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51 records in US in 1999
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1999
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, area.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Directs the Secretaries of Defense and the Interior to: (1) study and report to Congress on measures to improve the management of the Federal lands in Arizona constituting the Barry M. Goldwater Range and the Organ Pipe National Monument; (2) assess, under such study, the feasibility and practicability of the establishment of a national park or national preserve in all or parts of such Federal lands; and (3) develop recommendations for actions for the management of such Federal lands that would provide for the conservation and protection of archaeological, cultural, geological, historical, biological, scientific, scenic, wilderness, recreational, and wildlife values of the Sonoran Desert and contribute to the furtherance of the national defense. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1999 - Title I: Increased Accountability and Elimination of Wasteful Spending - Subtitle A: Penalties for Failure to Reduce Teen Smoking - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) publish annually the results of an annual cigarette survey of the percentage of all individuals under the age of 18 who used a type of cigarette in the 30 days prior to the survey and the percentage of such individuals who identify each brand of each type of cigarette as the usual brand smoked in those 30 days; and (2) determine, comparing the survey results to a survey entitled "Monitoring the Future" conducted at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, the percentage reduction (if any) in youth cigarette use for each cigarette manufacturer. Authorizes the Secretary, notwithstanding any other provision of law, to conduct a survey under these provisions involving minors if the results of the survey are kept confidential and not disclosed. Makes provisions of Federal law relating to coordination of Federal information policy inapplicable to information required for carrying out these provisions. (Sec. 102) Sets a goal that each manufacturer reduce youth cigarette use by at least 15 percent between the Monitoring the Future survey and the first annual survey and between each annual survey and the previous annual survey. Mandates industry-wide monetary penalties of $4 - $8 billion if the goal is not reached, to be paid by each manufacturer based on the percentage of cigarettes of each manufacturer that are used by youth. Exempts from penalty a manufacturer that: (1) individually complies with the goal; or (2) has a market share of one percent or less of youth cigarette use. Prohibits considering penalties to be business expenses for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code and makes them nondeductible. Provides for judicial review. Prohibits, notwithstanding any other provision of law, any court from staying any payment due pending judicial review until the Secretary has made or failed to make a compliance determination that has adversely affected the person seeking review. (Sec. 103) Imposes a penalty for failure to make any payment within 10 days after payment is due. Sets the penalty at two percent of the penalty owed for each day after payment is due until payment is paid in full. Subtitle B: Tobacco Advertising - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit the deduction of tobacco advertising and promotional expenses. Subtitle C: Medicare Waste Elimination - Medicare Waste Tax Reduction Act of 1999 - Amends titles XI and XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, and other specified Federal law to mandate various specified measures to combat Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse. (Sec. 122) Includes among such measures: (1) increased medical, utilization, and fraud reviews in a fiscal year; (2) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) oversight of home health agencies; (3) an information system for ensuring that Medicare does not reimburse claims owed by other payers; (4) civil monetary penalties for services ordered or prescribed by an excluded individual or entity, as well as for false certification of eligibility for partial hospitalization and hospice services; (5) exemption of health plans, plan issuers, and employees from liability for providing information regarding health care fraud; (6) exclusion of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and an individual's personal residence from covered locations for the provision of partial hospitalization services; (7) new health, safety, and anti-fraud requirements for community mental health centers with respect to partial hospitalization services; (8) authority for the HHS Secretary to establish a prospective payment system (PPS) for partial hospitalization services provided by a community mental health center or by a hospital; (9) repeal of certain factors required by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 for determination of the inherent reasonableness of costs for all Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) services other than physicians' services; (10) mandatory establishment of standards regarding payment for certain orthotics and prosthetics; (11) authority for the Secretary to contract for Medicare claims processing with agencies and organizations that are not insurance companies, and to renew contracts with fiscal intermediaries meeting performance requirements without competitive procedures; and (12) addition of Y2K compliance to fiscal intermediary contract performance requirements. (Sec. 124) Reduces the reimbursement to physicians, suppliers, or other service providers for drugs and biologicals from 95 percent of the average wholesale price to the lowest of 83 percent of such price, the actual acquisition cost, or an even lower amount according to a specified formula. Repeals the mandate of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 for reports on the average wholesale price of drugs and biologicals. (Sec. 129) Provides that Medicare- and Medicaid-related actions shall not be stayed by bankruptcy proceedings, nor Medicare- and Medicaid-related debt discharged in bankruptcy. (Sec. 131) Authorizes the Secretary to establish a procedure for enrolling and re-enrolling, for an appropriate fee, non-service providers that furnish covered health care items or services. (Sec. 132) Directs the HHS Secretary to: (1) develop and implement a comprehensive plan of activities to increase Medicare compliance, education, and assistance for health care providers; and (2) contract with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to establish a committee to study Medicare administrative requirements applicable to Medicare health care providers, and make recommendations on how Medicare paperwork and administrative requirements can be minimized. Authorizes appropriations for such study. (Sec. 134) Specifies application of certain sanctions to Federal health care programs. (Sec. 135) Revises alternative criteria for payments for durable medical equipment (DME) to include the least expensive amount that the item supplier is paid by a Medicare+Choice organization or by any Federal health care program. Requires the Secretary to adjust the payment rate for any DME administrative costs exceeding those associated with providing a particular item to a Medicare+Choice organization or another Federal health care program. (Sec. 136) Outlines provisions for implementation of a commercial claims auditing system for Medicare carriers in processing claims under Medicare part B. (Sec. 138) Authorizes appropriations for carrying out and expanding nationwide the Health Care Anti-Fraud, Waste and Abuse Community Volunteer Demonstration Projects (Medicare Senior Waste Patrol) conducted by the Administration on Aging. (Sec. 141) Repeals certain conditions for the termination of agreements with agencies or organizations for the processing of Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) claims. Revises requirements for performance standards and criteria for fiscal intermediaries. Changes certain cost reimbursement provisions from mandatory to discretionary. Repeals the Secretary's mandate, in determining administration costs, to take into account the reasonable and adequate amount to meet such costs which must be incurred by an efficiently and economically operated carrier in carrying out its contract terms. Subtitle D: Reduction in Student Loan Fees - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise requirements relating to student loan fees for insurance premiums under the programs of subsidized Federal Stafford loans, unsubsidized Stafford loans, and PLUS parent loans. (Sec. 151) Requires each State or nonprofit private institution or organization having an agreement with the Secretary of Education under each such loan program to charge the borrower a single insurance premium in the amount of one percent of the principal amount of the loan. Requires the proceeds of the insurance premium to be paid to the Federal Government for deposit into the Treasury. Subtitle E: Limitations on Defense Funding for Fiscal Years 2000 Through 2004 - Places specified limits on the total budget authority for budget function 050 (national defense) for each of fiscal years 2000 through 2004. Requires such amounts to be expended without adversely affecting military readiness and the quality of life of military personnel, military retirees, and their families. (Sec. 163) Prohibits amounts expended for readiness, or peacekeeping operations that began before September 30, 1999, from being considered emergency expenditures under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, with an exception for any such operation that significantly increases in size or tempo after such date. Subtitle F: Internal Revenue Code Provisions - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the taxation of estates valued at over $10 million. (Sec. 172) Denies the percentage depletion deduction for certain nonfuel minerals mined on Federal lands. Prohibits aggregating a separate operating mineral interest in any such nonfuel minerals with an interest other than such nonfuel minerals. (Sec. 173) Limits the foreign earned income exclusion to taxable years beginning before January 1, 2000. Maintains the exclusion for the housing costs of U.S. citizens living abroad. (Sec. 174) Provides for the application of the straight-line method of depreciation to tobacco manufacturing equipment. (Sec. 175) Prohibits eligibility for the foreign tax credit of certain foreign taxes paid on foreign oil and gas income. Eliminates the tax exclusion status of foreign oil and gas extraction income by redefining the term "foreign base company oil related income." (Sec. 176) States that the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to reallocate income and deductions among taxpayers in order to prevent tax evasion or clearly reflect income among organizations or businesses owned or controlled by the same interests shall not be limited by any restriction on the ability of such organizations or businesses to transfer or receive property. Title II: Miscellaneous Provisions - Prohibits Federal funds from being made available to carry out the Television Broadcasting to Cuba Act or the Radio Broadcasting to Cuba Act. (Sec. 202) Bars the use of funds available for the Department of Energy (DOE) National Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Program to pay the costs of lobbying any Federal, State, or local government officer or employee on the question of the establishment of a low-level radioactive waste storage site at any location. (Sec. 203) Prohibits the use of DOE funds to carry out the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative. (Sec. 204) Limits the total amount of budget authority available for a fiscal year to Federal agencies for travel and transportation of persons, transportation of things, printing and reproduction, advisory and assistance services, and supplies and materials to the actual expenditures for such object classes in FY 1998. (Sec. 205) Amends provisions of the Social Security Act regarding the Federal Parent Locator Service to provide for disclosure to the Secretary of Education of certain information in the National Directory of New Hires on individuals who are in default on certain loans or owe obligations to refund overpayments of grants made under the Higher Education Act. Establishes conditions on such disclosure, including that priority be given to support collection over collection of such loans or grants and that such information be used only for collecting debt owed by individuals whose annualized wage level exceeds $16,000. Permits such information to be used only for collection purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
CT-43A Federal Employee Settlement Act - Directs the Secretary of the Air Force to pay $2 million to the specified beneficiary of each of the 14 Federal civilian officers and employees killed in the crash of a United States Air Force CT-43A aircraft on April 3, 1996, near Dubrovnik, Croatia. Provides that acceptance of such payment constitutes full settlement of all claims by that person against the United States arising from the death. Prohibits any representative of a beneficiary from receiving more than ten percent of a payment for services rendered in connection with the beneficiary's claim.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Makes Federal tort claims coverage applicable to any claim resulting from: (1) an injury sustained by a member of the armed forces while on active duty arising or resulting from, or aggravated by, a negligent or wrongful act or omission of another member of the armed forces or the Federal Government; or (2) the death of a member resulting from such injury.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Veterans Health Care Quality Assurance Act of 1999 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should: (1) require the directors of the Department of Veterans Affairs health care networks to systematically share information on maximizing resources and increasing efficiency without compromising quality of care and patient satisfaction; (2) require exchange and mentoring programs to facilitate such sharing; (3) provide incentives to increase efficiency and meet quality and patient satisfaction goals; and (4) institute a formal oversight process to meet such goals. Requires the Department's Inspector General, at least every three years, to audit the quality of health care furnished by each Department health care network and facility. Directs the Secretary to provide for the dissemination and sharing with Department health care networks of information designed to ensure efficiency in the provision of health care to veterans. Requires the Secretary to: (1) annually issue efficiency goals and quality and patient satisfaction standards for each Department health care facility; and (2) report annually to Congress on the extent to which the Department met such goals and standards. Establishes within the Department the Office of Health Care Quality Assurance, headed by a Director, to ensure the establishment and implementation of efficiency goals and quality and patient satisfaction standards throughout the Department. Expresses the sense of Congress that such Director should act as an advocate for veterans in receiving quality health care. Requires a report from the Secretary to Congress on efficiencies in the furnishing of health care to veterans in Department health care networks and facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to convey the National Defense Reserve Fleet vessel S.S. GUAM to a certain not-for-profit corporation to use to exhibit products manufactured in the United States, during cruises around the world. Conditions such conveyance on the recipient having specified financial resources available to restore the vessel.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Directs the Secretary of the Army to submit annually to Congress an estimate of the funds required in that fiscal year to cover any overhead costs at factories and arsenals owned by the United States that are not covered by the use of such facilities due to low Army production requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Directs the Secretary of the Army to pay a named individual an annuity under the military Survivor Benefit Plan pursuant to the election of her former husband, to be effective as of the day after his death on February 10, 1993, subject to payment of premiums that would have been paid through a reduction in retired pay.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Directs the Secretary of Defense to prescribe regulations to ensure that Department of Defense procedures for receiving reports of suspected child abuse occurring on a military installation include procedures to ensure that such a report may be made anonymously.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Federal Beryllium Compensation Act - Authorizes the Secretaries of Defense and of Energy to include in subsequent regulations additional definitions to those set forth in this Act with respect to vendors, processors, or producers of beryllium or related products. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to provide additional criteria by which a claimant may establish the existence of a covered illness. (Sec. 5) Prescribes guidelines for: (1) determinative criteria for exposure to beryllium in the performance of duty; (2) compensation for disability or death, medical services, and vocational rehabilitation; (3) computation of pay; (4) limitations on receiving compensation; (5) coordination of benefits; and (6) retroactive compensation. (Sec. 11) States this Act is the exclusive remedy against the United States and its instrumentalities with respect to a covered illness, beryllium-related pulmonary condition, or death of a covered employee. (Sec. 14) Deems final and conclusive decisions of the Secretary of Labor regarding claim allowance or denial. States such Secretary shall administer and decide all questions arising under this Act. (Sec. 18) Establishes in the Treasury the Federal Beryllium Compensation Fund for the payment of compensation and other benefits and expenses under this Act. (Sec. 19) Provides for forfeiture of benefits by persons convicted of fraud with respect to Federal or State workers' compensation benefits. (Sec. 20) Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to prescribe regulations for the administration and enforcement of this Act. Mandates that such regulations provide for a Beryllium Compensation Appeals Panel to make final decisions on appeals. (Sec. 22) Instructs the Secretary of Labor to submit an annual report to Congress regarding the administration of this Act. (Sec. 23) Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned to empower civilian special agents of their respective military criminal investigative organizations to execute and serve warrants and make arrests without warrants as may be authorized for special agents of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Prohibits the Secretary of Defense from administering to a member of the armed forces an investigational new drug or drug unapproved for its applied use without the consent of the member. Repeals provisions concerning a limitation and waiver of current notice requirements relating to the administering of such drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit the unused portion of the low-income housing credit for buildings financed with tax exempt State bonds to be used for the construction of military housing in the State.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Panama Canal Security Act of 1999 - Directs that any accumulated unpaid balance required to be paid to the Republic of Panama by the Panama Canal Commission under terms of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 shall be payable only upon completion of an agreement that: (1) leases to the United States at least 50 percent of Howard Air Force Base in Panama, including all runways, air traffic control facilities, and adjacent hangars; and (2) grants the United States continued authority to ensure the proper disbursement and use of the balance paid.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
Intellectual Property and Communications Omnibus Reform Act of 1999 - Title I: Satellite Home Viewer Improvement - Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act of 1999 - Amends Federal copyright law to cite circumstances under which the secondary transmission by a satellite carrier (carrier) of a primary transmission of a television broadcast station (TV station) into the station's local market shall be subject to statutory (compulsory) licensing. Requires the carrier: (1) within 90 days after commencing such secondary transmission, to submit to the network that owns or is affiliated with the network station a list identifying all subscribers to which the carrier currently makes such transmission; and (2) on the 15th day of each month, to submit a subsequent list identifying any subscribers who have been added or dropped. Restricts the use of subscriber information to monitoring compliance by the carrier. Applies the submission requirements to a carrier only if the network to which the submissions are to be made places on file with the Register of Copyrights a document identifying the name and address of the person to whom such submissions are to be made. (Sec. 1002) Precludes any royalty obligation for such secondary transmission. Makes actionable as an infringement and fully subject to copyright remedies a carrier's willful or repeated transmission into a TV station's local market of the station's primary transmission embodying a performance or display, if the carrier has not complied with specified reporting requirements. Applies such infringement and copyright remedies to a carrier if: (1) the content of a particular program in which the performance or display is embodied or any commercial advertising or station announcement transmitted by the primary transmitter during, or immediately before or after, the transmission of such program is in any way willfully altered by the carrier or is combined with programming from any other broadcast signal; or (2) such transmission is made to a subscriber outside the TV station's local market who is not subject to compulsory licensing, except that no damages (other than certain restricted statutory damages) may be awarded if the carrier promptly withdraws service from the ineligible subscriber. Sets forth additional remedies for willful and repeated patterns or practices of such violations. Places on the carrier the burden of proof in any action brought under this title that its secondary transmission of a TV station's primary transmission is made only to subscribers within the station's local market. (Sec. 1003) Amends the Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1994 to extend until December 31, 2004, the sunset of the satellite compulsory license. (Sec. 1004) Revises the formula used to compute the rate of royalty fees in effect on January 1, 1998, to be deposited with the Register of Copyrights by carriers by reducing the $.27 rate for retransmission of: (1) superstation signals by 30 percent; and (2) network stations by 45 percent. Provides that for purposes of copyright arbitration royalty panels, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) shall be the agent for all public television copyright claimants and all PBS member stations with respect to royalty fees paid by the carriers for retransmitting the PBS satellite feed. (Sec. 1005) Modifies the definition of "unserved household" to eliminate the 90-day period that satellite subscribers must wait after termination of their cable service until they are eligible for satellite service of network signals. Defines an unserved household as one not able to receive through a conventional antenna an over-the-air signal of a primary network station affiliated with that network of Grade B intensity (with certain additional requirements). Provides exceptions to the limitations placed on the secondary transmissions by a carrier of the primary transmission made by a network station with respect to subscribers who do not reside in unserved households. Allows, until December 31, 2004, a subscriber who does not receive a signal of grade A intensity of a local network station to remain eligible to receive signals of stations affiliated with the same network, as long as that subscriber had satellite service of such signal terminated after July 11, 1998, and before October 31, 1999, or received such service on such latter date. Exempts from the unserved household requirements operators of recreational vehicles and commercial trucks who have complied with certain documentation requirements. (Sec. 1006) Subjects copyrighted programming carried upon the PBS's national satellite feed to copyright compulsory licensing requirements. Defines the "Public Broadcasting Service satellite feed" as the national satellite feed distributed by the PBS consisting of educational and informational programming intended for private home viewing, to which the PBS holds national terrestrial broadcast rights. (Sec. 1007) Subjects the copyright compulsory license to the rules, regulations, or authorizations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Makes carrier eligibility for such license contingent upon full compliance with all FCC signal carriage requirements. (Sec. 1008) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require carriers that retransmit a television broadcast signal to subscribers located within the signal's local market to carry, upon request beginning January 1, 2002, the signals of all TV stations located within that local market (must-carry requirement), subject to the retransmission consent election by such stations. Requires a TV station asserting its right to such carriage to bear costs associated with delivering a good quality signal to the carrier's designated local receive facility or to another facility that is acceptable to at least one-half the stations asserting the right to carriage in the local market. Provides that a carrier shall not be required: (1) to carry upon request the signal of any local commercial TV station that substantially duplicates the signal of another local commercial TV station which is secondarily transmitted by the carrier within the same local market; or (2) to carry upon request the signals of more than one local commercial TV station in a single local market that is affiliated with a particular television network unless such stations are licensed to communities in different States. Requires the FCC to prescribe regulations that provide the same degree of carriage by carriers of multiple local noncommercial television broadcast stations as is provided by cable systems. Declares that no carrier shall be required to provide a local TV station signal to subscribers in that station's local market on any particular channel number, or to provide the signals in any particular order, except that the carrier shall retransmit the signal of the local stations to subscribers in the station's local market on contiguous channels and provide access to such signals at a nondiscriminatory price and in a nondiscriminatory manner on any navigational device, on-screen program guide, or menu. Prohibits a carrier from accepting or requesting monetary payments or other valuable consideration in exchange either for carriage of local TV stations in fulfillment of the requirements of this title or for channel positioning rights provided to such stations. Allows any such station, however, to be required to bear the costs associated with delivering a good quality signal to the satellite's local receive facility. Provides administrative procedures by which stations may seek redress from the FCC for violations of the must-carry obligations for carriers. Sets a deadline by which the FCC must issue regulations (modeled after those currently applicable to the cable industry) that apply network nonduplication protection, syndicated exclusivity protection, and sports blackout protection to retransmission of broadcast signals by carriers to subscribers. Permits a carrier to provide the signals of no more than two network stations in a single day for each television network to any household not located within the local markets of those stations. Allows such a carrier to also provide service under the secondary transmission provisions of this title to the local market within which such household is located. Provides penalties for carrier violations. Requires the FCC to establish regulations that apply the above network nonduplication protection, syndicated exclusivity protection, and sports blackout protection to the transmission of nationally transmitted superstations by carriers, and to apply sports blackout protection to the retransmission of the signals of network stations by carriers to subscribers. Directs the FCC to conclude an inquiry to evaluate all possible standards and factors for determining eligibility for retransmission of the signals of network stations and, if appropriate: (1) recommend modifications to the current Grade B intensity standard for analog signals (or an alternative standard); and (2) make an additional recommendation relating to an appropriate standard for digital signals. Authorizes a subscriber who is denied the retransmission of a signal of a network station under this title to request from the station a waiver of such denial. Requires the FCC to develop and prescribe by rule a point-to-point predictive model for reliably and presumptively determining the ability of individual locations to receive signals in accordance with the current effective signal intensity standard, taking into account terrain, building structures, and other land cover variations. Requires the selection and employment of an independent signal tester by the appropriate carrier and network stations when a subscriber's request for waiver under this subtitle is denied. (Sec. 1009) Revises generally the requirements for retransmission of a TV station's signal by a cable system or other multichannel video programming distributor. Directs the FCC to revise regulations governing the exercise by TV stations of the right to grant consent to such retransmission. Provides enforcement proceedings against carriers concerning retransmissions of TV stations (without the above consent) in the respective local markets of such carriers. Places, in such proceedings, the burden of proof upon a TV station to establish that the carrier retransmitted the TV station to at least one person in the local market of such station on the day in question. Provides for FCC enforcement of proceeding determinations through cease-and-desist orders, as appropriate. Outlines court proceedings for the enforcement of such FCC orders. Authorizes TV stations to file civil actions for statutory damages for any violations determined by the FCC to have been committed by a carrier. Title II: Rural Local Television Signals - Rural Local Broadcast Signal Act - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make a determination regarding licenses or other authorizations for facilities that will utilize spectrum otherwise allocated to commercial use for delivering local TV signals to satellite TV subscribers in unserved and underserved local TV markets. Requires an FCC report to specified congressional committees on the extent to which such licenses and other authorizations have facilitated the delivery of local signals to satellite TV subscribers in such markets. Title III: Trademark Cyberpiracy Prevention - Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act - Amends the Trademark Act of 1946 to make liable in a civil action by the owner of a mark (including a personal name protected as a mark) any person who, with a bad faith intent to profit from that mark, registers, traffics in, or uses a domain name which, at the time of its registration, is: (1) identical or confusingly similar to a distinctive mark; (2) dilutive of a famous mark; or (3) is a protected trademark, word, or name (including protected marks, words, or names of the Red Cross, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, and the Pan-American Sports Organization). Limits liability to the domain name registrant or that registrant's authorized licensee. (Sec. 3002) Specifies factors a court may consider in determining bad faith intent, but prohibits such a determination if the defendant believed, with reasonable grounds, that the use of the domain name was fair or otherwise lawful. Authorizes a court to order the forfeiture or cancellation of the domain name or its transfer to the mark owner. Prescribes conditions for an in rem civil action, in addition to any other action, against a domain name by a mark owner. Limits remedies in an in rem action to a court order for the forfeiture or cancellation of the domain name or its transfer to the mark owner. Declares that the domain name registrar, registry, or other registration authority shall not be liable for injunctive or monetary relief in an in rem action except in the case of bad faith or reckless disregard, which includes a willful failure to comply with any such court order. Declares that any person who registers a domain name consisting of the name of another living person, or a name substantially and confusingly similar to it, without that person's consent, and with specific intent to profit by selling the domain name for financial gain to that person or any third party, shall be liable to such person in a civil action for injunctive relief, including forfeiture or cancellation of the domain name or its transfer to the plaintiff. Shields from such liability, however, any copyright owner or licensee who registers such a domain name in good faith if: (1) the name is used in, affiliated with, or related to a work of authorship protected by copyright, including a work made for hire; and (2) the registrant intends to sell the domain name in conjunction with the lawful exploitation of the work, provided registration is not prohibited by a contract between the registrant and the named person. (Sec. 3003) Applies to cybersquatting actions such trademark remedies in addition to injunctive relief as recovery of defendant's profits, actual damages, and attorneys' fees and court costs. Provides for statutory damages in an amount of at least $1,000 and up to $100,000 per domain name, as the court considers just. (Sec. 3004) Shields from liability for monetary or (except in specified circumstances) injunctive relief, regardless of whether the domain name is finally determined to infringe or dilute the mark in question, any domain name registrar, registry, or other registration authority that refuses to register, removes from registration, transfers, temporarily disables, or permanently cancels a domain name: (1) in compliance with a court order; or (2) in the implementation of a reasonable policy prohibiting the registration of a domain name identical to, confusingly similar to, or dilutive of another's mark. Makes liable to a domain name registrant for monetary and injunctive relief (including reactivation or transfer to the registrant of the domain name) any person who makes a knowing and material misrepresentation that a domain name is identical to, confusingly similar to, or dilutive of a mark, and a registrar, registry, or other registration authority takes such an action based on such misrepresentation. Shields a registrar, registry, or other registration authority from liability for damages for the registration or maintenance of a domain name for another, unless there is a showing of bad faith intent to profit from such registration or maintenance of the domain name. Authorizes a registrant whose domain name has been suspended, disabled, or transferred, upon notice to the mark owner, to file a civil action for injunctive relief (including reactivation or transfer to the registrant of the domain name) to establish that the registration or use of the domain name by such registrant is not unlawful under the Trademark Act of 1946. (Sec. 3006) Directs the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) study and report to Congress on guidelines and procedures for resolving disputes involving the registration or use by a person of a domain name that includes the personal name of another person, in whole or in part, or a name confusingly similar to it; and (2) collaborate, under the Memorandum of Understanding with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, to develop such guidelines and procedures. (Sec. 3007) Amends the National Historic Preservation Act to provide a limited immunity from suit under trademark law for historic buildings and structures on or eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, or that are designated by a State or local government as an individual landmark or as a contributing building in a historic district. Permits retention of the name historically associated with such a building or structure. Title IV: Inventor Protection - American Inventors Protection Act of 1999 - Subtitle A: Inventors' Rights - Inventors' Rights Act of 1999 - Amends Federal patent law to oblige any invention promoter, before entering into a contract for invention promotion services, to disclose to a customer in writing: (1) the total number of inventions evaluated by the promoter for commercial potential in the past five years, including the number of positive and of negative evaluations; (2) the total number of customers who have contracted with the promoter in the past five years; (3) the total number of customers known by the promoter to have received a net financial profit as a direct result of the invention promotion services provided; (4) the total number of customers known by the invention promoter to have received license agreements for their inventions as a direct result of such services; and (5) the names and addresses of all previous invention promotion companies with which the promoter or its officers have collectively or individually been affiliated in the previous ten years. (Sec. 4102) Establishes a Federal cause of action for inventors injured by material false or fraudulent statements or representations, or any omission of material fact, by an invention promoter, or by the promoter's failure to make the required written disclosures. Sets statutory damages (if elected by a customer before judgment is rendered) at a maximum of $5,000. Requires the Commissioner of Patents to make publicly available any complaints received involving invention promoters, along with the response, if any, from the promoters. Subtitle B: Patent and Trademark Fee Fairness - Patent and Trademark Fee Fairness Act of 1999 - Amends Federal patent law to reduce: (1) from $760 to $690 original filing and reissue fees, as well as the national fee for certain international applications; and (2) from $940 to $830 the three-and-a-half year maintenance fee. (Sec. 4203) Authorizes the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to adjust trademark fees in FY 2000 without regard to fluctuations in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) during the preceding 12 months. (Sec. 4204) Directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the USPTO Director to study and report to specified congressional committees on alternative fee structures that the USPTO could adopt to encourage maximum participation by the inventor community in the United States. (Sec. 4205) Changes from discretionary to mandatory the authority of the Commissioner of Patent and Trademarks to make all trademark fees available only for the processing of trademark registrations and trademark-related activities, services, and materials. Subtitle C: First Inventor Defense - First Inventor Defense Act of 1999 - Amends Federal patent law to declare that it shall be a defense to an infringement action with respect to any subject matter that would otherwise infringe one or more claims for a method in the patent being asserted against a person, if such person had, acting in good faith, actually reduced the subject matter to practice at least one year before the effective filing date of such patent, and commercially used the subject matter before the effective filing date of such patent. (Sec. 4302) Deems a commercial use, in the case of activities performed by a nonprofit research laboratory, or nonprofit entity such as a university, research center, or hospital, any use for which the public is the intended beneficiary, except that such use: (1) may be asserted as a defense only for continued use by and in the laboratory or nonprofit entity; and (2) may not be asserted as a defense with respect to any subsequent commercialization or use outside such laboratory or nonprofit entity. States that the sale or other disposition of a useful end product produced by a patented method, by a person entitled to assert such a defense with respect to that useful end result, shall exhaust the patent owner's rights under the patent to the extent such rights would have been exhausted had such sale or other disposition been made by the patent owner. Limits the defense to inventions for methods. Prohibits the defense if the subject matter on which the defense is based was derived from the patentee or persons in privity with the patentee. Declares that this defense is not a general license under all claims of the patent at issue, but extends only to the specific subject matter claimed in the patent with respect to which the person can assert a defense. Extends the defense, however, to variations in the quantity or volume of use of the claimed subject matter, and to improvements that do not infringe additional specifically claimed subject matter of the patent. Requires a person asserting the defense to establish it by clear and convincing evidence. Prohibits any person who has abandoned commercial use of subject matter from relying on activities performed before the date of abandonment in establishing a defense with respect to actions taken after such date. Limits assertion of the defense to the person who performed the acts necessary to establish it. Prohibits licensing, assignment, or transfer to any person but the patent owner of the right to assert the defense, except as an ancillary and subordinate part of a good faith assignment or transfer for other reasons of the entire enterprise or line of business to which the defense relates. Restricts the site of use of a subject matter for which the defense may be asserted if the defense has been acquired as part of such a good faith assignment or transfer. Subtitle D: Patent Term Guarantee - Patent Term Guarantee Act of 1999 - Amends Federal patent law to extend the term of a patent one day for each day lost as a result of delay created by the USPTO when the agency fails to: (1) make notifications within 14 months after filing of a non-provisional application about the rejection of any patent claim, or objections to or requirements for it, or of allowance of the application; (2) respond within four months to a reply to a rejection, objection, or requirement, or to an appeal of a twice-rejected claim; (3) act on an application within four months after the date of a decision by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, or a decision by a Federal court in a case in which allowable claims remain in the application; or (4) issue a patent within four months after the date on which the issue fee was paid and all outstanding requirements were satisfied. (Sec. 4402) Requires a day-for-day extension of a patent term if: (1) a patent is not issued within three years after the filing of the application; or (2) issue is delayed by interferences, secrecy orders, or appeals. Specifies limitations to such an extension, as well as grounds for its reduction. Requires the USPTO Director to prescribe regulations establishing procedures for the application for and determination of patent term extensions and adjustments. (Sec. 4403) Authorizes the USPTO Director to: (1) prescribe regulations for the continued examination, at the applicant's request, of a patent application notwithstanding a final rejection; and (2) establish appropriate fees for continued examination proceedings, with a mandatory 50% fee reduction for qualifying small entities. Subtitle E: Domestic Publication of Patent Applications Published Abroad - Domestic Publication of Foreign Filed Patent Applications Act of 1999 - Requires the USPTO Director to publish each patent application 18 months after the earliest filing date for which a benefit is sought, unless the applicant requests earlier publication. Makes final and unreviewable the Director's determination to release or not to release information concerning a published patent application. Prohibits publication of any application: (1) no longer pending; (2) subject to a secrecy order; (3) which is provisional; (4) for a design patent; or (5) for an invention the applicant certifies has not and will not be the subject of an application filed in another country, or under a multilateral international agreement, that requires publication of applications 18 months after filing. Requires any applicant, in the latter instance, who subsequently files, in a foreign country or under a multilateral international agreement, an application directed to the invention disclosed in the application filed in the PTO, to notify the Director. (Sec. 4502) Allows an applicant to submit a redacted copy of the PTO-filed application, eliminating any part or description of the invention that is not also contained in any of the corresponding applications the applicant has filed in one or more foreign countries whose applications require a less extensive description of the invention than the application or description of the invention in the application filed in the PTO. Requires the USPTO Director to publish only the redacted copy of the application, unless it is not received within 16 months after the earliest effective filing date. Requires the USPTO Director to establish appropriate procedures to ensure that no protest or other form of pre-issuance opposition to the grant of a patent on an application may be initiated after publication of the application without the express written consent of the applicant. Prohibits publication or disclosure of the application of any invention whose publication or disclosure would be detrimental to the national security. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to specified congressional committees on applicants who file only in the United States on or after the effective date of this subtitle. (Sec. 4503) Amends Federal patent law with respect to the option of an applicant seeking patent protection in the United States to claim the filing date of an application for the same invention filed in another Convention country, provided the subsequent application is filed in the United States within 12 months of the earlier filing in the foreign country. Revises requirements for claiming such priority. Authorizes the Director to: (1) consider an applicant's failure to file a timely claim for priority to be a waiver of any such priority claim; and (2) establish procedures (including the payment of a surcharge) to accept an unintentionally delayed priority claim. (Sec. 4504) Amends Federal patent law to state that a patent shall contain a (provisional) right to obtain a reasonable royalty for applicants whose applications are published under this title, or international applications designating the United States filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Entitles the applicant to obtain a reasonable royalty from any person who between publication of the application and issuance of the patent: (1) makes, uses, offers for sale, or sells the invention in, or imports it into, the United States; or (2) if the invention claimed is a process, makes, uses, offers for sale, sells, or imports a product made by that process in the United States; and (3) had actual notice of the published application, including a translation into English if it was filed in a non-English language under the PCT designating the United States. Denies availability of such right unless the invention as claimed in the patent is substantially identical to the invention as claimed in the published application. Sets a six-year statute of limitations from the date of patent issuance in which an action for reasonable royalties must be brought. (Sec. 4505) Grants a published application prior art effect as of its earliest effective U.S. filing date against any subsequently filed U.S. applications. States that any foreign filing date to which the published application is entitled will not be the effective filing date of the U.S. published application for prior art purposes, unless it is an international application designating the United States published in English under the PCT. (Sec. 4506) Requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the USPTO Director to recover the cost of early publication required by this title by charging a separate publication fee after a notice of allowance is given. Subtitle F: Optional Inter Partes Reexamination Procedure - Optional Inter Partes Reexamination Procedure Act of 1999 - Amends Federal patent law to allow a third party to request inter partes reexamination by the PTO of a patent on the basis of any prior art, as long as the real party in interest is identified. (Sec. 4604) Requires the USPTO Director to: (1) make a determination (which shall be final and non-appealable) determine whether a substantial new question of patentability affecting any claim of the patent concerned is raised by the request, with or without consideration of other patents or printed publications; and (2) order for inter partes reexamination of the patent for resolution of any substantial new question determined. Prescribes procedures for an inter partes reexamination. Entitles the third-party requester to: (1) submit one written comment addressing issues raised by the action of the Office or the patent owner's response each time the patent owner files a response to the USPTO; and (2) appeal to the USPTO Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (but not the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit) from an examiner's determination that the reexamined patent is valid. Entitles the patent owner to appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit any decision adverse to a claim's patentability. Estops any third-party requesters who participate in an inter partes reexamination proceeding from raising in a subsequent civil action or inter partes reexamination any issue of patent validity that they raised or could have raised during such inter partes reexamination. Permits a subsequent assertion of patent invalidity, however, based on newly discovered prior art unavailable to the third-party requester and the PTO at the time of the inter partes reexamination proceedings. Requires the USPTO Director, upon expiration of the time for appeal or termination of any appeal proceeding with regard to an inter partes reexamination, to cancel any patent claim finally determined unpatentable, confirm any claim determined patentable, or incorporate in the patent any proposed amended or new claim determined patentable. Prescribes circumstances in which an inter partes reexamination is prohibited. (Sec. 4606) Directs the Under Secretary for Intellectual Property and the USPTO Director to evaluate for Congress whether the inter partes reexamination proceedings established under this title are inequitable to any of the parties in interest and, if so, recommend suitable changes. (Sec. 4607) Estops an inter partes reexamination requester from challenging at a later time, in any civil action, any fact determined during the process of such reexamination, except with respect to a fact determination later proved to be erroneous based on information unavailable at the time of the inter partes reexamination decision. Subtitle G: Patent and Trademark Office - Patent and Trademark Office Efficiency Act - Amends Federal patent law to reorganize the Patent and Trademark Office in the Department of Commerce into a U.S. agency within the Department, called the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), subject to the general policy direction of the Secretary of Commerce but exercising independent control of its budget, personnel, procurements, and other administrative and management functions. (Sec. 4713) Vests the enumerated powers and duties of the USPTO in an Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO (currently, the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks). Requires the Secretary to appoint a Commissioner of Patents and a Commissioner of Trademarks. (Sec. 4714) Establishes a Patent Public Advisory Committee and a Trademark Public Advisory Committee. (Sec. 4715) Revises the composition of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences to reflect the changes of this Act. Repeals the current authority (of the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks) to designate any patent examiner of the primary examiner grade or higher to serve as examiner-in-chief for a six-month period, and act as a member of the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences. Subtitle H: Miscellaneous Patent Provisions - Amends Federal patent law to permit the conversion, upon applicant request, of a provisional application into a non-provisional application. Repeals the requirement that a provisional application be pending on the filing date of a non-provisional application in order for the provisional application to be relied upon in any proceeding in the USPTO. (Sec. 4802) Permits persons who filed an application for patent first in a World Trade Organization (WTO) member country to claim the right of priority in a subsequent patent application filed in the United States, even if such country does not yet afford similar privileges on the basis of applications filed in the United States. Provides for the right of priority in the United States on the basis of an application for a plant breeder's right first filed in a WTO member country or in a foreign member of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV Contracting Party). (Sec. 4803) Makes certain limitations on remedies for patent infringement applicable only to applications filed on or after September 30, 1996. (Sec. 4804) Authorizes the USPTO to receive, publish, disseminate, and maintain information in electronic form. Prohibits the USPTO Director from ceasing to maintain paper or microform collections of U.S. patents, foreign patent documents, and U.S. trademark registrations, except pursuant to notice and opportunity for public comment. Requires the USPTO Director to report to Congress the details of any proposal to cease maintaining paper or microform collections, certifying that its implementation will not negatively impact the public. (Sec. 4805) Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the potential risks to the U.S. biotechnological industry regarding biological deposits in support of biotechnology patents. Requires the USPTO to consider the Comptroller General's recommendations when drafting regulations affecting biological deposits. (Sec. 4806) Specifies that an inventor involved in a USPTO interference proceeding who establishes a date of invention is subject to certain requirements, including the one that the invention was not abandoned, suppressed, or concealed. (Sec. 4807) Revises the condition of patentability that subject matter developed by another person which qualifies as prior art only in certain circumstances shall not preclude the granting of a patent on an invention with only obvious differences where the subject matter and claimed invention were, at the time the invention was made, owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person. Adds to such qualifying prior art circumstances that the invention was described in another patent granted on an application filed before the applicant's date of invention. (Thus allows an applicant to receive a patent when an invention with only obvious differences from the applicant's invention was described in a patent granted on an application filed before the applicant's invention, provided the inventions are commonly owned or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person.) (Sec. 4808) Prohibits the USPTO Director from entering into an agreement to provide copies of specifications and drawings of U.S. patents and applications to a foreign country, other than a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) country or a WTO member country, without the express authorization of the Secretary of Commerce. Title V: Miscellaneous Provisions - Amends Federal law establishing the Commission on Online Child Protection to: (1) revise membership provisions; (2) extend by one year the Commission report deadline; (3) terminate the Commission either 30 days after such report (current law) or on November 30, 2000, whichever is earlier; and (4) revise meeting requirements and establish Commission rules. (Sec. 5002) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to provide privacy requirements with respect to donors to public broadcasting entities. (Sec. 5003) Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), within 180 days after enactment of this Act, to complete a biennial regulatory review required under the Telecommunications Act of 1996. (Sec. 5004) Amends Federal copyright law to provide a remittance of copyright damages for public broadcasting entities that were not aware that their acts constituted a copyright violation. (Sec. 5005) Amends the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Tariff Act of 1930 to make technical amendments relating to vessel hull design protection. (Sec. 5007) Amends Federal copyright law to allow surety corporations, like other corporations, to utilize approved state officials to receive service of process in any legal proceeding in lieu of having a separate service agent in each Federal judicial district. (Sec. 5008) Community Broadcasters Protection Act of 1999 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the FCC to prescribe regulations to establish a class A license for qualifying low-power television (LPT) stations. Requires notification of LPT licensees of the requirements for class A designation. Requires requesting licensees to submit to the FCC a certification of eligibility based on the requirements of this section. Requires the FCC to: (1) grant such certification absent a material deficiency; and (2) act to preserve the service areas of LPT stations pending final resolution of such applications. Allows an LPT station to submit an application for class A designation only within 30 days after final regulations are adopted. Defines as a qualifying LPT station one which, during the 90 days preceding the date of enactment of this title: (1) broadcast for at least 18 hours per day; (2) broadcast an average of at least three hours per week of programming that was produced within the market area served by such station or the market area served by a group of commonly controlled LPT stations that carry common local programming produced within the market area served by such group; and (3) complied with other requirements applicable to LPT stations and, after the date of its license application, complies with the FCC's operating rules for full power television stations. Allows the FCC to also qualify stations as LPT stations if public interest, convenience, and necessity would be so served. Provides that: (1) the FCC is not required to issue any additional licenses for advanced television services to the licensees of class A television stations; and (2) the FCC shall approve such applications proposing facilities that will not cause interference to any other broadcast facility authorized on the date of the filing of the advanced television application. States that nothing in this section shall preempt Federal provisions concerning the allocation and assignment of new public safety services licenses and commercial licenses. Prohibits the FCC from granting a class A license to an LPT station operating between 698 and 806 megahertz, but requires the FCC to provide to LPT stations assigned to and temporarily operating within such bandwidth the opportunity to meet the licensing requirements. Prohibits the FCC from granting a class A license to an LPT station operating on a channel that includes any of the 175 additional channels referenced within a certain FCC Memorandum of Opinion and Order of Reconsideration. Directs the FCC to identify such channels within 18 months after enactment of this section. Prohibits the FCC from granting a class A license or modification unless the applicant or licensee shows that the station for which such license or modification is sought will not cause interference within: (1) the predicted contour (service area) of any television transmitting in analog format; (2) certain digital television service areas; (3) the predicted contour of any LPT station or LPT translator station that was licensed, authorized for construction, or had a pending application before the date of the class A license application; or (4) 80 miles from the geographic center of certain listed areas, including the 482-488 megahertz band in New York. Provides that LPT stations that are displaced by applications filed under this section shall have priority over other LPT stations in the assignment of available channels. Title VI: Superfund Recycling Equity - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to absolve persons (other than owners or operators) who arranged for the recycling of recyclable material from liability for environmental response actions. (Sec. 6001) Excludes from the meaning of recyclable material (thus deeming a non-recyclable material): (1) any shipping container of a capacity from 30 liters to 3,000 liters, whether intact or not, having any hazardous substance (but not metal bits and pieces or hazardous substance that form an integral part of the container) contained in or adhering to it; or (2) any item of material that contained polychlorinated biphenyls at a concentration in excess of 50 parts per million or any new standard promulgated pursuant to applicable Federal laws. Declares, however, that a determination whether or not any person shall be liable for any non-recyclable material shall be made without regard to the amendments made by this title. Deems transactions involving scrap paper, plastic, glass, textiles, or rubber (other than whole tires) to be arranging for recycling if the person who arranged the transaction demonstrates that the following criteria were met: (1) the recyclable material met a commercial specification grade and a market existed for the material; (2) a substantial portion of the material was made available for use as a feedstock for the manufacture of a new saleable product; (3) the material (or product to be made from the material) could have been a replacement for a virgin raw material; and (4) with respect to transactions occurring 90 days after this Act's enactment, the person exercised reasonable care to determine that the facility where the material would be managed by another was in compliance with Federal, State, or local environmental laws or regulations. Deems transactions involving scrap metal to be arranging for recycling if the person who arranged the transaction demonstrates that: (1) the criteria for scrap materials were met; (2) he or she complied with applicable standards regarding activities associated with the recycling of scrap metals; and (3) the scrap metal was not melted prior to the transaction. Deems transactions involving spent lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, or other batteries to be arranging for recycling if the person involved demonstrates that: (1) the criteria for scrap materials were met; and (2) he or she complied with applicable Federal environmental regulations or standards regarding such batteries. Makes the exemptions from liability under this Act inapplicable if the person: (1) had an objectively reasonable basis to believe at the time of the recycling transaction that the recyclable material would not be recycled or would be burned as fuel or for energy recovery or incineration or that the consuming facility was not in compliance with Federal, State, or local environmental laws or regulations; (2) had reason to believe that hazardous substances had been added to the material for purposes other than processing for recycling; or (3) failed to exercise reasonable care with respect to the management of the material.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
Admiral James W. Nance and Meg Donovan Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001 - Division A: Department of State Provisions - Title I: Authorizations of Appropriations - Subtitle A: Department of State - Authorizes appropriations for the Department of State for FY 2000 and 2001 for: (1) administration of foreign affairs; (2) international commissions; (3) migration and refugee assistance (including for humanitarian assistance to Tibetan refugees in India and Nepal, refugees resettling in Israel, displaced Burmese and Sierra Leoneans, and for an international rape counseling program to counsel female victims of rape during times of war); (4) U.S. informational, educational, and cultural programs; (5) the Asia Foundation; (6) contributions to international organizations (including the U.S. assessment for the civil budget of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and international peacekeeping activities; and (7) certain voluntary contributions to international organizations. Withholds twenty percent of the U.S. assessed contribution to the United Nations (UN) until the Secretary of State certifies that the UN has met specified conditions. Bars the use of funds for U.S. contributions to: (1) pay for expenses related to the holding of any UN global conference (except one scheduled before October 1, 1998); and (2) the UN regular budget for the U.S. share of framework treaty-based organization, including the Framework Convention on Global Climate Change, the International Seabed Authority, the Desertification Convention, and the International Criminal Court. Withholds a certain amount of funds from the UN Development Program that will be spent in Burma during each fiscal year unless the President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that the Program's activities in Burma: (1) are focused on eliminating human suffering and addressing the needs of the poor; (2) are undertaken only through international or private voluntary organizations that are independent of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) (formerly known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)); (3) provide no financial, political, or military benefit to the SPDC; and (4) are carried out only after consultation with the leadership of the National League for Democracy and the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma. Limits the U.S. voluntary contributions to international organizations for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). Makes such funds available only if: (1) UNFPA maintains funds available to it in a separate account; (2) it does not commingle such funds; and (3) it does not fund abortions. Prohibits the use of funds for UNFPA for a country program in China. Directs the Secretary to report to the appropriate congressional committees on the amount of funds that the UNFPA is budgeting for the year in which the report is submitted for a country program in China. Withholds the U.S. voluntary contribution to the UNFPA, if a report indicates plans to spend funds for a country program in China, in an amount equal to that which would be spent on a country program in China after March 1 for the remainder of the fiscal year in which the report is submitted. Subtitle B: United States International Broadcasting Activities - Authorizes appropriations for FY 2000 and 2001 to carry out certain international broadcasting activities. Title II: Department of State Basic Authorities and Activities - Subtitle A: Basic Authorities and Activities - Directs the Secretary of State to fill the position of Director of the Office of Children's Issues of the Department of State with an individual of senior rank who: (1) can ensure long-term continuity in the management and policy matters of the Office; and (2) has a strong background in consular affairs. Designates in each U.S. diplomatic mission an employee who shall serve as the point of contact for matters relating to international abductions of children by parents. Directs the Secretary, with a specified exception, to report semi-annually to each parent who has requested assistance regarding an abducted child. (Sec. 202) Amends the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 to extend through September 30, 2001, the requirement that the Secretary report to the appropriate congressional committees on compliance by member countries with the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (done at The Hague on October 25, 1980). Requires such report to include (among other things): (1) specific actions taken by the U.S. chief of mission in the country to which a child is alleged to have been abducted; (2) a list of countries party to the Convention in which parents who have been left-behind in the United States have not been able to secure prompt enforcement of a final return or access order under a Hague proceeding, of a U.S. custody, access, or visitation order, or of an access or visitation order in the country concerned, due to the absence of an effective method for enforcement of civil court orders, the absence of comity, or other factors; and (3) a description of the Secretary's efforts to encourage the parties to the Convention to facilitate the work of nongovernmental organizations within their countries that assist parents seeking the return of children under the Convention. (Sec. 203) Directs the Secretary to report to the appropriate congressional committees on the investigation into the March 30, 1997, grenade attack in Cambodia. (Sec. 204) Prohibits the State Department from obligating more funds than expressly authorized and appropriated (or obligating such funds unless the appropriate congressional committees are notified) for a U.S. pavilion or other major exhibit at any international exposition or world's fair registered by the Bureau of International Expositions. (Sec. 205) Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to declare that the Inspector General of the Agency of International Development (AID) shall serve as the Inspector General of the Inter-American Foundation and the African Development Foundation. (Sec. 206) Directs the Secretary to report to the appropriate congressional committees on the extent of international drug trafficking through Cuba since 1990. (Sec. 207) Amends the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution to require the President to report to Congress at least once every 90 days (currently, 60 days) on the status of efforts to obtain Iraq's compliance with resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council in response to Iraq's aggression. (Sec. 208) Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to require the Director General of the Foreign Service to report to specified congressional committees summarizing the number of Foreign Service positions in each overseas mission requiring foreign language competence that became vacant during the previous year and were filled by individuals having the required foreign language competence. (Sec. 209) Extends certain reporting requirements. (Sec. 210) Authorizes interest accrued on certain joint funds under agreements for cooperation in environmental, scientific, cultural and related areas to be used by the State Department without return to the Treasury and without further appropriation by Congress. (Sec. 211) Directs the Secretary to: (1) review extradition treaties and other agreements containing extradition obligations to which the United States is a party; and (2) report to the appropriate congressional committees regarding U.S. extradition policy. Subtitle B: Consular Authorities - Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 with respect to fees charged for processing machine readable nonimmigrant visas and machine readable combined border crossing identification cards and nonimmigrant visas. Makes any fee collections that exceed a certain amount for FY 2000, 2001, and 2002 available for deposit as an offsetting collection to any State Department appropriation to recover the costs of providing consular services only if Congress is notified in accordance with specified reprogramming notification procedures. Repeals: (1) provisions making inapplicable certain requirements concerning accounting for consular fees to fees collected under this section; and (2) the prohibition against the charging of fees to citizens of countries signatory to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). (Sec. 232) Authorizes the Secretary to charge a fee for State Department services provided to ensure that an affidavit of support provided by a sponsor is properly completed before it is forwarded to a consular post for adjudication of an immigrant visa. (Sec. 233) Amends the Passport Act to provide that a nonrefundable fee of $10 shall be collected for the filing of each passport application (including the cost of passport issuance and use). (Sec. 234) Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to revise requirements concerning the State Department and the death of U.S. citizens abroad. Sets forth requirements regarding: (1) notification of next of kin by consular officers; (2) the appointment of such officers as conservators of a decedent's estate; and (3) losses in connection with the conservation of the estate. (Sec. 236) Directs the Secretary to issue regulations that provide that before a child under age 14 is issued a passport: (1) both parents, or the child's legal guardian, have executed the application and provided documentary evidence demonstrating that they are who they say they are; and (2) the person executing the application has provided documentary evidence that he or she has sole custody of the child, has the consent of the other parent to the issuance of the passport, or is in loco parentis and has the consent of both parents, of a parent with sole custody over the child, or of the child's legal guardian. (Sec. 237) Declares it shall be State Department policy to process immigrant visa applications of immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and nonimmigrant K-1 visa applications of fiances of U.S. citizens within 30 days (60 days for other than immediate relative) of the receipt of all necessary documents from the applicant and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Directs the Secretary to report annually to the appropriate congressional committees on the extent to which the State Department is meeting such policy standards. (Sec. 238) Directs the Secretary to report to the appropriate congressional committees (including those specified) on the feasibility of decreasing the amount of an individual's arrearages of child support that would require the Secretary to refuse to issue such individual a passport. Subtitle C: Refugees - Bars the use of funds (including migration and refugee assistance, unless the appropriate congressional committees are first notified) for the involuntary return of a person to a country in which the person has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. (Sec. 252) Requires a certain human rights report in connection with the provision of security assistance to a foreign country to include the extent to which such country has extended protection to refugees (including the provision of first asylum and resettlement). (Sec. 253) Amends the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to include State Department employees together with INS personnel within guidelines that address potential biases by such personnel who are hired abroad and involved with duties which could constitute a barrier to a refugee claim if they carry a bias against the claimant on the grounds of religion, race, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Directs the Secretary to issue guidelines to ensure that persons with potential biases against a refugee applicant (including persons employed by, or otherwise subject to influence by, governments known to be involved in such persecution) shall not be used in processing determinations of refugee status, including interpretation of conversations or examination of documents presented by such applicants. (Sec. 254) Directs the Secretary to establish a task force to determine and report to Congress on eligibility guidelines for women seeking refugee status overseas due to gender-related persecution. (Sec. 255) Makes certain Vietnamese nationals eligible for in-country refugee processing and admittance into the United States for resettlement. Title III: Organization and Personnel of the Department of State - Subtitle A: Organization Matters - Directs the Secretary to assess and report to specified congressional committees on the administrative and personnel requirements for the establishment of legislative liaison offices for the State Department within the House of Representatives and Senate office buildings. (Sec. 302) Directs the Secretary to designate an existing senior- level State Department official with responsibility for promoting regional cooperation in and coordinating U.S. policy toward Northeastern Europe. (Sec. 303) Directs the Secretary to designate a senior-level State Department official as the Science and Technology Adviser who shall advise the Secretary on international science and technology matters affecting U.S. foreign policy. (Sec. 305) Earmarks certain additional amounts authorized to the Diplomatic Telecommunications Service Program Office (DTS-PO) for enhancement of Diplomatic Telecommunications Service capabilities. Sets forth specified actions the DTS-PO must take in order for it to better manage a fully integrated telecommunications network to service all agencies at diplomatic missions and consular posts. Subtitle B: Personnel of the Department of State - Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to provide for the award of the Foreign Service Star to an individual whose death or injury occurs overseas while performing official duties as a member of the Foreign Service or a civilian employee of the U.S. Government. (Sec. 323) Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to limit to no more than 33 percent (currently, 50 percent) the percentage of Senior Foreign Service members that may receive performance pay in any fiscal year. (Sec. 324) Requires the Director of the Foreign Service to report to the appropriate congressional committees on the placement of Senior Foreign Service personnel. (Sec. 325) Directs the State Department to report to the appropriate congressional committees on the feasibility of modifying current training programs so that the Department can provide significant and comprehensive management training at all career grades for Foreign Service personnel. (Sec. 326) Requires the Secretary to report to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and a specified Senate committee on: (1) the steps taken and planned in furtherance of maximum compatibility among agencies utilizing the Foreign Service personnel system, and the development of uniform policies and procedures and consolidated personnel functions; and (2) a five-year workforce plan, including projected personnel needs, by grade and by skill. (Sec. 327) Requires any record of disciplinary action that includes a suspension of more than five days taken against a member of the Foreign Service (including any correction of such record) to remain a part of the personnel records until such person is tenured as a career member of the Service or next promoted. (Sec. 328) Requires an employee, at any time the Secretary recommends such employee be separated from the Service, to be placed on leave without pay pending final resolution of the case, subject to reinstatement with back pay if cause for separation is not established in a hearing before the Foreign Service Grievance Board. (Sec. 329) Declares that nothing shall prevent a Foreign Service grievant from placing a rebuttal to accompany a record of disciplinary action in such grievant's personnel records, nor prevent the State Department from inserting a response to such rebuttal, including documenting those cases in which the Board has reviewed and upheld the discipline. (Sec. 330) Reduces from three years to two years after the occurrence giving rise to such grievance the deadline for the filing of a grievance by a Foreign Service employee with the State Department; or, in the case of a grievance with respect to the grievant's rater or reviewer, one year after the date on which the grievant ceased to be subject to rating or review by the reviewer, but in no case less than two years after the occurrence giving rise to the grievance. Requires the Chairman of the Board to report to specified congressional committees on its activities during the previous year. (Sec. 332) Authorizes the Secretary, whenever it is in the best interest of the United States, to allow the head of any Federal agency or other Government establishment to hire individuals abroad as members of the Foreign Service. (Sec. 333) Requires a Foreign Service employee who regularly commutes from his or her place of residence in the United States to an official duty station in Canada or Mexico to receive a border equalization adjustment (locality pay adjustment). (Sec. 334) Amends Federal law to set forth provisions regarding contributions made to the Thrift Savings Fund by Foreign Service employees who are reemployed by the Service after a temporary transfer to an international organization. (Sec. 335) Authorizes the spouse and dependents of Foreign Service employees who have died at post in a foreign area to receive a transfer allowance (extraordinary, necessary, and reasonable subsistence and other relocation expenses) for their return to the United States. (Sec. 336) Provides for an education allowance to an employee at a post in a foreign area not to exceed the cost of obtaining kindergarten, elementary and secondary educational services, plus room and board, where adequate schools are not available at the employee's post, and periodic transportation between that post and the school chosen by the employee, not to exceed the total cost to the Government of the dependent attending an adequate school in the nearest locality where an adequate school is available. (Currently, an employee can receive an allowance only for a school at the nearest locality). (Sec. 337) Authorizes up to three months advance pay to: (1) an employee (other than an employee appointed by the Secretary and employed as a family member of a Government employee) who is a U.S. citizen, stationed outside the United States, and requires (or has a family member who requires) medical treatment outside the United States; and (2) a foreign national employee who is appointed by the Secretary, or a non-family member U.S. citizen, who is stationed outside the country of employment, and must undergo medical treatment outside the country of employment. (Sec. 338) Declares that Congress finds that administrative and technical personnel posted to U.S. missions abroad who do not have diplomatic status suffer financial disadvantages from their lack of such status. Requires the Secretary to report to the appropriate congressional committees on such disadvantages, including proposals to alleviate them. (Sec. 339) Sets forth certain standards which must be followed with regard to Inspector General investigations of potential violations of Federal criminal law or Federal regulations (including certain reports on such investigations). Requires the Inspector General, in a certain annual report to the Secretary, to include: (1) a notification of any instance in which the Inspector General decided not to afford an individual the opportunity to refute any allegation with respect to an adverse personnel action; and (2) the rationale for denying the individual such opportunity. Declares that a failure to comply with such requirements shall not give rise to any private right of action in court or to any administrative grievance procedure. (Sec. 340) Directs the President to report to the appropriate congressional committees on the benefits and compensation paid to the survivors of U.S. Government employees (including those in the uniformed services and Foreign Service National employees) killed in the performance of their duties abroad as a result of terrorist acts. (Sec. 341) Amends the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (as enacted by division G of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999 (Public Law 105-277)) to direct the Secretary to ensure that the advances made in increasing the number of women and minorities within the foreign affairs agencies of the Federal Government are not undermined by discrimination within the newly reorganized State Department. Title IV: United States Informational, Educational, and Cultural Programs - Subtitle A: Authorities and Activities - Amends the Human Rights, Refugee, and Other Foreign Relations Provisions Act of 1996 to designate educational and cultural exchange programs between the United States and Tibet as the Ngawang Choephel Exchange Programs. (Sec. 401) Extends through FY 2000 scholarships for Tibetan and Burmese students and professionals who live outside Tibet and Burma, respectively. Requires the scholarship program for Tibetan students, whenever practical, to give consideration to individuals who are active in the preservation of Tibet's culture, language, and religion. (Sec. 402) Directs the Secretary (currently, the Director of the United States Information Agency (USIA)), in carrying out programs of educational and cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and democracy, to provide, where appropriate, opportunities for significant participation in such programs to nationals of such countries who are, among other things, committed to advancing human rights and democratic values in such countries. (Sec. 403) Amends the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 to direct the Secretary, in coordination with other appropriate executive branch officials, to take all appropriate steps to: (1) prevent an agent of a foreign power from participating in educational and cultural exchange programs; and (2) ensure that no person who is involved in the research, development, design, testing, evaluation, or production of missiles or weapons of mass destruction or of chemical or biological weapons for offensive purposes is a participant in such programs. (Sec. 404) Amends the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (as enacted in division G of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999 (Public Law 105-277)) to repeal the abolition of the of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, and extend authority for it until October 1, 2001. Provides for the reduction of the Commission's staff and budget. (Sec. 405) Prohibits the use of funds appropriated under this Act to support any training or exchange program conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (or any other Federal law enforcement agency) for the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) or RUC members until the President reports to the appropriate congressional committees on past training programs between the FBI and the RUC, and makes a certain certification with respect to such future training activities. Subtitle B: Russian and Ukrainian Business Management Education - Establishes a training program in Russia and the Ukraine for nationals of such countries to obtain skills in business administration, accounting, and marketing, with special emphasis on instruction in business ethics and in the basic terminology, techniques, and practices of those disciplines, to achieve international standards of quality, transparency, and competitiveness. Authorizes appropriations. Title V: United States International Broadcasting Activities - Amends the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 to: (1) authorize appropriations for FY 2000 and 2001 for Radio Free Asia; and (2) extend its authority through FY 2009. (Sec. 502) Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 to require the President to appoint (currently, designate) one member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors as Chairman of the Board, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. (Sec. 503) Expresses the sense of Congress that Radio Free Europe (RFE) and Radio Liberty (RL) Incorporated should continue to broadcast to the peoples of Central Europe, Eurasia, and the Persian Gulf until such time as a particular nation has established democratic rule, including a free and balanced media. (Sec. 504) Amends the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 to grant immunity from civil liability to Broadcasting Board of Governors members while also acting as members of the board of directors of RFE/RL, Incorporated and Radio Free Asia. Title VI: Embassy Security and Counterterrorism Measures - Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 - Authorizes appropriations for the purpose of acquiring, or providing major security enhancements to, U.S. diplomatic facilities in order to meet specified security requirements. Specifies among such requirements that: (1) threat assessments such as the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) and the Security Environment Threat List address threats to U.S. missions from large vehicular bombs and transnational terrorism; (2) in the selection of sites for new U.S. diplomatic facilities abroad, all U.S. Government agency personnel (except those under U.S. military command) be located on the site; (3) each newly acquired U.S. diplomatic facility be sited not less than 100 feet from the perimeter of the property on which the facility is situated; (4) appropriate State Department and U.S. diplomatic personnel undertake crisis management training for mass casualty and mass destruction incidents relating to diplomatic facilities; (5) the Secretary develop annual physical fitness standards for all diplomatic security agents; (6) there is adequate State Department support for the Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST); (7) the Secretary enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Secretary of Defense setting out rapid response procedures for mobilization of personnel and equipment of their respective departments to provide more effective assistance in times of emergency with respect to U.S. diplomatic facilities; and (8) all U.S. diplomatic missions have emergency equipment and records stored at a secure off-site facility. (Sec. 605) Directs the Secretary to report annually for five years to the appropriate congressional committees an identification of U.S. diplomatic facilities that are priority for replacement or for major security enhancement because of vulnerability to terrorist attack, setting them out, in groups of 20, from the most vulnerable to the least vulnerable. Dedicates the use of account funds to facilities in the first four groups. (Sec. 607) Directs the Secretary to review, and report to the appropriate congressional committees on, the findings of the Overseas Presence Advisory Panel with respect to the closure of vulnerable U.S. diplomatic missions overseas. (Sec. 608) Amends the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 to provide that the Secretary is not required to convene an Accountability Review Board after the occurrence of serious injury, loss of life, or significant destruction of property, or breach of security at a Department of Defense (DOD) facility in cases where the Secretary has delegated operational control of overseas security to the Secretary of Defense. Requires the Secretary, subject to a specified exception, to convene a Board not later than 60 days after the occurrence of serious injury, loss of life, or significant destruction of property, or breach of security at a U.S. diplomatic mission (except that such 60-day period may be extended for one additional 60-day period if it is necessary for the convening of the Board). Requires the Secretary whenever he or she convenes a Board to inform the chairman of a specified congressional committee and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. (Sec. 609) Directs the Secretary of State to report to the appropriate congressional committees on a proposed operational plan and site selection to establish an International Law Enforcement Academy on the African continent in anti-terrorism and transnational crime fighting. Title VII: International Organizations and Commissions - Subtitle A: International Organizations Other than the United Nations - Amends the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 to redesignate: (1) the United States-European Community Interparliamentary Group as the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (United States-European Union Interparliamentary Group); and (2) the North Atlantic Assembly as the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. (Sec. 702) Authorizes the Commissioner of the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission to provide technical tests, evaluations, information, surveys, or other similar services to State or local governments upon request on a reimbursable basis. (Sec. 703) Amends the American-Mexican Chamizal Convention Act of 1964 to authorize the Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission to receive payments of money from public or private sources in the United States or Mexico for the purpose of sharing in the cost of operations and maintenance of the Bridge of the Americas which crosses the Rio Grande between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. (Sec. 704) Directs the Secretary of State to report semiannually to Congress on the status of efforts by the U.S. Government to support membership and participation of Taiwan in international organizations. (Sec. 705) Prohibits the United States from becoming a party to the International Criminal Court except pursuant to a treaty made according to the U.S. Constitution after enactment of this Act. Prohibits the use of funds made available by any Act to: (1) support the International Criminal Court unless the United States becomes a party to the Court; (2) extradite a U.S. citizen to a foreign nation that is under obligation to surrender persons to the Court unless such nation confirms that applicable prohibitions on reextradition apply to such surrender or gives other assurances that it will not extradite or transfer that citizen to the Court; or (3) provide consent to the extradition or transfer of a U.S. citizen to a third country by a foreign country that is under obligation to surrender persons to the Court, unless the third country makes such confirmation. (Sec. 707) Amends the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 to extend through FY 2000 and 2001 certain requirements prohibiting, without a prior estimated expense report to the Department's Director of the Office of International Conferences, the use of funds under such Act to pay: (1) foreign travel expenses of an employee of the U.S. Executive agencies (with certain exceptions) in attending any international conference; or (2) the routine services that a U.S. diplomatic mission provides in support of travel by such employee. Makes permanent the requirement that the Director report to Congress with respect to each international conference. (Sec. 708) Amends the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 and the International Atomic Energy Agency Participation Act of 1957 to require the U.S. representative to the Vienna office of the UN to serve also as U.S. representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Subtitle B: United Nations Activities - Declares it to be U.S. policy to: (1) promote an end to Israel's inequity in the UN due to its denied acceptance into any of the UN's regional blocs; and (2) seek abolition of certain UN Palestinian groups. Directs the Secretary to report to the appropriate congressional committees on: (1) actions taken by U.S. representatives to encourage nations of the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG) to accept Israel into their regional bloc; (2) other measures taken to ensure and promote Israel's full participation in the UN; and (3) steps taken by the United States to secure the abolition of the UN Palestinian groups. (Sec. 722) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct the President to provide the Secretary General of the UN with data regarding all costs incurred by DOD, as well as all costs incurred by all UN members, during the preceding year in support of all UN Security Council resolutions. (Sec. 723) Amends the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 to direct the President to obtain reimbursement from the UN for expenses incurred by it in UN peacekeeping operations, with specified exceptions. Provides a waiver for such requirement if it is in the national interest of the United States. (Sec. 724) Revises certain congressional reporting requirements with respect to UN peacekeeping operations (including U.S. participation in such operations) to require the President to consult with Congress monthly on the status of such operations (currently, the President must report at least annually). Directs the President to notify designated congressional committees at least 15 days before the United States provides assistance to the UN for peacekeeping operations, with specified exceptions. Title VIII: Miscellaneous Provisions - Subtitle A: General Provisions - Prohibits the Secretary of State from issuing any visa to, and the Attorney General from admitting to the United States, any foreign national that has been directly involved in the enforcement of population control policies forcing a woman to undergo an abortion against her free choice, or forcing a man or woman to undergo sterilization against his or her free choice, unless such national has discontinued his or her involvement with, and support for, such policies. Authorizes the President to waive such prohibition if: (1) it is in the national interest of the United States; and (2) Congress is notified in writing. (Sec. 803) Directs the Secretary to report to the appropriate congressional committees with respect to steps being taken by the Government of Morocco and by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (POLISARIO) to ensure a free, fair, and transparent referendum in July 2000 in which the Western Saharan people will choose between independence and integration with Morocco. (Sec. 804) Amends the PLO Commitments Compliance Act of 1989 to require a certain report of the President to the Speaker of the House and the chairman of a specified congressional committee to include statements on: (1) the effectiveness of end-use monitoring of international or U.S. aid being provided to the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Liberation Organization, or the Palestinian Legislative Council to comply with international accounting standards and on enforcement of anti-corruption measures; and (2) compliance by the Palestinian Authority with democratic reforms. (Sec. 805) Directs the Secretary of State to report semiannually to the appropriate congressional committees regarding terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens in Israel or in territories administered by Israel or by the Palestinian Authority (including a list of suspects implicated in such attacks). (Sec. 806) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 with respect to the Secretary of State's annual reports to Congress concerning the human rights situation in countries proposed to receive security or development assistance. Authorizes the Secretary to include in such reports information regarding the commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and evidence of acts that may constitute genocide. Subtitle B: North Korea Threat Reduction - North Korea Threat Reduction Act of 1999 - Prohibits any agreement for cooperation between the United States and North Korea, or issuance of a license for the export, or approval for the transfer or retransfer, to North Korea of any nuclear material, facilities, goods, services, or technology that would be subject to such agreement, until the President determines and reports to specified congressional committees that North Korea has come into full compliance with the Agreed Framework and other specified nuclear nonproliferation agreements, has permitted the International Atomic Energy Agency full access to certain nuclear sites and material, does not have uranium enrichment or nuclear reprocessing facilities, and does not have nuclear weapons and is making no effort to acquire them. Subtitle C: People's Republic of China - Earmarks specified funds for FY 2001 for the support of additional personnel in U.S. Embassies in Beijing and Kathmandu, as well as the American consulates in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Chengdu, and Hong Kong, China, in order to monitor political and economic conditions there, including the respect for internationally recognized human rights. (Sec. 873) Establishes the Prisoner Information Registry for the People's Republic of China which shall provide information on all political prisoners, prisoners of conscience, and prisoners of faith in China. Makes funds available to nongovernmental organizations for such monitoring activities. Title IX: Arrears Payments and Reform - Subtitle A: General Provisions - United Nations Reform Act of 1999 - Defines terms. Subtitle B: Arrearages to the United Nations - Authorizes appropriations for FY 1999 and 2000 only for the payment of arrearages in assessed contributions to the UN for: (1) the U.S. share of assessments for the regular UN budget; (2) the U.S. share of UN peacekeeping operations; (3) the U.S. share of UN specialized agencies; and (4) the U.S. share of other international organizations. (Sec. 913) Authorizes the President to forgive or reduce any amount (up to a total of $107 million) owed by the UN to the United States as reimbursement, including any payable under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 or the United Nations Participation Act of 1945. (Sec. 921) Authorizes the disbursement of funds under this subtitle only upon submission to Congress of certain certifications concerning: (1) continuing U.S. sovereignty vis-a-vis the UN; and (2) the reform of UN fiscal, budget, and personnel practices, assessments, and peacekeeping operations. Subtitle C: Miscellaneous Provisions - Prohibits the use of funds to pay any arrearage for: (1) the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), including any costs to merge it into the UN; (2) the costs associated with any UN organization from which the United States has withdrawn; or (3) the World Tourism Organization, or any other organization with respect to which Congress has rescinded funding. Division B: Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Security Assistance Provisions - Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Security Assistance Act of 1999 - Title XI (sic): Arms Control and Nonproliferation - Arms Control and Nonproliferation Act of 1999 - Subtitle A: Arms Control - Authorizes the Secretary of State to transfer available State Department funds to the DOD, Department of Energy (DOE), or any other agency of the intelligence community, as needed, for retraining, researching, developing, or acquiring technologies or programs relating to the verification of arms control, nonproliferation and disarmament agreements or commitments. Earmarks amounts (Key Verification Assets Fund) for this purpose. (Sec. 1112) Directs the Secretary to designate one of the Assistant Secretaries of State as the Assistant Secretary of State for Verification and Compliance. (Sec. 1113) Amends the Arms Control and Disarmament Act to require a certain annual ("Pell") report by the President to Congress to include: (1) a detailed assessment of adherence of the United States to obligations undertaken in arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament commitments (including the Missile Technology Control Regime); and (2) a specific identification, to the maximum extent practicable in unclassified form, of each and every question that exists with respect to compliance by other countries with arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament agreements with the United States. (Sec. 1114) Requires the Director of Central Intelligence to report to the appropriate congressional committees on: (1) a comprehensive identification of all monitoring activities associated with the START and START II treaties; (2) the specific intelligence community assets and capabilities of which the Senate was informed, before giving advice and consent to ratification of the treaties, would be necessary to accomplish those activities; (3) an identification of the extent to which those assets and capabilities have, or have not, been attained or retained, and the corresponding effect this has had upon U.S. monitoring confidence levels; and (4) an assessment of any Russian activities relating to the START Treaty which have had an impact upon the U.S. ability to monitor Russian adherence to the Treaty. (Sec. 1115) Requires the Secretary, upon the request of the chairman or ranking member of specified congressional committees, to report to such committee on the degree to which elements of an arms control, nonproliferation, or disarmament proposal are capable of being verified. (Sec. 1116) Requires, to the maximum extent practicable, the Government to make certain raw seismological data available to the public. (Sec. 1117) Directs the U.S. National Authority, upon the request of the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to reimburse the FBI for all costs (up to $2 million) incurred by it in connection with the protection of U.S. companies. (Sec. 1118) Requires the Secretary of State to report to specified congressional committees on the status of any U.S. delegation engaged in negotiations on arms control, nonproliferation, or disarmament. National Security and Corporate Fairness under the Biological Weapons Convention Act - Directs the President to: (1) conduct a series of national security trial investigations and trial visits to develop a compliance protocol to the Biological Weapons Convention that ensures that the compliance procedures of such protocol adequately protect U.S. national security; and (2) report to specified congressional committees with respect to such investigations and trials. Subtitle B: Nuclear Nonproliferation, Safety, and Related Matters - Amends the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978 to require certain Federal agencies to notify specified congressional committees with respect to their activities for preventing proliferation, including the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons, or their means of delivery. Requires the Director of Central Intelligence to notify such committees about the current activities of foreign nations which are of significance from the proliferation standpoint. (Sec. 1132) Prohibits the provision of U.S. assistance to any person involved in the research, development, design, testing, or evaluation of chemical or biological weapons for offensive purposes (unless the activity is conducted under certain provisions of the National Security Act of 1947). (Sec. 1133) Directs the Secretary of Energy to report to specified congressional committees with respect to the agreement between the United States and Russia for the disposition of excess weapons plutonium. Expresses the sense of Congress that, whenever the President submits the agreement to establish a mixed oxide fuel fabrication or production facility in Russia, the Secretary should certify specified nonproliferation guaranties to specified congressional committees with respect to such facility. (Sec. 1134) Requires specified Federal agencies to provide Congress with information on their activities to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. (Sec. 1138) Authorizes appropriations from certain nonproliferation foreign operations accounts for science and technology centers in the independent states of the former Soviet Union. (Sec. 1139) Authorizes the use of such funds for certain research and international exchange activities to support the redirection of former Soviet weapons scientists. Title XII: Security Assistance - Security Assistance Act of 1999 - Subtitle A: Transfers of Excess Defense Articles - Amends Federal law to extend through FY 2001 DOD authority to transfer excess defense articles to countries eligible to participate in the Partnership for Peace program and eligible for assistance under the Support for East European Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989. (Sec. 1211) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to extend through FY 2004 the President's authority to transfer excess defense articles to Greece and Turkey. (Sec. 1212) Authorizes for FY 2000 and 2001 the use of funds made available to DOD for crating, packing, handling, and transportation of excess defense articles to Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. (Sec. 1213) Increases the aggregate value of excess defense articles that can be transferred to eligible countries in a given year. Subtitle B: Foreign Military Sales Authorities - Provides that expenses for termination of foreign military training programs under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) may include the expenditure of funds to complete the training or studies outside the countries of origin of students whose course of study or training program began before assistance was terminated, as long as the origin country's termination was not a result of activities beyond default of financial responsibilities. (Sec. 1222) Amends AECA to authorize the sale of excess Coast Guard defense articles and defense services to eligible foreign countries and international organizations. (Sec. 1223) Declares that: (1) direct costs associated with meeting additional or unique requirements of the purchaser shall be an allowable cost under DOD procurement contracts; and (2) loadings applicable to such direct costs shall be permitted at the same rates applicable to procurement of like items purchased by the DOD for its own use. (Sec. 1224) Applies certain numbered congressional certification requirements with respect to the upgrade of major defense articles, equipment, or services to their direct commercial sale as well. (Sec. 1225) Requires any agreement for the sale or lease of any article on the United States Munitions List entered into by the U.S. Government to state that the U.S. Government retains the right to verify credible reports that such article has not been used as authorized. Subtitle C: Stockpiling of Defense Articles for Foreign Countries - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase the maximum value of additions to stockpiles in foreign countries in FY 2000. Makes amounts available for such stockpiles in South Korea and Thailand. (Sec. 1232) Authorizes the President, during a three-year period, to transfer to South Korea and Thailand certain obsolete or surplus defense articles in return for concessions to be negotiated by the Secretary of Defense. Requires the value of such concessions to be at least equal to the fair market value of the transferred items. Requires the President to notify Congress of a proposed transfer, including the identity of the items to be transferred and the concessions to be received. Subtitle D: Defense Offsets Disclosure - Defense Offsets Disclosure Act of 1999 - Declares that it is U.S. policy to monitor the use of offsets in the defense industry (the entire range of industrial and commercial benefits provided to foreign governments as an inducement or condition to purchase military goods or services), to promote fairness in international trade, and to ensure an appropriate level of foreign participation in production of U.S. weapons systems. (Sec. 1244) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the executive branch should pursue efforts to address trade fairness by establishing reasonable, business-friendly standards for the use of offsets in international business transactions among U.S. trading partners and competitors; (2) the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representatives should raise the need for transparency and reasonable standards with other industrialized nations at every venue; and (3) the U.S. Government should enter into discussions for the establishment of multilateral standards for the control of the use of offsets in international defense trade through the appropriate multilateral fora (like the Transatlantic Economic Partnership, the Wassenaar Arrangement, the G-8, and the World trade Organization), taking into account the distortions produced by the provision of other benefits and subsidies by various countries to support defense trade. (Sec. 1245) Amends AECA to require certain numbered certifications to Congress with respect to any letter of offer to sell (Government-to-Government sale), or license for export (commercial sale), major defense equipment in the amount of $14 million or more, or defense articles or services in the amount of $50 million or more. Requires each numbered certification to include a description of any offset agreement. Treats such information as confidential. (Sec. 1246) Extends to exports of defense articles or services the current prohibition against incentive payments by U.S. suppliers to satisfy any offset agreement with a foreign country to which such articles or services are sold. (Sec. 1247) Establishes a National Commission on the Use of Offsets in Defense Trade to address all aspects of the use of offsets in international defense trade. Requires the Commission to report to the appropriate congressional committees with respect to such offset agreements. (Sec. 1248) Directs the President to initiate, and report to the appropriate congressional committees on, a review to determine the feasibility of establishing, and the most effective means of negotiating, a multilateral treaty on standards for the use of offsets in international defense trade, with a goal of limiting all offset transactions injurious to the U.S. economy. Subtitle E: Automated Export System Relating to Export Information - Proliferation Prevention Enhancement Act of 1999 - Amends Federal law to direct the Secretary of Commerce to publish regulations requiring exporters of items on the U.S. Munitions List or the Commerce Control List to file their Shippers' Export Declarations through an Automated Export System (electronic filing). (Sec. 1253) Expresses the sense of Congress urging exporters (or their agents) who are required to file Shippers' Export Declarations, but are not required under this Act to file them using the Automated Export System, to do so anyway. (Sec. 1254) Requires the Secretary of Commerce to report to the appropriate committees of Congress on: (1) the advisability and feasibility of mandating electronic filing through the Automated Export System for all Shippers' Export Declarations; (2) the manner in which data gathered through the System can most effectively be used by other automated licensing systems administered by Federal agencies; and (3) a proposed timetable for any expansion of information required to be filed through the System. (Sec. 1255) Authorizes the Secretary of State to use funds to employ: (1) up to 40 percent of the individuals who are performing services within the Office of Defense Trade Controls of the Department of State in positions classified at GS-14 and GS-15; and (2) other individuals within the Office at a rate of basic pay that may exceed the maximum rate payable for positions classified at GS-15. Subtitle F: International Arms Sales Code of Conduct Act of 1999 - International Arms Sales Code of Conduct Act of 1999 - Directs the President to attempt through negotiations with other countries (including countries in the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms) to achieve the foreign policy goal of an international arms sales code of conduct that limits, restricts, or prohibits arms transfers to countries that do not observe certain fundamental values of human liberty, peace, and international stability. Subtitle G: Transfer of Naval Vessels to Certain Foreign Countries - Declares that the value of certain naval vessels transferred on a grant basis to another country pursuant to specified authority of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 shall not be counted under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for the limitation on the aggregate value of excess defense articles that can transferred to such country in any fiscal year. Title XIII: Miscellaneous Provisions - Amends the AECA to require a U.S. person to whom a license has been granted to export significant military equipment listed on the U.S. Munitions List to report to the Department of State on all shipment information, including a description of the equipment and the quantity, value, port of exit, end-user, and its destination. Requires the President to include, among other things, a report on all such exports in a certain quarterly unclassified report to Congress. (Sec. 1303) Authorizes the Secretary of State to commence a civil action to recover civil penalties with respect to violations regarding the export of defense articles and services to foreign countries and terrorist supporting countries, instead of imposing certain administrative sanctions. (Sec. 1305) Authorizes the President to consent to the retransfer by the Government of Greece of HS Rodos (ex-U.S.S. Bowman County (LST 391)) to the USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc. Sets forth specified conditions for the granting of the consent. (Sec. 1306) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require a specified annual report to Congress regarding the export of defense articles (including excess defense articles) and services to foreign countries to specify, among other things, whether such defense articles were furnished with U.S. aid, including through loans and guarantees. (Sec. 1307) Directs the Secretaries of Defense and of State to report jointly to the appropriate congressional committees on all military training provided to foreign military personnel by DOD and the State Department during the previous and current fiscal years. (Sec. 1308) Urges the President to transfer on a grant basis certain excess defense articles to the Government of the Philippines. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 1309) Directs the Secretary of State to establish a regulatory regime for the licensing (including expedited approval) for export by U.S. companies of commercial satellites, satellite technologies, and satellite systems to NATO allies and major non-NATO allies. Authorizes appropriations for the Office of Defense Trade Controls of the State Department. (Sec. 1310) Directs the Secretary of State to report to specified congressional committees on the performance of the licensing process under AECA, including recommendations on how to improve it. (Sec. 1311) Directs the Secretary of State to report to the appropriate congressional committees regarding the proliferation of small arms.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
Title I: Emergency Supplemental Appropriations - Chapter 1: Department of Agriculture - Makes emergency supplemental appropriations for the Department of Agriculture for: (1) the Farm Service Agency for the Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund program account and the Emergency Conservation Program; (2) the Commodity Credit Corporation Fund for crop loss, specialty crop, and livestock assistance; (3) the Natural Resources Conservation Service for Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations; and (4) the Rural Housing Service for the Rural Housing Insurance Fund program account and for rural housing assistance grants. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to provide up to $20 million in assistance under the noninsured crop assistance program under the Agricultural Market Transition Act, without any requirement for an area loss, to producers located in a county with respect to which a natural disaster was declared by the Secretary or a major disaster or emergency was declared by the President. (Sec. 103) Makes a specified amount of funds made available for market loss assistance under the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 available to carry out livestock mandatory reporting provisions of such Act. Makes a specified amount of funds for market loss assistance under such Act and the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999 available for producers or first-handlers for the 1999 crop of cottonseed and for the program under this Act to expand the domestic use of U.S.-produced extra long staple cotton. Amends the Agricultural Market Transition Act to require the Secretary of Agriculture, from October 1, 1999, to July 31, 2003, to carry out a program to maintain and expand the domestic use of U.S.-produced extra long staple cotton to increase exports of such cotton and to ensure that it remains competitive in world markets. Directs the Secretary to make payments available to domestic users of U.S.-produced extra long staple cotton and exporters of such cotton who enter into an agreement with the Commodity Credit Corporation to participate in the program whenever: (1) for a consecutive four-week period, the world market price for the lowest priced competing growth of extra long staple cotton (adjusted to U.S. quality and location and for other factors affecting its competitiveness) is below the prevailing U.S. price for a competing growth of such cotton; and (2) the lowest priced competing growth of such cotton (adjusted to the factors described above) is less than 134 percent of the loan rate for such cotton. Chapter 2: Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Relief - Makes a limited amount of funds available from unobligated balances for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)disaster relief under the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 for the buyout of homeowners (or relocation of structures) for principal residences that have been made uninhabitable by flooding caused by Hurricane Floyd and surrounding events and are located in a 100-year floodplain. Sets forth conditions regarding such buyouts. Requires the FEMA Director to report to Congress on the feasibility and justification of reducing buyout assistance to those who fail to purchase and maintain flood insurance. Title II: Other Appropriations Matters - Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to extend a revenue insurance pilot program through crop year 2001. Authorizes any pilot program under such Act that was approved by the Board of Directors of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation before September 30, 1999, to be offered on a regional, whole State, or national basis for the 2000 and 2001 crop years. (Sec. 208) Appropriates an additional amount of funds for rural development programs to repair damage to the Tillamook Railroad caused by flooding and high winds. (Sec. 211) Repeals provisions of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 regarding the release of tobacco production and marketing information. (Sec. 212) Amends the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 1997 to add the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State to the list of agencies initially involved in a program to provide Federal contracting assistance to HUBZone small business concerns. (Sec. 213) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to repeal a requirement that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) not commence bidding for commercial licenses for certain reallocated frequency spectrum until after January 1, 2001. Directs the FCC to initiate such bidding on this Act's enactment date and to ensure that all proceeds of such bidding are deposited no later than September 30, 2000. Provides for the expedited assignment of such frequencies. Requires at least seven days' public notice prior to the granting of an application for an instrument of authorization for any such frequency. Requires reports from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director and the FCC with respect to such bidding process. Repeals similar provisions of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2000. (Sec. 214) Amends the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2000 to make a certain provision regarding progress payments applicable only with respect to billings received during the last month of the fiscal year. (Sec. 215) Amends such Act to revise provisions regarding adjustments in payment procedures to ensure that payments are made no earlier than one day before the date on which the payments would otherwise be due under any other provision of law (currently, no less than 29 days after receipt of a proper invoice). Makes this provision effective only with respect to invoices received during the last month of the fiscal year. (Sec. 216) Directs the Office of Net Assessment of the Department of Defense and the United States Pacific Command, through the Under Secretary of Defense (Policy), to report to Congress addressing certain issues relating to the military balance between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China. (Sec. 217) Requires the Secretary of Defense, jointly with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to report to Congress on the adequacy of medical research activities currently underway or planned to commence in FY 2000 to investigate the health effects of low-level chemical exposures of Persian Gulf military forces while serving in the Southwest Asia theater of operations. (Sec. 218) Appropriates a specified amount to the Department of the Army to meet readiness needs. (Sec. 220) Prohibits the imposition of a financial responsibility requirement on the Federal Government or its contractors as to the operation of any federally-owned or -operated waste management facility designed to manage transuranic waste material that is subject to regulation by the Solid Waste Disposal act or by a State program authorized under such Act. (Sec. 222) Appropriates a specified amount of funds to the Department of the Interior from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for acquisition of lands in the Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge. (Sec. 223) Provides a payment to Virginia C. Chafee, widow of the late Senator John H. Chafee. (Sec. 225) Makes a specified amount available from the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund for buses and bus facilities in Minnesota, California, Nebraska, and Alaska. (Sec. 226) Prohibits the use of funds available in any Act to decommission or reduce operations of U.S. Coast Guard WYTL harbor tug boats. (Sec. 231) Amends Federal transportation provisions regarding the operation of certain aircraft not in compliance with stage 3 noise levels to authorize an air carrier operating Stage 2 aircraft with respect to certain Hawaiian operations to transport such aircraft to or from the 48 contiguous States on a non-revenue basis in order to perform certain maintenance or other operations. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to permit a person to operate, after December 31, 1999, a Stage 2 aircraft in nonrevenue service through U.S. airspace or to or from an airport in the contiguous 48 States in order to: (1) sell, lease, or use the aircraft outside the 48 contiguous States; (2) scrap the aircraft; (3) obtain modifications to the aircraft to meet Stage 3 noise levels; (4) perform scheduled heavy maintenance or significant modifications on the aircraft at a maintenance facility located in the 48 contiguous States; (5) deliver the aircraft to an operator leasing the aircraft from the owner or return the aircraft to the lessor; (6) prepare or park or store the aircraft in anticipation of the activities listed above; or (7) divert the aircraft to an alternative airport in such States on account of safety reasons while conducting a flight in order to perform any of the activities listed above. Bars the use of funds in any Act to implement or enforce Stage 3 noise limitations for aircraft operating under an experimental airworthiness certification issued by the Department of Transportation. (Sec. 232) Makes additional amounts available for FY 2001 through 2003 for the Federal Railroad Administration for expenses for engineering, design, and construction to enable the James A. Farley Post Office in New York City to be used as a train station and commercial center. (Sec. 233) Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to extend until July 31, 2000, certain authority to transfer surplus Government property required for correctional facility use as needed by States, localities, and territories for law enforcement or emergency management response purposes. (Sec. 236) Amends the Federal Reports Elimination and Sunset Act of 1995 to make May 15, 2000, the termination date for certain Federal reporting requirements. (Currently, such requirements expire four years after such Act's enactment.) (Sec. 237) Appropriates additional funds to the Office of National Drug Control Policy for a grant to the U.S. Olympic Committee for its anti-doping program. (Sec. 238) Amends Federal law to change the Executive Schedule classification of the Commissioner of Customs from Level IV to Level III. (Sec. 240) Appropriates an additional amount for salaries and expenses of the Secret Service. (Sec. 241) Amends the Government Management Reform Act of 1994 to extend OMB's authority to adjust the frequency and due dates of, or consolidate, certain Federal reports. (Sec. 242) Amends the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 to decrease the amount available for individual grants for targeted economic investments. Title III: Fiscal Year 2000 Offsets and Rescissions - Rescinds .38 percent of the discretionary budget authority provided (or obligation limit imposed) for FY 2000 in any Act for each Federal agency. Prohibits: (1) any Federal program from being reduced by more than 15 percent; or (2) any reduction from being taken from any military personnel account. Applies the reduction for the Department of Defense and Department of Energy defense activities proportionately to all defense accounts. (Sec. 302) Amends the Federal Reserve Act to require the transfer of a specified amount in FY 2000 from the surplus funds of the Federal reserve banks to the general fund of the Treasury. Prohibits any such bank from replenishing its surplus by the amount of the transfer. (Sec. 303) Amends provisions of the Social Security Act regarding the Federal Parent Locator Service to provide for disclosure to the Secretary of Education of certain information in the National Directory of New Hires on individuals who are in default on certain loans or owe obligations to refund overpayments of grants made under the Higher Education Act. Establishes conditions on such disclosure, including that priority be given to support collection over collection of such loans or grants and that such information be used only for collecting debt owed by individuals whose annualized wage level exceeds $16,000. Permits such information to be used only for collection purposes. Title IV: Canyon Ferry Reservoir, Montana - Amends the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999 (the Act) to revise provisions regarding the conveyance of Bureau of Reclamation properties near the Canyon Ferry Reservoir in Montana. Removes a provision that requires disputes over fair market values to be resolved in accordance with specified Federal regulations. Requires the appraisal of properties under such provisions to be based on the Canyon Ferry Cabin Site appraisal with a completion date of March 29, 1999, and amended June 11, 1999, with an effective date of valuation of October 15, 1998, for the Bureau. Directs the contract appraisers that conducted the original appraisal having such effective date of valuation to make modifications to permit recalculation of the lot values established in the original appraisal into an updated appraisal, the function of which shall be to provide market values for the sale of each of the 265 Canyon Ferry Cabin site lots. Provides for adjustments to the updated appraisal based on changes in property characteristics. Authorizes periodic updates of the fair market values through appropriate market analyses, subject to the approval of the Canyon Ferry Recreation Association (CFRA) and the Secretary of the Interior. Grants the Bureau and the 265 Canyon Ferry cabin owners the right to seek reconsideration, before commencement of the updated appraisal, of the assumptions used by the appraisers in arriving at the fair market values derived in the original appraisal. Requires the original appraisal to remain valid for use by the Bureau in the sale process for a period of at least three years from the date of completion of the updated appraisal. Grants nonpurchasing lessees the right to continue leasing through August 31, 2014. Permits such lessees to close under the terms of the sale at any time before such date. Removes all personal property and improvements, on termination of the lease either by expiration or by violation of lease terms, and requires the cabin site to remain in Federal ownership. Requires the Secretary to close on the property and prepare all other properties for closing within 45 days if no one (including CFRA) bids for a property. Directs CFRA and the lessees to purchase at least 75 percent of the properties not later than August 1 of the year that begins at least 36 months (currently, 12 months) after title to the first property is conveyed by the Secretary to a lessee. Requires the Secretary to allocate all funding necessary to conduct the sales process for the sale of property under the Act. Directs the Secretary to begin: (1) preparing for the sales process on enactment of the Act; and (2) conveying the property not later than one year after the Act's enactment. (Sec. 403) Requires the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust, acting through the trust manager, to enter into a legally enforceable Recreation Trust Agreement with CFRA. Requires the Agreement to provide that: (1) the Trust shall loan up to $3 million of a property's sale proceeds to CFRA; (2) CFRA shall deposit such borrowed funds in the Canyon Ferry-Broadwater County Trust; (3) CFRA and the individual purchasers shall repay loan principal to the Trust as soon as practicable in accordance with a loan agreement repayment schedule; and (4) CFRA and the purchasers shall make an annual interest payment (at a rate between six and eight percent) on the outstanding loan principal. Prohibits the trust manager, except as otherwise provided, from disbursing any Trust funds until August 1, 2001, unless Broadwater County, at an earlier date, certifies that the Canyon Ferry-Broadwater County Trust has been fully funded. Bars any closing of property until the Recreation Trust Agreement is entered into. (Sec. 404) Prohibits any closing of property until CFRA and Broadwater County enter into a legally enforceable agreement concerning contributions to the Trust. Provides that such agreement shall require that CFRA ensure that $3 million is deposited in the Canyon Ferry-Broadwater County Trust by August 1, 2001. (Current law prohibits any sale of property before such amount is deposited as the initial corpus of such trust.) Title V: International Debt Relief - Directs the President, subject to the availability of amounts provided in advance in appropriations Acts, to cancel amounts owed (as a result of loans made or credits extended before June 20, 1999) to the United States (or any Federal agency) by any country eligible for debt reduction (a country that is performing satisfactorily under a social and economic reform program, and meeting other specified conditions). Urges the President to seek to leverage scarce foreign assistance and give priority to heavily indebted poor countries with demonstrated need and the capacity to use such relief effectively. Makes ineligible for debt cancellation any country that: (1) has an excessive level of military expenditures; (2) has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism; (3) is failing to cooperate on international narcotics control matters; or (4) engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 501) Directs the President to report annually to specified congressional committees with regard to debt cancellation under this title. (Sec. 502) Amends the International Financial Institutions Act to urge the President, in order to accelerate multilateral debt relief and promote human and economic development and poverty alleviation in heavily indebted poor countries, to commence efforts to make specified modifications to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, including to require: (1) a country that is otherwise eligible to receive debt cancellation under the Initiative to implement certain social and economic reforms, support the reduction of poverty, and promote citizen participation in economic policy decisions; and (2) the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) to complete a debt sustainability analysis by December 31, 2000, and determine eligibility for debt relief for as many of the countries under the modified Initiative as possible. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. Executive Directors at the World Bank and the IMF to use the U.S. vote to promote the establishment of poverty reduction strategies that similarly support programs of countries to reduce poverty. (Sec. 503) Amends the Bretton Woods Agreements Act to authorize the Secretary to instruct the U.S. Executive Director at the IMF to vote to: (1) approve an arrangement whereby the IMF sells to a member, and immediately accepts payment in such gold to satisfy the member's existing repurchase obligations (thus retaining IMF ownership of), a quantity of its gold at prevailing market prices, and uses the earnings on the investment of the profits of such sales for the purpose of providing debt relief to eligible countries under the modified HIPC Initiative; and (2) support termination of the Special Contingency Account 2 (SCA-2) of the IMF so that SCA-2 funds will become available to the poorest countries. (Sec. 504) Directs the Secretary to instruct the U.S. Executive Director at the IMF to use the U.S. vote to urge the IMF to publish its operational budgets quarterly. Directs the Secretary to report quarterly to specified congressional committees on costs and benefits of the United States for participation in the IMF. Directs the Secretary to instruct the U.S. Executive Director at the IMF to use the U.S. vote to urge the IMF to continue to forgo reimbursements of its expenses incurred in administering the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility until the HIPC Initiative is terminated. Amends the Bretton Woods Agreements Act with respect to certain IMF actions needing congressional approval to prohibit the President from approving the disposition of IMF gold (currently, disposition of more than 25 million ounces of IMF gold) unless the Secretary certifies to Congress that it is necessary for the IMF to restitute gold to its members, or for the IMF to provide liquidity that will enable it to meet member country claims or to meet threats to the stability of the international financial system. Repeals the requirement of prior congressional authorization for presidential approval of the establishment of any additional trust fund whereby IMF resources would be used for the special benefit of a single IMF member, or of a particular segment of IMF membership. Directs the U.S. Comptroller General to report annually to Congress on the extent to which IMF practices are consistent with U.S. policies. Title VI: Survivor Benefits - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to pay a specified amount to the survivors of 14 military personnel and one civilian Federal employee who were killed on April 14, 1994, when U.S. F-15 fighter aircraft mistakenly shot down two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in Iraq. Limits attorney's fees in connection with such survivor claims. Title VII: Miscellaneous Provisions - Naturalizes Petra Lovetinska as a U.S. citizen. (Sec. 702) Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to authorize appropriations: (1) to the Departments of Labor and of Commerce through FY 2001 for trade adjustment assistance (TAA) for workers and firms, respectively, that have been adversely affected by import competition; and (2) for TAA for training of such workers under the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) transitional program. Postpones termination of the TAA programs until the end of FY 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Department of Justice Title II: Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Title III: The Judiciary Title IV: Department of State and Related Agency Title V: Related Agencies Title VI: General Provisions Title VII: Rescissions Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the judiciary, and related agencies. Title I: Department of Justice - Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2000 - Makes appropriations for the Department of Justice for: (1) general administration; (2) a Joint Automated Booking System; (3) conversion to narrowband communications; (4) counterterrorism activities; (5) payments of costs of telecommunications carriers in complying with capability requirements; (6) administration of pardon and clemency petitions and immigration-related activities; (7) the Office of Inspector General; (8) the U.S. Parole Commission; (9) legal activities; (10) antitrust activities; (11) the Offices of U.S. Attorneys; (12) the U.S. Trustee Program; (13) the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission; (14) the U.S. Marshals Service, including an amount for Federal prisoner detention; (15) fees and expenses of witnesses; (16) the Community Relations Service; (17) certain uses of the Assets Forfeiture Fund; (18) administrative expenses related to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act; (19) the Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust Fund; (20) interagency law enforcement with respect to organized crime drug trafficking; (21) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); (22) construction for specified agencies; (23) the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); (24) the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS); (25) the Federal prison system, including an amount for buildings and facilities; (26) the Office of Justice programs; (27) State and local law enforcement assistance; (28) the Executive Office for Weed and Seed; (29) community oriented policing services; (30) juvenile justice programs; and (31) public safety officers' benefits. Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, such funds. (Sec. 103) Prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this title to: (1) pay for abortions except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term, or in the case of rape; or (2) require any person to perform or facilitate an abortion. (Sec. 109) Makes certain provisions of the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 relating to the obligation of certain counterterrorism funds without regard to Federal acquisition rules and restriction on information disclosure in specified actions filed by prisoners applicable to FY 2000 and thereafter. (Sec. 112) Makes a provision of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999 relating to grants for assistance to the victims of Pan Am Flight 103 applicable for FY 2000. (Sec. 113) Amends the Federal judicial code to increase certain bankruptcy filing fees and the percentage of such fees to be deposited into the U.S. Trustee System Fund and a fund for operation and maintenance of the U.S. courts. (Sec. 115) Prohibits the use of funds made available by any Act to pay premium pay to any Department of Justice attorney. (Sec. 117) Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the Attorney General to grant a national interest waiver of a requirement that certain professional aliens' services be sought by U.S. employers before a visa is offered on behalf of any alien physician with respect to whom a petition for preference classification has been filed if: (1) such physician agrees to work in an area designated by the Secretary of Health and Human Services as having a shortage of health care professionals or at a health care facility under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and (2) a Federal agency or State department of public health has previously determined the physician's work in such an area or at such facility was in the public interest. Bars the issuance of a permanent resident visa to such an alien and adjustment of status to permanent resident alien until the alien has worked full time as a physician for an aggregate of five years in the health care shortage areas described in this section. Reduces such work requirement to three years for physicians for whom waivers were filed prior to November 1, 1998. (Sec. 118) Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make permanent the land border inspection fee program. (Currently, such program expires on September 30, 2000.) (Sec. 119) Amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to make funds available from the Crime Victims Fund for the U.S. Attorneys Offices to improve services for the benefit of crime victims in the Federal criminal justice system. (Sec. 120) Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to authorize the FBI Director to establish an index of analyses of DNA samples voluntarily contributed from relatives of missing persons. Title II: Department of Commerce and Related Agencies - Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 - Makes appropriations for the Department of Commerce for: (1) the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; (2) the International Trade Commission; (3) the International Trade Administration; (4) export administration and national security activities; (5) the Economic Development Administration; (6) minority business development; (7) economic and statistical analysis programs; (8) the Census Bureau; (9) the National Telecommunications and Information Administration; (10) public telecommunications facilities planning and construction grants; (11) information infrastructure grants; (12) the Patent and Trademark Office; (13) the Under Secretary for Technology-Office of Technology Policy; (14) the National Institute of Standards and Technology, including amounts for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the Advanced Technology Program and for construction of new research facilities; (15) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including amounts for procurement, acquisition, and construction of capital assets; (16) restoration of Pacific salmon populations; (17) the Coastal Zone Management Fund; (18) the Fishermen's Contingency Fund; (19) the Foreign Fishing Observer Fund; (20) the fisheries finance program account; (21) general administration; and (22) the Office of Inspector General. Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, such funds. Rescinds all unobligated balances in the Fisheries Promotional Fund. (Sec. 210) Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to increase the number of members of the New England Fishery Management Council. Title III: The Judiciary - Judiciary Appropriations Act, 2000 - Makes appropriations for: (1) the Supreme Court, including an amount for care of the building and grounds; (2) the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; (3) the U.S. Court of International Trade; (4) the courts of appeals, district courts, and other judicial services; (5) defender services; (6) fees of jurors and commissioners; (7) court security; (8) the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts; (9) the Federal Judicial Center; (10) judicial retirement funds; and (11) the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, such funds. (Sec. 307) Approves the consolidation of the Office of the Bankruptcy Clerk with the Office of the District Clerk of Court in the Southern District of West Virginia. (Sec. 308) Amends provisions of the Federal criminal code regarding adequate representation of defendants to prohibit the amount of fees paid for legal services from being used as a reason to justify limited public disclosure of such amount in cases where limited disclosure is authorized to protect the defendant's interest. Applies such requirement to all disclosures related to any criminal trial or appeal involving a death sentence where the underlying alleged criminal conduct took place on or after April 19, 1995. (Sec. 309) Requires the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint three additional district judges for the district of Arizona, four additional district judges for the middle district of Florida, and two additional district judges for the district of Nevada. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: Department of State and Related Agency - Department of State and Related Agency Appropriations Act, 2000 - Makes appropriations for the Department of State for: (1) administration of foreign affairs, diplomatic and consular programs; (2) the Capital Investment Fund; (3) the Office of Inspector General; (4) educational and cultural exchange programs; (5) representation allowances; (6) protection of foreign missions and officials; (7) security and maintenance of U.S. missions; (8) emergencies in the diplomatic and consular service; (9) the repatriation loans program account; (10) the American Institute in Taiwan; (11) the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund; (12) international organizations, conferences, peacekeeping, and commissions, including an amount to reduce amounts owed by the United States to the United Nations; (13) the Asia Foundation; (14) the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships, Incorporated; (15) the Israeli Arab Scholarship Program; (16) the East-West Center; (17) the North-South Center; and (18) the National Endowment for Democracy. Makes appropriations for the Broadcasting Board of Governors for international broadcasting operations, broadcasting to Cuba, and capital improvements. Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on funds appropriated under this title. (Sec. 404) Makes a certain provision of the Department of State and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 regarding a fee for the issuance of combined border crossing cards and nonimmigrant visas effective in FY 2000 and thereafter. (Sec. 405) Bars the use of funds made available in this Act by the Department of State or the Broadcasting Board of Governors to provide assistance to the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation. (Sec. 406) Prohibits the use of funds made available in this Act for the United Nations from being used by the United Nations for the enforcement of any treaty, resolution, or regulation authorizing the United Nations to tax any aspect of the Internet. Title V: Related Agencies - Makes appropriations for the: (1) Maritime Administration for maritime security, operations and training, and the maritime guaranteed loan program; (2) Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad; (3) Commission on Civil Rights; (4) Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce; (5) Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; (6) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); (7) Federal Communications Commission; (8) Federal Maritime Commission; (9) Federal Trade Commission; (10) Legal Services Corporation; (11) Marine Mammal Commission; (12) Securities and Exchange Commission; (13) Small Business Administration, including amounts for the Office of Inspector General and business and disaster loans; and (14) State Justice Institute. Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, such funds. Title VI: General Provisions - Sets forth limitations on the use of funds under this Act. (Sec. 607) Sets forth Buy American provisions. (Sec. 608) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to: (1) enforce any EEOC guidelines covering harassment based on religion if such guidelines do not differ from proposed guidelines of October 1, 1993; (2) pay for costs incurred in operating certain diplomatic or consular posts in Vietnam or increasing the number of personnel assigned to such posts until the President makes a specified certification; or (3) provide specified personal comforts in the Federal prison system. (Sec. 609) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act for any United Nations undertaking if: (1) such undertaking is a peacekeeping mission and will involve U.S. armed forces under the control of a foreign national; and (2) the President's military advisors have not submitted a recommendation that such involvement is in the national security interest and the President has not submitted such recommendation to Congress. (Sec. 617) Makes funds provided by this Act unavailable to promote the sale or export of tobacco or tobacco products or to seek the reduction or removal by any foreign country of restrictions on the marketing of such products, except for restrictions which are not applied equally to products of the same type. (Sec. 618) Prohibits the use of funds made available in this Act to issue visas to certain individuals from Haiti, including those involved in specified extrajudicial and political killings. (Sec. 619) Bars funds appropriated under any law from being used for: (1) the implementation of any tax or fee in connection with any criminal background check system that implements requirements under the Federal criminal code in connection with certain restrictions on the transfer of firearms; and (2) any such system that does not result in the destruction of information submitted by persons determined not to be prohibited from owning a firearm. (Sec. 621) Prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to propose or issue rules or orders for implementing the Kyoto Protocol. (Sec. 622) Makes an additional amount available for SBA salaries and expenses and earmarks such amount for specified uses. (Sec. 623) Establishes a Northern Boundary and Transboundary Rivers Restoration and Enhancement Fund and a Southern Boundary Restoration and Enhancement Fund to be held by the Pacific Salmon Commission and available for activities relating to salmon restoration, enhancement, and research, conservation of salmon habitat, and implementation of the Pacific Salmon Treaty and related agreements. Makes funds under this section unavailable until certain conditions to the 1999 Agreement of the United States and Canada on the Treaty Between the Government of the United States and the Government of Canada Concerning Pacific Salmon, 1985 have been fulfilled. Requires the Secretary of Commerce, during the term of the 1999 Agreement, to determine whether Southern U.S. fisheries (directed Pacific salmon fisheries in Washington, Oregon, and the Snake River basin of Idaho) are likely to cause jeopardy to, or adversely modify designated critical habitat of, any salmonid species listed under the Endangered Species Act before the Secretary may initiate or reinitiate consultation on Alaska fisheries under such Act. Prohibits the Secretary, during the term of the Agreement, from initiating or reinitiating such consultation on Alaska fisheries until: (1) the Pacific Salmon Commission has had a reasonable opportunity to implement the provisions of the Agreement; and (2) he determines that implementation actions under the Agreement will not return escapements as expeditiously as possible to maximum sustainable yield or other biologically-based objectives agreed to by the Commission. Requires the Secretary to notify specified congressional committees of intent to initiate or reinitiate such consultation. Authorizes appropriations for: (1) the capitalization of the Funds; and (2) salmon habitat restoration, stock enhancement, and research, and implementation of the Pacific Salmon Treaty and related agreements. (Sec. 627) Bars the use of funds appropriated in this Act for purposes of granting immigrant or nonimmigrant visas to citizens or residents of countries that the Attorney General has determined deny or unreasonably delay accepting the return of certain deportable aliens. (Sec. 628) Prohibits the use of funds made available to the Department of Justice in this Act for transporting any maximum or high security prisoner to any prison other than one certified by the Federal Bureau of Prisons as appropriately secure. (Sec. 629) Bars the use of funds made available by this Act for participation by U.S. delegates to the Standing Consultative Commission unless the President certifies to the Appropriations Committees that the U.S. Government is not implementing the Memorandum of Understanding Relating to the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems of May 26, 1972, entered into on September 26, 1997, by the United States, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Ukraine, or until the Senate provides its advice and consent to the Memorandum. Title VII: Rescissions - Reduces amounts available for the DEA Drug Diversion Control Fee Account. Rescinds a specified amount appropriated to the INS Immigration Emergency Fund. Rescinds a specified amount for the Department of State for international broadcasting operations of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Rescinds a specified amount of funds for the SBA's business loans program account.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999 - Title I: Provisions Relating to Part A - Subtitle A: Adjustments to PPS Payments for Skilled Nursing Facilities - Provides that, for computing payments for covered skilled nursing facility (SNF) services furnished under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) on or after April 1, 2000, and before a described date, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall increase by 20 percent the adjusted Federal per diem rate otherwise determined for covered SNF services for certain RUG-III groups furnished to an individual during the period in which such individual is classified in such an RUG-III category. (Sec. 101) Provides that for purposes of computing Medicare payments for covered SNF services furnished during FY 2001 and 2002, the Secretary shall increase by four percent for each such fiscal year the adjusted Federal per diem rate. Prohibits the Secretary from including such additional payment in updating the Federal per diem rate. (Sec. 102) Permits a SNF to elect to have the amount of the payment for all costs of covered SNF services for each day of such services furnished in cost reporting periods beginning no earlier than 30 days before the date of such election. (Sec. 103) Amends title XVIII to exclude the following items and services from the definition of covered SNF services: (1) ambulance services furnished to an individual in conjunction with renal dialysis services; (2) chemotherapy items identified by the Secretary; (3) chemotherapy administration services; (4) radioisotope services; and (5) customized prosthetic devices. Directs the Secretary to provide for an appropriate proportional reduction in payments so that beginning with FY 2001, the aggregate amount of such reductions is equal to the aggregate increase in payments. (Sec. 104) Amends title XVIII to revise provisions on determination of facility specific per diem rates under the prospective payment system (PPS) for SNFs, including adding a specified payment rule for certain facilities. (Sec. 105) Directs the Secretary to assess the resource use of patients of SNFs furnishing services under Medicare who are immuno-compromised secondary to an infectious disease, with specific diagnoses as specified by the Secretary to determine whether any permanent adjustments are needed to the RUGs to take into account the resource uses and costs of these patients. (Sec. 106) Directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPac) to study and report to Congress on SNFs furnishing covered services to determine the need for an additional Medicare payment amount to take into account the unique circumstances of SNFs in Alaska and Hawaii. (Sec. 107) Directs the Secretary to conduct a study that: (1) identifies variations in State licensure and certification standards for health care providers (including nursing and allied health professionals) and other individuals providing respiratory therapy in SNFs; (2) examines State requirements relating to respiratory therapy competency examinations for such providers and individuals; and (3) determines whether regular respiratory therapy competency examinations or certifications should be required under Medicare for such providers and individuals. Subtitle B: PPS Hospitals - Amends title XVIII to: (1) modify the formula for the Secretary to provide for an additional payment amount for a disproportionate share hospital (DSH) with indirect costs of medical education; and (2) direct the Secretary to make one or more payments to DSH hospitals which receive payment for the direct costs of medical education for discharges occurring in FY 2000, in an amount according to a specified formula. (Sec. 112) Decreases reductions in additional payments for DSH and certain other hospitals for FY 2001 and 2002. Directs the Secretary to require DSH hospitals to submit to the Secretary in their discharge cost reports for a fiscal year data on the costs incurred by the hospital for providing inpatient and outpatient hospital services for which the hospital is not compensated, including non-Medicare bad debt, charity care, and charges for Medicaid (SSA title XIX) and indigent care. Subtitle C: PPS-Exempt Hospitals - Amends SSA title XVIII to revise provisions on payment to hospitals for inpatient hospital services with respect to the following: (1) a hospital or unit that is within a class of hospital and estimates concerning the target amounts for such hospitals within such class to require the Secretary to provide for an appropriate wage adjustment; (2) determination of the increase in the amount of payment on a per discharge basis for an eligible hospital to alter such determination for psychiatric and long-term care hospitals for specified cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2000; and (3) PPS for inpatient rehabilitation services. (Sec. 123) Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop a per discharge PPS for payment for inpatient hospital services of long-term care hospitals; (2) develop a per diem PPS for payment for inpatient hospital services of psychiatric hospitals and units; and (3) study and report to Congress on the impact on utilization and beneficiary access to services of the implementation of the PPS for inpatient hospital services or a rehabilitation hospital or unit. Subtitle D: Hospice Care - Directs the Secretary to increase the payment rate in effect for hospice care for FY 2001 and 2002. Prohibits the Secretary from using such temporary payment increase when updating the payment rate. (Sec. 132) Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on updating the payment rates and the cap for routine home care and other services included in hospice care. Subtitle E: Other Provisions - Directs MEDPac to study and report to Congress on Medicare policy with respect to professional clinical training of different classes of nonphysician health care professionals and the basis for any differences in treatment among such classes. Subtitle F: Transitional Provisions - Outlines various transitional provisions applicable to specified geographic areas of the United States and certain health care entities pertaining to: (1) an exception to the Medicare hospital payment case mix index qualifier criteria for classification as a rural referral center; (2) reclassification of certain counties and areas for purposes of Medicare reimbursement; (3) wage index correction; (4) calculation and application of wage index floor; and (5) a special rule for certain SNFs. Title II: Provisions Relating to Part B - Subtitle A: Hospital Outpatient Services - Revises Medicare requirements for payments to hospitals for inpatient hospital services, among other changes, modifying the following: (1) the PPS for hospital outpatient department (OPD) services with respect to outlier adjustment, transitional pass-through for additional costs of innovative medical devices, transitional adjustment to limit decline, drugs, and biologicals, transitional adjustment to limit decline in payment, the inclusion of certain implantable items under the PPS, and a limitation on outpatient hospital copayment for a procedure to the hospital deductible amount; and (2) amendments by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA '97) to provide for an extension of reductions in payments for costs of hospital outpatient services under Medicare. (Sec. 201) Provides that with respect to determining the total amounts of copayments estimated to be paid to hospitals by Medicare beneficiaries under the PPS for covered OPD services in 1999, as though the deductible did not apply, Congress finds: (1) that such amount should be determined in a budget neutral manner with respect to aggregate payments to hospitals; and (2) that the Secretary has the authority to determine such amount. Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on the extent to which intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) could be delivered and reimbursed under the Medicare program outside of a hospital or a physician's office. (Sec. 203) Directs MedPAC to study and report to Congress on the appropriateness of providing payments to specified rural and cancer hospitals for covered OPD services based on the PPS established by the Secretary. Subtitle B: Physician Services - Revises update adjustment factor requirements to reduce update oscillations and mandate estimate revisions for payments for physicians' services. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, to study and report to Congress on specified issues, which include the various methods for accurately estimating the economic impact on expenditures for physicians' services under the original fee-for-service program under Medicare parts A (Hospital Insurance) and B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) resulting from improvements in medical capabilities as well as certain other technological advancements, and demographic and geographic changes. (Sec. 212) Directs the Secretary to establish by regulation a process (including data collection standards) under which the Secretary will accept for use and will use data collected or developed by non-HHS entities and organizations to supplement the data normally collected by HHS in determining the practice expense component for determining relative values for payment for physicians' services under the Medicare fee schedule. (Sec. 213) Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the physician and non-physician clinical resources necessary to provide safe outpatient cancer therapy services and the appropriate payment rates for them under Medicare. Subtitle C: Other Services - Revises requirements for payment of benefits certain physical and occupational therapy services under Medicare part B to exempt expenses considered as incurred by an individual from the cap on such expenses for calendar years 2000 and 2001. (Sec. 221) Directs the Secretary to conduct focused medical reviews of claims for certain services provided to residents of SNFs. Directs the Secretary to study and to report to Congress on utilization policies for outpatient physical and occupational therapy services. (Sec. 222) Amends SSA title XVIII to direct the Secretary to increase the amount of each composite rate payment for dialysis services: (1) furnished during 2000 by 1.2 percent above such composite rate payment amounts for such services furnished on December 31, 1999; and (2) for such services furnished on or after January 2001, by 1.2 percent above such composite rate payment amounts for such services furnished on December 31, 2000. Requires MEDPac to study and report to Congress on the appropriateness of the differential in payment under Medicare for hemodialysis services furnished in a facility and for such services furnished in a home. (Sec. 223) Prohibits the Secretary from using, or permitting fiscal intermediaries or carriers to use, certain inherent reasonableness authority with respect to use of carriers for administration of benefits until after: (1) the Comptroller General releases a specified report on the impact of the Secretary's, fiscal intermediaries', and carriers' use of such authority; and (2) the Secretary has published in the Federal register a notice of final rulemaking relating to such authority in response to such report. (Sec. 224) Amends SSA title XVIII to direct the Secretary to establish a national minimum payment amount of $14.60, adjusted annually, for a diagnostic or screening pap smear laboratory test. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) has been slow to incorporate or provide incentives for providers to use new screening diagnostic health care technologies in the area of cervical cancer; (2) some new technologies have been developed which optimize the effectiveness of pap smear screening; and (3) HCFA should institute an appropriate increase in the payment rate for such technologies that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and that are significantly more effective than a conventional pap smear. (Sec. 225) Amends BBA '97 to with respect to demonstration of Medicare coverage of ambulance services through contracts with units of local government, revising the definition of capitated payment rate. (Sec. 226) Provides for the phase-in of a PPS for ambulatory surgical centers. (Sec. 227) Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for the extension of immunosuppressive drug coverage for individuals who would otherwise exhaust their Medicare benefits for prescription drugs used in immunosuppressive therapy. Provides that national coverage determinations under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice) benefits and beneficiary protections provisions shall apply with respect to the coverage of additional benefits for immunosuppressive drugs for drugs furnished in 2000 in the same manner as if the amendments of this Act constituted a national coverage determination. (Sec. 228) Directs the Secretary to increase the payment amount for durable medical equipment and medical supplies (including oxygen) for 2001 and 2002. (Sec. 229) Directs MEDPac to study and report to Congress on: (1) post-surgical recovery care center services; and (2) regulatory burdens placed on all classes of health care providers under Medicare parts A and B, and on the costs these burdens impose on the nation's health care system. Requires the Administrator for Health Care Policy and Research to provide for a study and report to Congress on the effect of credentialing of technologists and sonographers on the quality of ultrasound under Medicare and Medicaid. Direct the Comptroller General to continue monitoring Department of Justice compliance with certain guidelines on the use of the False Claims Act in civil health care matters for reports to Congress. Title III: Provisions Relating to Parts A and B - Subtitle A: Home Health Services - Provides that, in the case of a home health agency that furnishes home health services to a Medicare beneficiary, for each such beneficiary to whom the agency furnished such services during the agency's cost reporting period beginning in FY 2000, the Secretary shall pay the agency for the beneficiary and only for such cost reporting period, an aggregate additional amount of $10 to defray costs attributable to data collection and reporting requirements under the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) required by BBA '97. Requires: (1) the Secretary to pay to a home health agency an amount estimated to be 50 percent of the aggregate amount payable to the agency by reason of this subtitle; and (2) payments under this subtitle to be made, in appropriate part as specified by the Secretary, from Medicare trust funds. (Sec. 301) Requires the Comptroller General to: (1) report to Congress on specified matters with respect to the data collection requirement of patients of home health agencies under the OASIS standard as part of the comprehensive assessment of patients; and (2) conduct an independent audit of, and report to Congress on, the costs incurred by Medicare home health agencies in complying with such data collection requirement. (Sec. 302) Amends BBA' 97 to eliminate the scheduled automatic 15 percent reduction in payment amounts to home health agencies furnishing home health services under the Medicare program. Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for a delay in application of the 15 percent reduction in payment rates for home health services until one year after implementation of the PPS for home health services. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on the need for the 15 percent reduction or for any reduction in the computation of the base payments under such PPS. (Sec. 303) Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for an increase in the agency-specific per beneficiary annual limitation under the interim system of limits for home health agencies furnishing home health services. Excludes such increase from the home health services PPS base. (Sec. 304) Revises surety bond requirements under home health agencies provisions, requiring such agencies to provide the Secretary with a surety bond: (1) that is effective for a period of four years; and (2) for a year in such period in an amount that is equal to the lesser of $50,000 or ten percent of the aggregate amount of payments to the agency under Medicare and Medicaid for that year, as estimated by the Secretary. Amends part A (General Provisions) of SSA title XI to provide for coordination of surety bonds under Medicare and Medicaid. (Sec. 305) Amends SSA title XVIII to include medical supplies as home health services for purposes of consolidated billing. (Sec. 307) Directs MEDPac to study and report to Congress on the feasibility and advisability of exempting from payment under the PPS for such services any home health services provided by a home health agency (or by others under arrangements with such agency) located in a rural area, or to an individual residing in a rural area. Subtitle B: Direct Graduate Medical Education - Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for the use of national average payment methodology in computing direct graduate medical education (DGME) payments. (Sec. 312) Makes the initial residency period for child neurology residency training programs the period of board eligibility for pediatrics plus two years. Directs MEDPac to include in its report to Congress in March of 2001 recommendations regarding the appropriateness of the initial residency period used for other residency training programs in a specialty that require preliminary years of study in another specialty. Subtitle C: Technical Corrections - Makes various specified technical corrections to BBA '97 and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 codified in SSA title XVIII. (Sec. 321) Amends SSA title XI to repeal provisions on the development of model prospective rate methodology. Title IV: Rural Provider Provisions - Subtitle A: Rural Hospitals - Amends SSA title XVIII with respect to payment to hospitals for inpatient hospital services to: (1) permit reclassification of certain urban hospitals as rural hospitals; and (2) add standards applied for geographic reclassification for certain hospitals for cost reporting periods beginning in a fiscal year before FY 2003 and after FY 2002. (Sec. 403) Revises requirements for the Medicare critical access hospital program to: (1) apply on an annual, average basis the 96-hour limit on providing inpatient care; (2) permit for-profit hospitals to qualify for designation as a critical access hospital; (3) allow closed or downsized hospitals to convert to critical access hospitals; (4) provide for election of cost-based payment option for outpatient critical access hospital services; and (5) eliminate coinsurance for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests furnished by a critical access hospital on an outpatient basis. (Sec. 404) Provides, with respect to payment to hospitals for inpatient hospital services, for: (1) extending for five years the payment methodology for Medicare-dependent, small rural DSH hospitals; (2) rebasing for certain sole community hospitals; (3) providing for a full market basket percentage increase for FY 2001 for sole community hospitals; and (4) increasing flexibility in providing graduate physician training in rural and other areas. (Sec. 408) Amends SSA title XVIII with regard to hospital providers of extended care services to eliminate: (1) the requirement for the hospital to have a certificate of need from the State in order to provide long-term care services; and (2) eliminate "swing bed" restrictions on certain hospitals with more than 49 beds. (Sec. 409) Amends SSA title XVIII with regard to the Medicare rural hospital flexibility program to authorize the Secretary to assist eligible small rural hospitals in meeting the costs of implementing data systems required to meet requirements established under Medicare pursuant to BBA '97 requirements for implementation of PPSs. (Sec. 410) Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the current laws and regulations for geographic reclassification of hospitals to determine if such reclassification: (1) is appropriate for applying wage indices under Medicare; and (2) results in more accurate payments for all hospitals. Subtitle B: Other Rural Provisions - Directs MEDPac to study and report to Congress on rural providers furnishing items and services for which payment is made under Medicare. (Sec. 412) Amends BBA '97 to provide for: (1) expanding access to paramedic intercept services in rural areas; and (2) promoting prompt implementation of the informatics, telemedicine, and education demonstration project. Title V: Provisions Relating to Part C (Medicare+Choice Program) and Other Medicare Managed Care Provisions - Subtitle A: Provisions to Accommodate and Protect Medicare Beneficiaries - Amends SSA title XVIII parts C and D (Miscellaneous) with respect to Medicare+Choice enrollment rules to permit enrollment in alternative Medicare+Choice plans and Medicare supplemental health insurance (Medigap) policies coverage in case of involuntary termination of Medicare+Choice enrollment. (Sec. 502) Amends SSA title XVIII part C to revise the effective date of elections and changes of elections of Medicare+Choice eligible individuals who make such elections after the tenth day of the month. (Sec. 503) Amends SSA title XVIII part D to extend Medicare cost contracts by two years. Subtitle B: Provisions to Facilitate Implementation of the Medicare+Choice Program - Amends title XVIII part C to require the Secretary to phase-in, according to a specified schedule, the implementation of a risk adjustment methodology (in calculating payments to Medicare+Choice organizations) that accounts for variations in per capita costs based on health status and other demographic factors for payments. (Sec. 511) Directs MEDPac to study specified related issues and report to Congress on the methodology used by the Secretary in developing the risk factors used in adjusting the Medicare+Choice capitation rate paid to Medicare+Choice organizations. Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on how to reduce the costs and burdens on Medicare+Choice organizations of compliance with reporting requirements for encounter data imposed by the Secretary in establishing and implementing a risk adjustment methodology. (Sec. 512) Amends SSA title XVIII part C to: (1) provide for a new entry bonus increasing the amount of monthly payment otherwise made to Medicare+Choice organizations in order to encourage the offering of Medicare+Choice plans in certain payment areas without plans; (2) reduce from five to two years the general exclusion period following a Medicare+Choice organization's contract termination; (3) require the continued computation and annual publication of Medicare original fee-for-service expenditures for each Medicare+Choice payment area; (4) direct the Secretary to permit a Medicare+Choice organization to elect to apply Medicare+Choice premiums provisions uniformly to separate segments of a service area (rather than uniformly to an entire service area) as long as such segments are composed of one or more Medicare+Choice payment areas; (5) delay the deadline for submission of proposed premiums and related information each Medicare+Choice organization is required to submit to the Secretary for each Medicare+Choice plan for the service area in which it intends to be offered in the following year; (6) reduce the adjustment in the national per capita Medicare+Choice growth percentage for 2002 with respect to calculation of annual Medicare+Choice capitation rates; (7) make additional requirements that a Medicare+Choice organization may be deemed to meet under specified circumstances if it is privately accredited; (8) change the timing of Medicare+Choice health information fairs; (9) require preferred provider organization plans to meet certain of the quality assurance requirements currently applicable to Medicare+Choice plans; and (10) include the average number of individuals enrolled in Medicare+Choice plans during the fiscal year within the formula limiting the amount of user fees collected by the Secretary in any fiscal year from each Medicare+Choice organization under contract with the Secretary. (Sec. 520) Directs MEDPac to study and report to Congress on appropriate quality improvement standards that should apply to: (1) described Medicare+Choice plans, including coordinated care plans; and (2) the original Medicare fee-for-service program under Medicare parts A and B. (Sec. 521) Amends SSA title XVIII part D to provide that, in the case of a discharge plan for an individual enrolled with a Medicare+Choice organization under a Medicare+Choice plan who is furnished inpatient hospital services by a hospital under a contract with the organization, the discharge planning evaluation is not required to include information on the availability of home health services through individuals and entities which do not have a contract with the organization. Allows the plan to specify or limit the provider or providers of post-hospital home health services or other post-hospital services under the plan. (Sec. 524) Amends SSA title XVIII part D to exempt a Medicare+Choice organization offering a coordinate care plan from the limitation on certain physician referrals. Subtitle C: Demonstration Projects and Special Medicare Populations - Amends the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Acts of 1987 and of 1993 to: (1) extend the authority for the social health maintenance organizations (SHMOs) demonstration project; and (2) authorize the Secretary to impose an aggregate limit of not less than 324,000 for all sites (currently, the Secretary is prohibited from imposing a limit of less than 12,000 on the number of individuals that may participate in a single project site.) (Sec. 532) Extends certain Medicare community nursing organization demonstration projects an additional two years. (Sec. 533) Amends BBA '97 to provide for a delay in implementation of the Medicare+Choice competitive bidding demonstration project. (Sec. 534) Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), as amended by BBA '97 and other specified Acts, to extend for two years the Medicare municipal health services demonstration projects. (Sec. 535) Amends BBA '97 with regard to Medicare coordinated care demonstration projects to direct the Secretary to provide for the transfer from the Medicare trust funds, in appropriate proportions, of such funds as necessary to cover costs of the project in a cancer hospital. (Currently amounts shall be available for such hospitals only as provided in any Federal law making appropriations for the District of Columbia). (Sec. 536) Amends SSA title XVIII part D to extend to enrollees in programs of all-inclusive care for the elderly (PACE programs) the Medigap prohibitions on denial of issuance of Medigap policies, discrimination in policy pricing, and imposition of an exclusion of benefits based on a pre-existing condition. Subtitle D: Medicare+Choice Nursing and Allied Health Professional Education Payments - Amends SSA title XVIII part D to provide for: (1) payment for nursing and allied health education for managed care enrollees; and (2) adjustments in payments for direct graduate medical education. Directs the Secretary to estimate a proportional adjustment in payments for nursing and allied health education. Subtitle E: Studies and Reports - Directs the Secretary, jointly with the Secretaries of Defense and of Veterans Affairs, to report to Congress on the estimated use of health care services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries by the Departments of Defense and of Veterans Affairs, including beneficiaries under the original Medicare fee-for-service program and under the Medicare+Choice program. (Sec. 552) Directs MEDPac to study and report to Congress on the development of a payment methodology under the Medicare+Choice program for frail elderly beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare+Choice plan under a specialized program. Directs MEDPac to report to Congress on specific legislative changes that should be made to make Medical Savings Account plans a viable option under the Medicare+Choice program. (Sec. 553) Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on each type of Medigap policy with respect to: (1) the level of coverage provided; (2) current enrollment levels; (3) policy availability to Medicare beneficiaries over age 65 Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) conduct an annual audit of the Secretary's expenditures during the preceding year in providing information regarding the Medicare+Choice program to eligible Medicare beneficiaries; and (2) report to Congress on the results of such audits of the preceding three years, together with an evaluation of the effectiveness of the means used by the Secretary in providing such information. Title VI: Medicaid - Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to: (1) increase the DSH allotment for the District of Columbia, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Wyoming; (2) remove the fiscal year limitation on certain transitional administrative costs assistance; (3) modify the phase-out of payment for Federally-qualified health center services and rural health clinic services based on reasonable costs; (6) provide for parity in reimbursement for certain utilization and quality control services; (7) eliminate duplicative requirements for external quality review of Medicaid managed care organizations; (8) make the enhanced match under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) inapplicable to Medicaid DSH payments; and (9) provide for the optional deferment of the effective date for outpatient drug agreements. (Sec. 603) Directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the effect on Federally-qualified health centers and rural health clinics and on the populations served by such centers and clinics of the phase-out and elimination of the reasonable cost basis for payment for Federally-qualified health center services and rural health clinic services provided. Amends BBA '97 to make the Medicaid DSH transition rule permanent. Title VII: State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) - Amends SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) to revise the SCHIP allotment formula, among other changes revising the floor for State allotments and adding ceilings. (Sec. 702) Increases appropriations for FY 2000 through 2007 for U.S. territories with approved SCHIP plans. (Sec. 703) Directs the Secretary of Commerce to make appropriate adjustments to the annual Current Population Survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census in order to produce statistically reliable annual State data on the number of low-income children without health insurance coverage, so that real changes in the uninsurance rates of children can reasonably be detected. Makes appropriations. Requires the HHS Secretary to conduct an independent evaluation of ten select States with approved child health plans, including surveys of enrollees, disenrollees, and individuals eligible for but not enrolled in SCHIP, and evaluation of effective and ineffective outreach and enrollment practices with respect to children. Makes appropriations for FY 2000. Directs the Secretary to audit a sample from among States with an approved State child health plan to: (1) determine the number of plan enrollees eligible under Medicaid (other than as optional targeted low-income children; and (2) assess the progress made in reducing the number of uncovered low-income children, including the progress made to achieve the strategic objectives and performance goals in the State child health plan. Amends SSA title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) to require each State's annual reports to the Secretary on its activities under such title to include information (by racial and ethnic group) on the number of infants in the State under one year of age who were entitled to benefits under the State SCHIP plan at any time during the year. Directs the Secretary to establish a clearinghouse for the consolidation and the coordination of all Federal databases and reports regarding children's health. (Sec. 704) Directs the Secretary or any other Federal officer or employee, with respect to any reference to the program under SSA title XXI in any publication or other official communication to use the term "SCHIP" instead of "CHIP" and the term "State's children's health insurance program" instead of the term "children's health insurance program."
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2000 - Title I: Export and Investment Assistance - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 for: (1) direct loans, loan guarantees, tied-aid grants, insurance, and administrative expenses under Export-Import Bank programs; (2) Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) direct and guaranteed loans and credit and insurance programs, including administrative expenses; and (3) the Trade and Development Agency. Title II: Bilateral Economic Assistance - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 for: (1) expenses of the President in carrying out certain programs under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961; (2) the Agency for International Development (AID) child survival and disease programs, including basic education programs (earmarking $35 million only for the HIV-AIDS programs requested under this heading in House Document 106-101); (3) specified development assistance (allowing availability of limited amounts for the Inter-American Foundation and the African Development Foundation); (4) specified projects aimed at reunification of Cyprus; (5) specified assistance for Lebanon for scholarships and direct support to the American educational institutions there; (6) democracy and humanitarian activities in Burma; (7) international disaster assistance; (8) micro and small enterprise development programs; (9) the cost and administrative expenses related to guaranteed loans for the urban and environmental credit program; (10) direct loans and loan guarantees under the development credit authority program for development assistance to foreign countries, including Eastern Europe and the Baltic States; (11) the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund; (12) operating expenses of AID and the AID Office of Inspector General; (13) Economic Support Fund (ESF) assistance (earmarking amounts for Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and East Timor and to support victims of and programs related to the Holocaust and for nongovernmental organizations located outside of the People's Republic of China to support activities which preserve cultural traditions and promote sustainable development and environmental conservation in Tibetan communities there); (14) the International Fund for Ireland; (15) ESF assistance for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States (earmarking amounts for Kosova and Bosnia and Herzegovina, subject to specified conditions); (16) assistance for the Independent States of the former Soviet Union (subject to specified conditions, and earmarking amounts for the Russian Far East, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Mongolia, the Southern Caucasus (especially the areas of Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabagh), and for salaries and expenses to carry out the Russian Leadership Program, and maternal and neo-natal health activities in the Independent States of the former Soviet Union); (17) the Peace Corps (with a bar on the use of such funds for abortions); (18) international narcotics control and law enforcement; (19) migration and refugee assistance; (20) the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund; (21) nonproliferation, anti-terrorism, demining, and related programs and activities (including U.S. contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO), subject to specified conditions, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Preparatory Commission, and the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund); (22) the Department of the Treasury international affairs technical assistance program; (23) debt restructuring of concessional loans, guarantees, and credits made to eligible countries; and (24) the United States Community Adjustment and Investment Program. Bars the use of development assistance funds for: (1) coercive abortions or involuntary sterilizations; (2) U.S. private and voluntary organizations which obtain less than 20 percent of annual funding from sources other than the U.S. Government; and (3) any activity that is in contravention to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES). Prohibits funds to Russia unless the Secretary of State certifies to the Committees on Appropriations that Russian peacekeepers deployed in Kosova have not established a separate zone of operational control and are operating under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) unified command. Withholds 50 percent of the funds allocated for the Government of the Russian Federation until the President certifies to the Committees on Appropriations that it has terminated arrangements to provide Iran with technology to develop a nuclear program or ballistic missile capability. Title III: Military Assistance - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 for: (1) expanded international military education and training (IMET) to Indonesia and Guatemala; (2) foreign military financing grants and direct loans (earmarking amounts for Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia (including drawdowns of defense articles and services), and Ecuador); and (3) international peacekeeping operations (subject to certain conditions). Declares that none of the funds appropriated under this heading may be made available to support grant financed military education and training at the School of the Americas unless the Secretary of Defense certifies that the instruction and training provided by the School is fully consistent with training and doctrine, particularly with respect to the observance of human rights, provided by the Department of Defense to U.S. military students at Department of Defense institutions whose primary purpose is to train U.S. military personnel. Requires the Secretary of Defense to report to a specified congressional committee by January 15, 2000, on the School's training activities and a general assessment regarding the performance of its graduates during 1997 and 1998. Prohibits foreign military financing for: (1) Sudan, Liberia, and Guatemala; or (2) any non-NATO country participating in the Partnership for Peace Program except through the regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations. Title IV: Multilateral Economic Assistance - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 for the U.S. contribution to: (1) the Global Environment Facility of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank); (2) the International Development Association (IDA); (3) the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency; (4) the Inter-American Investment Corporation; (5) the Inter-American Development Bank; (6) the Asian Development Bank; (7) the Asian Development Fund; (8) the African Development Bank; (9) the African Development Fund; and (10) the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Makes appropriations for FY 2000 for international programs and organizations. Sets certain restrictions on international organization funding, including prohibiting the use of funds for the United Nations Fund for Science and Technology, KEDO, or the IAEA. Title V: General Provisions - Sets forth limits on the use of appropriations, including that no more than 15 percent of such appropriations shall be obligated during the last month of availability. (Sec. 502) Prohibits: (1) the use of funds for bilateral funding of international financial institutions; and (2) the transfer of such funds by AID directly to such an institution for the purpose of repaying a foreign country's loan obligations to it. (Sec. 503) Sets forth limits on the use of appropriations, including no more than specified maximums for official residence expenses, entertainment expenses, and representation allowances for AID, and for entertainment and representation allowances for the Inter-American Foundation and the Trade and Development Agency. Limits the use of funds for entertainment expenses of the Peace Corps, and of entertainment and representation allowances under the Foreign Military Financing Program. (Sec. 506) Prohibits the use of funds for: (1) the export of nuclear equipment, fuel, or technology (except for nuclear safety purposes); (2) direct assistance or reparations to Cuba, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, or Syria; (3) assistance to any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup or decree; (4) certain transfers between appropriations accounts without prior presidential consultation with Congress; (5) assistance to any country in default in excess of a year on payments on a U.S. loan (except for any narcotics-related assistance for Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru); and (6) assistance (except in certain circumstances) for production of any commodity for export by a foreign country, if the commodity is likely to be in surplus on world markets when the resulting productive capacity is expected to become operative, and if the assistance will cause substantial injury to U.S. producers of a similar commodity. (Sec. 514) Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. Executive Directors of specified international financial institutions to oppose any assistance for the production or extraction of any commodity or mineral for export if it is in surplus on world markets and such assistance will cause substantial injury to U.S. producers of a similar commodity. (Sec. 516) Declares that funds appropriated for foreign operations, export financial, and related programs, that are returned or not made available for international organizations and programs shall remain available for obligation until FY 2001. (Sec. 517) Prohibits the availability of assistance for the Independent States of the former Soviet Union to a Government of such an Independent State, unless such Government is making progress in implementing comprehensive economic reforms based on market principles, private ownership, respect for commercial contracts, and equitable treatment of foreign private investment. Prohibits the availability of assistance also: (1) if such a Government applies or transfers U.S. assistance to any entity for the purpose of expropriating or seizing ownership of assets, investments, or ventures (unless the President determines such assistance is in the national interest); (2) if such a Government directs action in violation of the territorial integrity or national sovereignty of any other Independent State of the former Soviet Union; or (3) to enhance its military capability (except for demilitarization, demining, or nonproliferation programs). (Sec. 518) Prohibits the use of development assistance funds for abortions or involuntary sterilizations as methods of family planning or to motivate or coerce any person to practice abortions, or provide any financial incentive to undergo sterilization. (Sec. 519) Limits to no more than five percent the amount of export financing funds (other than for administrative expenses) that can be transferred from one appropriation to another, with no appropriation being increased by more than 25 percent by such transfer. (Sec. 520) Prohibits the use of funds for Colombia, Haiti, Liberia, Pakistan, Panama, Serbia, Sudan, or the Democratic Republic of Congo, except through the regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations. (Sec. 522) Makes funds available to AID for child survival, basic education, infectious disease activities and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) research and control in developing countries. (Sec. 523) Bars funding for indirect assistance or reparations to Cuba, Iraq, Libya, Iran, Syria, North Korea, or China unless the President certifies that the withholding of such funds is contrary to the U.S. national security interest. (Sec. 524) Requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to notify the Committees on Appropriations before providing excess DOD articles to certain NATO and major non-NATO countries. (Sec. 526) Authorizes the availability of ESF funds to provide general support and grants for nongovernmental organizations located outside China that have as their primary purpose fostering democracy in that country. Earmarks ESF funds to the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights for a project to disseminate information and support research about China, and related activities. (Sec. 527) Prohibits bilateral assistance funds to any country which the President determines grants sanctuary from prosecution to any individual or group which has committed an act of international terrorism or otherwise supports such activities. Authorizes the waiver of this prohibition by the President for national security and humanitarian reasons, requiring notification to the Committees on Appropriations. (Sec. 528) Authorizes the commercial leasing of defense articles (instead of government-to-government sale) to Israel, Egypt, NATO, and major non-NATO allies if the President determines that there are compelling foreign policy or national security reasons. (Sec. 529) Requires all AID contracts and subcontracts to include a clause requiring that U.S. insurance companies have a fair opportunity to bid for insurance when insurance is necessary or appropriate. (Sec. 530) Prohibits U.S. sale of Stinger missiles in the Persian Gulf region, with certain exceptions. (Sec. 531) Authorizes nongovernmental organizations which are AID grantees or contractors to place funds made available to them under this Act in interest bearing accounts in order to enhance their participation in economic activities under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, including endowments and debt-for-development and debt-for- nature exchanges. (Sec. 532) Directs the Administrator of AID to require foreign countries that receive foreign assistance which results in the generation of local currencies to deposit such currencies in a separate account to be used to finance foreign assistance activities. (Sec. 533) Prohibits payments to any international financial institution while the U.S. Executive Director to the institution is compensated at a rate in excess of that for Level IV of the Executive Schedule. (Sec. 534) Bars assistance to any country that is not in compliance with the United Nations (UN) sanctions against Iraq, unless the President certifies to Congress that such assistance: (1) is in the U.S. national interest; (2) will directly benefit the needy people in that country; or (3) will be humanitarian assistance for foreign nationals who have fled Iraq and Kuwait. (Sec. 535) Declares that provisions under this or any other Act authorizing appropriations for foreign operations or export financing shall not be construed to prohibit activities authorized by the Peace Corps Act, the Inter-American Foundation Act, or the African Development Foundation Act. Requires an agency to report to the Committees on Appropriations whenever it is conducting or proposing activities in a country for which such assistance is prohibited. (Sec. 536) Prohibits the use of funds to provide: (1) any financial incentive to a business for purposes of inducing it to relocate outside the United States if it will reduce the number of employees in the United States; (2) assistance for establishing or developing in a foreign country an export processing zone or other designated area in which a country's tax, tariff, labor, environment, and safety laws do not apply to activities in the area, unless the President certifies that such assistance is not likely to cause a loss of U.S. jobs; or (3) assistance for any project that contributes to the violation of internationally recognized workers rights in the recipient country. (Sec. 537) Prohibits the availability of funds under this Act for the Republic of Serbia (except for Kosova or Montenegro or for assistance to promote democratization). (Sec. 538) Declares that funds appropriated under this Act for Afghanistan, Lebanon, Montenegro, and for victims of war, displaced children, displaced Burmese, humanitarian assistance for Romania, and humanitarian assistance for the peoples of Kosova may be made available notwithstanding any other provision of law. Prohibits the use of funds made available to Cambodia for military or paramilitary purposes. Authorizes the use of foreign assistance funds to support tropical forestry and biodiversity conservation programs, and subject to the regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations, energy programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Authorizes AID to employ personal services contractors to administer programs for the West Bank and Gaza. Authorizes the President to waive certain prohibitions with respect to the Palestine Liberation Organizations (PLO) if the President determines and certifies to Congress that it is in the national interest. (Sec. 539) Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to: (1) immediate public renunciation by the Arab League countries of the boycott of Israel (reinstated in 1997) and of American firms having commercial ties with Israel; and (2) steps the President should take to encourage such renunciation. (Sec. 540) Authorizes the use of ESF funds to strengthen the administration of justice in countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and in other regions. (Sec. 541) Declares that the restrictions on assistance to foreign countries contained in this Act or any other Act (except those relating to international terrorism or human rights violations) shall not be construed to restrict assistance: (1) in support of certain programs of nongovernmental organizations; or (2) under specified provisions of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954. (Sec. 542) Authorizes the reprogramming of earmarked appropriations for other programs within the same account, provided certain requirements are met. (Sec. 544) Prohibits the use of funds for publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States that were not authorized before the enactment of this Act. Earmarks specified amounts to private and voluntary organizations to deal with world hunger abroad. (Sec. 545) Declares that assistance under this Act should make full use of American resources, including commodities, products, and services, to the maximum extent possible. Declares the sense of Congress that, to the greatest extent practicable, all agricultural commodities, equipment, and products purchased with funds made available in this Act should be American- made. Requires Federal agency heads, in providing financial assistance to or entering into any contract with any entity using funds made available in this Act, to notify such entity of this intention. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to report annually on the efforts of such agency heads and the U.S. directors of international financial institutions in complying with such requirements. (Sec. 546) Prohibits the use of funds to pay any assessments, arrearages, or dues of any UN member (including costs for attendance of another country's delegation at international conferences). (Sec. 548) Prohibits the provision of funds to a private voluntary organization that fails to provide any document, file, or record necessary to the auditing requirements of AID. (Sec. 549) Prohibits the provision of funds to any foreign government that provides lethal military equipment to a country that the Secretary of State has determined has a terrorist government, unless the President determines that the furnishing of such assistance is in the U.S. national interest. (Sec. 550) Withholds assistance to a foreign country in an amount equal to 110 percent of the total unpaid parking fines and penalties owed by the country to the District of Columbia. (Sec. 551) Prohibits the obligation of any appropriations for the PLO for the West Bank and Gaza unless the President has exercised certain authorities to suspend prohibitions on assistance to the PLO. (Sec. 552) Permits the President to provide up to a specified amount of commodities and services to the UN War Crimes Tribunal if doing so will contribute to a just resolution of charges regarding genocide or other violations of international law in the former Yugoslavia. (Sec. 553) Authorizes disposal on a grant basis in foreign countries of demining equipment used in support of the clearance of land mines and unexploded ordnance for humanitarian purposes. Extends the U.S. moratorium on the transfer of anti-personnel landmines. (Sec. 554) Prohibits the obligation of appropriations to create in Jerusalem a new U.S. agency office for the purpose of conducting U.S. business with the Palestinian Authority over Gaza and Jericho (or any successor Palestinian governing entity) provided for in the Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles. (Sec. 555) Prohibits the obligation of certain funds appropriated for Informational Program activities to pay for: (1) alcoholic beverages; or (2) entertainment expenses for recreational activities. (Sec. 556) Declares that direct costs associated with a foreign customer's additional or unique requirements with respect to the sale of defense articles shall continue to be an allowable cost under the Arms Export Control Act. (Sec. 557) Authorizes the President to reduce amounts owed to the United States by eligible countries as a result of: (1) housing guarantees made pursuant to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961; (2) credits extended or guarantees issued under the Arms Export Control Act; or (3) any obligation to pay for purchases of U.S. agricultural commodities guaranteed by the Commodity Credit Corporation. Permits the exercise of such authority only: (1) to implement multilateral official debt relief and referendum agreements known as the Paris Club Agreed Minutes; and (2) with respect to countries with heavy debt burdens that are eligible to borrow from the IDA (but not from the World Bank) (IDA-only countries). Prescribes additional conditions for the exercise of such authority. (Sec. 558) Authorizes the President to engage in certain debt buybacks or sales. Authorizes the sale, reduction, or cancellation of certain loans to foreign governments, upon receipt of payment from an eligible purchaser that plans to use such loans only for the purposes of engaging in debt-for-equity swaps, debt-for-development swaps, or debt-for nature swaps. Limits such authority to funds appropriated by this Act under the heading of debt restructuring. (Sec. 559) Urges the President, in providing assistance to Haiti, to place priority on: (1) aggressive action to support the Haitian National Police, including efforts to purge corrupt and politicized elements within the police; (2) steps to ensure that U.S. assisted elections in Haiti are free, fair, and democratic; (3) support for a program to develop an indigenous human rights monitoring capacity; (4) steps to continue privatization of state-owned enterprises; (5) a sustainable agricultural development program; and (6) establishment of an economic development fund for Haiti to provide long-term, low interest loans to U.S. investors and businesses that are committed to doing business there. Directs the President to report to specified congressional committees on the status: (1) of each of the governmental institutions envisioned in the 1987 Haitian Constitution; (2) of the privatization of the major public entities; (3) of the Government of Haiti's efforts to conduct thorough investigations of extrajudicial and political killings; (4) of steps being taken to secure ratification of the maritime counter-narcotics agreements signed October 1997; and (5) of the extent to which domestic capacity to conduct free, fair, and democratic elections has been developed in Haiti. Earmarks a specified percentage of funds appropriated under this Act for bilateral assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean region. (Sec. 560) Requires a specified annual report of the Secretary of State containing the voting record of each foreign member country of the UN to include a side-by-side comparison of each country's overall support for the United States at the UN and the amount of U.S. assistance provided to it in FY 1999. (Sec. 561) Prohibits the United States from paying any voluntary contribution to the UN, including the UN Development Program, unless the President certifies to Congress 15 days in advance of such payment that the UN is not engaged in any effort to implement or impose any taxation on U.S. persons in order to raise revenue for itself or any of its specialized agencies. (Sec. 562) Makes the Government of Haiti eligible to purchase U.S. defense articles and services for the civilian-led Haitian National Police and Coast Guard. (Sec. 563) Prohibits the obligation of any appropriations for the PLO unless the President certifies to Congress that it is in the U.S. national security interests. (Sec. 564) Prohibits the use of funds for the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State believes they have committed gross violations of human rights, unless the Secretary reports to the Committees on Appropriations that such country is taking steps to bring the responsible persons to justice. (Sec. 565) Requires that any agreement between the United States and the Government of Indonesia for the sale of lethal weapons shall state that the United States expects that such items will not be used in East Timor. (Sec. 566) Provides for bilateral and multilateral assistance sanctions (with humanitarian, democratization, and certain infrastructure project exceptions) against countries harboring war criminals indicted with respect to the former Yugoslavia. Prohibits the provision of bilateral assistance for programs in which publicly indicted war criminals are known to have any financial interest or communities that are not in compliance with specified sections of the Dayton Agreement relating to war crimes and the Tribunal. Requires the Secretary of State to report to the appropriate congressional committees on the location, if known, of publicly indicted war criminals, on country, entity and municipality authorities known to have obstructed the work of the Tribunal, and on sanctioned countries, entities, and municipalities. (Sec. 567) Prohibits the use of funds for the Government of the Russian Federation unless the President certifies to specified congressional committees that the Federation has not enacted laws or promulgated executive orders that discriminate against religious minorities in violation of international agreements on human rights and religious freedoms to which it is a party. (Sec. 568) Subjects the availability of funds in this Act to support programs or activities promoting country participation in the Kyoto Protocol to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) to the regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations. (Sec. 569) Authorizes for FY 1999 and 2000 the use of DOD funds for crating, packing, handling, and transportation of excess defense articles to countries that are eligible to participate in the Partnership for Peace and that are eligible for assistance under the Support for East European Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989. (Sec. 570) Bars funds to the Central Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. (Sec. 571) Earmarks specified foreign assistance funds for Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza, the Israel-Lebanon Monitoring Group, the Multinational Force and Observers, the Middle East Regional Democracy Fund, Middle East Regional Cooperation, and Middle East Multilateral Working Groups. (Sec. 572) Requires the President to submit to specified congressional committees a plan for the distribution of the assets of an Enterprise Fund before any distribution resulting from liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Fund. (Sec. 573) Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. executive directors of international financial institutions to oppose loans to Cambodia (except loans to support basic human needs). Prohibits the availability of funds under this Act for assistance for the Government of Cambodia. (Sec. 574) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to declare that the prohibition on the use of funds under such Act to provide law enforcement training to foreign governments within the United States or abroad shall not apply with respect to assistance provided to customs personnel for customs law enforcement. (Sec. 575) Directs the Secretaries of Defense and of State to report jointly to Congress on all overseas military training provided to, and proposed to be provided to, foreign military personnel under programs administered by the Defense and State Departments during FY 1999 and 2000. (Sec. 576) Earmarks specified funds for KEDO for administrative expenses and heavy fuel oil costs associated with the Agreed Framework (Joint Declaration on Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula). Earmarks other amounts to KEDO if the President certifies to Congress that North Korea is complying with the provisions of the Agreed Framework. (Sec. 577) Authorizes investment of funds made available to grantees of the African Development Foundation pending expenditure for project purposes when authorized by the President of the Foundation. (Sec. 578) Bars the use of funds appropriated under this Act to provide equipment, technical support, consulting services, or any other assistance to the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation. (Sec. 579) Authorizes voluntary separation incentive payments to AID employees to eliminate AID positions and functions contained in a mandatory strategic plan outlining such payments. (Sec. 580) Earmarks specified amounts of ESF funds for a political transition in Iraq, Iraqi opposition groups for political, economic, humanitarian, and other activities, and for groups and activities seeking the prosecution of Saddam Hussein and other Iraqi government officials for war crimes. (Sec. 581) Directs AID to submit its annual budgets to the Committees on Appropriations. (Sec. 582) Requires information relevant to the December 2, 1980, murders of four American churchwomen in El Salvador be made public to the fullest extent possible. (Sec. 583) Prohibits the use of funds appropriated under this Act to propose or issue rules, regulations, decrees, or orders for implementation, or in preparation for implementation, of the Kyoto Protocol to the United States Framework Convention on Climate Change, which has not been submitted to the Senate for advice and consent to ratification pursuant to the U.S. Constitution, and which has not entered into force. (Sec. 584) Makes funds available for FY 2000 for defense article stockpiles in foreign countries, including the Republic of Korea and Thailand. (Sec. 585) Amends the 1999 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act to extend the pilot Russian Leadership Program at the Library of Congress through FY 2000. (Sec. 586) Abolishes the Inter-American Foundation. (Sec. 587) Directs the Secretary of State, 30 days prior to the initial obligation of ESF funds for the bilateral West Bank and Gaza Program, to certify to the appropriate congressional committees that procedures have been established to assure the Comptroller General will have access to appropriate U.S. financial information in order to review the uses of such funds for the Program. (Sec. 588) Earmarks specified amounts of international narcotics control and law enforcement funds for: (1) the Colombia Attorney General's Human Rights Unit; (2) activities of Colombian nongovernmental organizations involved in human rights monitoring; (3) the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to assist the Government of Colombia in strengthening its human rights policies and programs; (4) personnel and other resources to enhance U.S. Embassy monitoring of assistance to the Colombian security forces and responding to reports of human rights violations; and (5) administration of justice programs including support for the Colombia Attorney General's Technical Investigations Unit. (Sec. 589) Makes IMET and foreign military financing program funds available for Indonesia if the President determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that the Indonesian government and the Indonesian armed forces are taking specified actions to: (1) bring to justice, and cooperate with investigations and prosecutions of, members of the armed forces and militia groups with respect to human rights violations in Indonesia and East Timor; (2) allow safe passage for refugees returning home to East Timor from West Timor; and (3) not impede the International Force in East Timor (INTERFET). (Sec. 590) Bars the use of appropriated funds under this Act for the UN Man and the Biosphere Program or the UN World Heritage Fund for programs in the United States. (Sec. 591) Declares that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) (except Montenegro or Kosova) shall be deemed a state sponsor of terrorism for purposes of granting U.S. courts jurisdiction to award money damages for personal injury caused to or the death of a U.S. national by an act of terrorism by an official, employee, or agent of FRY. (Sec. 592) Authorizes the President to provide, through appropriate Federal agencies, food assistance to groups engaged in the protection of civilian populations from attacks by Sudanese government forces, associated militias, or other paramilitary groups supported by the Sudan government. Sets forth certain conditions for the provision of such assistance. Requires the President to report to the Committees on Appropriations on U.S. bilateral assistance to opposition-controlled areas of Sudan. (Sec. 593) Requires the Secretary of State to consult with the appropriate congressional committees and leadership of Congress to devise a mechanism to provide for congressional input before making any determination on the nature or quantity of defense articles and services to be made available to Taiwan. (Sec. 594) Authorizes appropriations for the U.S. contributions to the African Development Bank, Inter-American Investment Corporation, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, the African Development Fund, and the IDA. (Sec. 595) Earmarks for Costa Rica a specified amount of funds from the Central America and the Caribbean Emergency Disaster Recovery Fund. (Sec. 596) Silk Road Strategy Act of 1999 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize specified assistance, including humanitarian, economic, migration and refugee, development, border control, and democracy building assistance to promote economic and political independence in the South Caucasus and Central Asia countries. (Sec. 597) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require that the annual report to Congress on the status of human rights in foreign countries slated to receive development assistance include a list of foreign states where trafficking in persons, especially women and children, originates, passes through, or is a destination, and an assessment of the efforts of such states to combat such trafficking. (Sec. 598) Expresses the sense of Congress that OPIC shall select a fund manager for the purpose of creating a maritime fund consisting of capital of up to $200 million to support international maritime projects. (Sec. 599) Imposes certain economic and political sanctions against Serbia unless the President makes a certain certification with respect to Serbia to specified congressional committees. Exempts the governments of Montenegro and Kosova from such sanctions. (Sec. 599A) Urges the export of U.S. clean coal technology. (Sec. 599B) Urges the use of U.S. assistance for the reconstruction efforts in the FRY to the maximum extent practicable for the procurement of U.S. articles and services. (Sec. 599C) Earmarks a specified amount of international organizations and program funds for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) (except for any country program in China). Conditions the availability of such funds to UNFPA on specified requirements, including that it does not fund abortions. (Sec. 599D) Earmarks a specified amount of funds for population planning activities or other population assistance. Prohibits the availability of appropriated funds for population activities to any private, nongovernmental, or multilateral organization until it certifies that it will not during the period for which funds are made available: (1) perform abortions in any foreign country, except if the life of the mother would be endangered if the pregnancy were carried to term or in cases of forcible rape or incest; or (2) violate the laws of a foreign country with respect to the circumstances under which abortion is permitted, regulated, or prohibited, or engage in lobbying activities in an effort to alter its laws with respect to abortion (except lobbying in opposition to coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization). Provides for the reduction of such assistance in the event that the President waives such requirements. (Sec. 599E) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to extend through November 1, 2000, OPIC's authority to issue investment insurance and guarantees. Title VI: International Affairs Supplemental Appropriations - Makes supplemental appropriations for FY 2000 for: (1) the ESF (earmarking amounts for Jordan and the West Bank and Gaza); and (2) foreign military financing (earmarking amounts for grants for Israel, Egypt, and Jordan).
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and related agencies. Title I: Department of Labor - Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2000 - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 to the Department of Labor for: (1) training and employment services; (2) community service employment for older Americans; (3) Federal unemployment benefits and allowances; (4) State unemployment insurance and employment service operations; (5) advances to the Unemployment Trust Fund and other trust funds; (6) employment and training program administration; (7) the Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation; (8) the Employment Standards Administration; (9) certain special benefits; (10) the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund; (11) the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; (12) the Mine Safety and Health Administration; (13) the Bureau of Labor Statistics; (14) departmental management; (15) the Assistant Secretary for Veterans Employment and Training; and (16) the Office of Inspector General. Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, funds appropriated under this title. Title II: Department of Health and Human Services - Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, 2000 - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for: (1) the Health Resources and Services Administration; (2) the Medical Facilities Guarantee and Loan Fund for Federal interest subsidies for medical facilities; (3) health education assistance loans; (4) the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Trust Fund; (5) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; (6) the National Institutes of Health, including amounts for the John E. Fogarty International Center, the National Library of Medicine, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the Office of the Director, and buildings and facilities; (7) the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; (8) the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research; (9) the Health Care Financing Administration for grants to States for Medicaid, payments to health care trust funds, program management, and the Health Maintenance Organization Loan and Loan Guarantee Fund; (10) the Administration for Children and Families for family support payments to States; (11) low income home energy assistance; (12) refugee and entrant assistance; (13) the child care and development block grant; (14) the social services block grant; (15) children and families services programs; (16) promoting safe and stable families pursuant to a specified provision of the Social Security Act; (17) payments to States for foster care and adoption assistance; (18) the Administration on Aging; (19) the Office of the Secretary for general departmental management; (20) the Office of Inspector General; (21) the Office for Civil Rights; (22) policy research; (23) retirement pay and medical benefits for Public Health Service commissioned officers; and (24) activities related to countering potential biological, disease, and chemical threats to civilian populations. Rescinds FY 2000 funds for a sample study of child welfare. Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, funds appropriated under this title. (Sec. 209) Prohibits funds appropriated in this Act from being made available under title X (population research and voluntary family planning) of the Public Health Service Act unless the award applicant certifies to the Secretary of HHS that it encourages family participation in the decision of minors to seek family planning services and provides counseling to minors on resisting attempts to coerce them into engaging in sexual activities. (Sec. 211) Prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to carry out the Medicare+Choice program if the Secretary of HHS denies participation in such program to an otherwise eligible entity (including a Provider Sponsored Organization) because the entity informs the Secretary that it will not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or provide referrals for abortions. (Sec. 212) Amends the Public Health Service Act to require State allotments under block grants for community health services for FY 2000 to be at least the amount the State received for FY 1998. Provides a specified minimum State allotment for FY 2000 under block grants for substance abuse prevention and treatment as well. (Sec. 214) Amends the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1990 to extend through FY 2000 the authorization of admission into the United States of a specified number of refugees from the independent states of the former Soviet Union, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania based on religious persecution owing to participation in the Ukrainian Catholic or Orthodox churches. Makes September 30, 2000, the latest allowable entry date for specified aliens from the former Soviet Union, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia for purposes of qualifying for adjustment of status. (Sec. 215) Prohibits the use of funds provided in any Act making FY 2000 appropriations for the implementation in Arizona or in Kansas City, Missouri or Kansas, of the Medicare Competitive Pricing Demonstration Project operated by the Secretary of HHS under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. (Sec. 217) Directs the Secretary of HHS to study and report to Congress on: (1) the reasons why, and the appropriateness of the fact that, the geographic adjustment factor used in determining the amount of payment for physicians' services under Medicare is less for services provided in New Mexico than for those provided in Arizona, Colorado, and Texas; and (2) the effect that the level of the geographic cost-of-practice adjustment factor has on the recruitment and retention of physicians in small rural States. (Sec. 218) Prohibits funds appropriated by this Act from being used to withhold substance abuse funding from a State pursuant to Public Health Service Act provisions for withholding funds from States that are not in compliance with specified requirements prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors if a State certifies to the Secretary of HHS that it will commit additional State funds to ensure compliance with State laws prohibiting such sales. (Sec. 219) Bars the use of funds made available under this title to carry out the transmittal of August 13, 1997 (relating to self-administered drugs), of the Deputy Director of the Division of Acute Care of the Health Care Financing Administration to regional offices of the Administration or to promulgate any regulation or other transmittal or policy directive that imposes or clarifies the imposition of a restriction on the coverage of injectable drugs under Medicare beyond the restrictions applied before the date of such transmittal. Title III: Department of Education - Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2000 - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 to the Department of Education for: (1) education reform; (2) education for the disadvantaged; (3) impact aid; (4) school improvement activities; (5) reading excellence; (6) Indian education; (7) bilingual and immigrant education; (8) special education; (9) rehabilitation services and disability research; (10) special institutions for persons with disabilities, including the American Printing House for the Blind, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School, the Model Secondary School for the Deaf, and Gallaudet University; (11) vocational and adult education; (12) student financial assistance; (13) the Federal Family Education Loan program account; (14) higher education; (15) Howard University; (16) the college housing and academic facilities loans program; (17) the historically Black college and university capital financing program account; (18) education research, statistics, and improvement; (19) departmental management; (20) the Office for Civil Rights; and (21) the Office of the Inspector General. Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, funds appropriated under this title. (Sec. 301) Prohibits funds appropriated in this Act from being used to: (1) transport teachers or students in order to overcome racial imbalance in any school or to carry out a racial desegregation plan; or (2) prevent the implementation of programs of voluntary prayer and meditation in public schools. (Sec. 306) Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to reduce to 35 percent the Federal share available for Even Start family literacy programs in any year after the eighth year of receiving assistance. Removes a provision which limits the receipt of such assistance to a period of eight years. (Sec. 307) Requires the Secretary of Education to restore the eligibility of Jacksonville College in Texas to participate in the Pell Grant program. Directs the College to implement a default management plan satisfactory to the Secretary. (Sec. 310) Allocates amounts appropriated for title VI of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Provides for distribution of funds to local educational agencies (LEAs) for purposes of reducing class size. Authorizes the use of such funds for: (1) recruiting, hiring, and training teachers; (2) testing new teachers for academic content knowledge and to meet State certification requirements; and (3) providing professional development to teachers. Requires States and LEAs to report to parents on progress in reducing class size, increasing the percentage of classes in core academic areas taught by fully qualified teachers who are certified and demonstrate competency in the content areas in which they teach, and the impact that hiring additional highly qualified teachers and reducing class size has had on increasing student academic achievement. Repeals titles III and IV of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act on September 30, 2000. (Sec. 311) Amends the Y2K Act to prohibit punitive damages in a Y2K action from being awarded against an institution of higher education. Makes such prohibition inapplicable to an institution where the Y2K failure occurred in a computer-based student financial aid system of that institution and the institution has passed Y2K data exchange testing with the Department of Education or is not or was not in the process of performing data exchange testing with the Department at the time the Department terminates such testing. (Sec. 312) Amends the Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children Protection Act to remove a funding provision with respect to a study of school violence. Title IV: Related Agencies - Makes appropriations for FY 2000 to the: (1) Armed Forces Retirement Home; (2) Corporation for National and Community Service; (3) Corporation for Public Broadcasting; (4) Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service; (5) Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission; (6) Office of Library Services; (7) Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; (8) National Commission on Libraries and Information Science; (9) National Council on Disability; (10) National Education Goals Panel; (11) National Labor Relations Board; (12) National Mediation Board; (13) Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission; (14) Railroad Retirement Board for the dual benefits payments account, Federal payments to the railroad retirement accounts, administration, and the Office of Inspector General; (15) Social Security Administration for payments to the social security trust funds, special benefits for disabled coal miners, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program, administrative expenses, and the Office of Inspector General; and (15) U.S. Institute of Peace. Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, funds appropriated under this title. Title V: General Provisions - Sets forth authorized uses of, and limitations on, funds appropriated under this Act. (Sec. 505) Prohibits the use of funds appropriated under this Act for programs to distribute sterile needles or syringes for the injection of illegal drugs. (Sec. 506) Sets forth Buy American requirements. (Sec. 508) Prohibits funds appropriated under this Act from being expended for abortions or for health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion, except in cases where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or where a woman suffers from a physical condition that would, as certified by a physician, place her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. (Sec. 510) Prohibits the use of funds made available in this Act for: (1) the creation of a human embryo for research purposes; or (2) research in which a human embryo is destroyed or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero under Federal regulations and the Public Health Service Act. (Sec. 511) Prohibits the use of funds made available in this Act for activities to promote the legalization of a controlled substance unless there is significant medical evidence of a therapeutic advantage to the use of such substance or that federally-sponsored trials are being conducted to determine such advantage. (Sec. 514) Bars the use of funds made available in this Act to promulgate a final standard under the Social Security Act providing for a unique health identifier for an individual (except in an individual's capacity as an employer or health care provider) until legislation is enacted specifically approving the standard. (Sec. 515) Amends the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997 to extend the availability of certain voluntary separation incentives for employees of the Railroad Retirement Board and its Office of Inspector General. (Sec. 516) Amends the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission Act to require the President to appoint the U.S. members of the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission and to attempt to conclude an agreement with Mexico providing for the establishment of such Commission. Eliminates a Commission duty to formulate recommendations regarding a method by which the government of one country could reimburse an entity in the other country for the cost of a health care service provided by the entity to a citizen of the first country who is unable to pay for the service. (Sec. 517) Provides that the applicable time limitations with respect to the giving of notice of injury and the filing of a claim for compensation for disability or death under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act for injuries sustained as a result of exposure to a nitrogen or sulfur mustard agent in the performance of official duties as an employee at the Department of the Army's Edgewood Arsenal before March 20, 1944, shall not begin to run until this Act's enactment date. Title VI: Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Interventions For Newborns and Infants With Hearing Loss - Mandates grants or cooperative agreements to: (1) develop statewide newborn and infant hearing screening, evaluation, and intervention programs and systems; and (2) provide technical assistance to State agencies to complement an intramural program and to conduct applied research related to newborn and infant hearing screening, evaluation, and intervention programs and systems. Requires the National Institutes of Health to continue a program of research and development on the efficacy of new screening techniques and technology. Mandates Federal coordination and collaboration with State and local agencies, consumer groups, national medical, health, and education specialty organizations, deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals and their families, qualified professional personnel, and related commercial industries. Authorizes appropriations. Title VII: Denali Commission - Amends the Denali Commission Act of 1998 to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to the Denali Commission to plan, construct, and equip demonstration health, nutrition, and child care projects in order to demonstrate the value of adequate health facilities and services to regional economic development. Limits grants for construction or equipment to 50 percent of costs (80 percent for projects located in severely economically distressed communities). Authorizes appropriations. Title VIII: Welfare-To-Work And Child Support Amendments of 1999 - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) repeal certain eligibility requirements (thus allowing flexibility in eligibility) for participation of both custodial and noncustodial parents in the welfare-to-work (WtW) program; (2) make vocational educational and job training of up to six months allowable TANF activities; (3) authorize a grantee that is neither a private industry council nor a workforce investment board to provide employment services directly; (4) revise financial and participant information reporting requirements; (5) authorize State agencies to disclose name, address, and telephone information (subject to safeguards) about potential program participants to aid private industry councils in their administration of WtW grant funds; and (6) reduce the set-aside of a portion of WtW funds for performance bonuses. (Sec. 807) Amends SSA title IV part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) to establish an alternative penalty procedure for State disbursement units under which: (1) units that achieve compliance requirements by April 1, 2000, shall have all penalties waived; and (2) units that achieve compliance between April 1, 2000, and September 30, 2000, shall pay no more than one percent of the penalty base with respect to the failure involved.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should negotiate a new base rights agreement with the Government of Panama to: (1) permit stationing of U.S. armed forces in Panama beyond December 31, 1999; and (2) ensure that the Panama Canal remains open, secure, and neutral, consistent with the Panama Canal Treaty, the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal, and the resolutions of ratification. Calls for the President to: (1) ensure that U.S. military facilities which could be utilized for stationing of U.S. armed forces shall be fully maintained and secured if the Government of Panama is willing to enter into good faith negotiations for a continued U.S. military presence; and (2) consult with Congress throughout the base rights negotiations.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1999
Medicare Subvention Demonstration for Veterans Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to authorize the Secretaries of Health and Human Services (HHS) and of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a demonstration project under which the HHS Secretary, acting under a coordinated care health plan model, shall reimburse the VA Secretary from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund for Medicare health care services furnished to targeted Medicare-eligible veterans who volunteer for such project. Requires the demonstration project to be conducted at up to eight sites jointly designated by the Secretaries. Directs the VA Secretary to establish and operate coordinated care health plans to provide benefits to the targeted veterans enrolled in the project. Modifies the current Medicare subvention demonstration project for military retirees, permitting a one year extension of the project and, under certain conditions, permitting payment on a fee-for-service basis. Increases from 45 percent to 51 percent the amount that may be reduced, for cost reporting periods after FY 1999, from the amount of Medicare enrollee bad debt that is otherwise treated as allowable costs for purposes of determining the reasonable costs of Medicare-reimbursable outpatient hospital services furnished to Medicare enrollees.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1999
Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act of 1999 - Amends the Federal criminal code to impose penalties upon an individual who while employed by or accompanying the armed forces outside the United States, or while a member of the armed forces outside the United States, engages in conduct that would constitute an offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one year if such conduct had been engaged in within the maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Prohibits a Federal criminal action if a recognized foreign government has prosecuted or is prosecuting such person for the conduct constituting the offense. Provides for the arrest of such individuals outside the United States and their delivery to U.S. civilian law enforcement personnel. Authorizes the release to a recognized foreign government of persons who engage in such conduct in that country. Directs the Secretary of Defense to: (1) prescribe regulations governing the apprehension, detention, delivery, and removal of persons under this Act; and (2) issue regulations requiring that notice be provided to any person covered by this Act who is not a U.S. national that such person is potentially subject to the criminal jurisdiction of the United States. States that failure to provide such notice shall not defeat such jurisdiction.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1999
Convicted Offender DNA Index System Support Act - Requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to: (1) develop a plan to assist States in performing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analyses of DNA samples collected from convicted offenders, aimed at eliminating the backlog of convicted offender DNA samples awaiting analysis in State or local forensic laboratory storage in an efficient, expeditious manner that will provide for their entry into the Combined DNA Indexing System (CODIS); and (2) give preference in assistance to those States that have developed a comprehensive program for the DNA analysis of crime scene evidence in casework for which there are no suspects. Sets forth provisions regarding plan conditions and plan implementation. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 3) Directs the Attorney General to develop a plan to assist States in performing DNA analyses of crime scene evidence in casework for which there are no suspects aimed at eliminating the backlog of crime scene evidence awaiting DNA analysis in State or local forensic laboratory storage, including evidence that needs to be re-analyzed using upgraded methods, in an efficient, expeditious manner that will provide for the entry of those analyses into CODIS. Sets forth provisions regarding plan conditions and plan implementation. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 4) Requires the FBI Director to develop a plan to effectively eliminate the backlog of crime scene evidence awaiting DNA analysis in forensic laboratory storage of the Bureau, including evidence that needs to be re-analyzed using upgraded methods, in an efficient, expeditious manner that will provide for the entry of those analyses into CODIS. Sets forth provisions regarding plan conditions and plan implementation. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 5) Requires the FBI Director to expand CODIS to include information on missing persons, including analyses of DNA samples voluntarily contributed from relatives of missing persons. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 6) Revises the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 to authorize the Director of the FBI to expand CODIS to include information on DNA identification records and analyses related to criminal offenses and acts of juvenile delinquency under Federal law, the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and the District of Columbia (DC) Code. Modifies the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (VCCLEA) to authorize the Director to establish an index of individuals convicted of criminal offenses or adjudicated delinquent for acts of juvenile delinquency, including specified qualifying offenses, and an index of analyses of DNA samples voluntarily contributed from relatives of missing persons. Directs that the index include only information on DNA identification records and DNA analyses that undergo semiannual external proficiency testing and that meet other specified requirements. Requires the Director to establish a list of qualifying offenses, including each criminal offense or act of juvenile delinquency under Federal law that constitutes a crime of violence (or, in the case of an act of juvenile delinquency, would, if committed by an adult, constitute a crime of violence), and each criminal offense under the DC Code that would, if committed in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, constitute a crime of violence. Requires: (1) the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to collect a DNA sample from each individual in the custody of the Bureau who has been convicted of or adjudicated delinquent for a qualifying offense, and to specify the time and manner of collection of DNA samples; and (2) the agency responsible for the supervision under Federal law of an individual on supervised release, parole, or probation to collect a DNA sample from each individual who has been convicted of or adjudicated delinquent for a qualifying offense, and to specify the time and manner of collection of DNA samples. Authorizes the Government of DC to: (1) identify one or more categories of individuals who are in the custody of, or under supervision by, DC as a result of a conviction of a qualifying offense, from whom DNA samples should be collected; and (2) collect a DNA sample from each such individual. Directs the Director of the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for DC, or the Trustee appointed under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, as appropriate, to collect a DNA sample from each individual under Agency or Trustee supervision who is on supervised release, parole, or probation and who has been convicted of or adjudicated delinquent for a qualifying offense, and to specify the time and manner of collection of DNA samples. Directs the Secretary of Defense to: (1) prescribe regulations that specify categories of conduct punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (qualifying military offenses) that are comparable to qualifying offenses, and sets forth standards and procedures for the analysis of DNA samples collected from individuals convicted of a qualifying military offense, their inclusion in an index, and the expungement of DNA identification records and such DNA analyses from the index in any circumstance in which the underlying conviction for the qualifying military offense has been reversed or the underlying record has been expunged for any other reason; and (2) specify the time and manner of collection of DNA samples. Sets criminal penalties for individuals from whom the collection of a DNA sample is required or authorized who fail to cooperate in the collection of that sample. Requires such cooperation as a condition of probation, supervised release, or release generally. Authorizes appropriations. Sets forth report and evaluation requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1999
Directs the President to report annually to all committees of Congress with jurisdiction affected by U.S. policies on unilateral economic sanctions, on the costs and benefits within the United States, and, to the extent possible, the economic implications for the targeted foreign countries or entities concerned, of the imposition of unilateral economic U.S. sanctions during the previous calendar year. Sets forth the details required in the report. Defines "unilateral economic sanction," identifying it to encompass particular actions, including export and import restrictions, financial transaction suspensions, investment suspensions, increased tariffs, restrictions on the authority of the Export-Import Bank, restrictions on defense articles, and voting requirements for U.S. representatives to international financial institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1999
Repeals a provision of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2000 which prohibits the use of Department of Defense (DOD) funds to pay environmental fines and penalties imposed against DOD unless such payment has been specifically authorized by law.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1999
Requires the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on the results of a study of production alternatives for the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft program and the effects on the tactical fighter aircraft industrial base of each alternative considered.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1999
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should immediately transmit to Congress a report containing: (1) the President's certification as to whether the U.S. Government has ever requested the Government of Russia to provide information on the specific sites in the United States at which either the Russian or Soviet Government placed weapons or military equipment for use in a possible conflict with the United States; and (2) depending on such certification, either a full accounting of why such a request has not been made or detailed information on when and to whom each such request was transmitted and what information was provided by Russia in response. Calls for the President to provide to Congress a report describing in detail the President's plan to find and remove any military equipment or bombs (such as those identified in the so-called Mitrokhin files) that have been placed by the Russian or Soviet Government on U.S. territory.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 1999
Honors the service and sacrifice of the members of the armed forces and Federal civilian employees who, during the Vietnam era, served in the Republic of Vietnam and elsewhere in Southeast Asia or otherwise served in support of U.S. operations in Vietnam and in support of U.S. national security interests throughout the world. Recognizes and honors the sacrifice of the families of those individuals who lost their lives or remain unaccounted for or were injured during that era in Southeast Asia or elsewhere in the world in defense of U.S. national security interests.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Lyme Disease Initiative of 1999 - Directs the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, of Agriculture, of the Interior, and of Defense to: (1) establish specified detection test, improved surveillance and reporting system, and prevention goals to provide for a reduction in the incidence and prevalence of Lyme disease and related tick borne infectious diseases; and (2) establish a five-year plan of activities toward achieving those goals, and carry them out. Establishes the Lyme Disease Taskforce to advise the Secretaries with respect to achieving such goals. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Amends the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 1996 to extend the authority of the Secretary of Defense to sell certain aircraft and aircraft parts to persons for use in wildfire suppression through September 30, 2005. Requires the Secretary to report, not later than March 31, 2005, to specified congressional committees with respect to such authority.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Condemns the use of children as soldiers by governmental and nongovernmental armed forces worldwide. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should not oppose efforts to negotiate an optional international agreement to raise the international minimum age for military service to age 18; (2) the Secretary of State should address this issue in the next session of the United Nations working group relating to child soldiers before this process is abandoned by the international community; and (3) the President and the Congress should work together to enact a law that establishes a fund for the rehabilitation and reintegration into society of child soldiers.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, area.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
United States Support for a Democratic Pakistan Act of 1999 - Prohibits the President from waiving certain economic and military sanctions imposed on Pakistan until he certifies to Congress that Pakistan has a democratically elected government which shows respect for the basic civil liberties and human rights of the Pakistani people. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to direct the U.S. Executive Directors at specified international financial institutions to use the U.S. vote at each institution to oppose the provision of assistance for any project in Pakistan, until the President makes such certification. Authorizes the President to waive the requirements in this Act if it is in the national security interests of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Reducing the Effects of Abuse and Domestic Violence on Youth or READY Act - Title I: Children Who Witness Domestic Violence - Amends the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (for purposes of this title, the Secretary) to award grants to eligible entities to conduct programs to encourage the use of domestic violence intervention models using multi-system partnerships to address the needs of children who witness domestic violence. Sets forth provisions regarding grant term and amount, eligible entities, application requirements, and technical assistance. Requires an entity that receives a grant to use amounts provided to conduct a program to design or replicate, and implement, domestic violence intervention models that use multi-system partners to respond to the needs of children who witness domestic violence. Specifies elements of such program, including involvement of collaborative partnerships with local entities carrying out domestic violence programs that provide shelter or related assistance, and provision of direct counseling and advocacy for adult victims of domestic violence and their children who witness domestic violence. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the FVPSA to direct the Secretary to appoint one or more employee of the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out such Act, each of whom shall have had prior expertise in the field of family violence prevention and services (current law provides for one such employee with such expertise). Title II: Violence Against Women Prevention In Schools - Directs the Secretary of Education (for purposes of this title, the Secretary) to provide grants to State, local, or tribal school systems to develop, modify, and implement State, local, or tribal school system policies and programs for elementary schools, middle schools, and secondary schools which address domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Sets forth eligibility and application requirements. Lists permissible uses of grant funds, such as the development and implementation of educational programs or prevention strategies for students and personnel in elementary, middle, and secondary schools addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Requires that policies and programs developed and implemented address issues of victim safety and confidentiality that are consistent with applicable State and Federal laws. Directs the Secretary to: (1) disseminate any existing Department of Education policy guidance regarding preventing domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking; (2) study existing policies and programs as well as new policies and programs funded by this title and report to Congress recommendations for implementation of successful policies for referring students to services when they may be witnessing or experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking; and (3) publish the availability of grants through announcement in professional publications for State, local, or tribal school systems and through notice in the Federal Register. Sets forth requirements for a State, local, or tribal school system in carrying out an educational program under a grant, including consulting and collaborating with experts on violence against women and girls. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Safe Havens for Children - Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to public or private nonprofit nongovernmental entities to establish and operate supervised visitation centers. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: Child Abuse Accountability - Child Abuse Accountability Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code to permit the assignment, and provide for the tax treatment, of any pension benefit payable to a participant pursuant to a qualified child abuse order. Exempts qualified child abuse orders from preemption by ERISA. Title V: Family Safety - Family Safety Act - Amends the Parental Kidnaping Prevention Act of 1980 (PKPA) to include among its purposes: (1) the promotion of cooperation between State and tribal courts to protect parents and children from domestic violence or sexual assault; (2) the promotion of realistic and protective standards for interstate relocation when parents dispute custody; and (3) the avoidance of jurisdictional conflicts between State courts in matters of child custody and visitation consistent with not endangering or inappropriately punishing parents who are victims of domestic violence, or children who are victims of sexual assault. (Sec. 503) Amends the Federal criminal code to provide as a defense to prosecution of either a criminal custodial interference or parental abduction charge, or criminal contempt of court relating to an underlying child custody or visitation determination, that the defendant was fleeing an incident or pattern of domestic violence or sexual assault of the child, or would otherwise have a defense under the PKPA. Directs the Attorney General to issue guidelines to assist U.S. Attorneys and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine whether to initiate or terminate an action due to the potential availability of such defense. (Sec. 504) Amends the Federal judicial code to: (1) provide that no State shall be required to enforce any order obtained in a proceeding which would violate the constitution of the enforcing State if the proceeding were conducted in the enforcing State; and (2) declare that the intent of full faith and credit doctrine in child custody determinations is to preempt inconsistent State law. Declares that a protection order regarding custody and visitation of a minor child that is consistent with this Act shall be given full faith and credit by the courts of any State where the party who sought the order seeks enforcement. Modifies State court jurisdiction guidelines governing: (1) relocation of the child due to domestic violence or sexual assault; and (2) court authority to decline to exercise jurisdiction on behalf of parents engaged in specified conduct. Title VI: Sense of Congress - Expresses the sense of Congress that, for purposes of determining child custody, it is not in the best interest of children to: (1) force parents to share custody over the objection of one or both parents where there is a history of domestic violence; or (2) make "friendly parent" provisions a factor when there is abuse of one parent against another or a child.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Defense of Privacy Act - Requires each final regulatory flexibility analysis (an impact analysis required of a Federal agency after promulgation of a final rule or a final interpretative rule involving the internal revenue laws) to include a description of the steps that agency has taken to minimize the privacy impacts of such rule on individuals and nongovernmental organizations. Makes such requirement inapplicable if the head of the agency certifies that the rule will not have an impact on such privacy interests.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
CT-43A Federal Employee Settlement Act - Directs the Secretary of the Air Force to pay $2 million to the specified beneficiary of each of the 14 Federal civilian officers and employees killed in the crash of a United States Air Force CT-43A aircraft on April 3, 1996, near Dubrovnik, Croatia. Provides that acceptance of such payment constitutes full settlement of all claims by that person against the United States arising from the death. Prohibits any representative of a beneficiary from receiving more than ten percent of a payment for services rendered in connection with the beneficiary's claim.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Veterans Health Fairness Resolution - Expresses the sense of Congress that the President's budget for Department of Veterans Affairs health care for FY 2001 and thereafter should include amounts necessary to ensure that all veterans, including those in priority group 7, are able to benefit from the broad array of Department health care services, including preventive care, primary care, and inpatient and outpatient services.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States has a responsibility toward its veterans; (2) future congressional budget resolutions and laws making appropriations to the Veterans Health Administration should reflect the ongoing need for quality health care; and (3) the congressional committees of jurisdiction should act accordingly.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) November 11, 1999, will be the final time this century on which the Nation will give special recognition to the contributions of its veterans in defending freedom and democracy; (2) the Nation should use that occasion to make a greater effort to educate children on the contributions of veterans; and (3) it is the hope of Congress that the new millennium will bring a diminished need to sacrifice the lives of young Americans in the cause of securing and preserving freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Comprehensive Budget Process Reform Act of 1999 - Makes this Act effective for fiscal years beginning after September 30, 2000. Title I: Budget With Force of Law - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA) to revise required contents of the annual budget resolution. Requires such resolution to set forth, for the current fiscal year and for at least each of the four ensuing fiscal years: (1) subtotals of new budget authority and outlays for nondefense and defense discretionary spending, direct spending (excluding interest), and interest; and (2) subtotals of new budget authority and outlays for emergencies, for fiscal years to which the amendments made by title II of this Act apply. (Current law requires the resolution to set forth levels of new budget authority and outlays for each major functional category.) Removes a provision which requires the resolution to exclude the outlays and revenue totals of the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program in surplus and deficit totals required under congressional budget process provisions. Revises matters which may be included in the budget resolution. Authorizes the resolution to change the statutory limit on the public debt if the amendment is submitted by the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives or the Senate Finance Committee to the appropriate Budget Committee. Requires the report accompanying the resolution to include: (1) new budget authority and outlays for each major functional category based on allocations of total levels; (2) a measure, as a percentage of gross domestic product, of total outlays, total Federal revenues, the surplus or deficit, and new outlays for nondefense discretionary, defense, and direct spending; and (3) a justification for not subjecting any program or activity for which an allocation is made to annual discretionary appropriations if the resolution includes any committee allocation (other than the Appropriations Committees) exceeding current law levels. Amends Federal provisions concerning elements of the President's required budget submission to the Congress. Requires such submission to include, for the affected fiscal year and at least each of the nine ensuing fiscal years: (1) totals of new budget authority and outlays; (2) total Federal revenues and the amount by which the aggregate level of revenues should be increased or decreased by reported bills and resolutions; (3) the budget surplus or deficit; (4) subtotals of new budget authority and outlays for nondefense and defense discretionary spending, direct spending, and interest; (5) the public debt; and (6) subtotals of new budget authority and outlays for emergencies for fiscal years to which title II of this Act applies. Amends the CBA to provide a point of order against consideration of any budget resolution or related amendment or conference report that contains matter not specified in content requirements. (Sec. 104) Removes a provision that provides for an adjustment of the allocation of discretionary spending in the House if the budget resolution is not adopted by April 15. Removes an exception which allows general appropriations bills in the House, after May 15, to be considered before the budget resolution has been agreed to. Eliminates a provision which exempts, after April 15, certain reported legislation which does not increase the deficit from a requirement that the budget resolution be adopted before consideration of budget-related legislation. Requires a three-fifths majority in the Senate to waive or suspend provisions requiring the budget resolution to be adopted before budget-related legislation is considered. Provides for expedited procedures upon presidential veto of the budget resolution. Authorizes the House or Senate majority leader to introduce a concurrent or joint budget resolution upon such veto. Discharges the Budget Committees from further consideration of the resolution if such resolution is not reported within five days of referral. Deems any agreed-to concurrent resolution to be the budget resolution for the applicable fiscal years. (Sec. 105) Changes CBA references to the concurrent resolution to the joint resolution. Title II: Reserve Fund for Emergencies - Repeals provisions of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) regarding: (1) discretionary spending limits and emergency appropriations; and (2) direct spending and emergency legislation. (Sec. 206) Amends the CBA to provide for adjustments in allocations for the amount of new budget authority or outlays and outlays flowing from budget authority after reporting of a joint budget resolution that provides budget authority for an emergency. Prohibits such adjustments from exceeding the amount reserved for emergencies established by this Act. Requires the amount set forth in the reserve fund for emergencies for budget authority and outlays for a fiscal year to equal: (1) the average of the enacted levels of budget authority for emergencies in the five fiscal years preceding the current year; and (2) the average of the levels of outlays for emergencies in the five fiscal years preceding the current year flowing from such budget authority, but only in the fiscal year for which such authority first becomes available for obligation. Requires committees, when reporting legislation that provides budget authority for any emergency, to identify all provisions that provide such authority and the resulting outlays in the accompanying report or joint explanatory statement of managers. (Sec. 207) Includes up-to-date tabulations of amounts remaining in the reserve fund for emergencies in summary budget scorekeeping reports provided by the Budget Committees. (Sec. 208) Makes it out of order to consider an amendment to a budget resolution which changes the amount of budget authority and outlays set forth for the emergency reserve fund. Permits limitations on the contents of the budget resolution and the point of order against changing the budget authority and outlays for the emergency reserve fund to be waived or suspended only by a three-fifths majority in the Senate. (Sec. 209) Makes the amendments of this title effective only after the enactment of legislation changing or extending for any fiscal year any of the budgetary procedures set forth in Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act provisions regarding discretionary spending limits and pay-as-you-go requirements. Title III: Enforcement of Budgetary Decisions - Subtitle A: Application of Points of Order to Unreported Legislation - Applies a certain point of order against the consideration of unreported legislation in the House before the adoption of the budget resolution. Subtitle B: Compliance with Budget Resolution - Amends rule XIII of the Rules of the House to require committee reports to include a budget compliance statement prepared by the chairman of the Budget Committee. Subtitle C: Justification for Budget Act Waivers - Amends rule XIII of the Rules of the House to provide a point of order against consideration of any resolution from the Committee on Rules to consider any reported legislation which waives specified provisions of the CBA unless the report contains certain information on the provision proposed for waiver. Subtitle D: CBO Scoring of Conference Reports - Amends the CBA to provide for Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis and scoring of conference reports. Requires such analysis to include, for reported legislation and conference reports, a determination of whether the measure provides direct spending. Title IV: Accountability for Federal Spending - Subtitle A: Limitations on Direct Spending - Provides a point of order in the House and the Senate against consideration of legislation that provides direct spending for a new program unless such spending is limited to a period of ten or fewer fiscal years. Removes provisions regarding points of order and legislation providing new entitlement authority. Amends rule XXI of the Rules of the House to make it out of order to consider any legislation that authorizes the appropriation of new budget authority for a new program unless such authorization is specifically provided for ten or fewer fiscal years. (Sec. 412) Amends rule XVIII of the Rules of the House to provide that, in the Committee of the Whole, an amendment to subject a new program providing direct spending to discretionary appropriations if offered by the chairman of the Budget or Appropriations Committees may be precluded from consideration only by the specific terms of a special House order. Declares that the purpose of the following amendments is to hold the discretionary spending limits and allocations made to the Appropriations Committee harmless for legislation that offsets a new discretionary program with a designated reduction in direct spending. Amends the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act to require, if a provision of direct spending legislation is enacted that decreases direct spending for any fiscal year and is designated as an offset and specifically identifies an authorization of discretionary appropriations for a new program, the reductions in new budget authority and outlays resulting from such provision to be designated as an offset in specified CBO pay-as-you-go estimates. Excludes such offsets from such estimates. Requires, if an Act other than an appropriation Act includes provisions reducing direct spending and identifies those provisions as offsets, the adjustments to be an increase in the discretionary spending limits for budget authority and outlays in each fiscal year equal to such authority and outlay reductions, respectively, achieved by the specified offsets. Prohibits the adjustments for the budget year in which the offsetting provisions take effect from exceeding the amount of discretionary new budget authority provided for the new program in an Act making discretionary appropriations and the resulting outlays. Provides for: (1) adjustments to discretionary spending limits, allocations, and budgetary allocations resulting from programs for which offsets were designated and resulting outlays; and (2) reductions of committee allocations of new budget authority and outlays with respect to reported legislation containing provisions that decrease direct spending and are designated as offsets. Subtitle B: Enhanced Congressional Oversight Responsibilities - Amends rule X of the Rules of the House to require House committees, in developing oversight plans, to provide a specific timetable for review of laws, programs, or agencies within their jurisdiction. Removes a provision of such rule pertaining to procedures for consideration of legislation providing new entitlement authority which exceeds the appropriate allocation of budget authority. Requires the House Appropriations Committee to report at least once each Congress (currently, from time to time) on recommendations for terminating or modifying provisions of law which provide permanent budget authority. (Sec. 422) Amends the CBA to require the joint explanatory statement accompanying a conference report on a joint budget resolution that includes an allocation to a committee (other than the Appropriations Committee) of levels exceeding current law levels to set forth a justification for not subjecting any program to annual discretionary appropriations. Makes conforming amendments to provisions regarding the presidential budget submission and to House rules regarding committee consideration of legislation. (Sec. 424) Requires the Budget Committees, during the 106th Congress, to report results of a study on budget reform proposals. Subtitle C: Strengthened Accountability - Requires certain reports on legislation providing new budget authority or increases or decreases in revenues or tax expenditures to include CBO projections of how such legislation will affect levels of budget authority, outlays, revenue, or tax expenditures for the affected fiscal year and the ensuing nine (currently, four) fiscal years. Provides for ten-year (currently, four) CBO cost estimates of reported legislation as well. Amends rule XIII of the Rules of the House to require committee reports to contain cost estimates for each of 11 fiscal years. (Sec. 432) Repeals rule XXIII (relating to the establishment of the statutory limit on the public debt) of the Rules of the House. Title V: Budgeting for Unfunded Liabilities and Other Long-Term Obligations - Subtitle A: Budgetary Treatment of Federal Insurance Programs - Amends the CBA to establish a new title known as the Federal Insurance Budgeting Act of 1999. Requires the President's budget, beginning with FY 2006, to be based on the risk-assumed cost of Federal insurance programs. Defines "risk-assumed cost" as the net present value of the estimated cash flows to and from the Government resulting from an insurance commitment or modification. Requires the program accounts for such programs to pay: (1) the risk-assumed cost borne by the taxpayer to the financing account; and (2) actual insurance program administrative costs. Requires the financing accounts to: (1) receive premiums and other income; (2) pay all claims for insurance and receive all recoveries; and (3) transfer to the program account at least annually amounts necessary to pay administrative costs. Provides that a negative risk-assumed cost shall be transferred from the financing to the program account and from the program account to the general fund. Requires all payments by or receipts of the financing accounts to be treated in the budget as a means of financing. Permits insurance commitments to be made for FY 2006 and thereafter only to the extent that new budget authority to cover the risk-assumed cost is provided in advance in an appropriations Act. Prohibits modification of an outstanding commitment in a manner that increases the risk-assumed cost unless budget authority for the additional cost has been provided in advance. Makes such requirements inapplicable to insurance programs that constitute entitlements. Provides for re-estimations of risk-assumed cost in each subsequent year. Requires agencies with responsibility for Federal insurance programs to develop models to estimate risk-assumed cost by year through the budget horizon and to submit such models, all relevant data, justifications for critical assumptions, and annual projected risk-assumed costs to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) with budget requests each year starting with the request for FY 2002. Directs OMB and CBO, after a comment period for interested persons, to revise the models, data, and major assumptions they would use to estimate the risk-assumed cost of Federal insurance programs. Requires the President's budget submissions and budgets and CBO's reports on the economic and budget outlook for FY 2003 through 2005 to estimate, for display purposes only, the risk-assumed cost of existing or proposed Federal insurance programs. Requires OMB, CBO, and the General Accounting Office to report to the Budget Committees on the advisability and appropriate implementation of this subtitle. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2005 to OMB and each agency responsible for administering a Federal program to carry out this subtitle. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to borrow from, receive from, lend to, or pay the insurance financing accounts appropriate amounts. Establishes a financing account for each Federal insurance program on September 30, 2005. Appropriates to such accounts the amount of the risk-assumed cost of outstanding Federal insurance commitments as of the close of September 30, 2005. Terminates this subtitle on the last day of FY 2007. Subtitle B: Reports on Long-Term Budgetary Trends - Requires the President's budget submission to include: (1) an analysis based upon current law and one based upon the policy assumptions underlying the submission for every fifth year of the period of the 75 fiscal years beginning with the affected fiscal year of the estimated levels of total new budget authority, outlays, estimated revenues, surpluses, and deficits and, for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and all other direct spending, estimated levels of total new budget authority and outlays; and (2) a specification of underlying assumptions and a sensitivity analysis of factors that have a significant effect on the projections made in each analysis and a comparison of the effects of the two analyses on the economy. Establishes a conforming requirement for CBO's annual report to the Budget Committees on fiscal policy. Title VI: Baselines, Byrd Rule, and Lock-Box - Subtitle A: The Baseline - Revises required elements of the President's budget submission to include percentage changes between the current year and the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted for: (1) estimated expenditures and appropriations which are necessary to support the Government, with an exception for detailed budget estimates; (2) laws in effect when the budget is submitted and proposals in the budget to increase revenues as well as for each of the nine ensuing fiscal years; and (3) certain proposed appropriations and expenditures for legislation that would establish or expand Government activities or functions, with an exception for detailed budget estimates. Includes within the submission: (1) a comparison of levels of estimated expenditures and proposed appropriations for each function and subfunction in the current fiscal year and the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted, along with the proposed increase or decrease of spending in percentage terms for each function and subfunction; and (2) a table on sources of growth in total direct spending under current law and as proposed in the submission for the budget year and the ensuing nine fiscal years. (Sec. 612) Amends the CBA to require the report accompanying the budget resolution to include a comparison of levels for the current fiscal year with proposed spending and revenue levels for subsequent fiscal years along with the proposed increase or decrease of spending in percentage terms for each function. (Sec. 613) Includes similar requirements in certain CBO reports. (Sec. 614) Requires the OMB and CBO Directors, in making budgetary projections for years for which there are no discretionary spending limits, to assume discretionary spending levels at the levels for the last fiscal year for which such levels were in effect. Subtitle B: The Byrd Rule - Removes the applicability of certain procedures with respect to extraneous matter in reconciliation legislation to conference reports. Subtitle C: Spending Accountability Lock-box - Spending Accountability Lock-box Act of 1999 - Directs the chairmen of the Budget Committees to each maintain a Spending Accountability Lock-box Ledger, to be divided into entries corresponding to the subcommittees of the Appropriations Committees. Requires each entry to consist of three components: (1) the House Lock-box Balance; (2) the Senate Lock-box Balance; and (3) the Joint House-Senate Lock-box Balance. Authorizes Members of the House or the Senate, when offering an amendment to an appropriation bill to reduce new budget authority in any account, to state the portion of such reduction to be: (1) credited to the House or Senate Lock-box Balance; (2) used to offset an increase in new budget authority in any other account; or (3) allowed to remain within the Appropriations Committees' subcommittee suballocation. Credits the amount of the reduction to either Lock-box Balance, as applicable, if the amendment is agreed to and no such statement is made. Requires the Budget Committee chairmen, upon the engrossment of any appropriation bill by the House and upon the engrossment of Senate amendments to that bill, to credit to the applicable entry balance of that House amounts of new budget authority and outlays equal to the net amounts of reductions in new budget authority and in outlays resulting from amendments agreed to by that House to that bill. Specifies the amounts to be credited to the Joint House-Senate Lock-box Balance. Requires a running tally to be available to Members of the House, during the consideration of any appropriations bill by the House, of the amendments adopted reflecting increases and decreases of budget authority in such bill as reported. (Sec. 633) Provides for the downward adjustment, by the amounts credited to the applicable Joint House-Senate Lock-box Balance, of: (1) allocations for the House and Senate upon the engrossment of Senate amendments to any appropriation bill; and (2) suballocations, whenever a such a downward adjustment is made to an allocation. (Sec. 634) Requires the CBO Director to include an up-to-date tabulation of the amounts contained in the Spending Accountability Lock-box Ledger and each entry in periodic reports. (Sec. 635) Requires the downward adjustment of discretionary spending limits set forth in the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act by amounts set forth in the final regular appropriation bill for the fiscal year or joint resolution making continuing appropriations through the end of such fiscal year. Subtitle D: Automatic Continuing Resolution - Amends Federal law to make appropriations, if any regular appropriation bill for a fiscal year does not become law prior to the beginning of such year or a continuing appropriations resolution is not in effect, to continue any program, project, or activity for which funds were provided in the preceding year: (1) in the corresponding regular appropriations Act for that year; or (2) in a continuing appropriations resolution for such year if the regular bill did not become law. Makes such appropriations available: (1) at a rate of operations not to exceed the rate provided for the project in the preceding fiscal year; and (2) beginning with the first day of a lapse in appropriations and ending on the earlier of the date the regular appropriation bill, or continuing resolution, becomes law or the last day of the fiscal year. Excludes from the rate of operations amounts for which adjustments were made under the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act with respect to emergency appropriations or allowances for the International Monetary Fund or international arrearages. Subjects such appropriations to any conditions imposed in the preceding fiscal year or pursuant to current law. Provides that nothing in this section shall be construed to affect Government obligations mandated by other law, including obligations with respect to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Title VII: Budgeting in an Era of Surpluses - Revises provisions regarding sequestrations to require a sequestration to offset an amount equal to any excess of decreases in receipts and increases in direct spending over increases in receipts and decreases in direct spending for legislation enacted prior to October 1, 2002, minus the estimated on-budget surplus. Revises sequestration calculation provisions to require the sequestration amount to be the sum of all OMB estimates for the budget year of direct spending and receipts legislation for legislation enacted prior to FY 2003, the estimated amount of savings in direct spending programs applicable to the budget year resulting from the prior year's sequestration, and all OMB estimates for the current year not reflected in the final sequestration report minus the OMB estimate of the on-budget surplus as set forth in the OMB sequestration update report. Defines the "on-budget surplus" as the amount by which receipts exceed outlays for all Government spending and receipt accounts that are designated as on-budget. Excludes from such term outlays and receipts of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors and Disability Insurance Trust Funds or other off-budget entities. Makes certain provisions regarding a special reconciliation process applicable to the House as well as the Senate. Title VIII: Social Security Surplus Protection Act of 1999 - Social Security Surplus Protection Act of 1999 - Amends the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act to provide for a sequestration to eliminate any on-budget deficit (excluding any surplus in the social security trust funds). Provides that such deficit shall not be subject to adjustment for any purpose.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Congratulates the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, its staff, and volunteers for their commitment to our national defense, for their contribution of time and talent, and for maintaining the much needed support of employers and communities for the National Guard and Reserve.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Requires the Secretary of Defense to: (1) provide to a named individual for a specified period the same medical care and in-home nursing services under the TRICARE Program that have been provided to her by the Secretary since 1994; and (2) reimburse Humana Military Healthcare Services, Inc., for the cost of such care and services provided to her under the TRICARE Program during a certain period.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Directs the Secretary of the Navy to terminate operation of the Extremely Low Frequency Communication System while maintaining the infrastructure necessary for its resumption.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Fairness for the Military Reserve Act of 1999 - Authorizes armed forces reserve and National Guard personnel traveling to perform annual training duty outside the continental United States to travel on a space-required basis between the member's home and place of duty if there is no available road or rail transportation. Directs the Secretary of Defense to prescribe regulations to allow the following persons to receive transportation on Department of Defense (DOD) aircraft on a space-available basis under the same terms and conditions that apply to members of the armed forces entitled to retired pay: (1) members of the Selected Reserve in good standing; (2) a former reserve member under 60 years of age who would be eligible for retired pay except for being under such age; and (3) dependents of the above. Limits the required identification for such travel. Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations authorizing a reserve member traveling to inactive duty training at least 50 miles from home to be eligible for billeting (housing) in DOD facilities on the same basis as active-duty personnel traveling under orders away from such member's duty station. Requires proof of the reason for such travel. Increases the maximum number of reserve retirement points that may be credited in a year for reserve service from 75 to 90 for years during and subsequent to the date of enactment of the Reserve Component Equity Act of 1999. Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned to provide civil legal services to reserve personnel (and their dependents) not otherwise entitled to such services, but only during a period following a release from active duty under a call or order to such duty for more than 29 days under a mobilization authority that is not in excess of twice the length of the duty period served.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Amends the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2000 to provide that any person who received custodial care provided by and financed under the military health care system's case management program during FY 1999 shall continue to be eligible for such care during the period beginning on July 1, 1999, and ending on September 30, 2000.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Military Families Unification Act of 1999 - Exempts a qualifying alien child or spouse of a Philippine serviceman in the United States Navy from: (1) specified bars to admission due to unlawful U.S. presence; or (2) penalties for failure to depart from the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Provides such aliens of appropriate age with work authorization.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1999
Calls on the President to issue a proclamation recognizing the 25th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam era and commemorating the service and sacrifice of the men and women who, during that era, served the nation in Southeast Asia or otherwise served in support of U.S. operations in Vietnam or in support of U.S. security interests throughout the world.