LEGISLATIVE REVIEW ACTIVITY

In a practical sense, the work of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources touches the daily life of every United States citizen. Its functions affect the physical, intellectual, and eeconomic well-being of the Nation. During the two sessions of the 102d Congress, over 400 bills and resolutions were referred to the comnmittee, which has jurisdiction over 1,100 Federal programs relating to health, education, labor, and public welfare. The programs are found in the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services, as well as in 123 independent agencies, councils, and bureaus.

During the 102d Congress, the committee conducted extensive reviews of the programs within its jurisdiction, through hearings held by the full committee and the subcommittees, staff studies, and numberous special inquiries and investigations perfomred for the committee.

The committee's goals for the 102d Congress were clearly outlined by Senator Kennedy during four hearings in January of 1991: Improving the Workforce; The Importance of Education and Training; the Crisis in Health Care; and A Commitment to Children's Development and Future Potential.

Throughout the Congress, the committee felt strongly that if the Administration continued to neglect the country's problems, Congress needed to take the lead, and stand up for those who were hardest hit by the recession. Thus, during these 2 years, the committee's work was directed toward the key areas of jobs, education, and health care.

FULL COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES

A total of 416 bills and resolutions were referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources during the 102d Congress. Of this number, 290 pertained to legislative matters of the full committee; 70 to the Subcommittee on Education, Arts and Humanities; 16 to the Subcommittee on Labor; 12 to the Subcommittee on Children, Family, Drugs and Alcoholism; 16 to the Subcommittee on Aging; 9 to the Subcommittee on Employment and Productivity; and, 3 to the Subcommittee on Disability Policy.

During the 102d Congress 66 committee legislative initiatives were passed by the Senate, with 50 of them enacted into law. Three bills were vetoed by the President. There were 44 bills reported by the committee. The committee also received 29 Presidential messages and 443 other executive communications during the 102d Congress.

In addition, 819 nominations, including appointees to high offices in the government and a number of nominations and promotions in the U.S. Public Health Service Corps, were referred to the committee. Of these, 781 were considered by the committee, 761 re

ported to the Senate, 19 discharged by the committee, and 777 confirmed by the Senate. Eleven nominees received recess appointments by the President. There were 3 nominations withdrawn during the Congress, and 23 were returned to the President at the adjournment of the 102d Congress.

The committee and its subcommittees conducted 163 days of public hearings, held 23 executive sessions and met 10 days in conferences with the House, for a total of 33 executive meetings. In addition, the committee and the Education Commission of the States joined together to sponsor 5 seminars on improving American Education.

I. PRINCIPAL BILLS FROM THE LABOR AND HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE ENACTED IN THE 102d CONGRESS A. Jobs

CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1991

Overrules seven Supreme Court decisions which had sharply reduced protections against discrimination on the job because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin or disability; for the first time provided damages as a remedy for intentional job discrimination, including sexual harassment, for women, religious minorities and persons with disabilities. [P.L. 102-166 (enacted 11/21/91), Civil Rights Act of 1991 (S. 1745).]

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION/EDUCATION, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING REVOLVING FUND ACT OF 1992

Enhances the ability of the EEOC to provide training and technical assistance concerning civil rights laws. [P.L. 102-411 (enacted 10/14/92), EEOC Education, Technical Assistance, and Training Revolving Fund Act (H.R. 5925).]

JOB TRAINING PARTNERSHIP ACT

Reforms the largest Federal program (over $4 billion a year) to educate and train the Nation's frontline workforce; strengthens program requirements, provides better targeting of services to reach those most in need, provides higher quality services, and strengthens the program to prevent abuses. [P.L. 102-367 (enacted 9/7/92), Job Training and Basic Skills Act (H.R. 3033).]

NON-TRADITIONAL EMPLOYMENT FOR WOMEN

Amends JTPA (title IV) to authorize $1.5 million annually for fiscal years 1992-1995 for grants to States to encourage a broader range of training and job placement for women. [P.L. 102-235 (enacted 12/12/91), Non-traditional Employment for Women Act (S. 367).]

REAUTHORIZATION OF THE REHABILITATION ACT

Authorizes such sums as necessary for fiscal years 1993-97 ($2.1 billion appropriated in 1993) for training and related services to enable individuals with disabilities to become employable and live independently; expands vocational rehabilitation services and re

search on technological devices to assist individuals with disabilities in mobility and communication. [P.L. 102-569 (enacted 10/29/ 92) Rehabilitation Act Amendments (H.R. 5482).]

OLDER AMERICANS ACT AMENDMENTS

Authorizes $1.2 billion annually to reform and expand services for senior citizens, including community service employment, Meals on Wheels, and senior centers; creates new elderly rights, including legal services and nursing home ombudsman services. [P.L. 102375 (enacted 9/30/92), Older Americans Act Amendments (H.R. 2967).]

RAILROAD STRIKE SETTLEMENT

Set forth conditions to apply during the resolution of the railroad strike of April, 1991, including establishing a return to work within hours of the initiation of the strike; providing 40 days of binding negotiation of various rail labor disputes, and preventing a devastating interruption of interstate commerce. [P.L. 102-29 (enacted 4/18/91) to Provide for a Settlement of the Railroad Labor-Management Disputes (H.J. Res. 222).]

B. Education

REAUTHORIZATION OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT

Makes available over $100 billion for fiscal years 1993-97 to help students and families pay college bills. Major highlights of the bill include: Expansion of Federal grant and loan programs to help middle income families; significant steps to simplify the application process for financial aid; creation of a new unsubsidized student loan program available to all families regardless of income; increased efforts to improve the integrity of the student loan program and reduce default costs; enhanced support for graduate and professional students; new Federal early intervention efforts based on the "I Have a Dream" program; and creation of a new direct loan demonstration program to save costs by making Federal student loans directly from colleges to students, without using banks as middlemen. [P.L. 102–325 (enacted 7/23/92), Higher Education Act Amendments (S. 1150).]

HEAD START IMPROVEMENT ACT

Maintains quality, extends services and authorizes purchase of buildings to enhance program stability. [P.L. 102-401 (enacted 10/ 7/92), Head Start Improvement Act (H.R. 5630).]

"READY TO LEARN"-CHILDREN'S TV

Authorizes $25 million in fiscal year 1993 to expand development and availability of educational programming for preschool children and distribution of preschool educational programs over public networks for the broadest possible audience; educational support materials for parents and child care providers will be developed and distributed both over the air and through child care centers and ac

cessible community locations. [P.L. 102-545 (enacted 10/27/92), Ready to Learn Act (S. 3134).]

NATIONAL LITERACY ACT

Authorizes $1.1 billion for fiscal years 1992-95 to promote literacy services in the community, the family and the workplace. During the 102d Congress, the committee also reported the nominations to the first Board of Directors of the National Institute for Literacy and they were confirmed by the Senate. [P.L. 102–73 (enacted 7/25/91) National Literacy Act (H.R. 751).]

NATIONAL DROPOUT PREVENTION ACT

Authorizes such sums as necessary in fiscal years 1992 and 1993 for school districts to help reduce dropouts by establishing locally designed re-entry and early intervention initiatives; creates models for collecting information on dropouts. [P.L. 102-103 (enacted 8/17/ 91), School Dropout Demonstration Assistance Act (H.R. 2313).]

EDUCATION COUNCIL ACT

Creates a commission to assess the impact of extending the school day and the school year; creates a National Council on Standards and Testing to review development of national educational standards and assessments. [P.L. 102-62 (enacted 6/27/ 91), Education Council Act (S. 64).]

C. Health Care

PRESCRIPTION DRUG USER FEE ACT

Provides the FDA with authority to raise $300 million in user fees from the pharmaceutical industry over 5 years to expedite the approval of new drugs; enables the FDA to double the staff assigned to drug approvals and reduce by half the time required to review new drug applications. (P.L. 102-571 (enacted 10/29/92), Prescription Drug User Fee Act (H.R. 6181).]

FEDERALLY SUPPORTED HEALTH CENTERS ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1992

Extends Federal Tort Claims Act protection to community, migrant and homeless health centers. Will save the centers $30 million a year in malpractice premiums, and allow the centers to serve 250,000 additional low income Americans. Will also enable the centers to restore obstetrician services which have been reduced or eliminated because of the high cost of malpractice insurance. [P.L. 102-501 (enacted 10/24/92), Federally Supported Health Centers Assistance Act of 1992 (H.R. 6183).]

GENERIC DRUG ENFORCEMENT ACT

Provides new authority for FDA to penalize companies and individuals convicted of felonies related to the drug approval process. [P.L. 102-282 (enacted 5/13/92), Generic Drug Enforcement Act (H.R. 2454).]

ADAMHA REORGANIZATION ACT

Authorizes $4.5 billion a year through fiscal year 1994 to combat substance abuse and mental illness; reorganizes the Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration by transferring three institutes (the National Institutes of Mental Health, Drug Abuse, and Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) to the National Institutes of Health to coordinate Federal research activities; reconstitutes ADAMHA as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to concentrate on treatment programs and other services; creates separate mental health and substance abuse block grants; adds new programs in Childhood Mental Health, Pharmacotherapy Development, and Trauma Care Revitalization. [P.L. 102-321 (enacted 7/10/92), Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration Reorganization Act (S. 1306).]

HEALTH PROFESSIONS TRAINING ACT

Reauthorizes Title VII of the Public Health Service Act at $265 million a year for fiscal years 1993-95 and Title VIII at $76 million a year for fiscal years 1993-94; restructures programs to meet the national need for primary health care and services to underserved areas; increases funding for training for internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners; creates a loan program for medical students who agree to practice in the area of primary care; restructures the Health Education Assistance Loan Program. [P.L. 102-408 (enacted 10/13/92), Health Professions Education Extension Amendments (H.R. 3508).]

HEALTH PROMOTION AND DISEASE PREVENTION

Substantially expands to $240 million a year, the Nation's investment in preventive health programs; consolidates Federal categorical programs at the State level; assists in achieving the Health 2000 objectives; strengthens lead poisoning prevention, rape victim assistance, comprehensive pre-natal and post-natal care, vaccine programs, birth defects surveillance, breast and cervical cancer screening, prostate cancer screening, and prevention of infertility; creates a new Office of Adolescent Health. [P.L. 102-531 (enacted 10/27/92) Preventive Health Amendments (H.R. 3635).]

MAMMOGRAPHY SCREENING STANDARDS ACT

Establishes quality assurance standards and certification for mammography services. [P.L. 102-539 (enacted 10/27/92) Mammography Quality Standards Act (H.R. 6182).]

DES EDUCATION AND RESEARCH AMENDMENTS

(From 1941 to 1971, 5 million women took the prescription drug diethylstilbestrol to prevent miscarriages; studies demonstrate increased cancer risk and higher than normal rates of reproductive tract abnormalities for daughters of DES mothers.)

Establishes a program to educate health professionals and the public about diagnosis and treatment of conditions associated with exposure to DES. [P.L. 102-409 (enacted 10/13/92), DES Education and Research Amendments (H.R. 4178).]