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251 records in US in 1997
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 1997
Provides for a one-year enrollment of certain land covered by expiring agricultural conservation reserve contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Corporate Tax and Other Provisions Subtitle A: Tax Provisions Subtitle B: Agricultural-Related Provisions Subtitle C: Other Subsidies Title II: Mineral Exploration and Development Subtitle A: Mineral Exploration and Development Subtitle B: Environmental Considerations of Mineral Exploration and Development Subtitle C: Abandoned Locatable Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund Subtitle D: Administrative and Miscellaneous Provisions Title III: Revenues Dedicated to Deficit Reduction Corporate Responsibility Act of 1997 - Title I: Corporate Tax and Other Provisions - Subtitle A: Tax Provisions - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) eliminate the exclusion of certain income of foreign sales corporations; (2) repeal alcohol fuel incentives; and (3) revise rules concerning the source of income from the sale of inventory property. Subtitle B: Agricultural-Related Provisions - Amends the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to require the payment of the full cost for the delivery of water used for the production of surplus crops. (Sec. 112) Amends the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to repeal: (1) title III (Export Enhancement Program); and (2) the market promotion program provisions. (Sec. 114) Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to repeal tobacco price supports. Subtitle C: Other Subsidies - Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to eliminate the Advanced Technology Program. (Sec. 122) Amends the Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933 to declare that no appropriations are authorized to carry out the Act after September 30, 1997. (Sec. 123) Amends the Act commonly known as the National Forest Roads and Trails Act to prohibit: (1) the provision of effective purchaser road credits; and (2) Federal funding for any forest road principally used for logging. (Sec. 124) Prohibits the provision of Federal funds to, or for the benefit of, the International Monetary Fund, pursuant to the New Arrangements to Borrow of the International Monetary Fund. Title II: Mineral Exploration and Development - Subtitle A: Mineral Exploration and Development - Mineral Exploration and Development Act of 1997 - Sets forth guidelines for mineral exploration on public domain lands. Declares that holders of mining claims located or converted and maintained under this Act have the exclusive right of possession and use of the claimed land for mineral activities. (Sec. 205) Prescribes rules for mining claim location and use of public land surveys. Provides for administrative adjudication of conflicting claims. Mandates a specified location fee for every unpatented mining claim located after the date of enactment of this Act. (Sec. 206) Subjects existing unpatented mining claims, mill sites, and tunnel sites to the provisions of this Act ("converted mining claims"). (Sec. 207) Sets forth certain annual claim maintenance fees. Mandates that all monies received from such fees be deposited into the Abandoned Locatable Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund (established under this Act). (Sec. 208) States that failure to comply with the requirements of this Act shall be deemed conclusively to constitute forfeiture of the mining claim. (Sec. 209) Prescribes procedural guidelines for: (1) contesting a mining claim on the basis of discovery; and (2) demonstrating the continued sufficiency of a mining claim. Subtitle B: Environmental Considerations of Mineral Exploration and Development - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, and for National Forest System lands the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretaries), to require that mineral activities on Federal lands be conducted in a manner that minimizes adverse impacts to the environment. Prescribes surface management guidelines for the granting of both an exploration and an operations permit. Requires applications for such permits to contain both an operations plan and a reclamation plan, and evidence of financial assurances. Limits an operations permit to a ten-year term (subject to renewal). (Sec. 215) Declares persons in violation of this Act ineligible for permits. Sets as a prerequisite to the issuance of any permit evidence of financial assurance payable to the United States for all lands to be affected by the mineral activities described in the permit application. (Sec. 217) Mandates that lands subject to mineral activities be restored to a condition capable of supporting their prior uses, or to other beneficial uses which conform to applicable land use plans. Sets forth reclamation standards applicable to mineral exploration. (Sec. 218) Declares that State standards for reclamation, bonding, inspection, and water or air quality which either meet or exceed Federal standards shall not be construed as inconsistent with this Act. Permits cooperative agreements between the States and the Secretary. Prohibits the Secretary from delegating authorities or responsibilities conferred under this Act to any State or its political subdivision. (Sec. 219) Requires the Secretaries, in preparing land use plans, to determine those areas deemed unsuitable for certain mineral activities. Requires withdrawal of such areas from mineral exploration and development. Subtitle C: Abandoned Locatable Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund - Establishes the Abandoned Locatable Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund (the Fund), to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior acting through the Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, for the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past minerals activities on certain public lands. (Sec. 233) Restricts reclamation expenditures to Federal or Indian land and water resources that traverse or are contiguous to Federal or Indian lands where such resources have been affected by past mineral activities. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 236) Subjects the production of locatable minerals (or mineral concentrates or products derived from locatable minerals) from any mining claim under this Act to a royalty scheme of eight percent of the net smelter return. Subtitle D: Administrative and Miscellaneous Provisions - Amends the Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970 and the National Materials and Minerals Policy Research and Development Act of 1980 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to implement minerals policy and actions to improve availability and analysis of mineral data in Federal land use decision making for National Forest System lands. (Sec. 242) Authorizes the Secretaries to establish and collect user fees to reimburse the United States for expenses incurred in administering this Act. (Sec. 243) Prescribes procedural guidelines for the publication of an application for an operations permit and the public participation requirements. (Sec. 244) Instructs the Secretaries to: (1) inspect mineral activities to ensure compliance with surface management requirements; and (2) require all operators to maintain a monitoring and evaluation system to identify compliance with them. Authorizes citizen suits to enforce compliance. (Sec. 246) Prescribes procedural guidelines for administrative and judicial review of agency actions. (Sec. 247) Sets forth enforcement guidelines and civil and criminal penalties for non-compliance. Provides transitional rules for: (1) new and preexisting claims; (2) claims that have not been converted; (3) contest proceedings; and (4) oil shale claims. (Sec. 251) Adjusts the dollar amounts established under this Act according to a certain inflation formula. (Sec. 255) Prohibits the issuance after January 4, 1995, of patents for vein, lode, placer, and mill site mining claims unless certain administrative requirements are met. (Sec. 256) Declares that the Multiple Minerals Development Act, and certain other Federal law, apply to all mining claims located or converted under this Act. (Sec. 257) Amends Federal law to subject all mineral materials deposits to disposal under the terms of the Materials Act of 1947 (eliminating the concept of uncommon varieties). Renames specified Federal law: (1) the Surface Resource Act of 1955; and (2) the Materials Act of 1947. Repeals the Building Stone Act and the Saline Placer Act. (Sec. 258) Declares this Act applicable to Federal lands that are used for beneficiation or processing activities for any mineral regardless of Federal title to the mineral. (Sec. 259) Requires recipients of funds under this Act to comply with the "Buy American Act." (Sec. 260) Expresses the sense of the Congress that such funds should be used to purchase only American-made equipment and products. (Sec. 261) Declares a person ineligible to receive any contract made with funds provided under this Act if the person has been judicially determined to have intentionally affixed a "Made in America" label to a product that is not U.S.-made. (Sec. 263) Declares that court-awarded compensation for a Federal taking under the fifth amendment of the Constitution shall be paid from the Fund. (Sec. 264) Directs the Secretary of the Interior to report annually to the Congress on the percentage of each mining claim held by a foreign firm. Title III: Revenues Dedicated to Deficit Reduction - Prohibits any changes in revenues or direct spending resulting from the enactment of this Act from being counted for purposes of specified provisions of the Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Abolishment of Department of Commerce Title II: Disposition of Particular Programs, Functions, and Agencies of Department of Commerce Title III: Miscellaneous Provisions Department of Commerce Dismantling Act - Title I: Abolishment of Department of Commerce - Replaces the Department of Commerce (DOC) with the Commerce Programs Resolution Agency (CPRA), which is limited to three years to wind up and terminate the functions and obligations of the DOC before the CPRA itself is abolished. Directs the Comptroller General to report on the most efficient means of abolishing the DOC, and transferring or terminating its functions. Title II: Disposition of Particular Programs, Functions, and Agencies of Department of Commerce - Repeals the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 and transfers all financial obligations, liabilities, and related rights owned by DOC under such Act to the Department of the Treasury. Requires an audit by the Comptroller General of all DOC grants made under such Act in FY 1995. (Sec. 202) Transfers all export control functions of the DOC under the Export Administration Act of 1979 to the Secretary of State, the President, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Attorney General. Authorizes transfer of a limited number of specified DOC special agents to the Customs Service. Abolishes the Office of Foreign Availability and the Office of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, and provides for the appointment of an Industries Board to advise the Secretary of State. (Sec. 203) Transfers specified national security functions: (1) granted by the Trade Expansion Act to the International Trade Commission (ITC); and (2) granted by the Defense Production Act to the Secretaries of Defense and of the Treasury. Directs the President to appoint committees of industry representatives to advise the National Security Council. (Sec. 204) Transfers to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) the functions of the DOC's International Trade Administration, and powers granted by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. Amends the Foreign Trade Zones Act to make the Secretary of the Treasury chairman and executive officer of the Foreign Trade Zones Board. Renames the United States and Foreign Commercial Service the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service (Commercial Service), abolishes specified functions, and transfers it to the USTR. Conveys all export promotion functions of the DOC to the USTR, authorizing the USTR to require private entities to pay for promotion services. Transfers the authority to collect and evaluate information on international investment and trade services to the Secretary of the Treasury. Abolishes the international economic policy analysis functions of the DOC. Terminates the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA), and divides CITA's tasks among the USTR, the ITC, the Commercial Service, and the Secretary of the Treasury. Transfers all DOC functions under the Fair Trade in Auto Parts Act of 1988 to the ITC. Requires the appointment of industry boards to advise the Secretary of the Treasury and the USTR regarding their new powers. Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to repeal authorities for trade adjustment assistance to firms injured by import competition. (Sec. 205) Transfers the Patent and Trademark Office to the Department of Justice, and requires that the activities of that Office be funded solely by fees. (Sec. 206) Terminates the Technology Administration and the Office of Technology Policy. Transfers the National Institute of Standards and Technology to the National Science Foundation, and transfers its laboratories to the CPRA to be sold. Eliminates funding for, and requires the sale of assets of, the National Technical Information Service. (Sec. 207) Transfers the Bureau of the Census to the Department of the Treasury. Expresses the sense of the Congress that such Bureau should: (1) implement the Census Address List Improvement Act of 1994 in a timely fashion; and (2) streamline census questionnaires to promote savings in the collection and tabulation of data. (Sec. 208) Transfers the Bureau of Economic Analysis to the Federal Reserve System, requiring the director of that Bureau to report to the Congress on: (1) the availability of private resources capable of handling a portion or all of the Bureau's assigned tasks; and (2) the feasibility of a fee system to defray costs. (Sec. 209) Terminates assistance to: (1) public telecommunications; (2) educational television programs; and (3) telecommunications demonstrations. Repeals establishment of the National Endowment for Children's Educational Television (thus abolishing it). (Sec. 210) Transfers specified functions under the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. (Sec. 211) Terminates: (1) funding of specified fishery assistance programs; (2) the fisheries trade promotion program; (3) the authority to guarantee obligations for fishing vessels and facilities; (4) future compensation for damage, loss, or destruction of fishing vessels or fishing gear; and (5) funding of specified Federal fishery research projects. Eliminates the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Corps and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and conveys specified functions of both to the National Weather Service. Transfers the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information System Data Centers in part to the CPRA to be sold, and in part to the National Weather Service. Terminates certain functions of the National Weather Service, and transfers it to the Department of the Interior. Reallocates specified functions of the National Marine Fisheries Services to the Secretary of Transportation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Secretary of Agriculture. Conveys specified functions of the National Ocean Service to the United States Geological Survey and the Secretary of the Interior. Transfers certain NOAA environmental research laboratories to the CPRA to be sold. (Sec. 212) Abolishes the following DOC agencies and programs: (1) Economic Development Administration; (2) Minority Business Development Administration; (3) United States Travel and Tourism Administration; (4) National Telecommunications and Information Administration; (5) Advanced Technology Program; and (6) Manufacturing Extension Programs. (Sec. 214) Expresses the sense of the Congress that the head of each agency performing a function vested by this Act should, wherever feasible, explore and implement user fees for services provided in the performance of such function, to offset operating costs. Title III: Miscellaneous Provisions - Limits annual expenditures for any function not terminated by this Act to 75 percent of FY 1994 expenditures for the performance of such function.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1997
Northern Forest Stewardship Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, at the request of the Governor of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, or Vermont, to: (1) provide technical assistance for sustainable forest management; (2) assist in coordinating ecological and economic research and implementation of interstate and Northern Forest Lands Council policies; and (3) provide technical and financial assistance for State conservation land planning and acquisition (authorizes appropriations), and rural community assistance. Expresses the sense of the Congress regarding: (1) the need to address certain tax policies that work against Northern Forest conservation; (2) liability exemption for private landowners who permit public use of their land; and (3) nongame conservation funding. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, at the request of the Governor of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, or Vermont, to provide technical and financial assistance for Northern Forest water quality assessment. Authorizes specified appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1997
OSHA Modernization Act of 1997 - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to provide that employee safety and health participation committees are not prohibited under the National Labor Relations Act or the Railway Labor Act. (Sec. 3) Revises inspection provisions. Prohibits routine inspections of, or enforcement of rules against, employers of ten or fewer employees if such employers are: (1) farming operations which do not maintain a temporary labor camp; or (2) in a category of employers having an occupational injury or a lost workday case rate which is less than the national average. Grants the Secretary of Labor specified types of discretionary authority in determining which employee complaints must receive special inspection responses. (Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary to establish a voluntary compliance program granting partial exemption from certain OSHA safety and health inspections and investigations for employers who either retain certain consultation or certification programs, or have an exemplary safety record and a safety and health program meeting specified criteria, including having an employee participation program. (Sec. 5) Adds to employer defenses to a violation citation the defenses of employee misconduct or alternative methods equally or more protective of employee safety and health. (Sec. 6) Prohibits the Secretary from establishing any quotas for subordinates within the Occupational Safety and Health Administration with respect to number of inspections conducted, citations issued, or penalties collected. (Sec. 7) Provides for warnings in lieu of citations, at the Secretary's discretion. (Sec. 8) Reduces penalties for nonserious violations and where there are mitigating circumstances. Directs the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission to assess all civil penalties, giving due consideration to their appropriateness with respect to specified factors. Provides for various reductions of penalties for voluntary compliance program participants or exemplary safe worksites under certain conditions. (Sec. 9) Directs the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements with States for State provision of consultation services to employers on safe and healthful working conditions, if the State's approved plan does not provide for federally funded consultation services. Requires that at least 15 percent of the annual OSHA appropriation be expended for education, consultation, and outreach efforts. (Sec. 10) Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) cooperative agreements to encourage the establishment of comprehensive safety and health management systems specified mandatory features; and (2) a voluntary protection program, also with specified mandatory features, to encourage the achievement of excellence in both the technical and managerial protection of employees from occupational hazards. Authorizes the Secretary to charge an annual fee to participants in the voluntary protection program.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1997
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer specified Federal lands to the city of Greeley, Colorado, and The Water Supply and Storage Company, a Colorado mutual ditch company, if the city and the company offer to transfer specified lands to the United States (Rockwell Ranch and Timberline Lake properties and specified company lands). Specifies exchange terms and conditions, including that: (1) the United States shall grant perpetual access easements to the city and the company to the lands conveyed; (2) the city and the company shall continue to make specified reservoirs accessible to visitors to the Roosevelt National Forest; (3) all special use permits, easements, or other instruments authorizing occupancy of certain identified Federal lands are rescinded; and (4) conditions specified in certain easements for Long Draw, Peterson Lake, and Barnes Meadow Reservoirs requiring a joint operations plan providing instream winter flows to the mainstream of the Cache La Poudre River from Chambers Lake and Barnes Meadow Reservoir shall continue to be fulfilled regardless of land ownership unless the grantor and grantee of an easement agree otherwise. Directs that lands acquired by the United States under this Act be added to and administered as part of the Roosevelt National Forest and the portions of such lands located within a wilderness area shall be added to such area. Modifies the boundaries of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1997
Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1997 - Authorizes appropriations to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for FY 1998 and 1999 for specified science and technology activities. Prohibits authorization of funds under this Act for: (1) the Environmental Technology Initiative; (2) the Climate Change Action Plan; or (3) Indoor Air Research. Prohibits authorization of funds under this Act, other than amounts awarded through a competitive process, for the following activities: (1) the North Dakota Center for Air Toxic Metals Research; (2) the American Water Works Association Research Foundation; (3) the Association of California Water Agencies; (4) the Water Environmental Research Foundation; (5) the Experimental Program to Stimulate Cooperative Research; (6) Oil Spill Restoration at the Louisiana Environmental Research Center; (7) the Mine Waste Technology Program; (8) Livestock and Agriculture Pollution Abatement; (9) Resource and Agriculture Policy Development; (10) the San Joaquin Valley PM-10 Study; (11) the Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center; (12) the Gulf Coast Hazardous Substances Research Center; (13) the Salinity of the Salton Sea Study at the University of Redlands; (14) the Clean Air Status and Trends Network monitoring station in New England; (15) the National Decentralized Water Resources Capacity Project; (16) the Lung Disease Study by the National Jewish Center; (17) the Lower Mississippi River Cancer Study; or (18) the Northern Iowa Small Business Pollution Prevention Center. (Sec. 4) Requires the Administrator to assign to the Assistant Administrator for Research and Development the duties of: (1) developing and integrating a strategic plan for scientific and technical research activities; and (2) reviewing all EPA research to ensure that it is of high quality and not duplicative of other EPA research. Requires a report to the Congress regarding research that is of insufficiently high quality or is duplicative. (Sec. 5) Requires the Administrator to ensure that any fellowship award funded under this Act is used only to support research that would further missions of the Office of Research and Development in fields in which there is, or is projected to be, a shortage of scientists. (Sec. 6) Provides procedures for Science Advisory Board reports to the Congress regarding research programs proposed in the President's budget for EPA, periodic evaluation of selected areas of current and planned research, development, and demonstration activities, and annual review of research activities. Requires Board reports required to be submitted to the Administrator to be submitted also to the Congress. Authorizes appropriations for activities of the Board. (Sec. 7) Imposes restrictions on lobbying activities, funding of activities other than those for which funds are specifically authorized under this Act, and grants after FY 1997 for a project not subjected to a competitive, merit-based award process. (Sec. 8) Sets forth congressional committee notice requirements applicable to funds reprogramming actions and any major reorganization of an EPA program, project, or activity. (Sec. 9) Expresses the sense of the Congress with respect to EPA planning for the year 2000 computer problem.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 1997
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer specified Federal lands to the city of Greeley, Colorado, and The Water Supply and Storage Company, a Colorado mutual ditch company, if the city and the company offer to transfer specified lands to the United States (Rockwell Ranch and Timberline Lake properties and specified company lands). Specifies exchange terms and conditions, including that: (1) the United States shall grant perpetual access easements to the city and the company to the lands conveyed; (2) the city and the company shall continue to make specified reservoirs accessible to visitors to the Roosevelt National Forest; (3) all special use permits, easements, or other instruments authorizing occupancy of certain identified Federal lands are rescinded; and (4) conditions specified in certain easements for Long Draw, Peterson Lake, and Barnes Meadow Reservoirs requiring a joint operations plan providing instream winter flows to the mainstream of the Cache La Poudre River from Chambers Lake and Barnes Meadow Reservoir shall continue to be fulfilled regardless of land ownership unless the grantor and grantee of an easement agree otherwise. Directs that lands acquired by the United States under this Act be added to and administered as part of the Roosevelt National Forest and the portions of such lands located within a wilderness area shall be added to such area. Modifies the boundaries of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 1997
Imported Produce Labeling Act of 1997 - Requires country of origin labeling of perishable agricultural commodities imported into the United States. Authorizes fines for violations of such provision.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 1997
Directs the Secretary of the Army to compensate certain agricultural producers for flooding losses caused by water retention at the Lake Redrock, Iowa, dam site.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1997
Precision Agriculture Research, Education, and Information Dissemination Act of 1997 - Amends the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act to emphasize competitive grants that promote precision agriculture (as defined by this Act) research projects and to promote dissemination of such projects' results. Provides for the establishment of multistate and national agriculture partnerships, including existing partnerships between national laboratories (Secretary of Energy) and the Department of Agriculture. Amends the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to include precision agriculture within the research categories of the Fund for Rural America.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: General Provisions Title II: Interagency Council on the Homeless Title III: Federal Emergency Management Agency Food and Shelter Program Title IV: Housing Assistance Subtitle A: Reorganization of Certain McKinney Act Housing Provisions Subtitle B: Other Housing Assistance Programs for the Homeless Under McKinney Act Subtitle C: Miscellaneous Homeless Housing Provisions Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1997 - Title I: General Provisions - Requires budget compliance. Title II: Interagency Council on the Homeless - Amends the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (Act) to authorize appropriations for and extend the Interagency Council on the Homeless. Title III: Federal Emergency Management Food and Shelter Program - Amends the Act to authorize appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency food and shelter program. Title IV: Housing Assistance - Subtitle A: Reorganization of Certain McKinney Act Housing Provisions - Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Housing Assistance Amendments Act of 1997 - Amends title IV (Housing Assistance) of the Act to replace the current individual programs of emergency shelter grants, supportive housing program, safe havens for homeless individuals, and the shelter plus care program with an inclusive flexible grant program. Sets forth program provisions. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle B: Other Housing Assistance Programs for the Homeless Under McKinney Act - Amends the Act to increase budget authority for section 8 assistance for single room occupancy dwellings. Authorizes section 8 assistance for shelter plus care single room occupancy dwellings. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes appropriations for the rural homelessness grant program. Transfers such program from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Department of Agriculture. Subtitle C: Miscellaneous Homeless Housing Provisions - Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to direct States and localities to eliminate unfit transient facilities for homeless families with children according to a specified housing strategy.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Agriculture Programs Title II: Energy and Water Programs Title III: Interior Programs Title IV: Foreign Operations Programs Title V: Transportation Programs Omnibus Corporate Welfare Reduction Act of 1997 - Title I: Agriculture Programs - Repeals the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (REA), provisions of the Disaster Relief Act of 1970 relating to adjusting the repayment schedules on REA loans, and provisions of Federal law regarding: (1) congressional policy concerning making funds available to rural electric and telephone systems; (2) congressional policy with respect to rural telephone system financing; (3) loan programs under the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund; and (4) rural advanced telecommunications. Rescinds related unobligated balances. (Sec. 102) Repeals provisions of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 regarding an agricultural commodity export promotion program. Title II: Energy and Water Programs - Prohibits obligating or spending funds for the Animas-La Plata Project, Colorado and New Mexico, except regarding alternatives that would satisfy the water rights interests of the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. (Sec. 202) Declares that the Congress is concerned about the pyroprocessing program and should not proceed with a liquid metal reactor program. Amends provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 relating to advanced nuclear reactors to remove references to liquid metal reactors. Title III: Interior Programs - Prohibits the Department of Energy from conducting any fossil energy research and development, except as required by contracts entered into before enactment of this Act and as necessary to terminate ongoing activities. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 302) Amends Federal law commonly known as the National Forest Roads and Trails Act to modify requirements regarding the construction of forest development roads. Declares that it is the sense of the Congress that the full cost of forest road design, construction, and maintenance should be recovered through user fees. (Sec. 303) Prohibits fund obligation for the Clean Coal Technology program. Repeals, subject to exception, related appropriations from an appropriations Act for FY 1986 and rescinds any related unobligated funds. Title IV: Foreign Operations Programs - Abolishes the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and repeals related provisions. Requires that the Office of Management and Budget perform OPIC functions on certain existing contracts until their expiration. Prohibits contract renewal. Deposits unexpended balances in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. (Sec. 402) Sets forth findings regarding the International Monetary Fund and its Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF). Declares that it is the sense of the Congress that the United States should not participate in the latest round of General Agreements to Borrow (commonly referred to as the New Arrangement to Borrow) or provide additional resources to the ESAF. Title V: Transportation Programs - Expresses the sense of the Congress that highway demonstration projects should not be required by Federal law. (Sec. 502) Repeals provisions of the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965 authorizing the Appalachian development highway system.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1997
Prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture from rejecting an enrollment of land into the conservation reserve program based upon the land being out of production if such land had previously been enrolled in the Reinvest in Minnesota land conservation program.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1997
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to consider basing the milk marketing order basic formula price on dairy farmer milk production costs.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1997
Economic Competitiveness and Growth Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a 50 percent capital gains deduction from gross income (with a computation provision for estate and trust purposes). Makes related Code changes in the areas of: (1) itemized deductions; (2) accounting methods; (3) exempt organizations; (4) estates and trusts; (5) insurance companies; (6) regulated investment companies and shareholders; (7) investment trusts; (8) aliens and foreign corporations; (9) non-U.S. income; (10) capital losses; (11) S corporations; (12) farmers' cooperatives; (13) self-employment income; and (14) the merchant marine (including amendments to the Merchant Marine Act of 1936). (Sec. 3) Amends the provision regarding exclusion of gain from the sale of qualifying small business stock to: (1) increase the exclusion; (2) reduce the holding period; (3) make corporations eligible; (4) increase the size of qualifying businesses, and provide for inflation adjustments; (5) eliminate the per-issuer limitation; and (6) revise the working capital limitation. (Sec. 4) Provides for the rollover of gain from the sale of qualified small business stock to another qualified small business stock. (Sec. 5) Provides for the indexing of certain capital assets acquired (or held and used in the case of a personal residence) after December 30, 1996, for purposes of gain or loss determinations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1997
Rural Environment Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers primarily engaged in a farming-related business an investment tax credit for a percentage of: (1) the costs of agricultural environmental property (as defined by this Act); and (2) the amount allowed as a deduction for soil and water conservation expenditures.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1997
Meat and Poultry Products Inspection Amendments of 1997 - Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act with respect to Federal and State cooperation to: (1) eliminate the intrastate limitation; (2) increase State inspection authority, including use of State inspectors; and (3) prohibit additional or different State requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 1997
Point Reyes National Seashore Farmland Protection Act of 1997 - Amends Federal law to include the Farmland Protection Area in the Point Reyes National Seashore, California, with the primary objective being to protect private agricultural land from nonagricultural development by conservation easements. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make farmland acquisitions within the Area. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 1997
Occupational Safety and Health Reform Act of 1997 - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to revise provisions relating to use of OSHA in private litigation. Provides that an allegation, a finding, or an abatement of an alleged violation, under OSHA or the standards promulgated under OSHA, shall not be admissible as evidence in any civil action or used to increase the amount of payments received under any workers' compensation law for any work-related injury. (Sec. 3) Provides that, on multi-employer work sites, an employer may not be cited for a violation of certain duties if the employer: (1) has not created the condition that caused the violation; or (2) has no employees exposed to the violation and has not assumed responsibility for ensuring compliance by other employers on the work site. (Sec. 4) Requires the following criteria in development of OSHA standards: (1) significant risk; (2) technological and economical feasibility; (3) reasonable cost-benefit relationship; (4) cost-effectiveness and minimal job loss; and (5) expression in objective criteria and desired performance. Prohibits citation for violation of a standard for which the employer has a variance pending. Revises standard priorities based on toxicity and numbers exposed. Requires a regulatory flexibility analysis for each standard promulgated. Requires minimization of time, efforts, and costs involved in retention, reporting, notifying, or disclosure of information required under such standards. (Sec. 5) Revises inspection provisions, including those relating to the authority of the Secretary of Labor and to recordkeeping requirements. Grants the Secretary discretion in determining which employer complaints must receive formal inspection responses. Requires inspections to be conducted by at least one individual trained in and knowledgeable of the industry or the types of hazards. Provides for fire hazard inspection training and referral. Prohibits routine inspections of employers of 50 or fewer employees if such employers are: (1) farming operations which do not maintain a temporary labor camp; or (2) in a category of employers having an occupational injury or a lost day rate which is less than the national average. (Sec. 6) Directs the Secretary to establish a voluntary compliance program granting partial exemption from OSHA general inspections for employers who either retain certain consultation or certification programs or have an exemplary safety record and a safety and health program meeting specified criteria. (Sec. 7) Adds employer defenses of employee misconduct or alternative safer methods. (Sec. 8) Revises enforcement procedures with respect to notification of deadlines for employer contests of citations before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Places the burden of proof on the Secretary in all hearings before the Commission relating to a contested citation. Revises judicial review provisions to require the court to make its own determination as to questions of law, including the reasonable interpretation of standards, and to not accord deference to either the Commission or the Secretary. (Sec. 9) Revises procedures for discrimination protection for whistle-blowers under OSHA. Directs the Secretary to attempt to eliminate the alleged violation by informal methods before bringing an action in any appropriate U.S. district court against an employer. Allows an employer against whom such an action is brought to demand that the issue of discrimination be determined by jury trial. Makes such provisions the exclusive means of securing a remedy for any aggrieved employee. Provides that any records of the Secretary relating to such investigations and enforcement proceedings shall not be subject to inspection and examination by the public while open or pending in the U.S. district court. (Sec. 10) Provides for special enforcement procedures through which the Secretary can require an employer to correct a condition of imminent danger to employees. (Sec. 11) Requires the Secretary of Labor to establish small business assistance and training programs, including: (1) model injury prevention programs, completion of which qualifies employers for certain exemptions and reductions in penalties; (2) technical assistance and consultative services for employers and employees, targeted at small businesses and the most hazardous industries; and (3) certain consultative services to employers provided under cooperative agreements between the States and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Requires that at least one-fourth of the annual appropriation to carry out OSHA be expended for such worksite-based incentives for voluntary compliance. (Sec. 12) Revises OSHA penalties in general. Limits the maximum amount of any civil penalty. Directs the Commission to assess all civil penalties, giving due consideration to their appropriateness with respect to specified factors. Provides for reduction or suspension of penalties for voluntary compliance program participants or exemplary safe worksites under certain conditions. Provides that no employer shall be subject to any State or Federal criminal prosecution arising out of a workplace accident other than under specified OSHA criminal penalty provisions. (Sec. 13) Repeals authority for the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), thus abolishing it. Transfers to the Secretary of Labor functions and authorities of NIOSH and of the Secretary of Health and Human Services under OSHA. (Sec. 14) Directs the Secretary of Labor to conduct a continuing comprehensive economic impact analysis of the costs and benefits of each standard in effect under OSHA and to report the results biennially to the Congress. (Sec. 15) Makes certain restrictions (including penalties for unfair labor practices) under the National Labor Relations Act inapplicable to employer involvement with employee health and safety committees.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1997
Modifies the boundary of the Raggeds Wilderness, Gunnison and White River National Forests, Colorado, to exclude a specified parcel of real property. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey such real property to certain private landowners whose real property in Gunnison County, Colorado, adjoins the excluded lands and who have occupied the excluded lands in good faith reliance on an erroneous survey.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1997
Makes amounts available for expenses, including expenses of staff salaries, of the following committees of the House of Representatives in the 105th Congress: (1) Agriculture; (2) Banking and Financial Services; (3) Budget; (4) Commerce; (5) Education and the Workforce; (6) Government Reform and Oversight; (7) House Oversight; (8) Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; (9) International Relations; (10) Judiciary; (11) National Security; (12) Resources; (13) Rules; (14) Science; (15) Small Business; (16) Standards of Official Conduct; (17) Transportation and Infrastructure; (18) Veterans' Affairs; and (19) Ways and Means. Sets forth first and second session limitations on such amounts. Establishes a reserve fund for unanticipated expenses of committees for the 105th Congress to be paid to them pursuant to allocations approved by the Committee on House Oversight.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 1997
Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to require States to verify that prisoners are not receiving food stamps.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 1997
Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to require States to verify that prisoners are not considered part of a household for food stamp program purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 1997
Declares that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States and the United Nations, through the International Coral Reef Initiative, should: (1) work with organizations, governments, and the private sector to identify, and eliminate or modify, unsustainable fisheries or other practices that are harmful to coral reefs and human health; and (2) promote the sustainable use of coral reef resources worldwide, consistent with Agenda 21 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development, the Food and Agriculture Organization Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries adopted in October 1995, and the International Coral Reef Initiative Call to Action and Framework for Action.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Northern Forest Stewardship Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, at the request of the Governor of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, or Vermont, to: (1) provide technical assistance for sustainable forest management; (2) assist in coordinating ecological and economic research and implementation of interstate and Northern Forest Lands Council policies; (3) provide technical and financial assistance for State conservation land planning and acquisition (authorizes appropriations), and rural community assistance. Expresses the sense of the Congress regarding: (1) the need to address certain tax policies that work against Northern Forest conservation; (2) liability exemption for private landowners who permit public use of their land; and (3) nongame conservation funding. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, at the request of the Governor of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, or Vermont, to provide technical and financial assistance for Northern Forest water quality assessment. Authorizes specified appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Market Access Program Elimination Act - Amends the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to repeal the market access program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire fire fighting goods or services from Federal agencies without regard to certain commercial contracting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
NAFTA Accountability Act - Requires assessment of the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), renegotiation of certain NAFTA provisions, and withdrawal from NAFTA unless specified conditions are met and certified to. Sets forth conditions for continuing U.S. participation in NAFTA, which must be met before the end of 1998. Requires certifications by certain U.S. officials with respect to NAFTA, relating to: (1) overall trade balance between each NAFTA Party (United States, Canada, and Mexico) (by the Secretary of Commerce); (2) currency values (by the Secretary of the Treasury); (3) gains in U.S. jobs and living standards (by the Secretary of Labor); (4) health and environmental standards, with respect to food imports and to U.S.-Mexico border areas (by the Secretary of Agriculture, the Administrator of the Food and Drug Administration, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency); (5) flow of illegal drugs from Mexico and Canada (by the Attorney General); (6) NAFTA Party democracy and human freedoms (by the President); (7) U.S. agriculture (by the Secretary of Agriculture); and (8) compliance with U.S. transportation safety standards by Mexican commercial trucks or buses coming into the United States (by the Secretary of Transportation). Requires the President to renegotiate, in specified ways, the terms of NAFTA to: (1) correct trade deficits, currency distortions, loss of U.S. jobs, and agricultural tariff and quota provisions; and (2) ensure the safety of the public health and the environment, provide effective drug interdiction, and ensure compliance with certain U.S. transportation standards. Directs the President to consult regularly with the Congress regarding such renegotiations and certifications. Directs the U.S. Trade Representative to consult with appropriate congressional committees in developing technical and conforming amendments that may be required to carry out this Act. Expresses the sense of the Congress that until the conditions set by this Act are met: (1) the President should not engage in negotiations to expand NAFTA to include other countries; and (2) fast-track authority should not be renewed with respect to the approval of any such NAFTA expansion.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Department of Commerce Grants Title II: Public Works and Job Restoration Subtitle A: Jobs 2000 Subtitle B: Employment in Support of Community Renewal Subtitle C: Employment Activities; Repair and Renovation of Educational Facilities Title III: General Provisions Job Creation and Infrastructure Restoration Act of 1997 - Title I: Department of Commerce Grants - Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make grants to any State or local government for construction, renovation, repair, restoration, or other improvement of local public works projects, including those for which Federal financial assistance is authorized under other titles or Acts. Limits the Federal share to not more than 90 percent of project cost. Prohibits any new grants after the expiration of any three-month period during which the national unemployment rate remains below five percent for each such month, or after September 30, 2001, whichever occurs first. (Sec. 103) Provides for allocation of funds and for preferences. Gives priority to State or local governments with unemployment rates higher than the national average. Requires State and local prioritization of applications. Allows localization of unemployment determinations. (Sec. 105) Sets forth general limitations, including Buy American and minority participation requirements and applicability of laws regarding individuals with disabilities. Requires public authorities, as part of the process of competitive bidding for contract awards under this Act, to: (1) seek to obtain Project Agreements with Building Trades Councils, including the establishment of Project Committees; and (2) assign to each project an enforcement official to enforce standards under this Act and Project Committee orders. (Sec. 106) Authorizes appropriations and deems them to be emergency spending. Title II: Public Works and Job Restoration - Subtitle A: Jobs 2000 - Jobs 2000 Act of 1997 - Provides for jobs for the unemployed and underemployed, especially youth, through payments for labor and related costs for: (1) construction, repair, or rehabilitation of community and educational facilities; (2) reclamation and conservation of public lands; and (3) creation, repair, rehabilitation, and restoration of public safety, public transportation, health, social services, and recreation facilities and other activities necessary to the public welfare. (Sec. 203) Sets forth participant eligibility and certification requirements, duration and extent of subsidized employment, participation priorities, special considerations for welfare recipients and veterans, and equal employment opportunities for traditionally underrepresented groups. (Sec. 204) Requires that at least 75 percent of funds made available to any recipient under subtitles B and C be used for wages and related employment benefits for work which the recipient certifies has been performed in authorized activities. Sets forth other limitations on use of funds, except training costs in specified circumstances. Subtitle B: Employment in Support of Community Renewal - Part A: Community Improvement Projects - Requires participants to be employed in community improvement projects in various specified activities under the categories of: (1) repair, rehabilitation, or improvement of public facilities; (2) conservation, restoration, rehabilitation, or improvement of public lands; and (3) public safety, health, social service, and other activities necessary to public welfare. (Sec. 210) Provides for joint programs, public lands projects limitations, eligibility and qualification of administrative entities, allotment of funds, requirements for receipt of funds, reports, and project design priorities and coordination. Requires, in the case of projects or activities that involve construction, reconstruction, repair, or renovation of physical structures, that: (1) each project for which a grant is made under this title be performed by contract on the basis of competitive bidding, unless the Secretary finds that an alternative method is in the public interest under circumstances related to the project; and (2) public authorities awarding such contracts seek Project Agreements with Building Trades Councils, including establishing Project Committees, and assign project enforcement officers. Part B: Community Improvement and Renewal Activities for Youth Trainees - Authorizes use of funds for wages and benefits for eligible youth for part-time employment up to 32 hours per week in authorized youth trainee activities at a work site of a public or private nonprofit or for-profit employer, in a manner which requires and is consistent with enrollment in high school, an equivalency program, or a program of basic skills, skills training, or employability development for at least eight hours per week. (Sec. 221) Provides for joint programs, youth eligibility requirements, exemption from unemployment duration requirements, priority for the economically disadvantaged, and equitable service for school dropouts. Part C: State Job Programs - Reserves five percent of State allotments for: (1) authorized State-administered programs and activities; (2) special assistance for areas with sudden or severe economic dislocations; (3) State-directed emergency aid to cope with natural disasters; and (4) special assistance to seasonal farmworkers and small farmers in areas with severe economic disruption. (Sec. 231) Sets forth requirements for program and activity selection and design. Subtitle C: Employment Activities; Repair and Renovation of Educational Facilities - Part A: Elementary and Secondary School Facility Improvement Jobs - Requires making funds under this part available to any eligible local education agency in an eligible jurisdiction to provide employment to eligible participants in repair, renovation, restoration, or rehabilitation of public school facilities. (Sec. 241) Provides for use of quick-start projects, permitted uses of funds, tribal school projects, allotment of funds, and receipt requirements. Part B: Higher Education Facility Improvement Projects - Requires funds under this part to be made available to higher education institutions in eligible jurisdictions to provide employment to eligible participants in work on repair, restoration, renovation, or rehabilitation of academic facilities. (Sec. 251) Provides for use of quick-start projects, permitted uses of funds, selection of projects, allotment of funds, and receipt requirements. Part C: Special Definitions for Subtitle C - Sets forth special definitions for subtitle C. Part D: Authorization of Appropriations - Authorizes appropriations. Title III: General Provisions - Sets forth general requirements, including wage rates, labor standards, fiscal controls and sanctions, and judicial review procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: General Provisions Title II: Revenue from Mining Claims Title III: Use or Disposal of Federal Natural Resources Title IV: National Park Concessions Public Resources Deficit Reduction Act of 1997 - Title I: General Provisions - Prohibits the disposal of federally-owned natural resources at less than fair market value (including forage, timber, minerals, water and hydroelectric energy generated at a Federal facility). Authorizes a presidential waiver of this proscription whenever the President determines it is in the national interest. (Sec. 102) Authorizes the Secretaries of the Interior and of Agriculture to impose user fees upon program beneficiaries. (Sec. 103) Requires the President's budget message to include a separate statement, asset by asset and aggregated by major functional category, identifying: (1) projected revenues from the anticipated sale, lease, or transfer of any physical asset; and (2) the estimated price at which it would be sold in an arms length transaction in the private sector. Title II: Revenue from Mining Claims - Requires the payment of a royalty to the Federal government of five percent of the net smelter return from the production of locatable minerals or mineral concentrates produced from any mining claim located under the general mining laws. Establishes the Abandoned Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund, into which all such royalty receipts shall be deposited for the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past minerals activities (other than coal and fluid minerals activities). Identifies the kinds of land and waters eligible for reclamation expenditures. Authorizes appropriations for the Fund. Restricts the issuance of any patents for mining or mill site claims to those for which applications were filed, and certain statutory requirements governing vein or lode claims, placer claims, and mill site claims were complied with, before September 30, 1994. Sets forth annual claim maintenance fee requirements (which shall not apply to oil shale claims subject to claim maintenance fees under the Energy Policy Act of 1992). Title III: Use or Disposal of Federal Natural Resources - Amends the Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National Forest lands in the 16 contiguous Western States, and the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public domain lands, where domestic livestock grazing is permitted under applicable law, to establish and implement an annual domestic livestock grazing fee equal to fair market value, based on a specified formula. Abolishes grazing advisory boards. Dedicates the U.S. share of grazing fee receipts to: (1) fish and wildlife habitat restoration and enhancement; (2) restoration and improved management of riparian areas; and (3) enforcement of applicable land management plans, allotment plans, and regulations. (Sec. 302) Amends the National Forest Management Act of 1976 to prohibit below-cost timber sales from National Forest System Lands. Requires sale revenues to exceed costs. (Sec. 303) Amends the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 to require the Secretary of Agriculture in revising land management plans to take into account the economic suitability of lands for timber production. (Sec. 304) Amends the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to require that irrigation water from the Bureau of Reclamation used to produce crops on production flexibility contract acreage be paid for at the full cost for delivery. (Sec. 305) Amends the Food Security Act of 1995 and the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to provide for the reduction of payment limitations for persons who receive Federal irrigation water for agricultural purposes. (Sec. 308) Amends the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988 to repeal the livestock feed assistance program. (Sec. 309) Requires that right-of-way permits for the use and occupation of public lands or National Forests be established at fair market value. (Sec. 310) Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to require that oil and gas rental prices for leases on public lands be established at fair market value. (Sec. 311) Amends the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Simplification and Fairness Act of 1996 to identify circumstances under which the Secretary of the Interior may make an assessment of 20 percent of the amount of underreported royalties from any lease for any production month. Title IV: National Park Concessions - Repeals the Concessions Policy Act of 1965. (Sec. 404) Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to award concession contracts that authorize private persons, corporations, or other entities to provide services to park visitors and to utilize facilities if it is determined that such award is appropriate. (Sec. 405) Requires a concession contract to be awarded to the person submitting the best proposal through a competitive selection process to be established by the Secretary. Allows noncompetitive award of a temporary contract to avoid interruption of services. Requires the Secretary to publish a notice of availability for a prospectus soliciting proposals for contracts for concessions at a Park specifying minimum contract requirements and contract terms and conditions. Requires congressional notification for any proposed contract with anticipated gross receipts exceeding $1 million or of a duration of over ten years. Prohibits the Secretary from granting a preferential right to a concessioner to renew concession contracts under this Act, except for certain outfitting and guide contracts and certain contracts with annual gross receipts of under $500,000. (Sec. 406) Sets forth criteria for determining franchise fees, including fees for multiple franchise contracts within a park. (Sec. 407) Requires all fees to be: (1) covered into a special Treasury account established for reallocation to NPS units for resource management and protection, maintenance activities, interpretation, and research; or (2) deposited into a Park Improvement Fund established by the concessioner (as directed by the Secretary) from which expenditures shall be made for park activities and projects. Requires: (1) an annual statement from the concessioner to the Secretary reflecting total activity in the Fund for the preceding fiscal year; and (2) an annual report from the Secretary to specified congressional committees concerning Fund expenditures. (Sec. 408) Establishes a maximum: (1) ten-year duration for a concessions contract, provided that the Secretary may award a contract for up to 20 years if determined necessary; and (2) two-year duration for a temporary contract. (Sec. 409) Requires the approval of the Secretary and congressional notification before a concession contract can be transferred, assigned, sold, or conveyed. Sets forth conditions that preclude such approval. (Sec. 410) Grants possessory interest to: (1) concessioners who have commenced acquisition or construction of any structure on Federal land within a park before the enactment of this Act; and (2) concessioners who construct or acquire an improvement on U.S. land within a Park after enactment of this Act. (Sec. 411) Places limitations on a concessioner's rates and charges to the public. (Sec. 412) Directs the Secretary to: (1) evaluate periodically the performance of each concessioner under contract; (2) terminate a contract if a concessioner fails, within the prescribed time, to meet minimum requirements identified in a notice of unsatisfactory performance; and (3) notify specified congressional committees of each unsatisfactory rating and each contract terminated. (Sec. 413) Grants the Comptroller General of the United States access to and the right to examine any pertinent books, documents, papers, and records of the concessioner related to the contracts. (Sec. 414) Exempts contracts awarded by the Secretary under this Act from certain provisions of Federal law with respect to the leasing of U.S. buildings and properties. (Sec. 416) Requires the Inspector General of the Department of the Interior to submit biannual reports to specified congressional committees on the implementation of this Act and its effect on facilities operated pursuant to concession contracts and on visitor services. (Sec. 417) Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1997
Amends the Agricultural Market Transition Act to permit the planting of fruit and vegetables on contract acreage following the failure of a crop on such acreage due to conditions beyond the producer's control.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 1997
Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to assist States in implementing computer or other systems to prevent prisoners from receiving food stamps.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1997
Quincy Library Group Forest Recovery and Economic Stability Act of 1997 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a pilot project within the Plumas, Lassen, and Tahoe National Forests, California, to demonstrate the effectiveness of specified resource management activities recommended by the Quincy Library Group.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1997
Authorizes a farmer or rancher whose 1997-expiring contract was rejected for reenrollment in the conservation reserve program to unilaterally extend the contract for one year.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1997
Amends Federal law to revise provisions concerning rules and regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to the use of motorized and nonmotorized river craft on the Snake River within the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area in Oregon and Idaho to: (1) permit such river craft access to, and use of, the entire River within the Area at all times during the year; (2) provide that concurrent use by motorized and nonmotorized river craft shall not be considered a conflict; (3) allow use of the commercial and private river craft to continue on the entire River within the Area throughout each year at levels that optimize the opportunity of the American people to utilize such Area within the reasonable capacity of the resources to sustain that use, recognizing as acceptable established daily and seasonal use patterns and considering the economic well-being of surrounding communities; and (4) allow unrestricted use of such river craft on the River within the Area by owners of private property for traveling to or from their property in their usual and accustomed manner.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1997
Amends Federal law to revise provisions concerning rules and regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to the use of motorized and nonmotorized river craft on the Snake River within the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area in Oregon and Idaho to: (1) permit such river craft access to, and use of, the entire River within the Area at all times during the year; (2) provide that concurrent use by motorized and nonmotorized river craft shall not be considered a conflict; (3) allow use of the commercial and private river craft to continue on the entire River within the Area throughout each year at levels that optimize the opportunity of the American people to utilize such Area within the reasonable capacity of the resources to sustain that use, recognizing as acceptable established daily and seasonal use patterns and considering the economic well-being of surrounding communities; and (4) allow unrestricted use of such river craft on the River within the Area by owners of private property for traveling to or from their property in their usual and accustomed manner.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 1997
Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act - Requires the U.S. Government to: (1) disable and dismantle all its nuclear weapons and refrain from replacing them at any time with weapons of mass destruction; (2) undertake vigorous good faith efforts to eliminate war, armed conflict, and all military operations; (3) actively promote policies to induce all other countries to join in these commitments for peace on earth; and (4) redirect resources that are currently being used for nuclear weapons programs to constructive, ecologically beneficial peacetime activities and to address human needs such as housing, health care, education, agriculture, and environmental protection. Makes this Act effective when the President certifies to the Congress that all foreign countries possessing nuclear weapons have established legal requirements comparable to those set forth in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 1997
Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to require the Chief of the Forest Service to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, from among persons who have substantial experience and demonstrated competence in forest land management and natural resources conservation. Allows the current Chief to continue to serve until the earlier of: (1) the end of the six-month period beginning on the enactment of this Act; or (2) the date on which such person is reappointed or a replacement is appointed.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of Agriculture should consider acting immediately to modify the Basic Formula Price for dairy by replacing the National Cheese Exchange as a factor in setting such price.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to make a boundary adjustment of the Hells Canyon Wilderness to exclude a specified Forest Service road (which shall continue to be part of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area) so that it may continue to be used by motorized vehicles to its historical terminus at Squirrel Prairie.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
Extends the termination date (and restores lapsed authority) for milk marketing order seasonal base plans under the Agricultural Adjustment Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to permit the interstate distribution of State-inspected meat and poultry where State inspection requirements are at least equal to Federal requirements and are consistently enforced.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
Crop Insurance Improvement Act of 1997 - Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to define "designated disaster area" to include an area: (1) declared a major disaster area by the President; or (2) determined to be a disaster area by the Secretary of Agriculture. Prohibits the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation from: (1) listing a producer with disaster-area crop losses on the nonstandard classification list; and (2) considering such losses in yield determinations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act, the Federal Agriculture Improvement Reform Act of 1996, and the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to provide coverage for plant disease-caused losses under the crop insurance, noninsured crop assistance, and emergency disaster loan programs.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
Provides amounts for expenses of the House Committee on Agriculture for the 105th Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 1997
Omnibus Committee Funding Resolution for 1997 and 1998 - Authorizes expenditures by the following Senate committees from March 1, 1997, through September 30, 1998, and for the period March 1, 1998, through February 28, 1999: (1) Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; (2) Appropriations; (3) Armed Services; (4) Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; (5) Budget; (6) Commerce, Science, and Transportation; (7) Energy and Natural Resources; (8) Environment and Public Works; (9) Finance; (10) Foreign Relations; (11) Governmental Affairs; (12) Judiciary; (13) Labor and Human Resources; (14) Rules and Administration; (15) Small Business; (16) Veterans' Affairs; (17) Aging; (18) Intelligence; and (19) Indian Affairs. Authorizes the transfer of any unexpended balance of any committee for the period ending February 28, 1997, to a special reserve to be available to any committee to meet specified unpaid obligations or expenses. Requires space assigned to committees covered by this resolution to be reduced commensurate with the reductions in authorized staff funded herein and under S.Res. 73, 104th Congress. States that the Committee on Rules and Administration is expected to recover such space for purposes of equalizing Senators' offices and to consolidate the space for committees to reduce the cost of support equipment and office furniture and accessories.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 1997
Precision Agriculture Research, Education, and Information Dissemination Act of 1997 - Amends the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act to emphasize competitive grants that promote precision agriculture (as defined by this Act) research projects and to promote dissemination of such projects' results. Provides for the establishment of multistate and national agriculture partnerships, including existing partnerships between national laboratories (Secretary of Energy) and the Department of Agriculture. Amends the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to include precision agriculture within the research categories of the Fund for Rural America.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 1997
Sets forth certain requirements with respect to the enclosure space and diet in the raising of calves for veal. Subjects violators to specified civil and criminal penalties. Authorizes inspections by the Secretary of Agriculture.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 1997
Fair Trade in Meat and Pork Products Act of 1997 - Directs the United States Trade Representative (USTR), for purposes of identifying foreign countries not in compliance with the terms of any trade agreement with the United States, to determine whether the European Union has failed to implement its obligations under the Exchange of Letters, the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, or any other agreement. Requires the USTR, in the event of such a failure, to: (1) promptly request proceedings under the formal dispute settlement procedures applicable under the agreement; and (2) request the Secretary of Agriculture to direct the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture to review certifications for European Union facilities that import meat and other agricultural products into the United States.