[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 35 (Wednesday, March 25, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D302-D303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills Introduced: 13 public bills, H.R. 3545-3557; and 3 resolutions, 
H. Con. Res. 250 and H. Res. 395, 397, were introduced. 
                                                         Pages H1549-50
Reports Filed: Reports were filed as follows:
  H. Res. 393, providing for consideration of H.R. 3246, to assist 
small businesses and labor organizations in defending themselves 
against government bureaucracy; to ensure that employees entitled to 
reinstatement get their jobs back quickly; to protect the right of 
employers to have a hearing to present their case in certain 
representation cases; and to prevent the use of the National Labor 
Relations Act for the purpose of disrupting or inflicting economic harm 
on employers (H. Rept. 105-463);
  H. Res. 394, providing for consideration of H.R. 2515, to address the 
declining health of forests on Federal lands in the United States 
through a program of recovery and protection consistent with the 
requirements of existing public land management and environmental laws, 
to establish a program to inventory, monitor, and analyze public and 
private forests and their resources (H. Rept. 105-464);
  H.R. 1023, to provide for compassionate payments with regard to 
individuals with blood-clotting disorders, such as hemophilia, who 
contracted human immunodeficiency virus due to contaminated blood 
products (H. Rept. 105-465 Part 1);
  H. Res. 396, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3310) to 
amend chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code, for the purpose of 
facilitating compliance by small businesses with certain Federal 
paperwork requirements, and to establish a task force to examine the 
feasibility of streamlining paperwork requirements applicable to small 
businesses (H. Rept. 105-466); and
  H.R. 2400, to authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway 
safety programs, and transit programs, amended (H. Rept. 105-467 Part 
1).
Pages H1548-49
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he 
designated Representative Shimkus to act as Speaker pro tempore for 
today.
  Page H1451
Guest Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the guest Chaplain, the 
Reverend Henry Eisenhart of the American Legion.
  Page H1451
Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act: The House passed H.R. 2589, to 
amend the provisions of title 17, United States Code, with respect to 
the duration of copyright.
  Pages H1458-83
Agreed to:
  The Coble amendment that makes technical changes, specifies that the 
author's executor or trustee shall own the entire termination interest 
in the event that the author dies without heirs; and establishes the 
assumption of certain contractual obligations related to residual 
payments in the case of a transfer of copyright ownership in a motion 
picture; and
Page H1466
  The Sensenbrenner amendment that exempts certain music uses from 
copyright protection; provides for arbitration of rate disputes 
involving performing rights societies; and prohibits vicarious 
liability with

[[Page D303]]

respect to landlords or any other person making space available to 
another party by contract (agreed to by a recorded vote of 297 ayes to 
112 noes, Roll No. 69).
Pages H1466-83
  Rejected the McCollum amendment that sought to provide a music 
licensing exemption for certain food service or drinking establishments 
(rejected by a recorded vote of 150 ayes to 259 noes, Roll No. 68). 
                                                         Pages H1468-82
  The Clerk was authorized in the engrossment of the bill to insert 
``Sonny Bono'' before ``Copyright Term Extension Act'' at each place it 
appears; and the Clerk was authorized to correct section, numbers, 
punctuation, cross references and to make such other technical and 
conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the actions of the 
House in amending the bill.
Page H1483
  Earlier, agreed to H. Res. 390, the rule that provided for 
consideration of the bill by a voice vote.
Pages H1456-58
Visa Waiver Pilot Program: The House passed H.R. 2578, to amend the 
Immigration and Nationality Act to extend the visa waiver pilot 
program, and to provide for the collection of data with respect to the 
number of non immigrants who remain in the United States after the 
expiration of the period of stay authorized by the Attorney General by 
a recorded vote of 407 ayes with none voting ``no'', Roll No. 71. 
Agreed to amend the title. Subsequently, S. 1178, a similar Senate-
passed bill was passed after being amended to contain the text of H.R. 
2578, as passed the House. Agreed to amend the title; and H.R. 2578 was 
laid on the table.
  Pages H1484-H1503
Agreed To:
  The Smith of Texas amendment, as modified, that extends the visa 
waiver pilot program from 1999 until 2000; and
Page H1492
  The Pombo amendment that increases the non-immigrant visa refusal 
rate from 2 percent to 3 percent (agreed to by a recorded vote of 360 
ayes to 46 noes, Roll No. 70);
Pages H1492-H1501
  Earlier, agreed to H. Res. 391, the rule that provided for 
consideration of the bill by a voice vote.
Pages H1483-84
Late Report--Transportation Reauthorization: The Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure received permission to have until 
midnight on Wednesday, March 25 to file a report on H.R. 2400, to 
authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and 
transit programs. Also, agreed that the committee may file a 
supplemental report to the bill at any time before midnight on Friday, 
March 27.
  Page H1503
Condolence Resolution: The House agreed to H. Res. 395, expressing the 
condolences of the House on the death of the Honorable Steven Schiff, a 
Representative from the State of New Mexico.
  Pages H1503-06
Amendments: Amendments ordered printed pursuant to the rule appear on 
pages H1550-52.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Four recorded votes developed during the 
proceedings of the House today and appear on pages H1481-82, H1482-83, 
H1500-01, and H1501-02. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: Met at 10:00 a.m. and pursuant to the provisions of H. 
Res. 395, adjourned at 10:48 p.m. as a further mark of respect to the 
memory of the Honorable Steven Schiff.