organizations; (3) school-based partnerships between local law enforcement agencies and local school systems by using school resource officers who operate in and around elementary and secondary schools (current law) to serve as a law enforcement liaison with other Federal, State, and local law enforcement and regulatory agencies and to combat gang membership and criminal activity, firearms and explosives-related incidents, illegal use and possession of alcohol, and the illegal possession, use, and distribution of drugs; and (4) innovative programs that bring together a community's sheriff, police chief, and elderly residents to address the public safety concerns of older citizens. Authorizes the Attorney General to use up to five percent of appropriated funds for technical assistance and training to States, local governments, Indian tribal governments, and other public and private entities. Requires the technical assistance provided by the Attorney General to include the establishment and operation of regional community policing institutes training centers or facilities. Permits the functions of the centers or facilities to include instruction and seminars for specified individuals, including representatives of police labor and management organizations and community residents. Repeals provisions of the Act regarding: (1) termination of grants for hiring officers; and (2) preferential consideration of applications for certain grants. Allows grants to be used to assist: (1) police departments in employing specified professional, scientific, and technological advancements; and (2) State, local, or tribal prosecutors' offices in implementation of community-based prosecution programs that build on local community policing efforts. Reserves specified funds for units of local government with a population of less than 50,000. Authorizes the Attorney General to use no more than 50 percent of grant renewal funds to award grants targeted specifically for retention of police officers to grantees in good standing, with preference to those that demonstrate financial hardship or severe budget constraint that impacts the entire local budget and may result in the termination of employment for officers. Redefines: (1) "career law enforcement officer" to include sheriffs' deputies charged with supervising offenders who are released into the community but also engaged in local community policing efforts; and (2) "school resource officer" to mean a career law enforcement officer deployed in community-oriented policing and assigned to work in collaboration with schools and community-based organizations (as under current law) to engage in specified activities, including serving as a law enforcement liaison with other Federal, State, and local law enforcement and regulatory agencies to address and document crime and disorder problems, training students in conflict resolution and crime awareness, and assisting school administrators with the preparation of an annual report on the number of students expelled per year for bringing a weapon, firearm, or explosive to school. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 1999
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to exempt from certain child labor restrictions the employment, inside or outside of businesses where machinery is used to process wood products, of individuals between ages 14 and 18 who are by statute or judicial order exempt from compulsory school attendance beyond the eighth grade. Permits such youth employment if the individual: (1) is supervised by an adult relative or by an adult member of the same religious sect or division; (2) does not operate or assist in the operation of power-driven woodworking machines; (3) is protected from wood particles or other flying debris within the workplace by a barrier appropriate to such potential hazard or by maintaining a sufficient distance from machinery in operation; and (4) is required to use personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to excessive levels of noise and sawdust.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1999
Commends the past and present personnel of the submarine force of the U.S. Navy for their technical excellence, accomplishments, professionalism, and sacrifices. Congratulates them for the 100 years of exemplary service that they have provided the United States. Expresses the sense of the Senate that, in the next millennium, the submarine force should continue to constitute an integral part of the Navy, and to carry out missions that are key to maintaining the Nation's freedom and security as the superior submarine force in the world.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Department of Labor Title II: Department of Health and Human Services Title III: Department of Education Title IV: Related Agencies Title V: General Provisions Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and related agencies. Title I: Department of Labor - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 to the Department of Labor for: (1) training and employment services; (2) community service employment for older Americans; (3) Federal unemployment benefits and allowances; (4) State unemployment insurance and employment service operations; (5) advances to the Unemployment Trust Fund and other trust funds; (6) employment and training program administration; (7) the Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation; (8) the Employment Standards Administration; (9) certain special benefits; (10) the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund; (11) the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; (12) the Mine Safety and Health Administration; (13) the Bureau of Labor Statistics; (14) departmental management; (15) the Assistant Secretary for Veterans Employment and Training; and (16) the Office of Inspector General. Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, funds appropriated under this title. Title II: Department of Health and Human Services - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for: (1) the Health Resources and Services Administration; (2) the Medical Facilities Guarantee and Loan Fund for Federal interest subsidies for medical facilities; (3) health education assistance loans; (4) the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Trust Fund; (5) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; (6) the National Institutes of Health, including amounts for the John E. Fogarty International Center, the National Library of Medicine, the Office of the Director, and buildings and facilities; (7) the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; (8) retirement pay and medical benefits for Public Health Service commissioned officers; (9) the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research; (10) the Health Care Financing Administration for grants to States for Medicaid, payments to health care trust funds, program management, and the Health Maintenance Organization Loan and Loan Guarantee Fund; (11) the Administration for Children and Families for family support payments to States; (12) low income home energy assistance; (13) refugee and entrant assistance; (14) the child care and development block grant; (15) the social services block grant; (16) children and families services programs; (17) promoting safe and stable families pursuant to a specified provision of the Social Security Act; (18) payments to States for foster care and adoption assistance; (19) the Administration on Aging; (20) the Office of the Secretary for general departmental management; (21) the Office of Inspector General; (22) the Office for Civil Rights; (23) policy research; and (24) activities related to countering potential biological, disease, and chemical threats to civilian populations. Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, funds appropriated under this title. (Sec. 209) Prohibits funds appropriated in this Act from being made available under title X (population research and voluntary family planning) of the Public Health Service Act unless the award applicant certifies to the Secretary of HHS that it encourages family participation in the decision of minors to seek family planning services and provides counseling to minors on resisting attempts to coerce them into engaging in sexual activities. (Sec. 210) Prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to carry out the Medicare+Choice program if the Secretary of HHS denies participation in such program to an otherwise eligible entity (including a Provider Sponsored Organization) because the entity informs the Secretary that it will not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or provide referrals for abortions. (Sec. 211) Amends the Public Health Service Act to require State allotments under block grants for community health services for FY 2000 to be at least the amount the State received for FY 1998. Provides a specified minimum State allotment for FY 2000 under block grants for substance abuse prevention and treatment as well. (Sec. 213) Amends the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1990 to extend through FY 2000 the authorization of admission into the United States of a specified number of refugees from the independent states of the former Soviet Union, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania based on religious persecution owing to participation in the Ukrainian Catholic or Orthodox churches. Makes September 30, 2000, the latest allowable entry date for specified aliens from the former Soviet Union, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia for purposes of qualifying for adjustment of status. (Sec. 214) Prohibits the use of funds provided in any Act making FY 2000 appropriations for the implementation in Arizona or in Kansas City, Missouri or Kansas, of the Medicare Competitive Pricing Demonstration Project operated by the Secretary of HHS under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Title III: Department of Education - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 to the Department of Education for: (1) education reform; (2) education for the disadvantaged; (3) impact aid; (4) school improvement activities; (5) reading excellence; (6) Indian education; (7) bilingual and immigrant education; (8) special education; (9) rehabilitation services and disability research; (10) special institutions for persons with disabilities, including the American Printing House for the Blind, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School, the Model Secondary School for the Deaf, and Gallaudet University; (11) vocational and adult education; (12) student financial assistance; (13) the Federal Family Education Loan program account; (14) higher education; (15) Howard University; (16) the college housing and academic facilities loans program; (17) the historically Black college and university capital financing program account; (18) education research, statistics, and improvement; (19) departmental management; (20) the Office for Civil Rights; and (21) the Office of the Inspector General. Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, funds appropriated under this title. (Sec. 301) Prohibits funds appropriated in this Act from being used to: (1) transport teachers or students in order to overcome racial imbalance in any school or to carry out a racial desegregation plan; or (2) prevent the implementation of programs of voluntary prayer and meditation in public schools. (Sec. 305) Amends the General Education Provisions Act to bar the use of funds provided to the Department of Education or to an applicable program to field or pilot test, implement, administer, or distribute national tests. Makes such prohibition inapplicable to the International Math and Science Study or other international assessments developed under the authority of the National Education Statistics Act of 1994 that are administered only to a representative sample of U.S. and foreign pupils. Provides that exclusive authority over the direction and all policies for developing voluntary national tests shall continue to be vested in the National Assessment Governing Board. Title IV: Related Agencies - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 to the: (1) Corporation for National and Community Service; (2) Corporation for Public Broadcasting; (3) Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service; (4) Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission; (5) Office of Library Services; (6) Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; (7) National Commission on Libraries and Information Science; (8) National Council on Disability; (9) National Education Goals Panel; (10) National Labor Relations Board; (11) National Mediation Board; (12) Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission; (13) Railroad Retirement Board for the dual benefits payments account, Federal payments to the railroad retirement accounts, administration, and the Office of Inspector General; (14) Social Security Administration for payments to the social security trust funds, special benefits for disabled coal miners, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program, administrative expenses, and the Office of Inspector General; and (15) U.S. Institute of Peace. Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, funds appropriated under this title. Title V: General Provisions - Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, funds appropriated under this Act. (Sec. 505) Prohibits the use of funds appropriated under this Act for programs to distribute sterile needles or syringes for the injection of illegal drugs unless the Secretary of HHS determines that such programs are effective in preventing the spread of HIV and do not encourage the use of illegal drugs. (Sec. 506) Sets forth Buy American requirements. (Sec. 508) Prohibits funds appropriated under this Act from being expended for abortions or for health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion, except in cases where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or where a woman suffers from a physical condition that would, as certified by a physician, place her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. (Sec. 510) Prohibits the use of funds made available in this Act for: (1) the creation of a human embryo for research purposes; or (2) research in which a human embryo is destroyed or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero under Federal regulations and the Public Health Service Act. (Sec. 511) Prohibits the use of funds made available in this Act for activities to promote the legalization of a controlled substance unless there is significant medical evidence of a therapeutic advantage to the use of such substance or that federally-sponsored trials are being conducted to determine such advantage. (Sec. 513) Bars the use of funds made available in this Act to promulgate a final standard under the Social Security Act providing for a unique health identifier for an individual (except in an individual's capacity as an employer or health care provider) until legislation is enacted specifically approving the standard. (Sec. 514) Amends the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997 to extend the availability of certain voluntary separation incentives for employees of the Railroad Retirement Board and its Office of Inspector General.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 1999
Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to extend the retroactive eligibility dates for financial assistance for higher education for spouses and dependent children of law enforcement officers who are killed in the line of duty.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 1999
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the victims of Hurricane Floyd deserve the sympathies of people of the United States; and (2) additional assistance needs to be provided to such victims. Commends the President, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Secretaries of Agriculture, Transportation, and Commerce, the Director of the Small Business Administration, the Governors of Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia, the National Guard, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard, and the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and other private relief organizations for their disaster assistance and relief efforts. Urges the President to: (1) work with Congress to provide necessary funds for disaster relief; and (2) prepare and submit to Congress a report that analyzes the feasibility and cost of implementing a program to provide disaster assistance to such victims.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 1999
National Health Museum Site Selection Act - Directs the Administrator of General Services to convey specified property to the National Health Museum, Inc. (the Museum), to provide a site for the construction and operation of a new building to serve as the National Health Museum. Requires the Museum to provide written notification to the Administrator of the date on which it will accept conveyance of the property. Sets forth provisions regarding the purchase price for the property, including requiring the Administrator to report the purchase price to Congress and to deposit it into the Federal Buildings Fund. Provides for reversion of the property to the United States and repayment of the purchase price to the Museum if : (1) it is used for a purpose other than construction and operation of the Museum; (2) the Museum does not commence construction on the property within three years after conveyance, other than for a reason not within the Museum's control; or (3) the Museum ceases to be a nonprofit corporation. Permits the Museum to: (1) demolish or renovate any existing or future improvement on the property; (2) build, own, operate, and maintain new improvements on the property; (3) finance and mortgage the property on customary terms and conditions; and (4) manage the property. Requires the United States to cooperate with the Museum on any zoning or other matter relating to the development or improvement of the property or the demolition of any improvement. Requires the costs of remediation of any environmental hazards existing on the property, including all asbestos-containing materials, to be borne by the United States. Requires the Museum to submit annual reports to the Administrator and Congress on the status of planning, development, and construction of the Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 1999
Surface Transportation Board Improvement Act of 1999 - Amends Federal transportation law to require a rail carrier or corporation that is involved in a purchase and sale, a lease, or a corporate consolidation or merger transaction that has been approved or exempted by the Surface Transportation Board, and which is exempt from State regulation, to obtain, before such transaction can be carried out, the assent of a majority (or the number required under applicable State law) of the votes of the holders of the capital stock of such corporation. Revises certain requirements to subject employee protective arrangements to specified conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 1999
Schuylkill River Valley National Heritage Area Act - Establishes the Schuylkill River Valley National Heritage Area in Pennsylvania. Makes the Schuylkill River Greenway Association the management entity for the area. Requires the management entity to submit a management plan to the Secretary of the Interior for approval that presents recommendations for the conservation, funding, management, and development of the area.. Authorizes the management entity to update and submit the Schuylkill Heritage Corridor Management Action Plan approved by the State in March 1995 in lieu of developing an original management plan. Describes duties of the management entity. Prohibits the use of Federal funds received under this Act for the acquisition of real property. Authorizes the Secretary, at the request of the management entity, to provide technical and financial assistance to the area to develop and implement the management plan. Requires the Secretary, in assisting the management entity, to give priority to actions that assist in: (1) conserving the natural, historical, and cultural resources that support the area's themes; and (2) providing educational, interpretive, and recreational opportunities consistent with the area's resources and values. Authorizes the Secretary to spend Federal funds directly on non-federally owned property to further this Act's purposes. Sets forth procedures for approval of the management plan. Bars assistance under this Act 15 years after the enactment date. Authorizes appropriations. Limits Federal funding under this Act to 50 percent of the total cost of any project.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 1999
Amends Senate Resolution 356, 102d Congress (establishing the John Heinz Senate Fellowship Program) to reauthorize but change the Program from one training new leadership in issues affecting children to one training new leadership in issues affecting senior citizens. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
Older Americans Act Amendments of 1999 - Title I: Amendment to Title I of the Older Americans Act of 1965 - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to add certain definitions. Title II: Amendments to Title II of the Older Americans Act of 1965 - Revises the duties of the Administration on Aging. Provides for a set of performance outcome measures to be used for planning, managing, and evaluating activities performed and services provided under the Act. Reauthorizes appropriations for the Administration on Aging. Title III: Amendments to Title III of the Older Americans Act of 1965 - Authorizes appropriations indefinitely for making grants relating to: (1) supportive services, (2) senior centers; (3) congregate nutrition services, (4) home delivered nutrition services; (5) in-home services; and (6) special needs. Authorizes appropriations for a nutrition services incentive program. Authorizes a State to require or permit cost sharing by recipients for all direct services, with specified exceptions, provided for in the Act. Expands the list of supportive services for which grants to States are provided. Establishes grant programs for support services for family caregivers, education and training related to programs for older individuals, and pension counseling projects. Title IV: Amendments to Title IV of the Older Americans Act of 1965 - Repeals provisions regarding training, research, and discretionary projects Title V: Amendments to Title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 - Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to establish projects to place community service employment program participants in unsubsidized employment in both the public and private sectors. Reauthorizes the community service employment for older Americans program. Title VI: Amendments to Title VI of the Older Americans Act of 1965 - Makes the authorization of appropriations for title VI of the Act indefinite, with exceptions. Establishes programs for grants to carry out vulnerable elder rights protection activities and for a Native American caregiver support program. Title VII: Amendments to Title VII of the Older Americans Act of 1965 - Revises provisions regarding the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Title VIII: Technical and Conforming Amendments - Makes technical and conforming amendments.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
Superfund Recycling Equity Act of 1999 - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to absolve persons (other than owners or operators) who arranged for the recycling of recyclable material from liability for environmental response actions. Deems transactions involving scrap paper, plastic, glass, textiles, or rubber (other than whole tires) to be arranging for recycling if the person who arranged the transaction demonstrates that the following criteria were met: (1) the recyclable material met a commercial specification grade and a market existed for the material; (2) a substantial portion of the material was made available for use as a feedstock for the manufacture of a new saleable product; (3) the material (or product to be made from the material) could have been a replacement for a virgin raw material; and (4) with respect to transactions occurring 90 days after this Act's enactment, the person exercised reasonable care to determine that the facility where the material would be managed by another was in compliance with Federal, State, or local environmental laws or regulations. Deems transactions involving scrap metal to be arranging for recycling if the person who arranged the transaction demonstrates that: (1) the criteria for scrap materials were met; (2) he or she complied with applicable standards regarding activities associated with the recycling of scrap metals; and (3) the scrap metal was not melted prior to the transaction. Deems transactions involving spent lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, or other batteries to be arranging for recycling if the person involved demonstrates that: (1) the criteria for scrap materials were met; and (2) he or she complied with applicable Federal environmental regulations or standards regarding such batteries. Makes the exemptions from liability under this Act inapplicable if the person: (1) had an objectively reasonable basis to believe at the time of the recycling transaction that the recyclable material would not be recycled or would be burned as fuel or for energy recovery or incineration or that the consuming facility was not in compliance with Federal, State, or local environmental laws or regulations; (2) had reason to believe that hazardous substances had been added to the material for purposes other than processing for recycling; or (3) failed to exercise reasonable care with respect to the management of the material. Makes such exemptions inapplicable if the recyclable material contained polychlorinated biphenyls in excess of 50 parts per million or any new Federal standard.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
U.S. Holocaust Assets Commission Extension Act of 1999 - Amends the U.S. Holocaust Assets Commission Act of 1998 to extend through December 31, 2000, the deadline for the final report to the President of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States with regard to any recommendations for legislative, administrative, or other action with respect to certain assets of victims of the Holocaust that are in the control or possession of the U.S. Government (including the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and any Federal reserve bank) at any time after January 30, 1933. Authorizes appropriations for Commission activities through FY 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
National Fund for Health Research Act - Establishes the National Fund for Health Research in the Treasury. Transfers to the Fund amounts equivalent to certain percentages of all premiums received by each health plan for each calendar year and transferred to the Treasury. Mandates distributions from the Fund to the National Institutes of Health, the National Center for Research Resources, and for carrying out specified Public Health Service Act provisions relating to health information communications. Excludes amounts in the Fund from consideration or enforcement with regard to the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act).
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1999
John Heinz Senate Fellowship Program - Establishes a John Heinz Senate Fellowship Program to encourage the identification and training of new leadership in issues affecting senior citizens and to advance the development of public policy with respect to such issues. Authorizes the Heinz Family Foundation to select fellowship participants. Limits the number of fellowships to two and provides for placement of participants in positions in the Senate that are supportive of their areas of expertise. Authorizes appropriations.
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