United States · United States Congress · 6 January 1983
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Railroad Retirement Board and representatives of railroad employees and carriers should jointly or independently study methods of financing the railroad retirement program, including a ton-mile tax. Requires a report to Congress by October 1, 1983, on the alternatives studied.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1983
Directs the President to negotiate an agreement with the Soviet Union for the establishment of a permanent joint United States-Soviet Communications Center to provide an additional channel for communications between the United States and the Soviet Union in order to reduce the threat of an accidental nuclear war. Declares that the agreement should provide that: (1) the function of the Center would be to serve as a direct and secure means of communications between the two countries; (2) the Center would have no intelligence gathering capabilities and would not be used for espionage; (3) the Center would be located in an agreed upon third country with the operating costs shared equally; and (4) the Center would be staffed by an equal number of personnel from each country. Requires the agreement to be either a treaty or an executive agreement which will enter into force only upon its approval by both Houses of Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1983
Designates the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, in Maryland, as the Gladys Noon Spellman Parkway. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to erect adjacent to such parkway an appropriate marker commemorating the contributions of Gladys Noon Spellman. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1983
Allows certain employees of the National Transportation Safety Board to receive civil service retirement credit for prior service creditable under the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974. Disallows credit under such Act or the Social Security Act for any service for which civil service retirement credit is allowed. Requires no deposit into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund for such credited service.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1983
Amends part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of title IV of the Social Security Act to provide that the procedures available for AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children, part A of title IV of the Act) families for the collection of past-due support from Federal tax refunds shall also be available for non-AFDC families.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1983
Nondiscrimination in Insurance Act - Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in the consideration of applications for, or the granting of, insurance policies and the terms of such policies. Permits insurers who regularly provide insurance solely to persons of a single religious affiliation to continue to do so. Grants to State or local governments having insurance discrimination laws the primary opportunity to enforce this Act. Permits an aggrieved person to file a civil action in State or Federal court against an insurer, if a State or local authority which has received notice of a complaint fails to act within 60 days or with respect to those authorities not having insurance discrimination laws. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring a civil action in district court when there is reasonable cause to believe that a person or group is engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to the rights granted by this Act and that such denial raises an issue of general public importance.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1983
Ocean and Coastal Resources Management and Development Block Grant Act - Establishes within the Treasury an Ocean and Coastal Resources Management and Development Fund. Limits the total amount payable into the Fund during any fiscal year. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to use specified portions of such funds to: (1) carry out the National Sea Grant College Program; and (2) provide national ocean and coastal resources management and development block grants to each coastal State. Requires such States to report grant allocation and project information, and provide opportunity for public comment before receiving such grants. Sets forth a grant allocation formula based on: (1) actual and future outer continental shelf lease sales, including oil and gas; (2) coastal related energy activities; (3) shoreline mileage; and (4) coastal population. Establishes a minimum grant of one-half of one percent of authorized funds for States having approved coastal management programs. Specifies activities authorized by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (and coastal energy impact program), and living marine and natural resource management projects as the only eligible uses of block grants. Requires States receiving such grants to submit an expenditure assessment to the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to promulgate implementing regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1983
Amends the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services to include chiropractic care among the services offered members, former members, and dependents of the uniformed services. Authorizes the appointment of chiropractors as commissioned officers in the Medical Services Corps of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. Entitles such officers to the same pay as dental officers.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1983
Emergency Mathematics and Science Education Act - Amends the National Defense Education Act of 1958 to add a new program for emergency mathematics and science education at elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels. Authorizes appropriations to the Department of Education to provide elementary and secondary education assistance under such program for the first two fiscal years beginning after the date of enactment of this Act. Conditions such authorization upon increased appropriations under specified provisions of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981. Sets forth provisions for allocation of such program funds among the States. Permits States to reserve five percent of such allocation for State administration and planning activities. Requires States to distribute the remainder among local educational agencies, with 75 percent allocated on the basis of school-age population and 25 percent on the basis of number of children from low income families. Sets forth permitted uses of program funds by local educational agencies. Sets forth requirements for State educational agency use of program funds. Requires that sums available for postsecondary assistance be used to award congressional scholarships to 300 individuals in the first fiscal year beginning after enactment of this Act and to 600 individuals in the second such year. Sets forth requirements for eligibility nomination, and selection of congressional scholars. Provides that such scholars shall be selected by a committee composed of the Librarian of Congress the Secretary of Education, the Director of the Office of Science of Science and Technology Policy, and two individuals appointed by the Speaker of the House and Senate Majority Leader respectively. Obligates such congressional scholars to teach elementary or secondary school mathematics, science, or other appropriate subjects for at least five years or to repay the total amount of the scholarship, plus interest at a rate prescribed by the Secretary of Education. Directs the Secretary to make available funds appropriated for FY 1984 or 1985 for postsecondary assistance under the program for grants for mathematics and science improvement and employment-based education programs in new and emerging technologies in the following amounts: (1) ten percent to institutions of higher education; and (2) 25 percent to community and junior colleges. Directs the Secretary of Education, from funds available for such purpose for FY 1984 or 1985, to make grants to institutions of higher education for summer institutes and workshops for teachers and supervisors of mathematics and science programs. Permits such institutes to be conducted in other areas of national need, as determined by the Secretary. Directs the Director of the National Institute of Education, in consultation with appropriate Federal agencies, to investigate effective methods of mathematics and science instruction. Authorizes appropriations for such purpose for FY 1984 and 1985. Directs the Secretary to make challenge grants available to provide up to one-third of the cost of: (1) purchase of modern scientific equipment for use in teaching and research; (2) training of faculty in the use of new laboratory and research equipment; and (3) sharing scientific and engineering equipment among academic and business laboratories and research centers. Limits the amount which may be made available for such challenge grants for FY 1985. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with other appropriate Federal agencies, to assess, before September 30, 1984, the current need for improvements in and purchases of laboratory equipment and facilities. Limits the total amount which may be appropriated pursuant to this Act for FY 1984. Limits the amount of such appropriation which may be available for elementary and secondary assistance and for postsecondary assistance. Amends the General Education Provisions Act to extend through FY 1985 the authorization of appropriations for: (1) the Pre-College Science Teacher Training program; and (2) the Minority Institutions Science Improvement program.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1983
Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to state that a food intended for human consumption shall be deemed misbranded unless it is labeled to show the amount of sodium and potassium it contains when in excess of a certain number of milligrams. Permits the Secretary of Health and Human Services to exempt a food from such requirement by requiring the information to be prominently displayed near its place of display or sale. Exempts from such labeling requirements any manufacturer of such foods whose total annual sales are less than a specified amount.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1983
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1983
States that the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) between the United States and the Soviet Union should: (1) pursue a complete halt to the nuclear arms race; (2) decide when and how to achieve a mutual verifiable freeze on the testing, production, and further deployment of nuclear warheads, missiles, and other delivery systems; (3) give special attention to destabilizing weapons; (4) pursue reductions through numerical ceilings and other means; (5) preserve present limitations on nuclear weapons; and (6) incorporate ongoing negotiations in Geneva on land-based intermediate-range nuclear missiles into the START negotiations. Requires that every effort be made to reach common positions with the NATO allies.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1983
States that the United States and the Soviet Union should: (1) pursue a complete halt to the nuclear arms race; (2) decide when and how to achieve a mutual and verifiable freeze on the testing, production, and further deployment of nuclear warheads, missiles, and other delivery systems; (3) give special attention to destabilizing weapons; and (4) proceeding from this freeze, pursue major, mutual, and verifiable reductions in nuclear warheads, missiles, and other delivery systems.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1983
States that the President should, at the earliest possible date: (1) request Senate consent to ratification of the Threshold Test Ban and Peaceful Nuclear Explosion Treaties; and (2) resume trilateral test ban treaty negotiations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 1983
Establishes in the House of Representatives the Select Committee on Hunger to conduct a continuing comprehensive study of the problems of hunger and malnutrition.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 1982
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that more money should be made available for jobs and programs in socially productive industries by reducing the amount of tax dollars spent on nuclear weapons, foreign military intervention, and wasteful military programs. Endorses the Jobs with Peace Week of April 10 through April 16, 1983.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 1982
Space Commerce Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to issue licenses for launching private sector space objects. Sets forth the conditions for issuing a license, including the ability to meet liability insurance requirements. Establishes criminal penalties for launching private space objects without such a license. Directs the Secretary to establish requirements for liability insurance to be carried by any licensee. Permits the Administrator to suspend or revoke a license for failure to comply with applicable regulations. Excludes from this Act space objects launched by or on behalf of the United States Government. Establishes the Commercial Space Study Commission to study the direction of future Government involvement and regulation of private sector commercial activity in outer space. Directs the Commission to report to Congress within a specified time. Terminates the Commission 60 days after its final report.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 1982
Title I: Armed Forces, Soldiers' Home, Coast Guard, Lighthouse Service, and Merchant Marine - Amends Federal Military laws dealing with the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Coast Guard to eliminate gender-based distinctions. Title II: Elimination of Gender-based distinctions under the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Program, Railroad Retirement and the Work Incentive Program - Eliminates gender-based distinction in the social security and railroad retirement programs. Title III: Amendments to United States Code - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Walsh-Healey Act, the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, the Federal criminal code and other acts dealing with Indian affairs, transportation, public lands and provisions relating to Saint Elizabeth Hospital and contract law to eliminate gender-based distinctions.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 1982
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should: (1) more rigorously review requested pipeline rate hikes and contracts to insure that natural gas price increases are just and reasonable; (2) review the regulations implementing the Purchased Gas Adjustment provision of the Natural Gas Policy Act, so as to insure that price increases more closely reflect market conditions; and (3) report to Congress on the steps it has taken to eliminate market distortions caused by the enforcement of take-or-pay contracts in the natural gas industry.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 1982
Temporary Natural Gas Market Correction Act of 1982 - Declares that any contract for the first sale of natural gas shall be deemed to include a volume adjustment option with respect to any natural gas the first sale delivery of which could occur pursuant to such contract at any time after the effective date of this Act and before November 1, 1983. Defines "volume adjustment option" as a contract provision under which the purchaser may elect to refuse to take delivery under such contract of any volume of natural gas without incurring an obligation to pay any fee or charge with respect to the natural gas not delivered pursuant to such election. Provides, subject to certain exceptions, that the purchase by any natural gas pipeline company of any natural gas which is delivered on any day after the effective date of this Act and before November 1, 1983, at an excessive price, shall be considered as fraud, abuse, or as similar grounds for purposes of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) review of cost passthroughs. Considers the price of natural gas delivered to any natural gas pipeline company on any day excessive if that price exceeds the price of any other natural gas not delivered to such pipeline company on that day, but which could have been acquired by such pipeline company for delivery on that day under any contract to which the pipeline is a party. Requires every natural gas pipeline company to file monthly with FERC: (1) a statement concerning the volume adjustment clause, as well as steps it has taken to achieve the lowest possible weighted average acquisition cost of natural gas; and (2) a modification of the costs to be recovered by the pipeline under a purchased gas adjustment clause (as defined in the Natural Gas Act), if the weighted average acquisition cost of natural gas by the pipeline is lower because of the volume adjustment option or because of other steps taken by the pipeline.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 1982
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey, without consideration, to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission all right, title, and interest in specified lands.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 1982
Directs the President to negotiate an agreement with the Soviet Union for the establishment of a permanent joint United States-Soviet Communications Center to provide an additional channel for communications between the United States and the Soviet Union in order to reduce the threat of an accidential nuclear war. Declares that the agreement should provide that: (1) the function of the Center would be to serve as a direct and secure means of communications between the two countries; (2) the Center would have no intelligence gathering capabilities and would not be used for espionage; (3) the Center would be located in an agreed upon third country with the operating costs shared equally; and (4) the Center would be staffed by an equal number of personnel from each country. Requires the agreement to be either a treaty or an executive agreement which will enter into force only upon its approval by both Houses of Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 1982
Establishes the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution. Requires the Commission to: (1) plan and develop appropriate activities to commemorate the bicentennial of the Constitution; (2) encourage private organizations, and State and local governments to organize and participate in bicentennial activities; (3) coordinate activities throughout all the States; and (4) serve as a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of bicentennial information. Directs the Commission to seek assistance from private and governmental agencies and organizations. Requires the Commission to submit a report of its recommendations to the President, Congress and the Judicial Conference within two years of enactment of this Act and annually until its termination. Terminates the Commission on December 31, 1989. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1983 and such sums as necessary through FY 1989.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 1982
Federal Employees Health Benefits Reform Act of 1982 - Increases the amount of the Government's contribution for an employee enrolled in a employee health benefits plan from 60 to 75 percent of the average subscription charge for such plan. Increases the maximum Government contribution for an enrollee from 75 to 100 percent of such subscription charge. Requires payment of a Government differential equal to five percent of the average subscription charge, in addition to the Government's contribution, for any enrollee who is over 65 years of age and not entitled to medicare benefits. Excludes such differential in determining the amount to be paid by the enrollee. Permits the following persons to elect to continue coverage under a Federal employees' health benefits plan for a specified period: (1) an employee who is involuntarily separated from the civil service due to a reduction in force; (2) the spouse of an enrollee whose marriage is dissolved by divorce or annulment, if the enrollee was enrolled for self and family; (3) an individual who elects to receive the lump-sum credit for civil service retirement benefits; and (4) an individual 22 years of age or older whose enrollment was based on such individual's being an unmarried child who was incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical disability which existed and did not terminate before the individual attained the age of 22. Requires such persons who elect to continue coverage to pay into the Employees Health Benefits Fund an amount equal to the sum of employee and agency contributions paid for the same level of benefits. Allows such a person to: (1) change to a lower level of benefits; (2) change coverage within 60 days after a change in family status; and (3) transfer enrollment to another plan under conditions prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Provides a temporary extension of coverage to allow persons who elected not to continue coverage or whose continued coverage is terminated to convert to a nongroup contract providing health benefits. Allows annuitants whose annuity is less than the amount required to be withheld for enrollment in a health benefits plan to pay the amount of any deficiency required for enrollment. Requires contracts for employee organization plans and comprehensive medical plans to require carriers to reinsure with other participants. Requires the service benefit plan and the indemnity benefit plan to provide, in addition to all currently authorized benefits: (1) nervous and mental disorder benefits; and (2) alcoholism and substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation benefits. Prohibits the OPM from entering into a contract for any service benefit, indemnity benefit, or employee organization plan which does not provide for 50 outpatient visits and 60 inpatient days of nervous and mental disorder benefits and two 28-day alcoholism treatment and rehabilitation benefits. Requires any limits on nervous and mental disorder benefits to be exceeded on a case by case basis only to the extent that a peer review mechanism determines such treatment to be necessary. Requires 80 percent of such excessive benefit claims to be paid from the balance of one percent of all contributions to the Employees Health Benefits Fund remaining after the expenses of administering provisions governing Federal employees health benefit plans are paid. Prohibits the OPM from entering into a contract with a carrier for any health benefits plan which does not provide 95 percent of the benefits that such plan or the most similar plan provided during the preceding year, unless the carrier and the OPM mutually agree to waive such requirement. Directs the OPM to: (1) provide a three week period during which enrollees in health benefits plans may change or cancel their enrollments before any contract term in which the rates or benefits of a plan will change, a new plan will be offered, or an existing plan will be terminated; and (2) make available to such enrollees information on such plans at least four weeks before such open enrollment period. Prohibits the OPM from entering into a contract for a health benefits plan which excludes anyone because of nonactive employee status. Eliminates the requirement that the group of physicians under a group-practice prepayment plan include physicians representing at least three major medical specialties.
United States · United States Congress · 19 August 1982
Authorizes Federal agencies to use funds available for administrative expenses to compensate an employee who is transferred in the interest of the Government from one official station to another for: (1) limited expenses of selling a residence at the old station and purchasing a residence at the new station; (2) subsistence expenses of the employee and the employee's immediate family for a specified period while occupying temporary quarters when the new station is in the United States; (3) any Federal, State, or city income taxes incurred by the employee and his or her spouse as a result of receiving relocation expenses; and (4) limited moving and storage expenses. Conditions payment of such compensation on the employee's agreement to serve the Government for 12 months after being transferred. Declares that the money spent by the United States is recoverable as a debt due the United States if the employee violates such agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 18 August 1982
Establishes the Commission on Capital Markets to evaluate the regulation of financial intermediaries by the Federal and State governments and the functioning of such intermediaries in the accumulation and allocation of capital within the U.S. economy. Requires the Commission, not later than one year after its initial meeting, to submit to Congress a report on the results of its evaluation. Terminates the Commission 90 days after the submission of its final report to Congress. Authorizes appropriations as necessary to carry out this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 August 1982
Prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture from placing into effect any rule which would not maintain or enhance the nutritional integrity of supplemental foods made available under the special supplemental food program for women, infants, and children of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. Directs the Secretary to make a finding that any rule changes governing the program subsequent to enactment of this resolution shall be beneficial to the nutritional status of program participants. Requires the Secretary to submit such finding to the appropriate congressional committees prior to its publication in the Federal Register. Requires the Secretary to implement a specified rule concerning the program no later than December 31, 1982.
United States · United States Congress · 10 August 1982
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that regulations recently proposed by the Secretary of Education under the Education of the Handicapped Act should not be permitted to take effect.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1982
Merit Pay Reform Act of 1982 - Requires determinations as to which Government positions are supervisory or managerial for purposes of the merit pay system to be made according to position classification guidelines issued by the Office of Personnel Management. Requires that the merit pay system provide for comparability pay increases, merit step increases, and merit pay awards based on performance. Directs each agency to establish a performance appraisal system for merit system employees which provides for: (1) periodic appraisals of job performance; (2) the joint participation of the supervisor and the employee in establishing performance standards; (3) rating performance at two levels below fully successful, one level for fully successful performance, and two levels above fully successful; (4) communicating performance standards to each employee at the beginning of each appraisal period; (5) assisting employees in improving less than fully successful performance; (6) removing, reassigning, or reducing the grade of employees who continually perform below fully successful; and (7) making base pay and merit pay increase decisions as a result of annual performance appraisals. Provides that an employee whose performance is rated at: (1) the second level below fully successful shall receive no pay increase; (2) the first level below fully successful shall receive one-half of the comparability increase; (3) the fully successful level or above shall receive the full comparability increase and a merit step increase; and (4) the levels above fully successful may receive a merit award of up to ten percent of the employee's basic pay. Makes the comparability increase equal to the cost-of-living adjustment in General Schedule pay rates. Specifies the amounts of merit step increases which are based on step increases under the General Schedule. Declares that an employee may be paid less than the minimum rate of basic pay of the grade of the employee's position as a result of the employee not receiving a full comparability increase because of a less than fully successful performance rating. Entitles an employee to appeal a performance rating of less than fully successful as an adverse action only when the employee alleges that such rating is a result of a prohibited personnel practice. Prohibits the Office of Personnel Management from prescribing, or requiring any agency to prescribe, any specific performance standard. Directs each agency to establish one or more performance standard review boards to review such standards before they are implemented.
![Official portrait of Rep. Hoyer, Steny H. [D-MD-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_md_5_hoyer_steny_200.jpg)