[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 64 (Thursday, April 19, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2323-S2329]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. McCONNELL (for himself and Mr. Casey):
S. 2710. A bill to improve treatment and early interventions for
pregnant and postpartum women and infants affected by substance use
disorder; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text
of the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2710
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Moms and Infants
Act''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVING TREATMENT FOR PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM
WOMEN.
(a) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services (referred to in this subsection as the
``Secretary'') shall submit to the appropriate committees of
Congress and make available to the public on the internet
website of the Department of Health and Human Services a
report regarding the implementation of the recommendations in
the strategy relating to prenatal opioid use, including
neonatal abstinence syndrome, developed pursuant to section 2
of the Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-
91). Such report shall include--
(A) an update on the implementation of the recommendations
in the strategy, including information regarding the agencies
involved in the implementation; and
(B) information on additional funding or authority the
Secretary requires, if any, to implement the strategy, which
may include authorities needed to coordinate implementation
of such strategy across the Department of Health and Human
Services.
(2) Periodic updates.--The Secretary shall periodically
update the report under paragraph (1).
(b) Residential Treatment Programs for Pregnant and
Postpartum Women.--Section 508(s) of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-1(s)) is amended by striking
``$16,900,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021''
and inserting ``$29,931,000 for each of fiscal years 2019
through 2023''.
SEC. 3. EARLY INTERVENTIONS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND INFANTS.
(a) Development of Educational Materials by Center for
Substance Abuse Prevention.--Section 515(b) of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-21(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (13), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (14), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(15) in cooperation with relevant stakeholders and the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
develop educational materials for clinicians to use with
pregnant women for shared decisionmaking regarding pain
management during pregnancy.''.
(b) Guidelines and Recommendations by Center for Substance
Abuse Treatment.--Section 507(b) of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (13), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (14), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(15) in cooperation with the Secretary, implement and
disseminate, as appropriate, the recommendations in the
report entitled `Protecting Our Infants Act: Final Strategy'
issued by the Department of Health and Human Services in
2017; and''.
(c) Support of Partnerships by Center for Substance Abuse
Treatment.--Section 507(b) of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 290bb(b)), as amended by subsection (b), is
further amended by adding at the end the following:
``(16) in cooperation with relevant stakeholders, support
public-private partnerships to assist with education about,
and support with respect to, substance use disorder for
pregnant women and health care providers who treat pregnant
women and babies.''.
______
By Mr. CORNYN (for himself and Mr. Cruz):
S. 2714. A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Don and Deyon
Stephens, Founders of Mercy Ships, in recognition of nearly 40 years of
service as the leaders of a humanitarian relief organization that
exemplifies the compassionate character of America; to the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2714
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 and has worked in more
than 70 countries, providing services valued at more than
$1.3 billion, treating more than 2.56 million direct
beneficiaries.
(2) Mercy Ships owns and operates the world's largest
private hospital ship, the Africa Mercy that has five state-
of-the-art operating rooms and ward bed space for 82
patients.
(3) Mercy Ships vessels are staffed by professional
volunteer crew including surgeons, nurses, doctors, dentists,
cooks, engineers, agriculturalists, teachers, and others.
(4) Mercy Ships has performed more than 82,000 life-
changing or life-saving operations such as cleft lip and
palate repair, cataract removal, orthopedic procedures,
facial reconstruction, obstetric fistula repair, and tumor
removal.
(5) Mercy Ships has treated over 147,000 dental patients
including over 390,000 dental procedures.
(6) Mercy Ships has trained more than 5,900 local
professionals (including surgeons) who have in turn trained
many others.
(7) Mercy Ships has trained over 38,100 local professionals
in their area of expertise including anesthesiology,
midwifery, sterilization, orthopedic and reconstructive
surgery, and leadership, thereby increasing medical capacity
in the host nation.
(8) Mercy Ships has taught over 198,000 local people in
basic health care.
(9) Mercy Ships has completed over 1,100 infrastructure
development projects focusing on water and sanitation
education, agriculture and construction projects which
improve local health care delivery systems.
(10) Annually, Mercy Ships has over 1,600 volunteers who
help in locations around the world, 900 of which serve in
Africa. At any given time, there are more than 400 crew from
40 nations onboard the Africa Mercy.
(11) The Africa Mercy alone has had over 4,900 crew from 74
countries serve onboard since its inception in 2007. In
addition, more than 950 local Day Workers from 12 different
countries have served alongside since it first docked in
Africa.
(12) Mercy Ships has served some of the world's poorest
populations and completed over 589 port visits in 55
developing nations and 18 developed nations for a total of 73
nations including: Australia, Bahamas, Benin, Belgium,
Belize, Brazil, Canada, China, Congo Brazzaville, Columbia,
Cuba, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia,
Faroe Islands, Fiji, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany,
Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea (West Africa),
Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Italy, Ivory Coast,
Jamaica, Korea, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Madagascar,
Malta, Mexico, Montserrat, The Netherlands, New Caledonia,
New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Philippines, Poland, Russia, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone,
Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, St. Eustatius (NL), St.
Kitts, St. Thomas, St. Vincent, Sweden, Tahiti, Togo, Tonga,
Trinidad, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vanuatu.
(13) Through the years, Mercy Ships has had four hospital
ships that have served in some of the poorest ports in the
world. Those include:
(A) The 16,500-ton Africa Mercy is the world's largest
nongovernmental hospital ship and is dedicated to the
continent of Africa.
(B) The 522-foot Anastasis was the flag ship, and completed
her first relief mission in 1982 to Guatemala. Her crew of
400 worked in Africa until she was decommissioned in 2007.
(C) Acquired in 1994, the 265-foot Caribbean Mercy with her
crew of 150 focused on the Caribbean basin and Central
America with its Eye Surgery Unit. The ship was sold in 2006.
(D) Donated in 1983, the 172-foot Good Samaritan served the
Caribbean, Central and South America for 11 years with a crew
of 60. Renamed the Island Mercy, she was redeployed to the
South Pacific in 1994 and served there until sold in 2001.
(E) Mercy Ships is currently building a new hospital ship
to serve Africa's most needy for the next 50 years with
delivery expected in 2018. The new vessel, larger than the
Africa Mercy, will assume the title of world's largest
private hospital ship with increased capacity building and a
focus on healthcare training. It will also further the
commitment of Mercy Ships to provide and promote through
teaching, safe surgery globally as demonstrated by their
membership in the G4 Alliance.
(14) Mercy Ships has hosted Presidents and other heads of
state from many nations around the world onboard their
hospital ships who commended the free health care provided to
their people.
(15) Mercy Ships has been endorsed by President Nelson
Mandela, President George Bush, Desmund Tutu, President Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf, Sir John Major, President Dr. Ernest Bai
Koroma, Tony Blair, President Jimmy Carter and First Lady
Mary Flake de Flores.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate
shall make appropriate arrangements for the
[[Page S2324]]
presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of
appropriate design to Don and Deyon Stephens, Founders of
Mercy Ships.
(b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury
(referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a
gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions
to be determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of
the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 under such
regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price
sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor,
materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, and
the cost of the gold medal.
SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this
Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title
31, United States Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and
5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under
this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
______
By Ms. CANTWELL (for herself, Mr. Markey, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Van
Hollen, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Wyden, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Booker,
Mr. Reed, Mr. Nelson, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Merkley,
Mr. Carper, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Harris, and Mrs.
Feinstein):
S. 2720. A bill to codify the outer Continental Shelf blowout
preventer systems and well control rule and the Arctic drilling rule;
to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, tomorrow marks another somber occasion.
Eight years ago, the news ticker came across our televisions saying
that an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, off of Louisiana, was on fire,
the Coast Guard was on the scene, and workers were missing.
It was a Tuesday night. It was nearly midnight on April 20, 2010. By
morning light, we knew 11 men would not be going home again. For 87
days, the oil gushed into one of the most productive marine
environments in the world. The studies show the oil impacted the
deepwater corals and fish at the bottom of the food chain, all the way
from the bottom up to the dolphins and sea turtles at the top.
Here is one example. This is one in the bayous. You can see the marsh
grasses in the distance. You can see the oil as it is coming up, and it
is literally covering everything. They did studies on fish that would
be in a bayou like this. A little fish, about as big is this, is called
a killifish. LSU professors did this study, and they compared them to
the bayous where there was not this kind of oil, compared it to similar
killifish. What they found over time was the little fish in bayous like
this were stunted. They didn't reproduce. They mutated because of this.
Nearly 5 million barrels of oil gushed for 3 months. A lot of it is
still there. Some of it is at the bottom where that well was, and that
wellhead on the sea floor below the rig was a mile deep. We worked as
one gulf community in a bipartisan way. We passed legislation--it was
called the RESTORE Act--to send a message that there were going to be
fines and penalties under the Clean Water Act. So many barrels of oil,
a figure, and then the culpability of the oil company that allowed it
to happen. A Federal judge did an extended trial over several years and
came up with that fine and that penalty. The RESTORE Act said that
money that was going to be assessed against the oil company was going
back to the Gulf of Mexico region, and it was going to aid in the
economy and in the environment.
There was another impact. The winds caught that oil slick and started
sending it east from Louisiana, and it got over to the white sugary
sands of Pensacola Beach in Destin and tar balls as far east as Panama
City Beach. Those white sands were completely covered in tar and oil.
Those photographs of Pensacola Beach went around the world. What was
the result? Our guests, our visitors, our tourists, for an entire
season, thought all of the Gulf of Mexico beaches along Florida were
covered like Pensacola Beach was, and they didn't come for the entire
year. Not only did you have an environmental effect like this, you had
an economic effect like the loss of tourist revenue in the hotels,
motels, the restaurants, the dry cleaners, the little newspapers, and
all the ancillary businesses that depend upon a $60 billion-a-year
tourist industry in Florida. Still, I am afraid the oil industry hopes
we have forgotten all of this.
This month, the media released documents from 2016 in which BP claims
that an oilspill can be a welcomed boost to local economies. Can you
believe that? This oilspill was in 2010. In 2016, we have just
uncovered documents that BP claimed that an oilspill can be ``a welcome
boost to local economies.'' How outrageous and how arrogant. I can
assure you, the coastal communities of Florida vigorously disagree, and
I bet you the coastal communities that had to put up with that in their
bayous would disagree vigorously as well.
All that progress, and yet the industry is relentless in wanting to
take us backward. They still want to open up Florida's beaches and
offshore to drilling, and we have to fight it every day.
The one thing we also have going for us is, the Gulf of Mexico, off
of Florida, is the largest testing and training area for the U.S.
military in the world. This Senator just climbed into an Air Force jet
to fly part of the training profile for young pilots, knowing they have
restricted airspace. That was out of Eglin Air Force Base--the testing
and training designee for all of the Department of Defense. We have a
range that goes from the Panhandle of Florida all the way south in the
Gulf of Mexico, off of Key West. In a one-angle shot, they can shoot
sophisticated, long-range weapons 600 miles to do the testing.
Big Oil is now trying to roll back some of the basic safety rules
that were put in place after the disaster in order to prevent another
tragedy. It is happening in front of our eyes. Two years ago, they said
that an oilspill could be a welcome boost to the local economies. Yet
they are rolling back safety rules today that were put in place in the
aftermath of there being 11 people killed on the Deepwater Horizon oil
rig. They are rolling that back today in this administration's
agencies.
That is why I am joining Senator Cantwell and other colleagues in
introducing legislation to codify these sensible safety measures, like
those designed to update the standards for blowout preventers and a
requirement for a third party to certify the safety mechanisms.
Let me explain what a blowout preventer is. It didn't work in the
Deepwater Horizon oilspill. A mile below the surface, where the well
comes out of the Earth, there is a thing called a blowout preventer.
If, as happened, there is a blowout in BP's oil well, there is a
mechanism that is supposed to safely cut the oil line--pinch it and
stop it from flowing. It was faulty. It did not work. So there have
been new standards for blowout preventers since 2010. In 2018, 8 years
later, the oil industry is trying to roll back those safety
requirements that were put in place in the aftermath of their spilling
5 million barrels of oil into the gulf.
Do you see the fight that we have? It is almost every week. We can't
allow the Department of the Interior to take us backward in time and
expose our beautiful beaches and our tourism-based local economies, as
well as our military, to another Deepwater Horizon-type catastrophe if
they keep pushing back these safety rules.
That is the purpose of introducing this legislation today with
Senator Cantwell. If we don't watch it, we are going to be right back
in the same place we were 8 years ago. It will be 8 years ago to the
day tomorrow that we had that awful experience.
______
By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Booker, Mr. Leahy, and
Ms. Warren):
S. 2724. A bill to reform the use of solitary confinement and other
forms of restrictive housing in the Bureau of Prisons, and for other
purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2724
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Solitary Confinement Reform
Act''.
[[Page S2325]]
SEC. 2. SOLITARY CONFINEMENT REFORMS.
(a) Amendment.--Chapter 303 of title 18, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 4050. Solitary confinement
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Administrative maximum facility.--The term
`administrative maximum facility' means a maximum-security
facility, including the Administrative Maximum facility in
Florence, Colorado, designed to house inmates who present an
ongoing significant and serious threat to other inmates,
staff, and the public.
``(2) Administrative segregation.--The term `administrative
segregation' means a non-punitive form of solitary
confinement that removes an individual from the general
population of a correctional facility for--
``(A) investigative, protective, or preventative reasons
resulting in a substantial and immediate threat; or
``(B) transitional reasons, including a pending transfer,
pending classification, or other temporary administrative
matter.
``(3) Appropriate level of care.--The term `appropriate
level of care' means the appropriate treatment setting for
mental health care that an inmate with mental illness
requires, which may include outpatient care, emergency or
crisis services, day treatment, supported residential
housing, infirmary care, or inpatient psychiatric
hospitalization services.
``(4) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director of
the Bureau of Prisons.
``(5) Disciplinary hearing officer.--The term `disciplinary
hearing officer' means an employee of the Bureau of Prisons
who is responsible for conducting disciplinary hearings for
which solitary confinement may be a sanction, as described in
section 541.8 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, or
any successor thereto.
``(6) Disciplinary segregation.--The term `disciplinary
segregation' means a punitive form of solitary confinement
imposed only by a Disciplinary Hearing Officer as a sanction
for committing a significant and serious disciplinary
infraction.
``(7) Intellectual disability.--The term `intellectual
disability' means a significant mental impairment
characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual
functioning and in adaptive behavior.
``(8) Multidisciplinary staff committee.--The term
`multidisciplinary staff committee' means a committee--
``(A) made up of staff at the facility where an inmate
resides who are responsible for reviewing the initial
placement of the inmate in solitary confinement and any
extensions of time in solitary confinement; and
``(B) which shall include--
``(i) not less than 1 licensed mental health professional;
``(ii) not less than 1 medical professional; and
``(iii) not less than 1 member of the leadership of the
facility.
``(9) Ongoing significant and serious threat.--The term
`ongoing significant and serious threat' means an ongoing set
of circumstances that require the highest level of security
and staff supervision for an inmate who, by the behavior of
the inmate--
``(A) has been identified as assaultive, predacious,
riotous, or a serious escape risk; and
``(B) poses a great risk to other inmates, staff, and the
public.
``(10) Protection case.--The term `protection case' means
an inmate who, by the request of the inmate or through a
staff determination, requires protection, as described by
section 541.23(c)(3) of title 28, Code of Federal
Regulations, or any successor thereto.
``(11) Serious mental illness.--The term `serious mental
illness' means a substantial disorder of thought or mood that
significantly impairs judgment, behavior, capacity to
recognize reality, or ability to cope with the ordinary
demands of life.
``(12) Significant and serious disciplinary infraction.--
The term `significant and serious disciplinary infraction'
means--
``(A) an act of violence that either--
``(i) resulted in or was likely to result in serious injury
or death to another; or
``(ii) occurred in connection with any act of non-
consensual sex; or
``(B) an escape, attempted escape, or conspiracy to escape
from within a security perimeter or custody, or both; or
``(C) possession of weapons, possession of illegal
narcotics with intent to distribute, or other similar, severe
threats to the safety of the inmate, other inmates, staff, or
the public.
``(13) Solitary confinement.--The term `solitary
confinement' means confinement characterized by substantial
isolation in a cell, alone or with other inmates, including
administrative segregation, disciplinary segregation, and
confinement in any facility designated by the Bureau of
Prisons as a special housing unit, special management unit,
or administrative maximum facility.
``(14) Special administrative measures.--The term `special
administrative measures' means reasonably necessary measures
used to--
``(A) prevent disclosure of classified information upon
written certification to the Attorney General by the head of
an element of the intelligence community (as specified or
designated under section 3(4) of the National Security Act of
1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4))) that the unauthorized disclosure of
such information would pose a threat to the national security
and that there is a danger that the inmate will disclose such
information, as described by section 501.2 of title 28, Code
of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto; or
``(B) protect persons against the risk of death or serious
bodily injury, upon written notification to the Director by
the Attorney General or, at the Attorney General's direction,
by the head of a Federal law enforcement agency, or the head
of an element of the intelligence community (as specified or
designated under section 3(4) of the National Security Act of
1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4))), that there is a substantial risk
that the communications of an inmate or contacts by the
inmate with other persons could result in death or serious
bodily injury to persons, or substantial damage to property
that would entail the risk of death or serious bodily injury
to persons, as described by section 501.3 of title 28, Code
of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto.
``(15) Special housing unit.--The term `special housing
unit' means a housing unit in an institution of the Bureau of
Prisons in which inmates are securely separated from the
general inmate population for disciplinary or administrative
reasons, as described in section 541.21 of title 28, Code of
Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto.
``(16) Special management unit.--The term `special
management unit' means a non-punitive housing program with
multiple, step-down phases for inmates whose history,
behavior, or situation requires enhanced management
approaches in order to ensure the safety of other inmates,
the staff, and the public.
``(17) Substantial and immediate threat.--The term
`substantial and immediate threat' means any set of temporary
and unforeseen circumstances that require immediate action in
order to combat a threat to the safety of an inmate, other
inmates, staff, or the public.
``(b) Use of Solitary Confinement.--
``(1) In general.--The placement of a Federal inmate in
solitary confinement within the Bureau of Prisons or any
facility that contracts with the Bureau of Prisons to provide
housing for inmates in Federal custody shall be limited to
situations in which such confinement--
``(A) is limited to the briefest term and the least
restrictive conditions practicable, including not less than 4
hours of out-of-cell time every day, unless the inmate poses
a substantial and immediate threat;
``(B) is consistent with the rationale for placement and
with the progress achieved by the inmate;
``(C) allows the inmate to participate in meaningful
programming opportunities and privileges as consistent with
those available in the general population as practicable,
either individually or in a classroom setting;
``(D) allows the inmate to have as much meaningful
interaction with others, such as other inmates, visitors,
clergy, or licensed mental health professionals, as
practicable; and
``(E) complies with the provisions of this section.
``(2) Transitional process for inmates in solitary
confinement.--
``(A) Inmates with upcoming release dates.--The Director
shall establish--
``(i) policies to ensure that an inmate with an anticipated
release date of 180 days or less is not housed in solitary
confinement, unless--
``(I) such confinement is limited to not more than 5 days
of administrative segregation relating to the upcoming
release of the inmate; or
``(II) the inmate poses a substantial and immediate threat;
and
``(ii) a transitional process for each inmate with an
anticipated release date of 180 days or less who is held in
solitary confinement under clause (i)(II), which shall
include--
``(I) substantial re-socialization programming in a group
setting;
``(II) regular mental health counseling to assist with the
transition; and
``(III) re-entry planning services offered to inmates in a
general population setting.
``(B) Inmates in long-term solitary confinement.--The
Director shall establish a transitional process for each
inmate who has been held in solitary confinement for more
than 30 days and who will transition into a general
population unit, which shall include--
``(i) substantial re-socialization programming in a group
setting; and
``(ii) regular mental health counseling to assist with the
transition.
``(3) Protective custody units.--The Director--
``(A) shall establish within the Federal prison system
additional general population protective custody units that
provide sheltered general population housing to protect
inmates from harm that they may otherwise be exposed to in a
typical general population housing unit;
``(B) shall establish policies to ensure that an inmate who
is considered a protection case shall, upon request of the
inmate, be placed in a general population protective custody
unit;
``(C) shall create an adequate number of general population
protective custody units to--
``(i) accommodate the requests of inmates who are
considered to be protection cases; and
[[Page S2326]]
``(ii) ensure that inmates who are considered to be
protection cases are placed in facilities as close to their
homes as practicable; and
``(D) may not place an inmate who is considered to be a
protection case in solitary confinement due to the status of
the inmate as a protection case unless--
``(i) the inmate requests to be placed in solitary
confinement, in which case, at the request of the inmate the
inmate shall be transferred to a general population
protective custody unit or, if appropriate, a different
general population unit; or
``(ii) such confinement is limited to--
``(I) not more than 5 days of administrative segregation;
and
``(II) is necessary to protect the inmate during
preparation for transfer to a general population protective
custody unit or a different general population unit.
``(4) Vulnerable populations.--The Bureau of Prisons or any
facility that contracts with the Bureau of Prisons shall not
place an inmate in solitary confinement if--
``(A) the inmate is younger than 18 years of age, unless--
``(i) such confinement is a temporary response to the
behavior of the inmate, which poses a substantial and
immediate threat;
``(ii) all other options to de-escalate the situation have
been exhausted, including less restrictive techniques such
as--
``(I) penalizing the inmate through loss of privileges;
``(II) speaking with the inmate in an attempt to de-
escalate the situation; and
``(III) a licensed mental health professional providing an
appropriate level of care;
``(iii) such confinement is limited to--
``(I) 3 hours after the inmate is placed in solitary
confinement, if the inmate poses a substantial and immediate
threat to others; or
``(II) 30 minutes after the inmate is placed in solitary
confinement, if the inmate poses a substantial and immediate
threat only to himself or herself; and
``(iv) if, after the applicable maximum period of
confinement under subclause (I) or (II) of clause (iii) has
expired, the inmate continues to pose a substantial and
immediate threat described in that subclause--
``(I) the inmate shall be transferred to another facility
or internal location where services can be provided to the
inmate without relying on solitary confinement; or
``(II) if a qualified mental health professional believes
the level of crisis service needed is not currently
available, a staff member of the facility shall initiate a
referral to a location that can meet the needs of the inmate;
``(B) the inmate has a serious mental illness, has an
intellectual disability, has a physical disability that a
licensed medical professional finds is likely to be
exacerbated by placement in solitary confinement, is pregnant
or in the first 8 weeks of the post-partum recovery period
after giving birth, or has been determined by a licensed
mental health professional to likely be significantly
adversely affected by placement in solitary confinement,
unless--
``(i) the inmate poses a substantial and immediate threat;
``(ii) all other options to de-escalate the situation have
been exhausted, including less restrictive techniques such
as--
``(I) penalizing the inmate through loss of privileges;
``(II) speaking with the inmate in an attempt to de-
escalate the situation; and
``(III) a licensed mental health professional providing an
appropriate level of care;
``(iii) such confinement is limited to the briefest term
and the least restrictive conditions practicable, including
access to medical and mental health treatment;
``(iv) such confinement is reviewed by a multidisciplinary
staff committee for appropriateness every 24 hours; and
``(v) as soon as practicable, but not later than 5 days
after such confinement begins, the inmate is diverted, upon
release from solitary confinement, to--
``(I) a general population unit;
``(II) a protective custody unit described in paragraph
(3); or
``(III) a mental health treatment program as described in
subsection (c)(2);
``(C) the inmate is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (as
defined in section 115.5 of title 28, Code of Federal
Regulations, or any successor thereto), intersex (as defined
in section 115.5 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, or
any successor thereto), or gender nonconforming (as defined
in section 115.5 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, or
any successor thereto), when such placement is solely on the
basis of such identification or status; or
``(D) the inmate is HIV positive, if the placement is
solely on the basis of the HIV positive status of the inmate.
``(5) Special housing units.--The Director shall--
``(A) limit administrative segregation--
``(i) to situations in which such segregation is necessary
to--
``(I) control a substantial and immediate threat that
cannot be addressed through alternative housing; or
``(II) temporarily house an inmate pending transfer,
pending classification, or pending resolution of another
temporary administrative matter; and
``(ii) to a duration of not more than 15 consecutive days,
and not more than 20 days in a 60-day period, unless--
``(I) the inmate requests to remain in administrative
segregation under paragraph (3)(D)(i); or
``(II) in order to address the continued existence of a
substantial and immediate threat, a multidisciplinary staff
committee approves a temporary extension, which--
``(aa) may not be longer than 15 days; and
``(bb) shall be reviewed by the multidisciplinary staff
committee every 3 days during the period of the extension, in
order to confirm the continued existence of the substantial
and immediate threat;
``(B) limit disciplinary segregation--
``(i) to situations in which such segregation is necessary
to punish an inmate who has been found to have committed a
significant and serious disciplinary infraction by a
Disciplinary Hearing Officer and alternative sanctions would
not adequately regulate the behavior of the inmate; and
``(ii) to a duration of not more than 30 consecutive days,
and not more than 40 days in a 60-day period, unless a
multidisciplinary staff committee, in consultation with the
Disciplinary Hearing Officer who presided over the inmate's
disciplinary hearing, determines that the significant and
serious disciplinary infraction of which the inmate was found
guilty is of such an egregious and violent nature that a
longer sanction is appropriate and approves a longer
sanction, which--
``(I) may be not more than 60 days in a special housing
unit if the inmate has never before been found guilty of a
similar significant and serious disciplinary infraction; or
``(II) may be not more than 90 days in a special housing
unit if the inmate has previously been found guilty of a
similar significant and serious disciplinary infraction;
``(C) ensure that any time spent in administrative
segregation during an investigation into an alleged offense
is credited as time served for a disciplinary segregation
sentence;
``(D) ensure that concurrent sentences are imposed for
disciplinary violations arising from the same episode; and
``(E) ensure that an inmate may be released from
disciplinary segregation for good behavior before completing
the term of the inmate, unless the inmate poses a substantial
and immediate threat to the safety of other inmates, staff,
or the public.
``(6) Special management units.--The Director shall--
``(A) limit segregation in a special management unit to
situations in which such segregation is necessary to
temporarily house an inmate whose history, behavior, or
circumstances require enhanced management approaches that
cannot be addressed through alternative housing;
``(B) evaluate whether further reductions to the minimum
and maximum number of months an inmate may spend in a special
management unit are appropriate on an annual basis;
``(C) ensure that each inmate understands the status of the
inmate in the special management unit program and how the
inmate may progress through the program; and
``(D) further reduce the minimum and maximum number of
months an inmate may spend in a special management unit if
the Director determines such reductions are appropriate after
evaluations are performed under subparagraph (B).
``(7) Administrative maximum facilities.--The Director
shall--
``(A) limit segregation in an administrative maximum
facility to situations in which such segregation is necessary
to--
``(i) implement special administrative measures, as
directed by the Attorney General; or
``(ii) house an inmate who poses an ongoing significant and
serious threat to the safety of other inmates, staff, or the
public that cannot be addressed through alternative housing;
and
``(B) issue final approval of referral of any inmate who
poses an ongoing significant and serious threat for placement
in an Administrative Maximum facility, including the United
States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum in Florence,
Colorado.
``(8) Right to review placement in solitary confinement.--
The Director shall ensure that each inmate placed in solitary
confinement has access to--
``(A) written notice thoroughly detailing the basis for
placement or continued placement in solitary confinement not
later than 6 hours after the beginning of such placement,
including--
``(i) thorough documentation explaining why such
confinement is permissible and necessary under paragraph (1);
and
``(ii) if an exception under paragraph (2)(A), (3)(D),
(4)(A), (4)(B), (4)(C), (5)(A), or (5)(B) is used to justify
placement in solitary confinement or under paragraph (1) to
justify increased restrictive conditions in solitary
confinement, thorough documentation explaining why such an
exception applied;
``(B) a timely, thorough, and continuous review process
that--
``(i) occurs within not less than 3 days of placement in
solitary confinement, and thereafter at least--
``(I) on a weekly basis for inmates in special housing
units;
``(II) on a monthly basis for inmates in special management
units; and
``(III) on a monthly basis for inmates at an administrative
maximum facility;
``(ii) includes private, face-to-face interviews with a
multidisciplinary staff committee; and
``(iii) examines whether--
[[Page S2327]]
``(I) placement in solitary confinement was and remains
necessary;
``(II) the conditions of confinement comply with this
section; and
``(III) whether any exception under paragraph (2)(A),
(3)(D), (4)(A), (4)(B), (4)(C), (5)(A), or (5)(B) used to
justify placement in solitary confinement or under paragraph
(1) used to justify increased restrictive conditions in
solitary confinement was and remains warranted;
``(C) a process to appeal the initial placement or
continued placement of the inmate in solitary confinement;
``(D) prompt and timely written notice of the appeal
procedures; and
``(E) copies of all documents, files, and records relating
to the inmate's placement in solitary confinement, unless
such documents contain contraband, classified information, or
sensitive security-related information.
``(c) Mental Health Care for Inmates in Solitary
Confinement.--
``(1) Mental health screening.--Not later than 6 hours
after an inmate in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons or
any facility that contracts with the Bureau of Prisons to
provide housing for inmates in Federal custody is placed in
solitary confinement, the inmate shall receive a
comprehensive, face-to-face mental health evaluation by a
licensed mental health professional in a confidential
setting.
``(2) Mental health treatment program.--An inmate diagnosed
with a serious mental illness after an evaluation required
under paragraph (1)--
``(A) shall not be placed in solitary confinement in
accordance with subsection (b)(4); and
``(B) may be diverted to a mental health treatment program
within the Bureau of Prisons that provides an appropriate
level of care to address the inmate's mental health needs.
``(3) Continuing evaluations.--After each 14-calendar-day
period an inmate is held in continuous placement in solitary
confinement--
``(A) a licensed mental health professional shall conduct a
comprehensive, face-to-face, out-of-cell mental health
evaluation of the inmate in a confidential setting; and
``(B) the Director shall adjust the placement of the inmate
in accordance with this subsection.
``(4) Requirement.--The Director shall operate mental
health treatment programs in order to ensure that inmates of
all security levels with serious mental illness have access
to an appropriate level of care.
``(d) Training for Bureau of Prisons Staff.--
``(1) Training.--All employees of the Bureau of Prisons or
any facility that contracts with the Bureau of Prisons to
provide housing for inmates in Federal custody who interact
with inmates on a regular basis shall be required to complete
training in--
``(A) the recognition of symptoms of mental illness;
``(B) the potential risks and side effects of psychiatric
medications;
``(C) de-escalation techniques for safely managing
individuals with mental illness;
``(D) consequences of untreated mental illness;
``(E) the long- and short-term psychological effects of
solitary confinement; and
``(F) de-escalation and communication techniques to divert
inmates from situations that may lead to the inmate being
placed in solitary confinement.
``(2) Notification to medical staff.--An employee of the
Bureau of Prisons shall immediately notify a member of the
medical or mental health staff if the employee--
``(A) observes an inmate with signs of mental illness,
unless such employee has knowledge that the inmate's signs of
mental illness have previously been reported; or
``(B) observes an inmate with signs of mental health
crisis.
``(e) Civil Rights Ombudsman.--
``(1) In general.--Within the Bureau of Prisons, there
shall be a position of the Civil Rights Ombudsman (referred
to in this subsection as the `Ombudsman') and an Office of
the Civil Rights Ombudsman.
``(2) Appointment.--The Ombudsman shall be appointed by the
Attorney General and shall report directly to the Director.
The Ombudsman shall have a background in corrections and
civil rights and shall have expertise on the effects of
prolonged solitary confinement.
``(3) Reporting.--The Director shall ensure that each
Bureau of Prisons facility or any facility that contracts
with the Bureau of Prisons provides multiple internal ways
for inmates and others to promptly report civil rights
violations and violations of this section to the Ombudsman,
including--
``(A) not less than 2 procedures for inmates and others to
report civil rights violations and violations of this section
to an entity or office that is not part of the facility, and
that is able to receive and immediately forward inmate
reports to the Ombudsman, allowing the inmate to remain
anonymous upon request; and
``(B) not less than 2 procedures for inmates and others to
report civil rights abuses and violations of this section to
the Ombudsman in a confidential manner, allowing the inmate
to remain anonymous upon request.
``(4) Notice.--The Director shall ensure that each Bureau
of Prisons facility or any facility that contracts with the
Bureau of Prisons provides inmates with--
``(A) notice of how to report civil rights violations and
violations of this section in accordance with paragraph (3),
including--
``(i) notice prominently posted in the living and common
areas of each such facility;
``(ii) individual notice to inmates at initial intake into
the Bureau of Prisons, when transferred to a new facility,
and when placed in solitary confinement;
``(iii) notice to inmates with disabilities in accessible
formats; and
``(iv) written or verbal notice in a language the inmate
understands; and
``(B) notice of permissible practices related to solitary
confinement in the Bureau of Prisons, including the
requirements of this section.
``(5) Functions.--The Ombudsman shall--
``(A) review all complaints the Ombudsman receives;
``(B) investigate all complaints that allege a civil rights
violation or violation of this section;
``(C) refer all possible violations of law to the
Department of Justice;
``(D) refer to the Director allegations of misconduct
involving Bureau of Prisons staff;
``(E) identify areas in which the Bureau of Prisons can
improve the Bureau's policies and practices to ensure that
the civil rights of inmates are protected;
``(F) identify areas in which the Bureau of Prisons can
improve the solitary confinement policies and practices of
the Bureau and reduce the use of solitary confinement; and
``(G) propose changes to the policies and practices of the
Bureau of Prisons to mitigate problems and address issues the
Ombudsman identifies.
``(6) Access.--The Ombudsman shall have unrestricted access
to Bureau of Prisons facilities and any facility that
contracts with the Bureau of Prisons and shall be able to
speak privately with inmates and staff.
``(7) Annual reports.--
``(A) Objectives.--Not later than December 31 of each year,
the Ombudsman shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary
of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House
of Representatives a report on the activities of the Office
of the Ombudsman for the fiscal year ending in such calendar
year.
``(B) Contents.--Each report submitted under subparagraph
(A)--
``(i) contain full and substantive analysis, in addition to
statistical information;
``(ii) identify the recommendations the Office of the
Ombudsman has made on addressing reported civil rights
violations and violations of this section and reducing the
use and improving the practices of solitary confinement in
the Bureau of Prisons;
``(iii) contain a summary of problems relating to reported
civil rights violations and violations of this section,
including a detailed description of the nature of such
problems and a breakdown of where the problems occur among
Bureau of Prisons facilities and facilities that contract
with the Bureau of Prisons;
``(iv) contain an inventory of the items described in
clauses (ii) and (iii) for which action has been taken and
the result of such action;
``(v) contain an inventory of the items described in
clauses (ii) and (iii) for which action remains to be
completed and the period during which each item has remained
on such inventory;
``(vi) contain an inventory of the items described in
clauses (ii) and (iii) for which no action has been taken,
the period during which each item has remained on such
inventory, the reasons for the inaction, and shall identify
any official of the Bureau of Prisons who is responsible for
such inaction;
``(vii) contain recommendations for such legislative or
administrative action as may be appropriate to resolve
problems identified in clause (iii); and
``(viii) include such other information as the Ombudsman
determines necessary.
``(C) Submission of reports.--Each report required under
this paragraph shall be provided directly to the Committees
described in subparagraph (A) without any prior review,
comment, or amendment from the Director or any other officer
or employee of the Department of Justice or Bureau of
Prisons.
``(8) Regular meetings with the director of the bureau of
prisons.--The Ombudsman shall meet regularly with the
Director to identify problems with reported civil rights
violations and the solitary confinement policies and
practices of the Bureau of Prisons, including overuse of
solitary confinement, and to present recommendations for such
administrative action as may be appropriate to resolve
problems relating to reported civil rights violations and the
solitary confinement policies and practices of the Bureau of
Prisons.
``(9) Responsibilities of bureau of prisons.--The Director
shall establish procedures requiring that, not later than 3
months after the date on which a recommendation is submitted
to the Director by the Ombudsman, the Director or other
appropriate employee of the Bureau of Prisons issue a formal
response to the recommendation.
``(10) Non-application of the prison litigation reform
act.--Inmate reports sent to the Ombudsman shall not be
considered an administrative remedy under section 7(a) of the
Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (42 U.S.C.
1997e(a)).''.
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of
sections for chapter 303
[[Page S2328]]
of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 4049 the following:
``4050. Solitary confinement.''.
SEC. 3. REASSESSMENT OF INMATE MENTAL HEALTH.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall--
(1) assemble a team of licensed mental health
professionals, which may include licensed mental health
professionals who are not employed by the Bureau of Prisons,
to conduct a comprehensive mental health reevaluation for
each inmate held in solitary confinement for more than 30
days as of the date of enactment of this Act, including a
confidential, face-to-face, out-of-cell interview by a
licensed mental health professional; and
(2) adjust the placement of each inmate in accordance with
section 4050(c) of title 18, United States Code, as added by
section 2.
SEC. 4. DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF PRISONS.
Section 4041 of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before the ``The
Bureau of Prisons shall be''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Ombudsman.--The Director of the Bureau of Prisons
shall--
``(1) meet regularly with the Ombudsman appointed under
section 4050(e) to identify how the Bureau of Prisons can
address reported civil rights violations and reduce the use
of solitary confinement and correct problems in the solitary
confinement policies and practices of the Bureau;
``(2) conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of each
referral from the Ombudsman under section 4050(e)(5)(D),
after each such investigation take appropriate disciplinary
action against any Bureau of Prisons employee who is found to
have engaged in misconduct or to have violated Bureau of
Prisons policy, and notify the Ombudsman of the outcome of
each such investigation; and
``(3) establish procedures requiring a formal response by
the Bureau of Prisons to any recommendation of the Ombudsman
in the annual report submitted under section 4050(e)(6) not
later than 90 days after the date on which the report is
submitted to Congress.''.
SEC. 5. DATA TRACKING OF USE OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT.
Section 4047 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(d) Prison Solitary Confinement Assessments.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than March 31 of each year,
the Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall prepare and
transmit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and
the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives an annual assessment of the use of solitary
confinement by the Bureau of Prisons, as defined in section
4050(a).
``(2) Contents.--Each assessment submitted under paragraph
(1) shall include--
``(A) the policies and regulations of the Bureau of
Prisons, including any changes in policies and regulations,
for determining which inmates are placed in each form of
solitary confinement, or housing in which an inmate is
separated from the general population in use during the
reporting period, and a detailed description of each form of
solitary confinement in use, including all maximum and high
security facilities, all special housing units, all special
management units, all Administrative Maximum facilities,
including the United States Penitentiary Administrative
Maximum in Florence, Colorado, and all Communication
Management Units;
``(B) the number of inmates in the custody of the Bureau of
Prisons who are housed in each type of solitary confinement
for any period and the percentage of all inmates who have
spent at least some time in each form of solitary confinement
during the reporting period;
``(C) the demographics of all inmates housed in each type
of solitary confinement described in subparagraph (A),
including race, ethnicity, religion, age, and gender;
``(D) the policies and regulations of the Bureau of
Prisons, including any updates in policies and regulations,
for subsequent reviews or appeals of the placement of an
inmate into or out of solitary confinement;
``(E) the number of reviews of and challenges to each type
of solitary confinement placement described in subparagraph
(A) conducted during the reporting period and the number of
reviews or appeals that directly resulted in a change of
placement;
``(F) the general conditions and restrictions for each type
of solitary confinement described in subparagraph (A),
including the number of hours spent in `isolation,' or
restraint, for each, and the percentage of time these
conditions involve single-inmate housing;
``(G) the mean and median length of stay in each form of
solitary confinement described in subparagraph (A), based on
all individuals released from solitary confinement during the
reporting period, including maximum and high security
facilities, special housing units, special management units,
the Administrative Maximum facilities, including the United
States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum in Florence,
Colorado, Communication Management Units, and any maximum
length of stay during the reporting period;
``(H) the number of inmates who, after a stay of 5 or more
days in solitary confinement, were released directly from
solitary confinement to the public during the reporting
period;
``(I) the cost for each form of solitary confinement
described in subparagraph (A) in use during the reporting
period, including as compared with the average daily cost of
housing an inmate in the general population;
``(J) statistics for inmate assaults on correctional
officers and staff of the Bureau of Prisons, inmate-on-inmate
assaults, and staff-on-inmate use of force incidents in the
various forms of solitary confinement described in
subparagraph (A) and statistics for such assaults in the
general population;
``(K) the policies for mental health screening, mental
health treatment, and subsequent mental health reviews for
all inmates, including any update to the policies, and any
additional screening, treatment, and monitoring for inmates
in solitary confinement;
``(L) a statement of the types of mental health staff that
conducted mental health assessments for the Bureau of Prisons
during the reporting period, a description of the different
positions in the mental health staff of the Bureau of
Prisons, and the number of part- and full-time psychologists
and psychiatrists employed by the Bureau of Prisons during
the reporting period;
``(M) data on mental health and medical indicators for all
inmates in solitary confinement, including--
``(i) the number of inmates requiring medication for mental
health conditions;
``(ii) the number diagnosed with an intellectual
disability;
``(iii) the number diagnosed with serious mental illness;
``(iv) the number of suicides;
``(v) the number of attempted suicides and number of
inmates placed on suicide watch;
``(vi) the number of instances of self-harm committed by
inmates;
``(vii) the number of inmates with physical disabilities,
including blind, deaf, and mobility-impaired inmates; and
``(viii) the number of instances of forced feeding of
inmates; and
``(N) any other relevant data.''.
SEC. 6. NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER ON SOLITARY CONFINEMENT
REDUCTION AND REFORM.
(a) Definition of Eligible Entity.--In this section, the
term ``eligible entity'' means an entity, or a partnership of
entities, that has demonstrated expertise in the fields of--
(1) solitary confinement, including the reduction and
reform of its use; and
(2) providing technical assistance to corrections agencies
on how to reduce and reform solitary confinement.
(b) Requirements.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Bureau of Justice Assistance
shall enter into a cooperative agreement, on a competitive
basis, with an eligible entity for the purpose of
establishing a coordinating center for State, local, and
Federal corrections systems, which shall conduct activities
such as--
(1) provide on-site technical assistance and consultation
to Federal, State, and local corrections agencies to safely
reduce the use of solitary confinement;
(2) act as a clearinghouse for research, data, and
information on the safe reduction of solitary confinement in
prisons and other custodial settings, including facilitating
the exchange of information between Federal, State, and local
practitioners, national experts, and researchers;
(3) create a minimum of 10 learning sites in Federal,
State, and local jurisdictions that have already reduced
their use of solitary confinement and work with other
Federal, State, and local agencies to participate in
training, consultation, and other forms of assistance and
partnership with these learning sites;
(4) conduct evaluations of jurisdictions that have
decreased their use of solitary confinement to determine best
practices;
(5) conduct research on the effectiveness of alternatives
to solitary confinement, such as step-down or transitional
programs, strategies to reintegrate inmates into general
population, the role of officers and staff culture in reform
efforts, and other research relevant to the safe reduction of
solitary confinement;
(6) develop and disseminate a toolkit for systems to reduce
the excessive use of solitary confinement;
(7) develop and disseminate an online self-assessment tool
for State and local jurisdictions to assess their own use of
solitary confinement and identify strategies to reduce its
use; and
(8) conduct public webinars to highlight new and promising
practices.
(c) Administration.--The program under this section shall
be administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
(d) Report.--On an annual basis, the coordinating center
shall report to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate
and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives on its activities and any changes in solitary
confinement policy at the Federal, State, or local level that
have resulted from its activities.
(e) Duration.--The Bureau of Justice Assistance shall enter
into a cooperative agreement under this section for 5 years.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated--
(1) to the Director of the Bureau of Prisons such sums as
may be necessary to carry out sections 2, 3, 4, and 5, and
the amendments made by such sections; and
[[Page S2329]]
(2) to the Bureau of Justice Assistance such sums as may be
necessary to carry out section 6.
SEC. 8. NOTICE AND COMMENT REQUIREMENT.
The Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall prescribe
rules, in accordance with section 553 of title 5, United
States Code, to carry out this Act and the amendments made by
this Act.
SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.
Except as otherwise provided, this Act and the amendments
made by this Act shall take effect 18 months after the date
of enactment of this Act.
____________________