bill_id,congress,bill_type,bill_number,title,policy_area,introduced_date,latest_action_date,latest_action_text,origin_chamber,sponsor_name,sponsor_state,sponsor_party,sponsor_bioguide_id,cosponsor_count,summary_text,update_date,url
105-hr-4874,105,hr,4874,International Military Training Transparency and Accountability Act,International Affairs,1998-10-21,1998-10-21,Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.,House,"Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]",NJ,R,S000522,1,"International Military Training Transparency and Accountability Act - Amends the Arms Export Control Act to prohibit the sale, lease, loan, or grant of defense services or training (including Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET)) to any foreign country that is prohibited or restricted from receiving international military education and training (IMET), or other military assistance or arms transfers. Permits a foreign country that is eligible to receive only expanded IMET, and is not prohibited from receiving any other military assistance or arms transfers, to receive defense services and training if it provides for training of civilian officials and military officers of the armed forces on military justice, international human rights standards, and the proper role of such forces in a democratic society. Permits a foreign country otherwise prohibited or restricted from receiving IMET or any other military assistance or arms transfers to receive defense services and training substantially unrelated to the prohibited military assistance or arms transfers, provided the President makes a specified certification to the Congress. Authorizes the President to waive any prohibition under this Act with respect to a foreign country upon certification to the Congress that it is important to the national security of the United States.",2025-08-21T16:12:59Z,
105-hr-4856,105,hr,4856,Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 1998,Foreign Trade and International Finance,1998-10-20,1998-10-21,Received in the Senate.,House,"Rep. Archer, Bill [R-TX-7]",TX,R,A000215,9,"TABLE OF CONTENTS:      Title I:  Miscellaneous Trade Corrections      Title II:  Temporary Duty Suspensions and Reductions; Other           Trade Provisions           Subtitle A:  Temporary Duty Suspensions and Reductions           Subtitle B:  Other Trade Provisions      Title III: Amendments to Internal Revenue Code of 1986 Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 1998 - Title I:  Miscellaneous Trade Corrections - Makes various specified miscellaneous technical corrections to the Trade Act of 1974 and other specified Federal law involving:  (1) abolishment of the East-West Foreign Trade Board; (2) repeal of the requirement that certain small vessels departing from a foreign port, or which visited a hovering vessel, carry a certificate for the importation into the United States of alcoholic spirits; (3) repeal of the exemption of documented tugs with a Great Lakes endorsement from certain entry and clearance requirements; (4) change of general most-favored-nation (MFN) status to general or normal trade relations (NTR) status under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States; and (5) conforming amendments to obsolete references to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). (Sec. 1003) Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to allow certain entries of television receivers, monitors, and picture tubes, and combination TV-VCRs with a diagonal measurement of up to 34.29cm (currently, 33.02 cm), or 13.5 inches, to be classified as 13 inches for purposes of tariff treatment under the Schedule. Directs the Customs Service, upon proper request, to liquidate or reliquidate certain entries made on or after January 1, 1995, and before 15 days after enactment of this Act, as if such amendment applied to such entries. Title II:  Temporary Duty Suspensions and Reductions; Other Trade Provisions - Subtitle A:  Temporary Duty Suspensions and Reductions - Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to provide for temporary duty suspensions for:  (1) specified chemicals and dyes through December 31, 2001; (2) snowboard boots with uppers of textile materials through December 31, 2001; (3) ink-jet textile printing machinery through December 31, 2001; (4) textile printing machinery through December 31, 2001; (5) substrates of synthetic quartz or synthetic fused silica imported into the United States in bulk or in forms or packages for retail sale through December 31, 2001; (6) power weaving machines (looms), shuttle type, for weaving fabrics between 30 cm and 4.9m in width, if entered without off-loom or large loom take-ups, drop wires, heddles, reeds, harness frames or beams, through December 31, 2001; (7) skating boots for use in the manufacture of in-line roller skates through December 31, 2001; (8) dual thrust chamber rocket engines, each having a maximum static sea level thrust exceeding 3,550 kN and nozzle exit diameter exceeding 127cm, through December 31, 2001; (9) certain manufacturing equipment through December 31, 2001; (10) textured rolled glass sheets through December 31, 2001; (11) certain anti-HIV drug substances through June 30, 1999; (12) certain high-performance loudspeakers not mounted in their enclosures, through December 31, 2001; (13) parts for use in the manufacture of certain high-performance loudspeakers through December 31, 2001; (14) textile doubling or twisting machines through December 31, 1998; and (15) certain polymers through December 31, 2001. (Sec. 2129) Reduces the duty on a certain dye and on certain chemicals variously through December 31, 1998, December 31, 1999, December 31, 2000, and December 31, 2001. (Sec. 2161) Reduces the duty, for December 31, 1998, and December 31, 2001, respectively, on weaving machines (looms), shuttleless type, for weaving fabrics between 30cm and 4.9m in width, entered without off-loom or large loom takeups, drop wires, heddles, reeds, harness frames, or beams. Subtitle B:  Other Trade Provisions - Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to extend to certain fine jewelry certain trade benefits of insular possessions of the United States. (Sec. 2401) Mandates treatment as a product of the Virgin Islands, Guam, or American Samoa, during 1999 and 2000, of any article of jewelry assembled in such territory or possession. (Sec. 2402) Provides for the tariff treatment of certain components of scientific instruments and apparatus, as well as the application of the domestic equivalency test to such components. (Sec. 2403) Directs the U.S. Customs Service to liquidate or reliquidate (refund duty on) certain entries made at Los Angeles, California, and New Orleans, Louisiana, in accordance with the final decision of the International Trade Administration for shipments entered between October 1, 1984, and December 14, 1987 (case number A- 274-001). (Sec. 2404) Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to provide that packaging material produced in the United States (currently, any packaging material), which is used by the manufacturer or any other person on or for articles which are exported or destroyed, shall also be eligible for a refund (drawback) of 99 percent of any duty, tax, or fee imposed on the importation of such material used to manufacture or produce the packaging material. (Sec. 2405) Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, by January 1, 2000, to provide for the inclusion of commercial importation data from foreign-trade zones in the National Customs Automation Program (an automated and electronic system for processing commercial importations). (Sec. 2406) Permits the deferral (until sale) of duty payment on any large yacht (a vessel exceeding 79 feet in length and used primarily for recreation or pleasure) that is imported for sale at a boat show, if the importer of record:  (1) certifies to the Customs Service that it is imported for sale at a boat show in the United States; and (2) posts a bond in an amount equal to twice the amount of the duty ordinarily owed on such yacht. (Sec. 2407) Directs the appropriate customs officer to allow or deny within 30 days after the filing date any application for further review with respect to a protest to a decision of the Customs Service.  Requires that any allowed protest be forwarded to the customs officer who will conduct the further review. (Sec. 2408) Authorizes the Customs Service, notwithstanding the fact that a valid protest was not filed, to reliquidate an entry to refund merchandise processing fees paid on goods qualifying under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) rules of origin for which no claim for preferential tariff treatment was made at the time of importation, provided that the importer meets certain conditions. (Sec. 2409) Authorizes the entry or withdrawal from a warehouse of international travel merchandise subject to a duty. (Sec. 2410) Revises requirements with respect to the five-year review by the administering authority and the International Trade Commission of countervailing duty or antidumping duty orders, notices of injury determination, or determinations to continue an order or suspension agreement.  Excludes from the computation of the five-year period preceding such a review any period during which the importation of the subject merchandise is prohibited on account of U.S. imposition of certain sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act or other Federal law against the country in which such merchandise originates, if that country is not a member of the World Trade Organization. (Sec. 2411) Applies the rates of duty effective after December 31, 1994, under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, if lower, to certain water resistant wool trousers that were entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, after December 31, 1988, and before January 1, 1995. (Sec. 2412) Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to provide duty-free treatment of previously imported goods for which a duty was paid if they are:  (1) exported within three years after the date of such previous importation; (2) sold for exportation and exported to individuals for personal use; (3) reimported without having been advanced in value or improved in condition by any process of manufacture or other means while abroad; (4) reimported as personal returns from those individuals, whether or not consolidated with other personal returns prior to reimportation; and (5) reimported by or for the account of the person who exported them from the United States within one year of such exportation. (Sec. 2413) Grants duty-free treatment, through December 31, 2002, to the personal effects of, and other equipment imported and used by, participants, their families and associated members, and officials involved in the 1999 International Special Olympics, the 1999 Women's World Cup Soccer, the 2001 International Special Olympics, the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, and the 2002 Winter Paralympic Games. Declares that such articles shall be:  (1) free of applicable taxes and fees; but (2) not exempt from routine customs inspections. (Sec. 2414) Directs the U.S. Customs Service, upon request, to liquidate or reliquidate (refund duty on) certain entries (filed at the port of Los Angeles) of indirect electrostatic copiers at the rate of duty that would have been applicable to such merchandise if they had been liquidated or reliquidated at a duty rate applicable to other automated data processing (ADP) thermal transfer printer units on the date of entry. (Sec. 2415) Directs the U.S. Customs Service to provide for the liquidation or reliquidation (refund) of certain entries in accordance with the provisions of Treasury Decision 86-126(M) and Customs Ruling No.  224697, dated November 17, 1994. (Sec. 2417) Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to authorize duty-free sales enterprises to be located, among other places, within a port of entry, or within 25 statute miles of a staffed port of entry, if reasonable assurance can be provided that the duty-free merchandise sold by the enterprise will be exported by individuals departing from the customs territory through an international airport located within the territory. (Sec. 2418) Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to continue, indefinitely, the use of customs user fees (to the extent funds remain available after making certain reimbursements) for salaries for up to 50 full-time equivalent inspectional positions to provide preclearance customs services. Decreases from $6.50 to $5 the customs user fee charged to each passenger that arrives aboard a commercial vessel or commercial aircraft from a place outside the U.S. customs (except $1.75 shall be charged to each passenger aboard a commercial vessel that arrives from Canada, Mexico, a U.S. territory or possession, or an adjacent island). Earmarks a specified amount of certain customs user fees to the Customs Service for automated commercial systems. Directs the Commissioner of Customs to establish an advisory committee, consisting of representatives from the airline, cruise ship, and other transportation industries, to advise the Commissioner on issues related to the performance of the inspectional services of the Customs Service. Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to authorize the Secretary, for a specified period, to prescribe an alternative mid-point interest accounting methodology, which may be employed by the importer, based upon aggregate data in lieu of accounting for such interest from each deposit data provided. (Sec. 2419) Allows a duty drawback (refund of duty) for methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), a finished petroleum derivative, provided certain requirements are met. (Sec. 2420) Revises the methodology used to calculate the drawback (refund of duties) on the export of finished petroleum derivatives that have been manufactured with (substituted for) a qualified article which is of the same kind and quality (whether imported duty-paid or domestic).  Redefines the term ""qualified article"" to include certain manufactured articles (primary forms), including articles of the same kind and quality, or any combination thereof, that are transferred as certified in a certificate of delivery or certificate of manufacture and delivery to an exporter in a quantity not greater than the quantity of articles purchased or exchanged for use in the manufactured article. (Sec. 2421) Directs the U.S. Customs Service, upon proper request, to:  (1) liquidate or reliquidate as if the special column one duty rate applicable for Canada applied to certain entries of mueslix cereal; and (2) refund to the importer any excess duties paid with respect to such entries. (Sec. 2422) Directs the Foreign Trade Zones Board to expand Foreign Trade Zone No.  143 to include areas in the vicinity of the Chico Municipal Airport in accordance with the application submitted to the Board by the Sacramento-Yolo Port District of Sacramento, California, on March 11, 1997. (Sec. 2423) Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to exempt certain woven fabrics containing silk or silk waste from the country of origin marking requirements. (Sec. 2424) Authorizes the President to:  (1) determine that title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 (denying nondiscriminatory treatment to the products of certain countries) should no longer apply to Mongolia; and (2) based upon such determination, extend nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to Mongolian products. (Sec. 2425) Authorizes the Commissioner of the Customs Service to establish a one-year pilot program to provide 24-hour cargo inspection service on a fee-for-service basis at a certain international airport. (Sec. 2426) Directs the Department of Defense to permit the dependent children of deceased U.S. Customs Aviation Group Supervisor Pedro J. Rodriquez attending the Antilles Consolidated School System at Ford Buchanan, Puerto Rico, to complete their primary and secondary education without cost to them or any parent or relative. Title III:  Amendments To Internal Revenue Code of 1986 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise provisions concerning a corporation, its shareholders, and the transferring of certain assets and liabilities.",2025-04-07T15:23:24Z,
105-hr-4857,105,hr,4857,"Government Waste, Fraud, and Error Reduction Act of 1998",Government Operations and Politics,1998-10-20,1998-10-21,Received in the Senate.,House,"Rep. Horn, Stephen [R-CA-38]",CA,R,H000789,4,"TABLE OF CONTENTS:      Title I:  General Management Improvements      Title II:  Improving Federal Debt Collection Practices      Title III:  Sale of Nontax Debts Owed to United States      Title IV:  Treatment of High Value Nontax Debts      Title V:  Federal Payments Government Waste, Fraud, and Error Reduction Act of 1998 Title I: General Management Improvements - Amends requirements regarding certain Federal agencies' (executive departments as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) audited financial statements, including to:  (1) extend the deadline for the preparation and submission of the first of such statements; and (2) provide for submission of such statements to the Congress and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Director). (Currently, such statements are to be submitted to the Director.) (Sec. 102) Excludes lodging provided under Federal travel and subsistence expense provisions from an exception which prohibits agency heads from requiring employees or members of the uniformed services to occupy quarters on a rental basis. Directs each head of an executive agency to require, with respect to travel by agency employees in the performance of their duties, the use by such employees of travel management centers, authorized travel agents, and electronic reservation and payment systems for the purpose of improving efficiency and economy regarding travel by agency employees.  Requires the Administrator of General Services to develop a plan regarding implementation of this requirement and to report to the Congress on such plan and the means by which such agency heads plan to ensure that employees use travel management centers, travel agents, and electronic reservation and payment systems. Directs the Administrator to ensure that employees of executive agencies are not inappropriately charged State and local taxes on travel expenses.  Requires the Administrator to report to the Congress on the steps taken and proposed to be taken to carry out such requirement. Title II:  Improving Federal Debt Collection Practices - Makes technical amendments to financial management provisions relating to claims of the U.S. Government, including those that permit a State to collect by administrative offset certain payments under the Social Security Act, Black Lung Benefits Act, or railroad retirement laws for past due child support being enforced by a State. Sets forth provisions relating to the collection by private collection contractors through the use of garnishment of any debt owed to the United States, including to prohibit a private collection contractor, in attempting to collect through the use of garnishment any such debt, from being precluded from verifying the debtor's current employer, the location of the payroll office of the debtor's current employer, the period the debtor has been employed by the current employer, and the compensation received by the debtor from such employer. Requires collection contracts to include conditions under which contractors are:  (1) subject to penalties for failures to comply with applicable law or for unreasonable or abusive collection practices; or (2) absolved from liability or contract penalties in connection with collecting a debt by actions required by such contracts. Amends provisions relating to contracts for collection services to authorize the Attorney General to make contracts retaining private counsel to furnish legal services in the case of any monetary claim, including claims for civil fines or penalties.  (Under current law, such contracts are made only in the case of any claim of indebtedness owed the United States.) (Sec. 202) Bars certain delinquent Federal debtors from being eligible for the award or renewal of any:  (1) Federal financial assistance in the form of a loan (other than a disaster loan), loan insurance, or guarantee; or (2) Federal permit or license. (Sec. 203) Prohibits an executive, judicial, or legislative agency head from discharging a nontax debt or terminating collection action on such a debt unless:  (1) it has been referred to a private collection contractor, a debt collection center, or to the Attorney General for litigation; (2) it has been sold without recourse; (3) administrative wage garnishment has been undertaken; or (4) there is bankruptcy, death, or disability.  Permits the agency head to waive the application of such requirement with respect to any nontax debt, or class of nontax debts, if the waiver is in the best interest of the United States. Title III:  Sale of Nontax Debts Owed to United States - Allows an executive, judicial, or legislative agency head to sell, using competitive procedures, any nontax debt owed to the United States that is administered by the agency.  Specifies that such sales shall:  (1) be for cash or cash and a residuary equity, joint venture, or profit participation, if the proceeds will be greater than the proceeds from a sale solely for cash; (2) be without recourse against the United States, but may include the use of guarantees if authorized by law; and (3) transfer to the purchaser all U.S. rights to demand payment of the debt, other than with respect to a residuary equity, joint venture, or profit participation. (Sec. 302) Sets forth requirements for the sale of certain:  (1) delinquent nontax loans; (2) loans; and (3) nontax debts or class of debts. Title IV:  Treatment of High Value Nontax Debts - Requires each agency head that administers a program that gives rise to a delinquent high value nontax debt (a nontax debt having an outstanding value that exceeds $1 million) to submit an annual report to the Congress that lists each such debt. (Sec. 402) Requires the Inspector General of each agency to:  (1) review such annual report to the Congress and make such recommendations as necessary to improve the agency's performance; (2) periodically review and report to the Congress on the agency's nontax debt collection management practices; and (3) as part of such reviews, examine agency efforts to reduce the aggregate amount of high value nontax debts that are resolved in whole or in part by compromise, default, or bankruptcy. (Sec. 403) Requires an agency head authorized to collect a delinquent high value nontax debt to promptly seek seizure and forfeiture of assets pledged to the United States in any transaction giving rise to such a debt.  Directs an agency, upon determining that seizure or forfeiture is not appropriate, to include a justification for such determination in the annual report. Title V:  Federal Payments - Includes within requirements of the Director's regulations regarding Federal payments that a required payment date may be waived to provide for early payment in cases where an agency will implement an electronic payment technology which improves agency cash management and business practice. Permits an executive agency head, subject to an agreement between the agency head and the applicable financial institution, to accept an electronic payment, including debit and credit cards, to satisfy a nontax debt owed to the agency.",2025-04-07T15:24:01Z,
105-hr-4858,105,hr,4858,United States-Panama Partnership Act of 1998,International Affairs,1998-10-20,1998-10-20,Referred to House Ways and Means,House,"Rep. Gilman, Benjamin A. [R-NY-20]",NY,R,G000212,9,"United States-Panama Partnership Act of 1998 - Authorizes the President, any time before December 31, 1999, to certify to the Congress that the United States and the Government of Panama have reached an agreement permitting the United States, for a period of not less than 15 years beginning on January 1, 2000, to maintain its military presence at Howard Air Force Base, Fort Kobbe, Rodman Naval Station, and Fort Sherman, under terms and conditions substantially similar to those that have applied since October 1, 1979.  Authorizes specified assistance to Panama, upon such certification by the President, including:  (1) assistance for the construction of a new bridge across the Panama Canal; (2) assistance to the Cooperative Association of States for Scholarships program for scholarships for deserving students from Panama to study in the United States; and (3) preferential tariff and quota treatment to certain textile and apparel and certain other articles.",2025-08-21T16:14:22Z,
105-hr-4859,105,hr,4859,Technology Transfer Commercialization Act of 1998,Commerce,1998-10-20,1998-10-21,Received in the Senate.,House,"Rep. Morella, Constance A. [R-MD-8]",MD,R,M000941,1,"Technology Transfer Commercialization Act of 1998 - Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (Stevenson-Wydler Act) to revise requirements regarding enumerated authority under a cooperative research and development (R&D) agreement to permit Government laboratories to grant licenses to federally owned inventions for which a patent application was filed before the granting of the license, and directly within the scope of work under such agreement. (Sec. 3) Rewrites Federal restrictions on the licensing of federally owned inventions.  Requires a license applicant to make a commitment to achieve practical utilization of the invention within a reasonable time.  Requires such a license to include provisions:  (1) retaining a nontransferable, irrevocable, paid-up license for the Federal agency to practice the invention or have the invention practiced throughout the world by or on behalf of the U.S. Government; (2) requiring periodic reporting on use of the invention by the licensee only to the extent necessary to enable the Federal agency to determine whether the licensee is complying with license terms; and (3) empowering the Federal agency to terminate the license if the licensee has been found by a competent authority to have violated the Federal antitrust laws in connection with its performance under the license agreement.  Prohibits an agency from granting an exclusive or partially exclusive license on a federally-owned invention unless:  (1) it has provided 15 days' public notice and considered all comments received; and (2) the person requesting the license has supplied to the agency a plan for development and-or marketing of the invention.  Exempts from these requirements the licensing of any inventions made under an R&D agreement. (Sec. 4) Makes certain technical amendments to:  (1) the Bayh-Dole Act with regard to Government acquisition of the rights of a private party to a federally owned invention; and (2) the Stevenson-Wydler Act relating to, among other things, the distribution of royalties received by Federal agencies. (Sec. 6) Requires each Federal agency with a federally funded laboratory that has one or more R&D agreements under the Stevenson-Wydler Act to report to the Committee on National Security of the National Science and Technology Council (Committee) and the Congress on the general policies and procedures that agency uses to gather and consider the views of other agencies on joint work statements, or R&D agreements in the case of certain laboratories, with respect to major proposed R&D agreements that involve critical national security technology or may have a significant impact on domestic or international competitiveness. Directs the Committee to:  (1) determine the adequacy of existing procedures and methods for interagency coordination and awareness with respect to R&D agreements; and (2) establish and distribute to appropriate Federal agencies specific criteria to indicate the necessity for gathering and considering agency views on such statements or agreements, as well as additional procedures, if any, for carrying out such gathering and considering. Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Act to provide for increased flexibility for Federal laboratory partnership intermediaries. Directs the General Accounting Office to study and report to the Congress on the potential risks to the U.S. biotechnology industry relating to biological deposits in support of biotechnology patents. Requires the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to consider the recommendations of such study in drafting regulations affecting biological deposits. Revises Federal patent law to authorize, upon timely request, the treatment of a provisional application as a written application, notwithstanding the absence of a claim.  Applies current statutory abandonment treatment to a provisional application 12 months after the application filing date only if such a request is not made.",2025-04-07T15:34:08Z,
105-hr-4860,105,hr,4860,National Domestic Violence Victim Notification Act,Crime and Law Enforcement,1998-10-20,1998-10-21,Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2272),House,"Rep. Baesler, Scotty [D-KY-6]",KY,D,B000028,0,"National Domestic Violence Victim Notification Act - Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to private non-profit entities to create and operate a national victim notification (VINE) system to serve as a comprehensive community and individual awareness program that connects communities and victims of domestic violence with vital criminal justice information about individuals who have been charged with a domestic violence crime, and prison inmates who have been convicted of a crime involving domestic violence. Directs the Attorney General to study and report to the Congress on the integration of a national victim notification system with the National Domestic Violence Hotline, databases developed under certain State sexual offender registration programs, and the National Crime Information Center.",2025-08-21T16:14:30Z,
105-hr-4861,105,hr,4861,Terrorist Elimination Act of 1998,International Affairs,1998-10-20,1998-10-20,Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.,House,"Rep. Barr, Bob [R-GA-7]",GA,R,B000169,0,Terrorist Elimination Act of 1998 - Nullifies the effect of specified provisions of certain executive orders which prohibit Federal employees from attempting or performing assassinations.,2025-08-21T16:14:09Z,
105-hr-4862,105,hr,4862,Medigap Access Protection for Seniors Act of 1998,Health,1998-10-20,1998-11-03,Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment.,House,"Rep. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD-3]",MD,D,C000141,0,Medigap Access Protection for Seniors Act of 1998 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with regard to the certification of Medicare supplemental health insurance (Medigap) policies to include among such policies one which covers prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare+Choice plan that terminates enrollment of all individuals in the area in which the beneficiary resides.,2025-08-21T16:11:55Z,
105-hr-4863,105,hr,4863,Government Regulatory Improvement and Performance Act of 1998,Government Operations and Politics,1998-10-20,1998-10-20,Referred to House Government Reform,House,"Rep. Condit, Gary A. [D-CA-18]",CA,D,C000670,1,"Government Regulatory Improvement and Performance Act of 1998 - Declares that:  (1) Federal agencies should promulgate only such regulations as are required by law, necessary to interpret the law, or necessary to protect and promote or improve the health and safety of the public, the environment, or the well-being of the American people; and (2) in deciding whether and how to regulate, agencies should assess all costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives, including the alternative of not regulating. Sets forth principles of regulation to ensure that the agencies' regulatory programs are consistent with such philosophy, including that each agency:  (1) identify the problem that it intends to address by regulation, assess its significance, and if possible conduct a risk analysis; (2) identify and assess available alternatives to direct regulation; (3) wherever feasible, seek views of appropriate State, local, and tribal officials before imposing requirements that might significantly or uniquely affect those governmental entities. (Sec. 3) Directs the Office of Management and Budget to carry out coordinated review of agency rulemaking.  Designates its Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) as the repository of expertise concerning regulatory issues. (Sec. 4) Directs the OIRA Administrator, early in each year's planning cycle, to convene a meeting of the regulatory policy advisers to the President and agency heads to seek a common understanding of priorities and to coordinate regulatory efforts for the upcoming year. Requires each agency to prepare:  (1) a unified regulatory agenda of all regulations under development or review; and (2) a regulatory plan of the most important significant regulatory actions that the agency reasonably expects to issue in that fiscal year or thereafter. Directs the Administrator to:  (1) convene and chair a regulatory working group, which shall meet at least quarterly, to assist agencies in identifying and analyzing important regulatory issues; (2) meet quarterly, along with agency heads, with representatives of State, local, and tribal governments to identify exiting and proposed regulations that may uniquely or significantly affect those governmental entities; and (3) convene periodic conferences with representatives of businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and the public to discuss regulatory issues. (Sec. 5) Requires that:  (1) each agency submit to OIRA a program under which the agency will periodically review its existing significant regulations; and (2) any significant regulations selected for review be included in the agency's annual plan, and the agency identify any legislative mandates that require the agency to promulgate or continue to impose unnecessary or outdated regulations. (Sec. 5) Requires each agency to:  (1) submit to the OIRA a program under which the agency will periodically review its existing significant regulations for possible modification or elimination; (2) provide the public with meaningful participation in the regulatory process and a meaningful opportunity to comment on any proposed regulation, generally including a comment period of not less than 60 days; and (2) explore and, where appropriate, use consensual mechanisms for developing regulations, including negotiated rulemaking. Directs:  (1) each agency head to designate a Regulatory Policy Office; (2) each agency to develop its regulatory actions in a timely fashion and adhere to specified procedures; (3) each agency to provide the OIRA with a list of its planned regulatory actions, including significant regulatory actions; and (4)  the Administrator to provide meaningful guidance and oversight. (Sec. 8) Prohibits an agency from publishing a regulation until the Administrator has waived review of the action, completed such review, or the review period has passed, whichever occurs first.",2025-08-21T16:11:20Z,
105-hr-4864,105,hr,4864,Education Bill of Rights Act,Education,1998-10-20,1998-10-20,Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.,House,"Rep. Dreier, David [R-CA-28]",CA,R,D000492,0,"Education Bill of Rights Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to promote certain education initiatives. Requires an applicant LEA, to be eligible for such a grant, to demonstrate that it has developed the following initiatives:  (1) a charter school program to allow parents greater choice in selecting the appropriate educational setting for their child; (2) a parental school choice program that allows parents the ability to select a public school located within the LEA; (3) a vocational and academic opportunities program that allows parents to choose a vocational or college preparatory program for their secondary school student child; (4) an early elementary reading program to ensure that all students can read by the third grade; (5) a program to provide a safe and drug-free environment at school; (6) a locally-developed standardized testing program; (7) curriculum development panels composed of teachers and parents; (8) a program to improve or increase the standards for teachers; (9) a merit pay system to reward teachers who meet or exceed performance criteria; and (10) a teaching excellence program to ensure that the most qualified teachers are hired, including teachers with expertise in the workplace. Sets forth a formula for allocation of funds to LEAS that meet such eligibility criteria. Authorizes appropriations.",2025-08-21T16:12:22Z,
105-hr-4865,105,hr,4865,Checkoff for Charity Act of 1998,Taxation,1998-10-20,1998-11-03,"Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.",House,"Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-17]",NY,D,E000179,6,"TABLE OF CONTENTS:      Title I:  Checkoff for Charity      Title II:  Checkoff for Charity Commission Checkoff for Charity Act of 1998 - Title I:  Checkoff for Charity - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit taxpayers to designate contributions to charities on their tax returns.  Establishes the Checkoff for Charities Trust Fund. Title II:  Checkoff for Charity Commission - Establishes in the Department of Commerce the Checkoff for Charity Commission which shall make arrangements for voluntary charitable, health, and welfare agencies that provide or support direct health and welfare services to individuals or their families to solicit contributions through designations made on individual tax returns.  Requires annual reports from the Commission.  Authorizes appropriations.",2025-08-21T16:13:24Z,
105-hr-4866,105,hr,4866,Staten Island Aircraft Noise Correction Act of 1998,Transportation and Public Works,1998-10-20,1998-10-20,Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.,House,"Rep. Fossella, Vito [R-NY-13]",NY,R,F000440,0,"Staten Island Aircraft Noise Correction Act of 1998 - Declares that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) should remedy the problem it has created by formulating and implementing plans to mitigate aircraft noise over certain areas of Staten Island, New York. Directs the FAA Administrator to develop and publish a plan to investigate and test southbound departure procedures from Newark International Airport runway 22 that will result in a minimum 25 percent decrease in aircraft noise on the ground in northwestern Staten Island. Confers standing in U.S. district court upon any Staten Island resident to compel the FAA Administrator to comply with this Act.",2025-08-21T16:11:29Z,
105-hr-4867,105,hr,4867,"To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain public lands to the Town of Pahrump, Nevada, for use for a recreation complex.",Public Lands and Natural Resources,1998-10-20,1998-10-20,Referred to the House Committee on Resources.,House,"Rep. Gibbons, Jim [R-NV-2]",NV,R,G000152,1,"Directs the Secretary of the Interior to promptly convey to the town of Pahrump, Nevada, specified parcels of public land located in Pahrump.  Subjects any such conveyance to the condition that the town use the interests conveyed solely for the purpose of development and operation of a public recreation complex. States that before the conveyance, actions required with respect to the conveyance under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the National Historic Preservation Act, and other applicable Federal laws must be completed at no cost to the United States.",2025-04-07T15:23:30Z,
105-hr-4868,105,hr,4868,Quality Day Care Protection Act of 1998,Crime and Law Enforcement,1998-10-20,1998-10-21,Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2283),House,"Rep. Lazio, Rick [R-NY-2]",NY,R,L000155,0,"Quality Day Care Protection Act of 1998 - Prohibits, and sets penalties for, a child day care provider in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce from:  (1) knowingly making any false representation regarding the care, the provider, or an employee to a parent or guardian considering the placement of a child in the care of that provider or to a law enforcement officer, thereby placing a child's safety or health at substantial risk; and (2) recklessly causing serious bodily injury.",2025-08-21T16:11:18Z,
105-hr-4869,105,hr,4869,"To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit all disbursements by foreign nationals in connection with campaigns for election for Federal, State, and local office, and for other purposes.",Government Operations and Politics,1998-10-20,1998-10-20,Referred to the House Committee on House Oversight.,House,"Rep. Leach, James A. [R-IA-1]",IA,R,L000169,0,"Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit all disbursements by foreign nationals in connection with Federal, State, and local elections, either to a political committee of a political party or for an independent expenditure.",2025-01-02T17:51:45Z,
105-hr-4870,105,hr,4870,Financial Services Act of 1998,Finance and Financial Sector,1998-10-20,1998-11-06,"Referred to the Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.",House,"Rep. Leach, James A. [R-IA-1]",IA,R,L000169,7,"TABLE OF CONTENTS:      Title I:  Facilitating Affiliation Among Securities Firms,           Insurance Companies, and Depository Institutions           Subtitle A:  Affiliations           Subtitle B:  Streamlining Supervision of Financial                Holding Companies           Subtitle C:  Subsidiaries of National Banks           Subtitle D:  Wholesale Financial Holding Companies;                Wholesale Financial Institutions           Subtitle E:  Preservation of FTC Authority           Subtitle F:  Applying the Principles of National                Treatment and Equality of Competitive Opportunity                to Foreign Banks and Foreign Financial Institutions           Subtitle G:  Federal Home Loan Bank System Modernization           Subtitle H:  Direct Activities of Banks           Subtitle I:  Deposit Insurance Funds           Subtitle J:  Effective Date of Title      Title II:  Functional Regulation           Subtitle A:  Brokers and Dealers           Subtitle B:  Bank Investment Company Activities           Subtitle C:  Securities and Exchange Commission                Supervision of Investment Bank Holding Companies           Subtitle D:  Studies      Title III:  Insurance           Subtitle A:  State Regulations of Insurance           Subtitle B:  Redomestication of Mutual Insurers           Subtitle C:  National Association of Registered Agents                and Brokers      Title IV:  Unitary Savings and Loan Holding Companies      Title V:  Financial Information Privacy      Title VI:  Miscellaneous Financial Services Act of 1998 - Title I:  Facilitating Affiliation Among Securities Firms, Insurance Companies, and Depository Institutions - Subtitle A:  Affiliations - Amends the Banking Act of 1933 (Glass-Steagall Act) to repeal the prohibitions: (1) against affiliation of any Federal Reserve member bank with an entity engaged principally in securities activities (securities affiliate); and (2) against simultaneous service by any officer, director, or employee of a securities firm as an officer, director, or employee of any member bank (interlocking directorates). (Sec. 102) Amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (BHCA) to exempt from its prohibition against interests in nonbanking organizations the shares of any company whose activities had been determined by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Board), as of the day before the date of enactment of this Act, to be so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident thereto. (Sec. 103) Creates a statutory mechanism for the establishment of financial holding companies (FHCs) whose subsidiary depository institutions are well-capitalized and well-managed and meet other specified criteria.  Instructs the Board to establish and apply comparable capital standards to a foreign bank with a subsidiary bank or commercial lending company in the United States.  Cites conditions under which newly acquired depository institutions shall enjoy limited exclusions from the community needs requirements of the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977. Permits an FHC and a Board-supervised investment bank holding company (BHC) to engage in any activity and acquire the shares of any company whose activities have been determined by the Board to be either financial in nature, or incidental to financial activities. Mandates consultation and coordination, according to specified guidelines, between the Board and the Department of the Treasury regarding determination of whether an activity is financial in nature, or incidental to financial activities. Includes among such activities any investments, lending, insurance, securities transactions, certain financial operations abroad, and ownership or control of banking interests.  Requires an FHC to make assurances that risk management procedures adequately protect insured depository institution subsidiaries, including reasonable measures to preserve separate corporate identity and limited liability.  Mandates notification to the Board of certain large business combinations with FHCs or wholesale FHCs. Cites circumstances under which an FHC (and its foreign counterpart) may engage in nonfinancial activities.  Permits FHCs which were not BHCs or foreign banks before becoming FHCs to retain limited non-financial activities and affiliations.  Sets forth cross-marketing restrictions for FHC-controlled depository institutions. (Sec. 104) Preempts State anti-affiliation laws restricting transactions among insured depository institutions, wholesale financial institutions, insurance concerns, and national banks.  Cites exceptions to such preemption, especially for State regulation of the business of insurance, including the retention of State capitalization requirements for an insurance entity acquired by another entity, and specified consumer protections.  Declares that this Act shall not affect State antitrust and general corporate law.  Retains State oversight authority over specified financial activities other than insurance. Prohibits State regulation of the insurance activities of an insured depository institution or wholesale financial institution in any way that discriminates adversely between insured depository institutions or wholesale financial institutions and other entities engaged in insurance activities. (Sec. 105) Requires that mutual bank holding companies be regulated on the same terms as bank holding companies. (Sec. 106) Amends the Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994 (RNIBBEA) to apply its prohibition against deposit production offices to interstate branches acquired or established under this Act, including all branches of a bank owned by an out-of-State BHC. (Sec. 107) Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIA) to apply to any branch of a bank controlled by an out-of-State BHC certain requirements for branch closures by an interstate bank. (Sec. 108) Authorizes well-capitalized and well-managed limited purpose banks to engage in any banking activity.  (Maintains the restriction that such banks may accept demand deposits or make commercial loans, but not both.)  Prohibits such banks from permitting any overdraft (including intraday overdrafts), or incurring overdrafts in their accounts at a Federal Reserve Bank, on behalf of an affiliate, with certain exceptions.  Permits such banks to:  (1) issue corporate credit cards; (2) cross market affiliates; and (3) avoid divestiture by correcting violations within six months of receiving notice from the Board. (Sec. 109) Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to present interim reports to the Congress regarding an ongoing multistage study of consumer privacy issues. (Sec. 110) Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to the Congress on the projected impact that the enactment of this Act will have on financial institutions with total assets of $100 million or less. Subtitle B:  Streamlining Supervision of Financial Holding Companies - Prohibits the Board from imposing any capital or capital adequacy criteria upon a non-depository institution FHC subsidiary that is in compliance with State or Federal capitalization rules, or is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.  Prohibits the Board, in developing capital adequacy requirements, from taking into consideration any affiliated investment company which is not a bank holding company nor controlled by one holding 25 percent or more shares of the investment company worth more than $1 million. (Sec. 111) Authorizes the Board to transfer its BHC oversight authority to the appropriate Federal banking agency if a BHC is not significantly engaged in non-banking activities. Mandates Board deference to the SEC and relevant State securities and insurance authorities with respect to interpretations and enforcement of activities (functional regulation) within their respective jurisdictions. (Sec. 112) Provides that a declaration filed by a company seeking to be an FHC shall satisfy BHC registration requirements but not any requirement to file an application to acquire a bank. Revises BHCA divestiture procedures to permit a BHC to elect divestiture of either a nonbanking subsidiary or an insured depository institution. (Sec. 113) Declares ineffective and non-enforceable any Board actions requiring an insurance company BHC or a registered securities broker-dealer BHC to provide assets to a subsidiary insured depository institution if the State insurance authority, or the SEC, determines in writing that such actions would have a material adverse effect on the BHC's financial condition.  Permits the Board to order divestiture of the subsidiary in lieu of other action. (Sec. 114) Authorizes the Board to restrict relationships or transactions between:  (1) a BHC depository institution subsidiary and its affiliates (other than a subsidiary of the institution); and (2) a foreign bank and its U.S. affiliates. (Sec. 115) Grants the SEC exclusive authority to examine and inspect any non-BHC registered investment company.  Prohibits a Federal banking agency from inspecting or examining such a non-BHC company. Permits the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to examine the affiliate of an insured depository institution in order to disclose fully the impact of their relationship upon such institution. (Sec. 116) Prohibits the Board from taking any action under the BHCA or the FDIA against a BHC-regulated subsidiary unless it is necessary to prevent or redress an unsafe or unsound practice or breach of fiduciary duty by the subsidiary that poses a material risk to the financial safety, soundness or stability of an affiliated depository institution or to the domestic or international payment systems. (Sec. 117) Declares it is the intent of the Congress that the Board and State insurance regulators should:  (1) coordinate their respective supervision of companies that control a depository institution and a company engaged in insurance activities; and (2) share relevant information on a confidential basis (including information regarding the financial health of the consolidated organization, and transactions and relationships between insurance companies and affiliated depository institutions).  States that Federal banking agencies for depository institutions should also share information with State insurance regulators on a confidential basis regarding transactions and relationships between depository institutions and affiliated companies engaged in insurance activities.    Sets forth guidelines for such information exchange and confidentiality. (Sec. 118) Declares that BHCA restrictions placed upon Board authority over bank holding companies and their nonbank subsidiaries shall also limit the authority of the FDIC with respect to such companies and their nonbank subsidiaries. (Sec. 119) Amends the FDIA to prohibit the use of the Bank Insurance Fund (BIF) and the Savings Association Insurance Fund (SAIF) to benefit any affiliates or subsidiaries of certain insured depository institutions in receivership, in default, or in danger of default, or of any insured depository institution in such circumstances that is acquiring another insured depository institutions. Subtitle C:  Subsidiaries of National Banks - Amends Federal law governing national banks to prohibit a subsidiary of a national bank from engaging in any activity, or owning any shares of a company engaged in any activity, that a national bank is not permitted to engage in directly, or that is conducted under terms or conditions other than those that would govern the conduct of the activity by a national bank.  Authorizes a national bank to own a subsidiary engaged in activities that are not permissible for a national bank only if a national bank is specifically authorized by the express terms of a Federal statute to own or control the subsidiary. (Sec. 121) Authorizes a national bank, with Comptroller of the Currency approval, to control a company that engages in agency activities determined to be financial in nature or incidental to such activities if:  (1) the company engages in such activities solely as agent and not directly or indirectly as principal; and (2) the national bank and all its depository institution affiliates are well-capitalized and well-managed and have achieved a satisfactory or better rating under the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (CRA) at the institution's most recent examination. (Sec. 122) Amends Federal criminal law to proscribe misrepresentations regarding depository institution liability for obligations of affiliates. (Sec. 123) Amends the Federal Reserve Act to repeal:  (1) the Board's power to restrict the percentage of individual bank capital and surplus represented by loans secured by stock or bond collateral; and (2) the Board's duty to establish such restrictions with a view to preventing the undue use of bank loans for the speculative carrying of securities. Subtitle D:  Holding Companies; Wholesale Financial Institutions - Chapter 1:  Wholesale Financial Holding Companies - Sets forth a statutory mechanism for regulation of wholesale financial holding companies that do not control a bank other than a wholesale financial institution (WFI) or specified, limited-purpose institutions.  Requires such a company to be a registered bank holding company predominantly engaged in certain financial activities, and in control of one or more WFIs.  Specifies the limits of Board examinations of such companies. (Sec. 131) Prohibits the Board, in developing capital adequacy requirements, from taking into consideration any affiliated investment company which is not a bank holding company nor controlled by one holding 25 percent or more shares of the investment company worth more than $1 million. Specifies the kinds of nonfinancial activities in which Board-supervised companies may engage. Sets forth guidelines for the treatment of certain nonfinancial investments and affiliations of foreign banks operating within the United States as Board-supervised wholesale financial holding companies. Chapter 2:  Wholesale Financial Institutions - Amends the Revised Statutes to permit a national bank to operate as a noninsured national WFI subject to FRA and the regulatory authority of the Comptroller of the Currency.  Amends FRA to prescribe procedural guidelines for State bank membership as a noninsured WFI in the Federal Reserve System, subject to FDIA enforcement authority and prompt corrective action requirements.  Subjects such institutions to the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 only if the WFI has an affiliate that is an insured depository institution or that operates an insured branch. (Sec. 136) Prohibits a WFI from receiving initial deposits of $100,000 or less except on an incidental and occasional basis.  Limits incidental deposits of $100,000 or less to a maximum five percent of a WFI's total deposits. Sets forth capital and managerial requirements for certain WFIs controlled by companies under the jurisdiction of either the SEC or the BHCA.  Empowers the Comptroller of the Currency (in the case of a national WFI), and the Board to direct a WFI conservator or receiver to file a petition under title II of the Federal bankruptcy code. Amends FDIA to prescribe procedures whereby an insured State-chartered bank or a national bank may voluntarily terminate its status as an insured depository institution.  Requires any such terminated bank to become a WFI in order to accept any deposits. Amends Federal bankruptcy law to prescribe WFI liquidation guidelines. Subtitle E:  Preservation of FTC Authority - Amends the BHCA to require the Board to notify the FTC of its approval of a proposed acquisition, merger, or consolidation which involves acquisition of nonbanking interests. (Sec. 142) Directs certain Federal banking agencies to make data available to the Attorney General and the FTC that they deem necessary for antitrust review under specified statutes. (Sec. 143) Excludes from FTC jurisdiction any nondepository institution subsidiary or affiliate of a bank or savings association. Amends the Clayton Act to apply its premerger notification and waiting period requirements to any portion of a merger or acquisition transaction that does require notice under BHCA but does not require approval. (Sec. 144) Instructs the Comptroller General to report annually to the Congress on market concentration in the financial services industry and its impact on consumers. Subtitle F:  Applying the Principles of National Treatment and Equality of Competitive Opportunity to Foreign Banks and Foreign Financial Institutions - Amends the International Banking Act of 1978 (IBA) to terminate the grandfathered authority of a foreign bank or company under the IBA to engage in any financial activity, if it files a BHCA declaration to function as a qualified BHC (QBHC). (Consequently, foreign banks with grandfathered affiliates would be permitted to keep them on the same terms and conditions that govern domestic banking organizations.) (Sec. 152) Amends the FDIA to allow insured foreign banks and foreign WFIs to terminate deposit insurance voluntarily in the same manner and to the same extent as insured State or national banks. (Sec. 153) Amends the International Banking Act of 1978 to authorize the Board to examine any affiliate of a foreign bank conducting business in any State in which the Board deems it necessary to determine and enforce compliance with Federal banking law. Subtitle G:  Federal Home Loan Bank System Modernization - Federal Home Loan Bank System Modernization Act of 1998 - Amends the Federal Home Loan Bank Act (FHLBA) to expand Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) membership parameters to make a Federal savings association's membership in the FHLB system voluntary instead of mandatory.  Permits such an association to withdraw its membership (currently such withdrawal is prohibited). (Sec. 164) Modifies guidelines governing long-term advances to:  (1) allow advances to any community financial institution for small businesses, agricultural, rural development, or low-income community development lending; (2) make the cash (as well as the deposits) of an FHLB eligible collateral for securing a bank's interest in a loan or advance; and (3) repeal the 30 percent of capital cap on the aggregate amount of outstanding advances secured by real estate related collateral.  Includes within the categories of collateral eligible for bank loan secured loans for small business, agriculture, rural development, or low-income community development, or securities representing a whole interest in such secured loans, in the case of any community financial institution.  Authorizes an FHLB to renew certain advances on its own determination without concurrence by the Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB).  Requires an FHLB member with an advance secured by insufficient eligible collateral to reduce its level of outstanding advances according to a schedule determined by the FHLB (currently, by the FHF Board).  Authorizes such Board to:  (1) review the collateral standards applicable to each Federal home loan bank for designated classes of collateral; and (2) require an increase in such standards for safety and soundness purposes. (Sec. 165) Revises eligibility criteria to permit certain community financial institutions to gain FHLB membership regardless of the percentage of total assets represented by residential mortgage loans. (Sec. 166) Amends the FHLBA to increase from two years to four years the term of an elective director of a Federal home loan bank. Repeals the mandates for:  (1) a procedure for informal review of certain supervisory decisions; and (2) the Housing Opportunity Hotline program. Repeals:  (1) the prohibition against an FHLB's acquisition of a bank building by purchase or over ten-year lease; (2) the requirement for FHFB approval of personnel decisions as well as the exercise of corporate powers by any FHLB; and (2) authorization for an FHLB president to be a member of the FHLB board. Grants the FHFB power to:  (1) issue charges upon an FHLB or any executive officer or director for violation of law or regulation in connection with the granting of any application or other request by the bank, or any written agreement between the bank and the FHFB, and take affirmative action to correct conditions resulting from violations or practices, or to limit FHLB activities; (2) address insufficiencies in capital levels resulting from automatic membership of a Federal savings association in the local FHLB; and (3) sue and be sued. Repeals FHFB jurisdiction to approve the granting by an FHLB of a member's application to secure an advance. Expands the mandate of FHLB Affordable Housing Programs to include providing subsidies (in addition to subsidized interest rates) on advances for member lending for low- and moderate-income housing. Authorizes each FHLB board of directors to approve member requests for Affordable Housing Program subsidies. Revises guidelines governing reserves and dividends to permit dividend payments out of previously retained earnings or current net earnings (currently, only out of net earnings).  Repeals the requirement for:  (1) FHFB approval for such dividend payments; and (2) investment of FHLB reserves exclusively in U.S. obligations or certain other Federal Government-related securities. (Sec. 167) States that FHLB payments to the Resolution Funding Corporation to cover interest payments on obligations shall be a specified percentage of net earnings (currently an aggregate sum certain). Subtitle H:  Direct Activities of Banks - Amends Federal banking law to provide that limitations placed on securities transactions by a national banking association for its own account do not apply to State, local, or municipal bond transactions by a well-capitalized national banking association. Subtitle I:  Deposit Insurance Funds - Directs the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to study and report to the Congress on specified issues regarding the BIF and the SAIF, including their safety and soundness, and the adequacy of their reserve requirements in light of mergers and consolidations within the industry. (Sec. 187) Amends the FDIA and the Deposit Insurance Funds Act of 1996 to eliminate the Special Reserve of the Savings Association Insurance Fund (SAIF), and the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF), respectively (established to provide emergency funds if the reserve ratio of either fund remains below 50 percent of its designated ratio for one year). Subtitle J:  Effective Date of Title - Sets forth the effective date of Title I of this Act. Title II:  Functional Regulation - Subtitle A:  Brokers and Dealers - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) to include certain bank activities within the definition of ""broker"" and ""dealer"" (thus subjecting them to registration requirements and regulation under the Exchange Act). (Sec. 203) Requires a registered securities association to create a limited qualification category, without a testing requirement, for certain bank employees effecting sales as part of a non-public primary securities offering (private placement sales). (Sec. 204) Amends the FDIA to direct the appropriate Federal banking agencies to:  (1) promulgate regulations and complaint procedures applicable to retail transactions, solicitations, advertising, or offers of any security by any insured depository institution or affiliate other than a registered broker or dealer; (2) jointly establish a grievance process for customer complaints against banks or bank employees arising in connection with securities sales or purchases; and (3) establish recordkeeping requirements for banks relying on exceptions and exemptions from the definitions of broker and dealer under the Exchange Act. (Sec. 206) Defines traditional banking product.  Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to authorize the SEC to determine by regulation that a bank that effects transaction in, or buys or sells, a new product should be subject to certain registration requirements. Sets forth procedural guidelines for the filing of a petition for judicial review by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any aggrieved party. (Sec. 207) Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to define: (1) derivative instrument so as to exclude a traditional banking product; (2) qualified investor; and (3) government security, so as to include a qualified Canadian government obligation. Subtitle B:  Bank Investment Company Activities - Amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 to authorize the SEC to prescribe conditions under which a bank or its affiliate serving as promoter, organizer, or principal underwriter for a registered management company or a registered unit investment trust may also serve as custodian of such company or trust.  Permits the SEC to bring a civil action against a custodian for a registered investment company for breach of fiduciary duty involving personal misconduct. (Sec. 212) Declares it is unlawful for an affiliate, promoter, or principal underwriter for a registered investment company to lend to it or its subsidiaries in contravention of SEC prescriptions. (Sec. 213) Modifies the definition of ""interested person"" to identify transactions, services, and loans taking place during the six months preceding determination of an interested person which would make a person an affiliated person of a broker or dealer. Prohibits a registered investment company from having a majority of its board of directors consisting of personnel or senior officers of the subsidiaries of any one bank, or of any single BHC, its affiliates and subsidiaries. (Sec. 214) Modifies guidelines pertaining to unlawful misrepresentation of guarantees and the deceptive use of names. (Sec. 215) Modifies the definition of ""broker"" to exclude any person who would be deemed a broker solely by reason of the fact that such person is an underwriter for one or more investment companies. (Sec. 216) Modifies the definition of ""dealer"" to exclude an insurance or an investment company. (Sec. 217) Amends the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to modify the definition of investment adviser to remove the exclusion for banks that advise investment companies.  Revises the definitions of broker and dealer. (Sec. 220) Mandates interagency sharing between the appropriate Federal banking agency and the SEC of examination results and other information pertaining to the investment advisory activities of a registered BHC and its separately identifiable departments or divisions. (Sec. 221) Amends the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to revise the exclusion from their purview of certain bank common trust funds to specify the exclusion of any interest or participation in any common trust fund or similar fund that is excluded from the definition of ""investment company"" under the Investment Company Act of 1940.  Amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 to revise such exclusion guidelines for certain bank common trust funds. (Sec. 222) Amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 to prescribe circumstances under which an investment adviser holding shares of an investment company in a fiduciary capacity must transfer the power to vote such shares to the beneficial owners or to another non-affiliated fiduciary. Subtitle C:  SEC Supervision of Investment Bank Holding Companies - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to permit certain investment bank holding companies that do not have a bank or savings association affiliate to elect SEC supervision. (Sec. 231) Provides for voluntary withdrawal from SEC supervision by specified investment bank holding companies.  Sets forth the parameters of SEC supervision of investment bank holding companies, including authority to set capital adequacy standards.  Instructs the SEC, in developing its rules, to consider use of debt and other liabilities (double leverage) by the supervised investment BHC in order to fund capital investments in affiliates. Prohibits the SEC from imposing capital adequacy requirements on regulated nonbanking entities (other than a broker or a dealer) that are in compliance with the capital requirements of another Federal regulatory body or State insurance authority. Mandates SEC deference to appropriate regulatory banking agencies and State insurance regulators with respect to the banking and insurance laws under their purviews. Grants the SEC backup inspection authority for certain wholesale financial holding companies for monitoring and compliance enforcement purposes. Subtitle D:  Studies - Directs the Comptroller General to report to the Congress on the efficacy, costs, and benefits of requiring a federally-insured depository institution to disclose to its retail consumers through the use of a logo or seal that its investment or insurance products are not FDIC-insured. (Sec. 242) Directs the Comptroller General to report to the Congress regarding the efficacy and benefits of uniformly limiting commissions and costs incurred by customers in the acquisition of financial products.     Title III:  Insurance - Subtitle A:  State Regulation of Insurance - Declares that the McCarran-Ferguson Act remains the law of the United States. (Sec. 302) Mandates:  (1) State licensure of any entity providing insurance in a State as principal or agent; and (2) State functional regulation of insurance sales activity. (Sec. 304) Prohibits a national bank and its subsidiaries from providing insurance as principal in a State, except for certain authorized products (which may not include title insurance or taxable annuity contracts). (Sec. 305) Prohibits national banks and subsidiaries from selling or underwriting title insurance, except for certain grandfathered banks and subsidiaries already doing so. (Sec. 306) Establishes expedited dispute resolution for regulatory conflicts between State insurance regulators and Federal financial regulators. (Sec. 307) Requires each Federal banking agency to:  (1) issue consumer protection regulations (including physical segregation of banking activities from insurance product activities); and (2) prohibit discrimination against victims of domestic violence. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the States should adopt regulations prohibiting such discrimination regarding insurance products that are at least as strict as those under this Act. Mandates that the Federal banking agencies jointly establish a consumer complaint mechanism to address violations of this Act expeditiously. (Sec. 308) Preempts State law restricting:  (1) insurance companies or insurance affiliates from becoming a financial holding company or acquiring control of a bank; and (2) the amount of an insurer's assets that can be invested in a bank (except that the insurer's State of domicile may limit such investments to five percent (or any higher threshold) of the insurer's admitted assets).  Preempts State laws that restrict reorganization by an insurer from mutual form to stock form. Subtitle B:  Redomestication of Mutual Insurers - Applies this title only to a mutual insurance company in a State which has not enacted a law expressly establishing reasonable terms for a mutual insurance company domiciliary to reorganize into a mutual holding company. (Sec. 312) Authorizes a mutual insurer organized under the laws of any State to transfer its domicile to another State pursuant to a reorganization in which such insurer becomes a stock insurer that is a subsidiary of a mutual holding company.  Requires prospective redomesticating insurers to comply with specified reorganization requirements of the State insurance regulator of the transferee domicile.  Preempts State laws restricting such redomestication.   Subtitle B:  National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers - Sets forth a regulatory framework for uniform multistate licensing for insurance sales practices, to take effect only if a majority of the States have not enacted uniform laws and regulations governing the licensure of insurance sales by individuals and entities within three years after enactment of this Act. (Sec. 322) Establishes the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers (the Association) as a non-profit, non-Federal agency, to provide a mechanism for uniform licensing, appointment, continuing education, and other insurance producer sales qualification requirements which can be adopted and applied on a multistate basis, while preserving the right of States to regulate insurance producers and insurance-related consumer protection and unfair trade practices. (Sec. 324) Subjects the Association (which shall not be considered a Federal agency or instrumentality) to regulation by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).  Requires the Association to establish an office of consumer complaints.  Vests management of the Association in a board of directors.  Cites circumstances under which Association rules preempt State regulation of insurance producers.  Requires the Association to coordinate with the National Association of Securities Dealers in order to mitigate administrative burdens that may result from dual membership. Title IV:  Unitary Savings and Loan Holding Companies - Amends the Home Owners' Loan Act to prohibit new affiliations between savings and loan holding companies and certain commercial firms, except in specified circumstances. (Sec. 402) Permits Federal savings associations to convert into national banks if the resulting bank meets all applicable financial, management, and capital requirements. (Sec. 403) Amends specified Federal law to declare that any depository institution the charter of which is converted from that of a Federal savings association to a national bank or a State bank after enactment of this Act may retain the term ""Federal"" in its name so long as it remains an insured depository institution. Title V:  Financial Information Privacy - Financial Information Privacy Act of 1998 - Amends the Consumer Credit Protection Act to: (1) specify the types of enterprises constituting a financial institution within its purview; and (2) authorize the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prescribe regulations clarifying or describing the types of institutions which shall be treated as financial institutions for purposes of this Act. (Sec. 501) Declares it a violation of this Act to obtain or solicit customer information of a financial institution relating to another person under false pretenses with intent to deceive.  Exempts from such proscription:  (1) law enforcement agencies; (2) financial institutions engaged in testing security procedures, investigating misconduct or negligence, or recovering customer information obtained or received under false pretenses; as well as (3) customer information of financial institutions available as a public record under Federal securities laws. Grants the FTC, certain banking regulatory agencies, and the States enforcement powers under this Act. Subjects violations of this Act to Federal civil and criminal penalties. Requires each Federal banking agency to issue advisories to the depository institutions under its jurisdiction relating to the deterrence and detection of the activities proscribed by this Act. Requires the Comptroller General to report to the Congress:  (1) on the efficacy and adequacy of the remedies provided in this Act addressing attempts to obtain financial information by fraudulent means or by false pretenses; and (2) any recommendations for additional action to address threats to the privacy of financial information created by such attempts. Title VI:  Miscellaneous - Amends Federal criminal law to cite circumstances under which a court may direct disclosure of grand jury information concerning a banking law violation to certain personnel of a Federal or State financial institution. (Sec. 602) Expresses the sense of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs that:  (1) the small business tax provisions of the Internal Revenue Code should be more widely available to community banks; and (2) in conjunction with any financial modernization legislation the Congress should amend the Code for certain purposes.  Urges such legislation to:  (1) increase the number of S corporation shareholders; (2) permit S corporation stock to be held in individual retirement accounts (IRAs); (3) clarify that interest on investments held for safety, soundness, and liquidity purposes should not be considered passive income; (4) provide that bank director stock is not treated as a disqualifying second class of stock for S corporations; and (5) improve the tax treatment of bad debt and interest deductions. (Sec. 603) Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to permit a depository institution to continue any lawful investments in Government-sponsored enterprises made before April 11, 1996. (Sec. 604) Amends the BHCA of 1956 to repeal certain authority, requirements, and restrictions relating to insurance activities of savings bank subsidiaries of bank holding companies. (Sec. 605) Declares that the vice chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System may serve as a member of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority.    (Sec. 606) Amends the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 to add to title I a new subtitle C, which may be cited as the Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs Act of 1998.  Directs the Administrator of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (Administrator) to establish a microenterprise technical assistance and capacity building program to provide Fund grants to qualified nonprofit organizations to: (1) provide training and technical assistance to disadvantaged entrepreneurs; (2) provide training and capacity building services to help microenterprise development organizations and programs develop microenterprise training and services; and (3) aid in researching and developing the best practices in the field of microenterprise and technical assistance programs for disadvantaged entrepreneurs.  Sets forth an allocation formula for such assistance and for grants benefitting very low-income persons, including those residing on Indian reservations. Authorizes a qualified organization to provide subgrants to small and emerging microenterprise entities.  Mandates matching funds from non-Federal sources. Authorizes appropriations.",2025-08-21T16:12:47Z,
105-hr-4871,105,hr,4871,To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that interest on indebtedness used to finance the furnishing or sale of rate-regulated electric energy or natural gas in the United States shall be allocated solely to sources within the United States.,Taxation,1998-10-20,1998-10-21,Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2269-2270),House,"Rep. McCrery, Jim [R-LA-4]",LA,R,M000388,1,"Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to rules for allocating interest to provide, in general, that interest on any qualified infrastructure indebtedness shall be allocated and apportioned solely to sources within the United States, and such indebtedness shall not be taken into account in allocating and apportioning other interest expense.  Defines the term ""qualified infrastructure indebtedness"" to mean any indebtedness incurred to carry on the trade or business of the furnishing or sale of electric energy or natural gas in the United States, or to acquire, construct, or otherwise finance property used predominantly in such trade or business.",2025-01-02T17:51:52Z,
105-hr-4872,105,hr,4872,Certified Nurse Midwifery Medicare Services Act of 1998,Health,1998-10-20,1998-11-03,"Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.",House,"Rep. Towns, Edolphus [D-NY-10]",NY,D,T000326,13,Certified Nurse Midwifery Medicare Services Act of 1998 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for the coverage of and payment for the following under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance):  (1) certified midwife services (currently only certified nurse-midwife services are covered); and (2) freestanding birth center services. Declares that nothing precludes certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives from teaching or supervising an intern or resident-in-training.,2025-08-21T16:14:50Z,
105-hr-4873,105,hr,4873,NIH Office of Autoimmune Diseases Act of 1998,Health,1998-10-20,1998-11-03,Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment.,House,"Rep. Waxman, Henry A. [D-CA-29]",CA,D,W000215,0,"NIH Office of Autoimmune Diseases Act of 1998 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish within the Office of the Director of NIH the Office of Autoimmune Diseases (Office), whose Director shall: (1) serve as principal advisor on autoimmune diseases to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Assistant Secretary for Health, the Director of NIH; and (2) advise the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Instructs the Director of NIH to ensure that:  (1) an Autoimmune Disease Coordinating Committee is in operation to coordinate the autoimmune disease activities of the National Institutes of Health; and (2) it includes liaison members from other Federal health agencies. Authorizes appropriations.",2025-08-21T16:11:42Z,
105-hr-4851,105,hr,4851,Iran Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1998,International Affairs,1998-10-19,1998-10-21,Received in the Senate.,House,"Rep. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ-13]",NJ,D,M000639,0,"Iran Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1998 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to withhold U.S. voluntary contributions from programs and projects of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Iran unless the Secretary of State makes a determination in writing to certain congressional committees that such programs and projects are consistent with U.S. nuclear nonproliferation and safety goals and will not provide Iran with training or expertise relevant to nuclear programs' development.  Instructs the Secretary to review and report to the Congress annually for five years on all Agency programs and projects in specified countries to determine if they are consistent with U.S. nuclear nonproliferation and safety goals.  Requires the Secretary to direct the U.S. representative to the Agency to oppose Agency programs determined inconsistent with U.S. nuclear nonproliferation and safety goals. Directs the Secretary to report annually to the Congress for five years on specified aspects of annual Agency assistance to Iran, including nuclear materials technology transfer, and inconsistencies between Agency technical assistance programs and U.S. nuclear nonproliferation and safety goals. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should pursue internal Agency reforms that will ensure that all programs funded under the Technical Cooperation and Assistance Fund are compatible with U.S. nuclear nonproliferation policy and international nuclear nonproliferation norms.",2025-04-07T15:23:39Z,
105-hr-4852,105,hr,4852,To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that the transfer of property subject to a liability shall be treated in the same manner as the transfer of property involving an assumption of liability.,Taxation,1998-10-19,1998-10-19,Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.,House,"Rep. Archer, Bill [R-TX-7]",TX,R,A000215,0,"Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise provisions concerning a corporation, its shareholders, and the transferring of certain assets and liabilities.",2025-01-02T17:51:52Z,
105-hr-4853,105,hr,4853,To modify retroactively the residence requirement for transmission of citizenship to certain individuals born abroad before 1953 to one citizen parent and one alien parent.,Immigration,1998-10-19,1998-10-19,Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.,House,"Rep. Mink, Patsy T. [D-HI-2]",HI,D,M000797,0,Reduces (retroactively) the citizen-parent U.S. residency requirement for transmission of U.S. citizenship to certain persons born abroad to one citizen parent and one alien parent.,2025-01-02T17:51:41Z,
105-hr-4854,105,hr,4854,To declare certain Amerasians to be citizens of the United States.,Immigration,1998-10-19,1998-10-19,Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.,House,"Rep. Mink, Patsy T. [D-HI-2]",HI,D,M000797,0,Declares certain adopted Amerasian permanent resident aliens to be U.S. citizens.,2025-01-02T17:51:41Z,
105-hr-4855,105,hr,4855,Reinstatement of Medicare Bonus and Capital Payment for Rehabilitation Hospitals Act of 1998,Health,1998-10-19,1998-10-19,Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.,House,"Rep. Neal, Richard E. [D-MA-2]",MA,D,N000015,0,Reinstatement of Medicare Bonus and Capital Payment for Rehabilitation Hospitals Act of 1998 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to reinstate certain bonus thresholds and capital payment levels for rehabilitation hospitals and units.,2025-08-21T16:12:30Z,
105-hr-4847,105,hr,4847,To authorize the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation to establish a memorial in the District of Columbia or its environs to honor veterans who became disabled while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States.,Commemorations,1998-10-16,1998-10-16,Referred to the House Committee on Resources.,House,"Rep. Johnson, Sam [R-TX-3]",TX,R,J000174,1,Authorizes the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia or its environs to honor veterans who became disabled while serving in the U.S. armed forces. Prohibits Federal funds from being used to pay any expense of the establishment of the memorial.,2025-01-02T17:51:47Z,
105-hr-4848,105,hr,4848,Free Annual Credit Report Act of 1998,Commerce,1998-10-16,1998-10-16,Referred to the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit.,House,"Rep. Kennedy, Joseph P., II [D-MA-8]",MA,D,K000110,1,Free Annual Credit Report Act of 1998 - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to require a consumer reporting agency to provide a free annual credit report to any consumer upon request.,2025-08-21T16:11:37Z,
105-hr-4849,105,hr,4849,Generic Drug Uniformity Act of 1998,Health,1998-10-16,1998-10-20,Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment.,House,"Rep. Pallone, Frank, Jr. [D-NJ-6]",NJ,D,P000034,0,"Generic Drug Uniformity Act of 1998 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to new drug applications to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to include in an application approval a finding about whether the approved (generic) drug is the therapeutic equivalent of the listed drug involved. Prohibits a State or its political subdivision from establishing or continuing any requirement that does not conform to the therapeutic equivalence requirement of this Act.",2025-08-21T16:14:45Z,
105-hr-4850,105,hr,4850,Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Act of 1998,Public Lands and Natural Resources,1998-10-16,1998-10-16,Referred to the House Committee on Resources.,House,"Rep. Skaggs, David E. [D-CO-2]",CO,D,S000462,0,"Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Act of 1998 - Designates certain lands in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, which shall be known as the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness. Provides that activities on, under, or affecting the lands designated as wilderness by this Act relating to the monitoring, operating, maintenance, repair, replacement, or use of the Colorado- Big Thompson Project (Project) and its facilities which were allowed as of June 1, 1998, shall be allowed to continue, and shall not be affected by the designation of such lands as wilderness.  Allows any other activities necessary to respond to catastrophic events or emergencies and affecting continued use of such Project and its facilities, subject to reasonable restrictions established by the Secretary of the Interior to protect the wilderness values of such lands that will not permanently reduce the water supply capability of the Project or the Windy Gap Project.",2025-08-21T16:13:44Z,
105-hr-4842,105,hr,4842,"To release the reversionary interests retained by the United States in four deeds that conveyed certain lands to the State of Florida so as to permit the State to sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of the lands, and to provide for the conveyance of certain mineral interests of the United States in the lands to the State of Florida.",Public Lands and Natural Resources,1998-10-15,1998-10-15,Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.,House,"Rep. Thurman, Karen L. [D-FL-5]",FL,D,T000253,1,"Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to release U.S. reversionary interests in four deeds that conveyed certain lands within the Blackwater River and Withlacoochee State Forests in Florida.  Requires lands conveyed under the deeds to be used for public purposes. Authorizes the Secretary to convey to the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the State of Florida all of the U.S. mineral interests in any real property for which a reversionary interest is released.  Provides for any proceeds derived from the sale of these mineral interests to be deposited into the fund established by the Sisk Act and to be available for expenditure, upon appropriation, for the acquisitions of lands and interests in lands in the same State.",2025-01-02T17:51:42Z,
105-hr-4843,105,hr,4843,Nursing Home Residents Protection Act of 1998,Health,1998-10-15,1998-10-20,"Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.",House,"Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-33]",CA,D,R000486,10,Nursing Home Residents Protection Act of 1998 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require a person or entity having a controlling interest in a skilled nursing facility or a nursing facility that files for relief from debts under the bankruptcy code to provide written notice of such filing to the State agency responsible for licensing the facility.  Requires similar written notification to the State agency of appointment of a bankruptcy trustee.,2025-08-21T16:14:30Z,
105-hr-4844,105,hr,4844,Child Care Quality Improvement Act of 1998,Families,1998-10-15,1998-10-15,Referred to House Education and the Workforce,House,"Rep. Stark, Fortney Pete [D-CA-13]",CA,D,S000810,0,"Child Care Quality Improvement Act of 1998 - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (CCDBGA) to establish a child care quality improvement grant program to assist States in improving the quality of child care for infants and children (program). (Sec. 3) Amends the Social Security Act to make appropriations for such program.  Sets forth reservation, allotment, and Federal matching formulas. Requires States, in applying for program grants, to list established goals for quantifiable improvements in child care quality within the State (quality benchmarks), that accomplish:  (1) increased training for child care providers and administrators; (2) enhanced licensing standards (including at a minimum health and safety, adult- to-child ratios, groups sizes, and criminal background checks) that will apply to a broader range of child care facilities; (3) reduced numbers of unlicensed facilities offering child care; (4) increased State monitoring and enforcement of licensed providers; (5) decreased caregiver turnover rates at child care facilities through incentives such as increased compensation; (6) higher levels of accreditation among licensed child care facilities; and (7) other standards and practices to improve the quality of child care. Requires States to use program funds only for the specified program goals and the quality benchmarks set forth in their State plans. Excludes from such program assistance specified types of child care providers and family child care providers, with certain exceptions. Requires States that receive program funds to make competitive grants to local collaboratives to:  (1) provide, in the community, activities designed to strengthen the quality of child care for young children and expand the supply of high quality child care services for young children; and (2) pay for the salary and expenses of an administrator to oversee such activities. Allows program funds to be used to renovate or repair a child care facility, other than a private residence, as necessary to bring the facility into compliance with requirements for State licensing or for accreditation by organizations with nationally recognized standards for providing high-quality care to children. Provides for consumer education and information sharing under CCDBGA. Revises CCDBGA reporting requirements.  Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress on:  (1) State quality benchmark reports; and (2) the extent to which program funds have improved the quality of child care. Establishes a program of research and demonstrations under CCDBGA.  Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out research, demonstration projects, and other activities relating to child care, including activities designed to improve the quality and increase the availability of child care.  Requires such activities to be coordinated with activities under the Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement.  Includes among authorized activities:  (1) research on child care needs of low-income families, good policies and practices, and retention of child care provider staff; (2) demonstrations of technology-based education and training and of new methods; and (3) establishment and operation of a National Center on Child Care Statistics and a hotline for child care resources, referrals and consumer education.  Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 4) Establishes the Advisory Commission on Quality Child Care to study and report to the President, the Congress, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on:  (1) the most important issues affecting the quality of child care; (2) the most efficient and effective manner of ensuring that families in the United States receive quality health care; and (3) other related topics.",2025-08-21T16:12:46Z,
105-hr-4845,105,hr,4845,To prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from increasing the national audience reach limitations established under the Telecommunications Act of 1996.,"Science, Technology, Communications",1998-10-15,1998-10-20,"Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection.",House,"Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-35]",CA,D,W000187,0,Amends the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from increasing the national audience reach limitations established under such Act for television stations.,2025-01-02T17:51:43Z,
105-hr-4846,105,hr,4846,To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the deduction allowed for interest on education loans.,Taxation,1998-10-15,1998-10-15,Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.,House,"Rep. Campbell, Tom [R-CA-15]",CA,R,C000100,0,"Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase, up to a maximum of $5,000 for taxable years 2002 and thereafter, the deduction allowed for interest on education loans.",2025-01-02T17:51:51Z,
105-hr-4829,105,hr,4829,"To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to transfer administrative jurisdiction over land within the boundaries of the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site to the Archivist of the United States for the construction of a visitor center, and for other purposes.",Public Lands and Natural Resources,1998-10-14,1998-10-20,Received in the Senate.,House,"Rep. Solomon, Gerald B. H. [R-NY-22]",NY,R,S000675,0,"Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to transfer to the Archivist of the United States administrative jurisdiction over land located in the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, for construction of a visitor center.",2025-04-07T15:23:30Z,
105-hr-4830,105,hr,4830,To provide support for certain institutes and schools.,Education,1998-10-14,1998-10-21,Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2283-2284),House,"Rep. Duncan, John J., Jr. [R-TN-2]",TN,R,D000533,0,"TABLE OF CONTENTS:      Title I:  Oregon Institute of Public Service and           Constitutional Studies      Title II:  Paul Simon Public Policy Institute      Title III:  Howard Baker School of Government      Title IV:  John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public           Policy Title I:  Oregon Institute of Public Service and Constitutional Studies - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award a grant to Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, to establish an endowment fund to support the Oregon Institute of Public Service and Constitutional Studies, which the University shall establish at the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government under a Leadership Council in order to receive such grant. (Sec. 103) Requires such Institute to:  (1) further the knowledge and understanding of students about public service, the U.S. Government, and the Constitution; (2) increase awareness among youth of the importance of public service; (3) establish a Mark O. Hatfield Fellows program for students of government, public policy, public health, education, or law who have demonstrated a commitment to public service through volunteer activities, research projects, or employment; (4) create library and research facilities; and (5) support the professional development of elected officials at all levels of government. (Sec. 106) Authorizes appropriations. Title II:  Paul Simon Public Policy Institute - Authorizes the Secretary to award a grant to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois, to establish an endowment fund to support the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, which the University shall establish in order to receive such grant. (Sec. 202) Includes among the Institute's duties research, analysis, debate, and policy recommendations with respect to world hunger, mass media, foreign policy, education, and employment. (Sec. 206) Authorizes appropriations. Title III:  Howard Baker School of Government - Authorizes the Secretary to award a grant to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, to establish the Howard Baker School of Government and its endowment fund. (Sec. 303) Requires the School to further the study of democratic institutions and public affairs, among other duties. (Sec. 304) Requires the School to operate with the guidance of a Board of Advisors.    (Sec. 306) Authorizes appropriations. Title IV:  John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy - Authorizes the Secretary to award a grant to Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, to establish the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy and its endowment fund. (Sec. 402) Requires the Institute to further the study of public service and public policy issues, among other duties. (Sec. 406) Authorizes appropriations.",2025-07-21T19:44:15Z,
105-hr-4831,105,hr,4831,To temporarily reenact chapter 12 of title 11 of the United States Code.,Finance and Financial Sector,1998-10-14,1998-10-20,Received in the Senate.,House,"Rep. Smith, Nick [R-MI-7]",MI,R,S000597,0,"Reenacts chapter 12 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code (Adjustment of Debts of a Family Farmer with Regular Annual Income) for the period beginning October 1, 1998, and ending on April 1, 1999 (thereby extending family farmer bankruptcy relief). Provides for the continuation of all cases and proceedings as if such chapter were continued in effect after April 1, 1999, including the substantive rights of parties in connection with such cases.",2025-04-07T15:23:55Z,
105-hr-4832,105,hr,4832,Repetitive Flood Loss Reduction Act of 1998,Emergency Management,1998-10-14,1998-10-14,Referred to the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.,House,"Rep. Bentsen, Ken [D-TX-25]",TX,D,B000400,0,"Repetitive Flood Loss Reduction Act of 1998 - Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to require the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to carry out a program to mitigate repetitive flood losses to property by providing financial assistance to States, communities, and local flood management agencies for planning and carrying out activities designed to reduce expenditures from the National Flood Insurance Fund for damages to properties caused by repetitive flooding. Includes among eligible mitigation activities, subject to specified restrictions:  (1) elevation, relocation, demolition, or floodproofing of structures located in areas having special flood hazards or other areas of flood risk; (2) acquisition by States and communities of properties located in areas having special flood hazards or other areas of flood risk for public use, as the Director determines is consistent with sound land management and use; (3) minor physical mitigation efforts that do not duplicate the flood prevention activities of other Federal agencies, States, communities, or local flood management agencies and that lessen the frequency or severity of flooding and decrease predicted flood damages, excluding major flood control projects unless the Director specifically determines that such projects are the most cost-effective mitigation activities for protecting the National Flood Insurance Fund; and (4) purchase of property. Sets forth procedures for requests for assistance and for approval of requests. Prohibits the Director (with an exception) from providing financial assistance:  (1) in an amount exceeding 75 percent of the total cost of the mitigation activities to be financed using such assistance; and (2) for any such activities unless the State, community, or local flood management agency that receives the assistance certifies, as the Director shall require, that at least 25 percent of the total cost of such activities will be provided from non-Federal sources. Requires the Director, upon determining that an insured property is a repetitive substantial loss property, to offer to purchase the property at its fair market value at the time of the offer.  Directs that any such offer:  (1)  explicitly state that the offer is contingent upon the availability of specified funds for such purchase; and (2) be held open, and not be revocable, during the period that the property is covered by flood insurance coverage. Requires the Director, if such owner accepts the offer and if such funds are available, to purchase the property.  Authorizes the Director, if any local flood management agency exists that has jurisdiction with respect to the area in which the property is located, to request that the State or local flood management agency coordinate and carry out the purchase. Provides that if the owner does not accept the offer within a specified period, the chargeable premium rate with respect to the property shall equal 150 percent of the amount at the time the offer was made (as adjusted by any other premium adjustments otherwise applicable to the property), with an exception, and the insurance deductible increased by $5,000 more than that at the time the offer was made.  Requires the Director, upon each renewal or modification of flood insurance coverage for a repetitive substantial loss property, to notify the owner that the offer is still open. Provides that if the owner of a repetitive substantial loss property does not accept an offer made by the Director and subsequently a flood event causes substantial damage to the property, the chargeable premium rate with respect to the property shall be an amount equal to 150 percent of the rate at the time of the event, as adjusted by any other premium adjustments otherwise applicable to the property and any subsequent increases, and the insurance deductible increased by $5,000 more than that at the time of the event. Establishes within the Treasury the Repetitive Flood Mitigation Loss Reduction Fund.  Directs that all amounts collected from payment of deductible and premium increases be deposited into the Fund and that amounts deposited into the Fund be available to the Director to carry out this Act to the extent provided by appropriation Acts. Requires the Director to:  (1) develop and periodically update a list of repetitive flood loss properties that have sustained multiple flood losses in excess of 125 percent of the property value, which shall be given priority for offers; (2) conduct oversight of recipients of financial assistance to ensure that the assistance is used in compliance with approved mitigation activities and that certified matching funds are used in accordance with such certification; and (3) recapture such amounts from a State, community, or local flood management agency that has received mitigation assistance and that the Director determines has not carried out mitigation activities, and deposit the amounts in the Fund. Authorizes appropriations.",2025-08-21T16:11:49Z,
105-hr-4833,105,hr,4833,Constructive Learning Environment Act,Education,1998-10-14,1998-10-14,Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.,House,"Rep. Boswell, Leonard L. [D-IA-3]",IA,D,B000652,0,"Constructive Learning Environment Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants for up to five years to local educational agencies (LEAs) to:  (1) provide a sufficient number of teachers and facilities to accommodate students who are disruptive in the classroom; and (2) train teachers to effectively educate such students. Gives priority to LEAs that:  (1) serve a high number of low-income students, determined by the number of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Act; or (2) are located in rural areas. Authorizes appropriations.",2025-08-21T16:13:36Z,
105-hr-4834,105,hr,4834,Northwest Salmon Recovery Act of 1998,Environmental Protection,1998-10-14,1998-10-20,"Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Power, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.",House,"Rep. Furse, Elizabeth [D-OR-1]",OR,D,F000434,0,"Northwest Salmon Recovery Act of 1998 - Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to develop a unified plan for salmon recovery in the Pacific Northwest region whose goal is to restore sustainable naturally reproducing salmon populations to support tribal and nontribal harvest, cultural, and economic practices. (Sec. 4) Requires such plan to address:  (1) treaty, trust, and Endangered Species Act responsibilities; (2) specified statutory requirements governing fish mitigation and enhancement; (3) water quality standards under the Clean Water Act; and (4) the United States-Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty commitments. (Sec. 5) Directs the Secretaries of Energy and of the Treasury to establish an accounting system for the Bonneville Power Administration that meets prescribed criteria. Directs the Secretaries of the Interior, Energy, Commerce, and the Army to implement a specified Memorandum of Agreement and Annex adopted in 1996, including procedures for effective regional involvement and accountability in the expenditure of moneys from the Administration's fund.  Prescribes administrative procedures applicable to such Memorandum of Agreement and to the unified plan. Repeals the mandate to the Northwest Planning Council to appoint an Independent Scientific Review Panel. (Sec. 6) Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a Natural Resources Recovery Fund for fish and wildlife restoration in the Pacific Northwest region, and for conservation and renewable energy projects. Directs the Administrator to assess specified fees and charges to ensure that the repayment costs of Washington Public Power Supply System debt is repaid and allocated to all Administration customers. Provides that such fees and charges shall be in addition to:  (1) rates for power sales by the Administration; and (2) Administration transmission rates. (Sec. 7) Requires that all rates and charges received for the sale of electric energy by the Administration to its electric energy customers recover all federally incurred costs for electric energy generation and marketing, including meeting certain statutory responsibilities. (Sec. 8) Places the transmission of electric energy by the Administration within the purview of the Federal Power Act, and grants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission jurisdiction over transmission rates, terms, and conditions. Requires rates charged by the Administration for electric energy transmission to be sufficient to recover all costs for compliance with specified statutory responsibilities. Prescribes procedures for cost recovery adjustments by the Administration.",2025-08-21T16:11:12Z,
105-hr-4835,105,hr,4835,COBRA Extension Act of 1998,Health,1998-10-14,1998-10-20,"Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.",House,"Rep. Lampson, Nick [D-TX-9]",TX,D,L000043,2,"COBRA Extension Act of 1998 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to extend health plan insurance continuation coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) for surviving spouses.",2025-08-21T16:13:22Z,
105-hr-4836,105,hr,4836,QMB Improvement Act of 1998,Health,1998-10-14,1998-10-20,"Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.",House,"Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7]",WA,D,M000404,2,"QMB Improvement Act of 1998 - Amends part A (General Provisions) of title XI of the Social Security Act (SSA), as well as SSA title XIX (Medicaid) and the Internal Revenue Code, to establish a mechanism for promoting the provision of Medicare cost-sharing assistance under Medicaid to eligible low-income Medicare beneficiaries.",2025-08-21T16:11:35Z,
105-hr-4837,105,hr,4837,Comprehensive Budget Process Reform Act of 1998,Economics and Public Finance,1998-10-14,1998-10-14,Referred to House Rules,House,"Rep. Nussle, Jim [R-IA-2]",IA,R,N000172,24,"TABLE OF CONTENTS:      Title I:  Budget With Force of Law      Title II:  Reserve Funds for Emergencies      Title III:  Enforcement of Budgetary Decisions           Subtitle A:  Application of Points of Order to                Unreported Legislation           Subtitle B:  Compliance with Budget Resolution           Subtitle C:  Justification for Budget Act Waivers           Subtitle D:  CBO Scoring of Conference Reports      Title IV:  Accountability for Federal Spending           Subtitle A:  Prohibitions on Indefinite Spending           Subtitle B:  Enhanced Congressional Oversight                Responsibilities           Subtitle C:  Strengthened Accountability      Title V:  Budgeting for Unfunded Liabilities and Other Long-           Term Obligations           Subtitle A:  Budgetary Treatment of Federal Insurance                Programs           Subtitle B:  Reports on Long-Term Budgetary Trends      Title VI:  Baselines, Byrd Rule, and Lock-Box           Subtitle A:  The Baseline           Subtitle B:  The Byrd Rule           Subtitle C:  Spending Accountability Lock-Box           Subtitle D:  Automatic Continuing Resolution      Title VII:  Budgeting in an Era of Surpluses Comprehensive Budget Process Reform Act of 1998 - Makes this Act effective for fiscal years beginning after September 30, 1999. Title I:  Budget With Force of Law - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA) to require the Congress, by April 15 of each year, to complete action on a joint (currently, concurrent) resolution on the budget for the fiscal year beginning on October 1 of such year.    Requires such resolution, in addition to items required under existing law, to set forth for the fiscal year and at least the four ensuing fiscal years:  (1) subtotals of new budget authority and outlays for nondefense and defense discretionary spending, direct spending, and other subsets of such spending, if necessary; and (2) subtotals of new budget authority and outlays for emergencies for fiscal years to which the amendments made by title II of this Act apply. Revises matters which may be included in the budget resolution. Authorizes the resolution to change the statutory limit on the public debt if the amendment is submitted by the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives or the Senate Finance Committee to the appropriate Budget Committee. Revises required elements of the report accompanying the budget resolution.  Includes within such report:  (1) new budget authority and outlays for each major functional category based on allocations of total levels; (2) a measure, as a percentage of gross domestic product, of total outlays, total Federal revenues, the surplus or deficit, and new outlays for nondefense discretionary, defense, and direct spending; (3) a justification for allocating any new budget authority and outlays for any new program or activity to a committee for which such new authority and outlays would not be subject to discretionary appropriations; (4) a description of committee spending allocations; and (5) a justification for not subjecting any program or activity for which an allocation is made to an annual discretionary appropriation if the resolution includes any committee allocation (other than the Appropriations Committees) exceeding current law levels. Amends Federal provisions concerning elements of the President's required budget submission to the Congress.  Requires such submission to include, for the affected fiscal year and at least each of the four ensuing fiscal years:  (1) totals of new budget authority and outlays; (2) total Federal revenues and the amount by which the aggregate level of revenues should be increased or decreased by reported bills and resolutions; (3) the budget surplus or deficit; (4) subtotals of new budget authority and outlays for nondefense and defense discretionary spending and direct spending and other subsets of such spending, if necessary; (5) the public debt limit; and (6) subtotals of new budget authority and outlays for emergencies for fiscal years to which title II of this Act applies. Amends the CBA to provide a point of order against consideration of any budget resolution or related amendment or conference report that contains matter not specified in content requirements. (Sec. 104) Removes an exception which allows general appropriations bills in the House, after May 15, to be considered before the budget resolution has been agreed to. Applies a specified pay-as-you-go exception in the House to certain legislation that would not increase the deficit only after the date of enactment of the budget resolution (currently, April 15). Requires a three-fifths majority in the Senate to waive or suspend provisions requiring the budget resolution to be adopted before budget-related legislation is considered. Provides for expedited procedures upon presidential veto of the budget resolution.  Authorizes the Budget Committees to introduce a concurrent or joint budget resolution upon such veto.  Discharges such committees from further consideration of the resolution if such resolution is not reported within three days of referral.  Deems any agreed-to concurrent resolution to be the budget resolution for the applicable fiscal years. (Sec. 105) Excludes outlays and revenues of the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Program under the Social Security Act from surplus or deficit totals required by this Act or other specified Federal public finance provisions. Bars receipts and disbursements of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors and Disability Insurance Trust Funds from being counted as new budget authority, outlays, receipts, or deficit or surplus for purposes of the President's budget submission, the congressional budget, or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). Makes it out of order to consider legislation in the House that would provide for specified increases in OASDI benefits or decreases in OASDI taxes. Title II:  Reserve Funds for Emergencies - Repeals provisions of the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act regarding:  (1) discretionary spending limits and emergency appropriations; and (2) direct spending and emergency legislation. Amends rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives to repeal a provision which prohibits a provision from being reported in appropriations legislation containing an emergency designation if such provision is not designated as an emergency, with specified exceptions. (Sec. 206) Amends the CBA to require adjustments to be made only to allocations with respect to emergencies in amounts not to exceed those in reserve funds established by this Act. Sets forth the amounts for discretionary budget authority, direct spending, and outlays to be contained in reserve funds for emergencies. Directs the chairman of the Budget Committee, in the case of legislation that provides budget authority for any emergency, to make an adjustment only to the applicable allocation if the chairman certifies that such outlays or budget authority and the resulting outlays are for an emergency meeting the definition under this Act. Sets forth procedures for the consideration of legislation that provides budget authority for an emergency exceeding the amount provided for in the budget resolution. (Sec. 207) Requires committees, when reporting legislation that provides budget authority for any emergency, to identify all provisions that provide such authority and the resulting outlays in the accompanying report or joint explanatory statement of managers. (Sec. 208) Includes:  (1) up-to-date tabulations of amounts remaining in the reserve funds for emergencies in summary budget scorekeeping reports provided by the Budget Committees; and (2) the average annual enacted levels of discretionary and direct spending budget authority and the resulting outlays for emergencies for the five fiscal years preceding the fiscal year of the budget resolution in the report accompanying the resolution. (Sec. 210) Makes it out of order to consider an amendment to a budget resolution which changes the amount of budget authority and outlays set forth for emergency reserve funds. Permits limitations on the contents of the budget resolution and the point of order against changing the budget authority and outlays for emergency reserve funds to be waived or suspended only by a three-fifths majority in the Senate. (Sec. 211) Makes the amendments of this title effective only after the enactment of legislation changing or extending for any fiscal year any of the discretionary spending limits set forth in the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act. Title III:  Enforcement of Budgetary Decisions - Subtitle A: Application of Points of Order to Unreported Legislation - Applies a certain point of order against the consideration of unreported legislation in the House before the adoption of the budget resolution. Subtitle B:  Compliance with Budget Resolution - Amends rule XIII of the Rules of the House to require committee reports to include a budget compliance statement prepared by the chairman of the Budget Committee. Subtitle C:  Justification for Budget Act Waivers - Amends rule XI of the Rules of the House to provide a point of order against consideration of any resolution from the Committee on Rules to consider any reported legislation which waives specified provisions of the CBA unless the report contains certain information on the provision proposed for waiver. Subtitle D:  CBO Scoring of Conference Reports - Amends the CBA to provide for Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis and scoring of conference reports.  Requires such analysis to include, for reported legislation and conference reports, a determination of whether the measure provides indefinite spending authority. Title IV:  Accountability for Federal Spending - Subtitle A: Prohibitions on Indefinite Spending - Provides a point of order in the House and the Senate against consideration of legislation that provides direct spending for a new program unless such spending is limited to a period of ten or fewer fiscal years.  Removes provisions regarding points of order and legislation providing new entitlement authority. Amends rule XXI of the Rules of the House to make it out of order to consider any legislation that authorizes the appropriation of new budget authority unless such authorization is specifically provided for ten or fewer fiscal years. Amends rule XXIII of the Rules of the House to provide that, in the Committee of the Whole, an amendment to subject a new program providing direct spending to discretionary appropriations if offered by the chairman of the Budget or Appropriations Committees may be precluded from consideration only by the specific terms of a special House order. Declares that the purpose of such amendment is to hold the discretionary spending limits and allocations made to the Appropriations Committee harmless for legislation that offsets a new discretionary program with a designated reduction in direct spending. Amends the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act to require, if a provision of direct spending legislation is enacted that decreases direct spending for any fiscal year and is designated as an offset and specifically identifies an authorization of discretionary appropriations for a new program, the reductions in new budget authority and outlays resulting from such provision to be designated as an offset in specified CBO pay-as-you-go estimates.  Excludes such offsets from such estimates. Requires, if an authorization Act includes provisions reducing direct spending and identifies those provisions as offsets, the adjustments to be an increase in the budget authority and outlay caps in each fiscal year equal to such authority and reductions, respectively, achieved by the specified offsets.  Prohibits the adjustments for the first fiscal year in which the offsetting provisions take effect from exceeding the amount of discretionary new budget authority enacted for the new program in an Act making discretionary appropriations and the resulting outlays. Provides for:  (1) adjustments to discretionary spending limits, allocations, and budgetary allocations resulting from programs for which offsets were designated and resulting outlays; and (2) reductions of committee allocations of new budget authority and outlays with respect to reported legislation containing provisions that decrease direct spending and are designated as offsets. Subtitle B:  Enhanced Congressional Oversight Responsibilities - Amends rule X of the Rules of the House to require House committees, in developing oversight plans, to provide a specific timetable for review of laws, programs, or agencies within their jurisdiction and require such timetable to demonstrate that such laws, programs, or agencies will be reauthorized at least once every ten years. Removes a provision of such rule pertaining to procedures for consideration of legislation providing new entitlement authority which exceeds the appropriate allocation of budget authority. Requires the House Appropriations Committee to report at least once each Congress (currently, from time to time) on recommendations for terminating or modifying provisions of law which provide permanent budget authority. (Sec. 422) Amends the CBA to require the joint explanatory statement accompanying a conference report on a joint budget resolution that includes an allocation to a committee (other than the Appropriations Committee) of levels exceeding current law levels to set forth a justification for not subjecting any program to annual discretionary appropriations.  Makes conforming amendments to provisions regarding the presidential budget submission and to House rules regarding committee consideration of legislation. (Sec. 424) Requires the Budget Committees, during the 106th Congress, to report results of a study on budget reform proposals. Subtitle C:  Strengthened Accountability - Requires certain reports on legislation providing new budget authority or increases or decreases in revenues or tax expenditures to include CBO projections of how such legislation will affect levels of budget authority, outlays, revenue, or tax expenditures for the affected fiscal year and the ensuing nine (currently, four) fiscal years.  Provides for ten-year (currently, four) CBO cost estimates of reported legislation as well. Amends rule XIII of the Rules of the House to require committee reports to contain cost estimates for each of 11 fiscal years. (Sec. 432) Repeals rule XLIX (relating to the establishment of the statutory limit on the public debt) of the Rules of the House. Title V:  Budgeting for Unfunded Liabilities and Other Long-Term Obligations - Subtitle A:  Budgetary Treatment of Federal Insurance Programs - Amends the CBA to establish a new title known as the Federal Insurance Budgeting Act of 1998. Requires the President's budget, beginning with FY 2005, to be based on the risk-assumed cost of Federal insurance programs.  Defines ""risk-assumed cost"" as the net present value of the estimated cash flows to and from the Government resulting from an insurance commitment or modification. Requires the program accounts for such programs to pay:  (1) the risk-assumed cost borne by the taxpayer to the financing account; and (2) actual insurance program administrative costs.  Requires the financing accounts to:  (1) receive premiums and other income; (2) pay all claims for insurance and receive all recoveries; and (3) transfer to the program account at least annually amounts necessary to pay administrative costs.  Provides that a negative risk-assumed cost shall be transferred from the financing to the program account and from the program account as a nonexpenditure transfer to the general fund.  Requires all payments by or receipts of the financing accounts to be treated in the budget as a means of financing. Permits insurance commitments to be made for FY 2005 and thereafter only to the extent that new budget authority to cover the risk-assumed cost is provided in advance in an appropriations Act.  Prohibits modification of an outstanding commitment in a manner that increases the risk-assumed cost unless budget authority for the additional cost has been provided in advance.  Makes such requirements inapplicable to insurance programs that constitute entitlements. Provides for re-estimations of risk-assumed cost in each subsequent year. Requires agencies with responsibility for Federal insurance programs to develop models to estimate risk-assumed cost by year through the budget horizon and to submit such models, all relevant data, justifications for critical assumptions, and annual projected risk-assumed costs to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) with budget requests each year starting with the request for FY 2001. Directs OMB and CBO, after a comment period for interested persons, to revise the models, data, and major assumptions they would use to estimate the risk-assumed cost of Federal insurance programs. Requires the President's budget submissions and budgets and CBO's reports on the economic and budget outlook for FY 2002 through 2004 to estimate, for display purposes only, the risk-assumed cost of existing or proposed Federal insurance programs. Requires OMB, CBO, and the General Accounting Office to report to the Budget Committees on the advisability and appropriate implementation of this section. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1999 through 2004 to OMB and each agency responsible for administering a Federal program to carry out this title. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to borrow from, receive from, lend to, or pay the insurance financing accounts appropriate amounts. Establishes a financing account for each Federal insurance program on September 30, 2004.  Appropriates to such accounts the amount of the unfunded risk-assumed cost of outstanding Federal insurance commitments as of the close of September 30, 2004. Terminates this section on the last day of FY 2006. Subtitle B:  Reports on Long-Term Budgetary Trends - Requires the President's budget submission to include:  (1) an analysis based upon current law and one based upon the policy assumptions underlying the submission for every fifth year of the period of the 75 fiscal years beginning with the affected fiscal year of the estimated levels of total new budget authority, outlays, estimated revenues, surpluses, and deficits and, for each major Federal entitlement program, estimated levels of total new budget authority and outlays; and (2) a specification of underlying assumptions and a sensitivity analysis of factors that have a significant effect on the projections made in each analysis and a comparison of the effects of the two analyses on the economy.  Establishes a conforming requirement for CBO's annual report to the Budget Committees on fiscal policy. Title VI:  Baselines, Byrd Rule, and Lock-Box - Subtitle A:  The Baseline - Revises required elements of the President's budget submission to include percentage changes between the current year and the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted for:  (1) estimated expenditures and appropriations which are necessary to support the Government, with an exception for detailed budget estimates; (2) laws in effect when the budget is submitted and proposals in the budget to increase revenues as well as for each of the four ensuing fiscal years; and (3) certain proposed appropriations and expenditures for legislation that would establish or expand Government activities or functions, with an exception for detailed budget estimates. Includes within the submission:  (1) a comparison of levels of estimated expenditures and proposed appropriations for each function and subfunction in the current fiscal year and the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted, along with the proposed increase or decrease of spending in percentage terms for each function and subfunction; and (2) a table on sources of growth in total direct spending under current law and as proposed in the submission for the budget year and the ensuing four fiscal years. (Sec. 612) Amends the CBA to require the report accompanying the budget resolution to include a comparison of levels for the current fiscal year with proposed spending and revenue levels for subsequent fiscal years along with the proposed increase or decrease of spending in percentage terms for each function. (Sec. 613) Includes similar requirements in certain CBO reports. (Sec. 614) Requires the OMB and CBO Directors, in making budgetary projections for years for which there are no discretionary spending limits, to assume discretionary spending levels at the levels for the last fiscal year for which such levels were in effect. Subtitle B:  The Byrd Rule - Removes the applicability of certain procedures with respect to extraneous matter in reconciliation legislation to conference reports. Subtitle C:  Spending Accountability Lock-box - Spending Accountability Lock-box Act of 1998 - Directs the chairmen of the Budget Committees to each maintain a Spending Accountability Lock-box Ledger, to be divided into entries corresponding to the subcommittees of the Appropriations Committees.  Requires each entry to consist of three components:  (1) the House Lock-box Balance; (2) the Senate Lock-box Balance; and (3) the Joint House-Senate Lock-box Balance. Authorizes Members of the House or the Senate, when offering an amendment to an appropriation bill to reduce new budget authority in any account, to state the portion of such reduction to be:  (1) credited to the House or Senate Lock-box Balance; (2) used to offset an increase in new budget authority in any other account; or (3) allowed to remain within the Appropriations Committees' subcommittee suballocation.  Credits the amount of the reduction to either Lock-box Balance, as applicable, if the amendment is agreed to and no such statement is made. Requires the Budget Committee chairmen, upon the engrossment of any appropriation bill by the House and upon the engrossment of that bill by the Senate, to credit to the applicable entry balance of that House amounts of new budget authority and outlays equal to the net amounts of reductions in new budget authority and in outlays resulting from amendments agreed to by that House to that bill.  Specifies the amounts to be credited to the Joint House-Senate Lock-box Balance. Requires a running tally to be available to Members of the House, during the consideration of any appropriations bill by the House, of the amendments adopted reflecting increases and decreases of budget authority in such bill as reported. (Sec. 633) Provides for the downward adjustment, by the amounts credited to the applicable Joint House-Senate Lock-box Balance, of: (1) allocations for the House and Senate upon the engrossment of Senate amendments to any appropriation bill; and (2) suballocations, whenever a such a downward adjustment is made to an allocation. (Sec. 634) Requires the CBO Director to include an up-to-date tabulation of the amounts contained in the Deficit Reduction Lock-box Ledger and each entry in periodic reports. Requires the downward adjustment of discretionary spending limits set forth in the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act by amounts set forth in the final regular appropriation bill for the fiscal year or joint resolution making continuing appropriations through the end of such fiscal year. Subtitle D:  Automatic Continuing Resolution - Amends Federal law to make appropriations, if any regular appropriation bill for a fiscal year does not become law prior to the beginning of such year or a continuing appropriations resolution is not in effect, to continue any project or activity for which funds were provided in the preceding year:  (1) in the corresponding regular appropriations Act for that year; or (2) in a continuing appropriations resolution for such year if the regular bill did not become law. Makes such appropriations available:  (1) at a rate of operations not to exceed the rate provided for the project in the preceding fiscal year; and (2) beginning with the first day of a lapse in appropriations and ending on the earlier of the date the regular appropriation bill, or continuing resolution, becomes law or the last day of the fiscal year.  Subjects such appropriations to any conditions imposed in the preceding fiscal year or pursuant to current law. Provides that nothing in this section shall be construed to affect Government obligations mandated by other law, including obligations with respect to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Title VII:  Budgeting in an Era of Surpluses - Amends the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act to revise the purpose of pay-as-you-go provisions to declare such purpose to be to assure that direct spending or receipts legislation does not increase the deficit or exceed the on-budget surplus. Reduces the amount of any sequestration for the budget year by any OMB estimate of excess receipts over outlays.  Excludes outlays and receipts of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors and Disability Insurance Trust Funds, or any off-budget entity from such estimates. Defines a net deficit, for purposes of sequestration provisions, as the amount by which decreases in revenues plus increases in outlays exceed increases in revenues plus decreases in outlays. Includes within sequestration preview reports the estimated excess of receipts over outlays, if any, with specified assumptions and without taking into account the effect of direct spending and receipts legislation enacted after this Act.  Requires actual levels of enacted discretionary spending limits to be used in the final pay-as-you-go report regarding information on excess receipts.",2025-08-21T16:11:41Z,
105-hr-4838,105,hr,4838,Housing Preservation Matching Grant Act of 1998,Housing and Community Development,1998-10-14,1998-10-21,Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2283-2284),House,"Rep. Vento, Bruce F. [D-MN-4]",MN,D,V000087,0,Housing Preservation Matching Grant Act of 1998 - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make matching grants to States for low-income housing preservation. Sets forth requirements for projects:  (1) with Department of Housing and Urban Development-insured mortgages; (2) with section 8 assistance; or (3) purchased by the residents. Authorizes appropriations.,2025-08-21T16:13:05Z,
105-hr-4839,105,hr,4839,To suspend temporarily the duty on certain crystal vases and drinking glasses.,Foreign Trade and International Finance,1998-10-14,1998-10-14,Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.,House,"Rep. Young, C. W. Bill [R-FL-10]",FL,R,Y000031,0,"Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedules of the United States to suspend, through December 31, 2001, the duty on vases and drinking glasses of barium crystal valued over $5 each, whether or not cut or engraved.",2025-01-02T17:51:51Z,
105-hr-4840,105,hr,4840,Savings Provision Technical Amendment Act of 1998,Government Operations and Politics,1998-10-14,1998-10-14,Referred to the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight.,House,"Rep. Morella, Constance A. [R-MD-8]",MD,R,M000941,1,"Savings Provision Technical Amendment Act of 1998 - Amends the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 relating to information technology management to make certain savings provisions inapplicable to any decision of the General Services Board of Contract Appeals (whether or not such decision is subsequently vacated) that:  (1) is issued in a proceeding involving a protest; (2) is issued after February 10, 1996, and before the effective date of such Act; and (3) declares that a delegation of procurement authority from the Administrator of General Services or another source should have been obtained, and that a contract is void for lack of such a delegation. Declares that, in the case of any decision of the Board covered by this Act, the Administrator:  (1) shall take necessary actions to vacate the decision; and (2) may not decide any further protest with respect to the contract it declared void.  Requires the contracting activity that awarded the contract that was declared void by such decision to:  (1) deem the contract valid and in full effect; (2) adhere to the contract's terms; and (3) require performance of the contract to begin 15 days after enactment of this Act and continue for the number of years prescribed by the contract when awarded. States that the contract declared void by such decision shall not be subject to any other protest.",2025-08-21T16:11:42Z,
105-hr-4841,105,hr,4841,Small Business Franchise Act of 1998,Commerce,1998-10-14,1998-10-19,Referred to the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.,House,"Rep. Coble, Howard [R-NC-6]",NC,R,C000556,11,"Small Business Franchise Act of 1998 - Prohibits any person, in connection with the advertising, offering, sale, or promotion of any franchise, from:  (1) employing a device, scheme, or artifice to defraud; (2) engaging in an act, practice, course of business, or pattern of conduct which operates or is intended to operate as a fraud upon any prospective franchisee; (3) obtaining property, or assisting others in so doing, by negligently making an untrue statement of a material fact or any failure to state a material fact; (4) discriminating among prospective franchisees on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, sex, religion, disability, national origin, or age; or (5) making any claim or representation which is inconsistent with or contradicts a disclosure document.  Requires the franchisor to provide a written statement specifying whether the franchise agreement contains a right of renewal. (Sec. 4) Prohibits any franchisor or subfranchisor, in connection with the performance, enforcement, renewal, or termination of any franchise agreement, from:  (1) engaging in an act, practice, course of business, or pattern of conduct which operates as a fraud upon any person; (2) discriminating among franchisees on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, sex, religion, disability, national origin, or age; (3) hindering, prohibiting, or penalizing the free association of franchisees for any lawful purpose, including the formation of or participation in any trade association made up of franchisees; or (4) discriminating against a franchisee by imposing requirements not imposed on other similarly situated franchisees or otherwise retaliating against any franchisee for membership or participation in a franchisee association. Prohibits a franchisor from:  (1) terminating a franchise agreement prior to its expiration without good cause; or (2)  prohibiting a franchisee from engaging in any business at any location after the expiration of a franchise agreement. (Sec. 5) Sets forth provisions concerning:  (1) minimum standards of conduct (good faith, due care, and limited fiduciary duty) for each party to a franchise agreement; (2) a prohibition against requiring the inclusion of a franchise agreement term or condition which violates this Act or relieves a person from a duty or liability under this Act; (3) a prohibition against the waiver from compliance with this Act; and (4) authorized legal actions by State attorneys general on behalf of State residents for alleged violations. (Sec. 8) Authorizes a franchisee to assign a franchise interest to a transferee, provided such transferee satisfies reasonable qualifications applied by the franchisor in determining whether or not a current franchisee is eligible for renewal.  Provides transfer conditions, including 30 days' prior written notice.  Outlines events which shall not be considered transfers, such as successor management by a surviving heir or incorporation. (Sec. 9) Prohibits a franchisor from transferring a franchise interest unless:  (1) the franchisor provides 30 days prior notice to all franchisees of such intent; (2) the notice is accompanied by a complete description of the business and financial terms of the proposed transfer; and (3) upon such transfer, the transferee entity has the appropriate business experience and financial means to perform all of the franchisor's obligations. (Sec. 10) Prohibits a franchisor from prohibiting a franchisee from obtaining equipment, fixtures, supplies, goods, or services (goods or services) used in the establishment or operation of the franchised business from sources of the franchisee's choosing, with the exception that such goods or services must meet reasonable quality standards promulgated or enforced by the franchisor.  Requires the franchisor to:  (1) provide and continuously update a list of approved vendors for such goods or services; and (2) report at least annually revenues and profits received from the sale of such goods or services to its franchisees. (Sec. 11) Prohibits a franchisor from placing one or more new outlets of a franchised business within unreasonable proximity to an existing franchise, with an exception. (Sec. 12) Sets forth provisions concerning:  (1) legal actions brought by persons injured or damaged by violations; and (2) the right to arbitration, mediation, or other nonjudicial resolution in lieu of a legal action (with a statute of limitations).",2025-08-21T16:12:28Z,
105-hr-4819,105,hr,4819,Passenger Services Enhancement Act,Foreign Trade and International Finance,1998-10-13,1998-10-13,Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.,House,"Rep. Shaw, E. Clay, Jr. [R-FL-22]",FL,R,S000303,12,"Passenger Services Enhancement Act - Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to continue, indefinitely, the use of customs user fees (to the extent funds remain available after making certain reimbursements) for salaries for up to 50 full- time equivalent inspectional positions to provide preclearance customs services. Decreases from $6.50 to $5 the customs user fee charged to each passenger that arrives aboard a commercial vessel or commercial aircraft from a place outside the U.S. customs (except $1.75 shall be charged to each passenger aboard a commercial vessel that arrives from Canada, Mexico, a U.S. territory or possession, or an adjacent island). Earmarks a specified amount of certain customs user fees to the Customs Service for automated commercial systems. Directs the Commissioner of Customs to establish an advisory committee, consisting of representatives from the airline, cruise ship, and other transportation industries, to advise the Commissioner on issues related to the performance of the inspectional services of the Customs Service. Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to authorize the Secretary, for a specified period, to prescribe an alternative mid-point interest accounting methodology, which may be employed by the importer, based upon aggregate data in lieu of accounting for such interest from each deposit data provided.",2025-08-21T16:12:18Z,
105-hr-4820,105,hr,4820,Save the International Space Station Act of 1998,"Science, Technology, Communications",1998-10-13,1998-10-20,Referred to the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics.,House,"Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-9]",WI,R,S000244,0,"Save the International Space Station Act of 1998 - Prohibits any funds or in-kind payments from being:  (1) transferred to any entity of the Russian Government or any Russian contractor when such funds are intended to be used to perform work on the International Space Station which the Russian Government pledged, at any time, to provide at its expense; and (2) made to any entity of the Russian Government in exchange for any goods or services associated with the Space Station, except pursuant to a contract or agreement in effect as of the date of enactment of this Act.  Provides for exceptions to such prohibition, based on certain determinations by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and subject to the approval of specified congressional committees. Expresses the sense of the Congress that if the Russian Government is unable to provide at its own expense any contribution, capability, or launch service to the Space Station, the Memorandum of Understanding between NASA and the Russian Space Agency, and, if necessary, the Intergovernmental Agreement among all the Space Station partners, should be renegotiated to reduce Russia's benefits commensurate with its reduced level of contribution to the Space Station. Directs the NASA Administrator to develop and deliver to the Congress, with the President's budget request for fiscal year 2000, a specified contingency plan for the removal or replacement of each Russian Government contribution or capability of the Space Station that lies in the critical path, as well as Russian space launch services. Defines the ""critical path"" as the sequence of events of a schedule of events under which a delay in any event causes a delay in the overall schedule. Requires the Administrator, on or before December 1, 1998, and until completion of the assembly of the Space Station, to report to the Congress every other month on whether or not the Russians have performed work expected of them and necessary to complete the Space Station. Requires the President to notify the Congress by April 1, 1999, of the decision on whether or not to proceed with permanent replacement of the Russian Service Module, other Russian contributions or capabilities in the critical path of the Space Station, or Russian launch services. (Sec. 4) Limits the total amount appropriated for:  (1) costs of the Space Station through completion of assembly; and (2) space shuttle launch costs in connection with the assembly of the Space Station through completion of assembly.  Makes such limitations inapplicable to specified operations, research, and crew return activities subsequent to completion of the Space Station.  Provides for amounts to be increased to reflect any increase in costs attributable to specified conditions, including the lack of performance or the termination of participation of any of the international countries participating in the Space Station.  Requires the Administrator to provide with each annual budget request a written notice and analysis of any changes to the amounts to specified congressional committees. Directs the Administrator:  (1) as part of the overall space shuttle program budget request for each fiscal year, to identify separately the amounts of the requested funding that are to be used for completion of the assembly of the Space Station; and (2) as part of the overall Space Station budget request for each fiscal year, to identify the amount to be used for development of the Space Station. Requires the Administrator, as part of the annual budget request to the Congress, to account for the cost limitations imposed. Directs the Administrator to arrange for a verification, by the General Accounting Office, of the accounting submitted to the Congress . Directs the Inspector General of NASA to review the Administrator's notice and analysis of changes to amounts and report the results to the committees. (Sec. 5) Authorizes the Administrator, on behalf of the United States, to reciprocally waive claims with cooperating parties, under which each party to each such waiver agrees to be responsible, and agrees to ensure that its own related entities are responsible, for damage or loss to its property or to property for which it is responsible, or for losses resulting from any injury or death sustained by its own employees or agents, as a result of activities connected to the Space Station.  Makes waivers inapplicable in certain cases, including those involving negligence. Requires the Administrator to establish overall safety requirements and plans and to conduct overall integrated system safety reviews for Space Station elements and payloads, and permits the Administrator to undertake all authorized steps to ensure that such elements and payloads pose no safety risks for the Space Station.    (Sec. 6) Requires the Administrator to transmit to the Congress a report containing a description of all Space Station-related agreements entered into by the United States with a foreign entity after September 30, 1993, along with:  (1) a complete accounting of all costs and benefit to the United States during FY 1994 through 1998 pursuant to each such agreement; and (2) an estimate of costs and benefits after fiscal year 1998 to the United States pursuant to each such agreement. Requires the Administrator to transmit to the Congress annual reports containing a description of all Space Station-related agreements entered into by the United States with a foreign entity during the preceding fiscal year, along with:  (1) a complete accounting of all costs and benefits to the United States during that fiscal year pursuant to each such agreement; and (2) an estimate of such future costs and benefits. (Sec. 7) Requires the Administrator to report to specified congressional committees on:  (1) agreements that have been reached with foreign entities to transfer to a foreign entity the development and manufacture of Space Station hardware baselined to be provided by the United States; and (2) the impact of those agreements on U. S. operating costs and utilization shares of the Space Station.  Requires the Administrator, before entering into any such additional agreements, to report to such committees on the nature of the proposed agreement and its anticipated cost, schedule, commercial, and utilization impacts. (Sec. 8) Prohibits NASA from entering into any agreement or contract with a foreign government, for the provision by that government of goods and services, that grants the foreign government the right to recover profit in the event that the agreement or contract is terminated.",2025-08-21T16:11:15Z,
105-hr-4821,105,hr,4821,To extend into fiscal year 1999 the visa processing period for diversity applicants whose visa processing was suspended during fiscal year 1998 due to embassy bombings.,Immigration,1998-10-13,1998-11-10,Became Public Law No: 105-360.,House,"Rep. Smith, Lamar [R-TX-21]",TX,R,S000583,0,Extends the visa processing period for certain diversity (immigrant) applicants whose visa processing was suspended due to the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.,2025-04-07T15:23:55Z,
105-hr-4822,105,hr,4822,Mutual Fund Tax Awareness Act of 1998,Finance and Financial Sector,1998-10-13,1998-10-20,Referred to the Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials.,House,"Rep. Gillmor, Paul E. [R-OH-5]",OH,R,G000210,11,"Mutual Fund Tax Awareness Act of 1998 - Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission to revise regulations under the Investment Company Act of 1940 to require, consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest, improved methods of disclosing in investment company prospectuses and annual reports the after-tax effects of portfolio turnover on investment company returns to investors.",2025-08-21T16:12:08Z,
105-hr-4823,105,hr,4823,21st Century Retirement Savings Act,Labor and Employment,1998-10-13,1998-10-13,Referred to House Education and the Workforce,House,"Rep. Kolbe, Jim [R-AZ-5]",AZ,R,K000306,1,"TABLE OF CONTENTS:      Title I:  New Employer Pension Plans Must Be 401(k) Plans and           Not 403(b) or 457 Plans      Title II:  Safe Annuities and Trusts      Title III:  Enhanced Portability of Retirement Plans      Title IV:  Credit for Pension Plan Startup Costs of Small           Employers      Title V:  Miscellaneous Improvements to Pension Plans 21st Century Retirement Savings Act - Title I:  New Employer Pension Plans Must Be 401(k) Plans and Not 403(b) or 457 Plans - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require new State and local government and tax-exempt organization pension plans to be 401(k) plans. Title II:  Safe Annuities and Trusts - Requires employers to establish SAFE annuities (a defined individual retirement annuity). Title III:  Enhanced Portability of Retirement Plans - Permits specified rollovers.  Makes other revisions concerning portability. Title IV:  Credit for Pension Plan Startup Costs of Small Employers - Establishes a small employer pension plan cost startup credit. Title V:  Miscellaneous Improvements to Pension Plans - Permits IRA ""catch-up"" contributions. Repeals the 25 percent limitation on defined contribution plans. Provides for faster vesting of employer matching contributions. Revises provisions concerning:  (1) pension benefit statements; and (2) assignment and alienation. Sets penalties for pension plans failing to meet requirements.",2025-08-21T16:11:29Z,
105-hr-4824,105,hr,4824,21st Century Retirement Act,Social Welfare,1998-10-13,1998-10-13,Referred to House Rules,House,"Rep. Kolbe, Jim [R-AZ-5]",AZ,R,K000306,1,"21st Century Retirement Act - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new part B (Individual Security Accounts).  Requires the Commissioner of Social Security to establish an individual security account (ISA) for each eligible individual who is employed or self-employed.  Requires each employed or self-employed individual (or, if need be, the Commissioner) to designate the investment type of ISA to which the Secretary of the Treasury shall credit, for such individual, the contribution amount deducted from the individual's income.  Requires investment of an ISA in a manner similar to that under the Thrift Savings Plan for Federal employees.  Prescribes rules for the transfer and distribution of account funds, including providing for the off-budget treatment of ISAs. (Sec. 2) Establishes in the Treasury an Individual Security Fund composed of all established ISAs, and managed by an Individual Security Fund Board.  Directs the Board to study and report to the President and the Congress on ways to increase an individual's ISA investment options, especially with respect to rollovers or distributions from such account. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax rates on the income and self-employment income of every individual who is a Medicare (SSA title XVIII) part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) eligible individual, as well as to impose an ISA contribution on such income, computed according to a specified formula, and adjusted for inflation. (Sec. 3) Amends SSA title II to:  (1) establish a new minimum monthly social security benefit for certain low-income individuals who become eligible for Old-Age or Disability Insurance benefits after December 31, 2005; and (2) eliminate the limitation on the amount of outside income (earnings test) which beneficiaries who have attained retirement age may earn without incurring a reduction in benefits. (Sec. 5) Amends the Social Security Amendments of 1983, as amended by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, to provide for a phased reduction to zero, beginning after 2009, of the subtrahend in the formula for certain transfers to the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund under the Medicare program of SSA title XVIII. (Sec. 6) Amends SSA title II to provide for:  (1) OASDI coverage of newly hired State and local employees; (2) a gradual increase in the number of benefit computation years and, for calendar years after 2009, the use of all computation base years in the computation of primary insurance amounts; and (3) a graduated increase in the early and delayed retirement credits. (Sec. 9) Directs the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to publish annually in the Federal Register an estimate of:  (1) the number of percentage points by which the annual rate of change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is reduced below the level it would otherwise have attained by reason of the adjustments in the determination of such index instituted by the Bureau after December 31, 1997; and (2) the upper level substitution bias retained in the CPI. Makes appropriations to BLS for:  (1) research, evaluation, and implementation of a superlative index to estimate upper level substitution bias in the CPI; (2) expansion of the Consumer Expenditure Survey and the Point of Purchase Survey; and (3) implementation of revisions to the CPI with respect to programs under SSA title II. Directs BLS to establish an administrative advisory committee to advise it periodically about CPI revisions, and to conduct research and experimentation with alternative data collection and estimating approaches. Amends SSA title II to provide for use of a modified CPI in the indexing of cost-of-living benefits for a month in any year after 1999. (Sec. 10) Amends SSA title II to:  (1) provide for a phased-in reduction in spousal benefits other than survivor's benefits to 33 percent of primary insurance amount; (2) make various specified adjustments to the upper 2 benefit formula factors for determining the primary insurance amount; and (3) provide for a phased-in increase in social security normal and early retirement ages, up to a normal retirement age of 70 in the year 2037 for individuals attaining early retirement age in the year 2029.  Requires specified incremental increases in both normal and early retirement ages after 2029. (Sec. 13) Amends SSA title VII (Administration) to establish a new mechanism for ensuring solvency in the social security trust funds. Directs the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, if it determines that the balance ratio of either Trust Fund for any calendar year during the succeeding 75 years will be zero, to recommend to the Congress and the President statutory adjustments affecting Trust Fund receipts and disbursements necessary to maintain its balance ratio at not less than 20 percent, with due regard to the economic conditions which created such inadequacy in the balance ratio, and the amount of time necessary to alleviate it in a prudent manner.  Requires such report to specify the extent to which benefits would have to be reduced, taxes would have to be increased, or a combination thereof, in order to obtain the desired objectives. Directs the same Board to recommend to the Congress and the President statutory adjustments to the disability insurance program to modify the changes in disability benefits made under this Act without reducing the balance ratio of the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund. Prescribes a procedure for presidential review, disapproval, and approval of Board recommendations.",2025-08-21T16:13:38Z,
105-hr-4825,105,hr,4825,Childhood Lead Poisoning Protection Act of 1998,Health,1998-10-13,1998-10-20,Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment.,House,"Rep. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ-13]",NJ,D,M000639,0,"Childhood Lead Poisoning Protection Act of 1998 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide for a reduced Federal medical assistance percentage for States that fail to meet specified minimum blood lead screening rates established by this Act, subject to waiver by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in the case of a State that has performed during a fiscal year such a significant number of lead blood level assessments that the State reasonably cannot be expected to achieve the appropriate minimum blood lead screening rate. Requires the State Medicaid plan to provide for reporting to the Secretary:  (1) the number of children who are not more than two years of age and enrolled in the Medicaid program; and (2) the number and results of lead blood level assessments performed by the State, along with demographic and identifying information consistent with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with respect to lead surveillance. Requires each contract between the State and an entity responsible for provision of medical assistance under the State plan to provide for:  (1) compliance with mandatory screening requirements for lead blood level assessments commensurate with guidelines and mandates issued by the Secretary through the Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration; as well as (2) coverage of appropriate qualified lead treatment services, as prescribed by CDC guidelines, for children with elevated levels of lead in their blood.  Allows reimbursement for qualified lead treatment services for children with elevated blood lead levels. Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 and the Head Start Act to mandate lead poisoning screening for an infant or child to be eligible to participate in either the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children, or early Head Start programs.",2025-08-21T16:12:44Z,
105-hr-4826,105,hr,4826,Holocaust Victim Insurance Relief Act of 1998,Finance and Financial Sector,1998-10-13,1998-10-20,Referred to the Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials.,House,"Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-24]",CA,D,S000344,5,"Holocaust Victim Insurance Relief Act of 1998 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Commerce jointly to establish a central public registry containing records and information relating to insurance policies of living and deceased victims of the Holocaust, to be known as the Holocaust Insurance Registry. Requires any insurer currently doing business in the United States that sold life, property, liability, health, annuity, dowry, educational, or casualty insurance policies, directly or through a related company, to persons in Europe, which were in effect between 1920 and 1945, to file with the Departments of the Treasury, State, or Commerce for entry into the Registry:  (1) the number of such insurance policies; (2) the holder, beneficiary, and current status of such policies; and (3) a comparison of the names of holders and beneficiaries of such policies and the names of Holocaust victims. Requires each such insurer to certify under penalty of perjury to any of the following:  (1) the proceeds of the policies have been paid to the designated beneficiaries or their heirs where that person or persons could be located and identified; (2) the proceeds of the policies, where the beneficiaries or heirs could not be located or identified, have been distributed to Holocaust survivors or to qualified charitable nonprofit organizations for the purpose of assisting Holocaust survivors; (3) a court of law has certified in a legal proceeding resolving the rights of unpaid policyholders, their heirs, and beneficiaries, a plan for the distribution of the proceeds; or (4) the proceeds have not been distributed and the amounts of those proceeds.  Exempts from such filing requirement any insurer currently doing business in the United States that did not sell any insurance policies in Europe before 1945, if a related company, whether or not authorized and currently doing business in the United States, has made such a filing. Makes any insurer that knowingly files false information liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000 for each violation, which penalty is appropriated to the Departments of the Treasury, State, and Commerce to be used to aid in the resolution of Holocaust insurance claims.  Declares that any insurance company that fails to comply with the requirements of this Act shall be suspended from practicing in the insurance business until the time that the insurer complies. Expresses the sense of the Congress that outstanding claims under insurance policies held by Holocaust victims and survivors be resolved at the earliest possible time.",2025-08-21T16:12:02Z,
105-hr-4827,105,hr,4827,Safe Neighborhood Act of 1998,Housing and Community Development,1998-10-13,1998-10-19,Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution.,House,"Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]",NJ,R,S000522,0,"Safe Neighborhood Act of 1998 - Amends the Fair Housing Act to permit reasonable Federal, State, or local restriction on group home occupancy by persons convicted of a crime for which a term of imprisonment was imposed.",2025-08-21T16:13:04Z,
105-hr-4828,105,hr,4828,To amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act to cover birds of the order Ratitae that are raised for use as human food.,Agriculture and Food,1998-10-13,1998-10-13,Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.,House,"Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]",MS,D,T000193,0,"Amends the Poultry Products Inspection Act to include within the definition of poultry birds of the order Ratitae (ostriches, emus, rheas) that are raised for commercial distribution as human food.",2025-01-02T17:51:42Z,
105-hr-4807,105,hr,4807,To authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of Mongolia.,Foreign Trade and International Finance,1998-10-12,1998-10-12,Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.,House,"Rep. Crane, Philip M. [R-IL-8]",IL,R,C000873,5,"Authorizes the President to:  (1) determine that title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 (denying nondiscriminatory treatment to the products of certain countries) should no longer apply to Mongolia; and (2) based upon such determination, extend nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to Mongolian products.",2025-01-02T17:51:50Z,
105-hr-4808,105,hr,4808,Depository Institution-GSE Affiliation Act of 1998,Finance and Financial Sector,1998-10-12,1998-10-12,Referred to the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit.,House,"Rep. Snowbarger, Vince [R-KS-3]",KS,R,S000662,2,"Depository Institution-GSE Affiliation Act of 1998 - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to specify circumstances under which the Secretary of the Treasury may:  (1) approve an affiliation between a depository institution and the Student Loan Marketing Association (SALLIE MAE) solely in its reorganized, privatized status as ""the Holding Company,"" not in its status as a government sponsored enterprise (GSE); and (2) impose affiliation terms and conditions, including constraints upon either the issuance of debt obligations by SALLIE MAE in its GSE status, or upon the use of proceeds from such obligations.  (Current law prohibits affiliations between depository institutions and GSEs.) Limits the value of the investment portfolio of SALLIE MAE in its GSE status in the event such affiliation should occur to the lesser of:  (1) its value upon enactment of this Act; or (2) its value on the date such affiliation is consummated. Grants the Secretary enforcement powers under the Higher Education Act of 1965.",2025-08-21T16:12:11Z,
105-hr-4809,105,hr,4809,For the relief of the State of Hawaii.,Taxation,1998-10-12,1998-10-12,Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.,House,"Rep. Abercrombie, Neil [D-HI-1]",HI,D,A000014,1,"Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit the State of Hawaii, notwithstanding any law or rule of law, to claim a refund or credit resulting from any tax overpayment on fuel purchased by the State during calendar years 1992 or 1993, if a claim is filed within 18 months of enactment.",2025-01-02T17:51:50Z,
105-hr-4810,105,hr,4810,To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the deductibility of business meal expenses for individuals subject to Federal hours of service.,Taxation,1998-10-12,1998-10-12,Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.,House,"Rep. Collins, Mac [R-GA-3]",GA,R,C000640,0,Amends the Internal Revenue Code to restore the business meal expense deduction to 80 percent (currently 50 percent) for individuals subject to the hours of service limitations of the Department of Transportation.,2025-01-02T17:51:50Z,
105-hr-4811,105,hr,4811,Depository Institution Customer Protection Act,Finance and Financial Sector,1998-10-12,1998-10-12,Referred to the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services.,House,"Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3]",CT,D,D000216,0,Depository Institution Customer Protection Act - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the Federal Credit Union Act to prohibit the imposition of any fee on an institution's customer for using its teller windows at a domestic branch.,2025-08-21T16:12:23Z,
105-hr-4812,105,hr,4812,"To make the Federal employees health benefits program available to individuals age 55 to 65 who would not otherwise have health insurance, and for other purposes.",Health,1998-10-12,1998-10-16,Referred to the Subcommittee on Civil Service.,House,"Rep. Dreier, David [R-CA-28]",CA,R,D000492,0,"Amends provisions relating to Federal employees' health insurance to permit any qualified individual (an individual who is age 55 to 65 and has not been covered under any health insurance policy for at least the preceding 30 days) to enroll in an approved health benefits plan for self alone, so long as such individual pays currently into the Employees Health Benefits Fund, under arrangements acceptable to the Office of Personnel Management, the full amount of the subscription charges required.",2025-02-04T16:54:13Z,
105-hr-4813,105,hr,4813,Critical Infrastructure Radio Systems Protection Act of 1998,"Science, Technology, Communications",1998-10-12,1998-10-20,"Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection.",House,"Rep. Jones, Walter B., Jr. [R-NC-3]",NC,R,J000255,1,"Critical Infrastructure Radio Systems Protection Act of 1998 - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt rules to ensure the ongoing protection and promotion of radio spectrum used by electric, gas, and water utilities and natural gas and petroleum pipelines against interference from other users of spectrum and consistent with provisions of the Communications Act of 1934. Requires the FCC, until such rules are adopted, to discontinue licensing private mobile radio facilities on:  (1) any channels that were formerly allocated by the FCC to the Power (IW) Radio Service or Petroleum (IP) Radio Service on either an exclusive or shared basis; and (2) any channels less than 15khz removed from such channels. Provides exceptions in the case of a license applicant that:  (1) obtains the concurrence of the designated frequency advisory committee for the IW or IP Service, or both; or (2) obtains and submits written concurrence of all IW and IP radio services licensees having a co- channel or adjacent-channel facility within 70 miles of the applicant's proposed site.",2025-08-21T16:11:38Z,
105-hr-4814,105,hr,4814,Canola Pesticide Registration Harmonization Act,Foreign Trade and International Finance,1998-10-12,1998-10-12,Referred to House Ways and Means,House,"Rep. Pomeroy, Earl [D-ND-At Large]",ND,D,P000422,1,Canola Pesticide Registration Harmonization Act - Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should direct the United States trade representative to the United States-Canada Technical Working Group to urge the Group to harmonize registration of certain pesticides used on canola.    Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish domestic and import tolerances for such pesticides.,2025-08-21T16:13:22Z,
105-hr-4815,105,hr,4815,To provide that December 7 each year shall be treated for all purposes related to Federal employment in the same manner as November 11.,Government Operations and Politics,1998-10-12,1998-10-16,Referred to the Subcommittee on Civil Service.,House,"Rep. Quinn, Jack [R-NY-30]",NY,R,Q000016,0,Requires December 7 each year to be treated for all purposes related to Federal employment in the same manner as November 11.,2025-02-04T16:54:13Z,
105-hr-4816,105,hr,4816,"To authorize the acquisition of the Valles Caldera currently managed by the Baca Land and Cattle Company, to provide for an effective land and wildlife management program for this resource within the Department of Agriculture through the private sector, and for other purposes.",Public Lands and Natural Resources,1998-10-12,1998-10-12,Referred to the House Committee on Resources.,House,"Rep. Redmond, Bill [R-NM-3]",NM,R,R000567,1,"TABLE OF CONTENTS:      Title I:  Valles Caldera National Preserve and Trust      Title II:  Acquisition of Inholdings and Disposal of Surplus Land Title I:  Valles Caldera National Preserve and Trust - Valles Caldera Preservation Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire all or part of the Baca ranch in New Mexico.  Provides for the subsequent addition of such land to the Bandelier National Monument, under the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior.  Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to utilize funds appropriated for the National Park Service to acquire the Elk Meadows subdivision within the boundary adjusted to encompass the ranch addition. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to:  (1) develop a study of management alternatives which may provide more coordinated land management within the Lower Alamo watershed, allow for improved management of elk and other wildlife populations ranging between the Santa Fe National Forest and the Bandelier National Monument, and include a proposed boundary adjustment between such Forest and Monument to facilitate those objectives; and (3) submit the study to specified congressional committees. Makes the acquisition of the ranch subject to all outstanding valid existing mineral interests.   Directs the Secretary to negotiate the acquisition of any fractional interest in the subsurface estate on a willing seller basis for the appraised fair market value. (Sec. 105) Establishes:  (1) upon the date of acquisition of the Baca ranch, the Valles Caldera National Preserve as a unit of the National Forest System; and (2) the Valles Caldera Trust, as a wholly owned Government corporation, to provide management and administrative services for the Preserve and for other specified purposes. (Sec. 107) Requires the Trust:  (1) to be governed by a seven member Board of Trustees; and (2) to manage the land and resources of the Preserve, subject to specified requirements, including development of a comprehensive program for the management of lands, resources, and facilities within the Preserve. Authorizes the Trust to construct and upgrade roads and bridges and provide other facilities for recreational activities.  Directs that the public be given reasonable access to the Preserve for recreational purposes. (Sec. 109) Sets forth provisions regarding authorities of the Secretary, termination of the Trust, and funding limitations. (Sec. 112) Requires the General Accounting Office to conduct an interim study, and a subsequent study, of the activities of the Trust. Title II:  Acquisition of Inholdings and Disposal of Surplus Land - Acquisition of Inholdings and Disposal of Surplus Lands Facilitation Act - Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to:  (1) establish a multi-agency evaluation team to identify, by State, inholdings within federally designated areas and establish the dates upon which the lands or interests therein became inholdings; and (2) provide notice to the public in the Federal Register, and through other means as deemed appropriate, of a program of identification of inholdings within federally designated areas by which any owner who wants to sell such an inholding to the United States shall provide to the Secretaries such information as is required by the notice.  Sets forth reporting and funding requirements. (Sec. 205) Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to complete appraisals and other legal requirements for the sale or exchange of land identified for disposal under approved land use plans maintained and in effect on this title's enactment date. Sets forth reporting and program termination requirements. (Sec. 206) Requires that gross proceeds generated by the sale or exchange of public land under this title be deposited in a Federal Land Disposal Account of the Treasury. (Sec. 207) Sets forth provisions regarding use of the Account, contaminated sites and sites difficult and uneconomic to manage, investment of principal, and program termination.",2025-04-07T15:23:30Z,
105-hr-4817,105,hr,4817,"To provide a location in Arlington, Virginia, for construction of a memorial to honor the men and women who have served in the United States Air Force.",Commemorations,1998-10-12,1998-10-12,Referred to House Resources,House,"Rep. Solomon, Gerald B. H. [R-NY-22]",NY,R,S000675,1,"Authorizes the Air Force Memorial Foundation to construct a memorial within the Arlington Naval Annex in Arlington, Virginia, to honor individuals who served in the U.S. Air Force and its predecessors. Requires the Secretary of Defense to provide a suitable memorial site and to reimburse the Foundation for expenses incurred. Provides that, upon commencement of memorial construction, no person may construct any monument, memorial, or other structure within a specified area of Arlington County, Virginia, which generally surrounds the Iwo Jima Memorial.",2025-06-06T14:17:56Z,
105-hr-4818,105,hr,4818,Asset-Building for Working Americans Act,Social Welfare,1998-10-12,1998-10-20,"Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.",House,"Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]",MS,D,T000193,21,"Asset-Building for Working Americans Act - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA), as well as SSA titles XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) and XIX (Medicaid), to require States to disregard for the following 12-month period any refunds or advance payments of the earned income tax credit (EITC) in determining eligibility for benefits under TANF, SSI, and Medicaid.  Establishes up to a two percent reduction in the next fiscal year's grant to any State as a penalty for failure to disregard such payments. Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to require a similar disregard for EITC payments under public housing and rental assistance programs.",2025-08-21T16:12:16Z,
105-hr-4805,105,hr,4805,"To require reports on travel of Executive branch officers and employees to international conferences, and for other purposes.",Government Operations and Politics,1998-10-11,1998-10-14,Received in the Senate.,House,"Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]",NJ,R,S000522,0,"Requires each officer and employee of an executive agency who travels abroad to attend an international conference to submit to the Director of the Office of International Conferences of the Department of State a report on such travel.  Excludes the President, the Vice President, and any employee who is carrying out an intelligence activity, performing a protective function, or engaged in a sensitive diplomatic mission. Requires the Director to submit biannual reports on such travel to the Senate Committees on Foreign Relations and Appropriations and the House Committees on International Relations and Appropriations Directs the President to submit to such committees annual reports setting forth:  (1) the total Government expenditures on all official travel abroad by each executive agency during the preceding fiscal year; and (2) the total number of agency officers and employees who engaged in such travel.",2025-04-07T15:23:39Z,
105-hr-4806,105,hr,4806,"To authorize the carrying out of a flood damage reduction and recreation project at Grand Forks, North Dakota, and East Grand Forks, Minnesota.",Emergency Management,1998-10-11,1998-10-11,Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.,House,"Rep. Pomeroy, Earl [D-ND-At Large]",ND,D,P000422,0,"Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to carry out a flood damage reduction and recreation project at Grand Forks, North Dakota, and East Grand Forks, Minnesota, substantially in accordance with the plans and subject to the conditions recommended in a final report of the Chief of Engineers, as approved by the Secretary.",2025-01-02T17:51:48Z,
105-hr-4785,105,hr,4785,Fairness in Punitive Damage Awards Act,Law,1998-10-10,1998-10-10,Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.,House,"Rep. Hyde, Henry J. [R-IL-6]",IL,R,H001022,1,"Fairness in Punitive Damage Awards Act - Limits punitive damage awards in civil actions brought in Federal or State court that affect interstate commerce or implicate rights or interests that may be protected by the Congress under the 14th Amendment where such damages are sought under any theory for harm. Permits punitive damages, to the extent permitted by applicable State law, to be awarded against a person in such an action only if the claimant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that conduct of such person was carried out with a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of others and was the proximate cause of the harm that is the subject of the action. Makes this Act inapplicable to any person in such action if the misconduct for which punitive damages are awarded:  (1) caused harm that resulted in death, serious and permanent physical scarring or disfigurement, loss of a limb or organ, or serious and permanent physical impairment of an important bodily function; (2) occurred at a time when the defendant was under the influence of intoxicating alcohol or any drug that may not lawfully be sold without a prescription or had been taken by the defendant other than in accordance with the terms of a lawful prescription, and if the defendant so being under the influence caused the harm for which the civil action was brought; or (3) constitutes a crime of violence, an act of terrorism, a hate crime, or a felony sexual offense, for which the defendant has been convicted in any court. (Sec. 5) Limits the amount of punitive damages that may be awarded to a claimant in any civil action that is subject to this Act:  (1) to the greater of three times the amount awarded for economic loss or $250,000; or (2) for an individual whose net worth does not exceed $500,000 or against an owner of an unincorporated business, or any partnership, corporation, association, unit of local government, or organization that has fewer than 25 full-time employees, to the lesser of three times the amount awarded for economic loss or $250,000. Directs that these limitations be applied by the court and not be disclosed to the jury. Directs the trier of fact, at the request of any party in such an action, to consider in a separate proceeding, held subsequent to the determination of the amount of compensatory damages, whether punitive damages are to be awarded and the amount thereof.  Specifies that if any party requests a separate proceeding, in a proceeding to determine whether the claimant may be awarded compensatory damages, any evidence, argument, or contention that is relevant only to punitive damages, as determined by applicable State law, shall be inadmissible. (Sec. 7) Denies the U.S. district courts jurisdiction pursuant to this Act based on Federal provisions regarding Federal question jurisdiction, or commerce and antitrust regulations and amount in controversy.",2025-08-21T16:12:01Z,
105-hr-4786,105,hr,4786,"To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require the deposit of certain contributions and donations to be returned to donors in a special account, and for other purposes.",Government Operations and Politics,1998-10-10,1998-10-10,Referred to the House Committee on House Oversight.,House,"Rep. Gekas, George W. [R-PA-17]",PA,R,G000121,0,"Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to establish guidelines for the transfer to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and deposit into a special account of any contribution or donation given to a political committee that the committee intends to return, as well as for the return of such contribution or donation after it is deposited to the person who made it.  Requires:  (1) the political committee to include certain information along with the transferred contribution or donation, such as a request that the FEC return the contribution or donation to the person making it; and (2) the FEC to notify the Attorney General and the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service of the receipt of such contribution or donation. Allows amounts in the special account to be applied toward the payment of any applicable fines or penalties.",2025-04-07T15:33:42Z,
105-hr-4787,105,hr,4787,"To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service at 7748 South Cottage Grove Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, as the ""John H. Sengstacke Post Office Building"".",Commemorations,1998-10-10,1998-10-10,Referred to the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight.,House,"Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1]",IL,D,R000515,15,"Designates the U.S. Postal Service facility located at 7748 South Cottage Grove Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, as the John H. Sengstacke Post Office Building.",2025-02-04T16:54:13Z,
105-hr-4788,105,hr,4788,Consumer Automobile Lease Advertising Act of 1998,Commerce,1998-10-10,1998-10-12,Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2091-2093),House,"Rep. LaFalce, John J. [D-NY-29]",NY,D,L000556,0,"Consumer Automobile Lease Advertising Act of 1998 - Amends the Consumer Credit Protection Act to increase from $25,000 to $50,000 the maximum amount of a contractual obligation of a consumer lease to which the Act applies. Mandates annual adjustment of such limit based upon changes reported in the Consumer Price Index by the Department of Labor. Prescribes additional lease advertising disclosure requirements for advertising media, including radio and television broadcasting and toll-free telephones. Prohibits specified automobile lease advertising practices, including:  (1) statements that no downpayment is required when the lessor actually requires certain payments upon lease initiation; and (2) lease terms that are available only to selected customers. Mandates that:  (1) advertised lease payment amounts for automobiles be calculated on the basis of a formula prescribed by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), and be accompanied by specified time and mileage disclosures; and (2) automobile dealerships place additional disclosures within a prominent location in the dealership. Empowers the Federal Trade Commission to enforce this Act. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to set forth a maximum civil penalty for noncompliance with such Act.",2025-08-21T16:14:55Z,
105-hr-4789,105,hr,4789,Elderly and Disabled Protection Act of 1998,Health,1998-10-10,1998-10-20,Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment.,House,"Rep. Weller, Jerry [R-IL-11]",IL,R,W000273,2,"Elderly and Disabled Protection Act of 1998 - Declares that a nursing facility (including a skilled nursing facility), home health agency, or hospice program (covered facility) under the Medicare and Medicaid programs of titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act may not:  (1) employ an individual as a direct care employee unless the facility has requested from the State direct care employee registry a background check (including a criminal as well as an abusive work history background check); or (2) continue to employ such an individual if the background check report reveals a conviction of a disqualifying crime.  Requires the covered facility to report to such registry documented findings of patient abuse by a direct care employee.  Imposes civil penalties upon covered facilities that violate such requirements. Defines ""direct care employee"" as a paid, nonvolunteer nurse aide, home health care aide, personal care assistant, private duty nurse aide, day attendant, housekeeper, library attendant, laundry assistant, or similar worker who performs nursing or related tasks involving direct patient care in a covered facility. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish methods by which State direct care registries can pool and share criminal background check summaries and documented findings of patient abuse (national registry coordination system).  Requires each State to expand its direct care employee registry in order to carry out such background checks and other related functions, including reporting of summary information to the national registry coordination system. Sets forth procedures for criminal and abusive work history background checks.",2025-08-21T16:13:44Z,
105-hr-4790,105,hr,4790,To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to ban the acceptance of cash contributions greater than $100 in campaigns for election for Federal office.,Government Operations and Politics,1998-10-10,1998-10-10,Referred to the House Committee on House Oversight.,House,"Rep. Redmond, Bill [R-NM-3]",NM,R,R000567,0,"Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit candidates or political committees from accepting any contributions of currency of the United States or of any foreign country from any person which, in the aggregate, exceed $100.",2025-01-02T17:51:45Z,
105-hr-4791,105,hr,4791,To establish rules for the payment of damage awards for future losses in certain health care liability actions.,Law,1998-10-10,1998-10-10,Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.,House,"Rep. Barton, Joe [R-TX-6]",TX,R,B000213,0,"Provides that in a health care liability action brought under Federal law or in Federal court in which damages awarded to a claimant for future economic and noneconomic loss combined exceed $50,000, the claimant shall not be required to receive such damages in a single, lump-sum payment. Entitles such claimant to request the court to order payment in whole or in part on a periodic basis.  Requires a court awarding periodic payments to attempt to ensure that the amount of such payments, along with any lump-sum payment, constitute a full recovery of the claimant's future loss and that the payment schedule is in the best interests of the claimant. (Sec. 2) Makes such provisions inapplicable to any such action: (1) for damages arising from a vaccine-related injury or death to the extent that provisions of the Public Health Service Act (regarding the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program) apply; or (2) under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. (Sec. 3) Provides that, except where specifically authorized by statute, the judgment of a court awarding periodic payments may not, in the absence of fraud, be reopened at any time to contest, amend, or modify the schedule or amount of the payments. (Sec. 4) Directs that a court awarding such periodic payments, upon request of the claimant to receive the award, require the person ordered to make the payments to make assurances that satisfy the court that the payments will be made by:  (1) making a qualified assignment of the periodic payment liability; (2) purchasing an annuity contract issued by a company licensed to do business as an insurance company under the laws of any State; (3) purchasing obligations of the United States; or (4) providing other assurances. (Sec. 5) Specifies that this Act shall not be construed to preclude a settlement that provides for a single, lump-sum payment.",2025-01-02T17:51:41Z,
105-hr-4792,105,hr,4792,District of Columbia Adoption Improvement Act of 1998,Families,1998-10-10,1998-10-16,Referred to the Subcommittee on District of Columbia.,House,"Rep. Bliley, Tom [R-VA-7]",VA,R,B000556,0,"District of Columbia Adoption Improvement Act of 1998 - Directs the Child Protective Services Division of the Department of Human Services of the District of Columbia to:  (1) report to the Congress the number of children under its jurisdiction who are legally free for adoption; (2) establish a database listing and tracking each child under its jurisdiction with the goal of adoption or becoming legally free for adoption; and (3) contract with private service providers in the Washington Metropolitan Area pursuant to a competitive bidding process to perform its recruitment, home study, and placement functions.",2025-08-21T16:14:28Z,
105-hr-4793,105,hr,4793,"To amend title 5, United States Code, to allow Federal agencies to reimburse their employees for certain adoption expenses.",Government Operations and Politics,1998-10-10,1998-10-10,Referred to the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight.,House,"Rep. Bliley, Tom [R-VA-7]",VA,R,B000556,1,"Authorizes the head of each executive agency, the U.S. Postal Service, the Postal Rate Commission, and the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to carry out a program under which an agency employee may be reimbursed for up to $2,000 of qualifying adoption expenses.",2025-02-04T16:54:13Z,
105-hr-4794,105,hr,4794,Fairness in Prescription Drug Prices Act,Health,1998-10-10,1998-10-21,Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment.,House,"Rep. Cramer, Robert E. (Bud), Jr. [D-AL-5]",AL,D,C000868,0,"Fairness in Prescription Drug Prices Act - Allows any qualified pharmacy to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enable it to sell covered outpatient drugs to Medicare beneficiaries (under title XVIII of the Social Security Act) at a reduced price.  Requires such an agreement to:  (1) entitle the participating pharmacy to purchase any covered outpatient drug listed on the Federal Supply Schedule of the General Services Administration at the participating pharmacy discount price for that drug; and (2) permit the participating pharmacy to purchase under this Act as much of a covered outpatient drug as it sells to Medicare beneficiaries. Sets forth guidelines for determining the participating pharmacy discount price and a special rule for Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in a hospice program. Directs the Secretary to:  (1) administer this Act in a manner that uses existing methods of obtaining and distributing drugs to the maximum extent possible, consistent with efficiency and cost effectiveness; and (2) report to the Congress annually regarding the effectiveness of this Act in protecting Medicare beneficiaries from discriminatory pricing by drug manufacturers, along with any appropriate legislative recommendations to further reduce the cost of covered outpatient drugs to such beneficiaries.",2025-08-21T16:12:37Z,
105-hr-4795,105,hr,4795,To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permit the consolidation of life insurance companies with other companies.,Taxation,1998-10-10,1998-10-11,Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2068-2069),House,"Rep. Crane, Philip M. [R-IL-8]",IL,R,C000873,5,Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal certain provisions concerning the filing of consolidated returns by insurance companies.,2025-01-02T17:51:50Z,
105-hr-4796,105,hr,4796,To amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to prohibit the use of funds for any facility a primary purpose of which is the distribution or use of tobacco products.,Housing and Community Development,1998-10-10,1998-10-10,Referred to the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.,House,"Rep. Ensign, John [R-NV-1]",NV,R,E000194,0,"Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to prohibit the use of community development funds to acquire, construct, or improve any facility with a primary interest of tobacco product distribution or sale.",2025-01-02T17:51:44Z,
105-hr-4797,105,hr,4797,OCS Environmental Consistency Act of 1998,Public Lands and Natural Resources,1998-10-10,1998-10-10,Referred to the House Committee on Resources.,House,"Rep. Goss, Porter J. [R-FL-14]",FL,R,G000336,0,"OCS Environmental Consistency Act of 1998 - Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to mandate State receipt of an environmental impact statement prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as a prerequisite to State review of an exploration, development, or production plan.",2025-08-21T16:12:48Z,
105-hr-4798,105,hr,4798,"Electricity Consumer, Worker, and Environmental Protection Act of 1998",Energy,1998-10-10,1998-10-21,Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Power.,House,"Rep. Kucinich, Dennis J. [D-OH-10]",OH,D,K000336,0,"TABLE OF CONTENTS:      Title I:  Federal Standards for Electricity Services      Title II:  State Standards for Electricity Service Electricity Consumer, Worker, and Environmental Protection Act of 1998 - Title I:  Federal Standards for Electricity Service - Subjects electric utility industry workers to the jurisdiction of the 1994 National Skills Standards Act and title V of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act.  Subjects all generating plants to State and Federal general industry requirements as established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and mandates periodic government inspection. (Sec. 101) Prescribes continuing employment guidelines for a specified transition period in the event of any transfer of ownership of any divisions or units within an electric utility. (Sec. 102) Establishes a right of privacy with respect to consumer billing, payment, specific usage and appliance information obtained by the seller in the normal course of business.  Prescribes guidelines governing:  (1) consumer privacy; (2) disclosures for retail electricity bills; (3) dispute resolution of billing complaints; and (4) quality standards for sellers and distributors of retail electric service. (Sec. 107) Mandates that each State create a not-for-profit membership corporation to be known as the ""Citizens' Utility Board, Inc."" (State CUB) to represent and promote the interests of a State's residential consumers of electricity. (Sec. 108) Amends the Federal Power Act to establish within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) an Office of the Consumer Counsel (the Office) to represent energy consumers during FERC proceedings that may affect wholesale or retail electric or gas service, prices, and practices.  Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 109) Prohibits any Federal or State authority from requiring consumers to subsidize the costs of owning or operating any power plant owned by an investor-owned company, except any facility or power plant that qualifies for support from the National Electric Public Benefit Fund (established by this Act) or that produces renewable energy credits (established under this Act). Mandates that every investor-owned company licensed to operate a nuclear reactor place specified funds in escrow to cover costs for nuclear reactor decommissioning, and for low- and high-level radioactive waste disposal. (Sec. 110) Prohibits any State-regulated investor-owned electric utility company (or associated holding company) from:  (1) owning a voting security of a company which provides either a nonregulated service, or service outside the United States; or (2) providing any nonregulated service. (Sec. 111) Prescribes antitrust guidelines governing electric utility mergers that fall within the purview of the Federal Power Act. (Sec. 112) Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to:  (1) promulgate regulations establishing nationwide pollution standards and generation pollution standards; and (2) establish a system for monitoring the amount of each pollutant annually emitted by a covered generation facility. (Sec. 113) Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a National Electric Public Benefit Board which shall create the National Electric Public Benefit Fund to provide:  (1) funding for State support of affordable electric service (universal electric service (UES)) for low- and moderate-income residential customers; and (2) matching funds for State-supported renewable energy sources and energy conservation programs, as well as programs to mitigate the impact of utility workforce reductions caused by electricity deregulation.  Prescribes funding distribution guidelines. Requires the Secretary to provide a mechanism to ensure UES to qualifying low-income consumers in States without a State program or with a State program that does not qualify for funds under this Act. Prescribes criteria for State UES programs. Requires FERC to impose a nonbypassable wires charge for direct payment to the Fund by the operator of a wire on electricity carried through it. (Sec. 115) Mandates that each retail electricity supplier annually submit renewable energy credits to the Secretary according to prescribed formulae.  Requires the Secretary to:  (1) establish a program to issue such credits to renewable energy electric generators; and (2) impose a fee on electric generators awarded such credits in an amount equal to the reasonable costs of administering the Renewables Portfolio Standard program. Establishes a civil penalty for non-compliance with such mandate. (Sec. 116) Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to require that:  (1) each retail electricity supplier make net metering service available upon the request of any retail consumer whom the supplier currently serves or solicits for service; and (2) each retail electricity distributor permit interconnection to its distribution system of an on-site generating facility that meets FERC safety and power quality standards. (Sec. 117) Imposes civil liability for non-compliance with this Act, including attorney's fees.      Title II:  State Standards for Electricity Service - Sets deadlines for State compliance with the requirements of this Act, contingent upon individual State enactment of deregulation of retail electricity sales. (Sec. 202) Proscribes consumer charges for transmission or distribution service in excess of a consumer class's proportional responsibility for the costs of providing such service.  Requires each State regulatory authority to compute and, if necessary, adjust the rate differential for retail electric service between residential and industrial customers so that the respective access charges per kilowatt-hour are within three percentage points of each other. (Sec. 203) Requires a State's investor-owned utilities to transfer transmission and distribution assets to their regulated counterparts within one year of State deregulation of retail electricity sales. Prohibits any direct or indirect owner of a voting security of any company that owns, operates, or leases generation facilities, or of any company that sells electricity, from owning directly or indirectly any portion of a transmission company or a distribution company. (Sec. 204) Declares it shall be unlawful within one year after deregulation of retail electricity sales for an investor-owned generation company or associated holding company to control more than 20 percent of the following power plant categories:  (1) baseload power plants; (2) peaking power plants; and (3) power plants providing primarily ancillary services. (Sec. 205) Sets forth post-deregulation requirements governing: (1) basic service for residential and small commercial customers; (2) nonprofit public aggregation of consumers, including nonprofit municipal electric systems, and buying cooperatives in unincorporated areas; (3) certain worker protections, including recovery by utilities of employee-related transition costs, and extended State unemployment benefits; (4) licensing and disclosure requirements for retail electricity suppliers; (5) unbundled rates and nondiscriminatory access to electric grids by distribution companies; (6) customer choice to change an electric supplier; and (7) distribution service disconnections and supply terminations. (Sec. 212) Prescribes billing and collections procedures for electricity sales by retail suppliers and distributors. (Sec. 213) Prohibits certain unfair trade practices including:  (1) ""slamming,"" or unauthorized changes of electricity suppliers; (2) misleading advertisements regarding electricity prices; and (3) ""cramming,"" or billing for optional services without knowledgeable consent from the customer. (Sec. 214) Prescribes requirements for installation of a standard meter (or a qualified different meter) without separate charge at a previously unserved location for residential and small commercial customers. (Sec. 215) Declares that sales of electricity services in a deregulated market are subject to certain proscriptions of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act against discrimination in credit. (Sec. 216) Prescribes consumer remedies for violations of this Act.",2025-08-21T16:14:05Z,
105-hr-4799,105,hr,4799,Early Medicare Access and Affordability Act of 1998,Health,1998-10-10,1998-10-20,"Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.",House,"Rep. Pallone, Frank, Jr. [D-NJ-6]",NJ,D,P000034,0,"TABLE OF CONTENTS:      Title I:  Access to Medicare Benefits for Individuals 62-to-        65 Years of Age      Title II:  Access to Medicare Benefits for Displaced Workers           55-to-62 Years of Age      Title III:  Cobra Protection for Early Retirees           Subtitle A:  Amendments to the Employee Retirement                Income Security Act of 1974           Subtitle B:  Amendments to the Public Health Service Act           Subtitle C:  Amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of                1986      Title IV:  Financing      Title V:  Provision of Premium Assistance for Low-Income           Individuals Purchasing Early Coverage Under the Medicare                Program Early Medicare Access and Affordability Act of 1998 - Title I: Access to Medicare Benefits for Individuals 62-to-65 Years of Age - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new part D (Purchase of Medicare Benefits by Certain Individuals Age 62-to-65 Years of Age).  Makes eligible to enroll in Medicare during a specified period individuals between the ages of 62 and 65 who:  (1) are not eligible for coverage under group health plans or Federal health insurance; but (2) would be Medicare-eligible if age 65. (Sec. 101) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to determine rates for the base monthly premium, the base annual premium, and the deferred monthly premium for individuals age 62 or older. Requires the Secretary to:  (1) adjust and limit the maximum base annual premium in a premium area to assure participation in all areas of the United States; and (2) provide for payment and collection of the base monthly premium.  Makes the enrollee liable for the deferred monthly premium payment between ages 65 and 85.  Requires collection of both premiums in the same manner as for the payment of monthly premiums under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Creates in the Treasury the Medicare Early Access Trust Fund (Trust Fund) to hold collected premiums as well as the savings from new fraud and abuse initiatives under the Medicare Fraud and Overpayment Act of 1998 (if enacted), which are transferred to it out of the Medicare trust funds. Directs:  (1) the Trust Fund's Board of Trustees to report annually to the Congress on the need for adjustments in the new program in order to maintain its financial solvency; and (2) the Comptroller General to report periodically to the Congress on the adequacy of program financing along with appropriate recommendations to accomplish such end. Requires:  (1) individuals enrolled under the new part D program to be treated for Medicare purposes as though they were entitled to benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) and enrolled under Medicare part B; and (2) new part D program benefits to be payable under Medicare to such individuals in the same manner as if they were so entitled and enrolled. Provides that the new part D program shall not be treated as Medicare for purposes of the Medicaid program under SSA title XIX, including the provision of Medicare cost-sharing assistance, nor for purposes of COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) continuation requirements of the Public Health Service Act. Title II:  Access to Medicare Benefits for Displaced Workers 55-to-62 Years of Age - Amends SSA title XVIII part D to rename the newly established part D program the Purchase of Medicare Benefits by Certain Individuals Age 55-to-65 Years of Age.  Provides for part D coverage for certain displaced workers (who have lost employment- based, including COBRA continuation, coverage) and spouses between the ages of 55 and 62 under arrangements similar to those in title I, except for deferred monthly premiums.  Directs the Secretary to provide for continued enrollment of displaced workers who attain 62 years of age. Title III:  COBRA Protection for Early Retirees - Subtitle A: Amendments to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to extend specified group health plan insurance COBRA continuation coverage to qualified retirees and their dependents in cases of substantial reduction or termination of a retiree group health plan. Permits an increased level of premiums in the case of an individual provided continuation coverage by reason of the qualifying event. Subtitle B:  Amendments to the Public Health Service Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend specified group health plan insurance COBRA continuation coverage to qualified retirees and their dependents in cases of substantial reduction or termination of a retiree group health plan.  Permits an increased level of premiums in the case of an individual provided continuation coverage by reason of the qualifying event. Subtitle C:  Amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend specified group health plan insurance COBRA continuation coverage to qualified retirees and their dependents in cases of substantial reduction or termination of a retiree group health plan.  Permits an increased level of premiums in the case of an individual provided continuation coverage by reason of the qualifying event. Title IV:  Financing - Requires any increase in payments under the Medicare program that results from the enactment of this Act to be offset by reductions in Medicare payments pursuant to the anti-fraud and -abuse provisions of the Medicare Fraud and Overpayment Act of 1998 (if enacted). Title V:  Provision of Premium Assistance for Low-Income Individuals Purchasing Early Coverage Under the Medicare Program - Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to require State Medicaid plans to provide for 100-percent Federal Medicare-cost sharing premium assistance for certain low-income individuals enrolled under the new part D program. (Sec. 501) Amends SSA title XI to increase the amount of certain grants to the territories to reflect this Act.",2025-08-21T16:12:19Z,
105-hr-4800,105,hr,4800,Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Registry Act,Health,1998-10-10,1998-10-20,Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment.,House,"Rep. Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [D-NJ-8]",NJ,D,P000096,1,"Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Registry Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to:  (1) States or their designees to operate the State's traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury registry; and (2) academic institutions to conduct applied research to support the registries.  Regulates registry data confidentiality.  Authorizes technical assistance, directly or through grants and contracts, regarding the registries and regarding development of model legislation.  Authorizes appropriations.",2025-08-21T16:12:19Z,
105-hr-4801,105,hr,4801,InterLATA Communication Improvements Act of 1998,"Science, Technology, Communications",1998-10-10,1998-10-20,"Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection.",House,"Rep. Tauzin, W. J. (Billy) [R-LA-3]",LA,R,T000058,10,"InterLATA Communication Improvements Act of 1998 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 (the Act) to authorize a State to approve the application of a Bell operating company (BOC) to provide intrastate interLATA services originating in any of its in-region States.  Provides administrative authority for a State to receive, evaluate, and approve or disapprove such an application, requiring the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to affirm a State's evaluation unless it determines that it was clearly erroneous in a material respect. Requires the FCC, with respect to interstate interLATA service, or a State, with respect to intrastate interLATA service, to include in its decision a basis for approval or denial, together with a written determination indicating whether the BOC has complied with each competitive requirement and whether the application is in the public interest, convenience, and necessity.  Requires separate affiliation for the BOCs involved.  Requires a State to approve or disapprove an application within 90 days, subject to judicial review.  Prohibits the FCC or a State from limiting or extending the terms used in the competitive checklist for application approval or denial.  Requires both the FCC and the State to:  (1) publish application determinations; and (2) enforce any conditions required for such approval. Deems a BOC to have met the requirements for the presence of a competitor on and after February 8, 1999.  States that a BOC meets such requirements before such date if:  (1) the BOC is providing access and interconnection to its network facilities for the network facilities of one or more unaffiliated competing providers of telephone exchange service; or (2) a statement of the terms and conditions under which the company generally offers to provide such access and interconnection has been approved or permitted to take effect by the appropriate State commission. Authorizes a BOC, on or after February 8, 1999, to provide interstate and intrastate interLATA services originating in any State through the purchase and resale of telecommunications services obtained from a person who is not affiliated with such BOC. Includes data communications and international telecommunications or information services within the definition of incidental interLATA services. Directs the FCC to revise its regulations to clarify that Internet traffic carried by local exchange carriers is interstate in nature for purposes of reciprocal compensation provisions of the Act.",2025-08-21T16:11:33Z,
105-hr-4802,105,hr,4802,Digital Data Services Act of 1998,"Science, Technology, Communications",1998-10-10,1998-10-20,"Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection.",House,"Rep. Tauzin, W. J. (Billy) [R-LA-3]",LA,R,T000058,0,"Digital Data Services Act of 1998 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to allow any low-power television station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), at its option, to utilize its authorized spectrum to provide any digital data services to subscribers or purchasers. Requires notification to the FCC of the intention to provide such service.",2025-08-21T16:14:40Z,
105-hr-4803,105,hr,4803,Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 1998,Animals,1998-10-10,1998-10-10,Referred to the House Committee on Resources.,House,"Rep. Tauzin, W. J. (Billy) [R-LA-3]",LA,R,T000058,0,"Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 1998 - Amends Federal law to allow the Department of the Interior, the Postal Service, or a State or person authorized to sell Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps to issue the stamps, or representations of such stamps, electronically by endorsement affixed to licenses issued at points of sale or through other electronic media. Prohibits such States or persons from participating in the electronic issuance of such a stamp unless the Secretary of the Interior has received a plan submitted by the party in question which provides for a satisfactory accounting process for the collection and transfer of revenue, distribution, and law enforcement verification of the electronic transaction, and the subsequent distribution of the actual stamp. Requires such States or persons, not later than 14 days after the issuance of an electronic stamp, to transfer to the Department or designated agent the revenue collected from the issuance by means of an electronic fund transfer method approved by, and compatible with, the Department's or the designated agent's accounting system.",2025-08-21T16:14:56Z,
105-hr-4804,105,hr,4804,Long-Term Care Patient Protection Act of 1998,Health,1998-10-10,1998-10-20,Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment.,House,"Rep. Towns, Edolphus [D-NY-10]",NY,D,T000326,1,"Long-Term Care Patient Protection Act of 1998 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to prohibit nursing facilities and skilled nursing facilities from using on a full-time or other paid basis as a feeding and hydration assistant any individual who has not completed a related, State-approved training and competency evaluation and is not competent to provide such services.  Requires States to specify, and provide for review and reapproval of, approved programs meeting Federal requirements.  Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish such requirements, as well as requirements respecting the minimum frequency and methodology a State shall use in reviewing compliance with them.",2025-08-21T16:15:01Z,
105-hr-4756,105,hr,4756,Year 2000 Preparedness Act of 1998,"Science, Technology, Communications",1998-10-09,1998-10-14,Received in the Senate.,House,"Rep. Morella, Constance A. [R-MD-8]",MD,R,M000941,4,"Year 2000 Preparedness Act of 1998 - Directs the President to provide for the acceleration of the development of business continuity plans by Federal agencies to ensure the uninterrupted delivery by those agencies of critical mission-related services. (Sec. 4) Expresses the sense of the Congress that:  (1) the President should aggressively promote Year 2000 date change awareness for information technology systems and sensitive infrastructure applications; (2) the President should authorize the Chair of the Year 2000 Conversion Council to take a leadership role in resolving Year 2000 (Y2K) issues of any critical Federal agency system that is in jeopardy of not meeting the January 1, 2000 deadline; (3) the Chair should work toward a national strategy to assure that the critical infrastructures and key sectors of the economy will be prepared for the Year 2000 date change; (4) the Chair is making a significant contribution to Y2K problem awareness by scheduling a National Y2K Action Week for October 19 through 23, 1998; (5) the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Department of Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, and other Federal agencies should undertake maximum efforts to assist American family businesses and farmers in assessing their exposure to the Y2K problem, undertaking necessary remedial steps, and formulating contingency plans; and (6) State and local governments, as well as private sector industry groups and companies, should participate in the effort to prepare the American economy for the year 2000. (Sec. 5) Provides for all Federal agency reports to OMB relating to the Y2K problem to be concurrently transmitted to the Congress, including all agency monthly submissions to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). (Sec. 6) Directs the Chair to develop guidelines of best practices and standards for remediation and validation with respect to the Y2K problem to provide better direction for government and private sector efforts. (Sec. 7) Requires the Chair to submit to the Congress any national assessment of the Y2K problem conducted through or in conjunction with the Council covering all critical national infrastructures and key sectors of the economy. (Sec. 8) Requires the head of each Federal agency to ensure that all systems and hardware administered by the agency are Year 2000 compliant to ensure that no significant disruption of the agency's operations or data exchange partners occurs.  Requires quarterly progress implementation reports to the Congress. (Sec. 9) Directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in conjunction with the SBA, to develop a Year 2000 compliance outreach program to assist small and medium-sized businesses with respect to the Y2K problem. (Sec. 10) Directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology to develop a Year 2000 consumer awareness program to assist the public in becoming aware of the implications of the Y2K problem.",2025-04-07T15:34:08Z,
105-hr-4757,105,hr,4757,To designate the North/South Center as the Dante B. Fascell North-South Center.,International Affairs,1998-10-09,1998-10-13,Received in the Senate.,House,"Rep. Gilman, Benjamin A. [R-NY-20]",NY,R,G000212,15,"Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993 to:  (1) redesignate the North-South Center as the Dante B. Fascell North-South Center; and (2) rename the North-South Center Act of 1991 as the Dante B. Fascell North-South Center Act of 1991.",2025-04-07T15:23:39Z,
105-hr-4758,105,hr,4758,Veterans' Access to Emergency Care Act of 1998,Armed Forces and National Security,1998-10-09,1998-10-09,Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.,House,"Rep. Evans, Lane [D-IL-17]",IL,D,E000250,0,Veterans' Access to Emergency Care Act of 1998- Declares the annual patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be a health care plan and the veterans enrolled in such system to be participants in a health care plan.  Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to contract for the emergency health care of such veterans in non-Department facilities.  Includes such contracted emergency care within the definition of authorized Department medical services.  Authorizes the reimbursement of enrolled veterans for expenses incurred in the treatment of any medical emergency which poses a serious threat to life or health. Directs the Secretary to require in such a contract that payment by the Secretary for treatment of enrolled veterans at the non-Department facility be made only after any payment that may be made with respect to such treatment:  (1) under part A or B of the Medicare program (title XVIII of the Social Security Act); and (2) by a third-party insurance provider.,2025-08-21T16:14:30Z,
105-hr-4759,105,hr,4759,Communications Personnel Paperwork Reduction Act of 1998,"Science, Technology, Communications",1998-10-09,1998-10-20,"Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection.",House,"Rep. Oxley, Michael G. [R-OH-4]",OH,R,O000163,1,"Communications Personnel Paperwork Reduction Act of 1998 -Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), within 30 days after enactment of this Act, to repeal specified reporting and recordkeeping requirements. Prohibits the FCC from discriminating in employment, or granting any preference in employment, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex.",2025-08-21T16:11:54Z,
105-hr-4760,105,hr,4760,To require the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to approve a permit required for importation of certain wildlife items taken in Tajikistan.,Public Lands and Natural Resources,1998-10-09,1998-10-09,Referred to the House Committee on Resources.,House,"Rep. Barcia, James A. [D-MI-5]",MI,D,B000134,0,Requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to approve a specified permit for the importation of certain wildlife items taken in Tajikistan in 1995.,2025-01-02T17:51:47Z,
105-hr-4761,105,hr,4761,Uruguay Round Agreements Compliance Act of 1998,Foreign Trade and International Finance,1998-10-09,1998-10-10,Rule H. Res. 588 passed House.,House,"Rep. Crane, Philip M. [R-IL-8]",IL,R,C000873,27,"Uruguay Round Agreements Compliance Act of 1998 - Directs the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to take action to implement certain trade sanctions under the Trade Act of 1974 as if a determination had been made that the practices of the European Union (EU) regarding the importation of bananas, or EU's ban on the use of hormones in beef, violate, or are inconsistent with, or otherwise deny benefits to the United States under the Uruguay Round Agreements. Requires that any sanction to eliminate such practices be devised so as to affect EU goods or services in an amount equivalent in value to the burden or restriction being imposed by the EU on U.S. commerce. Requires the USTR to implement trade sanctions unless it is certified to the Congress that:  (1) the Dispute Settlement Body has adopted a report that U.S. rights under the Uruguay Round Agreements are not being denied by EU practices (or such practices are not a violation of, or inconsistent with, such rights) regarding the importation of bananas or the EU's ban on the use of hormones in beef; (2) the EU has agreed to eliminate or phase out such practices; or (3) the taking of action under this Act would cause serious harm to the national security of the United States.  Requires the USTR to continue to make efforts to preserve U.S. rights under the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes concerning EU measures on the importation of bananas and EU's ban on the use of hormones in beef.",2025-08-21T16:11:13Z,
105-hr-4762,105,hr,4762,"To impose a temporary ban on the importation of certain steel products from Japan, Russia, and Brazil, and for other purposes.",Foreign Trade and International Finance,1998-10-09,1998-10-09,Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.,House,"Rep. Aderholt, Robert B. [R-AL-4]",AL,R,A000055,11,"Prohibits the importation into the United States during a one-year period of hot-rolled steel products or plate steel products from Japan, Russia, or Brazil. Requires the Secretary of Commerce, in any case in which antidumping duties are imposed upon steel products of a foreign country, to assess such duties on entries made for the period that dumping occurred before the issuance of the order (as well as on entries made after the order), but in no case earlier than one year before an antidumping duty petition was filed or the Secretary initiated an antidumping duty investigation. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should respond to complaints filed by U.S. trading partners regarding this prohibition on steel imports by:  (1) addressing the failure of those countries' governments to make their companies abide by international trade agreements with respect to dumping; and (2) stating that their failure constitutes a legitimate national security concern to the United States.",2025-01-02T17:51:49Z,
105-hr-4763,105,hr,4763,To declare certain Amerasians to be citizens of the United States.,Immigration,1998-10-09,1998-10-13,Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims.,House,"Rep. Mink, Patsy T. [D-HI-2]",HI,D,M000797,0,Declares certain Amerasian permanent resident aliens to be U.S. citizens.,2025-01-02T17:51:40Z,
105-hr-4764,105,hr,4764,To require any Federal or State court to recognize any notarization made by a notary public licensed by a State other than the State where the court is located when such notarization occurs in or affects interstate commerce.,Law,1998-10-09,1998-10-13,Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property.,House,"Rep. Aderholt, Robert B. [R-AL-4]",AL,R,A000055,0,Requires each:  (1) Federal court to recognize any notarization made by a notary public licensed under the laws of a State other than the State where the Federal court is located when such notarization occurs in or affects interstate commerce; and (2) State court to recognize any notarization made by a notary public licensed under the laws of a State other than the State where the court is located when such notarization occurs in or affects interstate commerce.,2025-01-16T12:12:20Z,
105-hr-4765,105,hr,4765,Hope for Children Act,Taxation,1998-10-09,1998-10-09,Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.,House,"Rep. Bliley, Tom [R-VA-7]",VA,R,B000556,3,Hope for Children Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to:  (1) increase the amount allowable for qualified adoption expenses; (2) permanently extend the credit for adoption expenses; and (3) adjust the limitations on such credit for inflation.,2025-08-21T16:13:57Z,