United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2003
United States Cadet Nurse Corps Equity Act of 2003 - Deems service of a person as a member of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps between July 1, 1943, and December 15, 1945 (qualified service), to be active military service for purposes of all laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Requires: (1) the Secretary of Defense to issue an honorable discharge to each person whose qualified service warrants one; and (2) the discharge to be issued before the end of the one-year period beginning on the enactment of this Act. Prohibits benefits from being paid to persons as a result of such enactment for any period before the enactment date.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2003
Condemns the practice of execution by stoning, and calls upon the international community to recognize this practice as a gross violation of human rights. Requests that the President: (1) communicate this resolution to governments imposing this cruel punishment and urge the suspension of sentences of death by stoning; and (2) direct the Secretary of State to work with the international community to repeal stoning laws and adhere to international standards of human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2003
Violence Against Women Civil Rights Restoration Act of 2003 - Rewrites provisions of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 regarding remedies for civil rights violations. Makes a person who commits a crime of violence motivated by gender and thus deprives another of a prescribed right liable to the injured party where: (1) in connection with the offense, the defendant or the victim travels in interstate or foreign commerce, the defendant or the victim uses a facility or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce, or the defendant employs a weapon, a narcotic or drug listed under the Controlled Substances Act, or other noxious or dangerous substances that have traveled in interstate or foreign commerce; (2) the offense interferes with commercial or other economic activity in which the victim is engaged; or (3) the offense was committed with intent to interfere with the victim's commercial or other economic activity. Authorizes the Attorney General, whenever there is reasonable cause to believe that any State, political subdivision, official, employee, or agent thereof has discriminated on the basis of gender in the investigation or prosecution of gender-based crimes and that discrimination is pursuant to a pattern or practice of resistance to investigating or prosecuting gender-based crimes, to institute a civil action in U.S. district court for appropriate equitable relief.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2003
National AMBER Alert Network Act of 2003 - Requires the Attorney General to assign an AMBER Alert Coordinator of the Department of Justice to act as the national Coordinator of the AMBER Alert communications network regarding abducted children. Requires the coordinator to: (1) seek to eliminate gaps in the network; (2) work with States to encourage the development of additional network elements and to ensure regional coordination; and (3) act as the nationwide point of contact for network development and for regional coordination of alerts on abducted children through the network. Directs the Coordinator to: (1) notify and consult with the Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning each child abduction for which an AMBER Alert is issued; and (2) establish minimum standards for the issuance of alerts and for the extent of their dissemination (limited to the geographic areas most likely to facilitate the recovery of the abducted child). Requires the Secretary of Transportation to provide grants to States for the development or enhancement of notification or communications systems along highways for alerts and other information for the recovery of abducted children. Includes among permissible activities the development or enhancement of electronic message boards, and the placement of additional signage, along highways. Directs the Attorney General to provide grants to States for the development or enhancement of programs and activities for the support of AMBER Alert communications plans.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2003
Calls on: (1) the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) in a sign of good faith to allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to return to North Korea, reinstall surveillance cameras, and reseal the country's plutonium reprocessing plant while a more comprehensive and mutually acceptable agreement can be negotiated with the United States; (2) the United States in a sign of good faith to resume monthly fuel oil shipments to North Korea while such agreement is worked out; (3) both countries to begin diplomatic talks and negotiations until a mutually acceptable binding treaty to resolve the current crisis has been agreed to by both parties; and (4) members of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO), and the Russian Federation, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Canada, and other concerned nations to support all diplomatic attempts by the United States and North Korea to achieve a peaceful resolution to the current crisis. Commends the IAEA for its efforts and calls on it to continue its negotiations with North Korea to allow its inspectors to return to the country.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2003
Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to make grants to States for: (1) coordinating mosquito control programs to prevent and control mosquito-borne diseases; and (2) assisting States in making grants to political subdivisions (localities) to help them develop control programs. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director, to make grants to localities for the operation of control programs. Requires each locality receiving such a grant to: (1) develop an assessment on the need for a control program and a plan for carrying out such a program; and (2) make available matching funds in an amount not less than 1/3 of the cost of the program, unless the Secretary waives the requirement due to extraordinary economic conditions in the locality. Allows the Secretary to provide training and technical assistance to: (1) States for the planning, development, and operation of assessments and plans regarding control programs; and (2) localities for the planning, development, and operation of control programs. States that such assistance may be provided directly or through awards of grants or contracts to public or private entities. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to conduct or support research into methods to control the population of insects and vermin that transmit dangerous diseases to humans.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2003
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the Attorney General of the United States should undertake to protect and expand equality of opportunity for qualified minorities, disabled persons, and women at every opportunity; (2) Affirmative action is a powerful, effective, and necessary tool for achieving such equal opportunity without quotas and should be utilized in the public and private sectors to increase diversity and correct patterns of past and current discrimination; and (3) the President should incorporate Affirmative action into the employment, contracting, granting, educational, and program activities of the United States and all its subcontractors and grantees.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2003
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 title III part A (Strengthening Institutions) to direct the Secretary of Education to provide grants and related assistance to certain institutions of higher education for activities to improve their capacity to serve students who are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Gives priority to eligible institutions with a significant percentage of enrollment made up of such students who are low-income individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2003
Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2003 - Permits retired members of the armed forces with service-connected disabilities to be paid both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation. Repeals provisions providing for special compensation for certain severely disabled military retirees and certain combat-related disabled uniformed services retirees.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2003
Student Bill of Rights - Directs the Secretary of Education to make annual determinations as to whether each State's public school system provides all its students with educational resources to succeed academically and in life. Requires such education to enable students to: (1) acquire knowledge and skills necessary for responsible citizenship; (2) meet challenging academic achievement standards; and (3) compete and succeed in a global economy. Requires each system to do so through: (1) providing specified fundamentals of educational opportunity to students at each public elementary and secondary school; (2) providing educational services in school districts that receive funds for disadvantaged students that are, taken as a whole, at least comparable to educational services provided in school districts not receiving such funds; and (3) complying with any final Federal or State court order in any matter concerning the adequacy or equitableness of the system. Requires withholding of specified portions of its Federal funding for administrative expenses if a system: (1) fails to meet a yearly interim goal; (2) does not remedy, after two school years, a failure to provide comparable educational services to schools that receive funds for disadvantaged children; or (3) does not comply with a court order. Allows students or parents aggrieved by violations of this Act to bring civil actions for enforcement in Federal district courts. Directs the Commissioner of Education Statistics to study the effects of educational disparities on economic growth and on national defense.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2003
Peace Corps Charter for the 21st Century Act - Amends the Peace Corps Act to require all recruiting of volunteers to be carried out under the direction of the Director of the Peace Corps. Conditions the President's authority to detail or assign Peace Corps volunteers to certain Federal and State agencies and other entities upon a determination that such a detail or assignment does not contradict the standing of such volunteers as being independent from foreign policy-making and intelligence collection. Requires the Director of the Peace Corps to report to Congress on: (1) efforts undertaken to improve coordination of Peace Corps activities with activities of international voluntary service organizations, such as the United Nations (UN) volunteer program, and of host country voluntary service organizations; (2) any major new Peace Corps initiatives under review for the upcoming fiscal year or undertaken in the previous fiscal year; (3) the Peace Corp's plans for doubling the number of volunteers from 2002; (4) any standard or special security procedures for any country in which the Peace Corps operates programs or is considering doing so, including an assessment whether security conditions would be enhanced by colocating volunteers with international or local nongovernmental organizations or placing multiple volunteers in one location; (5) student loan forgiveness programs currently available to Peace Corps volunteers; and (6) initiatives the Peace Corps intends to pursue with eligible countries where the presence of volunteers would facilitate a greater understanding that there exists a universe of commonly shared human values and aspirations. Requires the Director to develop a training program for all Peace Corps volunteers in the education, prevention, and treatment of infectious diseases. Increases Peace Corps volunteer readjustment allowances from $125 to $275 a month. Establishes a program to award grants to private nonprofit corporations to enable returned Peace Corps volunteers to use their knowledge and expertise to develop and carry out programs and projects that promote the goals of the Peace Corps.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Trade Commission Act to prohibit: (1) introduction into commerce of prerecorded digital music disc products that are mislabeled, or falsely, or deceptively advertised or invoiced; and (2) removal or mutilation of any label required by either this Act or any rules or regulations prescribed by the Federal Trade Commission before the time a prerecorded digital music disc product is sold and delivered to the ultimate consumer. States that such transactions constitute either an unfair method of competition, or an unfair and deceptive act or practice in commerce. Authorizes the Commission to develop rules and regulations governing such transactions. Amends Federal copyright law to exempt from its prohibitions against circumvention of copyright protection systems any persons acting solely in furtherance of scientific research into technological protection measures. Declares it is not a violation of copyright law, but fair use, to: (1) circumvent a technological measure in connection with access to, or the use of, a work if such circumvention does not result in an infringement of the copyright in the work; or (2) manufacture, distribute, or make noninfringing use of a hardware or software product capable of enabling significant noninfringing use of a copyrighted work.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
National Small Business Regulatory Assistance Act of 2003 - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), acting through the Associate Administrator for Small Business Development Centers, to establish a program to provide regulatory compliance assistance to small businesses through participating Small Business Development Centers (Centers), the Association for Small Business Development Centers (Association), and Federal compliance partnership programs. Requires the Administrator to enter into arrangements with participating Centers to provide: (1) access to regulatory information and resources; (2) training and education activities; (3) confidential counseling to owners and operators of small businesses regarding compliance with Federal and State regulations; and (4) technical assistance. Directs the Administrator to contract with the Association to act as the repository of and clearinghouse for data and information submitted by Centers. Requires the Administrator, giving substantial weight to the Association's recommendations, to select the Centers programs of two States from each of ten groups of States for participation in the program. Authorizes the Administrator to make additional selections after three years, with a preference for programs that have a plan for consulting with Federal and State agencies to ensure that assistance provided under this Act is not duplicated by any other Federal or State program. Sets forth the formula for determining program grant amounts. Provides privacy requirements applicable to such Centers.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Includes as an employee, for purposes of Federal provisions authorizing enrollment under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: (1) a member of the armed forces who began service before June 7, 1956, and retired after a minimum of 20 years of such service or by reason of a service-connected disability; and (2) the surviving widow or widower of such member. Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide FEHB coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member entitled to military retired or retainer pay; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member; and (5) a family member.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Community Choice in Real Estate Act - Amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, and the Revised Statutes of the United States, to prohibit the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Secretary of the Treasury, respectively, from determining that real estate brokerage activity or real estate management activity is financial in nature, is incidental to any financial activity, or is complementary to a financial activity. (In effect, prohibits financial holding companies and national banks from engaging, directly or indirectly, in real estate brokerage or real estate management activities.) Exempts from such prohibition: (1) activities of a bank holding company (or any affiliate) that directly relate to managing any real property owned by national banks or their affiliates; and (2) the right, power, or ability of any financial holding company to engage in any activity, or acquire or retain the shares of any company engaged in an activity authorized for financial holding companies on December 6, 2001 ("grandfather clause").
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Rural America Digital Accessibility Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make grants or guarantee loans in order to facilitate the deployment by the private sector of broadband telecommunications networks and capabilities (including wireless and satellite services) to underserved rural areas. Limits to $100 million the total amount of such grants and loan guarantees. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation to research the enhancement or facilitation of broadband telecommunications services in rural and other remote areas, as well as Internet access through such services. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a tax credit to holders of qualified technology bonds (bonds representing an investment in projects to expand such telecommunications services). Sets a national technology bond limitation of $100 million for each of FY 2003 through 2007, and zero thereafter (with an exception) to be allocated by the Secretary among the qualified projects designated each year. Directs the Secretary to provide financial assistance for the establishment and support of regional centers for the commercial use of advanced technologies by small and medium-sized businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Harmful Invasive Weed Control Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to provide financial assistance through States to eligible weed management entities to control or eradicate harmful, invasive weeds on public and private land. Requires the allocation of certain funds to States and Indian tribes to carry out projects approved by States and Indian tribes for such purposes. Reserves five percent of such funds for allocation to Indian tribes. Prohibits such assistance from being used to carry out projects to control or eradicate animal pests. Allows an Indian tribe, if the funds allocated to tribes are not sufficient to provide such assistance to each weed management entity of a tribe, to seek additional funding by participating as a local stakeholder in the establishment of such an entity. Permits any activity involving real property to be carried out only with the consent of the landowner.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Wireless Telephone Spam Protection Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to make it unlawful for any person to use any covered mobile telephone messaging system to transmit an unsolicited advertisement. Prohibits the Federal Communications Commission from exempting from certain telephone regulatory requirements any call that violates such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2003 - Amends the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (TEUCA, which is title II of the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002, PL107-147) to extend the TEUCA program through weeks of unemployment ending before July 1, 2003. Provides for a transition period of continuing payments to individuals with amounts remaining in their TEUC account after June 30, 2003, for weeks beginning before December 31, 2003. Entitles eligible individuals in all States to a total of 26 weeks of TEUCA compensation (13 weeks beyond the current 13 weeks). Provides an additional seven weeks of TEUCA benefits for workers in high unemployment States (entitling them to a total of 33, which is 20 weeks beyond the current 13). Applies a revised adjusted insured unemployment rate State trigger. Sets an additional TEUCA benefit period State trigger based on total unemployment rate.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Residential Solar Energy Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a limited tax credit through tax year 2008 for residential solar energy property equal to the sum of: (1) 15 percent of the taxpayer's qualified photovoltaic property expenditures during the taxable year; and (2) 15 percent of the taxpayer's qualified solar water heating property expenditures during the same year.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act - Prohibits any person engaged in the business of betting or wagering from knowingly accepting in connection with the participation of another person in Internet gambling: (1) credit; (2) electronic fund transfers or funds transmitted by or through a money transmitting business; (3) any instrument drawn by or on behalf of another and payable through any financial institution; or (4) the proceeds of any other form of financial transaction involving a financial institution as payer or financial intermediary on behalf of another person. Grants Federal district courts exclusive jurisdiction to prevent or restrain violations. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties. Limits relief granted against an interactive computer service. Specifies circumstances for the liability of any creditor, issuer, institution, operator, business, network, or participant or any interactive computer or telecommunications service. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe regulations requiring designated payment systems to establish policies and procedures designed to identify and prevent restricted transactions. Calls for the United States, in deliberations with a foreign governments on money laundering, corruption, and crime issues, to: (1) encourage cooperation in identifying whether Internet gambling operations are being used for money laundering or other crimes; (2) advance policies that promote international cooperation in the enforcement of this Act; and (3) encourage the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering to study the extent to which Internet gambling operations are being used for money laundering. Modifies Federal criminal code provisions on gambling to: (1) replace the term "wire communication facility" with "communication facility" to include satellite and microwave communications and communications from fixed or mobile sources; and (2) increase the penalty for unlawful transmission of wagering information.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Clean Water Infrastructure Financing Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to remove certain requirements for States with respect to construction of treatment works under capitalization grant agreements. Requires architectural and engineering contracts to be awarded consistent with procedures under the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 or an equivalent State qualifications-based requirement. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to assist States in establishing simplified procedures for small water systems to obtain assistance under the Act. Requires revolving funds to be used only for providing assistance for activities which have as a principal benefit the improvement or protection of water quality of navigable waters. Makes revisions concerning uses of funds for: (1) innovative technologies; (2) administrative expenses; (3) small system technical, planning, and management assistance; and (4) financially distressed communities. Revises requirements related to consistency with plans and eligibility of treatment works not considered publicly owned. Requires States to make grants to financially distressed communities in any fiscal year in which the Administrator has more than $1.4 billion available for obligation and allows a State to give priority to such communities in making loans. Directs the Administrator to provide technical and financial assistance to owners and operators of publicly-owned treatment works for: (1) inventorying critical treatment works assets; (2) evaluating the performance and condition of these assets; and (3) developing a plan for maintaining and replacing treatment works. Reauthorizes appropriations for FY 2004 through 2008 for the revolving fund program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the full realization of the rights of women is vital to the development and well-being of people of all nations; and (2) the Senate should, therefore, give its advice and consent to the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
![Official portrait of Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001055_200.jpg)