Economic Equity Act of 1987

Economic Equity Act of 1987 - Title I: Employment - Part A: Pay Equity - Federal Employee Compensation Equity Act of 1987 - Establishes the Commission on Compensation Equity to provide for a consultant to study the classification, grading, and pay-setting processes within and between the position classification system and the job-grading system. Requires the study to determine whether these processes result in the payment of rates of basic pay for positions: (1) in which either sex is numerically predominant or any race or ethnic group is disproportionately represented; and (2) where such differences in pay are not in proportion to the duties, difficulty, responsibility, or qualification requirements of the work performed.

Provides a timetable for: (1) the Commission to report to appropriate congressional committees and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management with advisory recommendations; (2) the Director to report to the committees and the Commission with a plan to carry out any of the recommendations; (3) additional comments from the Commission; and (4) termination of the Commission.

Part B: Equal Credit - Amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to prohibit the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from exempting from such Act any class of credit transactions that are primarily for personal, family, or household purposes. Permits the Board to exempt (for five years) a type or class of business or commercial transaction only after determining that application of such Act to such transaction would not contribute substantially to effecting the purposes of such Act.

Part C: Pension and Health Benefits for Nonfull-time Workers - Part-Time and Temporary Workers Protection Act of 1987 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to bring certain part-time employees within the participation, vesting, and accrual rules governing pension plans. Addresses any employee who, within a relevant 12-month period: (1) has customarily completed more than 500 but fewer than 1,000 hours of service; or (2) is employed in a type of position in which employment customarily consists of such a number of hours. Provides that completion of such hours of service will be treated as completion of 1,000 hours of service (thereby bringing the employee within the ERISA benefit framework).

Permits a reduction in the employer-provided premium under a group health plan in the case of a part-time employee only when such employee: (1) has customarily completed fewer than 30 hours of service per week; or (2) is employed in a type of position in which employment customarily consists of such a number of hours. Limits such a premium reduction, when permissible, to not less than a ratable portion of the premium ordinarily provided in the case of an employee who completes 30 hours of service per week.

Revises the ERISA definition of "employee" to include non-employees who, pursuant to a contract or agreement, provide employee-like service to an employer for at least one year at the rate of 500 or more hours per year.

Part D: Economic Security - Social Security Equity Act of 1987 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to provide that the combined earnings of a married couple which are attributable to the period of their marriage shall be shared equally between them for purposes of determining the eligibility for, and amount of, OASDI benefits to which each spouse is or may become separately entitled.

Credits the survivor of the marriage with 100 percent of the combined total wages for the period of the marriage.

Provides that this Act shall not apply in specified cases when it would result in a reduction of OASDI benefits.

Sets forth certain age and marriage requirements with which married couples must comply in order for this Act to apply.

Repeals the separate definition of disability applicable to widows and widowers. Permits the months of a widow's or widower's entitlement to Supplemental Security Income benefits (title XVI of the Social Security Act) on the basis of a disability to be counted toward the 24 months needed to become entitled to hospital insurance benefits under Medicare (title XVIII of the Social Security Act) on that basis.

Pension Reform Act of 1987 - Amends the Tax Reform Act of 1986 to extend to all accrued benefits existing in plan year 1989 and thereafter the amendments made with regard to the nondiscriminatory coordination of defined contribution plans with Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI).

Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to repeal provisions that permit a certain disparity in simplified employee pension plan contributions with respect to nondiscriminatory coordination with OASDI.

Provides for the repeal, effective for plan year 2000 and thereafter, of IRC rules relating to: (1) the nondiscriminatory coordination of defined contribution plans with OASDI; and (2) pension integration exceptions.

Amends the IRC to establish distinct minimum employee coverage requirements applicable in cases when an employer with respect to a plan is treated as operating a single line of business. Requires such a plan to benefit all the employer's employees.

Limits the exception to minimum coverage requirements available to employers treated as operating separate lines of business for a year.

Amends the IRC and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to eliminate the special vesting requirements governing multiemployer plans.

Directs the Comptroller General of the United States, as soon as possible after this Act's enactment, to undertake thorough studies with respect to: (1) possible methods of requiring employee pension plans to provide cost of living and other adjustments to plan benefits; and (2) potential pension portability mechanisms, including ways to preserve and enhance the real value of deferred vested pension benefits. Lists specific items to be addressed in each study. Requires submission of the studies to specified Congressional committees within two years of this Act's enactment.

Medicaid Community Spouse Safety Net Act of 1987 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to set special resource and income eligibility standards for institutionalized individuals so as to provide support and maintenance of their noninstitutionalized spouses.

Nondiscrimination in Insurance Act - Bans discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in the consideration of applications for, or the granting of, insurance policies and the terms of such policies.

Prohibits the use of any statistical table as a basis for action banned by this Act, and discrimination in any manner against a person because that person has opposed any practice made unlawful under this section.

Grants to States having insurance discrimination laws the primary opportunity to enforce the pertinent prohibitions. Permits a civil action against the insurer to be filed in State or Federal court by or on behalf of an aggrieved person.

Authorizes the Attorney General to bring a civil action in district court (without regard to the amount in controversy) when there is reasonable cause to believe that a person or group is engaged in a pattern or practice of violating these rights and that such violation raises an issue of general public importance.

Directs the court to: (1) order the defendant to amend any relevant contract to comply with these provisions; (2) award actual damages for the period of noncompliance; and (3) award the aggrieved person reasonable attorney fees. Authorizes an award of punitive damages, in addition to actual damages.

Describes rights, liabilities, premiums, benefits, and insurance coverages that are not to be affected by these antidiscrimination provisions.

Federal Council on Women Act - Establishes a Federal Council on Women to: (1) collect and evaluate information with respect to any problems that are particular to women in the United States; (2) review and evaluate Federal policy related to any such problems; (3) coordinate the activities of the Council with similar activities conducted by States, local governments, and concerned organizations; and (4) make recommendations.

Directs the Council to report its findings and recommendations to the Congress.

Authorizes appropriations.

Title II: Dependent Care - Part A: Improving the Quality of Dependent Care - Family Day Care Provider Assistance Act of 1987 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make payments to States for grants to support family day care providers.

Directs States to make such grants to community nonprofit organizations with experience in working with family day care and which furnish or propose to furnish support primarily to providers serving low-income families. Requires such grants to be used to: (1) provide training to family day care providers; (2) operate resource centers for making available developmentally appropriate curriculum materials; (3) operate a system of substitute caregivers for providers; (4) furnish technical assistance to providers in understanding local regulations and relevant tax and other policies; (5) provide subgrants for the purchase of small equipment; and (6) provide other appropriate support to family day care providers.

Directs the Secretary to establish a National Resource Center on Family Day Care, to be administered by the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families.

Authorizes appropriations. Sets forth a formula for State allotments.

Child-Care Standards Improvement Act of 1987 - Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990 for grants to improve State child-care licensing and regulatory systems.

Requires, as a condition of eligibility for such grants, the establishment of a State Advisory Committee on Child-Care Standards to review a State's child-care licensing and regulatory systems. Requires reports by such committees.

Establishes a National Advisory Committee on Child-Care Standards to assist and provide guidance to the States in improving the quality of child-care services. Requires the National Advisory Committee to submit to the Secretary of Health and Human Services proposed recommended standards for child-care programs within 14 months after the enactment of this Act. Terminates the National Advisory Committee 90 days after the publication by the Secretary of final recommended standards.

Part B: Access to Dependent Care for All Families - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to the income tax credit for employment-related dependent care expenses to: (1) make the credit refundable; (2) increase the amount of the credit from 30 percent to 50 percent of the relevant expenses, reduced (but not below 20 percent) by one percent for each full $1,000 amount by which the taxpayer's adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds $15,000, subject to an annual adjustment for inflation (the current reduction is one percent for each $2,000 in excess of $10,000 AGI with no provision for a cost of living adjustment); and (3) apply the credit to expenses for certain respite care of qualifying dependents of the taxpayer. Permits credit for up to $1,200 ($2,400 in cases involving more than one qualifying individual) of respite care expenses incurred in the care of: (1) a dependent of the taxpayer who is under the age of 15; or (2) a spouse or other dependent of the taxpayer who is physically or mentally incapable of self-care.

Amends the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Act to bring within their respective frameworks loans or advances secured by a single residential property occupied as a single family residence in which community child care service is provided (thus making such loans eligible for purchase under each Act).

Part C: Increasing Availability of Dependent Care for Low-Income Families - Amends the Social Security Act to increase appropriations for FY 1988 and thereafter for block grants to the States for social services.

State Dependent Care Grants Amendments Act of 1987 - Amends the State Dependent Care Development Grants Act to require that amounts paid to States for use in the operation of child care services be designed to enable children whose families lack adequate financial resources to participate in before or after school child care programs.

Requires State Governors to include specified information in their grant reports.

Extends from September 30, 1987, to September 30, 1991, the time until which necessary revisions of grant program descriptions must be submitted.

Public Housing Child Care Act - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to: (1) make grants to public housing agencies to contract for lower-income resident child care services; and (2) design such program to determine the extent to which it facilitates resident employability.

Requires a report to the Congress within three years.

Authorizes FY 1987 through 1989 appropriations.