Housing

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that the treatment of tenant-stockholders in cooperative housing corporations also shall apply to stockholders of corporations that only own the land on which the residences are located.

United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1995

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that the treatment of tenant-stockholders in cooperative housing corporations also shall apply to stockholders of corporations that only own the land on which the residences (except mobile homes) are located.

Omnibus Committee Funding Resolution for 1995 and 1996

United States · United States Congress · 25 January 1995

Omnibus Committee Funding Resolution for 1995 and 1996 - Authorizes expenditures by the following Senate committees from March 1, 1995, through September 30, 1996, and for the period March 1, 1996, through February 28, 1997: (1) Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; (2) Appropriations; (3) Armed Services; (4) Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; (5) Budget; (6) Commerce, Science, and Transportation; (7) Energy and Natural Resources; (8) Environment and Public Works; (9) Finance; (10) Foreign Relations; (11) Governmental Affairs; (12) Judiciary; (13) Labor and Human Resources; (14) Rules and Administration; (15) Small Business; (16) Veterans' Affairs; (17) Aging; (18) Intelligence; and (19) Indian Affairs. Authorizes the transfer of any unexpended balance of any committee for the period ending February 28, 1995, to a special reserve to be available to any committee to meet specified unpaid obligations or expenses. Expresses the sense of the Senate that space assigned to committees covered by this resolution shall be reduced commensurate with the reductions in authorized staff funded herein. States that the Committee on Rules and Administration is expected to recover such space for purposes of equalizing Senators' offices and to consolidate the space for committees to reduce the cost of support equipment and office furniture and accessories.

Savings and Investment Incentive Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 25 January 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Retirement Savings Incentives Subtitle A: Restoration of IRA Deduction Subtitle B: Nondeductible Tax-Free IRAs Title II: Penalty-Free Distributions Title III: Aid to Families with Dependent Children Savings and Investment Incentive Act of 1995 - Title I: Retirement Savings Incentives - Subtitle A: Restoration of IRA Deduction - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to restore the deduction for individual retirement plans (IRAs). Provides a phase-up of income limits (from 1995 through 1998) with respect to the limitation on the deductibility of contributions to IRAs by active participants in employer-maintained plans. Removes the spousal rule from such limitation. Terminates income limits after December 31, 1998. Provides an inflation adjustment for deductible amounts after 1995. Allows certain spouses a full deduction for contributions to an IRA. Makes certain coins and bullion ineligible as collectible investments for purposes of distributions from an IRA. Coordinates the limit on such deduction with the elective deferral limit under other pension provisions. Subtitle B: Nondeductible Tax-Free IRAs - Allows individuals to establish individual retirement plus (IRA plus) accounts with tax treatment similar to that for individual retirement plans. Makes contributions to such accounts nondeductible. Excludes distributions from such accounts from the gross income of the distributee, if the assets remain in such accounts for at least five years. Allows qualified transfers to be made to such accounts. Establishes penalties for early withdrawals and excess contributions. Title II: Penalty-Free Distributions - Allows distributions from certain retirement plans without penalty to: (1) purchase first homes; (2) pay higher education expenses; (3) pay long-term care insurance premiums; (4) pay financially devastating medical expenses; and (5) assist certain unemployed individuals. Title III: Aid to Families with Dependent Children - Amends part A (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) (AFDC) of title IV of the Social Security Act to exclude from AFDC eligibility determinations certain income and resources that are to be used for education, training, and employability purposes. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to specified congressional committees on the use of qualified asset accounts. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on a revision of the AFDC limit on automobiles in order to increase the employability of AFDC recipients.

Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1995

Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 - Amends the Fair Housing Act to revise the definition of housing for older persons (thus modifying the exemption from certain familial status discrimination prohibitions). Makes a good faith attempt at compliance a defense against civil money damages.

No Frills Prison Act

United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1995

No Frills Prison Act - Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to require a State, to be eligible for truth in sentencing incentive grants, to demonstrate that it: (1) provides living conditions and opportunities within its prisons that are not more luxurious than those that the average prisoner would have experienced if not incarcerated; (2) does not provide to any such prisoner specified benefits or privileges, including earned good time credits, less than 40 hours a week of work that either offsets or reduces the expenses of keeping the prisoner or provides resources toward restitution of victims, unmonitored phone calls (with exceptions), in-cell television viewing, possession of pornographic materials, instruction or training equipment for any martial art or bodybuilding or weightlifting equipment, or dress or hygiene other than as is uniform or standard in the prison; and (3) in the case of a prisoner serving a sentence for a crime of violence which resulted in serious bodily injury to another, does not provide housing other than in separate cell blocks intended for violent prisoners, less than nine hours a day of physical labor (with exceptions), any release from the prison for any purpose unless under physical or mechanical restraint and under constant supervision of at least one armed correctional officer, or any viewing of television. Directs the Attorney General to establish conditions in the Federal prison system that are, as nearly as possible, the same as those required in State prisons under this Act.

To provide for the conversion of the assistance for the Tamaqua Highrise housing project in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, from a leased housing contract to tenant-based assistance.

United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1995

Provides for the conversion of assistance for the Tamaqua Highrise housing project in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, from a leased housing contract to tenant-based assistance.

Hate Group Public Funding Exclusion Act

United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1995

Hate Group Public Funding Exclusion Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make an organization controlled by individuals who promote prejudice or bias based on race, religion, or ethnicity ineligible for HUD assistance.

To amend the United States Housing Act of 1937 to require certain legal aliens to reside in the United States for a period of 5 consecutive years to be eligible for a preference for occupancy in public housing or for the provision of rental housing assistance.

United States · United States Congress · 20 January 1995

Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to require certain aliens to reside in the United States for at least five consecutive years in order to qualify for public housing or rental assistance preferences.

To amend section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 to permit the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to reduce the maximum monthly rents in effect for certain projects receiving assistance under such section to eliminate material differences in the rents charged for similar assisted and unassisted units in the same area.

United States · United States Congress · 20 January 1995

Amends the Housing Act of 1937 to authorize rent reductions for certain projects receiving section 8 assistance.

Senior Citizen Housing Safety Act

United States · United States Congress · 19 January 1995

Senior Citizen Housing Safety Act - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to prohibit persons with drug or alcohol problems from occupying dwelling units in assisted housing designated for only elderly families. Prescribes eviction policies.

Immigration Reform Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 18 January 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Immigration and Law Enforcement Title II: Immigration Document Fraud Prevention Title III: Restrictions on Alien Eligibility for Welfare Immigration Reform Act of 1995 - Title I: Immigration and Law Enforcement - Increases: (1) FY 1996 personnel levels and funding for the Border Patrol; and (2) personnel levels for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). (Sec. 103) Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (Act) to provide for inservice training to familiarize Border Patrol personnel with the rights and varied cultural backgrounds of aliens and citizens. Authorizes FY 1996 appropriations. (Sec. 105) Increases FY 1996 personnel levels in: (1) the Wage and Hour Division with the Employment Standards Administration of the Department of Labor, and assigns such additional personnel to areas with high concentrations of undocumented aliens; and (2) the Investigations Division within INS, and assigns such additional personnel to investigate violations of the employer sanctions provisions of the Act. (Sec. 107) Increases the number of Assistant United States Attorney positions, and assigns such additional personnel to prosecute persons who harbor or bring illegal aliens into the United States. (Sec. 108) Prohibits the transportation of illegal aliens for employment purposes. (Sec. 109) Prohibits Federal financial assistance to localities whose officials refuse to cooperate in the arrest and deportation of illegal aliens. (sec. 110) Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Attorney General and the Secretary of State should initiate programs with Mexico and Canada to prevent and prosecute the smuggling of aliens into the United States. Title II: Immigration Document Fraud Prevention - Provides for: (1) the replacement of current alien registration cards with new counterfeit-resistant identification cards (which shall not be considered national identity cards) for all resident aliens eligible to work in the United States; (2) a national program to educate employers about their responsibilities under the Immigration and Nationality Act and the uses of such cards; and (3) a demonstration program to determine the feasibility of a computerized telephone worker verification system for employers. Authorizes FY 1996 and 1997 appropriations. Title III: Restrictions on Alien Eligibility for Welfare - Prohibits direct Federal financial benefits or social insurance benefits (including aid to families with dependent children, supplemental security income, food stamps, and public housing assistance) to aliens who are not lawful permanent residents. Prohibits unemployment benefits to aliens who have not been granted employment authorization under Federal law. Makes a limited exception from this prohibition for benefits under the old age, survivors, and disability insurance (OASDI) program, but prohibits taking into account unauthorized wages paid on or after enactment of this Act in crediting quarters of coverage for the OASDI program under the Social Security Act.

To permit the State of Texas to use certain previously setaside funds for the provision of grants to colonia residents.

United States · United States Congress · 18 January 1995

Amends the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1990 to authorize a special revolving fund used by Texas to make loans to specified colonias for construction of treatment works to be used to make grants for such purposes as well.

Section 515 Rural Multifamily Housing Program Extension Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 17 January 1995

Section 515 Rural Multifamily Housing Program Extension Act of 1995 - Amends the Housing Act of 1949 with respect to rural housing to extend set-asides for: (1) targeted underserved areas and colonias; and (2) rental housing funds for nonprofit entities. Repeals loan insurance authority for rural rental housing for elderly or handicapped persons and families or moderate income persons and families. Extends temporarily expiring section 8 contract authority. Authorizes appropriations.

Poverty Data Correction Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 January 1995

Poverty Data Correction Act - Requires any data relating to the incidence of poverty produced or published by or for the Secretary of Commerce for subnational areas to be corrected for differences in the cost of living, and data produced for State and sub-State areas to be corrected for differences in the cost of living for at least all States of the United States. Requires such corrected data to be published in 1997 and biennially thereafter. Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop or cause to be developed a State cost-of-living index which ranks and assigns an index value to each State using data on wage, housing, and other costs relevant to the cost of living; and (2) multiply the Federal Government's statistical poverty thresholds by the index value for each State's cost of living to produce State poverty thresholds for each State. Requires the State cost-of-living index and resulting State poverty thresholds to be published before September 30, 1996, for calendar year 1995 and to be updated annually thereafter.

To amend the Job Training Partnership Act to establish a program to assist discharged members of the Armed Forces to obtain training and employment as managers and employees with public housing authorities and management companies.

United States · United States Congress · 13 January 1995

Amends the Job Training Partnership Act to establish a program to assist discharged members of the armed forces to obtain training and employment as managers and employees with public housing authorities and management companies. Directs the Secretary of Labor to enter into a cooperative agreement with the nonprofit National Center for Housing Management to provide for such training and placement program. Authorizes appropriations.

An original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

United States · United States Congress · 12 January 1995

Authorizes expenditures by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for the 104th Congress.

Federal Buildings Reform Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995

Federal Buildings Reform Act of 1995 - Amends the Public Buildings Act of 1959 to require the Administrator of General Services to submit to the Congress a biennial public buildings plan, including: (1) a five-year plan for accommodating the public building needs of the Government; (2) lists (in order of priority) of construction, alteration, purchase, and acquisition projects and of leases for which authorizations of appropriations are requested for specified fiscal years; (3) the estimated annual and total cost of each project and lease; and (4) any final environmental impact statement prepared for a project. Requires the Administrator to provide for a public hearing in the locality of each major project included in the biennial plan to consider the project's economic and social effects, environmental impact, and consistency with urban planning goals and objectives of the community. Repeals a provision of the Act prohibiting the employment of architectural or engineering services on a permanent basis. Directs the Administrator to use the results of the continuing investigation and survey of public buildings to establish a central repository for the asset management information of the Government. Directs each Federal agency to: (1) identify unneeded, obsolete, and underutilized public buildings; and (2) annually report specified information to the Administrator. Authorizes the Administrator to conduct research and post-occupancy evaluations to determine and improve the effectiveness of existing and planned public buildings. Requires the Administrator to ensure that: (1) the headquarters of each executive department and establishment is located within the National Capital region unless otherwise specified by Act of Congress; (2) the regional, district, area, or local offices of Federal agencies are centrally located with respect to residential populations served or other governmental and private offices with which the agencies must maintain communication; and (3) the Federal agency offices are located throughout the United States generally in proportion to the geographic distribution of the U.S. population, with exceptions. Establishes a Building Design Advisory Board for conducting design competitions and reviewing the architectural design of Federal buildings. Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (such Act) to require the Administrator to: (1) submit to the Board and to the Congress a list of projects for which architectural and engineering services for building design or site planning shall first be procured during the fiscal year; (2) designate a substantial number as projects for which such services shall be acquired through design competitions conducted under such Act; (3) issue model rules for conducting such projects; and (4) conduct each competition provided for under such Act. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) criteria for selection of designs; (2) recommendations concerning negotiations; (3) final selections; and (4) jury and adviser personnel matters. Requires the Administrator to require, as a condition of entering into any lease or other contract that would obligate funds in excess of $10,000 authorized pursuant to such Act, a certification consisting of declarations that the owner of the space to be leased or the contractor and any officer or principal employee of the contractor has: (1) no conflict of interest with the capacity of the person as a lessor or contractor with the Government; (2) not offered or promised anything of value to a public official for performing an official act; (3) not had a public contract terminated for default; and (4) not been convicted, indicted, or charged with specified offenses within ten years prior to the date of the solicitation for the lease or contract award. Requires the head of each Federal agency defined in the Act to review and report to the Congress on the long-term housing needs of the agency. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to report to the Congress on the feasibility and desirability of ending the monopoly of the General Services Administration with respect to providing office and storage space for Federal agencies.

A bill to prohibit the use of certain assistance provided under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to encourage plant closings and the resultant relocation of employment, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995

Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to prohibit community development block grants and related special purpose grants and property acquisition loan guarantees from being used to facilitate plant closings and employment relocation.

A resolution designating the Chairpersons of Senate committees for the 104th Congress.

United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995

Designates the chairpersons on the following Senate Committees: (1) Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; (2) Appropriations; (3) Armed Services; (4) Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; (5) Commerce, Science, and Transportation; (6) Energy and Natural Resources; (7) Environment and Public Works; (8) Finance; (9) Foreign Relations; (10) Governmental Affairs; (11) Judiciary; (12) Labor and Human Resources; and (13) Rules and Administration.

Federal Benefit Integrity Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995

Federal Benefit Integrity Act - Amends part A (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) (AFDC) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) reduce the amount of AFDC currently being paid to families which do not include a U.S. citizen or national; and (2) prohibit AFDC from being paid to any family applying for AFDC which does not include such an individual. Amends SSA title XVI (Supplementary Security Income)(SSI), the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980, and the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to make similar amendments with respect to the receipt of Federal SSI, assisted housing, and food stamp benefits by aliens and, in certain cases, phase-out such benefits entirely.

FHA Modernization and Efficiency Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995

FHA Modernization and Efficiency Act of 1995 - Amends the National Housing Act to revise single family mortgage insurance program provisions regarding: (1) maximum mortgage amount floor; (2) downpayment calculations and family loans; (3) new construction; (4) condominiums; (5) direct endorsement mortgages; and (6) two-step adjustable mortgages.

Housing Counseling Enhancement Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995

Housing Counseling Enhancement Act of 1995 - Amends the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 to: (1) extend emergency homeownership and prepurchase and foreclosure prevention counseling programs; and (2) authorize appropriations.

Economic Development Loan Assistance Demonstration Program Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995

Economic Development Loan Assistance Demonstration Program Act of 1995 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a demonstration program (and authorizes loan assistance grants) to encourage economic development in five enterprise communities through grants to community development corporations for reducing interest rates on economic development loans. Authorizes appropriations.

Rent Reform and Empowerment Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995

Rent Reform and Empowerment Act of 1995 - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to revise public housing rent determinations.

Prohibition of Incentives for Relocation Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 11 January 1995

Prohibition of Incentives for Relocation Act of 1995 - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 and the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to prohibit the use of specified grant and loan assistance for employment relocation activities.

Bruce A. Morrison, of Connecticut, to be a Director of the Federal Housing Finance Board for a term expiring February 27, 2000, vice William C. Perkins, resigned.

United States · United States Senate · 5 January 1995

J. Timothy O'Neill, of Virginia, to be a Director of the Federal Housing Finance Board for the remainder of the term expiring February 27, 1997, vice Marilyn R. Seymann, resigned.

United States · United States Senate · 5 January 1995

Affordable Health Care for All Americans Act

United States · United States Congress · 5 January 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Health Care Security Subtitle A: Universal Coverage and Individual Responsibility Subtitle B: Benefits Subtitle C: State Role in Reform Subtitle D: Expanded Access to Health Plans Subtitle E: Standards for Reform Subtitle F: Federal Responsibilities Subtitle G: Miscellaneous Employer Requirements Subtitle H: General Definitions; Miscellaneous Provisions Title II: New Benefits Subtitle A: Home and Community-Based Services Subtitle B: Life Care Subtitle C: Sense of the Committee with Regard to Prescription Drugs Title III: Public Health Initiatives Subtitle A: Workforce Priorities Under Federal Payments Subtitle B: Health Research Initiatives Subtitle C: Health Services for Medically Underserved Populations Subtitle D: Assistance for State Managed Mental Health and Substance Abuse Programs Subtitle E: Comprehensive School Health Education; School-Related Health Services Subtitle F: Public Health Service Initiative Title IV: Medical Malpractice Subtitle A: Liability Reform Subtitle B: Other Provisions Relating to Medical Malpractice Liability Title V: Fall-Back Premium Limits in Cases of Ineffective Competition; Premium-Based Financing; Assistance to Low Income Individuals and to Businesses Subtitle A: Fall-Back Premium Limits Subtitle B: Premium-Related Financings Subtitle C: Payments to Health Plans and Miscellaneous Provisions Subtitle D: Cost-Sharing Assistance, Application for Assistance and Premium Discounts, and Income Reconciliation Title VI: Aggregate Government Payments Subtitle A: Aggregate Federal Payments to Participating State Subtitle B: Borrowing Authority to Cover Cash-Flow Shortfalls Subtitle C: Miscellaneous Provisions Affordable Health Care for All Americans Act - Title I: Health Care Security - Subtitle A: Universal Coverage and Individual Responsibility - Entitles each U.S. citizen or national, resident alien, and long-term nonimmigrant (except for individuals exempt from paying Social Security taxes and except for individuals eligible under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act)) to the benefits required under subtitle B. (Sec. 1004) Declares that: (1) subject to exception, the applicable health plan for a family is a community-rated plan for the community-rating area in which the family resides; and (2) the applicable health plan for a family member eligible to enroll in an experienced-rated (sic) plan is such an experienced-rated (sic) plan. Allows eligible individuals who are permitted to elect coverage under more than one plan to elect which will be the applicable plan. (Sec. 1005) Prohibits aliens who are not eligible individuals from obtaining benefits through enrollment under this Act. Allows benefits to lawful nonimmigrants (who are not long-term nonimmigrants) only in accordance with any reciprocal agreements between the United States and foreign States. (Sec. 1011) Requires, subject to exception, all members of the same family to be enrolled in the same applicable plan. Authorizes national rules regarding who will be treated as children under this Act. (Sec. 1012) Provides for the treatment of certain families that include: (1) Medicare-eligible individuals; (2) recipients under part A (Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)) of the Social Security Act; and (3) disabled and nondisabled recipients under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (SSI)) of the Social Security Act. Allows qualifying students to enroll in a community-rate plan for the area in which the school is located. (Sec. 1013) Requires individuals (and their spouses) who are eligible as an employee for more than one plan to elect the applicable plan. Subtitle B: Benefits - Requires a certified health plan to provide benefits actuarially equivalent to the BlueCross-Blue Shield standard option plan provided under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) on January 1, 1995. Includes in minimum services: (1) hospital services; (2) health professionals' services; (3) emergency and ambulatory medical and surgical services; (4) clinical preventive services; (5) mental illness and substance abuse services; (6) family planning services and services for pregnant women; (7) hospice care, home health care, extended care services, outpatient rehabilitation services, and ambulance services; (8) outpatient laboratory, radiology and diagnostic services; (9) outpatient prescription drugs and biologicals; (10) durable medical equipment; (11) vision care and dental care for children; and (12) patient care costs of qualified investigational treatments. Prohibits scope or duration limits on certain services. Declares that certain services are not medically necessary or appropriate. Prohibits cost-sharing for preventive and prenatal services. Mandates establishment of three model certified plans having cost-sharing and scope and duration limits appropriate for fee-for-service plans, preferred provider plans, and health maintenance organization (HMO) plans. Requires a study on the provision and enrollment patterns of certified plans. (Sec. 1102) Declares that a health professional or a health facility may not be required to provide an item or service under a certified plan if the professional or facility objects on the basis of a religious belief or moral conviction. (Sec. 1103) Prohibits balance billing. Subtitle C: State Role in Reform - Requires each State to establish a State market reform program (SMRP) meeting the requirements of this title. (Sec. 1202) Mandates certain SMRP actions, including regarding certification of insured health plans, establishment of community rating areas, certification of purchasing cooperatives, establishment of purchasing cooperative coordination rules, development of standardized comparative certified plan information and information on accessing plans and cooperatives, providing for risk adjustment programs for community-rated and association health plans, and enrollment periods. (Sec. 1209) Authorizes a SMRP to certify a network plan to operate in a service area different from the borders of a community rating area if certain requirements are met. (Sec. 1210) Allows a State, on approval by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and notwithstanding specified provisions of this Act, to tighten premium rate bands beyond the variation permitted, establish association plan rules more restrictive than provided for, and establish financial solvency requirements exceeding requirements. (Sec. 1211) Mandates establishment (by grant or contract) and oversight of a National Center of Consumer Advocacy to provide technical assistance, training, and support to States and Offices of Consumer Advocacy in each State. (Sec. 1212) Requires each participating State to establish a procedure for exempt employers to elect to be treated as a community- rated employer. (Sec. 1222) Sets forth requirements for single-payer systems, including: (1) operation by the State or a designated agency of the State; (2) enrollment of all individuals in the State, subject to exception; (3) payments made by the State (directly or through fiscal intermediaries) to providers; (4) coverage of all items and services as required by subtitle B of this title (allowing reduced but not increased cost-sharing); (5) limiting the health care spending increase rate; and (6) meeting the requirements applicable to certified plans. Subtitle D: Expanded Access to Health Plans - Requires that each employer make available to each employee the opportunity to enroll in one of at least three certified plans, including either a fee-for-service plan or a point-of-service option. Allows a small employer (defined as having fewer than 100 employees) to meet this requirement through a purchasing cooperative; requires a large employer (defined as having 100 or more employees) to meet this requirement only through offering experience-rated health plans. Provides for payroll withholding of any required employee premiums. (Sec. 1302) Allows small employer employees who are community- rated individuals to elect to enroll in any certified plan in the community rating area in which the employees work or live. (Sec. 1311) Allows a State to establish or charter purchasing cooperatives. Prohibits any individual or entity engaged in the sale of health insurance from forming or underwriting a purchasing cooperative (PC) or holding or controlling any right to vote regarding a PC. (Sec. 1313) Requires PCs to: (1) accept all small employers and individuals eligible for coverage in the community-rated market and residing in the area served by the cooperative; and (2) enter into agreements with at least three certified plans providing the benefits described in subtitle B, including at least one fee-for-service plan or point-of-service plan. Prohibits PCs from: (1) being involved in approval or enforcement of payment rates for providers; (2) being involved in the compliance of certified plans; or (3) assuming financial risk relating to a plan. (Sec. 1321) Requires certified association plans (APs), except as otherwise provided, to meet all requirements of this Act for certified plans offered by large employers. Requires, for APs meeting those requirements, treating: (1) the AP as a plan established and maintained by a large employer; and (2) individuals enrolled in the AP as experience-rated individuals. Requires an AP to cover at least 500 lives. Declares that the certifying authority for APs is: (1) the Secretary of Labor for a certified AP that is a multistate self- insured plan; (2) the State for a certified AP that is a single State self-insured plan. Applies risk adjustment provisions of this Act to APs. Mandates solvency standards for APs. (Sec. 1324) Repeals specified provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) relating to multiple employer welfare arrangements. (Sec. 1325) Requires church plans and multiemployer plans, except as otherwise provided, to meet all requirements of this Act for certified plans offered by large employers. Requires, for plans meeting those requirements, treating: (1) the plan as a plan established and maintained by a large employer; and (2) individuals enrolled in the plan as experience-rated individuals. Declares that the certifying authority for such plans is the Secretary of Labor. Sets forth risk adjustment and solvency requirements. (Sec. 1331) Requires any health plan participating under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program to offer the plan to community-rated individuals and small employers in community rating areas served by the plan at a premium established in accordance with specified provisions of this Act. Subtitle E: Standards for Reform - Sets forth requirements regarding certified health plans. Requires a plan sponsor offering a community-rated plan to offer the plan to any community-rated individual and a plan sponsor offering an experience-rated plan to offer the plan to any experience-rated individual. Declares that a network plan may be made available only in a service area not identical to a community rating area if specified requirements are met. Mandates renewability, subject to exception. (Sec. 1413) Requires standard premiums within each community rating area to be the same for each plan. Requires the premium charged to be the product of the standard premium, an adjustment for the class of enrollment (individual, couple only, single parent, or dual parent), and an age adjustment factor. (Sec. 1414) Prohibits denial, limitation, or conditioning of coverage on any reason, including health status, except as provided in this Act. (Sec. 1416) Allows a plan to offer: (1) additional coverage only if offered and priced separately, if the purchase of the plan is not conditioned on purchase of additional coverage, and if the additional coverage is also offered to individuals not in the plan; and (2) a reduction in cost-sharing only to enrollees for a price that includes any use increase expected to result from the cost-sharing reduction. (Sec. 1417) Requires each community-rated plan to: (1) participate in a risk adjustment program; (2) meet financial solvency requirements; (3) provide information to the State; and (4) provide for quality improvement and quality assurance. Prohibits: (1) utilization management from creating financial incentives for reviewers to reduce or limit medically necessary or appropriate services; and (2) physician incentive plans unless in accordance with specified provisions of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. (Sec. 1421) Applies to each plan Medicare provisions relating to procedures to notify a patient of the patient's right to accept or refuse treatment and to execute an advance directive. Limits plan gatekeepers in complex or chronic health conditions so as to avoid undue enrollee burdens. Mandates procedures to protect confidentiality. Prohibits: (1) selective marketing; (2) patient lability for unpaid plan obligations; and (3) discrimination in selecting providers for a provider network based on the actual or anticipated health status of the provider's patients. Mandates: (1) physician participation in matters affecting patient care; and (2) patient ability to choose any primary care physician from among participating providers. (Sec. 1422) Requires certification of specified types of providers as essential community providers, including: (1) covered entities under provisions of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA); (2) Medicare-dependent small rural hospitals; (3) children's hospitals; (4) mental health and substance abuse providers receiving funds under specified provisions of the PHSA; (5) runaway homeless youth centers or homeless youth transitional living programs; (6) maternal and child health providers receiving funds under specified provisions of the Social Security Act; (7) rural health clinics; (8) school health services centers; and (9) nonprofit hospitals providing a specified percentage of services to individuals entitled to or eligible for benefits under Medicare or under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act. Requires each plan, if such providers so elect, to have a written provider participation agreement with such providers or have an agreement to make payment to the provider. (Sec. 1423) Requires each plan to have in its network (or through other arrangements) a sufficient number, distribution, and variety of specialists to assure service availability to adults, infants, children, and persons with disabilities. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish criteria for designating, and to designate, centers of specialized care. (Sec. 1424) Requires each plan to: (1) have the capacity, within its network or through arrangements with providers, to deliver the benefits required in subtitle B throughout the community rating area; and (2) provide emergency out-of-area and out-of-plan coverage for enrollees and urgent out-of-area coverage. (Sec. 1431) Specifies which certified health plan requirements apply to certified self-insured health plans. Applies certain fiduciary requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to self-insured plans and imposes financial management and record keeping requirements. (Sec. 1441) Prohibits States from requiring: (1) the offering, as part of a certified plan, of any services different from the benefit categories of this Act; or (2) a right of conversion from a group certified plan to an individual certified plan. (Sec. 1442) Prohibits State limits, regulations, or prohibitions regarding: (1) incentives for certified plan enrollees to use participating providers; (2) limiting coverage to services provided by a participating provider; (3) rate and payment form negotiations; (4) limitations on the number of participating providers; (5) requiring that services be provided or authorized by a participating provider; (6) the corporate practice of medicine; (7) utilization management and review programs; (8) single-source suppliers; and (9) point-of-service options. (Sec. 1451) Sets forth plan standards for the interim period between January 1, 1996, and when the State becomes a participating State. Subtitle F: Federal Responsibilities - Directs the Secretary of Labor to develop and publish standards for certified self-insured plans and to provide for the certification of the plans. (Sec. 1502) Mandates procedures for corrective actions when a self-insured plan has failed to meet requirements. Provides for termination of self-insured plans. (Sec. 1503) Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to authorize special rules for the application of portions of ERISA to group health plans. (Sec. 1521) Requires sanctions and corrective action orders if a participating State fails to meet requirements of this Act. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out activities in the same manner as a participating State would. (Sec. 1522) Requires treating related employers as a single employer if a reason for their separation relates to their employees' health risk characteristics. (Sec. 1523) Mandates development of certification criteria for workplace wellness programs. (Sec. 1532) Repeals these provisions relating to collective bargaining dispute resolution on a specified date. Authorizes a health care entity or a labor organization certified or recognized as representing a health care entity's employees to request that the Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service appoint an impartial Health Care Board of Inquiry to investigate a collective bargaining dispute between the entity and the labor organization. Subtitle G: Miscellaneous Employer Requirements - Prohibits discrimination against employees on the basis of family status or class of family enrollment selected. (Sec. 1603) Makes it unlawful to take adverse action against an employee if a purpose of the action is to interfere with the employee's attainment of status as a qualifying employee, full time employee, or part-time employee, or if a purpose is to evade or avoid any obligation under this Act. (Sec. 1604) Allows a community-rated employer (and an experience- rated employer with respect to employees who are community-rated eligible individuals) to provide benefits to employees that consist of benefits in a cost-sharing policy only through a contribution toward the purchase of a cost-sharing policy that is funded primarily through insurance. Makes the responsibilities of individuals and employers in single payer States supersede their obligations under this subtitle. (Sec. 1605) Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to impose a civil money penalty for violations of this subtitle. Subtitle H: General Definitions; Miscellaneous Provisions - Sets forth definitions for purposes of this Act. (Sec. 1714) Amends the Davis-Bacon Act to modify the definitions of "wages" and related terms by adding references to this Act. Amends the Service Contract Act of 1965 to add references to this Act in provisions relating to required contract provisions. (Sec. 1715) Declares that it is the sense of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate that, when this Act is enacted, it should include these sources of financing not within the jurisdiction of the Committee: (1) the net savings and revenues included in the Health Security Act; (2) a specified increase in the cigarette tax; (3) a phased-in premium assessment; (4) other savings or revenues as necessary to provide budget neutrality; and (5) a payroll assessment on exempt employers with specified numbers of workers. Title II: New Benefits - Subtitle A: Home and Community-Based Services - Sets forth requirements in order to approve a State plan for home and community-based services for individuals with disabilities, including: (1) State maintenance of effort (with a base amount set with regard to expenditures under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act); (2) eligibility (including initial screenings, restrictions, and continuation of services during transition from Medicaid to the State plan); (3) types of providers and requirements for participation; (4) provider reimbursement; (5) State matching funds; and (6) health care worker redeployment. Mandates annual compliance monitoring. (Sec. 2103) Requires the State plan to specify the services available and any limitations on those services. Mandates a needs assessment, an individualized plan of care, care management services, coverage of personal assistance services. Sets forth a list of other services the plan may cover. Prohibits coverage of room and board or services in institutional settings. Declares that service recipients shall retain the right to independently select, terminate, and direct the work of a home care provider. (Sec. 2104) Prohibits cost-sharing for individuals with an income under a specified level. Mandates coinsurance and an annual deductible in graduated steps above that level. (Sec. 2105) Requires the plan to ensure and monitor service quality. Mandates State plan adherence to federal standards in: (1) case review; (2) mandatory reporting of abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (3) a registry of providers against whom complaints have been sustained; (4) sanctions on States or providers; (5) surveys of client satisfaction; and (6) State optional training programs for informal care givers. Requires client advocacy services. (Sec. 2106) Mandates a Federal advisory group and an advisory group in each State. (Sec. 2107) Sets forth formulas for payments to States. (Sec. 2108) Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle B: Life Care - Life Care Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to create a new title establishing a voluntary insurance program for individuals 35 years old and over to cover nursing home stays. Covers the nursing facility services to inpatients of: (1) nursing care; (2) physical, occupational, or speech therapy; (3) medical social work; (4) drug, biological, supply, appliance, and equipment; (5) other services as necessary to the functioning of a patient, including personal care and assistance with activities of daily living; and (6) the portion of the first six months of room and board not covered by copayments. Limits the dollar amount of coverage to three levels electable by the individual. Mandates a report on the feasibility of making payments for services delivered in residential care facilities. Declares an individual eligible if the individual is a legal U.S. resident, needs hands-on or standby assistance, supervision, or cueing over at least 90 days, and has elected coverage. Makes individuals in a hospital or nursing home at the time of enrollment ineligible until their next spell of illness. Gives an individual the option to purchase coverage under this title when the individual is within six months of his or her 35th, 45th, 55th, or 65th birthday, with one premium rate for each of the periods between those birthdays or after the 65th birthday. Requires that covered services be provided by nursing homes certified by the State. Sets the monthly reimbursement at 80 percent of the amount reasonable and appropriate to cover costs. Mandates, to extent feasible, a prospective payment mechanism. Makes the benefit recipient responsible for specified percentages of room and board charges. Requires nursing facility services reimbursement, to the extent available, to be made under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, Department of Veterans Affairs' programs, or private insurance policies before reimbursement under this title. Directs the Secretary to contract with entities to act as Long- Term Care Screening Agencies for each designated area of the State to assess the eligibility of individuals for services under this title. Allows Screening Agencies to require payment from individuals only in accordance with standards set by the Secretary. Prohibits requiring payment from individuals with incomes below a specified level. Requires, notwithstanding any other law, that the assets an individual may retain and be eligible for nursing facility benefits under State Medicaid programs be increased by the amount of coverage elected under this title. Prohibits insurers from offering long-term care policies duplicating coverage provided under this title. Directs the Secretary to develop standard long-term care packages insurers may offer that complement this title. Subtitle C: Sense of the Committee with Regard to Prescription Drugs - Declares that it is the sense of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate that, when this Act is enacted, it should include coverage of outpatient prescription drugs as included in the Health Security Act (as introduced in the 103d Congress) and providing for a deductible, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket limits not over specified amounts. Title III: Public Health Initiatives - Subtitle A: Workforce Priorities Under Federal Payments - Establishes in the Department of Health and Human Services the National Council on Graduate Medical Education. Repeals provisions of the Health Professions Education Extension Amendments of 1992 establishing the Council on Graduate Medical Education. (Sec. 3011) Allows payments to physician training programs in a medical specialty only if the program will ensure that the number of individuals enrolled in the program in the subsequent academic year is in accordance with these provisions. (Sec. 3012) Requires the National Council to designate, for each medical specialty for each academic year, starting with academic year 2001-2002, the number of individuals nationwide authorized to be enrolled in eligible programs, with at least 55 percent completing programs in primary care. Mandates interim voluntary targets set by the National Council. (Sec. 3013) Requires the National Council, for each academic year and each medical specialty, to make allocations among eligible programs of the number of positions for the year. (Sec. 3031) Mandates payments to qualified entities for the operational costs of an approved physician training program. Requires, in order to be qualified, that entities providing primary care training rotate enrollees to community programs in underserved areas. Specifies the amounts to be available for payments in certain calendar years under these provisions and under provisions relating to transitional payments to institutions. Declares that these amounts constitute the annual health professions workforce account. (Sec. 3041) Mandates payments to medical schools (to be administered as a grant) for the direct costs of academic programs, including the education of medical students, graduate students in biomedical sciences, and otherwise unfunded faculty research. Specifies the amounts to be available for payments in certain academic years. Declares that these amounts constitute the annual medical school fund account. (Sec. 3051) Mandates payments to academic health centers or teaching hospitals (to be administered as a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement) for costs not routinely incurred by other entities providing health services but are incurred by such institutions by virtue of their academic nature, including productivity decreased by teaching responsibilities, uncompensated costs of clinical research, and exceptional costs associated with treatment using the institution's specialized expertise. Specifies the amounts to be available for payments in certain calendar years. Declares that these amounts constitute the annual academic health center account. (Sec. 3061) Requires transitional payments to eligible entities losing specialty positions to assist operational costs. (Sec. 3071) Mandates a program regarding graduate nurse training programs (nurse program) equivalent to the program in previous provisions of this Act relating to physician training programs (physician program). Applies the physician program provisions of this Act to the nurse program provisions of this Act, including calling the council established the National Council on Graduate Nurse Education. (Sec. 3073) Specifies the amounts to be available for payments in certain calendar years. Declares that these amounts constitute the annual graduate nurse training account. (Sec. 3081) Sets forth transitional provisions, terminating them on a specified date and applying them only to health care entities employing more than 25 individuals. Requires hiring preference for displaced employees of those entities and provides for termination of preference eligibility. Requires successor health care entity employers to provide employees of the previous entity continued employment unless their positions no longer exist. Regulates collective bargaining matters during the transition period. Provides for enforcement of these transitional provisions. Subtitle B: Health Research Initiatives - Makes available specified percentages of the premiums required to be paid under this Act. Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to make those amounts available to: (1) the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to be used to carry out the responsibilities of the Office and for construction and acquisition of equipment or facilities; (2) the National Center for Research Resources to carry out provisions of the National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act of 1993 concerning biomedical and behavioral research facilities; (3) carry out PHSA provisions regarding health information communications; and (4) the NIH institutes. (Sec. 3102) Amends provisions of the PHSA to require the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research to conduct and support U.S. health care reform research. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle C: Health Services for Medically Underserved Populations - Authorizes appropriations to carry out specified provisions of this subtitle. Declares that these authorizations are in addition to any others for the same purposes. (Sec. 3321) Authorizes grants and contracts for: (1) the development of community groups to provide benefits under subtitle B of title I of this Act in health professional shortage areas or to members of a medically underserved population; and (2) the expansion and development of health delivery sites and services. (Sec. 3322) Specifies permitted fund uses, including: (1) recruitment, compensation, and training of professional and administrative staff; (2) purchase and upgrading of equipment, supplies, and information systems; and (3) establishment of reserves for furnishing services on a prepaid or capitated basis. (Sec. 3341) Mandates grants and loans to eligible entities, essential access community hospitals, and rural primary care hospitals for the capital costs of developing community health groups and expanding or developing health delivery sites. (Sec. 3361) Authorizes grants and contracts with eligible entities to provide services to increase the capacity of individuals to use the benefits under title I (including transportation, outreach, patient and family education, translation services, case management, and home visiting) and to provide access to essential supplemental services that are not fully reimbursable under title I before a specified date. Authorizes appropriations in addition to any other authorizations. (Sec. 3371) Authorizes appropriations to carry out provisions of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) relating to the National Health Service Corps and to carry out these provisions on nurse participation in PHSA scholarship and loan repayment programs. Requires reservation of sufficient funds to ensure that a specified percentage of the participants in those programs are being educated in specified nursing fields. (Sec. 3373) Requires reservation of sufficient funds to ensure that a specified percentage of the participants in those programs are being educated or are serving as psychiatrists, psychologists, and clinical social workers. (Sec. 3381) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make payments to eligible hospitals. Declares that this: (1) is an entitlement in the Secretary on behalf of the hospitals but not an entitlement in the State in which any hospital is located or in any individual receiving hospital services; and (2) constitutes budget authority in advance of appropriations and the obligation of the Government to provide funding in specified amounts for certain years. (Sec. 3382) Identifies as eligible those hospitals with low income use rates of at least a specified percentage. (Sec. 3383) Regulates the amount of payments. (Sec. 3391) Declares that it is the sense of the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources that this Act and later appropriations Acts should recognize the success of community and migrant health centers. Subtitle D: Assistance for State Managed Mental Health and Substance Abuse Programs - Mandates grants to States for the development and operation of comprehensive managed mental health and substance abuse programs integrated with the health delivery system established under this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle E: Comprehensive School Health Education; School- Related Health Services - Mandates grants to State educational agencies to integrate comprehensive school health education. Authorizes requirements waivers for the Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation Model Projects for High Risk Youth, the State and Local Comprehensive School Health Programs to Prevent Important Health Problems and Improve Educational Outcomes, and programs carried out under certain provisions of the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1986. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 3503) Establishes the Healthy Students-Healthy Schools Interagency Task Force. (Sec. 3504) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish and maintain a national clearinghouse and mechanisms for the dissemination of school health education material. (Sec. 3581) Authorizes appropriations for: (1) planning and development grants to local community partnerships (LCPs), both directly and through State health agencies; and (2) operational grants to LCPs, both directly and through States. Requires that LCPs include at least one local health care provider, one local educational agency on behalf of one or more public schools, and one community-based organization. Authorizes the Secretary to make the grants to develop and operate school-based or school-linked health service sites. Limits the Federal share of operational grants. Subtitle F: Public Health Service Initiative - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to pay, under specified provisions of this Act, certain amounts for: (1) health services research activities; (2) the development of community groups to provide benefits in health professional shortage areas or to members of a medically underserved population and the expansion and development of health delivery sites and services; (3) the capital costs of developing community health groups; (4) increasing the capacity of individuals to use benefits; (5) providing access to essential supplemental services not fully reimbursable before a specified date; (6) the National Health Service Corps; (7) comprehensive managed mental health and substance abuse programs; and (8) school-based or school-linked health service sites. Title IV: Medical Malpractice - Subtitle A: Liability Reform - Applies this subtitle to any medical malpractice liability action in State or Federal court except for actions under title XXI (Vaccines) of the Public Health Service Act. (Sec. 4002) Requires parties, before or after beginning a medical malpractice action, to participate in the alternative dispute resolution system (ADR) administered by the State. Requires each State to adopt at least one ADR satisfying specified requirements. (Sec. 4003) Limits attorneys contingent fees. (Sec. 4004) Reduces damages for collateral source recovery. (Sec. 4005) Allows a party to ask the court to award future damages on a periodic basis. Subtitle B: Other Provisions Relating to Medical Malpractice Liability - Mandates grants to States for malpractice reform demonstration projects assessing the fairness and effectiveness of one or more of no-fault liability, enterprise liability, or practice guidelines. Authorizes appropriations. Title V: Fall-Back Premium Limits in Cases of Ineffective Competition; Premium-Based Financing; Assistance to Low Income Individuals and to Businesses - Subtitle A: Fall-Back Premium Limits - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) compute and publish annually an area inflation factor for each community rating area; (2) determine baseline premium amounts; and (3) annually determine baseline premiums for each community rating area. (Sec. 5004) Regulates the process for community-rated plan's submitting premium rate bids to States and premium bids to cooperatives. Conditions community and cooperative bids on the plan s agreement to accept any payment reduction that may be imposed under these provisions. (Sec. 5005) Allows any State to assume responsibility for containment of health care expenditures. (Sec. 5011) Directs the Secretary to develop and use a method to reduce payments to each noncomplying plan in a noncomplying community rating area. Defines "noncomplying community rating area" as one in which the weighted average accepted bid exceeds the community rating area baseline premium. Defines "noncomplying plan" as a plan in a noncomplying area if the premium rate exceeds the baseline premiums. (Sec. 5012) Requires community-rated plans to include in their contracts with providers a provision reducing provider payments if the plan is noncomplying. (Sec. 5021) Directs the Secretary to develop a method for calculating an annual per capita expenditure equivalent for amounts paid for benefit package coverage by a large employer. (Sec. 5022) Directs the Secretary of Labor to take corrective action if a large employer has two years in which the rate of increase exceeds the national corporate inflation factor. Requires considering the large employer a small employer and requiring it to make premium payments in accordance with specified provisions of this Act. (Sec. 5031) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, for a statewide single-payer State, to compute a statewide per capita premium target in the same manner as the community rating area per capita premium target. Subtitle B: Premium-Related Financings - Makes each family enrolled in a community- or experience-rated plan responsible for payment of the family share of premium. Allows payment of the premium by an employer or another person. (Sec. 5102) Provides for family credits for community- and experience-rated plans. (Sec. 5103) Provides for a premium discount for families that: (1) are AFDC families or SSI; (2) have a family income below a certain level; or (3) have a family obligation that would otherwise exceed specified percentages of family income. (Sec. 5110) Makes families that are provided a family credit liable for repayment of the base employment monthly premium. Reduces that amount by the amount of: (1) any employer payments made based on the net earnings from self-employment; and (2) employer premiums payable. (Sec. 5112) Limits repayment liability for low income families. (Sec. 5113) Regulates the net liability of families with one or more nonqualifying employees and no full-time qualifying employees. (Sec. 5114) Provides for special treatment for certain individuals eligible for Medicare. (Sec. 5116) Exempts small employers (no more than 10 employees and average annual wages under a specified amount) from these requirements on employer premium payments. (Sec. 5118) Allows an exempt employer to elect to be treated as a community-rated employer. Requires treating an exempt employer as a community-rated employer after an election and makes the employer eligible for discounts. (Sec. 5120) Applies Medicare rules relating to Medicare as a second payer to individuals eligible for premium assistance under this title in relation to any non-electing employer. (Sec. 5121) Requires community-rated employers to pay at least a specified amount of the premium payment for each qualifying employee. (Sec. 5122) Requires each State to provide for the annual computation of a base employment premium for each class of family enrollment. (Sec. 5123) Limits the amount of the employer s required premium payment to a specified percentage of the qualifying employee s wages, with different levels for medium employers (eleven to 75 employees) and small employers. Provides for the treatment of certain self- employed individuals. Requires, for employers that make premium payments in more than one community rating area, application of the reduction in a pro-rated manner to the payments in all areas. (Sec. 5124) Adjusts employee payments of large employers if certain average costs and rate increases exceed limits. (Sec. 5125) Considers a self-employed individual to be an employer of himself or herself and to pay wages to himself or herself equal to the amount of net earnings from self-employment. Limits the payment obligation of certain individuals to a specified amount. (Sec. 5131) Requires each experience-rated large employer to contribute to premiums in specified amounts. Increases the share of large employers for low income employees entitled to a premium discount. Subtitle C: Payments to Health Plans and Miscellaneous Provisions - Makes States responsible for assisting plans and cooperatives in premium collection. (Sec. 5202) Makes the payment amount for a community-rated plan equal to a blended payment amount reflecting the final bid for each plan, the number of enrollees in each class, and the proportion of AFDC and SSI beneficiaries in the area. (Sec. 5203) Requires States to develop and implement adjustments (including risk adjustment, reinsurance, premium discounts, and adjustments to reflect AFDC and SSI beneficiaries) necessary to reconcile the amounts collected by plans with the amounts owed to the plans. (Sec. 5204) Requires each State to compute and publish specified components of the general family share of premiums and the general employer premium payment amount. (Sec. 5205) Declares that the obligations of an employer regarding employees that reside in a single-payer State supersede the obligations of an employer to provide for payments under specified provisions of this Act. (Sec. 5207) Requires, if an employer makes available a voluntary payment on behalf of an employee in a community- or experience-rated plan and except as provided under collective bargaining agreements, that the employer make such a voluntary payment in the same dollar amount available to all qualifying employees of the employer in any community- or experience-rated plan in the same class of enrollment and the same area. Prohibits employers from discriminating in the terms or conditions of employment based on the health plan (or the premium of a plan) in which an employee is enrolled. (Sec. 5208) Requires employers to deduct from the wages of qualifying employees the amount of the family share of the premium. Mandates that States require payment for families that do not include a qualifying employee to be made prospectively. Subtitle D: Cost-Sharing Assistance, Application for Assistance and Premium Discounts, and Income Reconciliation - Entitles AFDC, SSI, and low income families to a reduction in cost-sharing, unless: (1) for community-rated families, there are sufficient at- or below- average cost plans with cost-sharing similar to the model certified preferred provider network plans or model certified health maintenance organization plans established under this Act; or (2) for experience- rated families, the employer offers such a plan. (Sec. 5302) Allows a family to apply for a determination of the family adjusted income or wage adjusted income of the family to establish eligibility for cost-sharing reductions, premium discounts, and reductions in liability. Makes each individual who knowingly understates income or otherwise makes a material misrepresentation liable to the State for triple the excess payments and interest. (Sec. 5303) Requires families with premium discounts or reductions in liability to file an income reconciliation statement for the year. Mandates related payment adjustments. (Sec. 5304) Requires States to make eligibility determinations for premium discounts, liability reductions, and cost-sharing reductions in a way that keeps error rates below a level specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services or the Secretary of Labor. Title VI: Aggregate Government Payments - Subtitle A: Aggregate Federal Payments to Participating State - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for payments to each participating State of the capped Federal payment amount. Declares that this constitutes budget authority in advance of appropriations Acts and represents the obligation of the Government to provide for the payments. Sets forth a formula for determination of amounts, including determination of caps. Provides for the handling of anticipated shortfalls. Subtitle B: Borrowing Authority to Cover Cash-Flow Shortfalls - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make loans available to States to cover temporary cash-flow shortfalls. (Sec. 6102) Provides for the use of funds resulting from estimation discrepancies. Subtitle C: Miscellaneous Provisions - Declares that it is the sense of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources that, when this Act is enacted, it should include requirements that States: (1) pay premiums for AFDC and SSI recipients at a level established as described in the Health Security Act; and (2) make maintenance of effort payments to be included in the amounts receivable under certain provisions at a level established as described in the Health Security Act.

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Lobbying Disclosure Title II: Congressional Gift Rules Title I: Lobbying Disclosure - Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 - Requires registration with the Office of Lobbying Registration and Public Disclosure (Office) established by this Act by any individual lobbyist (or the individual's employer, if it employs one or more lobbyists) within 30 days after the individual first makes, or is employed or retained to make, a lobbying contact with either the President, the Vice President, a Member of Congress, or any other specified Federal officer or employee. Defines a lobbyist as any individual employed or retained by a client for financial or other compensation for services that include one or more lobbying contacts (but not an individual whose lobbying activities constitute less than ten percent of the time engaged in the services provided to that client). Provides for: (1) special registration filing rules in cases involving multiple clients and contacts; and (2) registration termination in cases where a registrant is no longer employed or retained by a client to conduct lobbying activities, and does not anticipate any additional lobbying activities for such client. (Sec. 104) Specifies the contents of such registration and reports. (Sec. 105) Requires registrants to file semiannual lobbying activity reports with the Office. Provides for: (1) exemptions from such registration and reporting requirements in cases involving lobbying income of $2,500 or less (for a particular client) or total expenses of $5,000 or less (for all lobbying activities) (adjusted periodically for inflation) for the semiannual period. (Sec. 106) Provides for special rules generally prohibiting registrants under this Act and the Foreign Agents Registration Act from providing gifts (including meals, lodging, transportation, entertainment, reimbursements, loans, or forbearance) to any covered legislative branch official, or to the spouse, dependent, friend, or relative of such an official if it is given with the knowledge and acquiescence of such official and is given because of his or her position. Permits certain such items under prescribed circumstances, such as lawful political contributions and informational materials sent to the official's office, and gifts given for a nonbusiness purpose and motivated by family relationship or close personal friendship. (Sec. 107) Establishes the Office as an executive agency, and specifies its duties, including making public the semiannual lobbyist activity reports. (Sec. 108) Establishes procedures for: (1) determining and resolving alleged violations of this Act; and (2) judicial review of Office decisions. (Sec. 113) Amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 to: (1) eliminate references to political propaganda and, in certain cases, replace them with references to informational materials; and (2) modify registration exemption provisions. (Sec. 114) Revises (Byrd Amendment) requirements for a declaration by persons requesting or receiving a Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement with respect to any payments made in connection with it which would be prohibited if made with appropriated funds. Requires, in lieu of information currently required, the: (1) name of any registrant under this Act who has made lobbying contacts on behalf of the person with respect to that Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement; and (2) certification that the declarant has not made, and will not make, any prohibited payment. (Sec. 115) Repeals: (1) the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act; and (2) provisions on lobbyist activities of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act and the Housing Act of 1949. (Sec. 118) Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 119) Sets forth special rules for the identification of: (1) foreign and other clients on whose behalf lobbying contacts are made with a covered legislative or executive branch official; and (2) such covered officials. (Sec. 121) Permits tax-exempt charitable organizations required to report lobbying expenses by the Internal Revenue Code to report, under this Act, only good faith estimates of such expenses in order to meet criteria for exemption from the reporting requirements of this Act. Permits trade or business entities that may take income tax deductions for certain lobbying expenses to make good faith estimates of any non-deductible lobbying expenses in order to meet criteria for exemption from the reporting requirements of this Act. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to the Congress on differences in meaning between this Act and the Internal Revenue Code of "lobbying activities," "lobbying expenditures," "influencing legislation," and related terms. (Sec. 122) Requires the President to appoint an interim Director of the Office within 30 days after enactment of this Act. Title II: Congressional Gift Rules - Makes conforming amendments to the Standing Rules of the Senate and the Rules of the House of Representatives, as well as the Ethics in Government Act and the Ethics Reform Act of 1989, with regard to the restrictions of this Act on gifts by lobbyists and foreign agents to covered subjects.

Public Health Enhancement Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Formula Grants for State Core Functions of Public Health Title II: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Activities Title III: Repeals Public Health Enhancement Act of 1995 - Title I: Formula Grants for State Core Functions of Public Health - Amends the Public Health Service Act to consolidate grant programs of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) into formula grants to States for core functions of public health, including: (1) data collection and needs assessment; (2) environmental protection and safety of housing, workplaces, food and water, and the public health of communities; (3) investigation and control of adverse health conditions; (4) public information and education programs; (5) accountability and quality assurance; (6) provision of laboratory services; (7) training and education; and (8) leadership, policy development, and administration. Sets restrictions on the use of grant funds and limitations on administrative expenses. Requires development of a fund distribution formula which incorporates measures of population, the health status of the population, and the financial resources of the various States. Requires, under specified conditions, the reservation of portions of State allotments for Indian tribes and tribal organizations. Authorizes appropriations. Requires development of a uniform application that States shall use to apply for grants. Requires certain State assurances in applications, including State-specific descriptions of deficiencies and successes in the State's public health system. Requires the development of a Uniform Core Public Health Functions Reporting System which uses outcomes consistent with the goals of Healthy People 2000. Title II: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Activities - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the CDC Director, to submit to the President and the Congress a report containing certain information, including: (1) a description of CDC activities and recommendations for legislative changes; and (2) a description of steps taken to improve and streamline grants and contracting accountability. Requires the Secretary, through the CDC Director, to address priority public health needs of regional and national significance through the provision of training, technical assistance, applied research, and demonstration projects. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Repeals - Repeals specified provisions of the Public Health Service Act.

Poverty Data Correction Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

Poverty Data Correction Act of 1995 - Requires any data relating to the incidence of poverty produced or published by or for the Secretary of Commerce for subnational areas to be corrected for differences in the cost of living and data produced for State and sub-State areas to be corrected for differences in the cost of living for at least all States of the United States. Requires such corrected data to be published in 1995 and biennially thereafter. Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop or cause to be developed a State cost-of-living index which ranks and assigns an index value to each State using data on wage, housing, and other costs relevant to the cost of living; and (2) multiply the Federal Government's statistical poverty thresholds by the index value for each State's cost of living to produce State poverty thresholds for each State. Requires the State cost-of-living index and resulting State poverty thresholds to be published before September 30, 1996 for calendar year 1995 and to be updated annually thereafter.

New Urban Agenda Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Federal Commitment to Urban Economic Development Title II: Tax Incentives to Stimulate Urban Economic Development Title III: Community-Based Housing Development Title IV: Response to Urban Environmental Challenges Subtitle A: Environmental Cleanup Subtitle B: Environmental-Economic Recovery New Urban Agenda Act of 1995 - Title I: Federal Commitment to Urban Economic Development - Amends the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act to require executive agencies to expend not less than 15 percent in a fiscal year for the purchase of goods from businesses located in empowerment zones, enterprise communities, or enterprise zones. Requires agencies, to the maximum extent practicable, to purchase recycled products from businesses located in such zones. (Sec. 102) Requires not less than 15 percent of foreign assistance provided in a fiscal year to be in the form of credits for the purchase of U.S. goods produced, manufactured, or assembled in such zones. (Sec. 103) Directs the Secretary of Commerce, in designating and providing financial assistance to Manufacturing Technology Outreach Centers, to give preference to centers located in such zones. (Sec. 104) Establishes a preference for the construction, improvement, or relocation of Federal facilities in distressed urban areas. Title II: Tax Incentives to Stimulate Urban Economic Development - Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the offset for rental real estate activities under passive activity rules to increase the rehabilitation credit under such rules. (Sec. 202) Allows the rehabilitation investment credit to offset a portion of tentative minimum tax. (Sec. 203) Allows the issuance of tax-exempt facility bonds for sports facilities, convention or trade show facilities, freestanding parking facilities, air or water pollution control facilities, or industrial parks. Makes termination dates on such tax-exempt bonds inapplicable to bonds issued to finance manufacturing facilities. (Sec. 204) Increases the permitted amount of qualified small issue bonds for facilities to be used by related persons. (Sec. 205) Provides an exception to arbitrage interest rebate provisions if 100 percent of available construction proceeds are spent for governmental purposes within three years of the issuance of the tax-exempt bonds. Title III: Community-Based Housing Development - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to report to the Comptroller General on the feasibility of consolidating existing public and low-income housing programs into a comprehensive block grant system of Federal aid. Requires the Comptroller General to report to the Congress with an analysis of such report and recommendations. (Sec. 302) Provides, subject to the approval of both the unit of general local government and the local public housing agency, for the reconstruction of public housing dwelling units on the same property on which such units were demolished or disposed, and for the relocation of displaced tenants to such new units. Title IV: Response to Urban Environmental Challenges - Subtitle A: Environmental Cleanup - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to exclude local governments that are owners or operators of facilities in distressed urban areas from liability under such Act. Requires the President to establish standards for the degree of cleanup of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants released into the environment for facilities located in distressed urban areas. Subtitle B: Environmental-Economic Recovery - Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to make no more than three loans to units of local government for distressed urban areas for the establishment of facilities to dispose of, and obtain inexpensive electrical power and steam from, solid waste. Requires a report to the Congress on the results of financing such facilities.

Senior Citizens' Equity Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Social Security Earnings Test Title II: Repeal of Increase in Tax on Social Security Benefits Title III: Treatment of Long-Term Care Title IV: Senior Citizen Communities Senior Citizens' Equity Act - Title I: Social Security Earnings Test - Amends title II (Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to increase the monthly exempt amount, under the earnings test, for individuals who have attained retirement age. Sets forth a schedule of monthly adjustments increasing from $1,250 for taxable year 1996 to $2,500 for taxable year 2000 (amounting, by the year 2000, to an annual exempt amount of $30,000 such individuals may earn before being subject to benefit reductions). Title II: Repeal of Increase in Tax on Social Security Benefits - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to schedule from 1996 through 2000 a reduction from 85 percent to 50 percent the amount of Social Security benefits on which beneficiaries earning more than $34,000 annually ($44,000 for couples) are liable for income tax. Title III: Treatment of Long-Term Care - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat a long-term care insurance contract as an accident or health insurance contract. (Sec. 301) Restricts the meaning of long-term care insurance contract to a guaranteed renewable contract without cash surrender value: (1) covering only qualified long-term care services and benefits incidental to such coverage; (2) excluding expenses for services or items reimbursable under Medicare (except where Medicare is a secondary payor); (3) applying all premium refunds and all policyholder dividends or similar amounts to reduce future premiums or increase future benefits; and (4) offering a maximum benefit of no more than $200 for expenses incurred for any day. Provides for an inflation adjustment of the $200 benefit limit. Limits qualified long-term care services to necessary diagnostic, preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitative services, as well as maintenance or personal care services prescribed by a licensed health care practitioner for a chronically ill individual in a qualified facility who is unable to perform (without substantial assistance from another individual) at least two activities of daily living (including walking or wheeling, dressing, toileting and bathing, transferring in and out of a bed or chair, and eating). Makes an individual's home a qualified facility if a licensed health care practitioner certifies that without home care the individual would have to be cared for in a State-licensed or Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing, rehabilitative, hospice, or adult day care facility. Declares that this title shall not apply in any determination whether a health care plan shall be subjected to an excise tax for failure to satisfy continuation coverage requirements. (Sec. 302) Excludes from gross income any benefits (not in excess of $200 per day) received under a long-term care insurance contract, including employer-provided coverage under such a contract. (Sec. 303) Allows an income tax deduction for qualified long-term care services, subject to specified limits. (Sec. 304) Treats as a nontaxable exchange the exchange of a contract of life insurance or an endowment or annuity contract for a long-term care insurance contract. (Sec. 305) Reduces any amounts includible in gross income by reason of distributions from individual retirement plans or 401(k) plans by the aggregate premiums paid by an individual for any long-term care insurance contract for the benefit of such individual or his or her spouse, if the individual or spouse, as appropriate, has attained age 59 and one-half on or before the date of the distribution. (Sec. 306) Excludes from gross income accelerated death benefits paid from life insurance policies for individuals who are terminally ill or permanently confined to a nursing home. Title IV: Senior Citizen Communities - Amends the Fair Housing Act with respect to the exemption for housing for older persons from the prohibition against discrimination based on familial status. Revises the definition of housing for older persons to repeal the requirement that such housing possess significant facilities and services specifically designed to meet the physical or social needs of older persons. (Sec. 402) Declares that an individual who engages in conduct with a reasonable good faith reliance on the existence of such exemption is not personally liable for money damages for a violation of such Act that the exemption would have vitiated. Presumes such good faith reliance of a person engaged in the business of residential real estate transactions if: (1) he or she has no actual knowledge that the facility or community is or will be ineligible for such exemption; and (2) the facility or community gives him or her a written certification stating its compliance with the requirements for such exemption.

Savings and Investment Incentive Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Retirement Savings Incentives Subtitle A: Restoration of IRA Deduction Subtitle B: Nondeductible Tax-Free IRAs Title II: Penalty-Free Distributions Title III: Aid to Families with Dependent Children Savings and Investment Incentive Act of 1995 - Title I: Retirement Savings Incentives - Subtitle A: Restoration of IRA Deduction - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to restore the deduction for individual retirement plans (IRAs). Provides a phase-up of income limits (from 1995 through 1998) with respect to the limitation on the deductibility of contributions to IRAs by active participants in employer-maintained plans. Removes the spousal rule from such limitation. Terminates income limits after December 31, 1998. Provides an inflation adjustment for deductible amounts after 1995. Allows certain spouses a full deduction for contributions to an IRA. Makes certain coins and bullion ineligible as collectible investments for purposes of distributions from an IRA. Coordinates the limit on such deduction with the elective deferral limit under other pension provisions. Subtitle B: Nondeductible Tax-Free IRAs - Allows individuals to establish individual retirement plus (IRA plus) accounts with tax treatment similar to that for individual retirement plans. Makes contributions to such accounts nondeductible. Excludes distributions from such accounts from the gross income of the distributee, if the assets remain in such accounts for at least five years. Allows qualified transfers to be made to such accounts. Establishes penalties for early withdrawals and excess contributions. Title II: Penalty-Free Distributions - Allows distributions from certain retirement plans without penalty to purchase first homes, pay higher education expenses and financially devastating medical expenses, and assist certain unemployed individuals. Title III: Aid to Families with Dependent Children - Amends part A (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) (AFDC) of title IV of the Social Security Act to exclude from AFDC eligibility determinations certain income and resources that are to be used for education, training, and employability purposes. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to specified congressional committees on the use of qualified asset accounts. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on a revision of the AFDC limit on automobiles in order to increase the employability of AFDC recipients.

Comprehensive Congressional Reform Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Division A: Extension of Rights and Protections, and Associated Procedures Title I: Extension of Rights and Protections, and Associated Procedures Title II: Office of Congressional Fair Employment Practices--Establishment and Operations Title III: Administrative and Judicial Dispute-Resolution Procedures Title IV: Miscellaneous Provisions Division B: Lobbying and Gift Reform Title I: Lobbying Reform Title II: Congressional Gift Reform Division C: Campaign Finance Reform Title I: Congressional Campaign Spending Limit and Election Reform Subtitle A: Control of Congressional Campaign Spending Subtitle B: Independent Expenditures Subtitle C: Expenditures Subtitle D: Contributions Subtitle E: Miscellaneous Subtitle F: Effective Dates, Authorizations Comprehensive Congressional Reform Act of 1995 - Division A: Extension of Rights and Protections, and Associated Procedures - Title I: Extension of Rights and Protections, and Associated Procedures - Requires all personnel actions affecting covered employees to be made free from any discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicap or disability. Defines a "covered employee" as an employee of the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Architect of the Capitol, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), or the Office of Congressional Fair Employment Practices (the Office). Provides that any intimidation of, or reprisal against, any covered employee because of the exercise of a right under this Act constitutes an unlawful employment practice. Makes available the relief awarded under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or a specified section of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as appropriate, for discrimination violations affecting covered employees. Prohibits punitive damages for such violations. Bars a covered employee from commencing an administrative or judicial proceeding to seek a remedy for prohibited practices, except as provided under this Act. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the ADEA to apply their protection and remedies to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and the General Accounting Office (GAO). Extends coverage under the ADA to GPO and GAO as well. (Sec. 102) Applies the rights, protections, and relief of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), the Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 (EPPA), the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), and veterans' employment and reemployment rights to covered employees, GAO, and the Library of Congress. Applies the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to covered employees and GPO. (Sec. 107) Establishes the following exclusive procedures for remedy of violations of the laws described above: (1) employee counseling; (2) mediation; (3) filing of a formal complaint with the Office or filing of a civil action in the U.S. district court; and (4) appealing to the Board of Directors of the Office if aggrieved by a decision or to the U.S. Court of Appeals for review, subject to certain conditions. (Sec. 108) Applies the rights and protections against discrimination in the provision of public services under the ADA to the Senate, the House, congressional joint committees, the Architect of the Capitol, the Capitol Guide Service, the Capitol Police, CBO, OTA, and the Office. Applies such rights and protections to any qualified individual with a disability, except that, with respect to claims of employment discrimination asserted by a covered employee, the exclusive remedies described above shall apply. Makes relief under such Act available for such violations and describes procedures to remedy such violations, including filing a charge with the General Counsel of the Office, mediation, and judicial review. Makes specified remedies and procedures under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 available to disabled visitors, guests, or patrons of instrumentalities of the Congress (GAO, GPO, and the Library) who allege violations under ADA provisions described by this section. (Sec. 109) Directs each employing office (including GAO and the Library) and covered employee to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) and applies such Act's duties, rights, protections, and remedies (except penalties) to such offices and employees. Establishes procedures for such remedies, including granting the General Counsel and the Board certain authorities exercised by the Secretary of Labor under such Act. (Sec. 110) Applies the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute to employing offices and covered employees. Grants the Board and the General Counsel specified authorities under the Statute. (Sec. 111) Requires the Board of the Office to: (1) review provisions of Federal laws and regulations relating to the terms and conditions of employment (including protection from discrimination in personnel actions, health and safety, and family and medical leave) of employees and access to public services and accommodations; and (2) report on December 31, 1996, and biennially thereafter, on whether or to what degree such provisions are applicable or inapplicable to the legislative branch and, if inapplicable, whether they should be made applicable. Requires each report of a congressional committee accompanying any bill or joint resolution to: (1) describe the manner in which the provisions of the bill or joint resolution apply to the Congress and congressional instrumentalities; or (2) if the provisions do not apply, include a statement of the reasons why. (Sec. 112) Directs the Board to study the application of the following laws to GAO, GPO, the Library , and other entities in the legislative branch not covered by all the sections of this title: (1) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; (2) the ADEA; (3) the ADA; (4) the FMLA; (5) the FLSA; (6) the OSHA; (7) the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; (8) the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute; (9) the General Accounting Office Personnel Act of 1980; (10) the EPPA; (11) the WARN; and (12) provisions relating to veterans' employment and reemployment rights. Title II: Office of Congressional Fair Employment Practices-Establishment and Operations - Establishes the Office of Congressional Fair Employment Practices within the legislative branch. (Sec. 207) Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Administrative and Judicial Dispute-Resolution Procedures - Sets forth procedures for counseling, mediation, hearings, appeals to the Board, judicial review of Board decisions, and civil actions relating to violations described under title I. (Sec. 307) Sets deadlines for: (1) making counseling requests; and (2) charging discrimination in public services or discrimination in exercising rights relating to occupational safety and health. Title IV: Miscellaneous Provisions - Establishes Settlements and Awards Reserve appropriation accounts in the Contingent Funds of the House and the Senate. Makes amounts in such accounts available for the payment of awards for settlements made under this Act. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 403) Prohibits judicial review of actions taken pursuant to this Act, except in proceedings authorized under title III. (Sec. 406) Provides that it shall not be a violation of any provision to consider the party affiliation, domicile, or political compatibility, with respect to employment decisions, of employees who are: (1) on the staff of the House or Senate leadership; (2) on the staff of congressional committees, joint committees, or subcommittees; (3) on the staff of Members of the House or Senators; (4) officers of the House or the Senate or elected or appointed congressional staff; or (5) applicants for any such positions. (Sec. 407) Directs the Senate Select Committee on Ethics and the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to retain full power with respect to the discipline of Members, officers, and employees for violating rules of the Senate and the House on nondiscrimination in employment. (Sec. 410) Sets forth transitional provisions with respect to certain existing claims. Division B: Lobbying and Gift Reform - Title I: Lobbying Reform - Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 - Requires registration with the Office of Lobbying Registration and Public Disclosure (Office) established by this Act by any individual lobbyist (or the individual's employer, if it employs one or more lobbyists) within 30 days after the individual first makes, or is employed or retained to make, a lobbying contact with either the President, the Vice President, a Member of Congress, or any other specified Federal officer or employee. Defines a lobbyist as any individual employed or retained by a client for financial or other compensation for services that include one or more lobbying contacts (but not an individual whose lobbying activities constitute less than ten percent of the time engaged in the services provided to that client). Provides for: (1) special registration filing rules in cases involving multiple clients and contacts; and (2) registration termination in cases where a registrant is no longer employed or retained by a client to conduct lobbying activities, and does not anticipate any additional lobbying activities for such client. (Sec. 1104) Specifies the contents of such registration and reports. (Sec. 1105) Requires registrants to file semiannual lobbying activity reports with the Office. Provides for: (1) exemptions from such registration and reporting requirements in cases involving lobbying income of $2,500 or less (for a particular client) or total expenses of $5,000 or less (for all lobbying activities of a registrant whose employees lobby on its own behalf) for the semiannual period. Requires periodic adjustment of such dollar amounts for inflation. (Sec. 1106) Provides for special rules generally prohibiting registrants under this Act and the Foreign Agents Registration Act from providing gifts (including meals, lodging, transportation, entertainment, reimbursements, loans, or forbearance) to any covered legislative branch official, or to the spouse, dependent, friend, or relative of such an official if it is given with the knowledge and acquiescence of such official and is given because of his or her position. Permits certain such items under prescribed circumstances, such as lawful political contributions and informational materials sent to the official's office, and gifts given for a nonbusiness purpose and motivated by family relationship or close personal friendship. (Sec. 1107) Establishes the Office as an executive agency, and specifies its duties, including making public the semiannual lobbyist activity reports. (Sec. 1108) Establishes procedures for: (1) determining and resolving alleged violations of this Act; and (2) judicial review of Office decisions. (Sec. 1113) Amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 to: (1) eliminate references to political propaganda and, in certain cases, replace them with references to informational materials; and (2) modify registration exemption provisions. (Sec. 1114) Revises (Byrd Amendment) requirements for a declaration by persons requesting or receiving a Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement with respect to any payments made in connection with it which would be prohibited if made with appropriated funds. Requires, in lieu of information currently required, the: (1) name of any registrant under this Act who has made lobbying contacts on behalf of the person with respect to that Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement; and (2) certification that the declarant has not made, and will not make, any prohibited payment. (Sec. 1115) Repeals: (1) the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act; and (2) provisions on lobbyist activities of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act and the Housing Act of 1949. (Sec. 1118) Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 1119) Sets forth special rules for the identification of: (1) foreign and other clients on whose behalf lobbying contacts are made with a covered legislative or executive branch official; and (2) such covered officials. (Sec. 1121) Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to the Congress on differences in meaning between this Act and the Internal Revenue Code of "lobbying activities," "lobbying expenditures," "influencing legislation," and related terms. (Sec. 1122) Requires the President to appoint an interim Director of the Office within 30 days after enactment of this Act. Title II: Congressional Gift Reform - Amends rule XXXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate to prohibit any Member, officer, or employee of the Senate from knowingly accepting a gift from: (1) a registered lobbyist, lobbying firm, or agent of a foreign principal in violation of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1994; or (2) any person, subject to exceptions listed in this Act. (Currently, such individuals and their spouses are allowed to accept gifts totalling up to $250 from any one person.) Considers a gift to a spouse or dependent of a Member, officer, or employee to be a gift to the Member, officer, or employee if given with their knowledge and acquiescence and if there is reason to believe that the gift was given because of their official positions. Lists items exempt from the restriction on gifts from persons other than lobbyists, lobbying firms, or agents of foreign principals, including: (1) anything provided on the basis of a personal or family relationship unless the Member, officer, or employee has reason to believe that the gift was provided because of his or her official position; (2) unused items that are promptly returned to the donor; (3) food or refreshments believed to have a value of less than $20; (4) food, lodging, and other benefits resulting from the outside business or employment activities of a Member, officer, or employee or their spouses if such benefits have not been offered or enhanced because of the recipient's official position; (5) such benefits customarily provided by a prospective employer in connection with bona fide employment discussions or by a political organization in connection with a fund raising or campaign event; (6) certain awards or prizes given in contests open to the public; (7) certain honorary degrees and other awards; (8) donations of products from the Member's State that are intended for promotional purposes and are of minimal value as well as food, refreshments, and entertainment provided in the home State, subject to reasonable limitations; (9) certain training; (10) bequests and inheritances; (11) anything paid for by the Government or by a State or local government or secured under a Government contract; (12) a gift of personal hospitality; (13) free attendance at an event, as permitted by this Act; and (14) certain other opportunities and benefits. Establishes conditions under which a Member, officer, or employee may accept an offer of free attendance at a convention, dinner, or similar event. Prohibits the acceptance of a gift exceeding $250 on the basis of the personal relationship or friendship exception unless the Select Committee on Ethics determines that such exception applies. Provides that certain reimbursements to a Member, officer, or employee for travel expenses to an event in connection with official duties shall not be considered as gifts if advance authorization to accept reimbursement is received and the reimbursement and authorization are disclosed within a specified time period. (Sec. 1202) Makes parallel amendments to the Rules of the House of Representatives to reflect conforming gift restrictions. (Sec. 1203) Amends the Ethics in Government Act to provide that reimbursements deemed accepted by the Senate or the House and reported as required under such rules need not be reported under such Act. Authorizes the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration to accept gifts provided they do not involve any duty, burden, or condition, or are not made dependent upon some future performance by the United States. Division C: Campaign Finance Reform - Title I: Congressional Campaign Spending Limit and Election Reform - Congressional Campaign Spending Limit and Election Reform Act of 1995 - Subtitle A: Control of Congressional Campaign Spending Part 1: Senate Election Campaign Spending Limits and Benefits - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to make Senate candidates who meet certain filing requirements and contribution and expenditure limits eligible for FECA benefits. Limits Senate primary expenditures for a candidate (or his or her authorized committees) to the lesser of: (1) 67 percent of the general election expenditure limit; or (2) $2.75 million. Limits runoff expenditures. Sets a threshold contribution amount which triggers application of such primary and runoff limits. Limits the use by a Senate candidate (or authorized committees), during an entire election cycle, of the candidate's personal (or family) funds (including debt). Limits aggregate general election expenditures by an eligible Senate candidate (or authorized committees) to the lesser of: (1) $5.5 million; or (2) the greater of $1.2 million, or $4,000,000 plus 30 cents times the voting age population up to 4 million and 25 cents times the voting age population over 4 million. Exempts from the general election expenditure limit qualified accounting and legal expenditures. Entitles eligible Senate candidates to certain broadcast media rates, and in certain circumstances, payments compensating for independent expenditures and excess expenditures on behalf of the candidate's opponent. Requires the Federal Election Commission (Commission) to certify an eligible Senate candidate within 48 hours after his or her application to the Secretary of the Senate. Requires the Commission to examine and audit, for FECA compliance, the campaign accounts of five percent of all Senate and House of Representatives candidates, and the campaign accounts of all opponents of such candidates as well. Requires candidates to refund to the Commission any excess payments or expenditures. Sets civil penalties for excess expenditures and contributions. Provides for judicial review of Commission actions and requires Commission reports to the Senate. Requires closed captioning for eligible Senate candidates' television commercials. Authorizes reduced candidate payments under circumstances of insufficient funds. (Sec. 10002) Prohibits Senate election activities by political action committees (PACs). Reduces from $5,000 to $1,000 the maximum aggregate contributions of any PAC to a Senate candidate (or authorized committees). Makes it unlawful for aggregate PACs to contribute to any Senate candidate (or authorized committees) more than the lesser of: (1) $825,000; or (2) 20 percent of the aggregate Federal election spending limit. Requires annual adjustments of such dollar amounts according to a specified price index. (Sec. 10003) Sets forth reporting requirements for Senate candidates not eligible for FECA benefits. Requires reports to the Secretary within two days of any contributions raised and expenditures made in excess of FECA limits. Requires any candidate for the Senate who, during the election cycle, exceeds limits on the use of personal and immediate family funds, and on personal loans incurred by the candidate and the candidate's immediate family, to report to the Secretary of the Senate within two days after such expenditures have been made or loans incurred. Requires certain expenditure reports from any Senate candidate who held Federal, State, or local office during the same election cycle, and made any expenditures, before becoming a Senate candidate, which would have been treated as Senate candidate expenditures. (Sec. 10004) Requires Senate candidates ineligible for FECA benefits to place on every paid or authorized political commercial or communication the declaration: "This candidate has not agreed to voluntary campaign spending limits." Part II: General Provisions - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require a broadcast station to make broadcast time available to all House and Senate candidates in the last 30 (currently 45) days before a primary at the lowest unit charge of the station for the same amount of time (currently, the same class and amount of time) for the same period on the same date. Allows Senate candidates to purchase broadcast time at 50 percent of the lowest unit rate for the 60 days before a general election. Prohibits broadcasters from preempting advertisements sold to political candidates at the lowest unit rate, unless the preemption is beyond the broadcaster's control. (Sec. 10012) Amends FECA to set forth reporting requirements for certain independent expenditures. (Sec. 10015) Amends Federal law to prohibit a Senator who is a candidate for election to any public office from making a mass mailing under the frank during the calendar year of any primary or general election for such office. Subtitle B: Independent Expenditures - Amends FECA to define "independent expenditure" as an expenditure for an advertisement or other communication that: (1) contains express advocacy; and (2) is made without the participation or cooperation of a candidate or a candidate's representative. Excludes from the meaning of "independent expenditure" any expenditure by: (1) a political committee of a political party; (2) persons who communicate or receive information about activities that have a purpose of influencing a candidate's election; and (3) persons with other specified relationships with a candidate or candidate's agents in the same election cycle. Defines "express advocacy" as any communication that when taken as a whole: (1) expresses support for or opposition to a specific candidate, a specific group of candidates, or candidates of a particular political party; or (2) suggests taking action with respect to an election, such as voting for or against, contributing to, or participating in campaign activity. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for equal broadcast time, including notification and opportunity to purchase equal time on an independent expenditure basis. Subtitle C: Expenditures - Part I: Personal Loans; Credit - Amends FECA to prohibit the use of contributions after the date of a general election to repay loans to a candidate (or authorized committee) by the candidate himself or herself or by members of the candidate's family. Treats as a contribution any extension of credit of more than $1,000 for more than 60 days to candidates for Federal office (or authorized committees) by political advisers. Part II: Provisions Relating to Soft Money of Political Parties - Amends FECA to define: (1) "generic campaign activity" as a campaign activity on behalf of a party rather than a candidate; and (2) "State Party Grass Roots Fund" as a segregated State fund on behalf of a Federal candidate. (Sec. 10034) Permits maximum contributions to a State Party Grassroots Fund of: (1) $20,000 by an individual; and (2) $15,000 from a multicandidate committee. Establishes an overall $60,000 annual limit on individual contributions, including specified limits for: (1) candidates and their political committees; and (2) State committees. (Sec. 10035) Subjects to certain limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements any amount solicited, received, or expended directly or indirectly by a national, State, district, or local committee of a political party (including any subordinate committee) with respect to an activity (such as voter registration and get-out-the vote activities among others) which, in whole or in part, is in connection with an election to Federal office. Limits the expenditures for which a State committee may use its State Party Grassroots Fund. (Sec. 10036) Prohibits Federal candidates and officeholders from soliciting contributions not subject to FECA. Restricts on solicitations from tax-exempt organizations. (Sec. 10037) Requires: (1) a national committee and a congressional campaign committee to report all receipts and disbursements whether or not in connection with a Federal election; and (2) other specified political committees to report all receipts and disbursements in connection with a Federal election. Subtitle D: Contributions - Specifies circumstances in which contributions made or arranged to be made directly or indirectly by a person to or on behalf of a particular candidate through an intermediary or conduit shall be treated as contributions from such intermediary or conduit to the candidate (thus subjecting them to the FECA limitations otherwise applicable to that intermediary or conduit). Requires an intermediary or conduit to report the original source, contributor, and intended recipient of each forwarded contribution. Prohibits certain lobbyist contributions. (Sec. 10042) Treats contributions by a dependent not of voting age as having been made by the individual on whom that dependent is a dependent. (Sec. 10043) Prohibits a candidate for Federal office from accepting, with respect to any election, any contribution from a State or local political party committee (or subordinate committee) if such contribution, when added to the total of contributions previously accepted from all such committees of that political party, exceeds the relevant contribution limitation. (Sec. 10044) Makes it unlawful to coerce contributions or expenditures by physical threat or other intimidation. (Sec. 10045) Prohibit acceptance by a candidate of cash contributions from any one person aggregating more than $100. Subtitle E: Miscellaneous - Prohibits Federal candidates and officeholders from establishing, maintaining, or controlling any political committee (such as a "leadership committee") other than a principal campaign committee of the candidate, authorized committee, party committee, or other political committee designated as an authorized committee. (Sec. 10052) Directs the Commission to study and report to the Congress on the feasibility of developing telephonic voting for persons with disabilities. (Sec. 10053) Exempts certain tax-exempt organizations from specified corporate expenditure limits. (Sec. 10055) Requires exact copies of campaign advertising that refers to a candidate's opponent to be filed with the Commission and the Secretary of State of the candidate's State. (Sec. 10056) Amends Federal law to prohibit a Member of Congress, during an election year, from using the franking privilege for a mass mailing from January 1 until the general election date. Subtitle F: Effective Dates; Authorizations - Sets forth the general effective date of this Act. Provides for direct, expedited appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court from any court rulings on the constitutionality of any provision of this Act or amendment made by it.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Parental Responsibility Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Ending the Cycle of Intergenerational Dependency Title II: Parental Responsibility Title III: Combating Teenage Pregnancy Title IV: Financing Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Parental Responsibility Act - Title I: Ending the Cycle of Intergenerational Dependency - Amends title IV part A (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) (AFDC) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require appropriate adult-supervised supportive living arrangements for minors (and their children, if any) as a condition of their receiving AFDC. (Sec. 102) Amends SSA title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services) to entitle each State to funds to establish, operate, and support adult-supervised group homes for custodial parents under age 19 and their children. Sets forth provisions for payments of allotments to States, payments to Indian tribes, receipt of payments by such homes, and submission of recommendations on usage of Government surplus properties for such homes. (Sec. 103) Requires completion of high school or other training for teenage parents as a condition of receiving AFDC. Allows a State the option of requiring some or all custodial parents and pregnant women who have not attained 19 years of age (or at the State's option, 21) and who are receiving AFDC to participate in a program of additional monetary incentives and penalties. (Sec. 104) Requires drug treatment and counseling as part of the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) program under AFDC. Title II: Parental Responsibility - Amends SSA title IV part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) to provide performance-based incentive adjustments to the Federal matching rate for statewide paternity establishment efforts. Provides for Federal financial participation for all of a State's paternity establishment services. (Sec. 202) Adds to the statutorily prescribed procedures to improve effectiveness of child support enforcement, which a State is required to have in order to receive part D matching funds, procedures under which the State may withhold or suspend various sorts of licenses. (Secs. 203) Revises part D requirements for State laws: (1) concerning paternity establishment; and (2) providing expedited procedures. (Sec. 205) Provides for outreach for voluntary paternity establishment, through part D State plan requirements, enhanced Federal matching funds, and State outreach as part of voluntary consent procedures. Directs the Departments of Education and of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Public Health Service to develop and implement a substantial outreach program and media campaign to reinforce paternity establishment's importance and promote parenting as a joint right and responsibility. Authorizes appropriations for such program. Title III: Combating Teenage Pregnancy - Amends SSA title IV part A (AFDC) to allow each State agency to provide for eligible entities' operation of projects to reduce teen pregnancy. Allows Indian tribes and Alaska native entities to apply to the Secretary of HHS to operate such projects. Directs the Secretary of HHS to study and report to the Congress annually on the effectiveness of different approaches used in such projects. Authorizes appropriations. Entitles each State to a specified payment of the Federal share of the cost of such projects. (Sec. 302) Directs the Secretaries of Education and of HHS and the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service to establish a National Clearinghouse on Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Programs. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: Financing - Sets forth SSA uniform eligibility criteria for aliens to qualify for Federal and federally-assisted public assistance under AFDC, supplemental security income (SSI), and Medicaid programs. Allows State and local governments to make an alien ineligible for any of their assistance programs based on need unless such alien is a qualified alien under such SSA criteria. (Sec. 402) Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to extend the duration of a specified formula covering State retention of certain amounts recovered.

A resolution amending paragraph 2 of Rule XXV.

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

Amends rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate to change the number of Members on the following Senate Committees: (1) Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; (2) Appropriations; (3) Armed Services; (4) Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; (5) Commerce, Science, and Transportation; (6) Energy and Natural Resources; (7) Environment and Public Works; (8) Foreign Relations; (9) Governmental Affairs; (10) Judiciary; and (11) Labor and Human Resources.

A resolution to make minority party appointments to Senate committees under paragraph 2 of Rule XXV for the One Hundred and Fourth Congress.

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

Designates minority party membership on the following Senate Committees: (1) Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; (2) Appropriations; (3) Armed Services; (4) Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; (5) Commerce, Science, and Transportation; (6) Energy and Natural Resources; (7) Environment and Public Works; (8) Finance; (9) Foreign Relations; (10) Governmental Affairs; (11) Judiciary; and (12) Labor and Human Resources.

A resolution making majority party appointments to certain Senate committees for the 104th Congress.

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

Designates majority party membership on the following Senate Committees: (1) Armed Services; (2) Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; (3) Commerce, Science, and Transportation; (4) Finance; (5) Judiciary; and (6) Labor and Human Resources.

To deny Federal benefits for 10 years to persons convicted of making a fraudulent representation with respect to residence in order to receive benefits from 2 or more States, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

Makes ineligible for Federal benefits or services for a ten-year period any person convicted of making a fraudulent representation with respect to residence in order to receive State or local benefits from two or more States. Directs the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, of Agriculture, of Education, of Labor, and of Housing and Urban Development each to design and implement, and report to the Congress on, a program to assist the States in preventing persons from engaging in such fraudulent conduct.

To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide assistance for emergency repairs in lower income housing projects operated by the Chicago Housing Authority.

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide assistance for emergency repairs in lower income housing operated by the Chicago Housing Authority. Authorizes appropriations.

Senior Citizens Housing Safety and Economic Relief Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

Senior Citizens Housing Safety Act of 1995 - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to prohibit persons with drug or alcohol problems from occupying dwelling units in assisted housing designated for only elderly families. Prescribes eviction policies.

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Lobbying Disclosure Title II: Congressional Gift Rules Title I: Lobbying Disclosure - Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 - Requires registration with the Office of Lobbying Registration and Public Disclosure (Office) established by this Act by any individual lobbyist (or the individual's employer, if it employs one or more lobbyists) within 30 days after the individual first makes, or is employed or retained to make, a lobbying contact with either the President, the Vice President, a Member of Congress, or any other specified Federal officer or employee. Defines a lobbyist as any individual employed or retained by a client for financial or other compensation for services that include one or more lobbying contacts (but not an individual whose lobbying activities constitute less than ten percent of the time engaged in the services provided to that client). Provides for: (1) special registration filing rules in cases involving multiple clients and contacts; and (2) registration termination in cases where a registrant is no longer employed or retained by a client to conduct lobbying activities, and does not anticipate any additional lobbying activities for such client. (Sec. 104) Specifies the contents of such registration and reports. (Sec. 105) Requires registrants to file semiannual lobbying activity reports with the Office. Provides for: (1) exemptions from such registration and reporting requirements in cases involving lobbying income of $2,500 or less (for a particular client) or total expenses of $5,000 or less (for all lobbying activities) (adjusted periodically for inflation) for the semiannual period. Requires Office regulations to permit tax-exempt charitable organizations required to report lobbying expenses by the Internal Revenue Code to report, under this Act, only good faith estimates of such expenses in order to meet specified criteria for exemption from the reporting requirements of this Act. (Sec. 106) Provides for special rules generally prohibiting registrants under this Act and the Foreign Agents Registration Act from providing gifts (including meals, lodging, transportation, entertainment, reimbursements, loans, or forbearance) to any covered legislative branch official, or to the spouse, dependent, friend, or relative of such an official if it is given with the knowledge and acquiescence of such official and is given because of his or her position. Permits certain such items under prescribed circumstances, such as lawful political contributions and informational materials sent to the official's office, and gifts given for a nonbusiness purpose and motivated by family relationship or close personal friendship. (Sec. 107) Establishes the Office as an executive agency, and specifies its duties, including making public the semiannual lobbyist activity reports. (Sec. 108) Establishes procedures for: (1) determining and resolving alleged violations of this Act; and (2) judicial review of Office decisions. (Sec. 113) Amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 to: (1) eliminate references to political propaganda and, in certain cases, replace them with references to informational materials; and (2) modify registration exemption provisions. (Sec. 114) Revises (Byrd Amendment) requirements for a declaration by persons requesting or receiving a Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement with respect to any payments made in connection with it which would be prohibited if made with appropriated funds. Requires, in lieu of information currently required, the: (1) name of any registrant under this Act who has made lobbying contacts on behalf of the person with respect to that Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement; and (2) certification that the declarant has not made, and will not make, any prohibited payment. (Sec. 115) Repeals: (1) the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act; and (2) provisions on lobbyist activities of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act and the Housing Act of 1949. (Sec. 118) Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 119) Sets forth special rules for the identification of: (1) foreign and other clients on whose behalf lobbying contacts are made with a covered legislative or executive branch official; and (2) such covered officials. (Sec. 121) Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to the Congress on differences in meaning between this Act and the Internal Revenue Code of "lobbying activities," "lobbying expenditures," "influencing legislation," and related terms. Requires the President to appoint an interim Director of the Office within 30 days after enactment of this Act. Title II: Congressional Gift Rules - Makes conforming amendments to the Standing Rules of the Senate and the Rules of the House of Representatives, as well as the Ethics in Government Act and the Ethics Reform Act of 1989, with regard to the restrictions of this Act on gifts by lobbyists and foreign agents to covered subjects.

Superfund Reform Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Community Participation and Human Health Title II: State Roles Title III: Voluntary Response Title IV: Liability and Allocation Title V: Remedy Selection and Cleanup Standards Title VI: Miscellaneous Title VII: Funding Title VIII: Environmental Insurance Resolution Fund Title IX: Taxes Subtitle A: Environmental Insurance Resolution Taxes and Trust Fund Subtitle B: 5-Year Extension of Hazardous Substance Superfund Subtitle C: Report by Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Reform Act of 1995 - Title I: Community Participation and Human Health - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA or Superfund) to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make technical assistance grants available to any group of individuals who may be affected by the release or threatened release of hazardous substances or pollutants at any facility on the State Registry or National Priorities List (NPL). (Sec. 101) Requires the President to provide for public participation in significant phases of response activities under CERCLA. Makes all nonprivileged information available to the public throughout all phases of the response action. Directs the President to ensure that the presentation of information on risk is unbiased and informative. (Sec. 102) Requires the President to provide the opportunity for the establishment of a representative public forum, known as a Community Working Group (CWG), to achieve direct, regular, and meaningful consultation with all interested parties throughout all stages of a response action whenever: (1) the President determines such a group will be helpful; or (2) 50 citizens, or at least 20 percent of the population of a locality in which the NPL facility is located, petition for a CWG to be established. Authorizes CWGs to offer recommendations on the anticipated future use of land at an affected facility prior to the selection of a remedy. Establishes a Citizen Information and Access Office within each State to provide information regarding State Registry and NPL sites, citizens' rights, facility records and health data, public meetings, removal and remedial actions, and outreach activities. Authorizes Indian tribes to petition the Administrator to form a body equivalent to such Office. Directs the Administrator to submit a biennial Environmental Justice Study to the Congress. (Sec. 103) Requires the President, in setting priorities for taking remedial action, to: (1) group facilities together, even if they are not adjacent, and score them as a single facility where more than one facility on the State Registry results in hazardous substances exposures to the same population; (2) take into account the use of land or waterways for subsistence, religious, or cultural practices where such use results in additional exposures, in placing facilities on the NPL; (3) conduct interviews with persons affected by the facility and solicit their input in the hazard ranking system evaluation; and (4) place highest priority on facilities with releases of hazardous substances which result in actual ongoing human exposures at levels resulting in demonstrated adverse health effects as identified in specified health assessments. Authorizes the President to take into account any history of exposure to hazardous substances in the community regardless of the source of exposure, in placing facilities on the NPL. Requires the Administrator to: (1) evaluate major urban areas and other areas where environmental justice concerns may warrant special attention; and (2) identify five facilities in each EPA region that are, or should be, on the State Registry and that are likely to warrant inclusion on the NPL. Accords such facilities a priority in evaluation for NPL listing and scoring. (Sec. 109) Requires the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Administrator to develop and distribute educational materials on human health effects of hazardous substances to the public. (Sec. 110) Authorizes the ATSDR Administrator to provide grant or contract assistance to individuals who may be affected by releases or threatened releases when: (1) a public health assessment is conducted at a facility on the NPL; or (2) a release is being evaluated for inclusion on the NPL. Authorizes the ATSDR Administrator, pursuant to such grants or contracts, to provide for health services to communities affected by the release of hazardous substances. (Sec. 113) Permits the EPA Administrator to carry out a demonstration program to assist in the recruitment and training of individuals from areas affected by NPL facilities for employment in remediation activities. Encourages parties conducting response actions under CERCLA to have their contractors train minorities and other disadvantaged persons from the affected community in remediation skills. Title II: State Roles - Authorizes States, pursuant to contracts or cooperative agreements, to apply to the Administrator to take or require: (1) preremedial actions at any non-federally owned or operated facility that is not listed on the NPL; or (2) response actions at non-federally owned or operated NPL facilities or removal actions at any facility proposed for listing on the NPL. Sets forth requirements for State enforcement and allocation of liability. (Sec. 202) Prohibits funding to States for response actions, except for emergency removal actions, unless the affected State provides assurances that it will pay 15 percent of the cost of the action or funding and will assure oversight of any operation and maintenance of response actions. (Sec. 206) Directs the Administrator to study the feasibility of authorizing States to use their own laws to carry out CERCLA in lieu of the Federal program under such Act. (Sec. 207) Authorizes States to apply to the Administrator to exercise the Administrator's authorities with respect to response actions at Federal facilities. Bases approval of transfer of authorities in part on a State's hazardous waste program authorization under the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Continues the existing limitations on transfers of authority from the Administrator to any other person under provisions regarding Federal facilities. Title III: Voluntary Response - Directs the Administrator to establish a program to provide assistance to States to establish and expand voluntary response programs. (Sec. 301) Provides that no portion of a facility subject to a response action plan under a qualified State program shall be proposed for listing on the NPL so long as substantial and continual response activities are being undertaken to complete the response action in a timely fashion. Directs the Administrator to promulgate regulations describing circumstances in which States with qualified programs and the authority to issue permits under Federal environmental statutes may waive permit requirements with respect to approved voluntary response plans under certain conditions. Provides that performance of a voluntary response action shall not constitute an admission of liability under any Federal, State, or local law or regulation or in any private action. Title IV: Liability and Allocation - Authorizes the Administrator to issue administrative subpoenas to require the attendance and testimony of witnesses and production of information regarding response actions. Revises confidentiality requirements with respect to such information and applies confidentiality requirements to contractors. (Sec. 403) Absolves of liability for response actions a person who does not impede a response action or natural resource restoration to the extent liability is based solely on: (1) arrangement, transportation, or acceptance provisions relating to disposal or treatment of hazardous substances and such activities only involved municipal solid waste or sewage sludge possessed by the person and the person is the owner, operator, or lessee of residential property or a small business or small nonprofit organization; (2) such provisions and such activities involved fewer than 55 gallons of liquid materials (or 100 pounds of solid materials) containing hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants or such amount as the Administrator may determine; (3) ownership or operation of a vessel or facility and the person is a bona fide prospective purchaser of the facility; (4) ownership and the person acquired the facility by inheritance after disposal of the hazardous substances took place, did not contribute to the release, and exercised due care with respect to such substances; (5) ownership by a Federal, State, or local entity of a road or other right-of-way (other than railroads) over which hazardous substances are transported or on the granting of a license or a permit to conduct business; or (6) actions of a Federal agency in response to a natural disaster. Makes persons who are solely liable under arrangement, transportation, or acceptance provisions regarding disposal or treatment of hazardous substances liable for no more than ten percent of total response costs if such activities only involved municipal solid waste or sewage sludge. Applies such limitation to the aggregate liability of all persons involved. Applies such limitation only if acts or omissions giving rise to liability occurred before the date 36 months after enactment of this Act or the person asserting the limitation participates in a qualified household hazardous waste collection program. Limits the liability of persons who do not impede the performance of a response action or natural resource restoration with respect to a release to the lesser of the fair market value of a vessel or facility or the actual proceeds of the sale of the vessel or facility subject to certain conditions. Provides that a person who owns or operates real property contiguous to property on which there has been a release of a hazardous substance and that may be contaminated shall not be considered an owner or operator, for liability purposes, if such persons: (1) exercised due care with respect to such substance; (2) took precautions against foreseeable acts or omissions that resulted in the release; and (3) did not cause or contribute to the release and provides access to persons authorized to conduct response actions. Authorizes the President to issue assurances of no enforcement action to such person and grant such person protection against cost recovery and contribution actions. Grants the United States a lien, subject to certain conditions, on any facility for which the prospective purchaser is not liable for unrecovered response costs. Provides that no lien shall arise with respect to property: (1) for which the property owner preceding the first bona fide prospective purchaser is not liable or has resolved liability; or (2) where an audit required by an environmental professional gives the purchaser no reason to know of the release of hazardous substances. (Sec. 404) Directs the Administrator to calculate the EPA response action oversight costs for which potentially responsible parties (PRPs) are liable on a national basis as a percentage of total response costs incurred by PRPs (the national oversight rate). Limits the rate to ten percent of total response costs incurred by all PRPs. Provides that when the President responds at facilities on the NPL, liability for pollutants and contaminants shall be identical to that for hazardous substances only if such pollutants and contaminants: (1) constitute an imminent and substantial danger to human health; and (2) are not associated with the production or extraction of any hydrocarbon. Prohibits liability based solely on a person's construction activities at a facility if a person can demonstrate that the activities were carried out in accordance with a contract with the owner or operator and the person is a small business construction contractor. (Sec. 405) Revises contribution provisions to require an action by a PRP against another PRP for recovery of costs to be commenced within the later of: (1) three years after completion of a removal action or within six years after initiation of physical on-site construction of the remedial action; or (2) three years after the date of judgment in any action for recovery or the date of any administrative order or judicial settlement for recovery of costs or damages. (Sec. 406) Provides that a person who has resolved liability to a State or an Indian tribe in an administrative or judicially approved settlement shall not be liable for claims by persons other than the United States regarding response costs or damages addressed in the settlement. Provides the same protection for persons who have resolved liability to the United States. Includes protection against all claims that may be asserted against the settling party for recovery of costs or damages paid by another person if addressed in the settlement, except claims based on contractual indemnification. Limits the right to seek contribution from other parties where: (1) the person asserting the right has waived such right in a settlement; (2) the person from whom the contribution is sought is not liable under CERCLA; or (3) the person from whom the contribution is sought has entered into a final settlement with the United States. Makes any person who commences a contribution action liable to the person against whom the action is brought for all reasonable costs of defending against the claim if the action: (1) is barred for the reasons stated above; (2) is brought against a person who is protected from suits by reason of settlement with the United States; or (3) is brought during a specified moratorium period. (Sec. 408) Provides that response action contractors shall not be liable solely as a result of testing or implementation of alternative or innovative treatment or containment technologies with respect to a response action if use of the technology has been approved by the authorized Federal or State regulatory agency. (Sec. 409) Requires consent decrees pursuant to settlements to require the parties to attempt expeditiously to resolve disagreements concerning implementation of the remedial action informally with Federal and State agencies. Requires such decrees to contain stipulated penalties for violations in an amount of up to $25,000 per day. Waives certain conditions to expand the scope of eligibility for de minimis settlements. Authorizes the Administrator, if a PRP will be paying amounts to the President as part of a settlement for carrying out a response action, to accept ownership of a financial instrument running irrevocably to the benefit of the United States to conduct such response actions. (Sec. 411) Requires (current law authorizes) the President to offer PRPs (currently, any person) who enter into settlement agreements that are in the public interest a final covenant not to sue concerning liability to the United States for response actions or costs, provided that: (1) the settling party agrees to perform a final remedial action for the release that is the subject of the settlement; (2) the remedial action does not provide any hazardous substances will remain at the facility at concentrations above the protective concentration levels established after completion of the final action; (3) the agreement has been reached prior to the commencement of litigation against the settling party; (4) the settling party waives all contribution rights against other PRPs at the facility; (5) the settling party pays a premium that compensates for the risks of remedy failure, unanticipated increases in the cost of any uncompleted action (unless the party is performing the action), and the U.S. litigation risk with respect to persons who have not resolved liability to the United States unless the settlement covers 100 percent of U.S. response costs; and (6) the settlement is otherwise acceptable to the United States. Authorizes the President, for settlements for which covenants are unavailable, to provide any person with a covenant not to sue concerning any liability to the United States if the covenant not to sue is in the public interest. (Sec. 412) Adds the following to the list of conditions that a PRP must meet in order to be eligible for an expedited settlement: (1) liability must be based solely on provisions regarding arrangement, transportation, or acceptance of municipal solid waste or sewage sludge for treatment or disposal; and (2) the PRP must be a natural person, small business, or a municipality that has demonstrated a limited ability to pay response costs. (Sec. 413) Directs the Administrator to initiate the allocation process under this Act for each nonfederally owned facility on the NPL that involves two or more PRPs: (1) for which the President selects a remedial action on or after February 3, 1994; and (2) for any such action selected before such date if requested by a PRP which has resolved liability to the United States with respect to the remedial action. Authorizes the Administrator to initiate such process for any facility involving two or more PRPs. Makes the allocation process inapplicable to a facility: (1) for which there has been a final settlement, decree, or order that determines all liability or allocated shares of PRPs; or (2) at which all of the PRPs are facility owners or operators. Authorizes the Administrator to initiate a single allocation process for more than one facility. Places a moratorium on the commencement or continuation of liability claims or recovery actions in connection with responses for which allocation is required until 90 days after the issuance of the allocator's report. Sets forth requirements concerning the allocation process, including those for the notification of PRPs and determinations regarding de minimis parties. Provides that de minimis parties that are potentially liable but entitled to expedited settlements shall not be subject to the allocation process unless they fail to settle with the President within 30 days of the offer. Requires the allocation parties to select an allocator from a list provided by the Administrator or from candidates proposed by the parties. Authorizes PRPs, prior to the issuance of the allocator's report, to submit a private allocation for the remedial action to the allocator. Requires the allocator to adopt such report if it meets specified conditions. Directs the allocator to conduct an allocation process culminating in the issuance of a report with a nonbinding, equitable allocation of the percentage shares of responsibility, including the orphan share, within 180 days of the issuance of the final list of parties or the date of the contract for allocation service, whichever is later. Bases allocation shares on the following factors: (1) the amount of hazardous substances contributed by each party; (2) the degree of toxicity and mobility of such substances; (3) the degree of involvement of each party in the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of such substances; (4) the degree of care exercised by the party; (5) the cooperation of the party in contributing to the response action; and (6) other factors determined by the Administrator. Sets forth components of orphan shares. Requires shares that the allocator cannot attribute to any party to be distributed among parties, including the orphan share. Authorizes the Administrator and the Attorney General to reject the allocator's report under certain conditions. Permits settling parties to seek a new allocation if there is convincing evidence that the allocator did not have certain information when the report was issued. Includes within settlements based on allocated shares: (1) a waiver of contribution rights against all PRPs for the response action as well as a waiver of rights to challenge any settlement the President enters into with any other PRP; (2) covenants not to sue; (3) a site-specific premium that compensates for the U.S. litigation risk with respect to PRPs who have not resolved liability (unless the settlement covers 100 percent of response costs); (4) contribution protection regarding matters addressed in the settlement; and (5) provisions through which the settling parties shall receive reimbursement from Superfund for response costs incurred in excess of the aggregate of their allocated share and any premia required by the settlement. Lists maximum amounts for premia authorized for litigation risk. Permits the Administrator to modify such amounts. Authorizes the United States to commence actions against liable persons who have not resolved liability following allocation. Sets forth conditions under which a party that performs work in excess of its allocated share may be reimbursed. Limits Superfund financing for reimbursements of costs incurred by parties that are attributable to orphan shares. Authorizes appropriations. Makes Federal agencies named as PRPs subject to the allocation process to the same extent as any other party. Declares that the procedures set forth in this Act shall not be construed to modify the principles of retroactive, strict, joint, and several liability. Provides that persons who are potentially liable solely as response action contractors shall not be named as allocation parties under this section. (Sec. 414) Absolves persons (other than owners or operators) who arranged for the recycling of recyclable material from liability for environmental response actions. 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 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 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) added hazardous substances 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. Makes such exemptions inapplicable if the recyclable material contained polychlorinated biphenyls in excess of 50 parts per million or any new Federal standard. Title V: Remedy Selection and Cleanup Standards - Revises provisions regarding cleanup standards to direct the Administrator to promulgate national goals to be applied at all facilities subject to remedial action under this Act. Requires such goals to be expressed as a single numerical level for chemical carcinogens and noncarcinogens. (Sec. 501) Directs the Administrator to promulgate a national risk protocol for conducting risk assessments under CERCLA. Requires the risk protocol to be used for risk assessment underlying determinations of the need for remedial action, the establishment of protective concentration levels of chemicals, and the evaluation of remedial alternatives. Requires remedial actions to: (1) comply with substantive requirements of Federal, or more stringent State, environmental or facility siting laws; (2) attain any promulgated concentration levels applicable to determining the level of cleanup for such actions; and (3) comply with any other standard under State environmental or facility siting laws that the State demonstrates is consistently applied to remedial actions. States that a goal of this Act is to restore any contaminated groundwater or surface water that may be used for drinking water to: (1) the level of any maximum contaminant level or level goal for the hazardous substance or contaminant that has been established under the Safe Drinking Water Act; and (2) a protective concentration level that attains such goal for any other hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Requires the achievement of such goal unless the President finds that such goal is technically impracticable from an engineering perspective or, under certain conditions, unreasonably costly. Requires remedial actions for contaminated groundwater (other than that used for drinking water) to attain levels appropriate to the current or anticipated use of such water. Authorizes the President to select a remedial action that does not comply with Federal and State standards subject to certain conditions. (Sec. 502) Revises general rules for remedial actions. Directs the President, in selecting a remedy, to take into account the reasonably anticipated future uses of land at a facility. Provides certain procedures for the remediation of hot spots. Requires the President to establish cost-effective generic remedies for categories of facilities. Sets forth factors to be taken into consideration with respect to selection of response actions for groundwater. (Sec. 504) Removes a condition on the President's authority to acquire property needed to conduct a response action that requires the State in which the property is located to agree to accept transfer of the property when the action is completed. (Sec. 505) Alters the criteria for the continuance of obligations for removal actions to provide that actions shall not continue after $4 million (currently, $2 million) has been obligated or two years (currently, 12 months) have elapsed from the date of initial response to a release or threatened release of hazardous substances. Requires Federal agencies, before the commencement of any non-emergency removal action, to notify the EPA and the State of the planned action and obtain, in the case of facilities listed or proposed for listing on the NPL, concurrence in the planned action from the EPA or the State. (Sec. 506) Authorizes the President, in order to respond to a release of a hazardous substance, to acquire a hazardous substance easement which limits or controls the use of land or other natural resources. Permits easements and notices of property use restrictions to be used whenever institutional controls have been selected as a component of a removal or remedial action. Makes easements enforceable in perpetuity (unless terminated pursuant to this Act) against owners of affected property or persons who acquire interest in, or rights to use, the property. Title VI: Miscellaneous - Makes a Federal agency subject to certain actions required for Federal facilities under CERCLA, with the exception of certain reporting requirements, if the agency owned or operated a facility over which it exercised no regulatory or other control over activities that resulted in a release of a hazardous substance unless: (1) no Federal agency was the primary or sole source or cause of such release; (2) the activities resulting in the release were pursuant to statutory authority and occurred prior to 1976; and (3) the persons primarily responsible for the release are financially viable and capable of performing or financing the response action. (Sec. 605) Authorizes the use of the Superfund to pay up to 50 percent of response costs incurred by a potentially liable party in taking approved actions to achieve response after employing an alternative or innovative technology that fails to achieve the required level of response. (Sec. 606) Includes trusts, estates, or persons who hold title to a vessel or facility or are otherwise affiliated with a vessel or facility in a fiduciary capacity within the definition of "owner or operator" for purposes of determining liability under CERCLA. Limits the personal obligations and liabilities of a fiduciary to the extent to which the assets of the trust or estate are sufficient to indemnify the fiduciary, subject to certain conditions. Excludes from such definition the United States, a Federal agency, or a conservator or receiver appointed by a Federal agency which acquired ownership of a facility or vessel in connection with receivership or conservatorship and forfeiture or seizure authority, provided such entity does not participate in operations that result in a release. (Sec. 608) Directs the Administrator to establish a small business Superfund assistance section within the small business ombudsman office to provide assistance and information regarding CERCLA and the allocation and settlement processes. (Sec. 611) Requires the Administrator to study and report to the Congress on EPA procedures for suspension and debarment of persons and business entities, particularly response action contractors, and to assess the feasibility and cost of creating a nationwide data base to track such persons. (Sec. 613) Directs the Administrator to publish guidelines for a model State program for the training and certification of individuals to perform Phase I Environmental Site Assessments. Establishes the Environmental Certification Board. (Sec. 615) Revises provisions regarding the application of CERCLA to Federal agencies to make such agencies subject to all Federal, State, interstate, and local requirements regarding response actions related to, or management of, hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants in the same manner as such requirements apply to nongovernmental entities. Absolves Federal employees of personal liability for civil penalties under Federal or State response laws with respect to acts or omissions within their official duties. Makes such employees subject to criminal sanctions under such laws, but exempts Federal agencies from such sanctions. (Sec. 616) Increases the authorization from Superfund for worker training and education grants. (Sec. 619) Makes States eligible for reimbursement currently available to local governments for emergency response actions. (Sec. 620) Directs the Administrator to study and report to the Congress on the feasibility of instituting a small disadvantaged business goal program for all Federal contracts under CERCLA. Title VII: Funding - Extends the authorization of appropriations to carry out specified Superfund authorities through FY 2000. Title VIII: Environmental Insurance Resolution Fund - Environmental Insurance Resolution and Equity Act of 1995 - Establishes the Environmental Insurance Resolution Fund to provide for the resolution of disputes between certain PRPs and their insurers. (Sec. 805) Authorizes the Fund to decide not to make an offer unless an eligible person has filed and is actively pursuing a claim with an insurer. (Sec. 806) Requires the Fund to make resolution offers to eligible persons equal to the applicable percentage of the lesser of the eligible costs incurred by the persons or the available coverage. Describes applicable percentages based on facility location and size, litigation venues, and State. (Sec. 807) Directs eligible persons that accept Fund resolutions to waive existing and future claims against an insurer for eligible costs. (Sec. 808) Requires the Fund to make pre- and post-resolution payments to eligible persons who accept a resolution. Treats payments made by the Fund to an eligible person as payments made by an insurer. (Sec. 809) Requires the Fund, in cases where an eligible person rejects a resolution offer, litigates a claim against an insurer, and obtains a final judgment against, or enters into a settlement with, the insurer, to reimburse the insurer for the lesser of the amount of the resolution offer or the final judgment or settlement. Authorizes the Fund, in such cases, to reimburse an insurer for unrecovered reasonable costs and legal fees if the resolution offer exceeded such final judgment or settlement. (Sec. 811) Provides that this title acts as a stay of all pending litigation regarding claims for indemnity or arising from insurance coverage for eligible costs. Bars stays of litigation ten years after this Act's enactment with respect to: (1) a person that becomes an eligible person on or after such date; and (2) an eligible person that has not filed a request for a resolution offer and has not rejected an offer before such date. (Sec. 815) Directs the President to report on: (1) the potential liability of the Fund; and (2) the number of non-NPL facilities and their average cleanup cost. (Sec. 817) Terminates the Fund's authority to: (1) accept requests for resolution ten years after this Act's enactment date; and (2) offer resolutions ten years and 180 days after such date. Title IX: Environmental Insurance Resolution Taxes and Trust Fund; 5-Year Extension of Hazardous Substance Superfund - Subtitle A: Environmental Insurance Resolution Taxes and Trust Fund - Amends provisions of the Internal Revenue Code relating to environmental taxes to establish environmental insurance resolution taxes. Imposes a tax on each assessable person engaged in any trade or business that is equal to: (1) such person's adjusted base-period commercial direct premiums multiplied by the applicable direct funding rate; and (2) such person's adjusted base-period commercial reinsurance premiums multiplied by the applicable reinsurance funding rate. (Sec. 901) Sets the exemption amount for any person at $50 million. Treats participants in joint underwriting operations of insurance or reinsurance and those treated as single employers as one person and allocates the exemption amount between participants. Imposes a tax on a policy of casualty insurance against hazards, risks, losses, or liabilities in the United States or related policies of reinsurance on which premiums are written by foreign persons. Requires such tax to be equal to .50 percent of the maximum limit of liability of such persons under such policies. Sets forth conditions under which foreign persons are exempt from such tax (including cases where foreign persons may be taxed as assessable persons). Imposes a tax (on current-year premiums) equal to the direct premiums written under specified insurance policies issued against hazards, risks, losses, or liabilities within the United States multiplied by the applicable funding rate. Exempts policies related to directors and officers liability insurance, professional liability insurance, and fire insurance on residential or farm owner-occupied housing units. Sets the exemption amount for such tax at $5 million. Establishes a special withholding rule for premiums issued by foreign persons unless the income from the premiums is connected with a U.S. trade or business and is not exempt from income tax pursuant to a treaty. Imposes assessments on insurers resolving claims with the Environmental Insurance Resolution Trust Fund. Requires such assessments to be in an amount equal to an insurer's Fund-certified percentages of the direct insurance and reinsurance limits. Provides that such assessments are excise taxes and shall be imposed and collected in the same manner as other excise taxes. (Sec. 902) Establishes the Environmental Insurance Resolution Trust Fund to be composed of environmental insurance resolution taxes and amounts in the Environmental Insurance Resolution Fund established under title VIII of this Act. Makes the Trust Fund available to carry out title VIII. (Sec. 903) Exempts the Environmental Insurance Resolution Fund from income tax. Subtitle B: 5-Year Extension of Hazardous Substance Superfund - Provides for a five-year extension of Superfund. Subtitle C: Report by Environmental Protection Agency - Directs the Administrator to report annually to the Congress on the effectiveness of this Act's liability and enforcement reforms.

Homeless Children's Immunization Assistance Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

Homeless Children's Immunization Assistance Act - Amends the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act to require operators of specified emergency shelters and transitional housing to determine the immunization status of children under the age of six years old occupying such housing.

Public Housing Energy Conservation Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

Public Housing Energy Conservation Act - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to: (1) establish public housing energy conservation performance standards; and (2) revise public housing construction cost limits to reflect structural life-cycle costs and major heating and cooling systems. Requires public housing development and rehabilitation programs begun one year after enactment of this Act to incorporate such standards. Directs the Secretary to provide financial assistance to the Chicago Housing Authority in Illinois to implement public housing energy conservation measures. Authorizes appropriations.

Fugitive Felon Welfare Elimination Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

Fugitive Felon Welfare Elimination Act of 1995 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid), part A (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) (AFDC) of title IV, and title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act (SSA), as well as the Food Stamp Act of 1977 and the United States Housing Act of 1937, to eliminate specified benefits with respect to fugitive felons and probation and parole violators. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and every public housing agency contracting with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, to furnish information concerning such individuals with Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies. Amends the same SSA titles and Acts to require the appropriate agencies to furnish the Immigration and Naturalization Service with the names and addresses of, and other identifying information on, any individual known to be an illegal alien. Amends AFDC provisions to require termination of benefits for dependent children absent from the home for specified periods of time, with allowance for good cause exceptions.

Rural Multifamily Rental Housing Loan Guarantee Demonstration Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

Rural Multifamily Rental Housing Loan Guarantee Demonstration Act - Amends the Housing Act of 1949 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to guarantee eligible loans for the development costs of low or moderate income rural multifamily rental housing. Authorizes appropriations.

FHA Water Purification Standards Amendments Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

FHA Water Purification Standards Amendments Act - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 to direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide for the approval of both point-of-use and point-of-entry water treatment equipment and water purification systems that meet certain statutory standards. Prohibits the Secretary from requiring the use of a water treatment system on any water supply source that will not be used primarily for human consumption.

Housing and Community Development Act of 1995

United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Housing Assistance Subtitle A: Public and Indian Housing Subtitle B: Section 8 Rental Assistance Subtitle C: Homeownership Programs Subtitle D: Home Investment Partnerships Subtitle E: Supportive Housing Programs Subtitle F: Mortgage Insurance and Secondary Mortgage Market Title II: Community Development Title III: Homeless Assistance Subtitle A: Reorganization of Certain McKinney Act Housing Provisions Subtitle B: Other Housing Assistance Programs for the Homeless Under McKinney Act Subtitle C: Miscellaneous Homeless Housing Provisions Title IV: Rural Housing Programs Title V: Authorizations of Appropriations Housing and Community Development Act of 1995 - Title I: Housing Assistance - Subtitle A: Public and Indian Housing - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to revise public housing ceiling rent provisions. (Sec. 109) Authorizes: (1) the use of modernization funds for replacement housing; and (2) public housing agencies to leverage amounts for replacement and modernization. (Sec. 111) Revises public housing demolition and disposition provisions. (Sec. 112) Increases maximum planning grant amounts under the distressed housing revitalization program. Revises related implementation grant provisions. (Sec. 113) Applies specified public housing provisions to Indian housing. (Sec. 115) Community Partnerships Against Crime Act of 1994 - Amends the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 to include "adjacent premises" within the scope of the public housing drug-related crime elimination program. (Sec. 116) Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to increase maximum amounts available and extend funding availability to a public housing agency for resident opportunity assistance (currently resident management technical assistance and training). Subtitle B: Section 8 Rental Assistance - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to merge the section 8 certificate and voucher rental assistance programs into a single rental assistance program. Sets forth program provisions. (Sec. 122) Authorizes incentives to refinance high interest rate mortgages for section 8 projects. (Sec. 124) Authorizes renewal of expiring section 8 contracts. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 125) Provides for the conversion of assistance for the Tamaqua Highrise housing project in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, from a leased housing contract to tenant-based assistance. Deems specified dwelling units in Perth Amboy and New Brunswick, New Jersey, to be in compliance with certain rehabilitation requirements. Subtitle C: Homeownership Programs - National Homeownership Fund Act - Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to replace the current National Homeownership Trust Demonstration with a National Homeownership Fund program which shall make grants to States, housing finance agencies, and nonprofit housing intermediaries for first-time homebuyer assistance in the forms of: (1) downpayment assistance; (2) second mortgage assistance; (3) revolving loan fund capitalization; and (4) interest rate buydowns. (Sec. 133) Amends the Housing and Commodity Development Act of 1992 to revise non-federally owned or assisted housing eligibility for residential lead-based paint reduction assistance. Extends authorization of appropriations for Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) lead exposure research. (Sec. 134) Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to extend the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation affordable housing program. Subtitle D: Home Investment Partnerships - Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to increase the eligible uses of HOME investment partnerships. Subtitle E: Supportive Housing Programs - Amends the Housing Act of 1959 to permit supportive housing for the elderly assistance to be used for elder cottage housing units. Redefines "frail elderly." Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to repeal the elder cottage housing unit demonstration program. (Sec. 152) Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to make public housing agencies eligible sponsors under the supportive housing for persons with disabilities program. (Sec. 153) Revises: (1) meal fee and matching amounts under the revised congregate services program; and (2) contribution amounts under the supportive housing assistance for elderly independence program. Subtitle F: Mortgage Insurance and Secondary Mortgage Market - Amends the National Housing Act to extend multifamily housing mortgage loan provisions. (Sec. 162) Revises refinancing provisions for HUD-held mortgages. (Sec. 163) Authorizes the delegation of single family mortgage insuring authority to direct endorsement mortgages. Title II: Community Development - Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to extend community development block grant (CDBE) assistance for colonias. (Sec. 205) Authorizes a colonias assistance program, including model programs. (Sec. 206) Increases eligible activities under the youth build program. Gives priority to applicants supplementing grant amounts. Title III: Homeless Assistance - Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Housing Assistance Amendments Act of 1994 - Subtitle A: Reorganization of Certain McKinney Act Housing Provisions - Amends the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act to establish a flexible grant program including: (1) homelessness prevention; (2) emergency shelter; (3) supportive housing; (4) safe havens; (5) shelter plus care; and (6) innovative homeless initiatives. Subtitle B: Other Housing Assistance Programs for the Homeless Under McKinney Act - Amends the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act to establish a program of section 8 assistance for shelter plus care single room occupancy dwellings. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle C: Miscellaneous Homeless Housing Provisions - Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to provide for the elimination of unfit transient facilities. Title IV: Rural Housing - Amends the Housing Act of 1949 to authorize appropriations for specified rural housing and related programs. (Sec. 402) Makes Indians eligible for rural housing programs. (Sec. 404) Revises rural homeownership loan and rental housing provisions. (Sec. 407) Extends set-aside authority for underserved areas. Increases set-asides for colonias. Revises underserved area designation criteria. (Sec. 409) Reduces the maximum term of rural rental housing loans. Extends non-profit set-aside authority. Authorizes mortgage modifications, including an expedited refinancing procedure. (Sec. 410) Authorizes the optional conversion of rental assistance payments to operating subsidies for migrant farmworker projects. (Sec. 413) Authorizes loan guarantees through FY 1996 for multifamily rural rental housing. Sets forth related provisions. Title V: Authorization of Appropriations - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to increase aggregate low-income housing budget authority. Sets forth obligations for specified housing programs. (Sec. 502) Authorizes appropriations for lower-income housing. (Sec. 503) Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to authorize appropriations for Indian housing loan guarantees. (Sec. 504) Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to: (1) extend set-asides for new construction of projects for disabled families; (2) reduce annual emergency modernization funds; and (3) authorize appropriations for family investment centers. (Sec. 507) Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to authorize appropriations for federally assisted multifamily housing. (Sec. 508) Amends the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 to authorize appropriations for the community partnerships against crime program. (Sec. 509) Amends the Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983 to authorize appropriations for the early childhood development program. (Sec. 511) Amends the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 to extend and authorize appropriations for specified housing counseling programs. (Sec. 513) Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to authorize appropriations for supportive housing for the elderly and for persons with disabilities. (Sec. 514) Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to: (1) authorize appropriations for congregate and supportive services; (2) increase budget authority for section 8 assistance under the United States Housing Act of 1937; (3) authorize appropriations for housing opportunities for persons with AIDS; and (4) authorize appropriations for the National Homeownership Fund. (Sec. 518) Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 to authorize appropriations for low-income housing preservation, including technical assistance and capacity building set-asides. (Sec. 519) Amends the Housing and Community Development Amendments of 1978 to authorize appropriations for the flexible subsidy program. (Sec. 520) Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to authorize appropriations for: (1) the home investment partnerships program; and (2) the youth build program. (Sec. 521) Amends the HUD Demonstration Act of 1993 to authorize appropriations for the community investment demonstration program. (Sec. 523) Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to authorize appropriations for: (1) community development block grants; (2) real property loan guarantees; (3) special purpose grants; and (4) economic development grants. (Sec. 525) Amends the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation Act to authorize appropriations for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. (Sec. 526) Amends the Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983 to authorize appropriations for the John Heinz neighborhood development program. (Sec. 527) Authorizes appropriations for colonias assistance. (Sec. 528) Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to: (1) extend loan and mortgage insurance authority under the New Towns demonstration program for emergency relief of Los Angeles; (2) authorize appropriations for second mortgage assistance; and (3) authorize appropriations for community development assistance. (Sec. 529) Amends the National Housing Act to extend FHA mortgage insurance authority. (Sec. 530) Amends the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act to extend GNMA mortgage guarantee authority. (Sec. 532) Amends the Housing and Urban Development Act to authorize appropriations for housing research and development. (Sec. 533) Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to authorize appropriations for residential lead-based paint hazard reduction, including technical assistance and capacity building, and research set-asides. (Sec. 534) Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 to authorize appropriations and specified set-asides for the fair housing initiatives program. (Sec. 535) Authorizes appropriations for: (1) the National American Indian Housing Council and (2) the Housing Assistance Council. (Sec. 537) Amends the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act to: (1) authorize appropriations for the flexible block grant program; (2) increase budget authority for section 8 assistance for single room occupancy dwellings; (3) authorize appropriations for section 8 assistance for shelter plus care single room occupancy dwellings; (4) authorize appropriations for the rural homelessness program; (5) extend and authorize appropriations for the Interagency Council on the Homeless; and (6) authorize appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency food and shelter program.