United States · United States Congress · 28 March 1985
Designates the Study Center for Trauma and Emergency Medical Systems at the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems at the University of Maryland as the National Study Center for Trauma and Emergency Medical Systems.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 1985
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should: (1) be commended for his efforts to negotiate a multilateral agreement banning chemical weapons; (2) continue to pursue such an agreement; and (3) seek the continuation and the development of bilateral discussions between the United States and the Soviet Union to achieve a verifiable ban on chemical weapons.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 1985
Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1985 - Title I: Extension of Wetlands Loan Act - Extends the authorization of the Wetlands Loan Act through FY 1996. Title II: Revenues for Migratory Bird Conservation Fund - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to charge fees for admission permits to designated units of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Requires deposit of such fees into the migratory bird conservation fund. Authorizes the Secretary to sell, at designated units, Golden Eagle Passports. Directs the Secretary to treat the revenues accruing from such sales in the same manner as fees collected for admission permits. Describes the kinds of admission permits which may be purchased, including individual, group, and special free permits for the blind or disabled and those over age 62. Prohibits the Secretary from requiring an admission permit, or charging a fee, with respect to entry to any designated unit by any individual: (1) with a valid Golden Eagle Passport, Golden Age Passport, or any other lifetime admission permit issued under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965; (2) who has a valid migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp; (3) who is related to or accompanying an individual described in clause (1) or (2); or (4) who has been issued a special free permit as described in the preceding sentence. Directs the Secretary to issue regulations necessary to carry out this paragraph. Requires the Secretary to submit annual reports to specified congressional committees. Increases the price of the migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp. Requires that the amount of import duties collected on arms and ammunition be paid into the migratory bird conservation fund. Establishes in the Treasury the Wetlands Conservation Fund to receive specified funds from the land and water conservation fund and provides for the transfer of moneys from the Wetlands Conservation Fund during FY 1986 through 1995 to finance acquisitions under the wetlands priority conservation plan. Title III: Financial Assistance to States for Wetlands Conservation - Authorizes the Secretary to provide annual financial assistance to States during FY 1986 through 1995 for wetlands conservation. Prescribes formulae for the allocation and apportionment of appropriations among the States and the Secretary for wetlands acquisitions. Sets forth eligibility requirements and conditions relating to such apportionment. Requires each State wishing to participate in such program to submit to the Secretary a comprehensive fish and wildlife resource management plan to ensure the perpetuation of such resources or to submit detailed statements of any wetlands conservation project proposed for that State. Entitles each such State to up to 75 percent of the costs of implementing such plan or project upon the Secretary's approval. Directs the Secretary to establish, and periodically review and revise, a national wetlands priority conservation plan specifying, on a region-by-region or other appropriate basis, the types of wetlands to which priority should be given for wetlands acquisition and the implementation of preservation and enhancement projects. Title IV: Wetlands Inventory and Trend Analysis - Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to: (1) produce final National Wetlands Inventory maps for the entire United States (specifies dates at which different maps are to be completed); and (2) produce, by the end of FY 1986, and at ten year intervals thereafter, reports to update and improve the information contained in the report dated September 1982 and entitled "Status and Trends of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitat in the Coterminous United States, 1950's to 1970's." Authorizes appropriations for the above maps and reports. Directs the Secretary, by the end of FY 1986 to prepare and submit to specified congressional committees a report regarding wetlands losses in the United States. Authorizes appropriations for such report.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1985
Amends the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize appropriations to the Department of the Interior for FY 1986 for services necessary to the nonperforming arts functions of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1985
Amends the Public Buildings Act of 1959 to give statutory authority to the Public Buildings Service (Service). Declares that the Service shall be administered by the Commissioner of Public Buildings who shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1985
Directs that funds be made available from appropriations under the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1985 to enable the National Institutes of Health and the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration to award 7,083 new competitive research grants in FY 1985.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 1985
Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1985 - Provides that the United States asserts title to any abandoned shipwreck that is: (1) substantially buried in submerged lands of a State; (2) in coralline formations protected by a State on its submerged lands; or (3) on submerged lands of a State when such shipwreck is included or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, and the public is given adequate notice of the location of the shipwreck. Declares that any title to abandoned shipwrecks asserted under such conditions is transferred to the State in or on whose submerged lands the shipwreck is located. States that any abandoned shipwreck in or on the public lands of the United States (except the Outer Continental Shelf) is the property of the United States. Directs the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to publish, within six months after the enactment of this Act, advisory guidelines for the protection of shipwrecks and properties.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1985
Performing Arts Labor Relations Amendments - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to exclude specified types of employers and performers in the performing arts from coverage under unfair labor practice provisions prohibiting specified contracts or agreements between employers and labor organizations and prohibiting specified actions of labor organizations to force or require cessation of dealings with others, joining of labor or employer organizations, or recognition of or negotiation with labor organizations not certified as representative. Permits such employers, excluding employers in the broadcasting or motion picture industries, to: (1) agree with a labor organization to make membership in such organization a condition of performing arts employment; and (2) make agreements with a labor organization covering performing artists even if the majority status of the organization has not yet been established. Defines "employer" to include purchasers of musical performance services. Defines "employee" to include independent contractors engaged to perform musical services.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1985
Construction Grants Transition Act of 1985 - Amends the Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act) to extend the authorization of appropriations for five years, through FY 1990, in decreasing amounts for grants to States for the construction of publicly-owned waste treatment plants. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1989 through 1994 for capitalization grants to States which establish Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds which would gradually take over the Federal program. Requires a participating State to: (1) enter into agreements with the Administrator; (2) establish the required Fund; (3) deposit in its Fund from State monies an amount equal to 15 percent of the capitalization grant; (4) make loan commitments for publicly-owned waste treatment plants within one year which commit all of the Fund; (5) submit required annual and intended use reports; and (6) comply with generally accepted procedures and standards. Sets forth permitted uses of the Fund. Authorizes the Administrator to reallot a noncomplying State's capitalization grant. Sets forth required accounting procedures. Directs the Administrator to review annually each State plan and report for using the Fund. Authorizes a State to use Federal grant funds to set up a Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund upon request. Directs the Administrator to report to the Congress by February 10, 1990, on the operation of the State Funds. Limits the use of Federal funds for phased-segment projects and reserved capacity after FY 1990. Continues through FY 1994 the Administrator's authority to reserve a percentage of authorized funds for grants to States for management assistance. Continues the mandatory four percent set-aside for the innovative and alternative technology program in FY 1988, reducing such set-aside to two percent in FY 1987 and 1988 after which point such program becomes discretionary. Permits a State, beginning in FY 1989, to set-aside up to seven and one-half percent of a State's allotment to be applied instead to increase the Federal share for innovative and alternative techniques and processes. Prohibits water quality-based waivers for nonconventional pollutants after a specified date. Directs the Administrator to convene an estuarine management conference for no more than five years whenever the Administrator determines interstate or international control of sources of pollution is required. Requires such conference to assess the trends in the use, resources, and water quality in such estuary, identify the sources of pollution, and develop a conservation, management, and monitoring plan for restoring and maintaining the biological integrity of such estuary. Requires the participation of affected foreign nations, States, agencies, local governments, and institutions, and plan approval by the Administrator. Permits the use of Federal grant funds and Federal capitalization grant funds for plan implementation. Authorizes appropriations for conference expenses in FY 1986 through FY 1990.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1985
Commemorates May 18, 1985, as the 20th anniversary of the Head Start Program. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the Head Start Program has been cost-effective and successful; and (2) congressional support for such program is reaffirmed.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1985
Water Resources Development Act of 1985 - Title I: Ports and Harbors Development and Cost Sharing - Sets the non-Federal share of maintenance and operation costs for port or harbor improvement projects after October 1, 1985, at 100 percent, except for projects with a depth of 14 feet or less (or of more than 14 feet but with an annual commercial tonnage of less than 1,000,000 tons), for which the non-Federal share shall be 70 percent. Directs the Secretary of the Army (the Secretary) to assign the operation and maintenance costs of common navigation improvements to each port and harbor which benefits from them. Directs the Secretary to: (1) publish an annual listing in the Federal Register of all port or harbor improvement projects; and (2) notify the project sponsor for each port or harbor improvement project of the Federal and non-Federal share of anticipated operation and maintenance costs for such project. Sets at 70 percent the non-Federal share of certain post-authorization costs of port or harbor improvement projects where the depths are 45 feet or less. Prescribes a formula to determine the non-Federal share of such costs for projects of depths of more than 45 feet. Requires a project sponsor to enter into a written agreement with the Secretary to provide the non-Federal share of costs for port or harbor improvement projects before the initiation of any Federal operation or construction after October 1, 1985. States that all amounts provided by project sponsors shall be deposited in the Treasury as part of the Rivers and Harbors Contributed Fund. Appropriates such funds to the Secretary without fiscal year limitation for port or harbor improvement projects. Requires project sponsors to provide traditional local cooperation requirements regarding port or harbor improvement projects. Requires the costs of such requirements to be credited toward the non-Federal share of certain costs. Authorizes any project sponsor to collect user fees from vessels using the improved port or harbor facilities in order to recover the non-Federal share of the costs incurred for such facilities. Requires such fees to be: (1) established after a public hearing has been held; and (2) collected in accordance with a fee schedule which has been approved by the Secretary. Exempts certain vessels from such fee requirement. Establishes the Port and Harbor Improvement Task Force (composed of the Secretaries of the Treasury, the Interior, Commerce, Agriculture, Transportation, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and certain non-Federal members) to make recommendations to the Secretary regarding port or harbor improvement projects. Authorizes the Secretary to study the feasibility of port or harbor improvement projects if the Chief of Engineers determines, on the basis of a reconnaissance study, that the feasibility study will likely result in a justifiable project. Requires the Secretary, before initiating a planned port or harbor improvement project, to submit to the Congress: (1) a final environmental impact statement if the Secretary determines it is required under certain laws; and (2) a statement of the Secretary's compliance with specified statutory requirements applicable to the planned improvement. Confers original jurisdiction upon Federal district courts to hear claims alleging that planned port or harbor improvements violate either the Constitution or Federal or State laws. Requires the Secretary to publish in the Federal Register the written notice of intent submitted by a non-Federal public body regarding its plans to construct a port or harbor improvement project. Prescribes guidelines for a memorandum of agreement to be entered into by the Secretary and certain Federal and non-Federal agencies regarding the proposed construction. Exempts specified waterways from the provisions of this title, including improvements administered by the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. Authorizes and adopts specified public improvement works to be prosecuted by the Secretary. Subjects the total Federal and non-Federal estimated costs to the cost-sharing provisions of this title. Title II: Other Water Resources Cost-Sharing - Provides that the construction or implementation of Corps of Engineers (the Corps) water or related land resources projects which have been authorized before enactment of this Act shall be initiated only after non-Federal interests have entered into binding agreements with the Corps regarding payments and sharing of certain associated costs. Sets forth the non-Federal share (ranging from 35 to 100 percent) for specified kinds of projects. States that if the project sponsor fails to pay its required share of such costs, the Secretary shall: (1) terminate or suspend work (unless the project is determined to be necessary); and (2) adjust or terminate the rights and privileges of the project sponsor to project outputs. States that the non-Federal share of implementation costs shall be paid in cash or in-kind during the construction phase. Provides that project expenditures by the non-Federal interest for certain natural disasters shall be consistent with its ability to pay at the time the expenditures are made. Requires the non-Federal interest to contribute one-half of the cost of any feasibility studies for certain water resources studies prepared by the Secretary. Requires a reconnaissance analysis to be completed at full Federal expense prior to such feasibility study. Title III: Project Authorizations - Authorizes the Secretary to prosecute specified waterways improvement projects for flood damage reduction and for fish and wildlife mitigation. Subjects such projects to the cost-sharing provisions of Title II of this Act. Title IV: Project Provisions - Terminates the authorization for the Lake Brownwood Modification Project, Pecan Bayou, Texas. Authorizes appropriations for the prosecution of the comprehensive development plan of specified river basins. Includes in such appropriation the sums necessary to complete local flood protection in the Columbia River Basin. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) to permit water delivery from the District of Columbia water system to any competent governmental entity in suburban Maryland requesting such delivery; and (2) purchase water from any competent governmental entity in Maryland or Virginia that has completed a connection with the District of Columbia water system at the time of purchase. Authorizes the Secretary to relocate the boundaries of the City Waterway, Tacoma Harbor, Washington, in accordance with the provisions of a certain report. Title V: General Provisions - States that if an entity proposes as project sponsor to provide the non-Federal share of a hydroelectric project or facility, the Secretary of the Army is authorized to enter into agreements with it and with the Secretary of Energy to deliver surplus electric power generated at such facility to the sponsor. Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to provide services and facilities in connection with the transmission of such hydroelectric power on a reimbursable basis and to provide equivalent electric power. Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to develop hydroelectric generating facilities at any Department of the Army water resources development project if the Secretary determines it is not advisable for a non-Federal entity to develop such a facility under the Federal Power Act. Authorizes the Secretary to develop hydroelectric power generating facilities on behalf of non-Federal interests at certain Department of the Army water resources development projects where hydropower is not authorized. Subjects such development to the provisions of the Federal Power Act. Amends the Flood Control Act of 1979 to: (1) require that where the non-Federal interest is the State itself, the Secretary's agreement shall provide that the State shall be liable for damages to the United States resulting from its failure to provide funds as part of its requirements of local cooperation; and (2) repeal the requirement that the Secretary report annually to the Congress regarding the status of agreements concerning flood control projects. Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1974 to: (1) make technical and conforming changes; (2) deauthorize certain waterway improvement studies if no funds are obligated for such study within the five-year period preceding the determination; and (3) require the Secretary to report to the Congress any water resources project which is no longer in the public interest. Abolishes the California Debris Commission and transfers its remaining functions to the Secretary. Amends the River and Harbor Act of 1968 to condition the Secretary's authority to implement measures for the prevention or mitigation of shore damages attributable to Federal navigation works upon agreement by a non-Federal public body to operate and maintain such measures. Declares that the costs of implementing such measures shall be shared in the same proportion as the cost-sharing provisions applicable to the project causing the shore damage. Amends the River and Harbor Act of 1899 to make the owner, lessee or operator of an abandoned sunken water-faring vessel jointly and severally liable for certain removal and disposal costs incurred by the United States. Authorizes the Secretary to dispose of Federally-owned dredging vessels or equipment in various specified ways. Prohibits the disposal of such vessels for the purpose of engaging in dredging activities in the United States. Authorizes the Chief of Engineers, under the supervision of the Secretary of the Army, to accept orders to provide services to a State or local government on a reimbursable basis. Sets conditions for such services. Increases from $250,000 to $500,000 the maximum amount permitted for: (1) flood control expenditure by the Secretary of the Army for any single tributary for any one fiscal year; and (2) preventive damage control to specified public services and structures affected by flood possibilities. Increases from $4,000,000 to $4,500,000 the maximum amount allotted for small projects for flood control at any single locality. Increases from $2,000,000 to $3,500,000 the maximum amount allotted for small river and harbor improvement projects at any single locality. Increases from $1,000,000 to $3,000,000 the maximum amount allotted for any single small shore and beach restoration and protection project which meets specified conditions. Authorizes the Secretary, in time of declared war or national emergency, to: (1) terminate or defer work on any Department of the Army civil works project deemed not essential to the national defense; and (2) apply the resources of the civil works program to civil defense projects essential to the national defense. Requires the Secretary to immediately notify the appropriate congressional committees of such actions. Increases from $100 to $50,000 the fine to which shipowners and their agents are liable if they do not furnish certain information required by the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to assess a civil penalty of up to $25,000 for failure to provide timely and accurate required statements. Amends the Flood Control Act of 1968 to repeal the requirement that user fees be charged at public recreation areas located at lakes and reservoirs under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1985
Federal Employee Anti-Sex-Discrimination in Compensation Act of 1985 - Establishes the Commission on Compensation Equity to provide, by contract with a consultant, for a report on whether executive agencies are in compliance with laws and regulations prohibiting sex-based wage discrimination. Requires submission of the results of such study to the appropriate congressional committees and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management within 18 months after the effective date of this Act. Requires the Director to submit to such committees and the Commission, 90 days after receipt of such report, a response specifying plans for carrying out the report's recommendations and reasons for not carrying out any recommendation. Allows the Commission to comment on the Director's response. Terminates the Commission 90 days after submission of its comment. Directs the Comptroller General to submit a list of at least five consultants to the Commission from which the Commission shall make its selection. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the rights or remedies provided under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, or the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, or any other provision of law relating to discrimination. Provides funding for the Commission from sums appropriated to the Office of Personnel Management for general operating expenses for FY 1986 and 1987.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1985
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) veterans' disability compensation payments should remain exempt from Federal income taxation; and (2) the President should reject any proposals to tax such payments.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 1985
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Amendments of 1985 - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) (Superfund) to include under CERCLA any hazardous substance identified under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, not just hazardous wastes. Title I: Provisions Relating Primarily to Response - Confirms presidential discretion to decide when the responsible parties are authorized to conduct cleanup of a hazardous substance in lieu of Superfund-financed response. Limits Superfund response authority to the release of hazardous substances (current law includes pollutants or contaminants) from uncontrolled waste sites which represent a risk to the public health and environment. (Current law is not limited to uncontrolled sites and includes risk to the public welfare.) Increases from six months to one year the time limit on hazardous substances removal actions. Includes among the criteria for waiving the one year and one million dollar limit a presidential finding that a response action is appropriate and consistent with a permanent remedy. Includes the permanence of the remedy among the criteria for selecting a remedial action as well. Eliminates additional criteria for off-site disposal, rendering CERCLA neutral as to choice of on-site or off-site remedies. Deletes the requirement that the National Contingency Plan (NCP) include at least 400 high priority facilities as response targets. Permits States to make only one highest priority designation on the National Priorities List (NPL) under the NCP. Permits a cooperative agreement or contract between the Federal Government and a State for cleanup to cover more than one facility, reimbursable from Superfund. Increases from 50 to 75 percent the minimum State share of cleanup for releases from State or municipally owned and operated facilities, excluding navigable waters and underlying beds. Prohibits the use of Superfund for cleanup actions in States that do not assure the availability of hazardous waste disposal capacity sufficient to handle that State's needs during a to be specified period. Excludes the provision of alternative drinking water supplies, the temporary relocation of affected residents, or emergency actions from such prohibition. Increases a State's share of costs for such non-emergency actions and for out-of-State transporting of wastes. Requires public notice and an opportunity for public comment on any proposed response action. Restates the role of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to implement the health-related authorities of CERCLA to support response actions through health assessment, technical assistance, and research. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as the States or local governments to request the ATSDR to conduct health assessments or provide assistance. Authorizes EPA to perform exposure and risk assessments at a release site. Directs the President to specify in the NCP the extent to which removal or remedial actions under Superfund should comply with other laws or standards, considering: (1) the level of protection provided by other standards; (2) the technical feasibility; (3) the nature of the response; (4) the need for expediency; and (5) the need to preserve Superfund for response to other releases. Limits cleanup contractor liability for future response costs. Restates the responsibility of Federal and State natural resources trustees to assess damages to resources under their jurisdiction. Permits Federal trustees to perform a State's assessment on a reimbursable basis. Eliminates the use of Superfund to pay trustees for damage to natural resources but maintains such trustees' ability to recover from responsible parties. Makes Federal agencies with accountability for specific Federal facilities sole trustee of natural resources on, under, or above such facilities for CERCLA purposes. Revises response claims procedures for NCP costs from Superfund by restating the President's authority to preauthorize claims, reducing the number of steps, and substituting an administrative hearing process for the arbitration procedure. Increases fines for false claims. Treats Indian tribes like States for purposes of CERCLA, granting to them the authority to enter into cooperative cleanup agreements, be reimbursed from Superfund, and be notified of releases affecting Indian lands. Permits the Department of the Interior to make assurances of future maintenance of remedial actions for response actions on Indian lands held in trust by the Federal Government. Deletes the provision preempting States from imposing taxes already covered by CERCLA. Increases from ten to 20 percent the State share of remedial action costs at privately-owned facilities. Title II: Provisions Relating Primarily to Enforcement - Increases criminal and adds civil penalties for failure to report the release of hazardous substances in excess of prescribed levels. Limits the bringing of claims for contribution or indemnification in imminent hazard and cost recovery actions once enforcement is underway until after a judgment or settlement is reached. Excludes from liability for contribution for a particular release any person who has settled with the Federal or State Government concerning such release. Subordinates all others' claims to those of the Federal Government. Restates the President's right to access and information concerning the release or threatened release of hazardous substances, including procedures for acquiring such access and information through civil action if consent is not granted or entry is greeted with interference. Authorizes the President to enter into a consent administration order with the affected party to conduct remedial investigations and feasibility studies (RIFS) to serve as the basis for EPA's choosing of the appropriate remedy. Establishes civil enforcement measures. Removes treble damage provisions for failure to comply with response authority orders. Makes a responsible party liable for Federal cleanup costs in response to a post Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) (Solid Waste Disposal Act), release or threatened release of a hazardous substance from a treatment, storage, or disposal facility. Establishes a six-year statute of limitations for filing cost recovery actions. Establishes a three-year statute of limitations for damage, contribution, and subrogated rights actions. States that there is no pre-enforcement judicial review of selected response actions. Limits review of the adequacy of a Federally-selected response action to the administrative record. Sets forth petition procedures for reimbursement of responsible parties after completion of the required action. Permits the United States to serve process on a defendant under CERCLA in any district where such defendant may be found. Limits abatement authority to situations where an imminent and substantial endangerment to the public health or the environment exists because of an actual or threatened release of a hazardous substance from a facility. (Deletes current law reference to endangerment of the public welfare.) States that response costs and damages owed the United States constitute a lien against the affected real property. Increases criminal penalties for records destructions. Increases civil penalties for violation of abatement orders. Provides procedures for administrative settlement of CERCLA claims. Subjects foreign vessels releasing hazardous substances in areas subject to U.S. jurisdiction to CERCLA. Title III: Amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954: Reserved Makes limited response amendments under this Act effective for release sites listed on the NPL after January 1, 1985.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 1985
Student Loan Collection Improvement Amendments of 1985 - Title I: Guaranteed Student Loan Program - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise title IV, part B provisions for the Federal Insured Student Loan (FISL) program and the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) program. Revises FISL provisions for conditions for Federal loan insurance to grant lenders the option of requiring endorsement of the loan by a co-signer. Deletes a 15-year limitation on the period of the loan. Revises provisions for disbursement of loans to require that the funds borrowed be disbursed by check: (1) sent to the eligible institution the student attends or plans to attend, and made payable to the order of the student and such institution as copayees, with the endorsement of both parties required; or (2) in cases where the institution is not located in a State or where the loan is an auxiliary loan to a parent, sent to the borrower and made payable to the order of the borrower, with the endorsement of the borrower required, and a notice of disbursement sent by the lender or the Secretary of Education to the eligible institution. Revises GSL provisions for agreements with State and nonprofit private institutions for subsidy payments on loans insured under the student loan insurance program of such State or institution to also: (1) delete a 15-year limitation on the period of the loan; and (2) make similar revisions of the loan disbursement procedure. Requires that such agreements provide for: (1) independent financial and compliance audits of the guarantee agency, with regard to its performance under such an agreement, at least once every two years; and (2) recovery by the Secretary from the guarantee agency of amounts, plus interest, determined by such audits to be owing. Provides that, notwithstanding any provision of State law that would set an earlier deadline for filing suit, any suit for the collection of the amount due from a FISL or GSL borrower may be filed during a six-year period: (1) after the date a guarantee agency reimburses the previous holder of the loan for its loss on account of the borrower's default; and (2) after the date on which the loan is assigned to the Secretary. Provides that, notwithstanding any provision of State law to the contrary, in collecting any obligation arising from a loan made under FISL or GSL provisions, a guarantee agency which has an agreement with the Secretary shall not be subject to a defense raised by any borrower based on: (1) a claim of infancy; or (2) the action or omission of an eligible institution or lender, if such agency did not have actual notice of such defense when such agency reimbursed the previous holder of the loan for its loss. Revises provisions for payment of excess recovery to the insured to include reasonable administrative and collection costs, to the extent set forth in regulations issued by the Secretary, in the costs of the Secretary's recovery on any FISL loan. Requires, under GSL provisions (as well as under current FISL provisions), each guarantee agency (as well as the Secretary) to enter into cooperative agreements with credit bureau organizations to exchange information concerning student borrowers. Deletes FISL program requirements: (1) for notice to the borrower before certain information is disclosed; (2) for establishment of a system for prompt notification of borrowers; and (3) relating to other conditions under Federal law, for Federal agency disclosure of individual records. Provides that a guarantee agency (or a credit bureau organization) which discloses or receives such information shall not be considered a Government contractor within the meaning of specified Federal law relating to Federal agency disclosure of individual records. Authorizes the Secretary and each guarantee agency to disclose specified information concerning student borrowers to the eligible institutions such borrowers attend or previously attended. Allows, notwithstanding specified provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a consumer reporting agency to make a report containing information received from the Secretary or a guarantee agency regarding the status of a borrower's account on a loan under the FISL or GSL program for a period of up to seven years after: (1) the date on which the Secretary or the agency paid a claim to the holder on the guarantee; or (2) October 1, 1984, with regard to an account on a loan which the Secretary or the agency has paid a claim but not reported the account to a consumer reporting agency on or before such date. Provides that, notwithstanding any provision of State law to the contrary, in collecting any obligation arising from a loan made under GSL provisions, the United States shall not be subjected to a defense raised by any borrower on either a claim of infancy or the action or omission of an eligible institution or lender, if the Secretary and the Secretary's agents did not have actual notice of such defense when the Secretary reimbursed the previous holder of the loan for its loss. Authorizes the Secretary to impose a civil penalty of up to $25,000 for each of specified violations or failures to carry out student aid provisions or regulations or misrepresentations of financial charges by a lender or guarantee agency. Authorizes the Secretary to compromise such penalties. Title II: National Direct Student Loan Program - Revises HEA provisions for the National Direct Student Loan (NDSL) program. Requires NDSL agreements to provide that where a note or written agreement evidencing a loan is in default despite due diligence on the part of the institution to collect such loan: (1) if the institution has failed to maintain an acceptable collection record generally with respect to NDSL loans, the Secretary may require such institution to assign its rights under such note or agreement to the United States, without recompense; or (2) if the institution has not failed to maintain an acceptable NDSL collection record, the Secretary may allow it to assign its rights under such note or agreement to the United States, without recompense. Sets forth provisions relating to the seven-year period of reporting on the status of NDSL borrowers' accounts by consumer reporting agencies. (Such provisions are similar to those for such reporting on GSL accounts under title I of this Act.) Requires each institution to include in its information to NDSL student borrowers a description of any penalty imposed as a consequence of default (such as liability for expenses reasonably incurred in attempts by the Secretary or institutions to collect on a loan). Revises required terms of NDSL loans to grant institutions the option of requiring NDSL loans to be endorsed by a cosigner. Makes mandatory, rather than discretionary, the assessment of a charge for failure of an NDSL borrower to pay all or part of an installment when due. Requires that such charge include the expenses reasonably incurred in attempting such collection with respect to such loan. Authorizes the Secretary, in attempting to collect any defaulted NDSL loan, to use any collection means available to the United States, including referral to the Attorney General for litigation. Directs the Secretary to continue to collect any loan assigned under provisions for assignment of rights to the United States until all appropriate collection efforts, as determined by the Secretary, have been expended. Provides for a six-year statute of limitations on specified collection suits for NDSL loans, similar to that provided by the GSL amendments under title I of this Act. Title III: General Provisions - Revises general provisions for student assistance programs under HEA. Revises provisions for student eligibility for any grant, loan, or work assistance under HEA to require that a student not owe a refund on grants previously received at any institution, or be in default on any loan from a student loan fund at any institution, or a loan made, insured, or guaranteed by the Secretary for attendance at any institution. Provides for a six-year statute of limitations on specified collection suits for refunds due from a student on a grant made or work assistance awarded under HEA. Requires borrowers who have defaulted on student loans under HEA to pay reasonable collection costs, in addition to other charges specified under HEA, notwithstanding State law. Authorizes the Secretary to prescribe regulations for recovery by the Secretary from the eligible institution of amounts, plus interest, determined by specified audits to be owing. Title IV: Application Provisions - Sets forth the effective dates and applicability of specified amendments made by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 February 1985
Amends the Saccharin Study and Labeling Act to extend to May 1, 1988, the period during which the Secretary of Health and Human Services may not take certain actions to restrict the continued use of saccharin or of any food, drug, or cosmetic containing saccharin.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 1985
Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant) of the Social Security Act to strike out the word "crippled" wherever it appears and replace it with the term "physically disabled."
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1985
Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1985 - Amends the Education Amendments of 1972, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to provide a definition of the phrase "program or activity." Defines such term as all of the operations of: (1) a department or agency of a State or of a local government; (2) the entity of such State or local government that distributes Federal assistance and each such department or agency to which the assistance is extended; (3) a university or a system of higher education; (4) a local educational agency or other school system; (5) a corporation, partnership, or other private organization; or (6) any other entity consistent with the coverage provided above.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1985
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Act of 1985 - Amends title IV (National Research Institutes) of the Public Health Service Act to establish a National Institute (Institute) of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 for such establishment and related functions transfers. States that the Institute shall conduct research and related activities concerning arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases, including sports-related disorders. Requires the Director of the Institute, with the advice of the National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Advisory Council, to establish a plan to coordinate such activities within 180 days. Requires the periodic review and revision of such plan and the transmission of such revisions to the Congress and the Director of NIH. Establishes within the Institute a National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Advisory Council. Establishes within the Institute a National Arthritis Advisory Board (Advisory Board). Defines the responsibilities of the Advisory Board. Authorizes appropriations through FY 1988. Terminates the existing National Arthritis Advisory Board. Establishes within the Institute: (1) an Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee; and (2) a Skin Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee. Requires annual reports to: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services; (2) the Director of NIH; (3) the Director of the Institute; and (4) the Advisory Council. Establishes within the Institute: (1) the National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Data System; and (2) the National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Authorizes appropriations through FY 1988. Authorizes appropriations through FY 1988 for arthritis and musculoskeletal demonstration projects. Authorizes appropriations through FY 1988 for new and existing multipurpose arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases centers. Requires the Institute to submit a biennial report to the President and the Congress. Transfers arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases functions, funds, personnel, and assets to the Institute from the existing National Institute of Arthritis, Diabetes, and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Redesignates the existing National Institute of Arthritis, Diabetes, and Digestive and Kidney Diseases as the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1985
Handicapped Children's Protection Act of 1985 - Amends the Education of the Handicapped Act to authorize the award of a reasonable attorney's fee as part of the costs to a parent or legal representative of a handicapped child or youth who is the prevailing party in a civil suit under such Act to protect the child's right to a free appropriate public education. Provides that such amendment shall apply to actions and proceedings brought on or after July 4, 1984, and actions and proceedings brought prior to such date which were pending on such date. Provides that nothing in the Education of the Handicapped Act shall be construed to restrict or limit the rights, procedures, and remedies under the Constitution, title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or other Federal statutes prohibiting discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1985
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal Communications Commission to require that all telephones provide internal means for use with hearing aids. Requires (currently authorizes) any common carrier or connecting carrier providing telephone exchange service to provide specialized terminal equipment for persons whose hearing, speech, vision, or mobility is impaired. Requires State regulatory commissions to require any such carrier to provide such equipment at affordable rates.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1985
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should direct the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to: (1) explore opportunities for cooperation with the Soviet Union on specified Mars exploration missions; (2) prepare a report, in association with nongovernmental space scientists, examining opportunities for joint East-West Mars-related activities; and (3) report to the Congress by October 1, 1985, on steps taken to carry out this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1985
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) it would be in the best interests of allied security and unity for each member country of the security treaty (ANZUS) between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States to reinstate the practice of permitting all naval ships of other member countries access to the ports of such member country; and (2) the President should continue discussions with New Zealand regarding the access of U.S. ships to its ports, explore with Australia the desirability of a bilateral security treaty, preclude New Zealand from participating in military activities with the United States until the present impasse is resolved, and exercise the right of the United States to withdraw from New Zealand the benefits of the injury test provided under the Tariff Act of 1930.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1985
Veterans' Administration Adjudication Procedure and Judicial Review Act - Title I: Adjudication Procedures - Codifies, for Veterans Administration (VA) adjudication purposes, the burden of proof and reasonable doubt standards currently provided for by VA regulation. States that a claimant has the burden of submitting sufficient evidence to justify his or her claim, and that if an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence exists regarding the merits of a claim, the VA is to resolve such doubt in favor of the claimant. States that VA subpoenas may be served either by personal delivery or by registered or certified mail. Requires the chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals to submit an annual report to the appropriate congressional committees concerning the Board's current handling of cases and projections for the subsequent fiscal year. Requires the Board to: (1) provide notice to a claimant and an opportunity for a hearing before a decision may be based on "additional official information" received after a Board decision has previously been made; and (2) make its decision exclusively on evidence and material of record in the proceeding. Removes the requirement that new material sufficient to allow the Board to reopen a previously disallowed claim be in the form of official reports. Provides that the Board's discretionary authority to reopen a claim will not be diminished by a judicial decision following an appeal as provided for by this Act. Requires the Board to mail to the claimant notice of its decision and the reasons for such decision. Provides that, upon the request of a claimant, the Board shall provide an independent advisory medical opinion when there exists substantial medical disagreement with respect to a material issue in a veteran's appeal. Sets forth new procedural rules for adjudication hearings regarding: (1) oaths, affirmations, and witness examination; (2) admissibility of evidence; (3) procedural rights of claimants; (4) disqualification of a hearing officer; (5) the record of the proceedings and the claimant's right to examine and obtain a copy of such record; and (6) the exclusiveness of veterans' adjudication procedures and rights prescribed by the Administrator. Requires the Administrator to provide at each stage of the appeal proceedings written notice to a claimant of the claimant's procedural rights. Authorizes the Administrator to conduct a study of two alternative claims resolution methods: one a new intermediate-level adjudication process; the other an enhanced schedule of formal Appeals Board hearings. Directs the Administrator to report to the Congress on such studies. Title II: Veterans Administration Rule Making - Includes the VA's rulemaking procedures under the relevant provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act. Title III: Judicial Review - Provides for judicial review of VA decisions in the Federal court system. States with regard to jurisdiction: (1) the definition of final decision; (2) that judicial review of a final decision in a claim for benefits may be obtained in a civil action brought within 180 days of the Board's mailing of notice of its decision, and that such action shall be brought in Federal district court; (3) that the VA shall file the various materials constituting the record in a case together with its answer to the claimant's complaint; (4) that the court may render a decision on the pleadings; and (5) that the judicial review procedures established under this Act shall not apply to insurance and home loans. States, with regard to the reviewing court's scope of review, that such court: (1) shall decide questions of law and interpret constitutional, statutory, and regulatory provisions, but that questions of fact (unless unsupported by substantial evidence) will not be subject to a trial de novo; and (2) in reviewing a final decision of the VA which is adverse to a party solely because such party failed to comply with VA procedures, may only review questions concerning such procedures. Sets out provisions regarding remand, survival of actions, and appellate review. Title IV: Attorneys' Fees - Authorizes the Administrator to allow attorneys' fees above the present $10 maximum if the appealing party's claim is allowed by the VA after an initial denial. States that such fee shall be the lesser of: (1) the fee agreed upon by the party and attorney; (2) $500, unless the Administrator approves a greater amount; or (3) if the party and attorney have entered into a contingent-fee agreement, not more than 25 percent of the total of any past-due benefits awarded on the basis of such party's claim. Provides for the approval of attorneys' fees in successful veterans' claims brought before a court as provided for under this Act. States that such fees shall be determined by such court, and in contingent-fee agreements such fees shall not exceed 25 percent of the total of any past-due benefits awarded on the basis of such claim. Authorizes attorneys' fees of up to $750 in certain unsuccessful veterans' claims. Prohibits the VA from authorizing payment to a claimant's attorney based on past-due benefits unless such benefits are owed as of the date of the VA's or a court's award. States that such provisions regarding attorneys' fees shall only apply to claims for benefits under the laws administered by the VA and shall not apply in cases in which the VA is the plaintiff or in which other attorneys' fees statutes are otherwise controlling. Title V: Effective Dates - Sets forth the effective dates for this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1985
Water Resources Development Act of 1985 - Title I - Directs the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to obligate no sums in excess of those specified in this title for the combined purpose of the "Construction General" account and the "Flood Control, Mississippi River and Tributaries" account. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1990. Title II: General Provisions - Directs the Secretary to enter into agreements with landowners who are benefitted by local flood control projects to assure that such owners will contribute 50 percent of that project's cost. Limits the commencement period for any such flood control project to ten years from the date of authorization of such project unless the Secretary shows that such project remains needed and justified. Allows for the submission of Federal projects with a cost of up to $10,000,000 provided, however, that any project with a cost exceeding $10,000,000 must be authorized by Act of Congress. Provides further that each such project must contain benefits directly related to agriculture that account for at least 20 percent of the total benefits of the project. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to study and report to the appropriate congressional committees on the feasibility of requiring full public access to all water impoundment facilities that have recreation-related potential. Amends Federal law to provide for the compatibility of Federal flood control projects with any existing or planned local flood control improvement programs. Directs the Secretary of the Army to undertake a program for the control of river ice, to assist communities in the breakup of such ice, and to provide technical assistance to local units of government to control or break up such ice. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1990. Directs the Secretary of the Army to undertake a demonstration program for the control of river ice at Hardwick, Vermont. Authorizes appropriations for such program. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress by March 1, 1988, on activities under this section. Directs the Secretary, upon request, to survey the potential of rehabilitating former industrial sites, millraces, etc. already constructed for use as hydroelectric facilities. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1990. Amends the Flood Control Act of 1970 concerning agreements made between Federal and State governments for cooperation in payment of mutually-beneficial flood control projects. Requires a favorable report from the Chief of Engineers before any flood control facility construction may begin. Provides that the Secretary shall not require non-Federal interests to assume operation of any federally-run facility as a condition to the construction of new recreational facilities. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into contracts with area Federal Project Repayment Districts for the recovery of appropriate shares of project costs. Requires the Secretary to determine that revenues derived from such contracts will be sufficient to meet cost recovery requirements under Federal law. Expresses the sense of the Congress that all parties to various lawsuits concerning the issuance of Federal permits necessary for the construction of a coal slurry pipeline development which would use Missouri River water should work to resolve such issues in an expeditious and reasonable manner. Prohibits the Secretary from initiating construction of any water resources project if such project has been modified to increase any of the following project parameters by more than 25 percent: (1) acreage of land acquisition; (2) linear miles of stream channel innundated; (3) width or depth of any navigation channel; (4) displacement of dwelling units; (5) hydroelectric generating capacity; or (6) linear miles of stream channelization. Directs the Secretary to submit to the Congress, within 180 days of proposal, a report on any such project modification together with his recommendations thereon. Amends the Water Resources Research Act to establish the High Plains Study Council to: (1) review research work conducted by State advisory committees; and (2) coordinate such research to avoid duplication of efforts by States of the High Plains. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish within each State of the High Plains region an Ogallala Aquifer technical advisory committee (the State Committee). Directs such State Committee to: (1) review existing State laws concerning water management and recommend appropriate changes; (2) establish State priorities for water resources research and demonstration projects; and (3) provide information and technical assistance concerning the need for water conservation and management. Directs the Secretary to allocate annually funds to States of the High Plains region for research in water-use efficiency, cultural methods, irrigation technologies, water-efficient crops, and water and soil conservation. Directs that such funds shall be distributed to State institutions of higher learning on the basis of merit. Directs the Secretary to divide funds among the States of the High Plains region for research into: (1) precipitation management; (2) weather modification; (3) aquifer recharge opportunities; (4) saline water uses; (5) desalinization technologies; (6) salt-tolerant crops; and (7) local water-transfer opportunities. Directs the Secretary to allocate annually funds to High Plains region States for grants to farmers for demonstration projects in: (1) water-efficient irrigation technologies and practices; (2) soil and water conservation management systems; and (3) the growth and marketing of more water-efficient crops. Provides that such grants to farmers shall be made on the basis of merit. Authorizes the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to study the feasibility of water transfers into the High Plains Region, and report annually to the Congress. Authorizes the Secretary to monitor the levels of the Ogallala Aquifer, and to report annually to the Congress. Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to make grants to States for programs in water conservation and nonstructural flood control alternatives. Outlines the qualifications for States receiving such grants. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1990. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on this program by October 1, 1988. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct a study of shoreline protection and beach erosion control policy in view of the prospect for long-term increases in the level of the ocean. Requires the Secretary, within three years of the date of enactment of this Act, to transmit the study together with recommendations to the appropriate congressional committees. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to require a review of the cost effectiveness of design of each water resources project which has a cost in excess of $10,000,000. Requires the Secretary to prepare a feasibility report for each such project being reviewed, after conducting a reconnaissance of the water resources problems, in order to identify potential solutions. Requires such reconnaissance to be limited to 18 months. Requires non-Federal interests to contribute 50 percent of the cost of any such study. Requires the mitigation of fish and wildlife losses to be undertaken before construction on the project involved begins. Authorizes the Secretary to mitigate damages to fish and wildlife to the extent that such mitigation costs do not exceed $7,500,000 per project. Requires a report to the Congress when mitigation costs are expected to exceed $7,500,000 per project. Requires the Secretary to submit with each proposal for the authorization of a water resources project, either: (1) a recommendation with a specific plan to mitigate fish and wildlife losses; or (2) a determination that such project will have negligible adverse impact on fish and wildlife. Directs that when the Secretary recommends activities to enhance fish and wildlife resources, the cost of such enhancement shall be a Federal cost when its benefits are determined to be national in character. Authorizes the Secretary to plan, design, and construct streambank erosion control projects not specifically authorized by Congress when such work is economically feasible and environmentally acceptable. Authorizes appropriations for fiscal years beginning with FY 1985. Prohibits the cost of any single project in this section from exceeding $2,000,000. Title III: Project Provisions - Directs the Secretary to undertake the following flood control improvement projects: (1) Warrior River, Mound State Park, Moundville, Alabama; (2) Fort Toulouse National Historic Landmark and Taskigi Indian Mound, Alabama; and (3) Tangier Island, Virginia. Directs the Secretary to undertake the following navigation and channel improvement projects: (1) Indian River Inlet, Delaware; (2) Abiquiu Dam, New Mexico; (3) Winooski River Basin, Waterbury, Vermont; (4) Tacoma Harbor, Washington; and (5) Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin. Directs the Secretary to study and draft plans for development, utilization, and conservation of water and related land resources in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Provides that the operation and maintenance of Jackson Hole Snake River project, Wyoming, shall be the responsibility of the Secretary, provided that non-Federal interests contribute the initial $35,000 in construction costs. Modifies the Rio Grande Floodway project, Truth or Consequences Unit, New Mexico, to authorize the Secretary to construct a flood control dam on the Cuchillo Negro Creek. Authorizes and directs the Secretary to undertake restoration measures for the Acequia Systems in New Mexico, provided that the State contribute 20 percent of any project costs. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to consider the Acequia Systems as public entities for purposes of contractual agreements. Authorizes the Secretary to institute cropland irrigation research for the St. John River Basin, Maine. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes bank protection activities in Starr County, Texas, in accordance with certain specifications. Authorizes the Secretary, upon completion of recording of plats for townsites, to: (1) sell lands in accordance with a certain preference scheme; (2) transfer municipal facilities to the appropriate local government entity; and (3) transfer all facilities used for educational purposes to the appropriate school district. Outlines the preference scheme for land sales. Authorizes the Secretary to accept notes secured by mortgages and to provide temporary financial assistance to local government entities in order to facilitate such land sales. Defines "townsite" as including the areas of Riverdale, North Dakota, and Pickstown, South Dakota. Authorizes the Secretary to begin a program for the removal of silt from Lake Herman, South Dakota. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to begin a program of silt traps and silt removal in Lake Worth, Texas. Authorizes and directs the Secretary to conduct mitigation activities in Warwick, Rhode Island. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes and directs the Secretary to undertake studies of the impact on the United States of Canadian tidal power development in the Bay of Fundy, and to submit such studies to the appropriate congressional committees. Authorizes appropriations. Declares downstream recreation on the Gauley River to be an additional project purpose of the Summerville Lake project, West Virginia. Authorizes the construction of three flood control structures on the Johns Creek tributary in the Nonconnah Creek Basin, Tennessee. Authorizes the Secretary to participate in a project to demonstrate the feasibility of non-Federal cost sharing for rural flood protection on the James River in South Dakota. Requires a report to be submitted to the Congress concerning such project by September 30, 1987. Modifies the project for local flood protection on the Milk River at Havre, Montana. Authorizes and directs the Secretary to undertake road improvement measures at Pearson-Skubitz Big Hill Lake, Kansas. Declares a described portion of the Hudson River in New York Bay to be nonnavigable. Deauthorizes the William L. Springer Lake project on the Sangamon River, Illinois. Designates the former Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Tennessee and Kentucky, as the John Sherman Cooper National Recreation Area. Declares the Port of Houston Authority bridge over Greens Bayou, Texas, to be a lawful bridge. Authorizes the Secretary to undertake the following reconnaissance studies in the State of Utah: (1) the Provo River; (2) existing levees along Utah Lake; (3) Interstate Highway 15, adjacent to Utah Lake; (4) Rock, Little Rock, and Slate Canyons in Provo; (5) the Bear River; (6) the Weber River; and (7) the Sevier River. Directs the Secretary to make certain amendments to the contract between the State of Illinois and the United States for water supply storage at Rend Lake on the Big Muddy River, Illinois. Authorizes increased appropriations for the repair and modification of the Illinois and Mississippi Canal. Designates the Lowndesville Recreation Area in the Richard B. Russell Dam and Lake project, South Carolina and Georgia, as the Jim Rampey Recreation Area. Authorizes the Secretary to permit the delivery of water from the District of Columbia water system at the Dale cartia filtration plant to any appropriate State or local authority of Maryland. Authorizes the Secretary to purchase water from an appropriate Maryland authority which has completed a connection with the Distrct of Columbia water system. Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1974 to authorize the Mountrail County Park Commission, North Dakota, to designate a portion of park lands for the leasing of cabin sites. Directs the Secretary to compensate landowners in Kootenai Flats, Idaho, for erosion of property caused by power generation operations at Libby Dam, Montana. Deauthorizes the Lake Brownwood modification project, Pecan Bayou, Texas. Title IV: Dam Safety - Dam Safety Act of 1985 - Amends public law concerning the definition of "dam". Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1990. Provides for the distribution of such funds among the States. Directs the Secretary to provide assistance to any State that establishes and maintains a dam safety program which includes the following: (1) a procedure for the review of dam plans to determine its safety; (2) a procedure to determine that such dam will be operated in a safe manner; (3) a procedure for inspection at least once every three years, or more if warranted; (4) the State has the power to modify the dam to assure its safety; (5) the State develops a system of emergency procedures to be followed in the event of dam failure; and (6) the State has the necessary emergency funds to make immediate repairs in order to protect human life and property. Provides for the approval of submitted programs within 120 days unless notified prior to that by the Secretary. Provides for periodic review of dam safety programs by the Secretary. Requires the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to report to the Congress on the need for federally-sponsored programs of guarantees of insurance for owners of dams. Authorizes to be established a Federal Dam Safety Review Board responsible for reviewing the design and safety of dams constructed in the United States, and to monitor State implementation of this Act. Requires the Board to file an advisory report on proposed dams prior to their construction. Directs the Board also to study the need for a Federal loan program to assist owners of non-Federal dams in rehabilitating such structures to assure their safety. Provides for the composition of Board members. Directs the Secretary to provide training for dam safety inspectors. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1990. Directs the Secretary to begin research to develop techniques and equipment for more efficient dam inspection. Provides for State participation in such research. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1990. Authorizes the Secretary to maintain and publish information on the inventory of dams authorized under this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Title V: Inland Navigation - Makes funds in the Inland Waterway Trust Fund available to the Secretary for the construction of any dam project for purposes of commercial navigation on inland waterways, if such construction was initiated after June 30, 1984. Declares such trust fund to be the sole source for Federal funding for commercial navigational projects. Authorizes the following works of improvement to the inland waterways by the Secretary: (1) Helena Harbor, Arkansas; (2) White River Navigation to Batesville, Arkansas; (3) Lake Pontchartrain, North Shore, Louisiana; (4) Greenville Harbor, Mississippi; (5) Vicksburg Harbor, Mississippi; (6) Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Bridges, North Carolina; (7) Olcott Harbor, New York; (8) Bonneville Lock and Dam, Oregon and Washington; (9) Memphis Harbor, Memphis, Tennessee; (10) Gallipolis Locks and Dam Replacement, Ohio and West Virginia; (11) Lock and Dam 7 and 8 Replacement, Monongahela River, Pennsylvania; (12) the New York State Barge Canal; provided that control and operation of the Canal continues to reside with the State of New York and that such State provides one half of all operational costs; (13) Saint Louis Harbor, Missouri and Illinois; and (14) Oliver lock replacement, Alabama. Upper Mississippi River System Management Act of 1985 - Provides that Congress recognizes the Upper Mississippi River System as a nationally significant ecosystem and commercial navigation system, and provides for the administration and regulation of such system. Provides that Congress approves of a "Master Plan" as a guide for future water policy on the Upper Mississippi River System. Provides for cooperation of several States in the System toward its growth and development. Authorizes the Secretary to provide for the construction of a second lock at locks and dam 26, Mississippi River, Alton, Illinois and Missouri. Authorizes such sums as necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. Directs the Secretary to monitor traffic movements on the System in order to determine any future capacity expansion. Authorizes appropriations for such monitoring. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to undertake various programs for the enhancement of the Upper Mississippi River System. Authorizes appropriations for this purpose. Authorizes such Secretary to implement a program of recreational projects for the System. Authorizes appropriations for this purpose. Title VI: Cost Sharing - States that the construction of any water resource project authorized to be constructed by the Secretary either in this Act or after the enactment of this Act can only be initiated after the Federal agency and the non-Federal sponsor have contractually agreed to share the project's costs in accordance with certain guidelines (share of cost depends upon type of project provided). Enumerates the non-Federal share for each type of water resource project. Provides for the repayment period of the non-Federal share, with appropriate interest. Provides that any cost-sharing agreement with a non-Federal private or public sponsor shall be subject to the ability of such sponsor to pay. Provides for the sharing of costs up to the date of enactment of this Act. Title VII: Adopts and authorizes the following works of improvement to rivers, harbors, and other waterways for flood control and other purposes to be undertaken by the Secretary in accordance with specified plans and provisions: (a) Flood Control: (1) Village Creek, Jefferson County, Alabama; (2) Eight Mile Creek, Paragould, Arkansas; (3) Fourche Bayou Basin, Little Rock, Arkansas; (4) Helena and vicinity, Arkansas; (5) Little Colorado River at Holbrook, Arizona; (6) Cache Creek Basin, California; (7) Redbank and Fancher Creeks, California; (8) Santa Ana River Mainstem, including Santiago Creek, California; (9) Fountain Creek, Pueblo, Colorado; (10) Metropolitan Denver and South Platte River and Tributaries, Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska; (11) Oates Creek, Georgia; (12) Agana River, Guam; (13) Alenaio Stream, Hawaii; (14) Big Wood River and Tributaries, Idaho; (15) North Branch of Chicago River, Illinois; (16) Rock River at Rockford and vicinity, Illinois; (17) Little Calumet River, Indiana; (18) Des Moines River Basin, Iowa and Minnesota; (19) Mississippi River, Iowa; (20) Perry Creek, Iowa; (21) Halstead, Kansas; (22) Atchafalaya Basin Floodway system, Louisiana; (23) Bushley Bayou, Louisiana; (24) Louisiana State Penitentiary Levee, Mississippi River; (25) Quincy Coastal Streams, Massachusetts; (26) Mississippi River at St. Paul, Minnesota; (27) Redwood River at Marshall, Minnesota; (28) Root River Basin, Minnesota; (29) South Fork Zumbro River Watershed at Rochester, Minnesota; (30) Horn Lake Creek and Tributaries, Tennessee and Mississippi; (31) Sowashee Creek, Mississippi; (32) Brush Creek and Tributaries, Missouri and Kansas; (33) Maline Creek, Missouri; (34) St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway, Missouri; (35) Robinson's Branch of the Rahway River at Clark, Scotch Plains, and Rahway, New Jersey; (36) Rahway River and Van Winkles Brook at Springfield, New Jersey; (37) Green Brook Subbasin, Raritan River Basin, New Jersey; (38) Middle Rio Grande Flood Protection, Bernalillo to Belen, New Mexico; (39) Puerco River and Tributaries, Gallup, New Mexico; (40) Cazenovia Creek Watershed, New York; (41) Mamaroneck and Sheldrake Rivers Basin and Byram River Basin, New York and Connecticut; (42) Hocking River at Logan and Nelsonville, Ohio; (43) Miami River, Fairfield, Ohio; (44) Miami River, Little Miami River, Ohio; (45) Muskingum River Basin, Ohio; (46) Scioto River at North Chillicothe, Ohio; (47) Fry Creeks, Oklahoma; (48) Mingo Creek, Tulsa, Oklahoma; (49) Parker Lake, Muddy Boggy Creek, Oklahoma; (50) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; (51) Lock Haven, Pennsylvania; (52) Saw Mill Run, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; (53) Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania; (54) Big River Reservoir, Rhode Island; (55) Nonconnak Creek, Tennessee and Mississippi; (56) Buffalo Bayou and Tributaries, Texas; (57) Boggy Creek, Austin, Texas; (58) Lake Wichita, Holliday Creek, Texas; (59) Lower Rio Grande, Texas; (60) James River Basin, Richmond, Virginia; (61) Sims Bayou, Texas; (62) Chehalis River at South Aberdeen and Cosmopolis, Washington; (63) Yakima Union Gap, Washington; (64) Threemile Creek, Mobile, Alabama; (65) Upper Little Arkansas River Watershed, Kansas; (66) South Quincy Drainage and Levee District, Illinois; (67) Tonawanda Creek Watershed, New York; (68) Park River, North Dakota; and (69) Centralia, Chehalis River and tributaries, Washington; (b) Hydropower Development: (1) Scammon Bay, Alaska; (2) South Central Railbelt Area, Alaska, Hydroelectric Power, Valdez and Copper River Basin; (3) Murray Lock and Dam, Hydropower, Arkansas; (4) Arkansas River and Tributaries, Hydropower, Arkansas and Oklahoma; (5) Metropolitan Atlanta Area, Water Resources Management Study, Georgia; (6) W.D. Mayo Lock and Dam 14, Hydropower, Oklahoma; (7) Blue River Lake, Hydroelectric Power, Willamette River Basin, Oregon; (8) McNary Lock and Dam Second Powerhouse, Columbia River, Oregon and Washington; and (9) Gregory County Hydroelectric Pumped Storage Facility, South Dakota; (c) Shoreline Protection: (1) Charlotte County, Florida; (2) Indian River County, Florida; (3) Panama City Beaches, Florida; (4) Saint Johns County, Florida; (5) Jekyll Island, Georgia; (6) Casino Beach, Illinois Shoreline, Illinois; (7) Atlantic Coast of Maryland and Assateague Island, Virginia; (8) Atlantic Coast of New York City from Rockaway Inlet to Norton Point, New York; (9) Maumee Bay, Lake Erie, Ohio; (10) Presque Isle Peninsula, Erie, Pennsylvania; (11) Folly Beach, South Carolina; (12) Dade County, North of Haulover Beach park, Florida; (13) Monroe County, Florida; (14) Indiana Shoreline Erosion, Indiana; (15) Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina; (16) Willoughby Spit and vicinity, Norfolk, Virginia; and (17) Cape May Point, New Jersey; (d) Mitigation: (1) Fish and Wildlife Program for the Sacramento River Bank Protection Project, California; (2) Richard B. Russell Dam and Lake, Savannah River, Georgia and South Carolina; (3) Davenport, Iowa Local Protection Project-Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Plan; (4) West Kentucky Tributaries Projects, Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Plan, Obion Creek, Kentucky; (5) Downstream Measures at Harry S. Truman Dam and Reservoir, Missouri; (6) Smithville Lake, Little Platte River, Missouri-Plan for Replacement of the Trimble Wildlife Area; (7) Cape May Inlet to Lower Township, New Jersey; and (8) Cooper Lake and Channels Project, Texas, Report on Fish and Wildlife Mitigation; (9) Missouri River, fish and wildlife mitigation, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri; and (10) Yazoo backwater project, Mississippi, fish and wildlife mitigation report; (e) Bank Stabilization: (1) Bethel, Alaska; (f) Demonstration: (1) Cabin Creek, West Virginia; and (2) Lava Flow Control, Island of Hawaii, Hawaii. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to undertake a feasibility study of the water supply and irrigation features of the Gregory Facility and prohibits construction of such facility until such study, together with a favorable certification by the Secretary of the Interior, is submitted to the Congress, and the Congress has authorized appropriations for construction of such facility. Title VIII: Water Supply Loans - Water Supply Rehabilitation and Conservation Act of 1985 - Authorizes the Secretary to make loans to departments, agencies, units of State or local government, or any person operating a water supply system for the purpose of improving such system. Directs the Secretary to allocate one-half of the funds in proportion to each State's population, the other half to be allocated at the Secretary's discretion. Prohibits loans for purposes other than water supply or water conservation. Requires operators of water supply systems to submit loan applications to the Secretary. Lists requirements for loan applications, including: (1) a detailed plan and estimated cost of the project; (2) a showing that the applicant holds all necessary rights to land and water use; and (3) an assessment of the improvements the proposed project will make. Permits the Secretary to make only such loans which the Secretary determines to be technically feasible and which constitute a reasonable financial risk. Directs the Secretary, in making loans, to give priority to: (1) water supply systems unable to obtain financial assistance; and (2) water supply systems using such loans to pay for the cost of installing a new system or improving an existing system in order to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. Authorizes the Governor of each State to submit by April 1, 1985, and annually thereafter, a priority list of water supply projects in such State to be financed by loans under this title. Allows the granting of loans only if the operator of a water supply system to whom the loan is granted implements a model water conservation program. Defines a "model water conservation program." Requires the agreement reached between the Secretary and any loan grantee to include: (1) the amount of the loan and its interest rate; (2) a repayment period; and (3) such provisions as are deemed necessary to assure prompt repayment. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1990. Directs the Secretary to submit to the Congress by September 30, 1989, a report concerning loans granted and water supply improvements made under this title. Enumerates specific information and recommendations to be included in such report. Authorizes appropriations. Declares the improvement of water supply and distribution systems to be a legitimate Federal purpose. Title IX: Harbors - National Harbors Improvement Act of 1985 - Establishes a National Commission on Harbor Maintenance (the Commission) to report to appropriate congressional committees on the annual and long-term costs of maintaining the Nation's harbors and make recommendations for the sharing of such costs by non-Federal interests. Authorizes the establishment of a Shipping Advisory Board to aid the Commission in its work. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986. Prohibits the Secretary from obligating more than $420,000,000 in any single fiscal year for maintaining harbors until such time as the report of the Commission is submitted to Congress (i.e., within two years of the date of enactment of this Act). Directs that non-Federal interests shall pay 50 percent of surveying, planning, designing, and engineering costs prior to the construction of any harbor. Allows non-Federal interests to undertake feasibility studies for improvements to any harbor, and submit such study to the Secretary. Provides for the review of such studies by the Secretary. Requires the Secretary, within 180 days after receiving any such study, to transmit to the Congress the results of such study together with any recommendations the Secretary may have. Directs that the non-Federal share of the cost of construction of general cargo harbors on which construction has not commenced shall be 30 percent. Directs the Secretary and the non-Federal interest to enter into a cooperative agreement prior to Federal initiation of construction. Sets forth conditions which any non-Federal interest must assume in such agreement. Authorizes any non-Federal interest to undertake navigational improvements in deep-draft harbors of the United States upon obtaining the proper permits. Authorizes the Secretary to complete and transmit to the appropriate non-Federal interest any study for improvements to deep-draft harbors of the United States. Authorizes the Secretary to complete deep-draft harbor construction projects for which construction was initiated prior to the enactment of this Act, upon certain conditions. Sets forth the responsibilities of the non-Federal interest in such projects. Declares that nothing in this title shall be construed to interfere with Federal authority to operate, maintain, or improve any harbor for military purposes or national defense requirements. Authorizes any appropriate non-Federal interest to collect fees for the use of its navigation projects for specified purposes. Authorizes the Secretary to guarantee the payment of the principal amount and interest on loans made or bonds sold to finance projects for the deepening of a draft harbor of the United States. Prohibits the total outstanding amount of such loans guaranteed in any fiscal year from exceeding $2,000,000,000. Authorizes necessary appropriations to make payments under such loan guarantee program. Requires the Secretary, upon receipt from a non-Federal interest of a notice of intent to construct improvements, to establish procedures for the joint processing of all required Federal permits for such construction. Requires the Secretary to publish in the Federal Register such intent to construct within 15 days of receipt of such intent. Requires the Secretary to enter into agreement with the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and any other appropriate local authority to establish expedient processing of all required construction permits. Sets forth provisions to be included in such agreement. Requires, within six months of the final date of a project's compliance determination schedule, a report by the Secretary to the appropriate congressional committees. Requires notification of non-Federal interests as to whether permits will be issued. Requires the Secretary, on or before March 1, 1987, to prepare and transmit to Congress a report, together with recommendations, on the amount of time required to issue Federal environmental permits related to construction of harbor improvements. Adopts and authorizes the following works of improvement to general cargo harbors: (1) Kodiak Harbor, Alaska; (2) Oakland Outer Harbor, California; (3) Richmond Harbor, California; (4) Sacramento River, Deepwater Ship Channel, California; (5) New Haven Harbor, Connecticut; (6) Jacksonville Harbor, Mill Cove, Florida; (7) Manatee Harbor, Florida; (8) Tampa Harbor, East Bay Channel, Florida; (9) Savannah Harbor, Widening, Georgia; (10) Grand Haven Harbor, Michigan; (11) Monroe Harbor, Michigan; (12) Gulfport Harbor, Mississippi; (13) Wilmington Harbor, Northeast Cape Fear River, North Carolina; (14) Portsmouth Harbor and the Piscataqua River Basin, Maine and New Hampshire; (15) Gowanus Creek, Channel, New York; (16) Kill Van Kull and Newark Bay Channels, New York and New Jersey; (17) San Juan Harbor, Puerto Rico; (18) Charleston Harbor, South Carolina; (19) Brazos Island Harbor, Texas, Brownsville Channel; (20) Crown Bay Channel-Saint Thomas Harbor, Virgin Islands; (21) Blair and Sitcum Waterways, Tacoma Harbor, Washington, (22) Grays Harbor, Washington; (23) Hampton Roads and vicinity, Virginia; (24) Barnegat Inlet, New Jersey; (25) Saint Paul Island Harbor, Alaska; and (26) Duluth-Superior Harbor, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Authorizes the following works for improvement of deep-draft harbors, if the non-Federal interest possesses specified necessary legal and financial capabilities: (1) Norfolk Harbor and Channels, Virginia; (2) Mobile Harbor, Alabama; and (3) Mississippi River Ship Channel, Gulf to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1985
Clean Campaign Act of 1985 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to treat as a contribution to a candidate for the Senate any extension of credit for advertising which exceeds $1,000 and more than 30 days. Prohibits either Senate candidates or their authorized political committees from accepting contributions from non-party multicandidate political committees aggregating more than 30 percent of certain spending limits in any calendar year. Establishes separate formulae for contribution limits for candidates in general and special elections. Deems expenditures made on behalf of any candidate to be expenditures made by such candidate. Provides guidelines limiting expenditures by candidates. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase to $200 ($400 on a joint return) the tax credit for contributions made to candidates for the Senate to defray general election expenses. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to report to specified congressional committees and the Federal Election Commission on the use of political tax credits. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to establish eligibility criteria entitling Senate candidates to receive campaign payments on a matching basis. Establishes formulae to determine such sums. Limits expenditures of personal funds to $50,000 per election. Waives spending limits for eligible candidates: (1) whose opponents have spent sums exceeding the limit imposed upon such candidates; or (2) whose opponents have refused to agree to spending and contribution limitations. Entitles such candidates to mail campaign matter at postal rates established for nonprofit organizations. Requires any candidate who exceeds spending limitations or whose contributions aggregate more than $75,000, and any person whose independent expenditures exceed $5,000, to report to the Federal Election Commission within specified time periods. Requires the Federal Election Commission to certify the eligibility of candidates. Requires Senate candidates who receive contributions that qualify for the tax credit to maintain and manage such contributions in a separate account. Requires such candidates that do not become eligible for the general election to transfer applicable funds to the Secretary of the Treasury or to a political party committee. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to deposit funds remaining after a qualified candidate has defrayed all campaign expenses in an account to retire the public debt. Directs the Commission to audit campaign accounts. Requires repayment of excess payments and unexpended payments. Penalizes the use of funds for other than campaign purposes. Authorizes the Commission to institute repayment actions in U.S. district courts. Requires the Commission to make certain reports to the Senate. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 1985
Smaller Communities Water Resources Assistance Act of 1985 - Directs the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to undertake a research program to control river ice and to help communities in breaking up such ice. Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance, including ice breaking equipment, to local governments to control and break up river ice. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1990 for such assistance. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with local officials, to undertake a demonstration ice control program at Hardwicke, Vermont. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress by March 1, 1988, on such activities. Directs the Secretary, upon request, to survey the potential of and methods for rehabilitating former industrial sites and millraces for use in developing hydroelectric facilities. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1990 for such activities. Modifies the Waterbury, Vermont, dam project to require the Secretary to undertake any major rehabilitation of such project.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 1985
Authorizes the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, from March 1, 1985, through February 28, 1986, to: (1) make expenditures from the contingent fund; (2) employ personnel; (3) utilize, on a reimbursable basis, the services of department or agency personnel; (4) procure consultant services; and (5) provide for the training of its professional staff.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1985
Acid Deposition Control Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to establish an interstate transport and acid precursor reduction program. Designates an acid deposition impact region comprising a long-range transport corridor of 31 States east of the Mississippi and the District of Columbia. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to report to the Congress within two years on a study of long-range transport of pollutants problems in the remaining States. Prohibits the increase of emissions of sulfur dioxide and of oxides of nitrogen from stationary sources in the acid deposition impact region over total actual emissions there as of January 1, 1981. Sets forth sulfur dioxide emmission reduction standards for the acid deposition impact region of ten million tons below 1980 levels by the beginning of 1994. Requires each impact region State to reduce its emissions proportionately to its share of the region's total excess emissions, permitting States to reallot reductions among themselves so long as the total reductions of the States invovled meet the required standards. Requires each State to adopt enforceable emission reduction measures for sulfur dioxide, including compliance schedules, within two years. Requires the Administrator's approval and the other Governors' perusal of such measures. Requires each major stationary source subject to an emission limitation to notify the Governor of the State, and in turn, the Administrator, within four years of its intended method of compliance. Requires sources choosing fuel substitution to be in compliance with applicable emission limitations within six years. Requires those sources complying through the installation of a technological system of continuous emission reduction or the replacement of facilities to have entered into binding contracts for such system or replacement facilities within six years. Requires owners of major stationary sources of sulfur dioxide emissions to submit to the Administrator a compliance plan and schedule if their State has not done so. Provides that failure to do so constitutes a violation of emission limitations under the Clean Air Act. Permits the use of the following measures to reduce emissions in addition to enforceable continuous emission reduction measures if such measures are enforceable by entities and persons other than the State in which the emissions occur: (1) least emissions dispatch to meet electric generating demand at existing generating capacity; (2) retirement of major stationary sources at an earlier than provided for date; (3) investments in energy conservation where emission reductions can be identified with such investments; (4) trading of emission reduction requirements and actual reductions through emission reduction banks or brokerage institutions; and (5) precombustion cleaning of fuels. Permits a State or the owner or operator of a source required to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions to substitute oxides of nitrogen reductions at a rate of two for one out measure by weight. Makes it a violation of the Clear Air Act to emit an air pollutant which adversely affects the public health or welfare of another State or foreign country.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1985
Emergency Highway and Transit Cost Estimates Approval Act of 1985 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to apportion the funds remaining to be apportioned for the Interstate Highway System for FY 1985 and 1986, using the apportionment factors from the interstate cost estimate submitted to the Congress in January 1985. Approves a specified interstate cost estimate submitted to the Congress in March 1983 for any statutory purpose except fund apportionment. Directs the Secretary to apportion certain Interstate substitution funds remaining to be apportioned for highway and public mass transit projects for FY 1984 and 1985, using specified apportionment factors.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 1985
Federal Tax Delinquency Amnesty Act of 1985 - Provides for a one-time amnesty from criminal and civil tax penalties for a taxpayer who: (1) files a written statement with specified information concerning any underpayment of tax; (2) pays the amount of such underpayment when filing the statement; and (3) within 30 days of notification of 50 percent of the amount of interest payable on any tax delinquent amount, pays the amount of such interest or delinquency. Permits installment payments in certain cases. Defines the amnesty period as the period from July 1, 1985, to December 31, 1985, or the six-month period beginning the first July 1 after the enactment of this Act. Applies such amnesty to all payments relating to tax years ending by December 31, 1983, or taxable events occurring before January 1, 1984. Disallows such amnesty where: (1) the taxpayer was contacted before a statement was filed; (2) there was fraud in seeking amnesty; (3) a criminal investigation is pending; or (4) the income involved is illegal source income. Authorizes appropriations to administer such amnesty program and to employ 3,000 additional Internal Revenue Service agents. Increases criminal and civil tax penalties by 50 percent.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1985 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to make existing national interim primary drinking water regulations final. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), within varying time periods for specified contaminants, to simultaneously propose and then publish either maximum contaminant level goals and national primary drinking water regulations or else a determination that such regulations are not justified because the levels of such contaminant in the public water systems do not represent a threat. Directs the Administrator to publish maximum contaminant level goals and simultaneously promulgate national primary drinking water regulations for each other substance which may have an adverse effect on human health. Requires the Administrator to publish an annual list establishing priorities for the review of such substances, considering substances regulated as toxic water pollutants under the Clean Water Act and substances registered as pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Directs the Administrator, within three years of each contaminant's being listed on such priority list, to simultaneously propose and then publish either maximum contaminant level goals and national primary drinking water regulations or else a determination that such regulations are not justified. Requires that each maximum contaminant level goal allow an adequate margin of safety and that each national primary drinking water regulation specify a maximum level which is as close to the goal as is feasible. Authorizes the Administrator to promulgate a national primary drinking water regulation that requires the use of an acceptable treatment technique in lieu of establishing a maximum contaminant level if it is not economically or technologically feasible to establish such a level. Directs the Administrator to propose and promulgate primary drinking water regulations specifying when public water systems using surface water as a source of supply must use filtration. Directs the Administrator to provide procedures for States or the EPA to use when determining which of such systems within its jurisdiction must use filtration. Requires States to prescribe compliance schedules and necessary regulations. Directs the Administrator to promulgate disinfection regulations applicable to all public water systems, including variances and technical assistance. Directs the Administrator to provide the Science Advisory Board an opportunity to comment prior to proposal of a maximum contaminant level goal and national primary drinking water regulation. Authorizes the Administrator to issue compliance orders as well as bring civil suits to enforce these provisions. Directs the Administrator to amend regulations to provide for varying types and frequencies of public notice of violations by a public water system, depending upon their frequency and seriousness. Requires a State to prescribe within one year a schedule of compliance and implementation of control measures at the same time it grants an exemption. Permits the primary enforcing authority (State or Administrator in the case of four States and the District of Columbia) to extend the exemption for up to three years after the issue date if a system in good faith cannot meet the standard without capital improvements, financial assistance, or has agreed to become part of a regional public water system. Permits exemption renewals for systems with 500 or fewer service connections. Authorizes the Administrator to take into consideration the size of a public water system and the contaminants likely to be found in its drinking water in requiring a system to monitor for unregulated contaminants. Directs the Administrator to promulgate regulations requiring every public water system to conduct a monitoring program for unregulated contaminants at least once every five years, unless the number of persons served or the likely contaminants require greater frequency. Authorizes the primary State enforcement authority to delete contaminants for an individual system after Administrator approval of the assessment. Authorizes the Administrator to provide technical assistance to small public water systems to enable them to comply with national drinking water standards. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1989. Establishes criminal and civil penalties for tampering with a public water system. Extends to natural gas storage operations specified limitations on regulation of underground injection of brine or other fluids which are brought to the surface in connection with oil or natural gas production. Prohibits the disposal of hazardous waste by underground injection above or into a formation which contains an underground source of drinking water unless such injection is part of a required corrective or response action. Requires States with primary enforcement responsibility to enforce such prohibition. Directs the Administrator to require groundwater monitoring at all locations to detect fluid migration into underground drinking water sources from a class I injection well unless no potential for migration exists. Requires the Administrator to report to the Congress by September 1987 on State surveys of disposal wells which discharge nonhazardous waste into or above underground sources of drinking water. Directs the Administrator to issue a compliance order or commence a civil action if a State does not enforce violations of the underground injection control program. Quintuples the maximum per day penalty for violations. Revises other provisions relating to the imposition of civil penalties. Establishes procedures for the development, implementation, and assessment of demonstration programs designed to protect critical aquifer protection areas located within areas designated as sole or principal aquifers under specified provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Sets forth factors to be considered when identifying such critical areas, including the existence of recharge zones, the number of persons affected, alternate supplies, and the economic and ecological costs of inactivity. Authorizes the Administrator to enter into cooperative agreements with an applying State or local government to provide a 50 percent grant for the costs of developing and implementing a comprehensive management plan for the protection area. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1989. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1985 through 1989 for the following programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act: (1) research, technical assistance, information, personnel training; (2) grants for State programs for supervision of public water systems; and (3) grants for State programs for underground water source protection. Provides that any need certifications or orders issued under provisions for assurances of availability of adequate supplies of water treatment chemicals shall remain in effect for up to one year.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Tehran American School Claim Act of 1985 - Authorizes and directs the Comptroller General of the United States to settle and adjust the claim of the Tehran American School arising from the sale of three motor vehicles arranged by the U.S. Embassy in Iran in 1979.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Amends the Federal criminal code to define "armor-piercing ammunition." Excludes from the definition: (1) shot gun shot required by Federal or State regulations for hunting; (2) frangible projectiles for target shooting; and (3) projectiles that the Secretary of the Treasury determines are primarily intended for sporting purposes. Makes it unlawful for any person to manufacture or import armor-piercing ammunition. Allows for: (1) the manufacture or importation of armor piercing ammunition for the use of the United States or any State or local government; and (2) manufacture for the sole purpose of exportation. Establishes a licensing fee of $1,000 per year for manufacturers and importers of armor-piercing ammunition. Imposes an additional mandatory sentence of not less than five years for any person who uses or carries a firearm and is in possession of armor-piercing ammunition during the commission of a violent felony. Provides that such sentence shall not be suspended nor probation nor parole be granted.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1985
Interstate Highway Funding Act of 1985 - Approves the interstate highway cost estimate for FY 1985 and 1986 and the interstate substitute cost estimate for highway and urban mass transit projects for FY 1984, 1985, and 1986. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to adjust and reallocate the minimum allocation made on March 9, 1984, to reflect the apportionments made under this Act. Directs the Secretary to apportion specified funds for FY 1987 and 1988, using certain apportionment factors. Revises the procedures for releasing interstate construction funds and interstate substitute funds to direct the Secretary to release such funds if the Congress has not approved either the interstate cost estimate or substitute cost estimate by October 1 of the year of apportionment. Extends through FY 1986 the availability period for the expenditure and obligation of certain sums earmarked for: (1) the interstate system, (2) public mass transit projects; or (3) highway assistance projects. Decreases the Federal share payable for emergency relief funds for repair projects on the Federal-aid highway system and the Interstate System, unless such emergency repairs are to minimize damage, protect facilities, or restore essential traffic and are accomplished within 30 days after the occurrence. Provides for the funding of certain highway projects with interstate discretionary funds. Requires that a specified percentage of State withdrawal funds be available to the Secretary for State highway research and planning. Authorizes Federal matching funds for bridge replacement and rehabilitation for specified bridges not on the Federal-aid highway system. Amends the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 to include small business concerns owned and controlled by women among such concerns that are eligible for a specified percentage of expenditures under such Act. Amends the General Bridge Act of 1906, the General Bridge Act of 1946, the International Bridge Act of 1972, the Department of Transportation Act, and various other Acts to repeal provisions which regulate toll facilities. Requires toll increases on such facilities to be just and reasonable. Declares that no report, list, schedule, or survey compiled by a State concerning the evaluation of hazardous roadway conditions or rail-highway crossings in order to plan and prioritize safety projects shall be required to be admitted into evidence or used for any other purpose in a Federal or State court. Requires toll authorities to certify to the State Governor that such facilities are adequately maintained and that funding is available for the replacement or repair of such facilities. Provides that if funds from the Highway Trust Fund are used for such repairs, then such State's apportionment for the next fiscal year shall be reduced by such amount. Exempts international toll facilities and such facilities on the Federal-aid system from such requirement. Provides for: (1) crediting the fair market value of right-of-way donations for highway projects to the State matching share when such donations are made to the State; and (2) revesting such property to the donor if it is not required after environmental assessments. States that the fair market value of lands donated to the State of California for a State Route 73 relocation and construction project in Orange County shall first be credited toward payment of the non-Federal share of such project cost. Directs the Secretary to reserve amounts expended for right-of-way for a route withdrawal until the right-of-way disposition decision has been made. Directs the Secretary to conduct a study of the Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program. Sets forth the following items for inclusion in such study: (1) an analysis of the progress made toward replacing and rehabilitating inadequate bridges on or off the Federal-aid system; (2) a review of the bridge inspection program; (3) an analysis of the effectiveness of the bridge discretionary program; and (4) a review of the bridge program's effect on the rehabilitation of historic bridges. Requires the Transportation Research Board of the National Research Council to carry out a study of the bridge formula with respect to vehicle weights and the life span of bridges. Makes costs incurred to mitigate harm to historic bridges as a result of Federal-aid projects, eligible for Federal-aid highway funds. Permits States to use demolition funds for preservation of historic bridges. Requires (currently, authorizes) States to inventory bridges on the Federal-aid system for historic significance. Directs the Secretary to approve the planting of native wildflowers for landscaping and scenic enhancement of Federal-aid highways. Makes the repair or reconstruction of a Federal-aid primary route in the vicinity of Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, which has experienced slide damage eligible for emergency relief funds. Requires an annual minimum allocation of 85 percent of estimated tax payments attributable to States in the Highway Trust Fund. Specifies the programs applicable to such requirement. States that the Secretary may not preclude any State from receiving additional funds for FY 1986 if the Congress has approved such extensions. Permits an interstate transfer project in Maryland to be completed in increments. Requires the Secretary to assist the District of Columbia and Virginia in carrying out a demonstration project on Interstates 95 and 395 which restricts the use of express lanes during certain rush hours after the District of Columbia completes reconstruction of a specified bridge. (Currently, the Secretary is required to carry out such demonstration project after the District of Columbia begins actual reconstruction.) Provides that the Federal share payable for individual projects authorized by statute after FY 1983 and for which authorizations are provided out of the Highway Trust Fund, shall not exceed 50 percent of the total costs or a specified amount, whichever is less. Directs the Secretary to carry out the following demonstration projects designed: (1) in Cattaraugus County, New York, to demonstrate the extent to which the economy of an Indian reservation can be improved by completion of key elements of a modern, grade-separated access controlled highway which serves the reservation; (2) in Montana, to demonstrate the improved serviceability of rural roads when provided with specified reconstruction; (3) in the vicinity of Cleveland, Texas, to demonstrate the reduction in congestion by providing a four-line divided highway with interchanges in an area with at-grade crossings; (4) in Idaho, to determine the economic and social impact of controlled-access highway services on a redeveloping central business district of a certain population; (5) in Manchester, New Hampshire, to demonstrate the feasibility of replacing a functionally obsolete and structurally deficient bridge located in a historic district, with a modern structure while preserving the integrity of the district; (6) in the State of Washington, to determine the economic and social impact of utilizing the air space above a controlled-access highway to mitigate the impact on a major urban area of construction of the highway and for other transportation uses; (7) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to demonstrate the benefits of a causeway to Ford Island; (8) in Georgia, to demonstrate the best method for replacing a functionally obsolete bridge across the Savannah River with a modern structure; (9) on the Turquoise Trail to demonstrate transportation efficiencies gained by upgrading the highway connecting two Indian reservations; (10) in Dubuque, Iowa, to demonstrate the benefits of constructing a section of the Federal-Aid Primary System connecting to the Interstate Highway System; (11) in Sparks, Nevada, to demonstrate the economic and social impact of constructing Sparks Boulevard and an interchange with Interstate 80; (12) in South Carolina to demonstrate the increased accessibility resulting from a highway and bridge connection from the Isle of Palms to the South Carolina mainland; and (13) in the area of Brunswick-Topsham, Maine, to demonstrate increased access to defense related facilities by the construction of a limited access highway connecting a major interstate highway corridor with a naval air station and a shipyard engaged in defense production activities. Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) to carry out such projects and sets forth reporting dates after the completion of such projects. Amends the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 to increase the authorized appropriations for the demonstration project near Devils Lake, North Dakota. Makes "Buy American" provisions applicable to projects whose total costs exceed $500,000. Authorizes appropriations for the upgrading of certain highways in New Mexico for the transportation of nuclear waste generated during defense-related activities. Sets forth obligation limitations for Federal-aid highways and highway safety construction programs for FY 1986. Makes sums apportioned or allocated for highway substitute projects available for constructing bicycle facilities. Authorizes States to adjust their interstate substitution programs which were approved in concept by the Secretary on or before September 30, 1983. Authorizes States to add and delete projects until September 30, 1985, without altering the existing entitlement. Directs the Secretary to study the feasibility of constructing a new East-West Highway linking the Delaware Memorial Bridge with the Atlantic City Expressway and other north-south arteries in southern New Jersey. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1985 for such study. Amends the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1970 to release the requirement imposed upon the Secretaries of the Interior and of Transportation to convey to the State of Maryland a specified section of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress regarding the impact of State prison industries upon competing private industries which furnish the same materials for Federal-aid highway use. Requires that when allocating discretionary interstate substitute highway funds, the Secretary give consideration to States with certain reduced allocations. Authorizes States to use funds which were apportioned for FY 1985 and subsequent years for the construction of bridges to replace specified ferries. Extends from FY 1985 to FY 1986 the Secretary's authority to provide certain supplemental Federal assistance to State highway projects which use asphalt or recycled materials.
![Official portrait of Sen. Stafford, Robert T. [R-VT]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000776_200.jpg)