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Bill· HRH.R. 6186 (102nd)open
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 1992
Establishes the Jemez National Recreational Area in New Mexico. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a management plan for the Area as an amendment to the Santa Fe National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. Requires the Secretary to: (1) protect religious and cultural sites in the Area; and (2) provide access to such sites by Indian peoples for traditional cultural and religious purposes. Authorizes the Secretary to permit timber harvesting in the Area for commercial purposes as long as it is compatible with the Area's purposes. Continues: (1) timber sales already under contract on enactment of this Act; and (2) the Los Griegos timber sale in a specified area of the Santa Fe National Forest. Directs the Secretary to manage the Los Griegos timber sale by using uneven aged management including the individual tree selection method. Requires the Secretary to prepare a transportation plan to provide for the most efficient use of existing roads and trails, including a comprehensive system for dispersed recreation which minimizes its impact on significant archaeological and religious sites. Directs the Secretary to provide for recreational facilities within the Area and establish a visitor center. Authorizes the Secretary to permit under certain conditions: (1) a utility corridor for high power electric transmission lines; and (2) scientific investigations. Prohibits the issuance of any mining location or claim patents after May 30, 1991, with respect to the area. Permits any party who has been deprived of any property rights by such prohibition to file a compensation claim against the United States in the U.S. Claims Court within one year after enactment. Withdraws lands within the Area from U.S. mining, mineral leasing, and related laws. Declares that any requirements imposed by the Secretary on certain mining activities within the Area shall include requirements for reasonable reclamation of disturbed lands to a visual and hydrological condition as close as practicable to their premining condition. Directs the Secretary to expedite a program to determine the validity of all unpatented mining claims within the Area (incuding those for which a patent has been filed). Requires the Secretary to declare any invalid claims null and void. Authorizes the Secretary to use, under specified conditions, mineral materials from within the Area for public purposes such as maintenance and construction of roads, trails, and facilities. Directs the Secretary to evaluate and make recommendations to the Congress about lands adjoining the Area (including specified privately-owned land) for possible inclusion in it. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to convey the Old Taos Ranger District Office and Warehouse to the town of Taos, New Mexico. Sets forth the terms and conditions of such conveyance. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to contract with the Smithsonian Institution for the completion of the prehistoric trackways study required under a specified Act.
Law· SS. 3327 (102nd)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1992
Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 to permit an acre-for-acre transfer of certain tobacco acreage allotments.
Bill· SS. 3334 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1992
Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to convey by quitclaim deed certain lands in Arizona in exchange for administrative improvements for the Coconino National Forest in Arizona.
Bill· SS. 3320 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1992
Agricultural Price Support Elimination Act of 1992 - Amends certain agricultural Acts to repeal price support and other specified agricultural assistance programs for milk, cotton, rice, honey, and tobacco.
Bill· HRH.R. 6138 (102nd)open
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1992
Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to permit certain water and waste facility loans and grants to be made if the funds will be used primarily to provide services to residents of a rural area that was recognized as a colonia as of October 1, 1989.
Law· HRH.R. 6167 (102nd)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1992
Water Resources Development Act of 1992 - Title I: Water Resources Projects - Authorizes the Secretary of the Army (the Secretary) to carry out public works projects in the following locations for improvements to navigation, flood control, ecosystem restoration, and beach erosion control and hurricane protection: (1) Southeast Alaska Harbors of Refuge, Alaska; (2) Whiteman's Creek, Arkansas; (3) Morro Bay Harbor, California; (4) Sacramento Metro Area, California; (5) Rio Grande Alamosa, Colorado; (6) Delaware River Mainstem and Channel Deepening, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; (7) Canaveral Harbor, Florida; (8) Kissimmee River, Florida; (9) Port Everglades Harbor, Florida; (10) Savannah Harbor, Georgia and South Carolina; (11) Amite River and Tributaries, Louisiana; (12) Saugus River and Tributaries, Massachusetts; (13) Las Vegas Wash and Tributaries, Nevada; (14) Morehead City Harbor, North Carolina; (15) West Onslow and New River Inlet, North Carolina; (16) Lackawanna River at Olyphant and at Scranton, Pennsylvania; (17) Locks and Dams 2 and 3, Monongahela River, Pennsylvania; (18) Rio Grande De Loiza, Puerto Rico; (19) Sargent Beach, Texas; (20) Shoal Creek, Austin, Texas; and (21) Sandbridge Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Modifies projects at the following locations with respect to wildlife mitigation, flood control, beach erosion control and hurricane protection, navigation, and other improvements: (1) Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Alabama and Mississippi; (2) Goleta and vicinity, California; (3) Oceanside Harbor, California; (4) San Leandro Marina, California; (5) O'Hare system of the Chicagoland underflow plan, Illinois; (6) Illinois River, Illinois; (7) South Frankfort, Kentucky; (8) Locks and Dam 26, Mississippi River, Alton, Illinois and Missouri; (9) Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana; (10) Parish Creek, Shady Side, Maryland; (11) Buffomville Lake, Massachusetts; (12) South Fork Zumbro River, Minnesota; (13) New Madrid Harbor, Missouri; (14) Papillion Creek and Tributaries Lakes, Nebraska; (15) Passaic River Main Stem, New Jersey and New York; (16) Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay, New Jersey; (17) Sandy Hook to Barnegat Inlet, New Jersey; (18) Rio Grande Floodway, New Mexico; (19) Jones Inlet, New York; (20) Westhampton Beach, New York; (21) Broken Bow Lake, Red River Basin, Oklahoma; (22) Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania; (23) Chetco River, Oregon; (24) Port Orford, Oregon; (25) Cliff Walk, Newport, Rhode Island; (26) Ray Roberts Lake, Elm Fork of the Trinity River, Texas; (27) Sims Bayou, Texas; (28) Virginia Beach, Virginia; (29) Lower Granite Lock and Dam, Washington; (30) Beech Fork Lake, West Virginia; (31) Bluestone Lake, Ohio River Basin, West Virginia; and (32) La Crosse and Shelby, Wisconsin. Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 to authorize and direct the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a contract with the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Southwest Florida Water Management District of the State of Florida for the continued operation and maintenance by the Secretary of portions of the Cross Florida barge canal project, subject to specified requirements. Authorizes the Secretary (subject to specified requirements) to: (1) construct visitor centers at Melvin Price Lock and Dam, Alton, Illinois, and at Mt. Morris Dam, New York, and a Northeastern New Jersey Regional Flood Operations-Response, Engineering, and Visitor Center, and at the John Hammerschmidt Lake, Arkansas River, Arkansas; and (2) establish and operate the Lower Mississippi River Museum and Riverfront Interpretive Site, Vicksburg, Mississippi. Directs the Secretary to consult with the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in the planning and design of the museum and site and with the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the National Park Service in the planning, design, and implementation of interpretive programs. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct studies and carry out small navigation projects at: (1) Calcasieu River, Louisiana; (2) Provincetown Harbor, Massachusetts; (3) Aunt Lydia's Cove, Chatham, Massachusetts; (4) Grand Marais, Minnesota; (5) Grand Portage, Minnesota; (6) Silver Bay, Minnesota; (7) Seaway Pier, Buffalo, New York; and (8) Tangier Island, Virginia. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct studies and, if the Secretary determines such projects to be feasible, to carry out small flood control projects at: (1) Blue River and Brock Creek, Salem, Indiana; (2) White River, Elnora, Indiana; (3) White River, Gibson County, Indiana; (4) White River, Petersburg, Indiana; (5) Wabash River, Knox County, Indiana; (6) Red River at Grand Marais Outlet, Minnesota; (7) Sullivan Run Creek, Butler, Pennsylvania; (8) Little Fossil Creek, Texas; and (9) Turpentine Run, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Modifies the project with respect to the maximum allotment and cost-sharing at St. Peters, St. Charles County, Missouri. Directs the Secretary to develop and carry out a Sonoma Baylands wetland demonstration project in the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary, California. Sets forth project purposes and requirements. Authorizes appropriations. Sets forth limitations on amounts transferred and obligated pursuant to the Upper Mississippi River Management Program. Specifies that the costs of operation and maintenance of projects located on Federal lands or lands owned or operated by a State or local government shall be borne by the Federal, State, or local agency that is responsible for management activities for fish and wildlife on such lands. Directs the Secretary to construct a research and quarantine facility in Broward County, Florida, to be used in connection with efforts to control Melaleuca and other exotic plant species that threaten native ecosystems in Florida. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to maintain navigation access to, and berthing areas at, all currently operating public and private commercial dock facilities associated with or having access to the Federal navigation project on the Columbia, Snake, and Clearwater Rivers from Bonneville Dam to and incuding Lewiston, Idaho, at a depth commensurate with the Federal navigation project. Exempts the Federal Government from liability resulting from such project. Authorizes the Secretary to construct such bulkheads along the Outer Harbor, Buffalo, New York, as may be necessary to protect the shoreline and reduce the flow of pollutants into Lake Erie. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study for a streambank and shoreline protection project for Walnut Canyon Creek, Anaheim, California, subject to specified requirements; and (2) proceed expeditiously with design, land acquisition, and construction of the Montgomery Point Lock and Dam on the White River, Arkansas. Sets forth provisions with respect to the costs of major rehabilitation from specified projects. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct a study for the purpose of determining whether there is contaminated ground water flowing downstream from the San Gabriel Valley Ground Water Basin to the Central Ground Water Basin in California through existing Federal facilities at Whittier Narrows Dam, Los Angeles County, California. Directs the Secretary: (1) to complete the general reevaluation study for the flood control project at Santa Paula Creek, California, and transmit to the Congress a report on the results of such study; (2) to complete and transmit to the Congress a feasibility study for enlargement of the flood control project for the Success Reservoir, Tule River, California; and (3) as part of the ongoing review of the Anacostia River Watershed in the District of Columbia and Maryland, to carry out a comprehensive assessment of adverse impacts to such watershed from Federal facilities, review current plans for reducing such adverse impacts, and carry out a feasibility study to identify and recommend measures for implementation to eliminate such adverse impacts. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to: (1) expeditiously complete the general design memorandum for the sand transfer portion of the navigation project for Canaveral Harbor, Florida; (2) expeditiously complete that portion of the navigation study for Tampa Harbor, Alafia River and Big Bend, Florida, relating to the Alafia River; (3) complete the feasibility study for Cedar River and tributaries, Blackhawk, Iowa; (4) complete the study for Federal maintenance of the Port Fourchon Navigation Channel, Louisiana; (5) conduct a study of and report to the Congress on, the water supply, distribution, and transmission needs of Brockton, Massachusetts; the feasibility of providing additional water supply for Brockton and vicinity; and the water quality and quantity and related land resources of the Taunton River; (6) conduct a study on proposed uses of the seawall located in Haverhill, Massachusetts (7) conduct an economic reevaluation of proposed improvements at Grand Marais Harbor, Michigan; (8) conduct a review and evaluation of the recreational master plan for Yazoo Basin, Mississippi; (9) conduct a study of the project for flood control, Ramapo River, Oakland, New Jersey; (10) complete the feasibility study for Little River, Niagara Falls, New York; (11) complete the feasibility study of shoreline protection for Strawberry Island, New York (and take such interim emergency measures as necessary); (12) complete a study of the flood control project for Wister Lake, Oklahoma; (13) conduct independent studies to determine the Federal interest and feasibility of providing improvements to the Chesapeake Bay shoreline in Hampton and Poquoson, Virginia, for environmental protection and enhancement and protection against high tides and wave action; (14) conduct a study of the project for navigation, Corpus Christi Ship Channel, Texas to determine the feasibility of modifying the project to include maintenance of the Jewel Fulton Canal at a depth of 17 feet as a Federal responsibility; and (15) conduct a study to determine the feasibility of establishing a Tug Valley Greenway, West Virginia, for the purpose of utilizing the river environment for public recreation opportunities. Sets forth reporting requirements. Sets the Federal share (100 percent) of the cost of completion of the study for mitigation of shoreline damage attributable to the Federal navigation project at Salmon Harbor, Oregon. Continues the authorization for projects and studies (for flood control and other purposes) at the following locations: (1) Green Bay Levee District, Iowa; (2) Lake Pontchartrain, North Shore, Louisiana; (3) St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway, Missouri; (4) Deal Lake, Monmouth County, New Jersey; (5) Tyrone, Pennsylvania; and (6) Big Pine Lake, Texas. Sets forth limitations with respect to such projects and studies. Deauthorizes navigation projects at the following locations: (1) Boothbay Harbor, Maine; (2) Boston Inner Harbor Channel, Massachusetts; (3) Newburyport, Massachusetts; (4) Greilickville, Michigan; (5) South Haven Harbor, Michigan; and (6) Sag Harbor, New York. Deauthorizes a portion of the Canaveral Harbor project, Florida. Designates: (1) lock and dam 3, Arkansas River, Arkansas, as the "Joe Hardin Lock and Dam"; (2) the Greers Ferry Lake Visitors Center, Arkansas, as the "William Carl Garner Visitors Center"; (3) the reservoir created by the James W. Trimble Lock and Dam on the Arkansas River, Arkansas, as the "John Paul Hammerschmidt Lake"; (4) lock 5 on the Red River Waterway, Louisiana, as the "Joe D. Waggonner, Jr. Lock"; (5) the area for which environmental and other streambank restoration measures are authorized relating to the project for flood control, Passaic River Mainstem, New Jersey and New York, as the "Joseph G. Minish Passaic River Waterfront Park and Historic Area"; (6) the project for flood control, Buena Vista, Virginia, as the "James R. Olin Flood Control Project"; (7) the Gallipolis Locks and Dam, Ohio River, Ohio and West Virginia, as the "Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam"; and (8) the Mill Creek Reservoir, Washington, as the "Virgil B. Bennington Lake." Title II: Generally Applicable Provisions - Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 to modify requirements concerning the ability of non-Federal interests to pay under cost-sharing agreements. Directs the Secretary to: (1) review regulations on ability to pay in light of locally prevailing conditions such as those associated with specified projects; and (2) amend the regulations to the extent that the Secretary determines necessary to more appropriately take into account locally prevailing conditions which would limit the ability of local interests to participate as non-Federal project sponsors in accordance with established cost-sharing formulas. Prohibits project modifications for improvements of the environment without specific congressional authorization if the estimated cost exceeds $5 million. Authorizes appropriation of not to exceed $25 million (currently, $15 million) annually to carry out provisions related to such modifications. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) accept contributions for environmental and recreation projects, with funds received to be deposited into a specified account in the Treasury; and (2) carry out projects for the protection, restoration, and creation of aquatic and ecologically related habitats in connection with dredging of an authorized navigation project. Sets forth provisions, in connection with the latter, regarding cooperative agreements, determination of construction costs, and authorization of appropriations. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) the definition of rehabilitation for inland waterway projects; (2) construction of shoreline protection projects by non-Federal interests; (3) cost-sharing for disposal of dredged material on beaches; and (4) fees for development of State water plans. Extends specified State safety and training, research, and dam inventory programs. Authorizes the Secretary to provide assistance to non-Federal interests for the repair, reconstruction, or other modification to Mussers Dam, Middle Creek, Snyder County, Pennsylvania, subject to specified limitations. Sets forth the Federal share. Authorizes appropriations. Specifies that all costs incurred in carrying out the project to correct seepage problems at Beaver Lake, Arkansas, shall be treated as costs incurred for a dam safety project, subject to cost-sharing requirements of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986. Authorizes the Secretary to procure materials necessary to promote the Corps safety program, for distribution to Corps employees, and to recognize outstanding safety performance by such employees. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary: (1) to the maximum extent practicable, to make use of private sector resources in carrying out surveying and mapping activities in the Corps' Civil Works Program; (2) to ensure that procurement with funds appropriated to carry out this Act are conducted in compliance with the "Buy American Act," with exceptions; (3) to report to specified congressional committees with specific recommendations on improving the equitable distribution of water resources development projects in rural areas; and (4) to conduct a comparative analysis with respect to the compensation of Corps and other similarly-situated Federal employees. Sets forth additional reporting requirements. Directs the Secretary to conduct a study on the need for changes in Federal law and policy with respect to dredged material disposal areas for the construction and maintenance of harbors and inland harbors by the Secretary. Sets forth reporting requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to provide assistance to non-Federal interests for carrying out specified projects for the beneficial reuse of waste water, including: (1) a Southern California Comprehensive Water reuse system; (2) San Diego area water reuse demonstration facilities; (3) Santa Rosa water reuse projects; and (4) a project to reduce salt water intrusion into aquifers in the vicinity of Castroville, California, improve the water quality of Monterey Bay and enhance the long-term water supply in the area. Sets forth certain restrictions regarding procurement of assistance from non-private sources. Sets the non-Federal share of the cost of projects for which assistance is provided at not less than 25 percent, with exceptions. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to provide design and construction assistance to the Santa Clara Valley Water District and to the city of San Jose, California to demonstrate and field test for public use innovative processes which advance the technology of waste water reuse and treatment and which promote the use of treated waste water for critical water supply purposes and for the protection of fish and wildlife in the San Francisco Bay. Sets the Federal share for specified grants at 75 percent. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to provide assistance to non-Federal interests to carry out water-related environmental infrastructure and resource protection and development projects relating to wastewater treatment and for other purposes at the following locations: (1) Washington, D.C. and Maryland; (2) Atlanta, Georgia; (3) Hazard, Kentucky; (4) Rouge River, Michigan; (5) Jackson County, Mississippi; (6) Epping, Manchester, and Rochester, New Hampshire; (7) Paterson and Passaic County, New Jersey; (8) State of New Jersey (including New Jersey Wastewater Treatment Trust); (9) Erie County, New York; (10) Otsego and Chenango Counties, New York; (11) Greensboro and Glassworks, Pennsylvania; (12) Lynchburg and Richmond, Virginia; and (13) along the U.S.-Mexican border. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to provide design and construction assistance to: (1) appropriate non-Federal interests for a water transmission line from the northern part of Beaver Lake, Arkansas, into Benton and Washington Counties, Arkansas; (2) the Buffalo Sewer Authority, Buffalo, New York, for the development and implementation of best management practices to reduce pollution from the combined sewer system in the city; (3) the town of Amherst, New York, for a storm water control project; and (4) the city of Lewiston, New York, for construction of a storm water control project. Sets forth cost and cost-sharing provisions. Provides for the termination of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors. Authorizes the Secretary to develop and implement a program to share the cost of managing recreation facilities and natural resources at water resource development projects under the Secretary's jurisdiction. Requires the Secretary to debar persons convicted of intentionally affixing a label bearing a "Made in America" inscription to any product sold in or shipped to the United States which is not made in the United States and which is used in a civil works project of the Secretary from contracting with the Federal Government for a period of from three to five years. Title III: Miscellaneous Provisions - Extends the jurisdiction of the Mississippi River Commission. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop a prevention monitoring program for zebra mussels throughout the New York City water supply system; (2) develop appropriate zebra mussel prevention and removal technologies for such system; and (3) provide technical assistance to the State and city of New York on alternative design and maintenance practices for such system in the event of zebra mussel infestation. Sets forth cost-sharing provisions. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to issue regulations to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance species in the Great Lakes through ballast water carried on vessels that, after operating on the waters beyond the exclusive economic zone, enter a U.S. port on the Hudson River north of the George Washington Bridge. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Earth Conservancy to develop, and carry out along the Susquehanna River between Wilkes-Barre and Sunbury, Pennsylvania, a wetlands demonstration project for the purposes of: (1) enhancing municipal waste water treatment in the region; (2) restoring and maintaining the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the Susquehanna River and its tributaries as well as nearby lands; and (3) developing cleanup technologies which can be utilized for various environmental restoration initiatives. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to enter into a cooperative agreement with non-Federal interests to develop and carry out along the Juniata River and its tributaries, Pennsylvania, a watershed reclamation and protection and wetlands creation and restoration project. Sets the Federal share at 75 percent. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes: (1) the construction of boat ramps and docks at Clarks Hill Reservoir, Georgia, subject to specified requirements; and (2) the Secretary to construct trailhead facilities at specified projects in West Virginia. Authorizes the Secretary to design and construct projects to address water quality problems associated with: (1) storm water discharges from large storm events for the New Orleans, Louisiana, area; and (2) watershed areas of Onondaga County and Syracuse, New York; of the Penobscot River near Bangor, Maine, and the Casco Bay near Portland, Maine; and of Narragansett Bay near the Providence, Rhode Island Metropolitan area. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) project design; and (2) cost-sharing. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to conduct studies of Baltimore Harbor, Maryland, for the purpose of developing analytical procedures and criteria for contaminated dredged material in order to distinguish those materials which should be placed in containment sites from those which could be used in beneficial projects or placed in open waters without being chemically altered, and of determining the feasibility and necessity of decontaminating dredged materials and of dewatering and recycling such materials for use as marketable products. Sets forth reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to review the report of the Chief of Engineers on the Ohio River and Tributaries and other pertinent reports to determine whether modifications of the report's recommendations are advisable at the present time. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Secretary to conduct a study of the economic benefits of Federal and significant non-Federal shore protection activities in the Mid-Atlantic region from New York to Virginia. Sets forth reporting requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Agriculture for the purpose of studying problems associated with flooding in Harrison County, Mississippi, under which the Secretaries will jointly conduct a reconnaissance study of such County and of specified bodies of water and associated watersheds; and (2) conduct a study on the need for navigation improvements in Reynolds Channel and the connecting State Boat Channel between Captree Island and Oak Beach. Sets forth reporting requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) review the reports of the Chief of Engineers and other pertinent documents pertaining to Orchard Beach, Bronx, New York, and to make appropriate recommendations concerning storm damage prevention, recreation, environmental restoration, and other purposes; and (2) conduct a study on the need for erosion protection along the East River, New York, in the vicinity of Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan, with a view toward mitigating the deleterious effects of drift removal on protecting the adjacent shoreline from erosion. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct a reconnaisance and feasibility study: (1) of remediation of contaminated sediments in Lake Champlain and the Narrows of Lake Champlain, Vermont; (2) of providing additional boat access points on Lake Champlain, Vermont; and (2) on providing additional flood protection for Montpelier, Vermont. Sets forth funding provisions. Directs the Secretary, in studying the feasibility of Federal improvements to the St. John's River Channel, Florida, to examine the commercial and military uses of the channel in those areas traversed by both military and commercial vessels, and coordinate the Secretary's efforts with the Secretary of the Navy to utilize available studies and resources which project future military dredging needs in the St. John's River Channel. Requires the Chief of Engineers to review the report of the Chief of Engineers on central and southern Florida, and other pertinent reports, with a view to determining whether modifications to the existing project are advisable at the present time due to significantly changed physical, biological, demographic, or economic conditions. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study on whether or not to relieve the State of Illinois of the requirement to make annual payments for unused water supply storage in Rend Lake on the Big Muddy River, Illinois; and (2) report to the Congress. Requires such State, until six months after the date on which the Secretary transmits such report to the Congress, to make any payments under its contract with the United States for use of storage space for water supply in Rend Lake on such River. Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1988 to authorize the Secretary to pay tuition expenses of suitable, English-taught primary and secondary education in Puerto Rico for the children of Federal employees who are employed (currently, temporarily residing and employed) in Puerto Rico for the construction of the Portuguese and Bucana Rivers, subject to specified requirements. Directs the Secretary to undertake such measures as necessary to compensate for damages caused to public and private property by the drawdown undertaken in March 1992 by the Corps at the Little Goose and Lower Granite projects in Washington. Specifies that the costs of such measures shall be considered project costs and shall be allocated in accordance with existing cost allocations for such projects. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Secretary to establish a pilot program for providing environmental restoration infrastructure and resource protection development projects to non-Federal interests in south central Pennsylvania, subject to specified (including reporting) requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to make capital improvements to the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Directs the Secretary to enter into such arrangements as necessary to rehabilitate, renovate, preserve, and maintain the Illinois and Michigan Canal and its related facilities. Sets the Federal share of such improvements at 50 percent. Directs the Secretary to study the feasibility of establishing a transfer facility at the Leonard Ranch property adjacent to Port Sonoma-Marin, California, for the drying and rehandling of dredged material from San Francisco Bay for transport to an upland site for beneficial uses. Sets forth reporting requirements. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and implement a plan for modifying the channel bypass element of the Levisa Fork, Kentucky, project for water quality improvement in and restoration of Pikeville Lake, Kentucky (and authorizes appropriations); and (2) undertake a revision of the master plan for the Raystown Lake, Pennsylvania, project and submit to the Congress for approval any proposed changes that significantly change uses of the Lake, surrounding land resources, or any facilities located thereon. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) study the feasibility of developing and preserving seasonal wetlands on the Santa Rosa plain, California, and provide technical assistance to the Sonoma County Vernal Pool Task Force in developing a plan for the development and preservation of such wetlands; and (2) participate in the study and construction of a water resources project in the vicinity of Phoenix, Arizona, for the purpose of providing flood control and improving water quality in the Tres Rios wetlands, Arizona, at a total cost of $6.5 million. Directs the Secretary to: (1) determine whether a design deficiency exists at the Klamath Glen levee, California (and, if so, correct the deficiency); and (2) cooperate with State and local officials in reviewing the water supply needs of the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District, Ohio. Redesignates a parcel of land to be conveyed by the Secretary to the Commandant of the Coast Guard, and the building located thereon, for use as a clubhouse for the local American Legion Post of Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. Authorizes the Secretary to provide assistance to the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission of the State of New Jersey for the development of the Phase I Environmental Improvement Program of the Special Area Management Plan for the Hackensack Meadowlands area, New Jersey. Sets forth cost-sharing provisions. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to initiate a program to exchange certain lands at Allatoona Lake, Georgia. Requires the Secretary to: (1) study a hydro-environmental monitoring and information system in the New York Bight and Harbor, subject to specified requirements; and (2) conduct a national study on information that is currently available on contaminated sediments, and compile information obtained in such study for the purpose of identifying the location and nature of contaminated sediments in the nation. Sets forth reporting requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to cooperate with non-Federal interests in the completion of a study on contaminated sediments in Milwaukee Harbor, Wisconsin, and surrounding areas. Authorizes appropriations. Directs: (1) the Secretary to complete planning, design, and construction of a project for navigation, Arthur Kill, New York and New Jersey after entering into appropriate agreements with non-Federal interests for completion of such planning and design; and (2) the President to transmit to specified congressional committees a report on expenditures from and deposits into the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) conduct investigations and surveys of the watersheds of the rivers in the Conemaugh River Basin, Pennsylvania; and (2) develop and implement restoration projects for abatement and mitigation of water quality degradation caused by abandoned mines and mining activity in such basin. Authorizes the Secretary to transfer to the State of Wisconsin the locks and appurtenant features of the navigation portion of the Fox River System, Wisconsin. Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 to include costs of lands, easements, rights-of-way, and relocations among specified costs to be allocated to mitigate damages to fish and wildlife. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct a study on environmentally beneficial ways to expand or supplement existing placement options and sites serving channel dredging operations of the Port of Baltimore. Specifies that such study shall enhance an ongoing long-term management study for the Chesapeake Bay area being conducted by the State of Maryland and the Secretary. Sets forth reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations. Declares portions of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, to be non-navigable waters of the United States, subject to specified limitations. Directs the Secretary to carry out an exchange rate demonstration project at the Eastern Channel of the Lockwoods Folly River, Brunswick County, North Carolina. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to review the construction performed by non-Federal interests at the project for navigation, Port Everglades, Florida. Authorizes the Secretary to reimburse such interests, subject to specified requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) use available resources to support the logistical and minor construction needs of the local organizing committee of the 1993 World University Games in western New York; and (2) undertake a program to control nuisance aquatic vegetation for the purpose of preserving the recreational uses of the waters of Lake Gaston, Virginia and North Carolina (and authorizes appropriations). Directs the Secretary to establish a pilot program for providing water-related environmental assistance to non-Federal interests in southern West Virginia, subject to specified (including reporting) requirements. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to establish the Tennessee River Heritage Museum and Education Facility to encourage science and technology as it relates to developing, managing, and preserving rivers as a nationally significant resource. Directs TVA to cooperate with the Tennessee Valley Exhibit Commission of Alabama to establish an exhibit in Florence, Alabama, on research and development in the area of inland navigation, tributary development, and related activities. Authorizes TVA to accept contributions from private sources in carrying out such provision. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study to review the operation of the project for flood control, Red Rock Dam and Lake, Iowa, authorized by the Flood Control Act of June 28, 1938. Sets forth reporting requirements. Directs the Secretary, in carrying out modifications (under the Water Resources Development Act of 1986) in the structures and operations of the project for flood control, Sacramento River, California, for the purpose of improving the quality of the environment in the public interest, to: (1) credit the value of all lands, easements, and rights-of-way provided by non-Federal interests for such modifications to the non-Federal share of the cost of such modifications; (2) include the one-time construction of the operation and maintenance facilities as part of project costs for cost-sharing purposes; and (3) in addition to the plan contained in the Yolo Basin Wetlands Project Modification Report dated April 1992, plan, design, and construct as part of such modifications historical wetlands at an alternative site located contiguous to the Yolo Bypass. Requires the Secretary to complete a project modification report by September 30, 1993. Requires the Secretary to conduct a study on bank stabilization and marsh creation by construction of a system of retaining dikes and by beneficial use of dredged material along the Calcasieu River Ship Canal, Louisiana, at critical locations. Sets forth reporting requirements. Directs the Secretary, subject to the cost-sharing provisions of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, to investigate and carry out saltmarsh restoration projects along the coastline of the State of Connecticut. Directs the Secretary to provide technical assistance to the towns of Winfield, Buffalo, and Eleanor, West Virginia, to assist residents in analyzing and understanding the remedial options available for dealing with substances posing a risk to the environment at the Corps lock and dam construction site in the vicinity of Winfield, West Virginia. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) convey to the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas, all right, title, and interest of the United States (with exceptions) in and to a tract of real property located adjacent to the city, subject to specified requirements; and (2) conduct a study on flooding problems along the Rahway River, New Jersey, and implement such measures as the Secretary determines feasible. Authorizes the Secretary to participate as an active Federal member in the Memorandum of Understanding for the Interagency Ecological Study Program for implementation of the monitoring requirements in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary, California. Amends the Water Resource Development Act of 1988 to authorize the Secretary to design and implement a comprehensive flood warning and response system to serve communities and flood prone areas along the Juniata River and its tributaries in Pennsylvania (as under current law) at full Federal expense (currently, consistent with the cost sharing policies of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986). Deletes provisions of specified Acts authorizing and directing the Secretary to use funds for activities authorized by the Follow Through Act to develop, at full Federal expense, detailed plans and specifications and to construct measures in Tarrant County, Texas, to eliminate flood damage in the historical stockyards area along Tony's Creek and Marine Creek. Authorizes and directs the Tennessee Valley Authority to grant a release from the restriction and covenant which requires that certain property located in Decatur, Alabama, be used solely for the purpose of erecting docks and buildings for shipbuilding purposes or for the manufacture or storage of products for the purpose of trading or shipping in transportation. Authorizes the Secretary to construct, establish, equip, maintain, and operate (or assist in doing so) an interagency child care facility at Fort Point, Galveston, Texas, to provide child care services for children of Federal employees. Sets forth provisions regarding the establishment of fees for such services, transfers of funds from Federal agencies in connection with such facility, and the Secretary's authority to accept donations. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes and directs the Secretary to offer technical assistance to the National Park Service (NPS) on infrastructure repairs and improvements at the Presidio of San Francisco, California, during the transition period from Army to NPS management and after its inclusion into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Requires the Secretary to assist the NPS in identifying opportunities at the Presidio for demonstration and education programs of environmentally suitable and innovative technologies, and make available a liaison from its Construction Engineering Research Laboratory for such purpose. Directs the Secretary to develop a comprehensive five- and 20-year sediment management strategy for the Maumee River, Toledo Harbor, which may include a combination of several sediment disposal alternatives and shall emphasize innovative, environmentally benign alternatives, including reuse and recycling for wetland restoration. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct the engineering and construction activities necessary to implement the five-year sediment management strategy. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1990 to repeal an authorization of appropriations for the relocation of the Southeast Light on Block Island, Rhode Island. Sets forth cost-sharing provisions. Authorizes the Secretary to reconstruct the Allendale Dam in North Providence, Rhode Island, subject to specified cost, cost-sharing, and other requirements. Directs the Secretary to execute a water supply contract with the Ouachita River Water District for withdrawals from Lake DeGray, Arkansas, as provided in the agreement forwarded by the Vicksburg District Corps of Engineers dated March 1992. Authorizes the Secretary (subject to specified requirements) to: (1) remove a sunken barge from waters off the shore of the Narragansett Town Beach in Narragansett, Rhode Island; (2) construct two elevated water storage towers at Quonset Point-Davisville, Rhode Island, and to relocate 6,000 linear feet of sewer lines to West Davisville, Rhode Island; and (3) undertake the repair and reconstruction of a flood wall system at Stillwater, Minnesota, including an extension of such system to prevent the continuous eroding of the riverfront. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide that: (1) prior to October 1, 1994 (currently, 1992) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency or the State shall not require a permit for stormwater discharges; and (2) not later than October 1, 1993 (currently, 1992) the Administrator shall issue regulations which designate certain stormwater discharges to be regulated to protect water quality and establish a comprehensive program to regulate such designated sources. Title IV: Infrastructure Technology, Research and Development - Authorizes the Secretary to engage in activities to inform the U.S. maritime industry and port authorities of technological innovations abroad that could significantly improve waterborne transportation in the United States. Sets forth funding provisions. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct such studies as necessary to provide a report to the Congress on the dredging needs of the national ports and harbors of the United States. Authorizes appropriations. Deauthorizes the responsibility of the Federal Government to maintain and operate a 1,400-foot eathen dike constructed by local interests in lieu of a 1,400-foot steel sheetpile breakwater authorized as part of the Flushing Bay and Creek, New York, project by the River and Harbor Act of 1962. Authorizes and directs the Secretary to develop a data collection and monitoring program of coastal processes for the Atlantic Coast of New York, from Coney Island to Montauk Point, with a view toward providing information necessary to develop a program for addressing post-storm actions and long-term shoreline erosion control. Directs the Secretary to provide an initial plan for data collection and monitoring to specified congressional committees within 12 months. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Administrator and the Secretary: (1) within a year, based upon a review of decontamination technologies identified pursuant to the Water Resources Development Act of 1990, to jointly select removal, pretreatment, post-treatment, and decontamination technologies for contaminated marine sediments for a decontamination project in the New York/New Jersey Harbor; and (2) upon selection of technologies, to jointly recommend a program of selected technologies to assess their effectiveness in rendering sediments acceptable for unrestricted ocean disposal or beneficial reuse, or both. Authorizes appropriations. Title V: Contaminated Sediment and Ocean Dumping - National Contaminated Sediment Assessment and Management Act - Establishes a National Contaminated Sediment Task Force. Sets forth provisions regarding the duties and compensation of the Task Force. Sets forth reporting requirements. Directs the Administrator to: (1) conduct a comprehensive national survey of data regarding aquatic sediment quality in the United States; and (2) compile all existing information on the quantity, chemical and physical composition, and geographic location of pollutants in aquatic sediment, including the probable source of such pollutants and identification of contaminated sediments. Sets forth reporting requirements. Requires the Administrator to conduct a comprehensive and continuing program to assess aquatic sediment quality. Sets forth reporting requirements. Amends the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 to revise provisions regarding: (1) ocean dumping requirements (including the addition of a requirement that the Secretary, prior to issuing a permit, obtain the concurrence by the Administrator and the establishment of related procedures); (2) restrictions on States' rights to adopt or enforce requirements respecting ocean dumping (eases such restrictions under specified circumstances); (3) the designation of sites for dumping; (4) permit conditions; and (5) ocean dumping penalties. Extends the authorization of appropriations under such Act through 1997. Authorizes appropriations to the Administrator for the Task Force and for sediment survey and monitoring. Requires the annual ocean dumping reports required to be submitted to the Congress under such Act to include: (1) a description of the number of permits issued (including the number of permits issued by the Secretary with the concurrence of the Administrator); (2) any actions taken involving waiver of requirements under the dumping permit program for dredged material; and (3) for each permit, the site receiving the material, the volume and characteristics of material dumped (including the extent and nature of pollutants in such material), and the management practices implemented in connection with each disposal activity.
Law· HRH.R. 6133 (102nd)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1992
Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 - Repeals the Land Remote-Sensing Commercialization Act of 1984. Title I: Landsat - Makes the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA Administrator) and the Secretary of Defense jointly responsible for management of the Landsat program. (Currently such program is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the Department of Commerce.) Requires establishment of an integrated program management structure for the Landsat system. Directs the NASA Administrator, the Secretary of Defense, and any other Federal official the President designates as responsible for part of the Landsat system, to establish through a management plan the roles, responsibilities, and funding expectations for the Landsat program of the appropriate Federal agencies. Requires the management plan to specify that the fundamental goal of Landsat Program Management (LPM) is continuity of unenhanced Landsat data through acquisition and opearation of a Landsat 7 satellite, as quickly as possible, which is at least functionally equivalent to the Landsat 6 satellite, with the addition of a tracking and data relay satellite communications capability. Requires the management plan to include a baseline funding profile and to specify that any improvements over Landsat 6 capability be funded by a specific sponsoring agency if the required funding exceeds such profile. Requires the plan to provide for a technology demonstration program. Sets forth LPM responsibilities for various functions, including authority to contract. Establishes a Landsat advisory process and LPM reporting requirements. Requires LPM to contract expeditiously with a U.S. private sector entity to develop and deliver Landsat 7 (subject to appropriations and only under the existing contract authority of the Federal Agencies that compose LPM). Sets forth development and delivery considerations for LPM in negotiating such contract. Requires LPM to notify the Congress promptly of any significant cost or schedule changes. Requires LPM to take into account the location of operations, assets, personnel, and other such factors in defining "U.S. private sector entities." Directs LPM to negotiate with the Landsat 6 contractor to formalize a specified arrangement and provide for a phased transition to a data policy consistent with Landsat 7 data policy. Requires a report to the Congress if there is failure to reach an agreement, by September 30, 1993. Transfers to LPM the responsibilities of the Secretary of Commerce with respect to Landsat 6, as agreed to by such Secretary and LPM. Directs LPM to develop a data policy for Landsat 7 which ensures: (1) availability of unenhanced data to all users at the cost of fulfilling user requests; (2) timely and dependable delivery of unenhanced data to the full spectrum of civilian, national security, commercial, and foreign users and the National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive; (3) U.S. retention of ownership of all unenhanced data generated by Landsat 7; (4) support for developing the commercial market for remote sensing data; (5) retention of commercial value-added services based on remote sensing data as an exclusively private sector function; and (6) compatibility, as much as possible, of the Landsat 7 data distribution system with the Earth Observing System Data and Information System. Allows such data policy also to provide for: (1) U.S. private sector entity operation of ground receiving stations in the United States for Landsat 7 data; (2) other means for direct access by private sector entities to unenhanced data from Landsat 7; and (3) the charging of U.S. Government fees to entities operating ground receiving stations or distributing Landsat 7 data. Requires LPM to report to the Congress a Landsat 7 Data Policy Plan by July 15, 1994. Title II: Licensing of Private Remote Sensing Space Systems - Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce (the Secretary, for purposes of this title) to license private sector parties to operate private remote sensing space systems for such period as the Secretary may specify. Limits the Secretary's authority under this title to remote sensing operations only of any private space systems used for those and other purposes. Requires, before a license may be granted, the Secretary to determine in writing that the applicant will comply with requirements of and regulations under this Act, and any applicable U.S. international obligations and national security concerns. Sets deadlines for the Secretary's actions on applications. Prohibits the Secretary from denying a license in order to protect any existing licensee from competition. Directs the Secretary to designate in the licence any unenhanced data which the licensee is required to provide. Requires such licenses for operation of any private remote sensing space system by any persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction or control or by their subsidiaries or affiliates. Provides that such licenses require a licensee to comply with this Act and with specified requirements relating to national security, international obligations, availability of unenhanced data (both to governments with respect to their territory and to users on a nondiscriminatory basis), disposition of satellites, information on orbit and data collection and deviation, and notification about any intended agreement involving foreign nations or entities. Sets forth additional licensing requirements for Landsat 6 contractors, including notification and compliance plans with respect to any value added activities. Sets forth the administrative authority and the regulatory authority of the Secretary with respect to this title. Provides for licensing private entities to operate private remote sensing space systems which use, on a space-available basis, civilian U.S. Government space satellites or vehicles as platforms. Authorizes the Secretary to license such system if: (1) the operator agrees to reimburse the Government for all related costs, including a share of fixed, platform, data transmission, and launch costs; and (2) the use would not interfere with or compromise intended civilian Government missions. Title III: Research, Development and Demonstration - Directs the NASA Administrator and the Secretary of Defense to continue and enhance remote sensing research and development programs. Authorizes the NASA Administrator to conduct experimental space remote sensing programs. Authorizes the Secretaries of Agriculture and of the Interior to research and develop applications of remote sensing to the management and use of renewable and nonrenewable resources of the United States. Requires all unenhanced land remote sensing data gathered and owned by the U.S. Government to be made available to users in a timely fashion. Directs the President to seek to ensure that unenhanced data gathered under the technology demonstration program are made available on terms that would not adversely affect the commercial market for unenhanced data gathered by the Landsat 6 spacecraft. Directs the President to establish a technology demonstration program, through appropriate U.S. Government agencies, as a fundamental component of a national land remote sensing strategy. Requires such program to seek to launch advanced land remote sensing system components within five years after enactment of this Act and to demonstrate, within such period: (1) advanced sensor capabilities suitable for use in the anticipated land remote sensing program; and (2) an advanced land remote system design that could be less expensive to procure and operate than the Landsat system projected to be in operation through the year 2000. Directs the President, in executing such program, to seek to apply intelligence gathering technologies to the extent that they are appropriate for the technology demonstration and can be declassified without harm to national security. Requires such program to be designed to be responsive to the broad civilian, national security, commercial, and foreign policy needs of the United States. Allows such program to be carried out in part with private funding. Requires LPM to have a coordinating role in such program. Directs the President to assess the program's progress and report to the Congress within two years after enactment of this Act. Title IV: Assessing Options for Successor Land Remote Sensing System - Directs LPM to assess and report to the Congress on the options for a successor land remote sensing system to Landsat 7. Requires the report to fully assess advantages and disadvantages of funding and management of a successor system by: (1) the private sector; (2) an international consortium; (3) the U.S. Government; and (4) a cooperative effort by the U.S. Government and the private sector. States that preference should be given to private sector system development, without competition from the U.S. Government, if a successor land remote sensing system to Landsat 7 can be funded and managed by the private sector while still achieving specified goals and without jeopardizing U.S. domestic, national security, and foreign policy interests. Title V: General Provisions - Provides for nondiscriminatory availability of data. Requires that any unenhanced data generated by the Landsat system, or by any other land remote sensing system funded and owned by the U.S. Government, be made available, with specified exceptions, to all users on a nondiscriminatory basis. Declares it to be in the public interest for the U.S. Government to maintain an archive of land remote sensing data for historical, scientific, and technical purposes. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to provide for such data's storage, maintenance, and upgrading. Allows the sale of unenhanced data distributed by any licensee only on condition that it will not be reproduced or disseminated by the purchaser for commerical purposes. Authorizes the NASA Administrator, the Secretary of Defense, and other U.S. Government agency heads to provide assistance to land remote sensing system operators under this Act. Requires such operators to reimburse the Government for such assistance, except as otherwise provided by law. Authorizes LPM, by a competitive process, to allow a licensee or any other private party to acquire use of equipment from the Landsat system when it is no longer needed to operate, or sell data from, the system. Requires the filing of an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for any radio facilities involved with commercial remote sensing space systems licensed under this Act. States that FCC authority shall not be required for development and construction of any U.S. land remote sensing space system (or component), other than radio transmitting facilities or components, while any licensing determination is being made. Directs the Secretary of Commerce and LPM to consult with: (1) the Secretary of Defense on all matters under this Act affecting national security; and (2) the Secretary of State on all matters under this Act affecting international obligations. Directs the Secretary of State to report to the Secretary of Commerce and LPM any instances outside the United States of discriminatory distribution of Landsat data. Requires LPM to report to the Congress on Landsat system operations, including timely notification of decisions relating to national security concerns and international obligations. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to require Federal agencies which request imposition of technical modifications on a licensee for national security reasons to reimburse the licensee for certain additional or past development costs (but not for anticipated profits or costs ordinarily associated with doing business abroad). Directs the Secretary of Commerce, in collaboration with the private sector entities responsible for marketing and distributing Landsat system unenhanced data, to develop and implement an enforcement system to ensure that such data received solely for noncommercial purposes are not used for any commercial purpose, in the event that such data are made available for noncommercial purposes at a different price than for other purposes. Provides for the Secretary's enforcement authority, enforcement mechanisms, and procedures and regulations. Title VI: Prohibition of Commercialization of Weather Satellites - Prohibits the President and any other U.S. Government official from making any effort to lease, sell, or transfer to the private sector, or commercialize, any portion of the weather satellite systems operated by the Department of Commerce or any successor agency. Prohibits any such action regardless of any change in circumstances subsequent to enactment of this Act and even if such change makes such commercialization appear to be in the national interest, unless this title has first been repealed.
Bill· HRH.R. 6143 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1992
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program to encourage and assist producers, processors, and other handlers of agricultural commodities to donate edible but unmarketable commodities to selected U.S. food banks, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters.
Bill· SS. 3314 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 1992
Food Stamp Anti-Fraud Act of 1992 - Title I: Retail Food Stores and Wholesale Food Concerns - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 with regard to retail food stores participating in the food stamp program (program) to: (1) permit the use of application information by Federal or State enforcement authorities; and (2) repeal the limits on civil money penalties for food stamp trafficking and firearms or controlled substance trading. Amends the Social Security Act to permit the use of social security account numbers by Federal or State enforcement authorities. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit the use of employer identification numbers by Federal or State enforcement authorities. Title II: Miscellaneous - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to permanently disqualify a recipient from program participation for trading of firearms, ammunition, explosives, or controlled substances for food stamps. States that penalties collected from retail or wholesale food concerns shall be used for related investigation and enforcement activities. Title III: Effective Dates - Sets forth the effective dates for provisions of this Act.
Law· HRH.R. 6129 (102nd)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 1992
Agricultural Credit Improvement Act of 1992 - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to state that the interest rate for loans sold into the secondary market may be lower than the interest rate on the retained portion, but may not exceed the average interest rate charged by the lender on loans made to farm and ranch borrowers. Provides for Federal-State coordination of assistance for beginning farmers and ranchers. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to establish an Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for rural passenger transportation services or facilities. Directs the Secretary to establish within the farm ownership loan program a ten-year down payment loan program for beginning farmers and ranchers. Sets forth loan terms. Limits the availability of certain agricultural loans and guarantees to beginning farmers and ranchers during specified applicable periods. Directs the Secretary to establish a program of assistance (ten-year maximum) for beginning farmers and ranchers. Requires an applicant to submit a farm operations plan (plan) to the appropriate county committee, which must be approved by the committee and by the Secretary. Provides assistance in the form of operating and equipment loan guarantees. Gives applicants priority for equipment purchases in the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) inventory. Terminates assistance for avoidable failure to achieve plan goals. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to encourage borrowers with operating loans or guarantees to graduate to private commercial credit sources; (2) develop a simplified application for loans $50,000 or less; (3) provide for the graduation of FmHA direct loan borrowers to FmHA guaranteed loans; and (4) maintain gender-based loan records and include women among the targeted loan recipients. Sets forth provisions regarding the transfer of Indian lands pledged as FmHA loan collateral, including properties containing a hazardous substance. Extends the period during which county committee loan eligibility certification remains in effect. Sets forth debt service margin requirements including the establishment of a certified lenders program. Defines "qualified beginning farmer or rancher" for assistance purposes. Sets aside specified percentages of operating and ownership loan assistance for beginning farmers or ranchers. Amends the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 to increase the Federal assistance ceiling for State agricultural loan mediation programs.
Law· HRH.R. 6125 (102nd)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 1992
Farm Credit Banks and Associations Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 - Title I: Improvements to Farm Credit System Safety and Soundness - Amends the Farm Credit Act of 1971 to set forth qualifications for Farm Credit Administration (FCA) board members. Redefines "permanent capital." Title II: Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation - Makes the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation (FCSIC) successor to the Farm Credit System (FCS) Assistance Board in the case of capital presentation agreements that certify certain banks as eligible to issue preferred stock to the Farm Credit System Assistance Corporation (Corporation). Requires the General Accounting Office to study and report to the Congress on: (1) risk-based FCSIC premiums; (2) possible Farm Credit System Insurance Fund (Fund) authority to assess associations directly; (3) possible supplemental FCSIC insurance premiums; (4) the benefits of consolidating district banks into regional banks; (5) FCS institutions' overhead expenses; and (6) potential savings if FCS institutions and the FCA were required to comply with certain Government office standards. Title III: Repayment of Farm Credit System Debt Obligations - Amends the Farm Credit Act to require an institution terminating FCS status to pay to the Corporation the estimated present value of future principal otherwise required had it remained in the FCS. Recognizes any such amount as a Corporation claim against the estate of a liquidating bank. States that the other banks' obligations shall not be reduced in anticipation of such recoveries, but only upon their receipt by the Corporation. Requires each institution to make annual payments to the Corporation to ensure debt repayment. Requires each institution that issued preferred stock, beginning in 1992, to appropriate specified earnings into an account to fund such stock's retirement. Requires each bank to: (1) record as an expense the annual increase of its bond repayment obligation; and (2) repay Treasury-paid interest on FCS obligations (through bank assessments). Makes banks (currently institutions) primarily liable to repay certain Corporation interest and obligations. Excludes banks in liquidation from such requirements. Expands default provisions to include all bank obligations with respect to Corporation bond principal and interest, except certain preferred stock-related bonds. Extends the Corporation termination date until two years after the last Corporation bond maturity date. Title IV: Clarification of Certain Authorities - Amends the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 to require the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank of Jackson (Bank) to merge with a Farm Credit Bank. States that: (1) FCA merger approval shall be given only if the Bank merges in its entirety with a Farm Credit Bank; (2) the Bank shall have limited operating authority and limited lending authority (lending authorities in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi limited to pre-merger constituent bank's authorities); and (3) the FCA shall order the merger of the Bank and the Farm Credit Bank of Texas if the Bank fails to negotiate a merger within a specified period of time. Requires a referendum of farmer-borrowers in such States with respect to the structure of such association. Sets forth the long-term lending authority of the Farm Credit Bank of Texas with respect to Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Title V: Miscellaneous - Amends the Farm Credit Act to revise production credit association application of earnings requirements. Limits a bank for cooperatives' loan risk participation authority. Sets forth voting guidelines with respect to one director of each bank for cooperatives. Expands bank for cooperatives' water and sewer lending authority. Makes qualifying private agricultural entities eligible to borrow from a bank for cooperatives. Repeals the tax-exempt guarantee prohibition. Directs the FCA to monitor FCS directors' compensation. Authorizes the FCA to approve competitive charters among FCS institutions. Authorizes the FCSIC to examine FCS institutions (current authority is limited to FCS banks). Provides for financial disclosure and conflict of interest reporting by FCS directors, officers, and employees. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to use specified funds to purchase, process, and distribute additional commodities for the emergency food assistance program. Terminates such authority as of September 30, 1993.
Law· HRH.R. 6128 (102nd)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 1992
Amends the United States Warehouse Act to permit all (Federal or State licensed) cotton warehouses to record specified cotton receipt information required by such Act in a central filing system or systems. Deems such recording as establishing ownership under Federal or State law. States that: (1) a holder of an electronic cotton warehouse receipt shall be treated as being in possession of the warehouse receipt under Federal or State law; and (2) such provision shall apply to electronic receipts form all (Federal or State licensed) warehouses. Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act, reenacted with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, to provide for expedited action on marketing orders.
Bill· HRH.R. 6124 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 1992
Amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to direct the Administrator of the Rural Electrification Administration to: (1) encourage the development of consortia to provide health care or educational services through telecommunications in rural areas of a qualified local exchange carrier service area; and (2) provide grants ($1.5 million maximum award, three-year maximum disbursement) for such purposes.
Bill· HRH.R. 6127 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 1992
Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act Amendments of 1992 - Amends the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, 1930 to prescribe conditions under which a transferee shall be deemed to have received trust assets with notice of the breach of the trust, and vice versa.
Bill· HRH.R. 6126 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 1992
Rural Electrification Administration Improvement Act of 1992 - Amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to revise discounted loan prepayment provisions to permit prepayment or sale of a loan that was advanced before a certain date or has been fully advanced for not less than two years. Limits future loan eligibility for prepaying borrowers.
Bill· SS. 3310 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 1992
Agricultural Credit Amendments Act of 1992 - Title I: Farmers Home Administration Loans - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to state that the interest rate for loans sold into the secondary market may be lower than the interest rate on the retained portion, but may not exceed the average interest rate charged by the lender on loans made to farm and ranch borrowers. Provides for Federal-State coordination of assistance for beginning farmers and ranchers. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to establish an Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for rural passenger transportation services or facilities. Directs the Secretary to establish within the farm ownership loan program a ten-year down payment loan program for beginning farmers and ranchers. Sets forth loan terms. Limits the availability of certain agricultural loans and guarantees to beginning farmers and ranchers during specified applicable periods. Directs the Secretary to establish a program of assistance (ten-year maximum) for beginning farmers and ranchers. Requires an applicant to submit a farm operations plan (plan) to the appropriate county committee, which must be approved by the committee and by the Secretary. Provides assistance in the form of operation and equipment loan guarantees. Gives applicants priority for equipment purchases in the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) inventory. Terminates assistance for avoidable failure to achieve plan goals. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to encourage borrowers with operating loans or guarantees to graduate to private commercial credit sources; and (2) provide for the graduation of FmHA direct loan borrowers to FmHA guaranteed loans. Authorizes the leasing or leasing-with-purchase-option of certain FmHA inventory land not otherwise suitable for sale. Sets forth provisions regarding the transfer of Indian lands pledged as FmHA loan collateral, including properties containing a hazardous substance. Sets forth debt service margin requirements, including establishment of a certified lenders program. Defines "qualified beginning farmer or rancher" for assistance purpose. Sets aside specified percentages of operating and ownership loan assistance for beginning farmers or ranchers. Permits a borrower to appeal a loan appraisal determination. Title II: Farm Credit System - Amends the Farm Credit Act of 1971 to repeal the prohibition against guarantees of debt instruments whose income is tax exempt. Authorizes the Farm Credit Administration to approve competitive charters of Farm Credit System institutions under specified circumstances. Title III: Miscellaneous - Amends the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 to increase the Federal assistance ceiling for State agricultural loan mediation programs. Title IV: Recreational Hunting Safety - Recreational Hunting Safety and Preservation Act of 1991 - Makes it unlawful to intentionally obstruct a lawful hunt (as defined by this Act) within a national forest. Establishes: (1) civil penalties for such violations; (2) procedures for individual and government agent complaints; and (3) permitted uses of collected penalty money. Authorizes injunctive relief. Permits an affected individual or sportsman's organization to bring a civil action to recover actual and punitive damages and attorney's fees.
Bill· SS. 3311 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 1992
Homeless Children's Assistance Act of 1992 - Amends the National School Lunch Act (NSLA) to specify that certain limitations on number of food service sites and number of children served at each site apply only to private nonprofit organizations, under provisions for demonstration projects to provide food service to homeless children under age six in emergency shelters. Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to revise provisions for allocation of funds for grants to public entities and private nonprofit organizations participating under such projects for homeless children's food services under NSLA, as well as provisions for allocation of certain returned funds.
Bill· HRH.R. 6103 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 1992
Wenatchee River Fisheries and Recreational Protection Act - Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the Wenatchee River, Washington, as a component of the national wild and scenic rivers system. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a Local Advisory Group to develop a management plan for the river. Sets forth limitations on the acquisition of scenic easements or land in relation to the wild and scenic river designation.
Bill· HRH.R. 6112 (102nd)open
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 1992
Egg Research and Consumer Information Act Amendments of 1992 - Amends the Egg Research and Consumer Information Act to: (1) increase the maximum assessment rate from ten cents per case of commercial eggs to 30 cents per case; (2) authorize the Egg Board to increase assessments subject to producer referendum; and (3) increase the trigger level for assessment exemptions from (producers of) 30,000 laying hens to 50,000 laying hens.
Bill· HRH.R. 6099 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 1992
Food Stamp Employment and Flexibility Amendments of 1992 - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to: (1) revise specified food stamp program employment provisions; and (2) repeal specified pilot project limitations regarding income, resource, or benefit reductions.
Bill· HRH.R. 6086 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 1992
Recreational Hunting Safety Enhancement Act of 1992 - Prohibits knowingly and with intent to obstruct or prevent a lawful hunt: (1) harassing, impeding, or interfering with an individual participating in a lawful hunt of Federal land; (2) scaring, herding, harassing, decoying, dispersing, or disturbing animals or fish subject to such a hunt; or (3) taking or abusing property, equipment, or hunting dogs being used in conjunction with such a hunt (obstructing a lawful hunt). Authorizes the Secretary concerned (the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to Federal land included in the National Forest System or the Secretary of the Interior with respect to Federal land administered by the Bureau of Land Management) to impose a civil penalty of up to: (1) $1,000 for each violation; and (2) $5,000 for each such violation if the Secretary concerned determines that the violation involved the use of force or violence, or the threatened use of force or violence, against the person or property of another person. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) hearing requirements; (2) multiple violations; (3) the imposition of such penalties in addition to other criminal or civil penalties that may be levied against the person as a result of the proscribed activity; and (4) a requirement that, after deduction of costs attributable to collection, such moneys be deposited in a trust fund to be used by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to carry out activities of the Foundation and the North American Waterfowl Management Plan described in the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Amends the Federal criminal code to establish penalties (a fine, imprisonment of one to three years, or both) for obstructing a lawful hunt. Permits injunctive relief to be sought by: (1) the head of a State agency with jurisdiction over fish or wildlife management; (2) the Attorney General; (3) any individual who intends to participate in a lawful hunt on Federal lands; or (4) a hunting or sportsman's organization to which the individual belongs. Specifies that: (1) this Act is not intended to preempt a State law or local ordinance that provides for civil or criminal penalties for a person who obstructs or otherwise interferes with a lawful hunt; and (2) the bringing of an action pursuant to this Act shall not prevent an independent action against a person under a State law or local ordinance.
Bill· SS. 3287 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 1992
Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to construct a Cumberland Mountain Trail in Kentucky and Virginia. Directs the Secretary to study the feasibility of establishing a national recreation trail encompassing the Trail and extending from Breaks Interstate Park to Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Authorizes the Secretary to construct such trail. Specifies that both trails shall be available for horseback riding. Sets forth reporting requirements. Directs the Secretary to study the feasibility of establishing a Cumberland National Recreation Area. Sets forth reporting requirements. Requires such study to identify alternative boundaries for a national recreation area on lands within and around Jefferson National Forest. Authorizes appropriations.
Bill· HRH.R. 6043 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 1992
Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act, reenacted with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement of 1937, to require the Secretary of Agriculture to notify the United States Trade Representative (in addition to any required general notice of proposed rulemaking) with regard to any proposed or final import prohibition or regulation of certain agricultural commodities.
Bill· HRH.R. 6013 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 1992
Sierra Nevada Forests Ecosystem Study of 1992 - Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and of the Interior to establish a Sierra Nevada Forests Scientific Committee. (Defines Sierra Nevada forests to include specified national forests and national parks in California.) Directs the Committee to prepare and submit to the Secretaries and the appropriate congressional committees a report on the Forests' ecosystems and their health trends and alternative management strategies.
Law· HRH.R. 6014 (102nd)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 1992
Modifies the boundary of the Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri, to include all lands in Boone and Callaway Counties within the Cedar Creek Purchase Unit. Requires such lands to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as the Cedar Creek Ranger District.
Bill· HRH.R. 6020 (102nd)open
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 1992
Bankruptcy Amendments of 1992 - Title I: Improved Bankruptcy Administration - Amends Federal bankruptcy law to provide that the final hearing on a motion to lift an automatic stay must conclude within 30 days of the conclusion of the preliminary hearing on such motion, unless the 30 day period is extended with the consent of the parties in interest, or for a specific time which the court finds is required by compelling circumstances. Limits a debtor's exclusive periods for filing a reorganization plan and soliciting acceptances to one year, and 425 days, respectively, unless the need for such an increase is attributable to circumstances for which the debtor should not justly be held accountable. Permits the bankruptcy court to extend the filing period for a debt adjustment plan of a family farmer with regular annual income if the need for an extension is attributable to circumstances for which the debtor should not justly be held accountable. Postpones from October 1, 1993, to October 1, 1995, the expiration date for Chapter 12 bankruptcy laws regarding family farmers. States that the reaffirmation of a dischargeable debt is enforceable only if: (1) the reaffirmation agreement contains a clear and conspicuous statement advising the debtor that the agreement is not required under bankruptcy law, nonbankruptcy law, or a under any agreement not in accordance with bankruptcy law; and (2) the agreement is filed with the court, accompanied by a declaration that the debtor's attorney has fully advised the debtor of its legal consequences, and of any default under it. Permits bankruptcy court judges to hold status conferences, and to issue case limitations and conditions at such conferences. Amends the Federal judicial code to mandate that the judicial council of a circuit establish a bankruptcy appellate service composed of district bankruptcy judges in the circuit who are appointed by the council to hear appeals, subject to the consent of all the parties (unless the judicial council finds that there are either insufficient judicial resources available in the circuit, or the creation of such services would not likelyt improve the administration of justice). Sets forth appeals guidelines. Amends the Bankruptcy Code to permit bankruptcy administrators (in States in which the bankruptcy system is administered by a Bankruptcy Administrator instead of a U.S. Trustee) to preside at meetings of creditors and equity security holders, and to examine the debtor at creditors' meetings. Amends the Bankruptcy Code to include within the definition of "pension benefit guarantors and certain pension plans (thus enabling State pension funds and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to serve on creditors' committees). Increases the incentive compensation guidelines for bankruptcy trustees. Increases the dollar limitation and debt limits applicable to specified bankruptcy procedures (thus expanding the range of debtors eligible to repay debts over a time from regular income--Chapter 13 debtors, and accounting for inflation since 1978). Amends the judicial code to prohibit bankruptcy fees revised by the Judicial Conference from taking effect until they have been reported to the Congress, and until the expiration of 180 days after they have been reported. Requires the Judicial Conference to report to certain congressional committees regarding the impact of waiving certain bankruptcy fees and costs for debtors who file a voluntary Chapter 11 reorganization case in forma pauperis . Amends the Bankruptcy Code to: (1) extend from one to two years the period in which fraudulent transfers may be reviewed and voided by a bankruptcy trustee; and (2) conform its premerger notification provisions to the requirements for antitrust review of transactions of the Clayton Act. Entitles members of Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization committees to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. Title II: Consumer Bankruptcy Issues - Permits a Chapter 13 debtor to cure a mortgage default on a principal residence before its foreclosure sale. Declares that senior mortgage liens on a Chapter 13 debtor's principal residence may not be bifurcated to the extent they were not undersecured when they were originated. Declares criminal fines non-dischargeable under a Chapter 13 proceeding. Title III: Commercial Bankruptcy Issues - Declares that if a transfer made between 90 days and one year before the filing of a petition in bankruptcy is avoided by the bankruptcy trustee and was made for the benefit of a creditor that at the time of such transfer was an insider, the trustee may not recover from a transferee that is not an insider (thus shielding a non-insider transferee from treatment as an insider corporate creditor). Grants purchase-money security interest lenders a 20-day period in which to perfect their security interest (currently, ten days). Provides that a security interest agreement regarding real property and rents, which was created before the commencement of a bankruptcy case and extended to properties acquired before such commencement, also extends to rents acquired by the bankrupt estate after commencement of the case (unless the court orders otherwise). Amends Federal bankruptcy law to define "farmout agreement," and to articulate conditions udner which any interests in liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons which have been transferred pursuant to such an agreement are excluded from a debtor's estate. Extends from ten to 30 days the period in which a seller may make written demand upon an insolvent debtor to reclaim goods. Title IV: Governmental Bankruptcy Issues - Provides that the filing of a bankruptcy petition does not operate as an automatic stay of the creation, perfection, or enforcement of a statutory lien for an ad valorem property tax imposed by a governmental entity if such tax becomes due after the filing of a bankruptcy petition. Modifies the eligibility requirements for municipal bankruptcy filings to require that municipalities be specifically authorized by the State to file for bankruptcy. Title V: Technical Corrections - Makes technical and conforming corrections to the Bankruptcy Code. Title VI: Effective Date; Application of Amendments - Sets forth the effective date of this Act. Makes it inapplicable to bankruptcy cases commenced before its enactment.
Bill· HRH.R. 6025 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 1992
Generalized System of Preferences Reform Act of 1992 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to require the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to promulgate regulations with respect to certain procedural requirements for the filing of petitions requesting designation of an imported article as eligible for duty-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences. Requires the President annually to publish and furnish (currently, from time to time) the International Trade Commission (ITC) with lists of articles which may be considered for designation as eligible for such preference. Requires the ITC: (1) to review such lists without regard to the effect that any prospective withdrawal or suspension of the beneficiary developing country designation of any country that produces like articles may have; and (2) in the public version of its digest set forth the reasoning on which its advice to the President with respect to the article is based. Declares the following articles as import-sensitive and not eligible for duty-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences: (1) certain mushrooms; (2) certain glassware; (3) certain goya cheese; (4) sulfazaline; (5) nitro-cellulose; (6) any imported agricultural article which will render ineffective, or materially interfere with, a loan or purchase program of, or other industry-wide operation of, the Department of Agriculture; (7) any article which is subject to any order or action granting import relief under specified U.S. trade laws; and (8) any article not included in the petition. Declares that an article shall be treated as being import-sensitive if its importation will cause harm, or tend to cause harm, to the U.S. industry that produces a like or directly competitive product. Requires the USTR to report to the Congress on duty-free petitions and their economic impact on pertinent U.S. industries, and developmental impact on beneficiary developing countries.
Bill· HRH.R. 6015 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 1992
Watermelon Research and Promotion Improvement Act of 1992 - Amends the Watermelon Research and Promotion Act to extend its provisions to: (1) imported watermelons and watermelon importers; and (2) each of the States and the District of Columbia. Authorizes the revocation of the watermelon assessment refund. Revises provisions regarding: (1) handler and producer National Watermelon Promotion Board membership; (2) assessment rates; and (3) referendum procedures.
Bill· HRH.R. 5988 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 1992
Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act, reenacted with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, to provide for standards for imported tangerines and all citrus hybrids.
Bill· HRH.R. 5987 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 1992
Amends the Farmland Protection Policy Act to extend its protections to farmland zoned for residential or commercial development.
Bill· HRH.R. 5974 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 1992
Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 to permit an acre-for-acre transfer of certain tobacco acreage allotments.
Bill· SS. 3243 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 1992
Family Investment Act of 1992 - Title I: Family and Medical Leave - Subtitle A: Short Title; Findings and Purposes - Family and Medical Leave Act of 1992 - Sets forth the short title of this title I, along with findings and purposes. Subtitle B: General Requirements for Leave - Establishes certain requirements for family and medical leave for permanent employees. Makes employees eligible for such leave if they have been employed, by the employer from whom leave is sought, for at least: (1) a total of 12 months; and (2) 1,250 hours of service during the previous 12-month period. (Excludes from such coverage: (1) employees at worksites at which the employer employs less than 50 persons, if the total number of employees of that employer within 75 miles of that worksite is less than 50; and (2) Federal officers and employees covered under subtitle C of this title.) Entitles employees to 12 workweeks of leave during any 12-month period because of: (1) the birth and care of their child; (2) the placement of a child for their adoption or foster care; (3) their care of a child, spouse, or parent who has a serious health condition; or (4) their own serious health condition which makes them unable to perform the functions of their position. Conditions such leave for the birth or placement of a child as follows: (1) the entitlement ends 12 months after the birth or placement; and (2) such leave may not be taken intermittently unless employee and employer agree otherwise. Allows intermittent leave for necessary medical treatment of an employee or family member. Allows the employer to require a temporary transfer to an equivalent alternative position that better accommodates such intermittent leave. Allows all leave to which an employee is entitled under this subtitle: (1) to be taken on a reduced leave schedule, upon agreement with the employer; and (2) to consist of unpaid leave, except under specified conditions when substitution of certain types of paid leave may be elected or required. Declares that nothing in this Act shall require an employer to provide paid sick or medical leave in any situation in which the employer would not normally provide any such paid leave. Requires employees to: (1) give at least 30 days' notice of the need for leave to which they are entitled under this Act, when foreseeable; and (2) make a reasonable effort to schedule medical treatment or supervision so as not to disrupt unduly the employer's operations, subject to approval of the health care provider. Allows limitation of the dual aggregate leave entitlement to 12 weeks in any 12-month period, in the case of spouses employed by the same employer, if such leave is for the birth or placement of a child or for the care of a sick parent. Sets forth conditions of certification for leave entitlements under this title, including provisions relating to: (1) sufficient certification; (2) explanation of inability to perform job functions; (3) dates and duration of planned medical treatment in the case of intermittent leave; (4) second opinion; (5) resolution of conflicting opinions; and (6) subsequent recertification. Sets forth employment and benefits protections relating to leave entitlements under this title. Requires restoration of the employee to his or her position or an equivalent position upon return from such leave. Allows an employer to deny such restoration to certain highly compensated employees (i.e. those among the highest paid ten percent of the employer's employees within 75 miles of the facility at which the employee works), under specified conditions, if necessary to prevent substantial and grievous economic injury to the employer's operations. Requires maintenance of employee health benefits during such leave. Allows the employer to recover premiums paid for such coverage if the employee fails to return to work after the leave period has expired for reasons other than a certified serious health condition or other circumstances beyond the employee's control. Prohibits employers or other persons from: (1) interfering with employee rights under this title; or (2) from discriminating against any individual because of participation in proceedings or inquiries under this subtitle, or because the individual opposes any practice made unlawful by this subtitle. Sets forth the investigative authority of the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) under this subtitle. Provides for enforcement of this title. Provides for administrative action by the Secretary to resolve complaints of violations under this subtitle in the same manner as under specified provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Provides for civil actions by employees, and by the Secretary on their behalf. Makes an employer who violates this subtitle's prohibitions against interfering with employee exercise of rights or discriminating against employees liable for damages in the amount of: (1) any wages, salary, employment benefits, or other compensation denied or lost to the employee by reason of the violation; (2) (in any case where such compensation has not been denied or lost) any actual monetary losses sustained by the employee as a direct result of the violation, such as the cost of providing care, up to the amount of 12 weeks' wages or salary; (3) interest on such losses; and (4) an additional amount of liquidated damages equal to the sum of such losses and the interest (except that the court may reduce or eliminate such additional liquidated damages in cases where the employer can show good faith and reasonable grounds for believing that the act or omission was not a violation). Makes such employers also liable for appropriate equitable relief, including, without limitation, employment, reinstatement, and promotion. Requires the court to allow attorney's fees and other costs of the action to be paid by the defendant in addition to any judgment awarded to the plaintiff. Sets forth provisions for limitations of such civil actions. Sets forth provisions for action for injunction by the Secretary. Sets forth special rules concerning employees of local educational agencies and of private elementary and secondary schools, including provisions relating to intermittent leave for instructional employees, periods near the completion of an academic term, and reduction of liability. Requires employers to post notice of the pertinent provisions of this subtitle. Requires fines for willful violations of such requirement. Directs the Secretary of Labor to prescribe regulations to carry out this subtitle. Subtitle C: Leave for Civil Service Employees - Amends specified Federal law to entitle civil service employees to family and temporary medical leave for specified periods. Makes such employees eligible for such leave if they have been employed by an employing agency for at least 12 months on other than a temporary or intermittent basis. Allows such employees up to 12 administrative workweeks in any 12-month period for: (1) family leave (i.e., leave because of the birth or placement of a child or care of a sick spouse, child, or parent), but such leave may not be used at a time more than 12 months after such birth or placement; or (2) temporary medical leave for a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of their position. Provides that such leave shall be without pay. Allows employees to substitute other types of paid leave for any part of such leave. Sets forth requirements for employees to give prior notice of the need for such leave, when foreseeable, and to schedule medical treatments, if possible, so as to not unduly disrupt the employing agency's operations. Sets forth certification provisions. Provides for protection for job position and health insurance benefits of employees using such leave. Sets forth prohibitions against coercion. Requires the Office of Personnel Management to prescribe regulations for administration of this title which are consistent with the regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Labor under subtitle B of this title. Subtitle D: Commission on Leave - Establishes the Commission on Leave. Requires the Commission to conduct a comprehensive study of: (1) existing and proposed policies relating to leave; (2) the potential costs, benefits, and impact on productivity of such policies on employers; and (3) alternative and equivalent State enforcement of this title with respect to employees of local educational agencies and private schools. Requires the Commission to report on such study to the Congress within two years after the Commission first meets. Terminates the Commission within 30 days after its report to the Congress. Subtitle E: Miscellaneous Provisions - Sets forth the effect of this title on other laws and existing employment benefits. Provides that nothing in this title shall be construed to discourage employers from adopting more generous leave policies. Directs the Secretary of Labor to prescribe regulations to carry out this subtitle within 60 days. Subtitle F: Coverage of Congressional Employees - Applies the rights and protections established under specified provisions of subtitle B of this title to Senate employees and any employing office of the Senate. Makes specified provisions of the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991 applicable, with certain exceptions including limitations on the period for requests for counseling. Provides that allegations shall be considered by the Office of Senate Fair Employment Practices or another entity designated by the Senate. Requires such Office to ensure that Senate employees are informed of their rights under this title. Applies the rights and protections under subtitle B of this title to employees of the House of Representatives, except for the exemption concerning highly compensated employees. Requires that the remedies and procedures under the Fair Employment Practices Resolution be applied in administering such coverage. Title II: Head Start, Child Immunization, and Other Assistance for Children - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to treat as emergency funding requirements not subject to discretionary spending limits the costs of carrying out Head Start programs under the Head Start Act, child immunizations under the Public Health Service Act, and the special supplemental food program (WIC) under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. Title III: Family Involvement in Education - Parents as Teachers: The Family Involvement in Education Act of 1992 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a Parents as Teachers program. Authorizes the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to make grants to States for parents as teachers programs, with special consideration for hard-to-serve populations. Makes eligible for such a grant any State which operates a parents as teachers program associated with the Parents as Teachers National Center in Missouri. Sets forth program requirements, limiting services to families during the period from the last three months of a mother's pregnancy to the child's attaining age three. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a Parents as Teachers National Center for information dissemination and technical and training assistance for States with such programs; and (2) evaluate such programs within four years. Provides for a declining Federal share in such program from 100 percent in the first year to 25 percent in the fifth year. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: Child Welfare - Subtitle A: Foster Care, Adoption, and Child Welfare Services - Amends part B (Child-Welfare Services) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) to create a permanent capped entitlement program for innovative child and family services designed to preserve and strengthen families and prevent the need for unnecessary placement in foster care. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to authorize up to 15 States to conduct demonstration projects to improve the coordination of services and benefits provided by child and family services programs with others such as the women, infants, and children (WIC), the job opportunities and basic skills (JOBS) and Medicaid (SSA title XIX) programs which provide such services. Directs the Secretaries of HHS, of Agriculture, of Education, and the Attorney General to: (1) review department policies and regulations to determine whether changes can be made without statutory changes to improve the funding and delivery of such services; and (2) issue a report to the Congress that includes recommendations for both legislative and nonlegislative changes to improve the coordination of the funding and delivery of such services. Amends SSA title IV part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) to require that a court or administrative body conducting a periodic case review of a child who is legally eligible for adoption determine and document: (1) for the child the specific measures taken by the State child welfare agency to find an adoptive family; or (2) that adoption placement would be inappropriate for the child. Gives State part E plans the option of continuing foster care maintenance and adoption assistance payments to children whose adoptions have set aside by a court. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for a tax deduction of up to $3,000 for families who adopt a child with special needs. Directs the HHS Secretary to establish an Advisory Committee on Foster Care Placement to study and report to the Secretary and the Congress with respect to reasonable efforts requirements under State part E plan provisions. Revises the definition of case review system. Directs the HHS Secretary to provide for demonstration projects to test whether family reunification can be facilitated by allowing a family to receive assistance under SSA title IV part A (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) (AFDC) for the month prior to the child's return home from a foster care placement. Provides for Federal payment of specified percentages of State costs in developing, installing, and operating statewide mechanized data collection and information retrieval systems which: (1) the Secretary determines are likely to enhance the administration of programs under parts B and E; and (2) meet other specified requirements. Modifies the independent living program to permit States to allow foster children making the transition from foster care to independent living to accumulate assets for the purpose of establishing a household while preserving such child's eligibility for Medicaid. Makes such program permanent. Directs the HHS Secretary to provide for: (1) child welfare traineeships under part B for the education and training of students in child welfare services programs; and (2) guidelines for States to use Federal funds for training State and local child welfare agency employees in order to improve agency capacity to administer programs under parts B and E and to provide services accordingly. Provides for an extension of the increase in reimbursement for foster and adoptive parent training made under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989. Adds to the list of information comprising the health and education records of foster children: (1) the telephone numbers of the child's health and educational providers; and (2) a record that the foster care provider was advised of the child's eligibility for Medicaid services. Permits the HHS Secretary to authorize up to ten States to conduct and evaluate specified types of child welfare demonstration projects. Allows the State of New York, after its application has been approved by the HHS Secretary as meeting specified requirements, to conduct a demonstration project for the purpose of testing how to enhance the practices and procedures that will expedite the discharge of children from foster care or the adoption of children by suitable parents. Amends the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 to modify the prohibition against penalizing States before FY 1991 for noncompliance with foster care protections. Directs the HHS Secretary to submit to specified congressional committees recommendations for legislation to establish a system for the review of State child welfare programs and the provision of technical assistance to any such program. Requires the HHS Secretary to pay a State claim for foster care and adoption assistance within 90 days of its receipt unless the Secretary issues a deferral or a disallowance of such claim prior to the expiration of such 90 day period. Directs the HHS Secretary to appoint a Commission on the Evaluation of Disability in Children to study and report to the Congress on the effects of the definition of "disability" under the Supplemental Security Income program (SSA title XVI) as it applies to determining whether a child under age 18 is eligible to receive benefits under such program. Subtitle B: Provisions Relating to Comprehensive Substance Abuse Programs for Pregnant Women and Caretaker Parents with Children - Amends SSA title IV part B to authorize appropriations to enable States to establish comprehensive programs of substance abuse treatment for certain low-income pregnant women, caretaker parents, and their children. Title V: Safe Children and Communities - Safe Children and Communities Act of 1992 - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for projects to improve the safety of families with children in low-income, violent communities. Authorizes appropriations.
Bill· HRH.R. 5962 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 1992
Mineral Exploration and Development Act of 1992 - Title I: Mineral Exploration and Development - Sets forth guidelines for mineral exploration on public domain lands. Declares that holders of mining claims executed under this Act have the exclusive right of possession and use of the claimed land for mineral activities (including the right of ingress and egress to conduct such activities. Prescribes rules for mining claim location and use of public land surveys, including the requirement that a copy of the notice of mining claim location be filed with the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary). Restricts such claims to U.S. citizens or corporations only. Provides for administrative adjudication of conflicting claims. Sets forth an annual, graduated rental fee schedule based upon the number of diligence years following location of the claim. Requires the Secretary to deposit all moneys received from rental fees into the Abandoned Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund (established by this Act). Prescribes guidelines under which a claim holder may elect to reduce the amount of the requisite rental fee by the amount of diligent development expenditures made for mining claim mineral activities during the same diligence year to which the rental fee would otherwise apply. Sets a minimum annual rental fee of $2.50 per acre of all land within the boundaries of a mining claim, which shall be all a claim holder need pay in specified circumstances. Establishes a civil penalty of $5,000 per violation of mining claim requirements. Prohibits the issuance after February 6, 1991, of patents for vein, lode, placer, and mill site mining claims unless certain administrative requirements are met. Declares that the Multiple Minerals Development Act, and certain provisions of the Act of July 23, 1955, apply to all mining claims located or converted under this Act. Amends Federal law to declare that after the date of enactment of this Act, all mineral materials deposits including block pumice, shall be subject to disposal under the terms of the Materials Act of 1947. (Eliminates the concept of uncommon varieties of mineral materials.) Renames specified Federal laws: (1) the Surface Resources Act of 1955; and (2) the Materials Act of 1947. Repeals the Building Stone Act and the Saline Placer Act. Title II: Environmental Considerations of Mineral Exploration and Development - Prescribes surface management guidelines for mineral activities and reclamation, including a mandatory: (1) plan of operations; (2) mining permit application; (3) reclamation plan; (4) public notice of the proposed plan of operations; (5) approved plan for temporary cessation of activities; and (6) posting of bond and financial assurances by the operator for reclamation purposes. Mandates that: (1) lands subject to mineral activities be restored to a condition capable of supporting the uses they were capable of supporting before surface disturbance (or other beneficial uses); and (2) the surface area disturbed by mineral activities be backfilled, graded and contoured to its natural topography. Requires the Secretary to establish reclamation standards which include certain requirements for: (1) topsoil; (2) stabilization to control erosion and minimize air and water pollution; (3) erosion; (4) hydrologic balance; (5) pit backfilling; (6) revegetation; (7) removal of excess spoil and waste; (8) sealing of drill holes and openings; (9) removal of structures and equipment used during mineral activities; and (10) restoration of fish and wildlife habitat conditions. Requires the Secretary to inspect mineral activities to ensure compliance with statutory directives. Sets forth enforcement guidelines and civil penalties for non-compliance. Authorizes citizen suits to enforce compliance with this Act. Declares that State standards for reclamation, bonding, inspection, water or air quality, which either meet or exceed Federal standards, shall not be construed as being inconsistent with this Act. Permits cooperative agreement 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. Prescribes guidelines within which the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, in preparing land use plans pursuant to specified statutes, shall designate and publish in the Federal Register those areas deemed unsuitable for all or certain types of mineral activities. Requires withdrawal of unsuitable areas from mineral exploration and development. Specifies standards for suitability reviews, including the determination that mineral activities: (1) would substantially impair water quality or supplies within the area subject to the mining plan or adjacent lands, such as impacts on aquifers and aquifer recharge areas; and (2) would impair the productivity of the land subject to such activities. Requires the Secretary to review all administrative withdrawals for possible revocation and reopening of the lands in question for mining claim location subject to certain conditions. Grants any person with an interest that may be adversely affected by potential mineral activities the right to petition the Secretary for a suitability review. Identifies lands which are not open to the location of mining claims under this Act. Directs the Secretary of the Interior (or other appropriate Secretary) to prevent mineral activities that could have an adverse impact on the resources or values within the boundaries of Denali National Park and Preserve (Alaska) and all other National Conservation System units. Title III: Abandoned Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund - Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to establish the Abandoned Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Director, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement) for the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past minerals (other than cool and fluid minerals) and mineral materials mining within the boundaries of States that have certain lands subject to this Act and the Materials Act of 1947. Sets forth: (1) State eligibility requirements; and (2) Fund allocation and expenditure guidelines for distribution as grants among eligible States. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: 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: (1) minerals policy; and (2) actions to improve availability and analysis of mineral data in Federal land use decision making for National Forest System lands. Authorizes the Secretaries of the Interior and of Agriculture to establish and collect user fees to reimburse the United States for a portion of the expenses incurred in administering this Act. Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and of the Interior to promulgate final regulations to implement their respective responsibilities under this Act, and to coordinate the promulgation of such regulations. Sets forth guidelines for a three-year transitional period during which the holder of an unpatented mining or mill site claim may elect to convert it. Deems any claim not converted within such period as forfeited and declared null and void. Declares that any tunnel site located under the general mining laws on or before the effective date of this Act shall not be recognized as valid unless converted according to such guidelines. Sets forth a transitional period for surface management requirements governing new mining claims and preexisting unpatented claims. Prescribes guidelines under which a mining claim may be challenged after the effective date of this Act. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) initiate contest proceedings immediately after the enactment of this Act challenging the validity of certain unpatented mining claims (including those for which a patent application has not been filed); and (2) declare null and void those claims determined to be invalid. Directs the Secretary to adjust all rental rates, penalty amounts, and other dollar amounts established in this Act for changes in the purchasing power of the dollar every ten years. Sets a minimum royalty amount of eight percent of the gross income from the production of locatable minerals from any mining claim located under this Act (including mineral concentrates derived from such minerals). Empowers the Secretary to prescribe reporting requirements and conduct audits of all persons holding claims under this Act to ensure compliance with its requirements. Sets forth a royalty receipts disposition schedule. Directs the Secretary to: (1) promulgate regulations to establish gross income for royalty purposes; and (2) submit an annual report to the Congress on the implementation of this Act.
Law· HRH.R. 5954 (102nd)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 1992
Amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 with regard to Rural Telephone Bank accounting policies. Provides for the calculation of interest rates on loans made by the Bank.
Bill· HRH.R. 5944 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 1992
Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act of 1992 - Designates the following lands in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System (System): (1) Greater Glacier/Continental Divide Ecosystem; (2) Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem; (3) Greater Salmon Ecosystem; (4) Greater Cabinet/Yaak/Selkirk Ecosystem; (5) Sky Island Wilderness; (6) Rattlesnake Wilderness; and (7) Rattlesnake Wilderness Area. Adds specified lands to the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area. Designates: (1) specified wild land areas as Biological Connecting Corridors (Corridors) to protect the life flow of the Northern Rockies Bioregion; and (2) the inventoried roadless areas identified as part of the Corridors as components of the System. Sets forth provisions for the management of those portions of the Corridor which are not designated as components of the System. Exempts specified roads and highways from the provisions of this Act. Requires that roadless lands (including uninventoried roadless lands and areas less than 5,000 acres in size) within the national forests in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming which have been studied for potential inclusion in the System, but have not been designated as such, shall be analyzed on an individual, case-by-case basis with full public involvement. Requires the results of each case-by-case analysis and associated environmental analysis to be submitted to specified congressional committees so that the Congress may decide whether these areas should become components of the System to be managed for other, nonwilderness, multiple uses. Directs the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to study the feasibility of: (1) creating a Hells Canyon/Chief Joseph National Park and Preserve; (2) creating a Flathead National Park and Preserve; and (3) designating such areas as units of the National Park System (NPS), including national park and national preserve designations to be administered by the National Park Service. Requires the national park and preserve study areas to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, until the Congress determines otherwise, to maintain their presently existing natural character and potential for inclusion in the NPS. Provides that, until the Congress determines otherwise, no new road construction or reconstruction, timber harvest (except firewood gathering), oil and gas leasing, mining, or other development which impairs the natural and roadless qualities of the study areas shall be allowed. Requires that special consideration be given to preserving scenery, water quality and fisheries habitat, biological diversity, and wildlife habitat for threatened and endangered species. Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate: (1) segments of specified rivers and creeks in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (NWSRS); and (2) segments of specified rivers and creeks in Montana and Wyoming for study as potential addition to the NWSRS. Requires that: (1) such designated wild and scenic river areas be administered by the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to maintain their presently existing wild and scenic character and potential for inclusion in the NWSRS at their highest level of eligibility; and (2) the streambed and the lands one half mile wide along either side of the streambed of any river or stream included in the study be managed to protect their presently existing suitability for inclusion into the NWSRS as wild rivers. Prohibits new road construction or reconstruction, bridges, dams, timber harvesting, mining, oil and gas leasing, or other developments from being allowed within the one half mile corridor along either side of rivers and streams under study. Establishes the National Wildland Restoration and Recovery System (Recovery System) to: (1) restore National Forest System lands and surrounding areas to their native vegetative cover and species diversity; (2) stabilize slopes and soils to prevent or reduce further erosion; (3) recontour slopes to their original contours; (4) remove barriers to natural fish spawning runs; and (5) generally restore, as much as possible, such lands to their natural condition as existed prior to their entry and development. Authorizes appropriations to establish the National Wildland Recovery Corps (a special unit of the U.S. Forest Service) which shall hire necessary personnel and purchase necessary equipment to carry out its land recovery responsibilities. Designates certain lands within the Lewis and Clark National Forest known as Badger-Two Medicine Area as the Blackfeet Wilderness Area. Declares that the Congress recognizes that the Blackfeet Nation retains treaty rights in this area provided for in the 1896 treaty with the Federal Government. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to review the wilderness area and report to the Congress. Requires that special consideration shall be given to the religious, wilderness, and wildlife uses of the area, taking into account any Federal treaties entered into with the Blackfeet Nation. Withdraws the Badger-Two Medicine Wilderness Area from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the mining laws and disposition under the geothermal and mineral leasing laws. Authorizes appropriations to purchase certain privately owned lands located within the Gallatin Range inventoried roadless area to become part of the Gallatin National Forest. Requires that, upon purchase, the former owners shall relinquish all title, rights, and interests in such lands, including all mineral leases, Federal oil and gas leases, and water rights. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into negotiations with private landowners within the greater boundaries of the Crazy Mountains Wilderness to determine a fair purchase price for the sections of private land located within the established Wilderness boundary. Requires the Secretaries to assure nonexclusive access by native people to Wilderness areas, National Park and Preserve Study areas, Wildland Recovery areas, and Biological Corridors designated by this Act by Native Americans for transitional cultural and religious purposes. Requires the Forest Service to enter into cooperative management agreements with the appropriate Indian tribes to assure protection of religious, burial, and gathering sites, and to work cooperatively on the management of all uses in the protected areas that affect Indian lands and people. Requires the Secretaries to give particular emphasis to the preservation and protection of cultural resources located within the areas.
Bill· HRH.R. 5934 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 1992
Farmer Owned Reserve Improvements Act of 1992 - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 with regard to the farmer owned reserve program to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) provide original price support loans for wheat and feed grains; (2) announce program conditions at any time; and (3) permit program entry as unforeseen market conditions warrant. Authorizes discretionary program exit for producers with original loans.
Bill· SS. 3219 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 1992
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to pay a specified sum to a named individual for fire loss arising out of the Mink Fire in and around Yellowstone National Park in 1988.
Bill· HRH.R. 5911 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 1992
Dire Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1992, for Disaster Assistance to Meet the Present Emergencies Arising from the Consequences of Hurricane Andrew and other Natural Disasters - Makes supplemental appropriations for FY 1992 for emergencies arising from natural disasters such as Hurricane Andrew and Typhoon Omar. Designates such amounts as emergency requirements for all purposes of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). Title I: Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies - Makes additional appropriations available to the Department of Agriculture for: (1) the Agricultural Research Service for buildings and facilities; (2) the Commodity Credit Corporation for crop losses and the tree assistance program; (3) the Soil Conservation Service for watershed and flood prevention operations; (4) the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service for the emergency conservation program; (5) the Farmers Home Administration for the agricultural credit insurance fund program account, the rural housing insurance fund program account, the rural development insurance fund program account, the rural development loan fund program account, rural water and waste disposal grants, very-low-income housing repair grants, rural housing for domestic farm labor, emergency community water assistance grants, and salaries and expenses; and (6) the Food and Nutrition Service for the food stamp program. Declares that funds provided by this title are available only to the extent funds are not provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Title II: Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies - Makes additional funds available to: (1) the Department of Commerce for the Economic Development Administration, the Minority Business Development Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; (2) the Department of Justice for general administration, legal activities, the Federal Prison System, and the Office of Justice Programs; (3) the Department of State for the administration of foreign affairs; (4) the Judiciary for Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and other judicial services; and (5) the Small Business Administration for the disaster loans program account. Title III: Department of Defense - Military - Makes additional amounts available for incremental costs of military, reserve, and national guard personnel and for operation and maintenance of military forces. Title IV: Energy and Water Development Department of Defense - Civil - Makes additional funds available to the Army Corps of Engineers-Civil for general construction, flood control and coastal emergencies, operation and maintenance, and flood control for the Mississippi River and tributaries, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. Title V: Department of the Interior and Related Agencies - Makes additional appropriations available to the Department of the Interior for: (1) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; (2) the National Park Service; (3) the United States Geological Survey; and (4) the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Title VI: Departments of Laobr, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies - Makes additional funds available to: (1) the Department of Health and Human Services for the Public Health Emergency Fund; (2) the Department of Education for educational excellence, impact aid, student financial assistance, and departmental management. Title VII: Department of Defense - Military - Makes supplemental amounts available to cover incremental costs at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, for military construction and family housing. Title VIII: Department of Transportation and Related Agencies - Makes additional funds available to the Department of Transportation for: (1) the Coast Guard; (2) the Federal Aviation Administration; (3) the Federal Transit Administration; and (4) the Research and Special Programs Administration. Title IX: Treasury Department, U.S. Postal Service, the Executive Office of the President, and Certain Independent Agencies - Makes supplemental funds available to: (1) the Department of the Treasury for the U.S. Customs Service and the Internal Revenue Service; and (2) the General Services Administration (GSA) for the Federal Buildings Fund and the Federal Supply Service. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury and the Administrator of GSA to hire temporary employees as necessary for government operations in areas affected by Hurricane Andrew and Typhoon Omar. Amends the Treasury, Postal Service and General Government Appropriations Act, 1992 to repeal restrictions on travel expenses on employees subject to such Act. Authorizes heads of Federal agencies to establish emergency administrative leave as necessary for employees affected by the Hurricane and the Typhoon. Title X: Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies - Makes additional amounts available to: (1) Department of Veterans Affairs for the Veterans Health Administration and departmental administration; (2) the Department of Housing and Urban Development for housing programs, housing counseling assistance, guaranteed housing loans, and management administration; and (3) the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster relief, the disaster assistance direct loan program account, the community disaster loan program account, and salaries and expenses.
Bill· SS. 3210 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 August 1992
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Fair Share Act of 1992 - Amends Federal law to base Federal funding for agricultural experiment stations on the latest Department of Commerce population figures rather than on decennial census figures. Makes similar changes to: (1) the Smith-Lever Act with respect to the Federal Extension Service; and (2) the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 with respect to agricultural research at 1890 land grant colleges (including Tuskegee Institute), and the nutrition education program.
Bill· SS. 3202 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 August 1992
Farmer Owned Reserve Improvements Act of 1992 - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 with regard to the farmer owned reserve program to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) provide original price support loans for wheat and feed grains; (2) announce program conditions at any time; and (3) permit program entry as unforeseen market conditions warrant. Authorizes discretionary program exit for producers with original loans.
Bill· SS. 3201 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 August 1992
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey specified lands in Austin, Nevada, to the Austin Historic Mining District Historical Society for use as a museum or for other public purposes. Reserves all minerals underlying such lands for the United States. Reverts ownership to the United States of the conveyed lands if they cease to be operated by the Austin Historic Mining District Historical Society and used as a public museum or for other public purposes.
Bill· SS. 3182 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 August 1992
Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to prohibit the President from designating as an article eligible for duty-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences any import-sensitive agricultural article which will render ineffective, or materially interfere with, a loan or purchase program, or other industry-wide operation, of the Department of Agriculture. Requires the President to prescribe procedures under which articles may be granted eligible article status, including procedures under which interested persons may petition that articles be granted such status.
Bill· SS. 3176 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 August 1992
Health Care Affordability and Quality Improvement Act of 1992 - Title I: Disclosure Of Certain Information To Beneficiaries Under The Medicare And Medicaid Programs - Amends part A (General Provisions) of title XI of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue regulations requiring that each institutional health care provider receiving payment for services under SSA titles XVIII (Medicare) or XIX (Medicaid) make an annual report available to service recipients. Specifies the contents of such report, including information on mortality and infection rates and malpractice claims. Requires the Secretary to issue regulations requiring that each noninstitutional provider receiving payment for services under such titles make an annual report available to service recipients. Specifies the contents of such report, including information on provider qualifications and malpractice and other actions taken against the provider. Requires the Secretary to issue regulations requiring that each institutional and noninstitutional health care provider receiving payment for such services: (1) make available any forms required in connection with the receipt of such services which consist of any diagnostic, surgical, or other invasive procedure, before performance of such procedure; (2) disclose to any individual receiving any surgical, palliative, or other health care procedure or any drug therapy or other treatment, specified information before performance of such procedure or treatment; and (3) inform any individual receiving such services of that individual's right to refuse the information made available above and any procedure or treatment. Provides for penalties for failure to comply with the regulations issued above. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to nonprofit private entities for outreach activities to inform Medicare beneficiaries of the information made available above. Authorizes appropriations. Amends Medicare to require the annual notice of Medicare benefits to contain a description of the information made available above. Amends Medicaid to require State plans to provide for an outreach program informing Medicaid beneficiaries of the information made available above. Title II: Advisory Committee On Patient Self-Determination - Directs the Secretary to establish an advisory committee or committees for the purpose of issuing recommendations about various issues related to patient self-determination. Lists specific issues to be addressed by such committee or committees. Title III: Maternal and Infant Care Coordination - Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to States to implement coordinated, multidisciplinary, and comprehensive primary health care and social service programs targeted to pregnant woman and infants. Specifies grant eligibility criteria. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary, in conjunction with the Secretaries of Education and Agriculture, to award grants for the development of model health and nutrition education curricula for children. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: Improved Access To Nursing And Physician Assistant Services - Amends Medicare to provide for increased payments for nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants. Provides for bonus payments for such practitioners who provide services in health professional shortage areas. Amends Medicaid to include coverage of physician assistant, nurse practitioner, and clinical nurse specialist services under the Medicaid program. Title V: Medicare Preferred Provider Demonstration Projects - Requires the Secretary to provide for demonstration projects to test the effectiveness of providing payment under Medicare for primary and specialty procedures and services furnished by preferred provider organizations. Title VI: Cost Containment - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the National Institutes of Health to establish a program for the conduct of clinical trials with respect to promising new drugs and disease treatments. Authorizes appropriations. Reauthorizes research under the Public Health Service Act on cost-effective methods of health care. Requires amounts appropriated in excess of those appropriated for FY 1992 to be used for developing and disseminating new practice guidelines related to cost-effective methods of health care. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose on health insurance carriers an excise tax of .001 cent per dollar on health insurance policy premiums. Creates in the Treasury the Trust Fund for Medical Treatment Outcomes Research to hold the revenues generated from such tax to pay for research activities related to medical treatment outcomes. Requires the Secretary, after considering the recommendations of the Health Care Cost Control Advisory Committee established by this Act, to report to appropriate congressional committees on the establishment of national spending targets for health care and health care services.
Bill· HRH.R. 5909 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 August 1992
WIC Infant Formula Procurement Act for 1992 - Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to revise the methods of procurement of infant formula for the special supplemental food program for women, infants, and children. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to solicit bids annually for a cost-containment contract to be entered into by infant formula manufacturers and those State agencies that elect to have the Secretary perform the bid solicitation and selection process on their behalf. Prescribes guidelines for the solicitation and selection process. Sets a deadline for the Secretary to report to the Congress on the decisions made by State agencies and the Secretary regarding bid solicitations, including any recommendations to increase competition by encouraging the participation of additional infant formula manufacturers. Prescribes guidelines for the Secretary to follow in order to reduce the costs of any supplemental foods. Directs the Secretary to allocate to each State agency for specified fiscal years an amount for costs of nutrition services and administration on the basis of a formula which shall be designated to provide funds to help defray reasonable anticipated expenses associated with specified aspects of joint purchasing of infant formula by two or more State agencies and cost containment efforts.
Bill· HRH.R. 5904 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 August 1992
Shellfish Safety Act of 1992 - Mandates issuance of rules establishing a National Shellfish Safety Program covering growers, harvesters, shippers, vessels, water quality, tracing, and monitoring and controlling biotoxins and contaminants. Provides for State programs, including monitoring, classifying, and closing growing and harvesting areas and certification of shippers. Authorizes a memorandum of understanding with any country with a program at least equivalent to the Program providng for specified matters, including requiring the country to certify shippers and make available a list of waters classified as open to harvest. Deems adulterated, for purposes of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, shellfish: (1) grown or harvested in a country without such a memorandum; (2) grown or harvested in a State without an approved program; (3) harvested from waters not classified as open; or (4) shipped by an uncertified shipper. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to evaluate the potential for removing restrictions on growing and harvesting areas. Authorizes cooperative agreements with States for restoration of such areas.
Bill· HRH.R. 5852 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 August 1992
Amends the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 to establish a 20 percent maximum broken kernel content for rice made available under such Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 5839 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 August 1992
Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit unapproved introduction into interstate commerce of food from genetically modified plants. Allows approval only if the food is safe.
Bill· HRH.R. 5882 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 August 1992
Program Crop Acreage Base Transfer Act of 1992 - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to provide for the transfer of crop acreage bases and establishment of a farm program payment yield as a result of irrigation water shortages.
Bill· HRH.R. 5834 (102nd)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 August 1992
Federal Crop Insurance Fairness Act of 1992 - Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act with respect to crop insurance yield coverage to: (1) base coverage on a producer's crop yields for a commodity over four-to-ten crop years; (2) provide for a minimum yield coverage floor; (3) limit transitional yield data use to not more than four years; and (4) permit the use of previous yield or transitional yield data for new land. States that late planting coverage shall: (1) extend for up to 25 days after the final planting date; and (2) reduce yield guarantee by one percent per day for the first ten days and two percent per day for the next 15 days. Includes prevented planting coverage with substitute crop option as part of the basic crop insurance policy. Provides 50 percent coverage for a natural disaster-caused prevented planting. Authorizes levels of coverage in excess of 75 percent of recorded or appraised average yield under specified circumstances. Requires the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees on the feasibility of providing de minimis yield coverage.
Bill· HRH.R. 5855 (102nd)open
United States · United States Congress · 12 August 1992
Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act to define imported meat as misbranded if its label fails to either indicate that it is imported or indicate its country of origin. Imposes penalties for the failure of owners and operators of eating establishments to make certain disclosures.