datamatters24/research-document-archive huggingface dataset:
rity Act of 1985 (Public Law 99–198; 7 U.S.C. 1446g
note) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(a) Beginning with the quota year for sugar imports
which begins after the 1998/1999 quota year, the Presi-
dent shall use all authorities available to the President as
may be necessary to enable the Secretary of Agriculture
to ensure that adequate supplies of raw cane sugar are
made available to the United States market at prices no
greater than the higher of—
‘‘(1) the world sugar price (adjusted to a deliv-
ered basis); or
‘‘(2) the raw cane sugar loan rate in effect
under section 156 of the Agricultural Market Tran-
sition Act (7 U.S.C. 7272), plus interest.’’.
Æ
I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1852
To amend title 28, United States Code, to allow a judge to whom a case
is transferred to retain jurisdiction over certain multidistrict litigation
cases for trial.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 18, 1999
Mr. SENSENBRENNER (for himself, Mr. COBLE, and Mr. BERMAN) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To amend title 28, United States Code, to allow a judge
to whom a case is transferred to retain jurisdiction over
certain multidistrict litigation cases for trial.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Multidistrict Trial Ju-
risdiction Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. MULTIDISTRICT LITIGATION.
Section 1407 of title 28, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) in the third sentence of subsection (a), by
inserting ‘‘or ordered transferred to the transferee
or other district under subsection (i)’’ after ‘‘termi-
nated’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(i) Any action transferred under this section by the
panel may be transferred for trial purposes, by the judge
or judges of the transferee district to whom the action was
assigned, to the transferee or other district in the interest
of justice and for the convenience of the parties and wit-
nesses.’’.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall apply to any
civil action pending on or brought on or after the date
of the enactment of this Act.
Æ
I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1854
To temporarily increase the number of visas available for backlogged spouses
and children of lawful permanent resident aliens.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 18, 1999
Mr. SHAYS (for himself, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr.
BRADY
of 
Pennsylvania, 
Mr. 
CAPUANO, 
Mr. 
ENGLISH, 
Mr.
FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. FROST, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. JACK-
SON-LEE of Texas, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr.
KOLBE, Ms. LEE, Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr.
NADLER, Mr. PETRI, Mr. SCHAFFER, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, and Mr.
UNDERWOOD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To temporarily increase the number of visas available for
backlogged spouses and children of lawful permanent
resident aliens.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Immigration Backlog
Reduction Act’’.
SEC. 2. 5-YEAR INCREASE IN VISAS FOR BACKLOGGED
SPOUSES AND CHILDREN OF LAWFUL PER-
MANENT RESIDENT ALIENS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In addition to any immigrant visa
numbers otherwise available, 60,000 immigrant visa num-
bers shall be made available in each of the fiscal years
2000 through 2004 for aliens who have petitions approved
for classification under section 203(a)(2)(A) of the Immi-
gration and Nationality Act for the fiscal year.
(b) PRIORITY.—
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), visa numbers
under this section shall be made available in the
order in which a petition, on behalf of each such im-
migrant for classification under section 203(a)(2)(A)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act, is filed with
the Attorney General under section 204 of such Act.
(2) Visa numbers under this section shall first
be made available to aliens for whom the petitioning
alien did not become an alien lawfully admitted for
permanent residence through the operation of sec-
tion 210 or 245A of the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act.
(3) The per country numerical limitations of
section 202 of such Act shall not apply with respect
to visa numbers made available under this section,
and visa numbers made available under this section
shall not be counted in determining whether there
are excess family admissions in a fiscal year under
section 201(c)(3)(B) of the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act.
Æ
organ donation’’ after ‘‘treatment’’ each place
it occurs.
(b) FEDERAL POPULATION.—
(1) LEAVE REQUIREMENT.—Section 6382(a)(1)
of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding
at the end the following:
‘‘(E) to provide a living organ donation, includ-
ing time spent for—
‘‘(i) tests used to determine if the live
donor is medically suitable to donate;
‘‘(ii) physical, psychological, and social
evaluations of the live donor;
‘‘(iii) post-operative inpatient and out-
patient transplantation services;
‘‘(iv) pre-transplant outpatient services;
‘‘(v) travel in connection with tests, evalua-
tions, and services described in clauses (i)
through (iv); and
‘‘(vi) recuperation consistent with the type
of transplant.’’.
(2) CONFORMING.—
(A) 
SECTION
6382(b)(2).—Section
6382(b)(2) of such title is amended by striking
‘‘(C) or (D)’’ and inserting ‘‘(C), (D), or (E)’’.
SEC. 102. PROHIBITION AGAINST DISTRIBUTION OF DUPLI-
CATES.
It is unlawful for any person or entity, by any means
or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce or
communications, to sell or distribute to the public a data-
base that—
(1) is a duplicate of another database that was
collected and organized by another person or entity;
and
(2) is sold or distributed in commerce in com-
petition with that other database.
SEC. 103. PERMITTED ACTS.
(a) COLLECTING OR USE OF INFORMATION OBTAINED
THROUGH OTHER MEANS.—Nothing in this title shall re-
strict any person or entity from selling or distributing to
the public a database consisting of information obtained by
means other than by extracting it from a database collected
and organized by another person or entity.
(b) NEWS REPORTING.—Nothing in this title shall re-
strict any person or entity from selling or distributing to
the public a duplicate of a database for the sole purpose
of news or sports reporting, including news and sports in-
formation gathering, dissemination, and comment, unless
the information duplicated is time sensitive and has been
collected by a news or sports reporting entity, and the sale
I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1856
To direct the Attorney General to establish a panel to study the issue
of Federal benefits received by persons convicted of drug offenses.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 18, 1999
Mr. THORNBERRY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To direct the Attorney General to establish a panel to study
the issue of Federal benefits received by persons con-
victed of drug offenses.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Tough on Drugs Act
of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PANEL.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall estab-
lish a panel to study, and make findings, conclusions, and
recommendations, with regard to the issues related to
Federal benefits received by persons convicted of drug of-
fenses.
(b) ISSUES TO BE EXAMINED.—The panel estab-
lished in subsection (a) shall examine the following issues
as they relate to Federal benefits received by persons con-
victed of drug offenses:
(1) The number of individuals in the United
States receiving Federal benefits who have been con-
victed of a drug offense.
(2) The amount of Federal money, per Federal
benefit program, that goes to individuals convicted
of a drug offense.
(3) The legal and constitutional implications,
limitations, or impediments related to a denial of
Federal benefits to individuals convicted of a drug
offense.
(4) The specific Federal and State drug of-
fenses which could be utilized as a trigger for a de-
nial of Federal benefits.
(5) Ways in which the Federal and State Gov-
ernments could improve the exchange of information
about individuals convicted of a drug offense.
(6) The length of time for which Federal bene-
fits might be denied to individuals convicted of a
drug offense, and the effect of such denial on such
government database into a non-government database
does not preclude protection for the portions of the
non-government database which came from a source
other than the government database.
(3) AUTHORITY TO EXCLUDE ADDITIONAL GOV-
ERNMENT-SUPPORTED DATABASES.—Nothing in this
title shall prevent the Federal Government or a State
or local government from establishing by law or con-
tract that a database, the creation or maintenance of
which is substantially funded by such Federal, State,
or local government, shall not be subject to the protec-
tion afforded under this title.
(b) DATABASES RELATED TO INTERNET COMMUNICA-
TIONS.—Protection under section 102 does not extend to a
database 
incorporating 
information 
collected 
or
organized—
(1) to perform the function of addressing, rout-
ing, forwarding, transmitting, or storing Internet
communications; or
(2) to perform the function of providing or re-
ceiving connections for Internet communications.
(c) COMPUTER PROGRAMS.—
(1) PROTECTION
NOT
EXTENDED.—Subject to
paragraph (2), protection under section 102 shall not
extend to computer programs, including any com-
convicted individual, as well as on any dependent of
any such individual.
(7) The cost-effectiveness of a denial of Federal
benefits to individuals convicted of a drug offense,
including any savings to the Federal Government re-
sulting from such a denial of Federal benefits.
(c) DEFINITION
OF FEDERAL BENEFIT.—In this
Act, the term ‘‘Federal benefit’’ means any program or
entitlement in which the Federal Government provides a
payment of money or a direct financial benefit to the re-
cipient, including Federal housing benefits, Medicaid,
Medicare, food stamps, and Social Security.
(d) REPORT.—The panel shall submit a report to
Congress detailing its methodology, findings, conclusions,
and recommendations, not later than one year after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
Æ
I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1858
To promote electronic commerce through improved access for consumers to
electronic databases, including securities market information databases.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 19, 1999
Mr. BLILEY (for himself, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. TAUZIN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr.
OXLEY, and Mr. TOWNS) introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Commerce
A BILL
To promote electronic commerce through improved access
for consumers to electronic databases, including securi-
ties market information databases.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Consumer and Investor
Access to Information Act of 1999’’.
TITLE I—SOFT MONEY AND CON-
TRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDI-
TURES OF POLITICAL PAR-
TIES
SEC. 101. BAN ON SOFT MONEY OF NATIONAL POLITICAL
PARTIES AND CANDIDATES.
Title III of the Federal Election Campaign Act of
1971 (2 U.S.C. 431 et seq.) is amended by adding at the
end the following new section:
‘‘BAN ON USE OF SOFT MONEY BY NATIONAL POLITICAL
PARTIES AND CANDIDATES
‘‘SEC. 323. (a) NATIONAL PARTIES.—A national
committee of a political party, including the national con-
gressional campaign committees of a political party, and
any officers or agents of such party committees, may not
solicit, receive, or direct any contributions, donations, or
transfers of funds, or spend any funds, which are not sub-
ject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting require-
ments of this Act. This subsection shall apply to any entity
that is established, financed, maintained, or controlled (di-
rectly or indirectly) by, or acting on behalf of, a national
committee of a political party, including the national con-
gressional campaign committees of a political party, and
any officers or agents of such party committees.
‘‘(b) CANDIDATES.—
SEC. 108. REPORT TO CONGRESS.
Not later than 36 months after the date of enactment
of this title, the Federal Trade Commission shall report to
the Congress on the effect this title has had on electronic
commerce and on the United States database industry and
related parties, including—
(1) the availability of databases, search engines,
and other tools for locating information necessary for
electronic commerce;
(2) the extent of competition between database
producers, including the concentration of market
power within the database industry;
(3) the investment in the development and main-
tenance of databases, including changes in the num-
ber and size of databases;
(4) the availability of information to industries
and researchers which rely upon such availability;
(5) whether in the period after enactment of this
title database producers have faced unfair competi-
tion, particularly from publishers in the European
Union; and
(6) the extent to which extraction of information
from databases, to a degree insufficient to result in li-
ability under section 102, is harming database pro-
ducers’ incentive to collect and organize databases.
or distribution is part of a consistent pattern engaged in
for the purpose of direct competition.
(c) LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ACTIVI-
TIES.—Nothing in this title shall prohibit an officer, agent,
or employee of the United States, a State, or a political
subdivision of a State, or a person acting under contract
with such officers, agents or employees, from selling or dis-
tributing to the public a duplicate of a database as part
of lawfully authorized law enforcement or intelligence ac-
tivities.
(d) 
SCIENTIFIC, 
EDUCATIONAL, 
OR
RESEARCH
USES.—No person or entity who, for scientific, educational,
or research purposes, sells or distributes to the public a du-
plicate of a database that has been collected or organized
by another person or entity shall incur liability under this
title so long as such conduct is not part of a consistent pat-
tern engaged in for the purpose of competition with that
other person or entity.
SEC. 104. EXCLUSIONS.
(a) GOVERNMENT INFORMATION.—
(1) EXCLUSION OF GOVERNMENT DATABASES.—
Protection under section 102 shall not extend to a
government database.
(2) INCORPORATED NONGOVERNMENT PORTIONS
PROTECTED.—The incorporation of all or part of a
to accord preference status under section
203(b) or petitions on behalf of a child describe
in section 101(b)(1)(F).
‘‘(ii) A decision on a request for revalida-
tion and a decision revoking approval of such a
petition under section 205.
‘‘(2) REVIEW OF DECISIONS.—(A) Either party
to a case described in paragraph (1) may appeal an
immigration trial judge’s decision to the appellate di-
vision.
‘‘(B) Appeals to the appellate division from a
final order of removal (including an order respecting
asylum contained in such an order) shall be filed not
later than 20 days after the date of the final order.
‘‘(C) The appellate division shall review the de-
cision of an immigration trial judge based solely
upon the trial record upon which the decision is
made, and the findings of fact in the judge’s order,
if supported by reasonable, substantial, and pro-
bative evidence on the record considered as a whole,
shall be conclusive.
‘‘(3) BINDING DECISIONS.—A final decision of
the appellate division shall be binding on all immi-
gration trial judges, immigration officers, and con-
sular officers under this Act unless and until other-
I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1859
To require the United States Postal Service to submit certain reports to
Congress before implementing the next rate increase for first-class post-
age, and to provide certain procedures regarding the use and sale of
postage stamps during the initial period of such rate increase.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 19, 1999
Mr. CAMP introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Government Reform
A BILL
To require the United States Postal Service to submit certain
reports to Congress before implementing the next rate
increase for first-class postage, and to provide certain
procedures regarding the use and sale of postage stamps
during the initial period of such rate increase.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Postal Rate Transition
Act’’.
SEC. 2. REPORTS ON RATE INCREASE FOR POSTAGE
STAMPS.
(a) REPORTS REQUIRED.—The United States Postal
Service may not—
(1) request a rate increase for first-class post-
age until submitting to Congress a report on—
(A) the number of one-cent stamps printed
to facilitate the first-class postal rate increase
implemented as of January 10, 1999;
(B) how the United States Postal Service
determined how many of such one-cent stamps
should be printed to facilitate the implementa-
tion of such rate increase;
(C) the number of one-cent stamps that
would have been printed during calendar year
1999 if such rate increase had not been imple-
mented; and
(D) the cost of printing the one-cent
stamps printed to facilitate such rate increase;
or
(2) implement a rate increase for first-class
postage recommended by the Postal Rate Commis-
sion until submitting to Congress a report including
an estimate of the number of stamps that need to
be printed to facilitate the rate increase for the price
of the amount of the difference between 33 cents
to 94 percent of the next to the highest rate of basic pay
for the Senior Executive Service.
‘‘(d) CHIEF IMMIGRATION APPEALS JUDGE.—The
chief immigration appeals judge shall be responsible on be-
half of the appellate division for the administrative oper-
ations of the Immigration Court and shall have the power
to appoint such administrative assistants, attorneys,
clerks, and other personnel as may be needed for that pur-
pose.
‘‘(e) QUORUM.—Three immigration appeals judges
constitute a quorum of the appellate division, except that
the chief immigration appeals judge (or any immigration
appeals judge designated by the chief judge) is empowered
to decide nondispositive motions.
‘‘(f) ACTING
IN PANELS.—The appellate division
shall act in panels of 3 or more judges or in banc (as
designated by the chief immigration appeals judge in ac-
cordance with the rules of the appellate division). A final
decision of such a panel shall be considered to be a final
decision of the appellate division.
‘‘(g) REMOVAL OF JUDGES FOR CAUSE.—(1) Re-
moval of an immigration appeals judge of the Immigration
Court during the term for which the judge is appointed
shall be only for incompetency, misconduct, neglect of
duty, engaging in the practice of law, or physical or mental
and the price of a postage stamp reflecting the rec-
ommended new rate.
(b) APPLICABILITY.—Subsection (a) shall apply only
with respect to the first rate increase for first-class post-
age implemented after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
SEC. 3. PROCEDURES REGARDING USE AND SALE OF POST-
AGE STAMPS AFTER IMPLEMENTATION OF
RATE INCREASE.
(a) PROCEDURES FOR RATE INCREASE.—(1) With
respect to the first increase in the rate for first-class post-
age implemented after the date of the enactment of this
Act, during the 30 days following the first day of such
rate increase, the United States Postal Service—
(A) may not fail to accept first-class mail
weighing one ounce or less because a 33-cent stamp
is used for such mail; and
(B) shall not sell any 33-cent stamps.
(2) The procedures described in paragraph (1) shall
also apply—
(A) with respect to a postcard for which a 20-
cent postage stamp is used; and
(B) to the sale of such 20-cent postage stamps.
(3) The procedures described in paragraph (1) shall
not apply to metered mail.
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 7 months after the date
of the implementation of the rate increase described in
subsection (a)(1), the United States Postal Service shall
submit to Congress a report on the number of stamps
printed, for the price of the amount of the difference be-
tween 33 cents and the price of a stamp printed at the
new first-class rate, in order to facilitate the rate increase.
Æ
‘‘(5) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means each of
the several States of the United States, the District
of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, or
possession of the United States.
‘‘(b) 
PROHIBITION
AND
PENALTIES.—Whoever
knowingly and willfully engages in a pattern of violations
that affects the health, safety, or care of individuals resid-
ing in a residential health care facility or facilities, and
that results in significant physical or mental harm to 1
or more of such residents, shall be punished as provided
in section 1347, except that any organization shall be
fined not more than $2,000,000 per residential health care
facility.
‘‘(c) CIVIL PROVISIONS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General may
bring an action in a district court of the United
States to impose on any individual or entity that en-
gages in a pattern of violations that affects the
health, safety, or care of individuals residing in a
residential health care facility, and that results in
physical or mental harm to 1 or more such resi-
dents, a civil penalty or—
‘‘(A) in the case of an individual (other
than an owner, operator, officer or manager of
I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1861
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the deductibility
of business meal expenses for individuals subject to Federal hours of service.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 19, 1999
Mr. COLLINS (for himself and Ms. DUNN) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
A BILL
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase
the deductibility of business meal expenses for individuals
subject to Federal hours of service.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. INCREASED DEDUCTIBILITY OF BUSINESS
MEAL EXPENSES FOR INDIVIDUALS SUBJECT
TO FEDERAL LIMITATIONS ON HOURS OF
SERVICE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (3) of section 274(n)
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to only
50 percent of meal and entertainment expenses allowed
as deduction) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(3) SPECIAL RULE FOR INDIVIDUALS SUBJECT
TO FEDERAL HOURS OF SERVICE.—In the case of
any expenses for food or beverages consumed while
away from home (within the meaning of section
162(a)(2)) by an individual during, or incident to,
the period of duty subject to the hours of service
limitations of the Department of Transportation,
paragraph (1) shall be applied by substituting ‘80
percent’ for ‘50 percent’.’’
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
subsection (a) shall apply to taxable years beginning after
December 31, 1999.
Æ