legislation
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261 rows where congress = 99 and policy_area = "Commerce" sorted by introduced_date descending
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| 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 |
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| 99-s-2944 | 99 | s | 2944 | Intellectual Property Antitrust Protection Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-10-17 | 1986-10-17 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT] | UT | R | H000338 | 1 | Intellectual Property Antitrust Protection Act of 1986 - Provides that agreements to convey rights to use, practice, or sublicense a patented invention, rights to use or sublicense a trade secret, or rights in a copyrighted work or mask work shall not be deemed to be illegal per se under the antitrust laws. Limits the amount a person may recover in an antitrust claim based on such an agreement to the actual damages sustained (total damage sustained in a State action), specified interest, and the cost of the action, including a reasonable attorney's fee. | 2025-08-29T16:30:54Z | |
| 99-hr-5722 | 99 | hr | 5722 | Visual Artists Rights Amendment of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-10-16 | 1986-10-16 | Referred to House Committee on The Judiciary. | House | Rep. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA-7] | MA | D | M000133 | 0 | Visual Artists Rights Amendment of 1986 - Amends the copyright law to give the author of a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work (or the author's estate) the right to claim authorship of such work when publicly displayed, independent of his or her copyright, and to disclaim such authorship of such works because of any distortions or alterations. Excludes work made for trade or advertising use. Grants the author of a work the exclusive right to assert infringement of copyright when such work is significantly distorted, mutilated, or altered by an intentional act or gross negligence. Entitles the author of a work to a royalty whenever such work is resold, requiring that royalties from resales more than 50 years after the author's death be paid to the National Endowment for the Arts for use in the visual arts program. Limits the entitlement to such resale royalty according to the amounts and percentage of resale price paid. Requires artists seeking resale royalties to register with the Copyright Office. Requires that all sales or transfers of works by registered artists be registered with the Office. Waives artists' rights when a work cannot be removed from a building without distortion, mutilation, or alteration. | 2025-08-29T16:31:10Z | |
| 99-hr-5725 | 99 | hr | 5725 | A bill to provide that the disaster relief personnel of the Small Business Administration shall be treated as performing essential services for purposes of allowing such Administration to operate for temporary periods without budget authority. | Commerce | 1986-10-16 | 1986-10-16 | Referred to House Committee on Small Business. | House | Rep. Porter, John Edward [R-IL-10] | IL | R | P000444 | 0 | Requires disaster relief personnel of the Small Business Administration to be treated as performing essential services with respect to allowing such Administration to operate for temporary periods without budget authority. | 2024-02-07T15:46:26Z | |
| 99-sres-507 | 99 | sres | 507 | A resolution relating to the Small Business Administration's "opinion molder" regulation. | Commerce | 1986-10-14 | 1986-10-14 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business. | Senate | Sen. Zorinsky, Edward [D-NE] | NE | D | Z000013 | 0 | Declares that the Small Business Administration should amend or eliminate its opinion molder regulation to allow greater participation of legitimate small businesses in Small Business Administration financial assistance programs. | 2025-01-14T17:16:56Z | |
| 99-s-2914 | 99 | s | 2914 | A bill to extend through fiscal year 1988 SBA Pilot Programs under section 8 of the Small Business Act. | Commerce | 1986-10-09 | 1986-10-27 | Became Public Law No: 99-567. | Senate | Sen. Weicker, Lowell P., Jr. [R-CT] | CT | R | W000253 | 1 | Amends the Small Business Act to require the President to designate, within 60 days of the enactment of this Act, the agency (including the Department of Defense) with which a Government procurement contract shall be made by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the provisions pursuant to which contracts are performed through subcontracts with socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses. Extends through FY 1988: (1) the program established by the Act under which contracts are set-aside for small businesses; and (2) the SBA's authority to waive the posting of bond with respect to such businesses. | 2023-01-19T20:05:24Z | |
| 99-hr-5677 | 99 | hr | 5677 | A bill to extend through fiscal year 1988 SBA Pilot Programs under section 8 of the Small Business Act. | Commerce | 1986-10-08 | 1986-10-08 | Referred to House Committee on Small Business. | House | Rep. Mitchell, Parren J. [D-MD-7] | MD | D | M000826 | 1 | Amends the Small Business Act to require the President to designate, within 60 days of the enactment of this Act, the agency (including the Department of Defense) with which a Government procurement contract shall be made by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the provisions pursuant to which contracts are performed through subcontracts with socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses. Extends through FY 1988: (1) the program established by the Act under which contracts are set-aside for small businesses; and (2) the SBA's authority to waive the posting of bond with respect to such businesses. | 2024-02-07T15:46:26Z | |
| 99-hr-5636 | 99 | hr | 5636 | Consumer Lease and Lease-Purchase Agreement Act | Commerce | 1986-10-02 | 1986-10-02 | Referred to Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs and Coinage. | House | Rep. Barnard, Doug, Jr. [D-GA-10] | GA | D | B000153 | 0 | Consumer Lease and Lease-Purchase Agreement Act - Amends the Consumer Credit Protection Act to revise disclosure requirements, including advertisement disclosure requirements, for consumer leases and to establish separate disclosure requirements for lease-purchase agreements. Requires information disclosed pursuant to such requirements to be segregated from all other terms and information provided. Includes among revised disclosures for consumer leases: (1) the total lease cost; (2) the amount of any required security deposit; (3) statements explaining certain information about the consumer's liability based on the residual value of the property; and (4) a statement referring the consumer to the appropriate lease document for information concerning other possible costs. Requires the following information to be disclosed for lease-purchase agreements: (1) the number, individual amount, timing, and total amount of payments; (2) a statement that the consumer will not own the property until all payments are made; (3) a statement referring the consumer to the contract for an explanation of other possible costs; (4) a statement that the consumer is responsible for the fair market value of lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed property; (5) a statement indicating whether the property is new or used; (6) a statement of the property's cash price; (7) the total of initial payments paid or required at or before consummation of the agreement or delivery of the property, which ever is later; (8) a clear summary of the terms of the consumer's option to purchase; (9) the identity of the party responsible for maintaining or servicing the property while it is being leased; (10) a brief description of insurance provided or paid for by the lessor; (11) a description of any security interest held or to be retained by the lessor; and (12) the date of the transaction and the identities of lessor and consumer. Requires each item of property displayed or offered by a lessor to have a tag or label disclosing specified information. Requi… | 2025-08-29T16:29:27Z | |
| 99-s-2904 | 99 | s | 2904 | Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-10-01 | 1986-10-01 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Mathias, Charles McC., Jr. [R-MD] | MD | R | M000241 | 0 | Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1986 - Amends the copyright law to implement the Berne Convention, the Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works signed at Berne on September 9, 1886. Extends copyright protection to architectural works in conformance with such Convention. Extends comparable copyright protection to protectable works of nationals of Berne Union members. Removes the requirement of registration as a prerequisite to instituting an action for copyright infringement. Eliminates copyright notice provisions. Authorizes appropriations. | 2025-08-29T16:29:33Z | |
| 99-hr-5613 | 99 | hr | 5613 | Truth in Savings and Credit Card Applications Act | Commerce | 1986-09-29 | 1986-10-10 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking. | House | Rep. Lehman, Richard H. [D-CA-18] | CA | D | L000225 | 2 | (Measure passed House, amended) Truth in Savings and Credit Card Applications Act - Title I: Truth in Savings - Requires each advertisement, announcement, or solicitation by a depository institution which refers to a specific interest rate, yield, or rate of earnings on amounts deposited in a demand or interest-bearing account to state the following information clearly and conspicuously: (1) the annual percentage yield and the period such yield is in effect; (2) all minimum initial deposit, minimum balance, and time requirements for earning such yield; (3) the annual rates of simple interest; (4) fees or other conditions that could reduce the yield; (5) any interest penalty for early withdrawal; and (6) the effective percentage yield on the maturity date of any account maturing in less than one year. Authorizes the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to exempt advertisements, announcements, or solicitations made by any broadcast or electronic medium or outdoor advertising displays not on the premises of a depository institution, from the disclosure requirements relating to initial deposit requirements, rates of simple interest, or fees, if such disclosure would be unnecessarily burdensome. Prohibits any depository institution from advertising an account as a free or no-cost account if: (1) there are minimum balance or limited transaction requirements to avoid fees; or (2) there is any service fee, transaction fee, or similar charge imposed for such account. Prohibits any institution from making any advertisement, announcement, or solicitation that is inaccurate or misleading or that misrepresents its deposit contracts. Requires each depository institution to maintain a schedule, written in clear and plain language, of fees, charges, interest rates, and terms and conditions such as minimum balance and time requirements applicable to each class of accounts offered. Requires that such schedule be disclosed to potential customers and requesting individuals and mailed to account holders. Requires th… | 2025-01-14T18:20:21Z | |
| 99-hr-5572 | 99 | hr | 5572 | Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-09-22 | 1986-09-25 | Ordered to be Reported. | House | Rep. Kastenmeier, Robert W. [D-WI-2] | WI | D | K000020 | 4 | Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1986 - Amends the copyright law to require through 1994 the compulsory licensing of secondary transmissions of a primary transmission made by a superstation when such secondary transmissions are made by a satellite carrier to the public for private viewing for a direct charge. Requires such satellite carriers to deposit royalties and an accounting with the Register of Copyrights on a semiannual basis. Permits royalty fees to be set by voluntary negotiation, according to a prescribed formula, or by compulsory arbitration. | 2025-08-29T16:31:06Z | |
| 99-s-2848 | 99 | s | 2848 | A bill to repeal the McCarran-Ferguson Act, and for other purposes. | Commerce | 1986-09-22 | 1986-09-22 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Metzenbaum, Howard M. [D-OH] | OH | D | M000678 | 0 | Repeals the McCarran-Ferguson Act (relating to the regulation of the business of insurance), effective one year after enactment of this Act. States that treble damages and criminal penalties for alleged violations of Federal antitrust law may not result from conduct (which would have been lawful under the McCarran-Ferguson Act) occurring within two years of enactment of this Act. Provides that no relief shall be granted against any person for conduct occurring within two years of enactment of this Act if the defendant relied in good faith on an advisory opinion issued by the Department of Justice. | 2025-07-21T19:32:26Z | |
| 99-hr-5536 | 99 | hr | 5536 | Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Amendments of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-09-17 | 1986-10-06 | Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1090. | House | Rep. Boucher, Rick [D-VA-9] | VA | D | B000657 | 1 | (Measure passed House, amended) Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Amendments of 1986 - Title I: Registration - Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to provide for public access to health and safety data submitted to support a registration application for a pesticide containing a new active ingredient, or to authorize the food use of a pesticide active ingredient. Provides criminal penalties for wrongful disclosure. Requires a person seeking such information to affirm that he or she is not working for a pesticide business. Prohibits conditional registrations for additional uses unless in the public interest. Requires the reregistration of active ingredient pesticides with outstanding data requirements registered before November 1, 1984. Requires an inert ingredient priority list to be established. Provides for the payment of registration fees based on active ingredients. Provides for testing of the neurotoxicological and behavioral effects of pesticides. Title II: Information Disclosure - Requires pesticide producers to make health, safety, and environmental information available to the public. Provides for data disclosure to States. Requires producers and other parties to notify the Environmental Protection Agency and the State regarding stored, cancelled, or suspended pesticides. Title III: Review and Cancellation - Provides for a public administrative review of pesticide safety. Provides for cancellation of registrations based on false or invalid data. Title IV: Records and Inspections - Authorizes duly designated Federal and State officials or employees to inspect pesticide facilities. Title V: Exports - Requires that specified precautionary information be placed on the labels of pesticides intended for export, unless such information is in conflict with the importing country's laws. Revises notification requirements. Title VI: Certification and Training - Makes it a violation for any person to use any pesticide as a commercial applicator unless such person … | 2021-06-30T19:49:04Z | |
| 99-hr-5539 | 99 | hr | 5539 | Credit Card Account Holder Protection Act | Commerce | 1986-09-17 | 1986-09-17 | Referred to Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs and Coinage. | House | Rep. Fowler, Wyche, Jr. [D-GA-5] | GA | D | F000329 | 0 | Credit Card Account Holder Protection Act - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to declare that the rate used to compute the finance charge imposed for any period on any credit extended through the use of a credit card shall not exceed: (1) the maximum annual percentage rate for the calendar quarter during which such period begins; divided by (2) the number of such periods which begin during the calendar year in which such calendar quarter occurs. Sets forth a formula for the determination of the maximum annual percentage rate, based on the average annual percentage yield on three month obligations of the United States issued by the Secretary of the Treasury during the calendar month preceding the third month of each calendar quarter. Requires disclosure of finance charge information on any: (1) application to open any open end consumer credit plan; or (2) solicitation by a creditor offering to open such an account without requiring an application. Requires certain information to be disclosed in a tabular format prescribed by the Federal Reserve Board. Prohibits the imposition of a finance charge on any credit card account before the end of a 25-day grace period beginning on the last day of the billing cycle during which a transaction was completed. Preempts any State laws that: (1) permit the use of a finance charge rate in excess of the one required by this Act; or (2) permit or require the imposition of a finance charge before the end of the 25-day grace period. | 2025-08-29T16:31:08Z | |
| 99-s-2796 | 99 | s | 2796 | Visual Artists Rights Amendment of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-09-09 | 1986-09-30 | Referred to Subcommittee on Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks. | Senate | Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA] | MA | D | K000105 | 0 | Visual Artists rights amendment of 1986 - Amends the copyright law to give the author of a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work (or the author's estate) the right to claim authorship of such work when publicly displayed, independent of his or her copyright, and to disclaim such authorship of such work because of any distortions or alterations. Excludes work made for trade or advertising use. Grants the author of a work the exclusive right to assert infringement of copyright when such work is significantly distorted, mutilated, or altered by an intentional act or gross negligence. Entitles the author of a work to a royalty whenever such work is resold, requiring that royalties from resales more than 50 years after the author's death be paid to the National Endowment for the Arts for use in the visual arts program. Limits the entitlement to such resale royalty according to the amounts and percentage of resale price paid. Requires artists seeking resale royalties to register with the Copyright Office. Requires that all sales or transfers of works by registered artists be registered with the Office. Waives artists' rights when a work cannot be removed from a building without distortion, mutilation, or alteration. | 2025-08-29T16:32:24Z | |
| 99-hr-5447 | 99 | hr | 5447 | A bill to provide a limited antitrust exemption for independent natural gas producer cooperatives. | Commerce | 1986-08-15 | 1986-08-21 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. Bryant, John W. [D-TX-5] | TX | D | B000997 | 0 | Provides a limited antitrust exemption from State and Federal laws for: (1) actions taken to develop independent natural gas producers' cooperative associations; or (2) actions taken by such associations to implement plans to market natural gas in interstate commerce. Conditions such exemption upon such actions: (1) being necessary to market natural gas; and (2) not being taken for the purpose of reducing competition. | 2021-06-30T19:46:08Z | |
| 99-hr-5465 | 99 | hr | 5465 | National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-08-15 | 1986-11-01 | Pocket Vetoed by President. | House | Rep. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA-7] | MA | D | M000133 | 81 | (Measure passed Senate, amended) National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1986 - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to add to the list of products covered under the Act: (1) freezers which can be operated by alternating current electricity (with specified exceptions); (2) central air conditioning heat pumps; (3) direct heating equipment; and (4) pool heaters. Deletes from specific coverage humidifiers and dehumidifiers. Excludes from such coverage consumer products designed solely for use in recreational vehicles and other mobile equipment. Authorizes the Secretary of Energy (the Secretary) to amend Federal energy efficiency test procedures for appliances under specified guidelines. Prohibits manufacturers from making any representations regarding the energy efficiency of appliances covered by this Act unless such appliances have been tested in accordance with the Federal test procedures, and the manufacturer's representations fairly disclose the results of such testing. Sets forth specific Federal energy conservation standards for products covered by this Act and manufactured after certain dates. Establishes deadlines by which the Secretary must issue rules regarding such standards. Details the criteria to be applied if such standards are revised. Revises the information requirements with which manufacturers must comply to provide that the Secretary shall exercise authority in a manner designed to minimize unnecessary burdens on manufacturers of covered products. Revises the rules under which State regulations are superseded by the Federal regulations for testing and labeling requirements and energy conservation standards. Permits the waiver of Federal preemption if the Secretary finds that such waiver is needed to meet compelling and unusual local energy conditions. Prescribes procedural guidelines for such a waiver. Details conditions under which State and local building code requirements regarding energy conservation standards are not superseded by the standards promulgated under this Act… | 2025-04-23T11:41:33Z | |
| 99-hr-5471 | 99 | hr | 5471 | Product Liability Reform Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-08-15 | 1986-08-21 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. Richardson, Bill [D-NM-3] | NM | D | R000229 | 3 | Product Liability Reform Act of 1986 - States that this Act governs any civil action brought against a manufacturer or product seller for personal injury or damage caused by a product. Supersedes any inconsistent State law regarding recovery in such such actions. Lists specific laws not superseded, including: (1) defenses of sovereign immunity asserted by the United States or any State; (2) any Federal law (except the Federal Employees Compensation Act); (3) the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976; (4) State choice-of-law rules; and (5) the right of any court to transfer venue. Allows any State to develop and implement expedited product liability claims procedures. Establishes uniform national standards for product liability actions. Subjects a product manufacturer to liability if the claimant establishes that: (1) the manufacturer manufactured an unreasonably dangerous product; (2) the product failed to conform to an express warranty made by the manufacturer; (3) the manufacturer was negligent in designing the product; or (4) the manufacturer failed to provide appropriate warnings or instructions. Treats a product seller as a manufacturer where: (1) the manufacturer is not subject to a service of process in any State where the action might be brought; or (2) the court determines that the claimant would be unable to enforce a judgment against the manufacturer. Subjects a product seller to liability if the claimant establishes that: (1) the product failed to conform to an express warranty made by the product seller; (2) the product seller did not exercise reasonable care in assembling, inspecting, or maintaining such product; or (3) the product seller did not exercise reasonable care in passing on the manufacturer's warnings or instructions. Establishes defenses in such actions with respect to: (1) manufacturing practices in light of existing technology; and (2) compliance with Government standards and contract specifications. Prohibits the admission of subsequent remedial measures unless offered: (1… | 2025-08-29T16:31:39Z | |
| 99-hr-5477 | 99 | hr | 5477 | White House Conference on Small Business Authorization Act | Commerce | 1986-08-15 | 1986-08-15 | Referred to House Committee on Small Business. | House | Rep. Foley, Thomas S. [D-WA-5] | WA | D | F000239 | 70 | White House Conference on Small Business Authorization Act - Calls upon the President to conduct a National White House Conference on Small Business once every four years to: (1) increase public awareness of the contributions of small business; (2) identify small business problems; (3) examine the status of minority and women small business owners; (4) assist small business in carrying out its role as the nation's job creator; (5) develop specific recommendations for executive and legislative action; and (6) review the status of recommendations adopted at the Conferences. Authorizes and directs Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities to provide support and assistance to the planning of such Conferences. Requires a final report of the Conference, within six months from the date a Conference is convened, to be submitted to the President and the Congress. Requires the Small Business Administration to report annually to the Congress for the next three years following the submission of the final report of the Conference. Authorizes appropriations. | 2025-08-29T16:31:46Z | |
| 99-s-2781 | 99 | s | 2781 | National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-08-15 | 1986-09-24 | Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered favorably reported H.R. 5465 in lieu of this measure. | Senate | Sen. Evans, Daniel J. [R-WA] | WA | R | E000236 | 39 | National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1986 - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to add to the list of products covered under the Act: (1) freezers which can be operated by alternating current electricity (with specified exceptions); (2) central air conditioning heat pumps; (3) direct heating equipment; and (4) pool heaters. Deletes from specific coverage: (1) television sets; (2) humidifiers; and (3) dehumidifiers. Excludes from such coverage consumer products designed solely for use in recreational vehicles and other mobile equipment. Authorizes the Secretary of Energy (the Secretary) to amend Federal energy efficiency test procedures for appliances under specified guidelines. Prohibits manufacturers from making any representations regarding the energy efficiency of appliances covered by this Act unless such appliances have been tested in accordance with the Federal test procedures, and the manufacturer's representations fairly disclose the results of such testing. Sets forth specific Federal energy conservation standards for products covered by this Act and manufactured after certain dates. Establishes deadlines by which the Secretary must issue rules regarding such standards. Details the criteria to be applied if such standards are revised. Revises the information requirements with which manufacturers must comply to provide that the Secretary shall exercise authority in a manner designed to minimize unnecessary burdens on manufacturers of covered products. Revises the rules under which State regulations are superseded by the Federal regulations for testing and labeling requirements and energy conservation standards. Permits the waiver of Federal preemption if the Secretary finds that such waiver is needed to meet compelling and unusual local energy conditions. Prescribes procedural guidelines for such a waiver. Details conditions under which State and local building code requirements regarding energy conservation standards are not superseded by the standards promulgated under this Act. Pe… | 2025-08-29T16:30:21Z | |
| 99-s-2760 | 99 | s | 2760 | Product Liability Reform Act | Commerce | 1986-08-14 | 1986-09-25 | Returned to the Calendar. Calendar No. 856. | Senate | Sen. Danforth, John C. [R-MO] | MO | R | D000030 | 5 | Product Liability Reform Act - Title I: States that this Act governs any civil action brought against a manufacturer or product seller for harm caused by a product. Supersedes any inconsistent State law regarding recovery in such actions. States that U.S. district courts shall not have jurisdiction over civil actions pursuant to this Act. Title II: Establishes procedures by which any party may serve upon any other party offers to settle claims. Precludes a claimant or defendant from bringing or maintaining a civil action once an offer of settlement has been accepted. Holds a defendant who rejects a settlement offer and fails to substantially prevail in the action liable for the claimant's attorney's fees and costs. Limits the recovery of a claimant who has rejected a defendant's settlement offer: (1) for economic loss, to the claimant's net economic loss; and (2) for noneconomic loss, other than punitive damages, to $250,000 (if the court finds that recovery for dignitary loss is appropriate; otherwise two times the economic loss or $50,000, whichever is less). Allows payment for economic loss to be made by periodic payment or according to a settlement agreement. Requires the court to approve a settlement agreement if the value of the economic loss is $10,000 or more. Permits any defendant who has entered into a settlement agreement to seek reimbursement, contribution, or subrogation on the basis of comparative responsibility. Title III: Allows any person seeking recovery for harm caused by a product to bring a civil action against the product's manufacturer or seller. Establishes uniform standards of product seller liability. Subjects a product seller to liability if the claimant establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that: (1) the product seller did not exercise reasonable care with respect to the product; or (2) the product failed to conform to an express warranty made by the product seller. Treats a product seller as a manufacturer where: (1) the manufacturer is not subject to service of pr… | 2025-08-29T16:31:03Z | |
| 99-hr-5337 | 99 | hr | 5337 | A bill to amend the Clayton Act regarding consent judgments. | Commerce | 1986-08-05 | 1986-08-08 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. Feighan, Edward F. [D-OH-19] | OH | D | F000059 | 0 | Prohibits any Federal Trade Commission consent agreement, any consent decree proposed to a court by the Commission or the Attorney General, or any Commission or court order which provides for divestiture by a party to any acquisition from becoming final before the divestiture has been approved by the Commission or the court. Permits the consent decree, agreement, or order to be rescinded and the Commission or the Attorney General to petition the court for further relief, if the divestiture is not approved. Provides that no divestiture shall be deemed an acceptable remedy for an acquisition which substantially lessens competition unless the divestiture fully restores competition lost as a result of the acquisition and there is a substantial likelihood that any buyer of divested assets will be a viable competitor for the foreseeable future. Directs the Attorney General, the Commission, and the court, in approving divestitures, to insure that reasonable steps are taken to protect the interests of affected employees and to preserve employment consistent with the full restoration of competition. Entitles a State's attorney general to intervene in a court proceeding to determine whether a proposed merger providing for the divestiture of enterprises or facilities which collectively employ more than 100 persons full-time in such State is in the public interest. | 2021-06-30T19:45:26Z | |
| 99-hr-5321 | 99 | hr | 5321 | National Quality Improvement Award Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-08-01 | 1986-08-07 | Referred to Subcommittee on Science Research and Technology. | House | Rep. Fuqua, Don [D-FL-2] | FL | D | F000430 | 8 | National Quality Improvement Award Act of 1986 - Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to establish a National Quality Improvement Award to be evidenced by a medal. Directs the President or a designee to periodically make the award, on the basis of recommendations from the Secretary of Commerce (the Secretary), to individuals, companies, and other enterprises which have substantially benefited the economic or social well-being of the United States through improvements in the quality of their goods and services resulting from the effective practice of quality management. Sets forth categories, including nonprofit organizations, in which the award may be given. Sets forth criteria for qualification for the award. Directs the Secretary to provide information about the awards and the successful quality improvement strategies and programs of the award-winning participants to all participants and to other appropriate groups. Provides that funding for the award program shall be from gifts from public and private sources and from fees imposed upon enterprises applying for the award. | 2025-08-29T16:30:45Z | |
| 99-hr-5323 | 99 | hr | 5323 | A bill to amend the Lanham Act to limit the defense against trademark infringement relating to geographic origin. | Commerce | 1986-08-01 | 1986-08-05 | Referred to Subcommittee on Courts, Civil Liberties, and the Administration of Justice. | House | Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-NY-18] | NY | D | G000047 | 0 | Amends the Lanham Act to limit the defense against trademark infringement relating to geographic origin to country of origin. | 2025-01-16T12:12:20Z | |
| 99-hr-5328 | 99 | hr | 5328 | Disaster Loan Efficiency Act | Commerce | 1986-08-01 | 1986-08-01 | Referred to House Committee on Small Business. | House | Rep. Olin, James R. [D-VA-6] | VA | D | O000069 | 18 | Disaster Loan Efficiency Act - Amends the Small Business Act to authorize the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make deferred (guaranteed) disaster loans in cooperation with eligible lenders to: (1) small businesses to repair property damaged by a disaster if such damage is not compensated by insurance or otherwise and the eligible lender certifies to the SBA that it will be able to repay the loan in case of default by the borrower; and (2) small businesses or agricultural cooperatives located in a disaster area if such lender determines that such business or cooperative suffered a substantial economic injury as a result of such disaster and the eligible lender certifies to the SBA that it will be able to repay the loan in case of default by the borrower. Sets limits on the interest rates to be charged on such loans. Makes provision for the Government to pay the excess of an interest rate over four percent and to share the payment with the borrower if such interest rate exceeds ten percent. Requires the Administrator of the SBA to reimburse any lender for administrative expenses associated with such disaster loans. Allows the Administrator to sell to the public the assets of any disaster loan made before enactment of this Act. Requires the Administrator to report to specified congressional committees. | 2025-08-29T16:32:39Z | |
| 99-s-2704 | 99 | s | 2704 | A bill to require the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a study for the purpose of developing procedures, methods, and other means for protecting against the wrongful use of cyanide, and for other purposes. | Commerce | 1986-07-31 | 1986-07-31 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. | Senate | Sen. Gorton, Slade [R-WA] | WA | R | G000333 | 0 | Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to require recordkeeping at the retail level on sales of cyanide, including the identity and address of the purchaser and the intended use of such chemical. Requires the Administrator to study and report to the Congress on the manufacture and distribution of cyanide with a view toward taking actions necessary to safeguard the public from its wrongful use. | 2025-01-14T17:12:38Z | |
| 99-hr-5293 | 99 | hr | 5293 | Freedom From Vertical Price Fixing Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-07-30 | 1986-08-05 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. Seiberling, John F. [D-OH-14] | OH | D | S000230 | 15 | Freedom From Vertical Price Fixing Act of 1986 - Provides that in an action commenced under the Clayton Act, evidence that a manufacturer terminated the sale or supply of goods or services to a dealer after receiving a communication about price competition from a competitor of such dealer shall be sufficient to raise the inference that such manufacturer and competitor engaged in price-fixing. Provides that evidence that the seller and a purchaser of goods or services agreed to establish the resale price of such good or service shall be sufficient to establish that such seller and purchaser engaged in price-fixing. | 2025-08-29T16:29:22Z | |
| 99-s-2687 | 99 | s | 2687 | A bill to amend the Clayton Act regarding consent judgments. | Commerce | 1986-07-24 | 1986-07-30 | Committee on Judiciary requested executive comment from Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission. | Senate | Sen. Glenn, John H., Jr. [D-OH] | OH | D | G000236 | 1 | Prohibits any Federal Trade Commission consent agreement, any consent decree proposed to a court by the Commission or the Attorney General, or any Commission or court order which provides for divestiture by a party to any acquisition from becoming final before the divestiture has been approved by the Commission or the court. Permits the consent decree, agreement, or order to be rescinded and the Commission or the Attorney General to petition the court for further relief, if the divestiture is not approved. Provides that no divestiture shall be deemed an acceptable remedy for an acquisition which substantially lessens competition unless the divestiture fully restores competition lost as a result of the acquisition and there is a substantial likelihood that any buyer of divested assets will be a viable competitor for the foreseeable future. Directs the Attorney General, the Commission, and the court, in approving divestitures, to insure that reasonable steps are taken to protect the interests of affected employees and to preserve employment consistent with the full restoration of competition. Entitles a State's attorney general to intervene in a court proceeding to determine whether a proposed merger providing for the divestiture of enterprises or facilities which collectively employ more than 100 persons full-time in such State is in the public interest. | 2025-07-21T19:32:26Z | |
| 99-s-2689 | 99 | s | 2689 | Child Injury Prevention Amendments of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-07-24 | 1986-07-24 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce. | Senate | Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA] | MA | D | K000105 | 1 | Child Injury Prevention Amendments of 1986 - Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission) to establish safety standards for cigarette lighters. Requires manufacturers of all-terrain vehicles to display specified warning labels on: (1) such vehicles; (2) the descriptive packaging of such vehicles; and (3) promotional material and advertising for such vehicles. Requires such manufacturers to submit to the Commission revised specifications for such vehicles. Directs the Commission to report to the Congress on all actions taken with regard to such vehicles. Amends the Federal Hazardous Substances Act to require the Commission to formulate a method for examining children's toys. Requires toy manufacturers to include a cautionary label on toy packaging. | 2025-08-29T16:31:07Z | |
| 99-hr-5225 | 99 | hr | 5225 | Risk Retention Amendments of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-07-23 | 1986-09-23 | House Incorporated this Measure in S.2129 as an Amendment. | House | Rep. Wyden, Ron [D-OR-3] | OR | D | W000779 | 60 | (Measure passed House, amended) Risk Retention Amendments of 1986 - Amends the Product Liability Risk Retention Act of 1981 to define "liability" as legal liability for damages because of injuries to other persons, damage to their property, or other damage or loss resulting from: (1) any business, trade, product, services, premises, or operation; or (2) any activity of a State or local government. Excludes from such definition personal risk liability and employer's liability. Excludes from such Act's coverage product liability risk retention groups formed on or after January 1, 1985, under the laws of Bermuda or the Cayman Islands. Deems such groups formed before January 1, 1985, to be risk retention groups only for the purpose of continuing to provide product liability or completed operations liability. Adds to the definition of "risk retention group" certain requirements pertaining to the structure of such group. Requires that members of a purchasing group have businesses or activities which are similar or related with respect to the liability to which the members are exposed by virtue of any related, similar, or common business, trade product, service, premises, or operations. Requires that risk retention groups make certain reports to State insurance regulators. Allows the State to require the group to comply with an order issued in a delinquency proceeding if there is a finding of financial impairment. Authorizes any State to require a group to comply with any State law regarding false or fraudulent acts or practices. Permits any State to require a group to: (1) comply with a lawful order issued in a voluntary dissolution proceeding; (2) make reinsurance available only to organizations whose businesses are similar or related with respect to the nature of their exposure to the risk of liability; (3) comply with any court injunction issued in accordance with administrative due process upon a State insurance commission's petition alleging that the group is in a hazardous financial condition or is financial… | 2024-02-05T14:30:09Z | |
| 99-s-2681 | 99 | s | 2681 | A bill to amend the Small Business Act to increase the authorized level of surety bond guarantees. | Commerce | 1986-07-23 | 1986-07-23 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business. | Senate | Sen. Abdnor, James [R-SD] | SD | R | A000009 | 1 | Amends the Small Business Act to increase (from $1,050,000,000 to $1,200,000,000) for FY 1986 the authorized level of surety bond guarantees that the Small Business Administration can offer to small businesses under the Surety Bond Guarantee Program. | 2025-01-14T17:16:56Z | |
| 99-s-2647 | 99 | s | 2647 | Corporation for Small Business Investment Charter Act | Commerce | 1986-07-16 | 1986-08-07 | Committee on Small Business. Hearings held. | Senate | Sen. Weicker, Lowell P., Jr. [R-CT] | CT | R | W000253 | 2 | Corporation for Small Business Investment Charter Act - Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to include in the terms "small business investment company," "company," and "licensee" any company that is qualified to conduct business with the Corporation for Small Business Investment. Defines "small business concern" with respect to the Small Business Investment Act of 1958. Sets forth procedures for the qualification of small business investment companies (licensees) to conduct business with the Corporation for Small Business Investment and the termination, suspension, or revocation of the license of such companies that do not qualify under the provisions of this Act. Establishes the Corporation for Small Business Investment. Requires the President, within 60 days after enactment of this Act, to appoint an interim Board of Directors of the Corporation. Authorizes the Corporation to issue common and preferred stock and certain other obligations to small business investment companies. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase obligations issued by the Corporation. Exempts from U.S. securities laws all stocks and obligations issued by the Corporation. Deems the Corporation to be a U.S. agency. Authorizes the Corporation to: (1) make loans to small business investment companies; (2) purchase preferred securities, debentures, and guarantee debentures issued by such companies; and (3) act as issuer of such securities. Requires the Corporation to establish criteria for the qualification of: (1) small business investment companies to conduct business with such Corporation; and (2) special small business investment companies whose investments will be made solely in disadvantaged small businesses. Establishes a special-purpose trust for the benefit of special small business investment companies. Authorizes: (1) the trustees to purchase preferred securities; and (2) the Corporation to purchase or to guarantee debentures issued by special small business investment companies. Permits the purchase … | 2025-08-29T16:33:22Z | |
| 99-hr-5126 | 99 | hr | 5126 | Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-06-26 | 1986-09-22 | Clean Bill H.R.5572 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee in Lieu. | House | Rep. Kastenmeier, Robert W. [D-WI-2] | WI | D | K000020 | 4 | Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1986 - Amends the copyright law to require through 1994 the compulsory licensing of secondary transmissions of a primary transmission made by a superstation when such secondary transmissions are made by a satellite carrier to the public for private viewing for a direct charge. Requires such satellite carriers to deposit royalties and an accounting with the Register of Copyrights on a semiannual basis. Permits royalty fees to be set by voluntary negotiation, according to a prescribed formula, or by compulsory arbitration. | 2025-08-29T16:32:27Z | |
| 99-s-2588 | 99 | s | 2588 | White House Conference on Small Business Authorization Act | Commerce | 1986-06-23 | 1986-06-23 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business. | Senate | Sen. Domenici, Pete V. [R-NM] | NM | R | D000407 | 20 | White House Conference on Small Business Authorization Act - Calls upon the President to conduct a National White House Conference on Small Business once every four years to: (1) increase public awareness of the contributions of small business; (2) identify small business problems; (3) examine the status of minority and women small business owners; (4) assist small business in carrying out its role as the nation's job creator; (5) develop specific recommendations for executive and legislative action; and (6) review the status of recommendations adopted at the Conferences. Authorizes and directs Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities to provide support and assistance to the planning of such Conferences. Requires a final report of the Conference, within six months from the date a Conference is convened, to be submitted to the President and the Congress. Requires the Small Business Administration to report annually to the Congress for the next three years following the submission of the final report of the Conference. Authorizes appropriations. | 2025-08-29T16:31:44Z | |
| 99-s-2566 | 99 | s | 2566 | All-terrain Vehicle User Safety Act | Commerce | 1986-06-18 | 1986-06-18 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce. | Senate | Sen. Kasten, Robert W., Jr. [R-WI] | WI | R | K000019 | 0 | All-terrain Vehicle User Safety Act - Requires that all-terrain vehicles manufactured, imported for sale or distribution, or sold in the United States bear specified warning labels relating to operation of such vehicles without helmets, by children, on hard surfaces, and with passengers. Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate regulations necessary to implement this Act. Preempts inconsistent State and local laws. Directs the Commission to report the findings and conclusions of the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding all-terrain vehicles to specified congressional committees. | 2025-08-29T16:29:58Z | |
| 99-hr-5019 | 99 | hr | 5019 | Corporation for Small Business Investment Charter Act | Commerce | 1986-06-12 | 1986-06-25 | Subcommittee Hearings Held. | House | Rep. Mitchell, Parren J. [D-MD-7] | MD | D | M000826 | 36 | Corporation for Small Business Investment Charter Act - Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to include in the terms "small business investment company," "company," and "license" any company that is qualified to conduct business with the Corporation for Small Business Investment. Defines "small business concern" with respect to the Small Business Investment Act of 1958. Sets forth procedures for the qualification of small business investment companies (licensees) to conduct business with the Corporation for Small Business Investment and the termination, suspension, or revocation of the license of such companies that do not qualify under the provisions of this Act. Establishes the Corporation for Small Business Investment. Requires the President, within 60 days after enactment of this Act, to appoint an interim Board of Directors of the Corporation. Authorizes the Corporation to issue common and preferred stock and certain other obligations to small business investment companies. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase obligations issued by the Corporation. Exempts from U.S. securities laws all stocks and obligations issued by the Corporation. Deems the Corporation to be a U.S. agency. Authorizes the Corporation to: (1) make loans to small business investment companies; (2) purchase preferred securities, debentures, and guarantee debentures issued by such companies; and (3) act as issuer of such securities. Requires the Corporation to establish criteria for the qualification of: (1) small business investment companies to conduct business with such Corporation; and (2) special small business investment companies whose investments will be made solely in disadvantaged small businesses. Establishes a special-purpose trust for the benefit of special small business investment companies. Authorizes: (1) the trustees to purchase preferred securities; and (2) the Corporation to purchase or to guarantee debentures issued by special small business investment companies. Permits the purchase of… | 2025-08-29T16:30:23Z | |
| 99-hr-4972 | 99 | hr | 4972 | Health Protection Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-06-10 | 1986-07-18 | Referred to Subcommittee on Health and the Environment. | House | Rep. Synar, Mike [D-OK-2] | OK | D | S001139 | 29 | Health Protection Act of 1986 - Prohibits the promotion of tobacco products. Directs the Federal Trade Commission to issue regulations defining acts or practices which are unlawful consumer sales promotions of tobacco products. | 2025-08-29T16:32:51Z | |
| 99-s-2525 | 99 | s | 2525 | Intellectual Property Rights Improvement Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-06-06 | 1986-06-10 | Referred to Subcommittee on Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks. | Senate | Sen. Thurmond, Strom [R-SC] | SC | R | T000254 | 5 | Intellectual Property Rights Improvement Act of 1986 - Title I: Technology Licensing Under the Antitrust Laws - Amends the Clayton Act to permit licensing agreements for patented inventions, trade secrets, knowhow, or rights in protected mask works. Title II: Elimination, in Certain Section 337 Cases, of Requirement of Injury to a United States Industry - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to declare that acts of importation into, or sale in, the United States of articles that infringe a valid U.S. patent, copyright, trademark, U.S. maskwork, or trade secret are unlawful whether or not they have the effect of destroying or substantially injuring a U.S. industry or impairing the establishment of such industry. Permits any person to petition the International Trade Commission (ITC) for the issuance of an order to exclude such articles, during its investigation, from entry into the United States. Sets forth: (1) civil penalties for violations under this Act; and (2) procedures for the modification or recision of an ITC order under this Act. Repeals a specified section of the Tariff Act of 1930 relating to the importation of products produced under a process covered by claims of an unexpired patent. Title III: Process Patents - Amends the patent laws to prohibit the use, sale, or importation of products made through the unauthorized use of a patented process. Title IV: Patent Term Restoration for Certain Agricultural and Chemical Products - Amends the patent laws to extend the terms of patents which encompass specified products or methods for using a product, any of which are subject to certain nonpatent regulatory review periods. Sets forth the terms and conditions of such extension, including a five year limitation on the extension and a 25 year maximum patent term from the earliest filing. Directs the Commissioner of Patents to notify the appropriate Federal agency upon receipt from a product sponsor of a notice of extension. Requires the notified agency to determine the applicable regulatory review period. Permits … | 2025-08-29T16:31:18Z | |
| 99-hr-4949 | 99 | hr | 4949 | Computer Software Rental Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-06-05 | 1986-06-05 | Referred to House Committee on The Judiciary. | House | Rep. Schroeder, Patricia [D-CO-1] | CO | D | S000142 | 0 | Computer Software Rental Act of 1986 - Amends the copyright law to prohibit the unauthorized rental or lease of copies of computer programs for commercial advantage. | 2025-08-29T16:29:41Z | |
| 99-hr-4921 | 99 | hr | 4921 | Computer Software Protection Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-06-03 | 1986-06-06 | Referred to Subcommittee on Courts, Civil Liberties, and the Administration of Justice. | House | Rep. Schroeder, Patricia [D-CO-1] | CO | D | S000142 | 0 | Computer Software Protection Act of 1986 - Amends the copyright law to prohibit the unauthorized rental or lease of copies of computer programs for commercial advantage. | 2025-08-29T16:29:37Z | |
| 99-hr-4899 | 99 | hr | 4899 | Patent Equity Act | Commerce | 1986-05-22 | 1986-10-16 | Message on House action received in Senate and held at desk: House amendments to Senate amendments. | House | Rep. Kastenmeier, Robert W. [D-WI-2] | WI | D | K000020 | 9 | (House agreed to Senate amendment with an amendment) Patent Equity Act - Title I: Patented Process - Process Patent Amendments Act of 1986 - Amends the patent laws to make it an infringement of patent to use, sell, or import into the United States without authority a product produced by a process patented in the United States. Requires the infringer to know or be on notice that the product was made by a process patented in the United States before a process patent holder may recover damages. Places the burden of proof in an infringement action to show that product was not produced by the patented process on the defendant. Makes this provision effective prospectively only. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to report annually to the Congress for five years on the effect of this provision on the importation of manufacturing ingredients in certain domestic industries. Title II: Patent Cooperation Treaty Authorization - Amends the patent laws to implement the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Permits the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks to determine when the basic fee of an international application is due. Authorizes the Patent and Trademark Office to act as an International Preliminary Examining Authority with respect to international applications in accordance with terms and conditions prescribed by the International Bureau and the Commissioner. Revises the time limit for commencement of the national stage of international applications to conform with the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Requires an English translation of any annexes to the international preliminary examination report made in another language. Requires the payment of a handling as well as international fee. Permits the charging of a preliminary examination fee. | 2021-06-30T19:41:58Z | |
| 99-hr-4910 | 99 | hr | 4910 | Federal Product Liability Reform Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-05-22 | 1986-06-05 | Referred to Subcommittee on Health and the Environment. | House | Rep. Shumway, Norman D. [R-CA-14] | CA | R | S000393 | 19 | Federal Product Liability Reofrm Act of 1986 - Title I: - Sets forth findings and purposes of this Act. Title II - Limits the amount of damages which may be recovered against a product seller for noneconomic losses to $250,000. Makes a product seller who has acted with flagrant indifference to consumer safety liable for punitive damages. States that punitive damages may not be awarded in the absence of a compensatory award. Limits the amount of punitive damages which may be recovered. Provides that all product liability actions shall be governed by the principles of comparative responsibility. Specifies the manner in which damages are to be apportioned. Requires the reduction of any damages award by any amount received by the claimant from collateral sources (including workers' compensation benefits). Establishes a two-year statute of limitations and a ten-year statute of repose. Preempts inconsistent State and Federal laws. | 2025-08-29T16:32:22Z | |
| 99-hr-4877 | 99 | hr | 4877 | Insurance Information Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-05-21 | 1986-06-05 | Referred to Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation and Tourism. | House | Rep. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY-10] | NY | D | S000148 | 15 | Insurance Information Act of 1986 - Requires commercial insurance companies to report specified information annually to the Secretary of Commerce. Details the reporting requirements, which include data on premiums, claims, legal costs, economic losses, investment income, and cancellations. Requires the Secretary to: (1) issue a report summarizing such information by September 30 of each year; and (2) send copies of such report to specified Federal and State officials (to be made available to the general public upon request). Establishes a maximum penalty of $100,000, or five years imprisonment, or both, for any person who: (1) fails to file such report as prescribed; or (2) knowingly makes any false statement or omission of fact in such report. Requires the Secretary to: (1) issue regulations to implement this Act; (2) issue a list of standard classes of business and of standard units of exposure for which any commercial insurance company must report data; and (3) issue a reporting form to be used by commercial insurance companies to carry out the purpose of this Act. | 2025-08-29T16:30:13Z | |
| 99-s-2481 | 99 | s | 2481 | Antitrust Improvement Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-05-21 | 1986-08-09 | Star Print ordered S. 2481. | Senate | Sen. Metzenbaum, Howard M. [D-OH] | OH | D | M000678 | 4 | Antitrust Improvement Act of 1986 - Amends the Clayton Act to authorize claims for damages based on indirect purchases, and claims on behalf of agricultural producers based on indirect sales, in antitrust actions brought by State attorneys general alleging price fixing. Entitles a defendant in such an action to allege, as a defense to a claim by a direct purchaser or seller based on the same conduct, that the direct purchaser's or seller's damages were passed on to indirect purchasers or sellers on whose behalf a claim has been brought. Requires the award for a claim based on indirect purchases or sales to be treble the amount of the overcharge or underpayment shown by the indirect purchaser or seller to be properly allocable to it. Provides that in the case where no claim by a direct purchaser or seller is pending, the defendant shall have the burden of establishing that the total overcharge or underpayment was not passed on to the indirect purchaser or seller. Prohibits duplicate awards for the same overcharge or underpayment. Entitles a person alleging injury from indirect purchases or sales to intervene in an action alleging injury from direct purchases or sales based on the same conduct, if such person requests such intervention within six months after the initial action is filed, after which time a claim by such person based on such conduct shall be barred. Allows any person alleging injury from a direct purchase or sale to intervene in an action alleging injury by an indirect purchase or sale based on the same conduct. Directs the court to consolidate such actions at the request of the defendant. Directs the State attorney general to provide public notice of the allegations of a suit alleging injury from indirect purchases or sales and a description of any direct purchasers who may be entitled to sue. Directs the plaintiff, upon initiating an action alleging injury from direct purchases or sales, to provide the State attorney general with reasonable notice of the allegations of the suit. | 2025-08-29T16:31:36Z | |
| 99-s-2497 | 99 | s | 2497 | Insurance Trend Forecasting Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-05-21 | 1986-05-21 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce. | Senate | Sen. Simon, Paul [D-IL] | IL | D | S000423 | 1 | Insurance Trend Forecasting Act of 1986 - Requires commercial property and casualty insurance companies to report specified information annually to the Secretary of Commerce. Details the reporting requirements, which include data on premiums, claims, legal costs, overhead, reserves, and cancellations. Requires the Secretary to: (1) issue a report summarizing such information by September 30 of each year; and (2) send copies of such report to specified Federal and State officials. States that copies of such report shall be available to the public upon request. Imposes a maximum penalty of $300,000 upon any person who: (1) fails to file such a report as prescribed; or (2) knowingly makes any false statement or omission of fact in such a report. Requires the Secretary to: (1) issue regulations to implement this Act; and (2) require each insurance company reporting under this Act to verify the validity and accuracy of its report by an accredited independent actuary. | 2025-08-29T16:31:20Z | |
| 99-hr-4854 | 99 | hr | 4854 | A bill to authorize loans under the Small Business Act for economic injury caused by Federal action, to establish criteria for the determination of substantial economic injury under section 7 of the Small Business Act, and for other purposes. | Commerce | 1986-05-20 | 1986-05-20 | Referred to House Committee on Small Business. | House | Rep. Lightfoot, Jim [R-IA-5] | IA | R | L000305 | 8 | Amends the Small Business Act to set forth specified criteria to be used by the Small Business Administration for determining whether a small business or agricultural cooperative has suffered a substantial economic injury as a result of a disaster or Federal action with respect to the award of economic injury loans. Sets forth the effective date of eligibility for such loans. Prohibits the disapproval of such loans solely on the basis of the indebtedness of the applicant which existed prior to the disaster or Federal action which is claimed to have caused the economic injury. | 2024-02-07T15:46:26Z | |
| 99-hr-4831 | 99 | hr | 4831 | A bill to provide for antitrust law violators to be subject to individual responsibility for treble the amount of damages attributable to their violations, and to assure fairness in the allocation and award of antitrust damages. | Commerce | 1986-05-15 | 1986-05-20 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. Brooks, Jack B. [D-TX-9] | TX | D | B000880 | 14 | Amends the Clayton Act to direct the court, in an antitrust action, to reduce the claim of any claimant who releases any person from liability by the greatest of: (1) a stipulated amount; (2) the consideration paid for release; or (3) the actual damages fairly allocable to the released person (or treble such damages where the claim is for treble damages) and interest thereon. Requires the court, in an action based on a contract, combination, or conspiracy among competitors, to conclusively presume that a person has been released from liability if: (1) such person has not been joined as a defendant; and (2) the defendant has established that such person is legally or practically available as a party to the action. Requires damages based on a price-fixing agreement between competitors to be allocated on the basis of: (1) each competitor's proportionate share of the total competitors' overcharges or underpayments where the claim is based on damages sustained by reason of overcharges or payments resulting from a price-fixing agreement; or (2) each party's relative responsibility for the origination or perpetration of the antitrust violation, whichever method the court determines to be more equitable. | 2021-06-30T19:41:27Z | |
| 99-s-2458 | 99 | s | 2458 | Insurance Competition Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-05-15 | 1986-05-15 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Simon, Paul [D-IL] | IL | D | S000423 | 0 | Insurance Competition Act of 1986 - Revises the applicability of the Federal antitrust laws to the insurance industry. Specifies limited activities that may be subject to an exempt agreement, understanding, or concert of action between or among insurers, members of an advisory organization, or other persons. Provides that no agreement, understanding, contract, or combination among such parties to fix rates or proposed rates for commercial risk insurance shall be exempt from such laws by reason of any State law, rule, or regulation permitting, but not requiring, any such agreement, understanding, contract, or combination. Permits insurers participating in joint underwriting pools, or residual market mechanisms to cooperate with each other in the following activities if the residual market mechanism is required by law or approved by a government agency, or if the joint underwriting pools do not unreasonably restrain trade: (1) making rates, rating systems, policy forms, underwriting rules, surveys, inspections, and investigations; (2) furnishing loss statistics; and (3) carrying on research on causes or the prevention of losses. Permits any State to: (1) establish or approve a residual market mechanism; and (2) require a workers' compensation and employers' liability insurer to adhere to the uniform classification system and uniform rating plan applicable to such types of insurance in such State. | 2025-08-29T16:30:44Z | |
| 99-hr-4808 | 99 | hr | 4808 | Intellectual Property Rights Improvement Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-05-13 | 1986-05-21 | Referred to Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation and Tourism. | House | Rep. Fish, Hamilton, Jr. [R-NY-21] | NY | R | F000141 | 1 | Intellectual Property Rights Improvement Act of 1986 - (No Title I.) Title II: Technology Licensing Under the Antitrust Laws - Amends the Clayton Act to permit licensing agreements for patented inventions, trade secrets, knowhow, or rights in protected maskworks. Title III: Elimination, in Certain Section 337 Cases of Requirement of Injury to a United States Industry - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to declare that acts of importation into, or sale in, the United States of articles that infringe a valid U.S. patent, copyright, trademark, U.S. maskwork, or trade secret are unlawful whether or not they have the effect of destroying or substantially injuring a U.S. industry or impairing the establishment of such industry. Permits any person to petition the International Trade Commission (ITC) for the issuance of an order to exclude such articles, during its investigation, from entry into the United States. Sets forth: (1) civil penalties for violations under this Act; and (2) procedures for the modification or rescission of an ITC order under this Act. Repeals a specified section of the Tariff Act of 1930 relating to the importation of products produced under a process covered by claims of an unexpired patent. Title IV: Process Patents - Amends the patent laws to prohibit the use, sale, or importation of products made through the unauthorized use of a patented process. Title V: Patent Term Restoration for Certain Agricultural and Chemical Products - Amends the patent laws to extend the terms of patents which encompass specified products or methods for using a product, including methods of manufacturing, any of which are subject to certain nonpatent regulatory review periods. Sets forth the terms and conditions of such extension, including a five-year limitation on the extension and a 25-year maximum patent term from the earliest filing. Directs the Commissioner of Patents to notify the appropriate Federal agency upon receipt from a product sponsor of a notice of extension. Requires the notified agency to dete… | 2025-08-29T16:33:33Z | |
| 99-hr-4796 | 99 | hr | 4796 | Self-Insurance Enhancement Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-05-08 | 1986-05-15 | Referred to Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation and Tourism. | House | Rep. Schulze, Richard T. [R-PA-5] | PA | R | S000146 | 4 | Self-Insurance Enhancement Act of 1986 - Title I: Expansion of Risk Retention Coverage - Amends the Product Liability Risk Retention Act of 1981 to exempt risk retention groups and purchasing groups (businesses which organize to purchase personal risk and liability insurance on a group basis) from State laws which prohibit, regulate, or otherwise discriminate against such groups. Requires such groups' members to be similarly situated with respect to their exposure to the risk of liability. Permits risk retention groups which are not chartered, licensed, or certified as liability insurance companies by any State to continue to provide insurance to cover product liability or completed operations liability as defined before the enactment of this Act. Requires risk retention groups to comply with State trade practices laws. Allows the insurance commissioner of any State in which a risk retention group is doing business to examine the group's financial condition if the commissioner of the jurisdiction in which the group is chartered has not begun such an examination. Subjects such groups to State no-fault automobile insurance requirements. Limits the authority to provide insurance under such Act to liability insurance. Requires a specified notice on all risk retention group policies. Title II: Amendments of Internal Revenue Code of 1954 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an eligible taxpayer a deduction for contributions during the taxable year made to a qualified liability trust. Defines eligible taxpayer as a business not covered by any liability policy, whose liability insurance was cancelled, or a business unable to obtain liability insurance. Provides that the qualified liability trust shall pay liability claims against the taxpayer, and no part of the corpus or income of the trust shall be used for, or diverted to, any purpose other than the payment of claims or related expenses. Provides that the liability trust shall be exempt from taxation. Imposes a penalty tax on any distributions from the tru… | 2025-08-29T16:30:19Z | |
| 99-hr-4766 | 99 | hr | 4766 | Product Liability Reform Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-05-07 | 1986-06-03 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. Fish, Hamilton, Jr. [R-NY-21] | NY | R | F000141 | 39 | Product Liability Reform Act of 1986 - Preempts inconsistent State laws. Declares that the provisions of this Act are inapplicable in certain actions under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. Bases liability for damages in product liability actions on whether: (1) the design, production, distribution, or sale of the product was negligent; or (2) the product was defective, and such defect rendered the product unreasonably dangerous. Includes among the applicable defenses in such actions proof that: (1) the defect was the subject of an adequate warning; (2) the defect was apparent to a reasonable person, or the subject of common knowledge; (3) the injury resulted from an unreasonable or unforeseeable use or alteration of the product; and (4) at the time the product was made, the ability to discover and eliminate the defect was unavailable. States that joint and several liability may not be applied to any product liability action subject to this Act (unless persons acting in concert were the proximate cause of the injury). Limits the amount of damages for noneconomic losses to $100,000. Requires that damage awards for future economic losses exceeding $100,000 be made by periodic payments. Requires that damage awards be offset by amounts received as compensation for the same injury. Establishes a contingency fee schedule for plaintiffs' attorneys. Directs the Attorney General to provide recommendations regarding the creation, adoption, and use of alternative dispute resolution techniques. | 2025-08-29T16:31:35Z | |
| 99-s-2419 | 99 | s | 2419 | Small Business Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-05-07 | 1986-09-09 | Committee on Governmental Affairs received executive comment from General Services Administration. | Senate | Sen. Armstrong, William L. [R-CO] | CO | R | A000219 | 5 | Small Business Act of 1986 - Title I: Findings - Sets forth the findings of this Act. Title II: Transfers to the Department of Commerce - Transfers to the Secretary of Commerce all functions, powers, and duties of the Small Business Administration (SBA) under specified provisions of the Small Business Act and the White House Conference on Small Business Authorization Act. Transfers from the SBA to the Department of Commerce the Office of Advocacy. Title III: Transfers to the Department of the Treasury - Transfers to the Secretary of the Treasury all rights, outstanding obligations, and assets of the SBA with respect to guaranteed loans and debentures and other specified guarantees made by the SBA to small businesses under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Company Act of 1958. Authorizes and directs the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase from the Federal Financing Bank all notes, bonds, debentures, or other obligations held by such bank that are guaranteed by the SBA. Transfers to the Secretary of the Treasury the regulatory authorities of the SBA with respect to small business investment companies and minority enterprise small business investment companies under the Small Business Investment Company Act of 1958. Terminates such authorities upon the disposition of specified loans, debentures, or equity securities by the Secretary of the Treasury. Title IV: Termination of Functions Under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Company Act of 1958 - Terminates on October 1, 1986, various provisions of the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Company Act of 1958. Title V: Miscellaneous Amendments and Repeals of Other Laws - Makes various conforming amendments and repeals specified provisions of Federal law relating to the SBA and the provisions of this Act. Title VI: General Administrative Provisions - Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Treasury to exercise and, where appropriate, to delegate any authority that is transferre… | 2025-08-29T16:31:12Z | |
| 99-s-2421 | 99 | s | 2421 | Fair Credit Card Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-05-07 | 1986-05-21 | Subcommittee on Financial Institutions. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 99-751. | Senate | Sen. Gorton, Slade [R-WA] | WA | R | G000333 | 3 | Fair Credit Card Act of 1986 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to direct the Federal Reserve Board to issue regulations requiring that credit card solicitations mailed to consumers disclose information about finance charge conditions, interest rates, and annual fees and related charges. Requires the balance upon which such finance charges may be imposed to be computed using an average daily balance method or alternative method which benefits the consumer. Directs the Federal Reserve Board to issue regulations on such methods. | 2025-08-29T16:29:42Z | |
| 99-hr-4734 | 99 | hr | 4734 | Air Carrier Antitrust Enforcement Restoration Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-05-01 | 1986-05-06 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. Glickman, Dan [D-KS-4] | KS | D | G000240 | 8 | Air Carrier Antitrust Enforcement Restoration Act of 1986 - Amends the Clayton Act to provide for the enforcement by the U.S. Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission of provisions relating to the merger of air carriers. | 2025-08-29T16:29:24Z | |
| 99-hr-4696 | 99 | hr | 4696 | Manufacture and Public Distribution of Certain Copyrighted Material Act | Commerce | 1986-04-29 | 1986-06-26 | Subcommittee Hearings Held. | House | Rep. Frank, Barney [D-MA-4] | MA | D | F000339 | 152 | Manufacture and Public Distribution of Certain Copyrighted Material Act - Amends the copyright law to extend indefinitely the manufacturing clause, which prohibits the importation of certain English language books not manufactured in the United States or Canada. Eliminates the Canadian exemption, per se, after 1988. Permits exemptions from such restriction if a foreign country, including Canada, is certified by the United States Trade Representative as providing adequate copyright protection for U.S. nationals and such country freely trades in printed matter with the United States or adheres to a bilateral or multilateral agreement with the United States and supports internationally recognized workers' rights. | 2025-08-29T16:31:49Z | |
| 99-hr-4655 | 99 | hr | 4655 | National Liability Commission Act | Commerce | 1986-04-22 | 1986-04-30 | Referred to Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation and Tourism. | House | Rep. Frank, Barney [D-MA-4] | MA | D | F000339 | 32 | National Liability Commission Act - Establishes the National Commission on the Liability Crisis to investigate the cause of the liability and liability insurance crisis and recommend reforms to alleviate the crisis. Requires the Commission to report to the President and to the Congress. Terminates the Commission 30 days after the submission of such report. | 2025-08-29T16:33:39Z | |
| 99-hr-4619 | 99 | hr | 4619 | A bill to establish a commission to study and report on the crisis in the availability and affordability of liability insurance. | Commerce | 1986-04-17 | 1986-04-24 | Referred to Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation and Tourism. | House | Rep. Dreier, David [R-CA-33] | CA | R | D000492 | 0 | Establishes the Commission on the Liability Insurance Crisis to study: (1) the current financial condition of the insurance industry, including the economic factors that affect the crisis in the availability and affordability of insurance for businesses and municipalities; and (2) the relationship between State tort law and such crisis. Requires the Commission to submit a report to the Congress. Terminates the Commission 60 days after the submission of such report. | 2024-02-05T14:30:09Z | |
| 99-hr-4621 | 99 | hr | 4621 | Small Business Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-04-17 | 1986-04-17 | Referred to House Committee on Small Business. | House | Rep. Dreier, David [R-CA-33] | CA | R | D000492 | 25 | Small Business Act of 1986 - Title I: Findings - Sets forth the findings of this Act. Title II: Transfers to the Department of Commerce - Transfers to the Secretary of Commerce all functions, powers, and duties of the Small Business Administration (SBA) under specified provisions of the Small Business Act and the White House Conference on Small Business Authorization Act. Transfers from the SBA to the Department of Commerce the Office of Advocacy. Title III: Transfers to the Department of the Treasury - Transfers to the Secretary of the Treasury all rights, outstanding obligations, and assets of the SBA with respect to guaranteed loans and debentures and other specified guarantees made by the SBA to small businesses under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Company Act of 1958. Authorizes and directs the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase from the Federal Financing Bank all notes, bonds, debentures, or other obligations held by such bank that are guaranteed by the SBA. Transfers to the Secretary of the Treasury the regulatory authorities of the SBA with respect to small business investment companies and minority enterprise small business investment companies under the Small Business Investment Company Act of 1958. Terminates such authorities upon the disposition of specified loans, debentures, or equity securities by the Secretary of the Treasury. Title IV: Termination of Functions Under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Company Act of 1958 - Terminates on October 1, 1986, various provisions of the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Company Act of 1958. Title V: Miscellaneous Amendments and Repeals of Other Laws - Makes various conforming amendments and repeals specified provisions of Federal law relating to the SBA and the provisions of this Act. Title VI: General Administrative Provisions - Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Treasury to exercise and, where appropriate, to delegate any authority that is transferre… | 2025-08-29T16:30:59Z | |
| 99-hr-4632 | 99 | hr | 4632 | A bill to clarify and expand the functions of the Associate Administrator for Minority Small Business and Capital Ownership Development of the Small Business Administration, to transfer resources to the Administration to promote the execution of such functions and to eliminate duplicative functions of the Minority Business Development Agency. | Commerce | 1986-04-17 | 1986-04-17 | Referred to House Committee on Small Business. | House | Rep. Mitchell, Parren J. [D-MD-7] | MD | D | M000826 | 0 | Amends the Small Business Act to provide that the Associate Administrator for Minority Small Business and Capital Ownership Development of the Small Business Administration shall be responsible for coordinating and formulating policies relating to Federal assistance to minority businesses, small businesses located in urban or rural areas with a high proportion of unemployed or low income individuals or owned by low income individuals and small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Directs the Associate Administrator to: (1) coordinate Federal programs that affect the establishment and preservation of minority businesses; (2) promote the mobilization of Federal, State, and local resources for the growth of such businesses; (3) establish a center for the collection and dissemination of information that will help organizations promote the establishment of such businesses; (4) provide financial assistance to public and private organizations so that they may provide technical and management assistance to such businesses; and (5) require minority business development plans to be developed by each Federal agency. Requires the head of each agency to furnish specified information and assistance to the Associate Administrator. Requires the Associate Administrator to submit a report of activities conducted under this Act to the President and specifed congressional committees. Defines "minority business." Prohibits, during the effective period of this Act, the appropriation of funds for activities of the Minority Business Development Agency of the Department of Commerce. Transfers the personnel of, appropriations to, and contracts of the Minority Business Development Agency to the Small Business Administration. Provides that all agency and judicial orders, determinations, rules, and agency grants or contracts that relate to the above-mentioned transfers and that are in effect at the time this Act becomes effective shall continue in effect. Authorizes appropriations. | 2024-02-07T15:46:26Z | |
| 99-s-2323 | 99 | s | 2323 | A bill to exempt certain activities from provisions of the antitrust laws. | Commerce | 1986-04-17 | 1986-10-10 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | Senate | Sen. Simon, Paul [D-IL] | IL | D | S000423 | 6 | (Measure passed Senate, amended) Exempts from the antitrust laws any joint discussion, consideration, review, action, or agreement by or among persons in the television industry pursuant to the development and dissemination of voluntary guidelines designed to alleviate the negative impact of violence in telecast material, provided the joint understanding, action, or agreement does not result in a boycott of any other person in the industry. Terminates such exemption 36 months after enactment of this Act. | 2025-07-21T19:32:26Z | |
| 99-s-2330 | 99 | s | 2330 | A bill to amend the copyright law regarding work made for hire. | Commerce | 1986-04-17 | 1986-04-25 | Committee on Judiciary requested executive comment from Patent and Trademark Office (Commerce Department), Justice Department. | Senate | Sen. Cochran, Thad [R-MS] | MS | R | C000567 | 0 | Amends the copyright law concerning works made for hire to limit the determination of the employer-employee relationship to relationships where the employee receives all employment benefits due under State and Federal law and the employer withholds and remits Federal taxes. Limits work-for-hire to work specifically ordered for use as part of a motion picture through a written agreement made prior to the commencement of the work. Requires a prior written agreement before a work may be considered a joint work. Provides that each separate contribution to a collective work or compilation, any supplementary work, any instructional text, and any part of an audiovisual work, other than a motion picture, shall be treated as distinct from the larger or revised work as a whole and will be subject to the copyright law's provisions for limited rights transfer. Reserves rights in any material object unless specifically conveyed. Provides that the rights acquired under such an agreement which are not exercised within three years of the first publication shall become nonexclusive. | 2025-07-21T19:32:26Z | |
| 99-hr-4585 | 99 | hr | 4585 | Trade Counterfeiting and Piracy Prevention Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-04-15 | 1986-04-25 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. Erdreich, Ben [D-AL-6] | AL | D | E000201 | 0 | Trade Counterfeiting and Piracy Prevention Act of 1986 - (No Title I.) Title II: Technology Licensing Under the Antitrust Laws - Amends the Clayton Act to permit licensing agreements for patented inventions, trade secrets, knowhow, or rights in protected mask works. Title III: Elimination, in Certain Section 337 Cases, of Requirement of Injury to a United States Industry - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to declare that acts of importation into, or sale in, the United States of articles that infringe a valid U.S. patent, copyright, trademark, U.S. maskwork, or trade secret are unlawful whether or not they have the effect of destroying or substantially injuring a U.S. industry or impairing the establishment of such industry. Permits any person to petition the International Trade Commission (ITC) for the issuance of an order to exclude such articles, during its investigation, from entry into the United States. Sets forth: (1) civil penalties for violations under this Act; and (2) procedures for the modification or recision of an ITC order under this Act. Repeals a specified section of the Tariff Act of 1930 relating to the importation of products produced under a process covered by claims of an unexpired patent. Title IV: Process Patents - Amends the patent laws to prohibit the use, sale, or importation of products made through the unauthorized use of a patented process. Title V: Patent Term Restoration for Certain Agricultural and Chemical Products - Amends the patent laws to extend the terms of patents which encompass specified products or methods for using a product, including methods of manufacturing, any of which are subject to certain nonpatent regulatory review periods. Sets forth the terms and conditions of such extension, including a five year limitation on the extension and a 25 year maximum patent term from the earliest filing. Directs the Commissioner of Patents to notify the appropriate Federal agency upon receipt from a product sponsor of a notice of extension. Requires the notified agency to de… | 2025-08-29T16:31:59Z | |
| 99-hr-4540 | 99 | hr | 4540 | Depository Institution Consumer Credit Card Cost Disclosure Act | Commerce | 1986-04-09 | 1986-04-09 | Referred to Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs and Coinage. | House | Rep. Kolbe, Jim [R-AZ-5] | AZ | R | K000306 | 0 | Depository Institution Consumer Credit Card Cost Disclosure Act - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require depository institutions which extend open end consumer credit plans (credit cards) to submit quarterly reports containing information on interest rates and other fees to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Directs the Board to compile and publish such information. | 2025-08-29T16:29:45Z | |
| 99-hr-4524 | 99 | hr | 4524 | A bill to establish the Insurance Availability Crisis Commission of 1986. | Commerce | 1986-04-08 | 1986-04-16 | Referred to Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation and Tourism. | House | Rep. Schulze, Richard T. [R-PA-5] | PA | R | S000146 | 71 | Establishes the Insurance Availability Crisis Commission of 1986 to: (1) coordinate the intergovernmental examination of the tort law system and its relationship with insurance availability and cost; (2) bring representatives of industry, government, and consumers together to perform an examination of the issue of insurance availability; (3) make recommendations for reform of the tort system and insurance industry practices; and (4) raise funds to cover the costs of the Commission's activities. Directs the Commission to report its findings and recommendations to the President, the Congress, and the executive officer of each State. Provides for the Commission's termination upon the transmission of such report. Authorizes appropriations. | 2024-02-05T14:30:09Z | |
| 99-s-2264 | 99 | s | 2264 | Credit Card Disclosure Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-03-27 | 1986-05-21 | Subcommittee on Financial Institutions. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 99-751. | Senate | Sen. D'Amato, Alfonse [R-NY] | NY | R | D000018 | 0 | Credit Card Disclosure Act of 1986 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require that credit card issuers disclose certain information regarding interest rates and fees on applications. Requires credit card issuers to submit such information to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System quarterly. | 2025-08-29T16:33:12Z | |
| 99-hr-4500 | 99 | hr | 4500 | A bill to repeal the McCarran-Ferguson Act. | Commerce | 1986-03-25 | 1986-03-31 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. LaFalce, John J. [D-NY-32] | NY | D | L000556 | 3 | Repeals the McCarran-Ferguson Act (relating to the regulation of the insurance business). | 2021-06-30T19:38:31Z | |
| 99-hr-4501 | 99 | hr | 4501 | A bill to amend the McCarran-Ferguson Act to require effective State regulation of the business of insurance to obtain exemption from certain Federal laws. | Commerce | 1986-03-25 | 1986-03-27 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. LaFalce, John J. [D-NY-32] | NY | D | L000556 | 2 | Amends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to empower the Federal Trade Commission to determine whether State insurance regulations are entitled to exemptions from certain Federal antitrust laws. | 2021-06-30T19:38:31Z | |
| 99-hr-4502 | 99 | hr | 4502 | A bill to amend the McCarran-Ferguson Act to remove the present exemption from certain Federal laws which would otherwise relate to regulating the business of insurance. | Commerce | 1986-03-25 | 1986-03-27 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. LaFalce, John J. [D-NY-32] | NY | D | L000556 | 2 | Amends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to remove the present exemption from certain Federal laws (including the antitrust laws) which would, without such exemptions, relate to regulating the business of insurance. | 2021-06-30T19:38:31Z | |
| 99-hr-4503 | 99 | hr | 4503 | A bill to repeal the current broad antitrust immunity granted by the McCarran-Ferguson Act, and substitute in lieu thereof a grant of rulemaking authority to the Federal Trade Commission to affirm the legality under the antitrust laws of certain essential collective activities by the insurance industry. | Commerce | 1986-03-25 | 1986-03-31 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. LaFalce, John J. [D-NY-32] | NY | D | L000556 | 2 | Amends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to terminate the suspension of the applicability of Federal antitrust laws to the insurance industry on March 1, 1987. Provides that the Sherman Act, Clayton Act, and Federal Trade Commission Act shall apply to any agreement or act to boycott, coerce, or intimidate. Directs the Federal Trade Commission to propose for public comment and adopt by March 1, 1987, antitrust exemptions for essential collective activities of the insurance industry. | 2021-06-30T19:38:32Z | |
| 99-hr-4504 | 99 | hr | 4504 | A bill to amend the McCarran-Ferguson Act to define the business of insurance. | Commerce | 1986-03-25 | 1986-03-26 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. LaFalce, John J. [D-NY-32] | NY | D | L000556 | 2 | Amends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to restrict the "business of insurance" subject to State regulation or taxation to only those matters directly affecting the solvency and reliability of insurers, and those activities directly related to the underwriting of any risk. Excludes from the purview of State regulation any other matter, including the advertising of any insurance product or service. | 2021-06-30T19:38:32Z | |
| 99-hr-4506 | 99 | hr | 4506 | Risk Retention Expansion Amendments of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-03-25 | 1986-04-10 | Referred to Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation and Tourism. | House | Rep. LaFalce, John J. [D-NY-32] | NY | D | L000556 | 3 | Risk Retention Expansion Amendments of 1986 - Amends the Product Liability Risk Retention Act of 1981 to exempt risk retention groups and purchasing groups (businesses which organize to purchase personal risk and liability insurance on a group basis) from State laws which prohibit, regulate, or otherwise discriminate against such groups. Revises the definition of "organization" eligible to form risk retention and purchasing groups to include businesses, professional groups, hospitals, schools, churches, or other institutions, and State and local governmental entities. Retitles such Act the Liability Risk Retention Act of 1986. Excludes from the coverage of this Act product liability risk retention groups formed on or after January 1, 1985, under the laws of Bermuda or the Cayman Islands. Subjects such groups to State no-fault automobile insurance requirements. Limits the authority to provide insurance under such Act to liability insurance. | 2025-08-29T16:30:15Z | |
| 99-hr-4442 | 99 | hr | 4442 | Liability Risk Retention Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-03-18 | 1986-03-25 | Referred to Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation and Tourism. | House | Rep. Lent, Norman F. [R-NY-4] | NY | R | L000243 | 20 | Liability Risk Retention Act of 1986 - Amends the Product Liability Risk Retention Act of 1981 to exempt risk retention groups and purchasing groups (businesses which organize to purchase personal risk and liability insurance on a group basis) from State laws which prohibit, regulate, or otherwise discriminate against such groups. Requires such groups' members to be similarly situated with respect to their exposure to the risk of liability. Permits risk retention groups which are not chartered, licensed, or certified as liability insurance companies by any State to continue to provide insurance to cover product liability or completed operations liability as defined before the enactment of this Act. Requires risk retention groups to comply with State trade practices laws. Allows the insurance commissioner of any State in which a risk retention group is doing business to examine the group's financial condition if the commissioner of the jurisdiction in which the group is charted has not begun such an examination. Subjects such groups to State no-fault automobile insurance requirements. Limits the authority to provide insurance under such Act to liability insurance. Requires a specified notice on all risk retention group policies. Retitles such Act the Liability Risk Retention Act of 1986. | 2025-08-29T16:32:51Z | |
| 99-hr-4425 | 99 | hr | 4425 | Product Liability Uniform Standards Act | Commerce | 1986-03-17 | 1986-04-07 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. Roth, Toby [R-WI-8] | WI | R | R000459 | 9 | Product Liability Uniform Standards Act - Sets forth uniform national standards for products liability cases. Preempts inconsistent State laws. Declares that the provisions of this Act shall be inapplicable in certain environmental actions. Makes negligence the sole test for all defective design and failure-to-warn product liability actions. Places the burden of proof on the claimant in such cases. Treats the product seller as the manufacturer (for the purposes of such actions) if: (1) the manufacturer is not subject to service of process; or (2) the court determines that the claimant would be unable to enforce a judgment against the manufacturer. Requires damages to be reduced by the amount of workers' compensation benefits paid. Makes a product manufacturer or seller who acted with reckless disregard for the consumers' safety liable for punitive damages. Lists factors for the trier of fact to consider when determining the amount of punitive damages. Directs the Judicial Conference of the United States to establish a Product Liability Damages Review Panel to conduct a study of damages in relation to the product liability litigation system. Authorizes appropriations. | 2025-08-29T16:31:33Z | |
| 99-hr-4427 | 99 | hr | 4427 | A bill to amend the Federal Hazardous Substances Act to authorize the regulation of children's toys which contain hazardous substances. | Commerce | 1986-03-17 | 1986-03-25 | Referred to Subcommittee on Health and the Environment. | House | Rep. Wortley, George C. [R-NY-27] | NY | R | W000752 | 0 | Amends the Federal Hazardous Substances Act to authorize the regulation of children's toys which contain hazardous substances. | 2024-02-05T14:30:09Z | |
| 99-hr-4366 | 99 | hr | 4366 | A bill to amend title 17 of the United States Code to secure the rights of authors of pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works to the display of their works, and for other purposes. | Commerce | 1986-03-11 | 1986-03-19 | Referred to Subcommittee on Courts, Civil Liberties, and the Administration of Justice. | House | Rep. Downey, Thomas J. [D-NY-2] | NY | D | D000471 | 0 | Amends the copyright law to grant the owner of copyright of a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work the right to display such work. Entitles the author of such work to a royalty whenever such work is resold, as specified. | 2025-01-16T12:12:20Z | |
| 99-hr-4359 | 99 | hr | 4359 | A bill to raise the cap on disaster loans made available under section 7(b) of the Small Business Act. | Commerce | 1986-03-10 | 1986-03-10 | Referred to House Committee on Small Business. | House | Rep. Staggers, Harley O., Jr. [D-WV-2] | WV | D | S000779 | 1 | Amends the Small Business Act to increase from $500,000 to $1,500,000 the maximum amount that can be borrowed by small businesses under the Small Business Administration disaster loan program. | 2024-02-07T15:46:26Z | |
| 99-s-2160 | 99 | s | 2160 | Merger Modernization Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-03-07 | 1986-05-21 | Committee on Judiciary. Hearings concluded. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 99-725. | Senate | Sen. Thurmond, Strom [R-SC] | SC | R | T000254 | 8 | Merger Modernization Act of 1986 - Amends the Clayton Act to revise the standard of anticompetitive effects required to prohibit a merger. Prohibits a merger if there is a significant probability that the merger will substantially increase the ability to exercise market power. Defines "the ability to exercise market power" as the ability of one or more firms profitably to maintain prices above competitive levels for a significant period of time. Directs the courts, in determining whether a merger will substantially increase the ability of a firm to exercise market power, to consider all economic factors relevant to the affected markets, including: (1) the difficulty of entry by foreign or domestic firms into the market; (2) efficiencies derived from the merger; and (3) any other evidence indicating whether the merger will increase the ability to exercise market power. | 2025-08-29T16:32:12Z | |
| 99-s-2162 | 99 | s | 2162 | Antitrust Remedies Improvements Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-03-07 | 1986-05-07 | Committee on Judiciary. Hearings held. | Senate | Sen. Thurmond, Strom [R-SC] | SC | R | T000254 | 6 | Antitrust Remedies Improvements Act of 1986 - (No title I). Title II: Treble Damage Reform - Amends the Clayton Act to reduce the amount recoverable in a private antitrust action from treble to actual damages sustained, except when the damages are sustained by reason of the plaintiff being overcharged or underpaid by the liable party. Requires payment to the prevailing plaintiff in an actual damage case, or a treble damage case under specified circumstances, of interest on actual damages for the period beginning on the date of injury and ending on the date of judgment (prejudgment interest). Entitles the United States to recover treble damages when it is injured by being overcharged or underpaid by an antitrust violation. Provides for the payment of prejudgment interest on the actual damages recovered by the United States in an antitrust action. Provides for the payment of prejudgment interest on the total damage recovered in antitrust actions commenced by State attorneys general. Title III: Defendants' Attorneys' Fees - Amends the Clayton Act to direct the court to award the cost of suit, including a reasonable attorney's fee, to a substantially prevailing defendant in a private antitrust action or a private action for injunctive relief against an antitrust violation if the court finds that the plaintiff's conduct was frivolous, unreasonable, without foundation, or in bad faith. Title IV: Claim Reduction - Amends the Clayton Act to direct the court in an antitrust action to reduce the claim of any claimant who releases any person from liability by the greatest of: (1) a stipulated amount; (2) the consideration paid for release; or (3) the actual damages fairly allocable to the released person and interest thereon. Requires damages to be allocated on the basis of: (1) each competitor's proportionate share of the total competitors' overcharges or underpayments where the claim is based upon damages substained by reason of overcharges or underpayments resulting from a contract, combination, or conspiracy among … | 2025-08-29T16:29:17Z | |
| 99-s-2163 | 99 | s | 2163 | Interlocking Directorate Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-03-07 | 1986-04-28 | Committee on Judiciary. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 99-716. | Senate | Sen. Thurmond, Strom [R-SC] | SC | R | T000254 | 6 | Interlocking Directorate Act of 1986 - Amends the Clayton Act to prohibit any person from serving as a director in two or more corporations if each (currently, any) of such corporations has capital, surplus, and undivided profits aggregating more than $10,000,000 (currently, $1,000,000). Establishes exceptions to such interlocking directorate prohibition where the sales of each corporation of each product or service sold in competition with the other corporations: (1) are less than five percent of such corporation's total sales, unless such corporation's sales of all such products or services exceed 25 percent of its total sales; (2) added to such corporation's sales of all other such products or services are less than $1,000,000; or (3) are less than three percent of the total sales in each line of commerce in each section of the country in which such corporations compete. Increases the $10,000,000 and $1,000,000 threshold amounts by the percentage increase in the gross national product for the preceding fiscal year. | 2025-08-29T16:31:31Z | |
| 99-s-2164 | 99 | s | 2164 | Foreign Trade Antitrust Improvements Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-03-07 | 1986-03-21 | Committee on Judiciary requested executive comment from Federal Trade Commission. | Senate | Sen. Thurmond, Strom [R-SC] | SC | R | T000254 | 6 | Foreign Trade Antitrust Improvements Act of 1986 - Amends the Sherman Act to require the court in an antitrust action involving commerce with foreign nations, except for good cause shown, to hear and determine a motion to dismiss the action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction before conducting or permitting the parties to conduct further proceedings. Amends the Clayton Act to require a court to dismiss any antitrust action involving foreign commerce whenever it determines that the exercise of jurisdiction would be unreasonable in light of the following exclusive factors: (1) the relative significance of conduct within the United States compared to conduct abroad; (2) the nationality of the parties and the principal place of business of the corporations; (3) the presence of a purpose to affect United States consumers or competitors; (4) the relative significance and foreseeability of the effects of the conduct on the United States compared to the effects abroad; (5) the existence of reasonable expectations that would be furthered or defeated by the action; and (6) the degree of conflict with foreign law. Directs the court to hear and determine any motion to dismiss on such basis before conducting further proceedings. Declares that the doctrine of forum non conveniens (providing that a court dismiss a case that should be tried in another more convenient and appropriate forum) shall be applicable in any antitrust action involving foreign commerce. | 2025-08-29T16:33:34Z | |
| 99-s-2147 | 99 | s | 2147 | A bill to extend the authorization for not-for-profit organizations operated in the interest of handicapped and blind individuals to receive procurement contracts under the Small Business Act. | Commerce | 1986-03-06 | 1986-07-14 | Referred to House Committee on Small Business. | Senate | Sen. Weicker, Lowell P., Jr. [R-CT] | CT | R | W000253 | 14 | (Measure passed Senate, amended) Amends the Small Business Act to extend through FY 1991 the authorization for public or private organizations operated in the interest of handicapped and blind individuals to receive Federal contracts from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Allows a for-profit small business to file an appeal with the SBA if such small business has experienced or is likely to experience severe economic injury as a result of the proposed award of a Federal contract to such public or private organization. Directs the Administrator of the SBA, after finding that such economic injury would result, to require each procuring agency or department to take action to alleviate such injury or likely injury. Requires each agency having procurement powers to report certain data to the Office of Federal Procurement Policy each time such a contract is entered into. Requires the Office to collect specified data and to report such data to the SBA. Requires the General Accounting Office, not later than September 30, 1990, to prepare a report on the impact that contracts awarded to such organizations have on for-profit small businesses for FY 1987 through 1989. Requires such report to be transmitted to specified congressional committees. Establishes a task force on purchases from the blind and severely handicapped to review the awarding of such contracts and recommend changes deemed appropriate. | 2025-01-14T17:16:56Z | |
| 99-hr-4316 | 99 | hr | 4316 | A bill to amend title 35, United States Code, and the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, with respect to the use of inventions in outer space. | Commerce | 1986-03-05 | 1986-09-30 | Referred to Subcommittee on Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks. | House | Rep. Kastenmeier, Robert W. [D-WI-2] | WI | D | K000020 | 19 | (Measure passed House, amended) Amends the patent laws and the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 to provide that any invention made, used, or sold in outer space on an aeronautical and space vehicle under the jurisdiction or control of the United States shall be considered made, used, or sold within the United States, except as provided for by an international agreement. Applies this provision to all patents granted before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act, with certain exceptions. Excepts from the provision any process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, an embodiment of which was launched prior to the effective date of this Act. | 2025-07-21T19:32:26Z | |
| 99-s-2140 | 99 | s | 2140 | A bill to amend the Truth in Lending Act to require certain disclosures at the time of the initial application. | Commerce | 1986-03-05 | 1986-05-21 | Subcommittee on Financial Institutions. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 99-751. | Senate | Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT] | CT | D | D000388 | 0 | Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require that credit card issuers disclose certain information on initial applications regarding interest rates and annual fees. Requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to monitor such disclosures. | 2025-01-14T18:20:21Z | |
| 99-hr-4301 | 99 | hr | 4301 | Risk Retention Amendments of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-03-04 | 1986-03-12 | Referred to Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation and Tourism. | House | Rep. Wyden, Ron [D-OR-3] | OR | D | W000779 | 49 | Risk Retention Amendments of 1986 - Amends the Product Liability Risk Retention Act of 1981 to exempt risk retention groups and purchasing groups (businesses which organize to purchase personal risk and liability insurance on a group basis) from State laws which prohibit, regulate, or otherwise discriminate against such groups. Revises the definition of "organization" eligible to form risk retention and purchasing groups to include businesses, professional groups, hospitals, schools, churches, or other institutions, and State and local governmental entities. Retitles such Act the Liability Risk Retention Act of 1986. Excludes from the coverage of this Act product liability risk retention groups formed on or after January 1, 1985, under the laws of Bermuda or the Cayman Islands. Subjects such groups to State no-fault automobile insurance requirements. Limits the authority to provide insurance under such Act to liability insurance. | 2025-08-29T16:29:29Z | |
| 99-s-2129 | 99 | s | 2129 | Risk Retention Amendments of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-02-28 | 1986-10-27 | Became Public Law No: 99-563. | Senate | Sen. Kasten, Robert W., Jr. [R-WI] | WI | R | K000019 | 14 | (Senate agreed to House amendment with an amendment) Risk Retention Amendments of 1986 - Amends the Product Liability Risk Retention Act of 1981 to define "liability" as legal liability for damages because of injuries to other persons, damage to their property, or other damage or loss resulting from: (1) any business, trade, product, services, premises, or operation; or (2) any activity of a State or local government. Excludes from such definition personal risk liability and employer's liability. Excludes from such Act's coverage product liability risk retention groups formed on or after January 1, 1985, under the laws of Bermuda or the Cayman Islands. Deems such groups formed before January 1, 1985, to be risk retention groups only for the purpose of continuing to provide product liability or completed operations liability. Adds to the definition of "risk retention group" certain requirements pertaining to the structure of such group. Requires that members of a purchasing group have businesses or activities which are similar or related with respect to the liability to which the members are exposed by virtue of any related, similar, or common business, trade product, service, premises, or operations. Requires that risk retention groups make certain reports to State insurance regulators. Allows the State to require the group to comply with an order issued in a delinquency proceeding if there is a finding of financial impairment. Authorizes any State to require a group to comply with any State law regarding false or fraudulent acts or practices. Permits any State to require a group to: (1) comply with a lawful order issued in a voluntary dissolution proceeding; (2) make reinsurance available only to organizations whose businesses are similar or related with respect to the nature of their exposure to the risk of liability; (3) comply with any court injunction issued in accordance with administrative due process upon a State insurance commission's petition alleging that the group is in a hazardous financial cond… | 2025-01-14T18:51:33Z | |
| 99-hr-4247 | 99 | hr | 4247 | Merger Modernization Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-02-26 | 1986-02-26 | Referred to House Committee on The Judiciary. | House | Rep. Fish, Hamilton, Jr. [R-NY-21] | NY | R | F000141 | 7 | Merger Modernization Act of 1986 - Amends the Clayton Act to revise the standard of anticompetitive effects required to prohibit a merger. Prohibits a merger if there is a significant probability that the merger will substantially increase the ability to exercise market power. Defines "the ability to exercise market power" as the ability of one or more firms profitably to maintain prices above competitive levels for a significant period of time. Directs the courts, in determining whether a merger will substantially increase the ability of a firm to exercise market power, to consider all economic factors relevant to the affected markets, including: (1) the difficulty of entry by foreign or domestic firms into the market; (2) efficiencies derived from the merger; and (3) any other evidence indicating whether the merger will increase the ability to exercise market power. | 2025-08-29T16:31:30Z | |
| 99-hr-4248 | 99 | hr | 4248 | Interlocking Directorate Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-02-26 | 1986-02-26 | Referred to House Committee on The Judiciary. | House | Rep. Fish, Hamilton, Jr. [R-NY-21] | NY | R | F000141 | 8 | Interlocking Directorate Act of 1986 - Amends the Clayton Act to prohibit any person from serving as a director in two or more corporations if each (currently, any) of such corporations has capital, surplus, and undivided profits aggregating more than $10,000,000 (currently, $1,000,000). Establishes exceptions to such interlocking directorate prohibition where the sales of each corporation of each product or service sold in competition with the other corporations: (1) are less than five percent of such corporation's total sales, unless such corporation's sales of all such products or services exceed 25 percent of its total sales; (2) added to such corporation's sales of all other such products or services are less than $1,000,000; or (3) are less than three percent of the total sales in each line of commerce in each section of the country in which such corporations compete. Increases the $10,000,000 and $1,000,000 threshold amounts by the percentage increase in the gross national product for the preceding fiscal year. | 2025-08-29T16:29:56Z | |
| 99-hr-4249 | 99 | hr | 4249 | Foreign Trade Antitrust Improvements Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-02-26 | 1986-03-03 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. Fish, Hamilton, Jr. [R-NY-21] | NY | R | F000141 | 4 | Foreign Trade Antitrust Improvements Act of 1986 - Amends the Sherman Act to require the court in an antitrust action involving commerce with foreign nations, except for good cause shown, to hear and determine a motion to dismiss the action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction before conducting or permitting the parties to conduct further proceedings. Amends the Clayton Act to require a court to dismiss any antitrust action involving foreign commerce whenever it determines that the exercise of jurisdiction would be unreasonable in light of the following exclusive factors: (1) the relative significance of conduct within the United States compared to conduct abroad; (2) the nationality of the parties and the principal place of business of corporations; (3) the presence of a purpose to affect United States consumers or competitors; (4) the relative significance and foreseeability of the effects of the conduct on the United States compared to the effects abroad; (5) the existence of reasonable expectations that would be furthered or defeated by the action; and (6) the degree of conflict with foreign law. Directs the court to hear and determine any motion to dismiss on such basis before conducting further proceedings. Declares that the doctrine of forum non conveniens (providing that a court dismiss a case that should be tried in another more convenient and appropriate forum) shall be applicable in any antitrust action involving foreign commerce. | 2025-08-29T16:30:50Z | |
| 99-hr-4250 | 99 | hr | 4250 | Antitrust Remedies Improvements Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-02-26 | 1986-03-03 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. Fish, Hamilton, Jr. [R-NY-21] | NY | R | F000141 | 8 | Antitrust Remedies Improvements Act of 1986 - (No title I). Title II: Treble Damage Reform - Amends the Clayton Act to reduce the amount recoverable in a private antitrust action from treble to actual damages sustained, except when the damages are sustained by reason of the plaintiff being overcharged or underpaid by the liable party. Requires payment to the prevailing plaintiff in an actual damage case, or a treble damage case under specified circumstances, of interest on actual damages for the period beginning on the date of injury and ending on the date of judgment (prejudgment interest). Entitles the United States to recover treble damages when it is injured by being overcharged or underpaid by an antitrust violation. Provides for the payment of prejudgment interest on the actual damages recovered by the United States in an antitrust action. Provides for the payment of prejudgment interest on the total damage recovered in antitrust actions commenced by State attorneys general. Title III: Defendants' Attorneys' Fees - Amends the Clayton Act to direct the court to award the cost of suit, including a reasonable attorney's fee, to a substantially prevailing defendant in a private antitrust action or a private action for injunctive relief against an antitrust violation if the court finds that the plaintiff's conduct was frivolous, unreasonable, without foundation, or in bad faith. Title IV: Claim Reduction - Amends the Clayton Act to direct the court in an antitrust action to reduce the claim of any claimant who releases any person from liability by the greatest of: (1) a stipulated amount; (2) the consideration paid for release; or (3) the actual damages fairly allocable to the released person and interest thereon. Requires damages to be allocated on the basis of: (1) each competitor's proportionate share of the total competitors' overcharges or underpayments where the claim is based upon damages substained by reason of overcharges or underpayments resulting from a contract, combination, or conspiracy among … | 2025-08-29T16:31:56Z | |
| 99-hr-4260 | 99 | hr | 4260 | A bill to provide the Small Business Administration continuing authority to administer a program for small innovative firms. | Commerce | 1986-02-26 | 1986-10-06 | Became Public Law No: 99-443. | House | Rep. Mavroules, Nicholas [D-MA-6] | MA | D | M000264 | 34 | (Measure passed House, amended, roll call #334 (421-1)) Amends the Small Business Act to exclude from the definition of "extramural budget" amounts obligated for operational systems development by the Department of Defense. Amends the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 to extend the Small Business Innovation Research Program under the Small Business Act until October 1, 1993. Amends the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 to require the Comptroller General, no later than December 31, 1988, to transmit a report to the appropriate congressional committees with respect to the effectiveness of phase one (determination of the scientific and technical feasibility of ideas submitted pursuant to the Small Business Innovation Research Program) and phase two (further development of those ideas) of the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) under the Small Business Act. Requires such report to determine the quality of the research supported by the SBIR program compared to that supported by affected Federal agencies and the extent to which the goals of the program have been attained. Requires the Comptroller General, no later than December 31, 1991, to transmit to such committees an update of such report, including an evaluation of phase three (non-Federal capital to pursue commercial applications of the research or research and development of small businesses) of the SBIR program. | 2025-06-06T14:17:56Z | |
| 99-hr-4263 | 99 | hr | 4263 | Steel Advisory Council Act | Commerce | 1986-02-26 | 1986-03-05 | Referred to Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation and Tourism. | House | Rep. Walgren, Doug [D-PA-18] | PA | D | W000044 | 0 | Steel Advisory Council Act - Directs the President to establish, within the Executive Office of the President, a Steel Advisory Council. Requires the Council to advise the President on: (1) modernization problems in the domestic steel industry; (2) the effects of such problems on communities whose economy depends on such industry; and (3) international and domestic issues related to the industry. Requires the Council to monitor and conduct research on steel industry modernization. Requires the Council to analyze the interrelationships of Federal agency policies which pertain to the industry. Requires the Council to report annually to the President. Authorizes appropriations. | 2025-08-29T16:32:00Z | |
| 99-s-2103 | 99 | s | 2103 | Antitrust Damages Clarification Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-02-26 | 1986-02-27 | Committee on Judiciary requested executive comment from Departments of Justice and Commerce, Federal Trade Commission. | Senate | Sen. McClure, James A. [R-ID] | ID | R | M000346 | 11 | Antitrust Damages Clarification Act of 1986 - Provides that no damages, costs, or attorney's fees shall be awarded under an antitrust suit with respect to the establishment or use of any rate, charge, or premium that is: (1) filed with a State insurance department; or (2) authorized, approved, or permitted to become effective pursuant to State insurance laws. Applies this Act to pending cases. | 2025-08-29T16:29:38Z | |
| 99-hr-4201 | 99 | hr | 4201 | Commercial Barter Exchange Self-Regulation Act of 1985 | Commerce | 1986-02-20 | 1986-02-26 | Referred to Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation and Tourism. | House | Rep. Bates, Jim [D-CA-44] | CA | D | B000236 | 0 | Commercial Barter Exchange Self-Regulation Act of 1985 - Title I: Licensed Barter Exchanges - Part A: Licensing Procedure - Requires barter exchanges to be licensed by the Secretary of Commerce (the Secretary). Sets forth information to be included in a license application filed with the Secretary. Requires the Secretary or a designated registered national barter association to investigate the qualifications of an applicant and, within 90 days of submission of the application, to: (1) grant a license; or (2) institute proceedings to allow the applicant to show why the license should not be denied. Provides for withdrawal, cancellation, or suspension of a barter exchange license. Part B: Licensing Standards and Enforcement - Sets forth the circumstances which would require the Secretary to take action against a barter exchange or a person associated with a barter exchange, including: (1) submission by the exchange to the Secretary of false or misleading information; (2) conviction of a felony within the ten years preceding the submission of the application; and (3) violations of this Act. Sets forth provisions governing barter exchange operation and training standards, rules and regulations, and fees. Prohibits using the mails or any instrumentality of interstate commerce to promote, organize, or operate a barter exchange unless the barter exchange is licensed under this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to have access to the books and records of a barter exchange. Title II: Registered National Barter Associations - Requires each association that wants to operate as a registered national barter association to file an application with the Secretary. Sets forth: (1) the qualifications for a registered national barter association; and (2) administrative provisions governing the grant or denial of registration, withdrawal of registration, changes in association rules, rules which require membership in the association, and review of association disciplinary action or denial of membership. Authorizes the Secretary, a… | 2025-08-29T16:32:49Z | |
| 99-hr-4197 | 99 | hr | 4197 | Full Credit Card Cost Disclosure Act | Commerce | 1986-02-19 | 1986-02-19 | Referred to Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs and Coinage. | House | Rep. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY-10] | NY | D | S000148 | 47 | Full Credit Card Cost Disclosure Act - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require that any credit card solicitation include information regarding finance charge conditions, interest rates, and other related charges and fees. Requires such information, as prescribed by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, to be prominently displayed and in table form. | 2025-08-29T16:29:35Z | |
| 99-hr-4112 | 99 | hr | 4112 | A bill to provide for equity in the establishment of patent fees. | Commerce | 1986-02-04 | 1986-02-05 | Referred to Subcommittee on Courts, Civil Liberties, and the Administration of Justice. | House | Rep. Mitchell, Parren J. [D-MD-7] | MD | D | M000826 | 0 | Amends the patent laws to reduce by half the patent fees for small business concerns, independent inventors, and nonprofit organizations. | 2025-01-16T12:12:20Z | |
| 99-hr-4097 | 99 | hr | 4097 | A bill to amend title 15 of the Small Business Act. | Commerce | 1986-01-30 | 1986-01-30 | Referred to House Committee on Small Business. | House | Rep. Torres, Esteban Edward [D-CA-34] | CA | D | T000316 | 34 | Amends the Small Business Act to require any procurement requirement which is not suitable for the award of Government contracts to small businesses to be set aside for exclusive competition among small businesses if the Government procurement officer has a reasonable expectation that offers will be obtained from at least two responsible small businesses that offer products of different small business concerns and that such awards will be made at reasonable prices. | 2024-02-07T15:46:26Z | |
| 99-hr-4070 | 99 | hr | 4070 | Intellectual Property Antitrust Protection Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-01-29 | 1986-02-18 | Referred to Subcommittee on Monopolies and Commercial Law. | House | Rep. Fish, Hamilton, Jr. [R-NY-21] | NY | R | F000141 | 5 | Intellectual Property Antitrust Protection Act of 1986 - Provides that agreements to convey rights to use, practice, or sublicense a patented invention, rights to use or sublicense a trade secret, or rights in a copyrighted work or mask work shall not be deemed to be illegal per se under the antitrust laws. Limits the amount a person may recover in an antitrust claim based on such an agreement to the actual damages sustained (total damage sustained in a State action), specified interest, and the cost of suit, including a reasonable attorney's fee. | 2025-08-29T16:29:38Z | |
| 99-s-2022 | 99 | s | 2022 | Antitrust Improvement Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-01-27 | 1986-05-21 | Committee on Judiciary. Hearings concluded. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 99-725. | Senate | Sen. Metzenbaum, Howard M. [D-OH] | OH | D | M000678 | 0 | Antitrust Improvement Act of 1986 - Amends the Clayton Act to authorize the U.S. Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, and State attorneys general to bring an action to recover damages to consumers injured directly or through indirect purchases as a result of an antitrust violation. (Current law permits only State attorneys general to bring actions for consumers injured directly.) Permits the court to order a just and equitable distribution of the award in such an action to those persons on whose behalf the action is brought. Entitles the defendant in a claim for damages based on indirect purchases to allege, as a defense to a claim by a direct purchaser, that the direct purchaser's damages were passed on to the indirect purchasers. Allows intervention on behalf of an indirect purchaser in an action brought on behalf of direct purchasers if a request for such intervention is made within six months after the initial action is filed. Allows any person entitled to initiate an action under this Act to intervene in an action alleging injury from indirect purchases based on the same conduct. Directs the court, upon request, to consolidate actions based on the same conduct. Entitles the United States to recover treble (currently actual) damages in antitrust actions for injuries it sustains. Prohibits any corporate merger consent agreement, consent decree, or order involving divestiture from becoming final until the divestiture has been approved by the Commission or the court. Provides that no divestiture shall be deemed an acceptable remedy for a merger which substantially lessens competition, unless: (1) the divestiture fully restores competition lost as a result of such merger; and (2) the buyer of divested assets will be a viable competitor for the foreseeable future. Directs the U.S. Attorney General, the Commission, and the court to consider employees' interests in approving divestitures, consistent with the full restoration of competition. Requires the Commission and the U.S. Attorney General to sp… | 2025-08-29T16:33:03Z | |
| 99-hr-4019 | 99 | hr | 4019 | Credit Card Interest Rate and Cost Disclosure Act of 1986 | Commerce | 1986-01-21 | 1986-02-03 | Referred to Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs and Coinage. | House | Rep. Roth, Toby [R-WI-8] | WI | R | R000459 | 0 | Credit Card Interest Rate and Cost Disclosure Act of 1986 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require credit card solicitations to disclose information about finance charge conditions, interest rates, and other related charges. Requires such information to be prominently displayed and, to the greatest extent possible, in table form. Applies such requirements to each item in a solicitation containing more than one item. | 2025-08-29T16:32:39Z | |
| 99-s-1980 | 99 | s | 1980 | A bill to amend title 17, United States Code, regarding the conveyance of audiovisual work, and for other purposes. | Commerce | 1985-12-18 | 1986-04-09 | Subcommittee on Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks. Hearings held. | Senate | Sen. Thurmond, Strom [R-SC] | SC | R | T000254 | 17 | Amends the copyright law to prohibit a copyright holder from conveying the right to publicly perform an audiovisual work on non-network commercial television without simultaneously conveying the right to perform in synchronization any copyrighted music which accompanies such work. | 2025-07-21T19:32:26Z | |
| 99-hr-3970 | 99 | hr | 3970 | A bill to amend the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act to provide that a numerical count of the contents of a package will not be required if the contents are clearly visible to and readily ascertainable by the consumer. | Commerce | 1985-12-17 | 1985-12-20 | Referred to Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance. | House | Rep. Rose, Charlie [D-NC-7] | NC | D | R000436 | 0 | Amends the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act to provide that a numerical count of the contents of a package will not be required if the contents are clearly visible to and readily ascertainable by the consumer. | 2024-02-05T14:30:09Z |
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CREATE TABLE legislation (
bill_id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
congress INTEGER,
bill_type TEXT,
bill_number INTEGER,
title TEXT,
policy_area TEXT,
introduced_date TEXT,
latest_action_date TEXT,
latest_action_text TEXT,
origin_chamber TEXT,
sponsor_name TEXT,
sponsor_state TEXT,
sponsor_party TEXT,
sponsor_bioguide_id TEXT,
cosponsor_count INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
summary_text TEXT,
update_date TEXT,
url TEXT
);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_congress ON legislation(congress);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_type ON legislation(bill_type);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_policy ON legislation(policy_area);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_date ON legislation(introduced_date);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_sponsor ON legislation(sponsor_name);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_sponsor_bioguide ON legislation(sponsor_bioguide_id);