instruction:
In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
question:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Native American Children's Safety
Act''.

SEC. 2. CHARACTER INVESTIGATIONS.

Section 408 of the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence
Prevention Act (25 U.S.C. 3207) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
''(d) By Tribal Social Services Agency for Foster Care Placements
in Tribal Court Proceedings.--
''(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
''(A) Covered individual.--The term 'covered
individual' includes--
''(i) any individual 18 years of age or
older; and
''(ii) any individual who an Indian tribe
described in paragraph (2)(A) determines is
subject to a character investigation under that
paragraph.
''(B) Foster care placement.--The term 'foster care
placement' means any action removing an Indian child
from a parent or Indian custodian for temporary
placement in a foster home or institution or the home
of a guardian or conservator if--
''(i) the parent or Indian custodian cannot
have the child returned on demand; and
''(ii) parental rights have not been
terminated.
''(C) Indian custodian.--The term 'Indian
custodian' means any Indian--
''(i) who has legal custody of an Indian
child under tribal law or custom or under State
law; or
''(ii) to whom temporary physical care,
custody, and control has been transferred by
the parent of the child.
''(D) Parent.--The term 'parent' means--
''(i) any biological parent of an Indian
child; or
''(ii) any Indian who has lawfully adopted
an Indian child, including adoptions under
tribal law or custom.
''(E) Tribal court.--The term 'tribal court' means
a court--
''(i) with jurisdiction over foster care
placements; and
''(ii) that is--
''(I) a Court of Indian Offenses;
''(II) a court established and
operated under the code or custom of an
Indian tribe; or
''(III) any other administrative
body of a tribe that is vested with
authority over foster care placements.
''(F) Tribal social services agency.--The term
'tribal social services agency' means the agency of the
Federal Government or of an Indian tribe described in
paragraph (2)(A) that has the primary responsibility
for carrying out foster care services (as of the date
on which the proceeding described in paragraph (2)(A)
commences) on the Indian reservation of the Indian
tribe.
''(2) Character investigations before placement.--
''(A) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph
(3), no foster care placement shall be ordered in any
proceeding over which an Indian tribe has exclusive
jurisdiction until the tribal social services agency--
''(i) completes an investigation of the
character of each covered individual who
resides in the household or is employed at the
institution in which the foster care placement
will be made; and
''(ii) concludes that each covered
individual described in clause (i) meets such
standards of character as the Indian tribe
shall establish in accordance with subparagraph
(B).
''(B) Standards of character.--The standards of
character described in subparagraph (A)(ii) shall
include--
''(i) requirements that each tribal social
services agency described in subparagraph (A)--
''(I) perform criminal records
checks, including fingerprint-based
checks of national crime information
databases (as defined in section
534(f)(3) of title 28, United States
Code); and
''(II) check any child abuse and
neglect registry maintained by the
State in which the covered individual
resides for information on the covered
individual, and request any other State
in which the covered individual resided
in the preceding 5 years, to enable the
tribal social services agency to check
any child abuse and neglect registry
maintained by that State for such
information; and
''(ii) any other additional requirement
that the Indian tribe determines is necessary.
''(C) Results.--Except as provided in paragraph
(3), no foster care placement shall be ordered in any
proceeding described in subparagraph (A) if an
investigation described in clause (i) of that
subparagraph reveals that a covered individual
described in that clause--
''(i) has been found by a Federal, State,
or tribal court to have committed any crime
listed in clause (i) or (ii) of section
471(a)(20)(A) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 671(a)(20)(A)); or
''(ii) is listed on a registry described in
subparagraph (B)(i)(II).
''(D) Deadline.--Except as provided in paragraph
(3), the tribal social services agency shall satisfy
the requirements of clauses (i) and (ii) of
subparagraph (A) not later than 14 days after the date
on which the proceeding described in subparagraph (A)
commences.
''(3) Emergency placement.--Paragraph (2) shall not apply
to an emergency foster care placement, as determined by an
Indian tribe described in paragraph (2)(A).
''(4) Recertification of foster homes or institutions.--
''(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of enactment of this subsection, each Indian
tribe shall establish procedures to recertify homes or
institutions in which foster care placements are made.
''(B) Contents.--The procedures described in
subparagraph (A) shall include, at a minimum, periodic
intervals at which the home or institution shall be
subject to recertification to ensure--
''(i) the safety of the home or institution
for the Indian child; and
''(ii) that each covered individual who
resides in the home or is employed at the
institution is subject to a character
investigation in accordance with this
subsection, including any covered individual
who--
''(I) resides in the home or is
employed at the institution on the date
on which the procedures established
under subparagraph (A) commences; and
''(II) did not reside in the home
or was not employed at the institution
on the date on which the investigation
described in paragraph (2)(A)(i) was
completed.
''(C) Regulations promulgated or guidance issued by
the secretary.--The procedures established under
subparagraph (A) shall be subject to any regulation
promulgated or guidance issued by the Secretary that is
in accordance with the purpose of this subsection.
''(5) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this subsection and after consultation with
Indian tribes, the Secretary shall promulgate a regulation
regarding--
''(A) procedures for a character investigation of
any covered individual who--
''(i) resides in the home or is employed at
the institution in which the foster care
placement is made after the date on which the
investigation described in paragraph (2)(A)(i)
is completed; and
''(ii) was not the subject of an
investigation described in paragraph (2)(A)(i)
before the foster care placement was made;
''(B) self-reporting requirements for foster care
homes or institutions in which any covered individual
described in subparagraph (A) resides if the head of
the household or the operator of the institution has
knowledge that the covered individual--
''(i) has been found by a Federal, State,
or tribal court to have committed any crime
listed in clause (i) or (ii) of section
471(a)(20)(A) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 671(a)(20)(A)); or
''(ii) is listed on a registry described in
paragraph (2)(B)(i)(II);
''(C) procedures and guidelines for emergency
foster care placements under paragraph (3); and
''(D) procedures for certifying compliance with
this Act.''.
answer:
Native American Children's Safety Act - Amends the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act (Act) to prohibit any foster care placement over which an Indian tribe has exclusive jurisdiction from being ordered until the tribal social services agency: (1) completes an investigation of the character of each covered individual who resides in the household or is employed at the institution in which the foster care placement will be made, and (2) concludes that each of those individuals meets the standards of character the tribe is required to establish. Defines a "covered individual" as an adult and any other individual the tribe determines is subject to such character investigation. Requires the tribal social services agency, as part of those investigations, to: (1) perform criminal records checks, including fingerprint-based checks of national crime information databases; (2) check any child abuse and neglect registry maintained by the state in which the individual resides; and (3) request any other state in which the individual resided during the preceding five years to allow the agency to check its registry. Prohibits a foster care placement from being ordered if the investigation reveals that the covered individual: (1) has been found guilty by a federal, state, or tribal court of a felony involving child abuse or neglect, spousal abuse, a crime against a child, violence, or drugs; or (2) is listed on a child abuse and neglect registry in the state where the individual resides or resided within the preceding five years. Excepts emergency foster care placements from such requirements. Requires each Indian tribe to establish procedures to recertify homes or institutions in which foster care placements are made. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate a regulation establishing: (1) procedures for investigating the character of any covered individual who resides in the home or is employed at the institution in which the child is placed after the investigations that preceded that placement occurred, (2) self-reporting requirements for foster care homes or institutions that have knowledge that a covered individual residing on their premises would fail the character investigation, (3) procedures and guidelines for emergency foster care placements, and (4) procedures for certifying compliance with the Act.

question:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Mercury Pollution Reduction Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that--
(1) mercury and mercury compounds are highly toxic to
humans, ecosystems, and wildlife;
(2) as many as 10 percent of women in the United States of
childbearing age have mercury in their bloodstreams at a level
that could pose risks to their unborn babies, and hundreds of
thousands of children born annually in the United States are at
risk of neurological problems relating to mercury exposure in
utero;
(3) the most significant source of mercury exposure to
people in the United States is ingestion of mercury-
contaminated fish;
(4) the long-term solution to mercury pollution is to
minimize global mercury use and releases of mercury to
eventually achieve reduced contamination levels in the
environment, rather than reducing fish consumption, since
uncontaminated fish represents a critical and healthy source of
nutrition for people worldwide;
(5) mercury pollution is a transboundary pollutant that--
(A) is deposited locally, regionally, and globally;
and
(B) affects bodies of water near industrial areas,
such as the Great Lakes, as well as bodies of water in
remote areas, such as the Arctic Circle;
(6) of the approximately 30 plants in the United States
that produce chlorine, only 7 use the obsolete ''mercury cell''
chlor-alkali process, and 4 have not yet committed to phasing
out mercury use;
(7)(A) less than 5 percent of the total quantity of
chlorine and caustic soda produced in the United States comes
from the chlor-alkali plants described in paragraph (6) that
use the mercury cell chlor-alkali process;
(B) cost-effective alternatives are available and in use in
the remaining 95 percent of chlorine and caustic soda
production; and
(C) other countries, including Japan, have already banned
the mercury cell chlor-alkali process;
(8) the chlor-alkali industry acknowledges that--
(A) mercury can contaminate products manufactured
at mercury cell facilities; and
(B) the use of some of those products results in
the direct and indirect release of mercury;
(9) despite those quantities of mercury known to have been
used or to be in use, neither the chlor-alkali industry nor the
Environmental Protection Agency is able--
(A) to adequately account for the disposition of
the mercury used at those facilities; or
(B) to accurately estimate current mercury
emissions; and
(10) it is critically important that the United States work
aggressively toward the minimization of supply, demand, and
releases of mercury, both domestically and internationally.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

Congress declares that the United States should develop policies
and programs that will--
(1) reduce mercury use and emissions within the United
States;
(2) reduce mercury releases from the reservoir of mercury
currently in use or circulation within the United States; and
(3) reduce exposures to mercury, particularly exposures of
women of childbearing age and young children.

SEC. 4. USE OF MERCURY IN CHLORINE AND CAUSTIC SODA MANUFACTURING.

(a) In General.--Title I of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15
U.S.C. 2601 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 6 the
following:

''SEC. 6A. USE OF MERCURY IN CHLORINE AND CAUSTIC SODA MANUFACTURING.

''(a) Definition of Chlor-alkali Facility.--In this section, the
term 'chlor-alkali facility' means a facility used for the manufacture
of chlorine or caustic soda using a mercury cell process.
''(b) Prohibition.--
''(1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in this
subsection, it shall be unlawful to manufacture chlorine or
caustic soda using mercury cells at any facility in the United
States.
''(2) Notice.--The owner or operator of any existing chlor-
alkali facility shall notify the Administrator no later than
June 30, 2012, whether it will--
''(A) replace its chlor-alkali facility with a new
manufacturing facility that does not use mercury; or
''(B) cease operations.
''(3) Closure.--A chlor-alkali facility for which a closure
notice is filed under paragraph (2)(B) shall cease
manufacturing chlorine or caustic soda using mercury cells no
later than June 30, 2013.
''(4) Replacement.--A chlor-alkali facility for which a
replacement notice is filed under paragraph (2)(A) may continue
to manufacture chlorine or caustic soda using mercury cells
until all of the permitting, financing, engineering, and
construction of a non-mercury replacement facility is complete,
or June 30, 2015, whichever is earlier.
''(c) Export Ban.--Effective on the date of the enactment of this
section, the export of any elemental mercury or the sale of elemental
mercury for purposes of export, including compounds and mixtures
containing elemental mercury, by the owner or operator of a chlor-
alkali facility is prohibited.
''(d) Savings Provision.--Nothing in this section affects the
ability of the owner or operator of any chlor-alkali facility to store
elemental mercury in accordance with section 5(g)(2) of the Mercury
Export Ban Act of 2008 (42 U.S.C. 6939f).''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) The table of contents of the Toxic
Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2601 note) is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 6 the following:

''Sec. 6A. Use of mercury in chlorine and caustic soda
manufacturing.''.
(2) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 15 of such Act are each
amended by striking ''or 6'' and inserting '', 6 or 6A''.
answer:
Mercury Pollution Reduction Act - Declares that the United States should develop policies and programs that will reduce: (1) mercury use and emissions; (2) mercury releases from the reservoir of mercury currently in use or circulation; and (3) exposures to mercury, particularly of women of childbearing age and young children.

Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit: (1) the manufacture of chlorine or caustic soda using mercury cells at any facility in the United States; and (2) the export of any elemental mercury or the sale of elemental mercury for purposes of export, including compounds and mixtures containing elemental mercury, by the owner or operator of a chlor-alkali facility.

Requires the owner or operator of any existing chlor-alkali facility to notify the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) no later than June 30, 2012, on whether the owner or operator will replace its chlor-alkali facility with a new manufacturing facility that does not use mercury or cease operations. Requires a chlor-alkali facility for which a closure notice is filed to cease manufacturing chlorine or caustic soda using mercury cells no later than June 30, 2013. Authorizes a chlor-alkali facility for which a replacement notice is filed to continue to manufacture chlorine or caustic soda using mercury cells until all of the permitting, financing, engineering, and construction of a non-mercury replacement facility is complete or June 30, 2015, whichever is earlier.

Provides that this Act does not affect the ability of the owner or operator of any chlor-alkali facility to store elemental mercury in accordance with the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008.

question:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Upper Missisquoi and Trout Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF WILD AND SCENIC RIVER SEGMENTS.

Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a))
is amended by adding at the end the following:
''(208) Missisquoi river and trout river, vermont.--The
following segments in the State of Vermont, to be administered
by the Secretary of the Interior as a recreational river:
''(A) The 20.5-mile segment of the Missisquoi River
from the Lowell/Westfield town line to the Canadian
border in North Troy, excluding the property and
project boundary of the Troy and North Troy
hydroelectric facilities.
''(B) The 14.6-mile segment of the Missisquoi River
from the Canadian border in Richford to the upstream
project boundary of the Enosburg Falls hydroelectric
facility in Sampsonville.
''(C) The 11-mile segment of the Trout River from
the confluence of the Jay and Wade Brooks in Montgomery
to where the Trout River joins the Missisquoi River in
East Berkshire.''.

SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT.

(a) Management.--
(1) In general.--The river segments designated by paragraph
(208) of section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16
U.S.C. 1274(a)) shall be managed in accordance with--
(A) the Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers
Management Plan developed during the study described in
section 5(b)(19) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16
U.S.C. 1276(b)(19)) (referred to in this section as the
''management plan''); and
(B) such amendments to the management plan as the
Secretary determines are consistent with this Act and
as are approved by the Upper Missisquoi and Trout
Rivers Wild and Scenic Committee (referred to in this
section as the ''Committee'').
(2) Comprehensive management plan.--The management plan, as
finalized in March 2013, and as amended, shall be considered to
satisfy the requirements for a comprehensive management plan
pursuant to section 3(d) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16
U.S.C. 1274(d)).
(b) Committee.--The Secretary shall coordinate management
responsibility of the Secretary of the Interior under this Act with the
Committee, as specified in the management plan.
(c) Cooperative Agreements.--
(1) In general.--In order to provide for the long-term
protection, preservation, and enhancement of the river segments
designated by paragraph (208) of section 3(a) of the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)), the Secretary of the
Interior may enter into cooperative agreements pursuant to
sections 10(e) and 11(b)(1) (16 U.S.C. 1281(e), 1282(b)(1)) of
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act with--
(A) the State of Vermont;
(B) the municipalities of Berkshire, Enosburg
Falls, Enosburgh, Montgomery, North Troy, Richford,
Troy, and Westfield; and
(C) appropriate local, regional, statewide, or
multi-state planning or recreational organizations
consistent with the management plan.
(2) Consistency.--Each cooperative agreement entered into
under this section shall be consistent with the management plan
and may include provisions for financial or other assistance
from the United States.
(d) Effect on Existing Hydroelectric Facilities.--
(1) In general.--The designation of the river segments by
paragraph (208) of section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers
Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)), does not--
(A) preclude, prohibit, or restrict the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission from licensing,
relicensing, or otherwise authorizing the operation or
continued operation of the Troy Hydroelectric, North
Troy, or Enosburg Falls hydroelectric project under the
terms of licenses or exemptions in effect on the date
of enactment of this Act; or
(B) limit modernization, upgrade, or other changes
to the projects described in paragraph (1).
(2) Hydropower proceedings.--Resource protection,
mitigation, or enhancement measures required by Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission hydropower proceedings--
(A) shall not be considered to be project works for
purposes of this Act; and
(B) may be located within the river segments
designated by paragraph (208) of section 3(a) of the
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)).
(e) Land Management.--
(1) Zoning ordinances.--For the purpose of the segments
designated in paragraph (208) of section 3(a) of the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)), the zoning ordinances
adopted by the towns of Berkshire, Enosburg Falls, Enosburgh,
Montgomery, North Troy, Richford, Troy, and Westfield in the
State of Vermont, including provisions for conservation of
floodplains, wetlands, and watercourses associated with the
segments, shall be considered to satisfy the standards and
requirements of section 6(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
(16 U.S.C. 1277(c)).
(2) Acquisitions of land.--The authority of the Secretary
to acquire land for the purposes of the segments designated in
paragraph (208) of section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers
Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) shall be--
(A) limited to acquisition by donation or exchange;
and
(B) subject to the additional criteria set forth in
the management plan.
(3) No condemnation.--The Secretary of the Interior may not
acquire by condemnation any land or interest in land within the
boundaries of the river segments designated by paragraph (208)
of section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C.
1274(a)).
(4) Written consent of owner required.--No private property
or non-Federal public property shall be included within the
boundaries of the river segments designated by paragraph (208)
of section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C.
1274(a)) without the written consent of the owner of that
property.
(f) Relation to National Park System.--Notwithstanding section
10(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(c)), the
Missisquoi and Trout Rivers shall not be administered as part of the
National Park System or be subject to regulations that govern the
National Park System.
(g) No Buffer Zone Created.--Nothing in this Act or the Upper
Missisquoi and Trout Rivers Management Plan shall be construed to
create buffer zones outside the designated river segment boundaries
designated by paragraph (208) of section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic
Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)). That activities or uses can be seen,
heard, or detected from areas within the designated river segments
shall not preclude, limit, control, regulate or determine the conduct
of management of activities or uses outside those designated river
segments.

Passed the House of Representatives September 15, 2014.

Attest:

KAREN L. HAAS,

Clerk.
answer:
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on June 30, 2014. Upper Missisquoi and Trout Wild and Scenic Rivers Act - (Sec. 2) Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate specified segments of the Missisquoi River and Trout River in Vermont as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. (Sec. 3) Requires the river segments designated by this Act to be managed in accordance with the Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers Management Plan and any amendments meeting certain criteria. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to coordinate the management responsibilities with the Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers Wild and Scenic Committee. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements for the protection, preservation, and enhancement of the river segments with: (1) the state of Vermont; (2) specific municipalities; and (3) local, regional, statewide, or multi-state planning, environmental, or recreational organizations. States that the designation of the river segments does not: (1) preclude the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from licensing, relicensing, or otherwise authorizing the operation of specified hydroelectric projects; or (2) limit the modernization, upgrades, or other changes to the projects. Prohibits resource protection, mitigation, or enhancement measures required by FERC hydropower proceedings from being considered project works under this Act. Permits such measures within the segments. Prohibits resource protection, mitigation, or enhancement measures required by FERC hydropower proceedings from being considered project works under this Act. Permits such measures within the segments. Considers zoning ordinances adopted by specific towns as satisfying provisions in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act that prohibit the Secretary from acquiring lands by condemnation within a designated Wild and Scenic River boundary when certain local zoning ordinances are in place. Limits the authority of the Secretary to acquire lands under this Act to acquisition by donation or exchange and subject to additional management plan criteria. Prohibits the Secretary from acquiring by condemnation any land or interest in land within the boundaries of the river segments designated by this Act. Bars the inclusion of any private or non-federal public property within the boundaries of such river segments without the owner's written consent. Bars the Missisquoi and Trout Rivers from being administered as part of the National Park System. Declares that nothing in this Act or the Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers Management Plan shall be construed to create buffer zones outside the river segment boundaries designated by this Act.