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United States · Official source
3,274 records where Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2004
Farmers Markets Infrastructure Assistance Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to make loans, loan guarantees, and grants to eligible public agencies and nonprofit organizations for the construction of new farmers markets, or the improvement or rehabilitation of existing farmers markets.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2004
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) at the 56th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission the United States should remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling, and take other specified related steps; and (2) the United States should make full use of all appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, relevant international laws and agreements, and other appropriate means to implement these goals.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
Extremely Hazardous Materials Transportation Security Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue regulations concerning the shipping of extremely hazardous materials that require: (1) physical security measures; (2) Federal, State, and local law enforcement authorities to be informed before such material is transported within, through, or near an area of concern; (3) coordination among such authorities to create response plans for a terrorist attack; (4) the use of currently available technologies and systems to ensure effective communication between material transporters, law enforcement authorities, and first responders; (5) comprehensive training for all individuals involved in the shipping of such materials; and (6) the Secretary to determine whether transportation through or near an area could be made by alternate routes at a lower security risk. Subjects a person (other than an individual) who violates such a regulation to injunctive relief or a civil penalty of up to $100,000. Authorizes the Secretary to impose administrative penalties. Sets forth provisions regarding whistleblower protection involving the security of shipments of such materials.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2004
No Child Left Behind Appropriations Support Act of 2004 - Makes a supplemental appropriation for the Department of Education for FY 2004 to carry out this Act. Directs the Secretary of Education to make payments in additional amounts to each local education agency (LEA) that receives a lesser amount of funds for FY 2004 than it received for FY 2003 under subpart 2 (Allocations) of part A (Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies) of title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Requires such payments to equal the difference between the amount the LEA would otherwise receive for FY 2004 and the amount the LEA received in FY 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2004
Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Extension Act of 2004 - Amends the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 to extend the terrorism risk insurance program through December 31, 2008. Restricts "insured loss" with respect to the Final Program Year to certain losses covered by property and casualty insurance issued before January 1, 2008, and expiring not later than December 31, 2008. Sets forth an insurer deductible that is the value of an insurer's direct earned premiums multiplied by 15 percent for Program Years 3, 4, and 5, and for the Final Program Year. Redefines "insured loss" to include group life insurance coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells if: (1) the stem cells were derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics for the purpose of fertility treatment and were in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking such treatment; (2) the embryos will never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and (3) such individuals donate the embryos with written informed consent and receive no financial or other inducements.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Amends part C (Medicare+Choice) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require Medicare Advantage organizations to provide for a payment rate for critical access hospital services and rural health clinic services at least 101 percent of the payment rate otherwise applicable under the Medicare Program.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Fisheries Management Reform Act of 2004 - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (currently, the Secretary of Commerce) to appoint members to the Regional Fishery Management Councils who, by reason of their occupational or other experience, are knowledgeable regarding the conservation and management, or the commercial or recreational harvest, of fishery resources. Revises requirements for the composition of such councils and the qualifications of voting Council members. Sets forth certain requirements with respect to: (1) training of appointed Council members; and (2) disclosure of financial interest and recusal of Council members. Directs the Secretary to establish regional science and technical teams to make recommendations on certain matters, on the basis of which the Secretary shall provide Councils conservation and management measures for incorporation into fishery management plans that establish: (1) catch and bycatch limits; (2) specific habitat and area protections to protect essential fish habitats; and (3) specific requirements necessary to protect endangered species.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
States that Congress: (1) declares that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide; (2) reminds the international community, including the U.S. Government, of their international legal obligations, as affirmed in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; (3) calls on the Bush Administration to lead an international effort to prevent genocide in Darfur; (4) urges the Bush Administration to consider multilateral or even unilateral intervention to prevent genocide should the United Nations Security Council fail to act; (5) demands that the Bush Administration impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and the freezing of assets of the National Congress and affiliated business and individuals directly responsible for the atrocities in Darfur; and (6) calls on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish a Darfur Resettlement, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Creates the Select Committee to Investigate Detainee Abuses to conduct a full and complete investigation of the abuses of detainees held in U.S. custody in connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, or any operation within the Global War on Terrorism, in particular those documented abuses at Abu Ghraib prison, and to make appropriate findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives. Requires the Select Committee to assess, analyze, and evaluate relevant persons, policies, procedures, reports, and events during the course of its investigation, including but not limited to those specified in this Resolution. Sets forth procedures and authorities of the Select Committee. Requires the Select Committee to submit its final report to the House within six months of adoption of this Resolution and to cease to exist one month thereafter.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2004
Methamphetamine Remediation Act of 2004 - Directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a research program to: (1) identify methamphetamine laboratory-related chemicals of concern; and (2) support the development of standards to determine when a former methamphetamine laboratory is safe for human habitation. Requires the EPA, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to establish model guidelines and procedures for: (1) preliminary site assessment criteria for former methamphetamine laboratories; and (2) clean-up and remediation. Requires NIST to support a research program to develop: (1) new methamphetamine detection technologies; and (2) appropriate standard reference materials and validation procedures for methamphetamine detection testing. Directs the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to make available to the public a list of all methamphetamine laboratories that have undergone cleanup under the DEA's Clandestine Drug Laboratory Cleanup Program. Requires the EPA to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences (Academy) for a study of the residual effects of methamphetamine laboratories on residents of buildings where such laboratories are located, with particular emphasis on the health effects on children. Requires the NSF to enter into an arrangement with the Academy for a report on the societal costs of methamphetamine production and abuse.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2004
No Child Left Behind Fairness Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Education to require local educational agencies (LEAs) and State educational agencies (SEAs) to give schools and LEAs, respectively, an opportunity to request a review of a determination that they did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2002-2003 school year. Sets forth standards for such reviews, providing for consideration of subsequent regulations and guidance applicable to AYP determinations under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Prohibits the Secretary, an SEA, or an LEA, with respect to subsequent determinations of whether a school is subject to school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring as a result of not making AYP, from taking into account a 2002-2003 non-AYP determination that was revised under this Act if the school received a final determination of AYP for such school year.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Angel Island Immigration Station Restoration and Preservation Act - Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of the Interior for restoring the Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay, in coordination with the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation and the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Requires funds appropriated by this Act to be used first for restoration of the Immigration Station Hospital on Angel Island.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Amends the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 to extend by one year the deadline for: (1) installing at all U.S. ports of entry equipment and software capable of processing machine-readable, tamper-resistant entry and exit documents and passports that contain biometric identifiers; (2) Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries to certify that they are issuing machine-readable, tamper-resistant passports that contain biometric and document authentication identifiers comporting with specified standards; and (3) VWP participants who are issued passports on or after the new deadline to present passports that comply with such requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 with respect to the senior farmers' market nutrition program to: (1) increase program funding; (2) expand the program to include locally produced farm products as deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Agriculture; and (3) permit up to ten percent of program funds to be used for administrative costs.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
War Funding Accountability Act - Requires the President, within 30 days of enactment of an appropriations Act that funds military operations or reconstruction in Iraq, to prepare and transmit to Congress a report (as well as subsequent progress reports) detailing U.S. goals with respect to such operations or reconstruction efforts, including: (1) a description of the purposes for which amounts will be made available; (2) a plan for the security of Iraq including a plan to secure approval for a United Nations-backed multinational force; (3) a plan for the reconstruction of Iraq; (4) a plan for the establishment of a sovereign Iraqi Government; and (5) a description of U.S. efforts to obtain financial support for Iraq from other countries and international financial institutions. States that if the requirements to transmit initial or subsequent reports are not met then unobligated or unexpended amounts for reconstruction with respect to the subject of such reports may not be obligated or expended until transmittal to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2004
Connecting the Operations of National Networks of Emergency Communications Technologies for First Responders Act of 2004 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to express the sense of Congress that: (1) Project SAFECOM (an e-government initiative) has made very limited progress toward achieving communications interoperability among government entities; (2) a lack of effective collaboration and consistent funding are impeding progress; and (3) all funding and program management to achieve interoperability should reside within the Department of Homeland Security. Establishes the Office of Wireless Public Safety Interoperable Communications within the Directorate of Science and Technology. Requires with regard to communications interoperability: (1) the Secretary, acting through the Director of such Office, to provide leadership, coordination, and technical assistance; (2) the Director, under the direction of the Under Secretary for Science and Technology, to conduct R&D, evaluate new technologies, promote deployment of advanced broadband communications technologies, and encourage flexible and open architectures and standards; (3) the Secretary, acting through both the Director and the Office of State and Local Government Coordination, to conduct outreach and coordination; and (4) the Secretary, acting through the Director, to develop a national strategy. Creates an interoperable communications technology grant program for eligible States (those States lacking adequate interoperability that have submitted a communications interoperability plan to the Secretary) and local governments and public safety agencies within such States. Prohibits the award of grants to reimburse recipients for past expenditures except that public safety agencies may be reimbursed for funds expended after September 11, 2001, and before the date of enactment of this Act if such expenditures support an approved agency plan.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2004
North Maui Coastal Preservation Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of designating certain lands on the northern coast of Maui, Hawaii, as a National Seashore, National Historical Park, National Recreation Area, National Monument, National Preserve, or other unit of the National Park System.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2004
Calls for the establishment of a National Health Center Week (beginning on August 8, 2004) to raise awareness of the health services provided by community, migrant, public housing, and homeless health centers.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2004
States that Congress: (1) recognizes the sacrifices of individuals employed by entities in Iraq under contracts with the United States Government for the reconstruction of Iraq; (2) expresses sympathy to those individuals injured or taken captive in Iraq; and (3) expresses condolences to the families of those individuals killed in Iraq, including to the families of Jerry Zovko, Wesley J. Batalona, Michael Teague, Scott Helvenston, Stephen Hulett, Jack Montague, Jeffery Parker, and Tony Johnson.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
Small Business Health Insurance Promotion Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain small employers (not more than 50 employees) a business tax credit equal to 50 percent of amounts paid by such employers for the health care coverage of their employees under a qualified health pooling arrangement. Limits the period during which the tax credit may be taken to four years from the date the employer begins participating in a qualified health pooling arrangement. Defines "qualified health pooling arrangement" as a national or state arrangement that provides health benefits coverage substantially similar to that of the four largest health benefit plans offered to Federal employees. Directs the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Labor to provide for the offering and oversight of qualified State and national health pooling arrangements and to conduct a study, through the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, of the operation of such arrangements.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
Secure Containers from Overseas and Seaports from Terrorism Act (Secure COAST Act) - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security, to: (1) establish standards and verification procedures (including those for seal verifications for cargo containers at loading) for the security of maritime cargo containers moving within the intermodal transportation system; (2) evaluate the benefits of existing technology for container tracking; (3) evaluate trade information, in addition to cargo manifest information, which would help the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection to carry out container risk analysis; and (4) evaluate the practices and policies in place to secure shipment of empty containers at U.S. ports. Directs the Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection to conduct on site validations of security measures of individuals and entities in the intermodal transportation system participating in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program. Directs the Commissioner to deploy radiation detection portal equipment at all U.S. seaports, other U.S. ports of entry, and major facilities (including foreign seaports participating in the Container Security Initiative (CSI)). Amends federal shipping law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to require uncleared, imported merchandise remaining on a pier for more than seven days to be removed and deposited in the public stores or a general order warehouse where it can be inspected and a delivery permit may be granted. Replaces the Secretary of Transportation with the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security with respect to the establishment of a grant program to implement Area Maritime Transportation Security Plans and help fund compliance with the Federal security plan among port authorities, facility operators, and relevant State and local agencies. Changes from discretionary to mandatory the Secretary's authority to issue a plan to develop and implement a long-range automated vessel tracking system for all vessels in U.S. waters that are equipped with the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. Authorizes appropriations for: (1) a grant to assist the maritime industry to develop and operate a collaborative maritime information sharing and analysis capability; (2) the acquisition and construction of vessels, aircraft, shore and offshore facilities associated with the Integrated Deepwater System program; (3) the acquisition and construction of shore-based equipment and infrastructure associated with the Automated Identification System (AIS); and (4) an increase in Coast Guard personnel.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
Healthy Troops Act - Requires predeployment and postdeployment medical examinations of certain members of the armed forces to include self-administered surveys followed by clinical examinations. Specifies that predeployment surveys and examinations shall include: (1) the collection of clinical data; (2) the collection of information on current and past physical or mental health conditions that might affect performance; (3) an assessment of mental health; (4) screening for diseases prevalent among the armed forces; and (5) referrals for any conditions needing further treatment. Specifies that postdeployment surveys and examinations shall include self-reported information about relevant exposures during the period of deployment including combat experience and screening for post-traumatic stress disorder. Directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study of the effectiveness of self-administered surveys.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2004
Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act of 2004 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish an Interagency Committee to Coordinate and Streamline Homeland Security Grant Programs. Provides that the Office for State and Local Government Coordination (OSLGC) within the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall be headed by a Director appointed by the President. Transfers administration of the firefighter assistance grant program and the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) to OSLGC. Establishes a Homeland Security Information Clearinghouse within OSLGC. Authorizes the Secretary to award homeland security grants to States. Specifies the permissible and impermissible uses for grant funds. Requires State grant applications to include certification that the State has prepared a three-year homeland security plan. Requires the Secretary to use ten percent of the funds appropriated for the Homeland Security Grant Program for discretionary grants to high threat areas. Establishes a formula for awarding the remaining funds. Requires grant recipients to use 80 percent of grant funds for local entities and first responders and to provide non-Federal matching funds. Instructs the Secretary to assist States in establishing interim performance measures and subsequently to set, and ensure State compliance with, national performance standards. Provides penalties for a grant recipient's noncompliance with any grant program provision of this Act. Requires the Director of ODP to allow any State to request approval to reallocate previously received homeland security funds among the categories of equipment, training, exercises, and planning.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2004
Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2004 - Establishes the U.S. Office for Native Hawaiian Relations within the Office of the Secretary of the Interior. Establishes the Native Hawaiian Interagency Coordinating Group. Recognizes the right of the Native Hawaiian people to reorganize the Native Hawaiian governing entity to provide for their common welfare and to adopt appropriate organic governing documents. Establishes a Commission to: (1) prepare and maintain a roll of the adult members of the Native Hawaiian community who elect to participate in such reorganization; and (2) certify that the adult members of the Native Hawaiian community proposed for inclusion on the roll meet the definition of Native Hawaiian. Outlines the process for the reorganization, which includes forming a Native Hawaiian Governing Council. Reaffirms the political and legal relationship between the United States and the Native Hawaiian governing entity upon certification required by the Secretary regarding the organic governing documents and the election of the entity's officers. Extends Federal recognition to the governing entity as the representative governing body of the Native Hawaiian people. Authorizes the United States, upon the reaffirmation of such political and legal relationship, to enter into negotiations with the governing entity to lead to an agreement addressing specified matters, including the transfer of lands, natural resources, and other assets, and the protection of existing rights related to such lands or resources.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Amends the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 to revise the per-unit cost calculation for expiring tenant-based rental assistance contracts under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Safe Communities and Safe Schools Mercury Reduction Act of 2004 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program for projects to: (1) reduce free-flowing elemental mercury and mercury-added products from the environment; (2) safely dispose of or recycle mercury; (3) educate communities and citizens about mercury's harmful effects; (4) develop and carry out a plan for eliminating free-flowing mercury and instruments containing mercury from K-12 public and private schools; or (5) carry out a mercury thermometer exchange program. Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to: (1) prohibit the sale or supplying of mercury fever thermometers to consumers except by prescription; and (2) require manufacturers of such prescribed thermometers to provide instructions on careful handling to avoid breakage and proper cleanup in the event of breakage. Requires contractors who replace building thermostats in residential or commercial buildings to dispose of replaced thermometers through recycling programs established or participated in by building thermostat manufacturers as required by this Act. Requires the Administrator to publish guidance to assist State and local governments in removing elemental free-flowing mercury and mercury-added instruments from public and private schools. Directs the Administrator to issue regulations requiring dentists to install a device that captures 90 percent or more of mercury-laden amalgam on every chair or office structure in which mercury amalgam is administered to patients.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2004
States that Congress recognizes: (1) the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of the Marshall Islands; and (2) the Republic of the Marshall Islands as a staunch ally of the United States, committed to principles of democracy and freedom for the Pacific region and throughout the world.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2004
Protect American Voters Act of 2004 - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require States to provide notice and an opportunity for review before removing any individual from the official list of eligible voters for elections for Federal office by reason of criminal conviction or mental incapacity.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2004
Recognizes the 60th anniversary of the Allied landing at Normandy, France, during World War II on June 6, 1944.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2004
Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Attorney General to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that: (1) constitutes a crime of violence under Federal law or a felony under State or Indian tribal law; and (2) is motivated by prejudice based on the race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability of the victim or is a violation of the hate crime laws of the State or tribe. Directs the Attorney General to give priority for assistance to crimes committed by offenders who have committed crimes in more than one State and to rural jurisdictions that have difficulty covering the extraordinary investigation or prosecution expenses. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to assist State, local, and Indian law enforcement officials with such extraordinary expenses. Directs the Office of Justice Programs to: (1) work closely with funded jurisdictions to ensure that the concerns and needs of all affected parties are addressed; and (2) award grants to State and local programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles. Prohibits specified offenses involving actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to study and provide sentencing enhancements for adult recruitment of juveniles to commit hate crimes. Amends the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to require the crime data to be collected and published by the Attorney General to include data about crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on gender.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2004
Amends Federal provisions concerning the National Guard Challenge Program (a civilian youth opportunities program conducted by the Secretary of Defense) to: (1) provide a maximum Federal matching funds level of 65 percent of the costs of operating the State program during FY 2005, 70 percent during FY 2006, and 75 percent for FY 2007 and beyond; (2) authorize appropriations for the Program for FY 2005; and (3) rename it the National Guard Youth Challenge Program.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2004
Supports the designation of a National Autism Awareness Month. Recognizes and commends the parents and relatives of children with autism for their sacrifice and dedication in providing for the special needs of children with autism and for absorbing significant financial costs for specialized education and support services. Supports the goal of increasing Federal funding for aggressive research to: (1) determine causes of autism; (2) identify the best methods of early intervention and treatment; (3) expand programs for individuals with autism across their lifespan; and (4) promote understanding of the special needs of individuals with autism. Commends the Department of Health and Human Services for the implementation of the Children's Health Act of 2000, particularly for establishing four centers of excellence at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the epidemiology of autism and related disorders and proposing centers of excellence at the National Institutes of Health for autism research. Stresses the need to begin early intervention services soon after an individual has been diagnosed with autism, noting that early intervention strategies are the primary therapeutic options for individuals with autism and early intervention significantly improves outcomes for individuals with autism and can reduce the level of funding and services needed later in life. Supports fulfilling the Federal Government's nearly 30-year-old commitment to provide States with part of the costs needed to educate children with disabilities under part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act by funding the maximum 40 percent of such costs. Recognizes the: (1) shortage of appropriately trained teachers who have the skills and support necessary to teach, assist, and respond to special needs students, including those students with autism; and (2) importance of worker training programs that meet the needs of developmentally disabled individuals, including those individuals with autism. Notes that people with autism can be, and are, productive members of the workforce if they are given appropriate support, training, and early intervention services.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2004
Putting Prevention First Act - Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2004 - Authorizes appropriations for family planning services grants and contracts under the Public Health Services Act. Family Planning State Empowerment Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow States to provide family planning services and supplies to certain individuals not otherwise eligible for Medicaid. Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to prohibit a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer providing group coverage, from excluding or restricting benefits in any way for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, and outpatient services if the plan provides benefits for other outpatient prescription drugs, devices, or outpatient services. Amends the PHSA to apply those prohibitions to coverage offered in the individual market. Emergency Contraception Education Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and disseminate information on emergency contraception to the public and to health care providers. Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act - Requires hospitals, as a condition of receiving Federal funds, to offer and to provide, upon request, emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault. Family Life Education Act - Requires the Secretary to make grants to States for family life education, including education on abstinence and contraception to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Preventing Teen Pregnancy Act - Amends the PHSA to authorize the Secretary to award grants to public and private entities to establish or expand teenage pregnancy prevention programs.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2004
Family Life Education Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to States for family life education, including education on abstinence and contraception, to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Expresses the sense of Congress that States are encouraged but not required to provide matching funds. Requires the Secretary to provide for a national evaluation of a representative sample of such programs for effectiveness in changing adolescent sexual behavior, including delaying sexual and high-risk activity, preventing pregnancy and disease (including HIV/AIDS), and increasing contraceptive knowledge. Requires States receiving such grants to provide for an individual evaluation of the State's program by an external, independent entity.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2004
Acknowledges and commends charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education and improving and strengthening our public school system. Supports the fifth annual National Charter Schools Week. Declares the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to conduct appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to demonstrate support for charter schools during this week long celebration in communities throughout the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2004
States that Congress: (1) salutes the life and courage of the late Commander Lloyd `Pete' Bucher, United States Navy (retired), who commanded the U.S.S. Pueblo at the time of its capture by North Korea on January 23, 1968, and who passed away on January 28, 2004; (2) praises Commander Bucher for his exemplary bravery and sacrifice, which were an inspiration to his crew and the United States, while he and his crew were held in captivity for 11 months in North Korea; (3) praises the bravery of the crew of the U.S.S. Pueblo; and (4) expresses its heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of Commander Bucher.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2004
Recognizes the contributions of the teachers, administration, and staff of military impacted schools and Department of Defense education activity schools worldwide. Commends the teachers in military impacted communities who educate students during times of peace and conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2004
Homeland Security Overtime Reimbursement Act - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize a recipient of a grant under a homeland security overtime program (i.e., a program for which a grant is made to fund overtime expenditures to law enforcement agencies for training and increased patrols related to homeland security concerns) to use grant funds to pay for homeland security overtime expenditures incurred during the fiscal year before the grant is made. Directs that: (1) the Attorney General waive the requirement of a nonfederal contribution for any portion of a grant used to pay for such expenditures; and (2) Puerto Rico be considered both a unit of local government and a State for purposes of such a program.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Reauthorization Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to modify provisions regarding firefighter assistance to make the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration (currently, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency) responsible for such assistance. Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to volunteer emergency medical service squads and to provide assistance for firefighter safety research and development. Includes within authorized uses of grants the funding of such squads that are not affiliated with a fire department, hospital, or for-profit entity. Makes specified funds available for research to improve firefighter health and life safety. Grants priority for certain earmarked funds to organizations that focus on prevention of injuries to high risk groups from fire, as well as research programs that demonstrate the potential to improve firefighter safety. Allows the Administrator to provide assistance only if the applicant agrees to match with an equal amount of non-Federal funds 20 (currently 30) percent of the assistance received for any fiscal year. Modifies grant recipient limitations. Directs the Administrator to: (1) convene an annual meeting of non-Federal fire service experts to recommend criteria for awarding grants and necessary administrative changes; (2) publish each year in the Federal Register guidelines that describe the grant application process and award criteria; (3) appoint fire service personnel to conduct peer review of applications; and (4) re-conduct a study to define the current role and activities associated with fire services.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
Access and Equity in Higher Education Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise title IV student assistance programs with respect to: (1) higher maximum amounts for subsidized and unsubsidized student loans under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program; (2) existence or amount of origination fees under FFEL and Federal Direct Loan programs; (3) loan-flex programs with income-sensitive repayment plans; (4) consolidation loan interest rate variation based on income; and (5) loan forgiveness for public service employees. Extends through FY 2010 the authorization of appropriations for programs for Historically Black colleges and universities, under HEA title III part B.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
Intelligence Transformation Act of 2004 - Amends the National Security Act of 1947 to establish the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (Director), to be composed of: (1) the Director and Deputy Director of National Intelligence; (2) the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Operations; (3) the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Resources; (4) the National Intelligence Council (Council); (5) the General Counsel to the Director; (6) the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community; (7) the Senior Advisor to the Director of National Intelligence for Homeland Security; and (8) such other offices and officials as may be established or designated. Establishes within the Council the National Intelligence Council Alternative Analysis Unit for challenging the accuracy of Council intelligence estimates. Includes among the Director's responsibilities: (1) providing national intelligence to the President, the heads of Federal departments and agencies, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and senior military commanders, and, where appropriate, Congress; (2) developing an annual budget for intelligence and intelligence-related activities; (3) establishing requirements and priorities to govern the collection of national intelligence by elements of the intelligence community (IC); and (4) protecting intelligence sources and methods from unauthorized disclosure. Recodifies provisions establishing the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), designating as its lead official the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA Director) (currently, the Director of Central Intelligence), and removing provisions which established specified CIA deputy and assistant director positions. Prohibits an individual from serving simultaneously as Director of National Intelligence and CIA Director. Establishes: (1) a Joint Tasking Organization to assist in the tasking of collection, analysis, and dissemination of all elements of the IC under the National Foreign Intelligence Program; (2) the Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation Threat Integration Center to provide integrated tasking of collection and analysis of national intelligence relating to weapons of mass destruction that threaten U.S. national security; and (3) a Joint Intelligence Comptroller to prepare and execute that part of the defense budget relating to IC elements and their intelligence programs. Requires the: (1) President to establish and implement policies and procedures governing access to, and use of, specified database information by IC officers and employees and Federal law enforcement personnel; (2) Director to establish all-source analysis training programs for all IC analysts; and (3) Director and Secretary of Defense to develop an integrated communications network that provides communications capabilities to all IC elements. Establishes a Joint Acquisition Office for the oversight of acquisition programs of specified IC agencies. Outlines Director authority with respect to IC personnel, including the management of IC specialists. Provides a ten-year term for the CIA Director.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2004 - Prohibits cruise vessels entering U.S. ports from discharging sewage, graywater, or bilge water into the waters of the United States, with specified exceptions, including when in compliance with effluent limits and management standards. Requires the Commandant of the Coast Guard and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to issue regulations establishing effluent limits for sewage and graywater discharged by cruise vessels. Requires the Commandant to issue regulations implementing an inspection, sampling, and testing program sufficient to verify compliance with this Act and other specified laws. Prohibits employment discrimination against persons who institute or testify in proceedings under this Act. Authorizes interested persons to file a petition in U.S. circuit court requesting review of the Commandant's action in promulgating effluent limits or carrying out inspections, sampling, or testing under this Act. Establishes administrative, civil, and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Authorizes rewards for information leading to the payment of such penalties. Establishes in rem liability for cruise vessels violating this Act. Authorizes citizen suits in the U.S. district courts against those who violate this Act or related regulations and orders, or against the Administrator or Commandant for an alleged failure to perform. Establishes special compliance deadlines for Alaskan cruise vessels with advanced treatment systems. Establishes the Cruise Vessel Pollution Control Fund. Requires the Commandant to establish and collect fees from cruise vessels to carry out this Act and to deposit fees in the Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2004
Climate Stewardship Act of 2004 - Expands Federal climate change research initiatives by: (1) establishing a graduate fellowship program; (2) creating a grant program for research in identified priority areas; and (3) instituting research programs on potential abrupt climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) related standards, measurement technologies, and processes. Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to require the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) report to Congress on the oceanic and coastal impacts of climate change; and (2) assist certain coastal States in preparing persons to adapt to climate change. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (Administrator) to establish a National Greenhouse Gas Database consisting of: (1) an inventory of GHG emissions by covered entities (specified entities that emit more than 10,000 metric tons of GHGs per year); and (2) a registry of GHG emission reductions and increased sequestration, applicable to both covered and noncovered entities. Establishes a program for the market-driven reduction of GHGs by covered entities through the use of tradeable emissions allowances. Requires covered entities, beginning in 2010, to submit to the Administrator one tradeable allowance for every metric ton of GHGs emitted. Allows tradeable allowances to be sold, exchanged, purchased, retired, or otherwise used as authorized by this Act. Establishes the Climate Change Credit Corporation (CCCC) to receive, manage, buy, and sell tradeable allowances. Directs the Administrator to make allocations of allowances to covered sectors and entities, and to the CCCC, providing initial allocations for early action and accelerated participation. Imposes civil penalties on covered entities that fail to submit allowances.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2004
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the U.S. flag flown over the U.S. Capitol should be lowered to half-mast one day each month in honor of the men and women from the United States who have lost their lives in military conflicts.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2004
Local Emergency Radio Service Preservation Act of 2004 - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to revise its regulations to provide that digital audio radio satellite service (DARSS): (1) licensees shall not provide services that are locally differentiated or that result in programming being delivered to consumers in one geographic market that is different from programming delivered in any other geographic market; and (2) repeaters shall be restricted to simultaneously retransmitting the programming transmitted by satellite directly to DARSS subscribers' receivers. Requires the FCC to complete a rulemaking proceeding to determine whether DARSS licensees should be permitted to provide locally oriented services on nationally distributed channels, taking into account, among other things, the ability of such licensees to afford listeners the same emergency and other information as is afforded listeners of local broadcast stations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2004
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), its member colleges and universities, and athletic conferences should affirm a commitment to a policy of discouraging alcohol use among underage students and other young fans by ending all alcohol advertising during radio and television broadcasts of collegiate sporting events.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2004
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow alien beneficiaries of approved family second preference petitions to continue claiming their family second preference priority date following their reclassification to family first preference as the result of a petitioning parent's naturalization if no family first visas are immediately available.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2004
Stabilization and Reconstruction Civilian Management Act of 2004 - States that the purpose of this Act is to provide for the development, as a core mission of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), of an expert civilian response capability to carry out stabilization and reconstruction activities in a country or region that is in, or is in transition from, conflict or civil strife. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to furnish assistance and permit the export of goods and services to assist in stabilizing and reconstructing a country or region that is in, or is in transition from, conflict or civil strife. Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to direct the Secretary of State to establish within the Department of State an Office of International Stabilization and Reconstruction. Authorizes: (1) the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the USAID, to establish a Response Readiness Corps to provide stabilization and reconstruction activities in foreign countries or regions that are in, or are in transition from, conflict or civil strife (up to 250 personnel to serve in the Corps, and such other personnel as the Secretary may designate from the Department of State and USAID); and (2) the Secretary to establish a Response Readiness Reserve of Federal and non-Federal personnel to augment the Corps. Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to authorize the Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Army, to establish a stabilization and reconstruction curriculum for use in programs of the Foreign Service Institute, the National Defense University, and the United States Army War College. Sets forth related personnel provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2004
Assuring Honesty and Accountability Act of 2004 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to extend through FY 2007 the spending limits (spending caps) for the discretionary categories in new budget authority and outlays. Extends pay-as-you-go requirements through FY 2009. Extends specified budget enforcement mechanisms through FY 2009. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 concerning legislation which: (1) evades specified budget enforcement mechanisms; (2) provides direct spending (to be included in the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis (scoring)); and (3) is unreported by committee (for purposes of budget point of order rules). Requires reports on legislation which provide new budget, spending, or credit authority or otherwise provide an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures to include a projection by CBO of the cost of debt servicing (interest). Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to address issues of emergency spending through: (1) establishing criteria and guidelines; and (2) requiring a separate House vote on an emergency designation. Amends the Rules of the House of Representatives concerning: (1) budget compliance statements (permitting inclusion of budgetary implications); (2) requirements for budget act waivers (inclusion mandatory for bill consideration); and (3) a separate vote to waive a major budget act point of order.