DOCUMENTS IN THE NEWS - 1997
Laws and Proposed Legislation

Air Bags (NHTSA)

Proposed regulations on reduced deployment of air bags, air deactivation, and cutoff switches
Regulations issued January 1997
Annual report to Congress on air bag effectiveness

Air Quality Standards

Final standards for smog (ozone) and particulate matter
Standards released on July 16, 1997
Implementation schedule

Balanced Budget Amendment

Senate Joint Resolution 1 (THOMAS)
• Text of S.J.Res. 1, legislative status, and floor action
• Links to H.J.Res. 1
See also Balanced Budget Deal

Child Safety Seats (NHTSA)

Proposed child safety seat and automobile seat buckling standards
Available on February 18, 1997

Cloning

After Dolly (Susan Wright)
• Editorial opinion by University of Michigan professor Susan Wright appearing in the Christian Science Monitor on Junbe 23, 1997
• Discusses the political implications of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission report
• Special thanks to Tom Regan of the Christian Science Monitor for archiving this article upon request
Cloning of Sheep (Nature Magazine)
• Scientific news and ethical debate about the cloning of sheep
• Free registration required to use articles in the magazine
CNN Coverage
• News coverage response to human cloning issuese
• Includes public opinion poll
International Cloning Society
• News release promoting the discussion of issues
• Link to the society's web page
• Response to National Bioethics Advisory Commission report
National Bioethics Advisory Commission
• Commission charged with making recommendations on human cloning (1997)
• Membership, charge, text of advisory committee meetings
• Rhetaugh Graves Dumas (UMich) is Commission member; Harold T. Shapiro, President of Princeton and former UMich President, is Commission Chair
• Subsequent reports on stem cell research
President's Directive
• President Clinton's directive banning the use of federal funds for cloning human beings

Fast-Track Trade Bill

AllPolitics
• Daily news coverage of bill and controversy
Reciprocal Trade Agreement AuthorizationAct of 1997 (H.R. 2621)
• Text of bill, summary, sponsors, and detailed legislative status from THOMAS
Senate Finance Committee Press Release
• Press release approving fast-track legislation dated October 1, 1997

Internet Access Charges

Federal Communications Commission Request for Ideas
• Federal Communications Commission call for ideas on revising Internet access charges
• Submitted comments in zipped format
Digital Tornado
• FCC working paper assessing the questions the Internet raises for traditional telecommunications policy
• Includes a section on household pricing and usage

Social Security Reform

Advisory Council on Social Security Report
• Discusses three options for reforming Social Security System weighed during the panel's 1994-96 study
• Council was chaired by Edward Gramlich and the report submitted in January 1997
National Commission on Retirement Policy
• Recommends retirement age of 70 by year 2029 and putting 2% of payroll tax into individual savings accounts
• Report co-chaired by Members of Congress and private sector
• Released May 19, 1998

Tax Reform

Deloitte and Touche Analysis
• Analyzes tax savings for 31 different households comparing the President's plan with the Republican plan and current law
Taxpayer Relief Act (Proposed)
• House Bill (H.R. 2014)
• Senate Bill (S. 949)
• Text of both bills and references to the Congressional Record from THOMAS
• Official name of bills: Revenue Reconciliation Act
Public Law 105-34 (H.R. 2014
• Law signed on August 5, 1997
• Text (THOMAS) (prior to line-item veto)
• Line Item Veto (All Politics)
  • Summary of veto affecting the provisions of the enrolled bill above
  • Line Item Veto 1 and Line Item Veto 2 in pdf format
  • News and analysis of tax reform law appears under Balanced Budget Deal

Term Limits (THOMAS)

Text of committee reports on Congressional term limits
Links to text of H.J.Res 2, status, and House roll call vote in February 1997

Welfare Reform

Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
• Signed by President Clinton on August 22, 1996
• Bill number is H.R. 3734
• Complete Text (880,000 bytes)
• Text by Individual Title
  • Introduction and Table of Contents (19,000 bytes)
  • Title I - Block Grants for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families - (275,000 bytes)
  • Title II - Supplemental Security Income (48,000 bytes)
  • Title III - Child Support (223,000 bytes)
  • Title IV - Restricting Welfare and Public Benefits for Aliens (62,500 bytes)
  • Title V - Child Protection (4000 bytes)
  • Title VI - Child Care (31,000 bytes)
  • Title VII - Child Nutrition Programs (69,000 bytes)
  • Title VIII - Food Stamps and Commodity Distribution (137,000 bytes)
  • Title IX - Miscellaneous (27,000 bytes)
• Connect to THOMAS for segmented sections of text, status, and debates
Congressional Quarterly (UMich Only)
• See lead article for July 27, 1996
Senate Budget Committee
• Article from the Informed Budgeteer, July 29, 1996

Quick Jumps

Grace York, Coordinator, Documents Center
University of Michigan Library
Graphics by Sherry Piontek and Barbara Perles
Send comments and suggestions to graceyor@umich.edu

http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/dn97laws..html

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