The Nineties in America Legislation: Major U.S. Legislation 987
Year Legislation Significance
1996 Food Quality Protection Act Expedited government approval of pesticides used on fruits and
vegetables but mandated that the Environmental Protection Agency
consider special protections for children when setting pesticide
tolerance levels; repealed provisions that forbade any trace of pesticides
in processed foods.
1996 Telecommunications Act Permitted the seven regional Bell telephone companies to enter into
the long-distance market and eased price controls on long-distance
telephone companies; part of the law was ruled unconstitutional by
the U.S. Supreme Court a year later.
1996 Cuban Liberty and Democratic
Solidarity Act
Codified existing economic sanctions against Cuba and authorized U.S.
assistance for democracy-building efforts in Cuba.1996 Federal Agriculture Improvement
and Reform Act
Replaced the existing federal farm subsidy policy; provided $300 million
for a new rural development fund and $2.5 billion to help reduce soil
erosion and manure runoff.1996 Safe Drinking Water Act
Amendments
Gave the Environmental Protection Agency greater flexibility in revising
drinking water standards; required water providers to publish reports
about contaminants in water system; authorized $7.6 billion over seven
years for federal grants to states.1996 Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act
Allowed portability of health insurance for individuals who changed
jobs, lost their jobs, or became self-employed; increased penalties for
defrauding the government through federal health care programs.1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and
Immigrant Responsibility Act
Provided for an additional five thousand border patrol agents over the
next five years; made it more difficult for illegal immigrants to gain
access to benefit programs such as housing assistance, welfare, Social
Security, and student aid.1996 Personal Responsibility and Work
Opportunity Reconciliation Act
Ended the federal guarantee of cash welfare payments; granted states
broad authority in designating and running their own welfare programs;
modified laws dealing with food stamps, immigration, supplement
security income benefits, and child-care programs.1996 Economic Growth and Regulatory
Paperwork Reduction Act
Eased regulation of the banking industry; simplified disclosure
requirements; strengthened the rights of consumers to correct errors in
credit reports or to request credit information; lessened requirements
on foreign banks seeking to open U.S. branches.1997 Military Construction
Appropriations Act
Enacted over President Bill Clinton’s veto, this law restored funding to
military construction legislation.1997 State Children’s Health Insurance
Program
Furnished $20 billion in federal matching funds over a four-year
period for health care coverage for low-income children; allowed
states flexibility in determining benefits; offset costs of this program
with a 15-cents-per-pack increase in cigarette taxes.1997 Taxpayer Relief Act Provided an estimated $401 billion in tax cuts and $126 billion in
offsetting tax increases over ten years.
1997 Balanced Budget Act Mandated $263 billion in deficit reduction over five years, including
entitlement program savings and limits on discretionary spending.