United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
Smuggled Tobacco Prevention Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require all packages of tobacco products to carry a unique legibly printed serial number by which the Secretary of the Treasury can identify the manufacturer or importer and the location and date of manufacture or importation. Requires tobacco products sold on Indian reservations to be labeled as such. Requires a person to post a bond with the Secretary in order to export tobacco products. Requires a tobacco wholesaler to have a permit and to maintain certain records. Requires export warehouse proprietors to file certain reports with the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into certain tobacco related information exchange agreements with foreign countries. Establishes new criminal offenses relating to the distribution of tobacco products. Raises the $1,000 civil penalty for violations relating to tobacco products to $10,000. Amends the Contraband Cigarette Trafficking Act to: (1) expand the applicability of such Act from cigarettes only to tobacco products (cigars, cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, pipe tobacco, and roll-your-own tobacco); (2) define a "contraband tobacco product" as a quantity of tobacco product that is equivalent to or more than 2,000 cigarettes (currently, 60,000) which bear no evidence of the payment of applicable State tobacco taxes and that is possessed illegally; and (3) establish new unlawful acts. Allows a State tobacco tax authority to bring a civil action in U.S. district court for the collection of State cigarette taxes. Prohibits retaliation against employees (whistleblowers) who provide information in contraband tobacco cases. Provides for administrative and judicial remedies for such whistleblowers.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2004
Justice and Understanding By International Loan Elimination and Equity (JUBILEE) Act of 2004 - Amends the International Financial Institutions Act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to commence immediate efforts, within the Paris Club of Official Creditors, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), and other international financial institutions (multilateral development institutions (MDI's)) to accomplish: (1) the cancellation of all debts owed to each institution by specified eligible poor countries, and the financing of such debt cancellation from the institution's ongoing operations, procedures, and accounts; (2) the limitation of any waiting period before receipt of debt cancellation to one month from the date of an eligible poor country's application for it; and (3) encouragement of the government of each eligible poor country to allocate at least 20 percent of its national budget, including the savings from such debt cancellation, for the provision of basic health care services, education services, and clean water services to individuals in the country. Sets forth requirements for: (1) establishment of a framework to ensure transparency regarding each international financial institution's activities; and (2) availability on the Treasury Department's website of U.S. Executive Directors' remarks at meetings of international financial institutions' Boards of Directors. Requires the Secretary to commence immediate efforts, within the Paris Club, the IMF, and other appropriate MDI's, to ensure that the provision of debt cancellation to such countries is not conditioned on any agreement by such a country to implement or comply with specified policies that deepen poverty or degrade the environment.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2004
New United States Global HIV Prevention Strategy to Address the Needs of Women and Girls Act of 2004 - States that it shall be U.S. policy to: (1) pursue an HIV prevention strategy for each country for which the United States provides assistance to combat HIV/AIDS that emphasizes the needs of women and girls; and (2) support a variety of culturally appropriate HIV prevention programs for each country for which the United States provides HIV/AIDS assistance, and to ensure that unnecessary requirements on fund use are not imposed. Directs the President to establish a comprehensive and culturally appropriate HIV prevention strategy for each country for which the United States provides assistance to combat HIV/AIDS. Requires each strategy to encompass health and HIV prevention education beyond the ABC model "Abstain, Be faithful, use Condoms" as a means to reduce HIV infections, particularly among women and girls. Amends the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 to eliminate the "abstinence-until-marriage" reference with respect to the sense of Congress' HIV/AIDS funding allocation.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2004
Enhancement of Veterans Mental Health Services Act - Authorizes appropriations for the employment of additional psychiatrists and other mental health services specialists at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and outpatient facilities specializing in the diagnoses and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a nationwide outreach program at the community level for veterans who participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom who are or may be suffering from PTSD. Directs the Secretary of each military department to conduct a comprehensive review of the mental health care programs of the Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of that Secretary to determine ways to improve the efficacy of such care. Requires the Secretary of each military department to take special care in providing for as seamless a transition as possible from Department of Defense health care services to Department of Veterans Affairs health care services with regard to members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to combat or are otherwise at risk for PTSD. Requires the Secretary of each military department and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) assess the adequacy of privacy and patient confidentiality standards and practices of their respective departments, particularly with regard to patients seeking treatment for PTSD; and (2) identify other factors that may deter members of the Armed Forces from seeking treatment for PTSD.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2004
Fair and Open Voting Standards Act of 2004 - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit a State from removing a registrant from the official list of eligible voters for an election for Federal office by reason of criminal conviction unless the State certifies to the Election Assistance Commission that the State has in effect procedures for such removal which meet the applicable requirements of this Act including those concerning notice prior to removal and availability of appeal.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2004
Jobs for America Act of 2004 - Amends the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act to provide protections for employees relating to the offshoring of jobs. Revises the definition of mass layoff to mean a reduction in force which is not the result of a plant closing and results in an employment loss at the single site of employment for a 30-day period for at least 50 employees. Defines offshoring of jobs as any action taken by an employer the effect of which is to create, shift, or transfer work or facilities outside the United States and which results in an employment loss during any 30 day period for 15 or more employees. Sets forth requirements for notices for offshoring of jobs. Establishes requirements for posting of notice of rights by employers and for contents of annual reports by the Secretary of Labor. Revises provisions relating to: (1) determinations with respect to employment loss; and (2) civil actions against employers.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2004
Family Fairness Act of 2004 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to make an employee eligible for coverage under such Act if that employee has been employed for at least 12 months by a covered employer with respect to whom such leave is requested. (Eliminates the requirement, under current law, that the employee have served at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period prior to the leave request.)
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2004
Water for the World Resolution - Declares that Congress: (1) recognizes that government policies should ensure that all individuals have equitable access to water and that no one is cut off from water for survival due to economic constraints; and (2) upholds the principle that governments should engage all members of society in direct participation in overseeing decisions about the conservation, distribution, use, and management of water in their communities. Recognizes that more sustainable agricultural practices are necessary to protect water resources. Affirms that Congress firmly commits itself to met the Millennium Development Goals, especially as they pertain to universal access to water and sanitation. Asserts that Federal policies should ensure that in the United States direct and indirect sources of water pollution, including factories, refineries, commercial agriculture, and wastewater treatment plants, are adequately regulated and those responsible held accountable for the pollution they cause.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Displacement Prevention Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide grants to maintain the affordability of low- and moderate-income housing to: (1) property owners for property rehabilitation; (2) nonprofit organizations for multifamily property acquisitions; and (3) owners of covered multifamily properties in strong rental markets. Sets forth eligibility provisions, including extension of affordability restrictions. Prioritizes property assistance based upon the: (1) termination date of Federal assistance; (2) number of low-income residents; and (3) extent to which owner assurances of affordability restrictions will exceed periods provided for by this Act. Directs the Secretary to make enhanced housing vouchers (under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937) available to eligible families upon the termination date of an assisted multifamily housing project. Defines such families as: (1) a low-income family; (2) a moderate-income elderly or disabled family; or (3) a family residing in a low vacancy area. Requires the owner of an assisted multifamily housing project who intends to alter or terminate affordability restrictions to notify the Secretary, appropriate State and local entities, and each tenant. Stipulates that failure to so notify shall prevent the owner from tenant eviction or rent increase until one year after provision of such notification. Requires specified compliance reviews.
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
Meaningful Expression of Democracy in America (MEDIA) Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require broadcast licensees to afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views on issues of public importance.
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 · 24 June 2004
Commends the efforts of women and civil society in the Republic of Colombia to mitigate violence in their communities, advocate for a negotiated solution to conflict, and develop a common agenda for peace. Reaffirms the importance of including the expertise, knowledge, and experiences of Columbian women in peace dialogues, negotiations, and decisionmaking roles. Supports the protection of women and their organizations and the defense of fundamental human rights in Columbia. Calls on the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and other appropriate Federal agencies to: (1) integrate a gender perspective in U.S. policies, programs, and activities regarding the situation in Columbia; and (2) support the efforts by Columbian women to promote peace, respect for human rights, and an end to conflict and violence in Columbia.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Directs the Secretary of State to submit to the appropriate congressional committees, every six months, a list of each country where torture or degrading treatment is commonly used in interrogation and detention. Prohibits, with specified waiver authority, the transfer of a person in U.S. custody to such a country. States that such prohibition shall not be construed to apply to the legal extradition of a person under a bilateral or multilateral extradition treaty if, prior to extradition, that person has recourse to a U.S. court to challenge the extradition on the basis that there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be in danger of being subjected to torture or degrading treatment in the requesting country.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Second Chance Act of 2004: Community Safety Through Recidivism Prevention or Second Chance Act of 2004 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reauthorize, rewrite, and expand provisions regarding adult and juvenile offender reentry demonstration projects, including by authorizing funds to: (1) provide structured post-release housing and transitional housing through which offenders are provided supervision and services immediately following reentry into the community; (2) facilitate specified collaboration to promote the employment of people released from prison and jail; and (3) establish or expand the use of reentry courts. Sets forth grant priorities and requirements, including that each State or local government recipient establish a Reentry Task Force or other relevant convening authority. Authorizes the Attorney General to make a grant to provide for the establishment of a National Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Resource Center. Directs the Attorney General to establish an interagency task force on Federal programs and activities relating to offender reentry. Authorizes the National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics to conduct research on offender reentry. Directs: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review the role of State child protective services at the time of arrest and to establish services for the preservation of families impacted by the incarceration of a family member; and (2) the Secretary of Labor to implement a program to educate employers about existing incentives to the hiring of former prisoners and to make grants to community-based organizations to provide mentoring and other transitional services essential to reintegrating ex-offenders.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Patriotic Employers of Guard and Reservists Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers a business tax credit for 50 percent of the lesser of: (1) actual compensation paid to each Ready Reserve-National Guard employee while on active duty; or (2) $30,000. Allows employers a refundable credit against payroll taxes for wages paid to employees who are first responders (i.e., law enforcement officials, firefighters, paramedics, and Ready Reserve-National Guard employees). Allows employers a tax credit for 50 percent of the lesser of: (1) the wages paid to each employee hired to replace a Ready Reserve-National Guard employee or self-employed Reservist while on active duty; or (2) $12,000. Increases the amount of the credit for certain U.S. manufacturers. Disqualifies an employer for the tax credit if the employer has failed to comply with employment or reemployment rights of military personnel.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Iraqi Women and Children's Liberation Act of 2004 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should ensure that women and children in Iraq benefit from the liberation of Iraq; (2) women of all ethnic groups in Iraq should be included in the economic and political reconstruction of Iraq; and (3) the Government of Iraq should adhere to internationally accepted standards on human rights and rights of women and children. Authorizes the President to provide assistance for: (1) education and health care for Iraqi women and children living in Iraq or living as refugees in other countries; and (2) enhancement of political participation, economic empowerment, civil society, and personal security of women in Iraq. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should ensure that such assistance is: (1) provided in a manner that protects and promotes the human rights of all people in Iraq, utilizing indigenous institutions and nongovernmental organizations, especially women's organizations; and (2) conditioned on the government of Iraq making continued progress toward internationally accepted standards of human rights and the rights of women.
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 · 21 June 2004
Patient Bill of Rights Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code to apply patient protection and quality care standards to group health plans and issuers of health insurance coverage. Applies such standards also to Federal health insurance programs. Requires such plans and issuers to have approved utilization review programs, claims procedures, and appeal procedures concerning claims denials. Requires patient access to health plan information and to care, including: (1) a consumer choice option and choice of health care professional; (2) emergency care; (3) timely access to specialists; (4) obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics; (5) care continuity; (6) prescription drugs; (7) participation in clinical trials; and (8) breast cancer treatment hospital stays and consultations. Restricts interference by a plan or insurer with the doctor-patient relationship. Prohibits discrimination against a licensed health care professional with respect to participation or indemnification. Sets forth requirements relating to payment of claims and protection of patient advocacy. Provides a tax credit for the health insurance expenses of small businesses. Treats qualified health benefit purchasing distributions by private foundations as distributions for a charitable purpose. Establishes demonstration grants programs to: (1) increase access to health insurance through alternative means; and (2) provide health insurance information to small employers.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2004
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic located in Peoria, Illinois, as the Bob Michel Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2004
Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services: (1) to develop and implement a National Arthritis Action Plan; and (2) acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct, support, and promote the coordination of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases research. Requires the Secretary to award grants to: (1) support arthritis-specific research projects at the Centers for Prevention Research by the CDC; (2) support State comprehensive arthritis control and prevention programs and public health surveillance, prevention, and control activities; and (3) assist in the implementation of a national strategy for arthritis control and prevention. Requires the Secretary to coordinate a national education and outreach program on arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Requires the Secretary to establish an Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee to: (1) improve coordination of Federal research activities related to arthritis and rheumatic diseases; and (2) convene a summit to provide a detailed overview of such current Federal research. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health to expand and intensify juvenile arthritis research and related programs, including by awarding grants to establish new research programs. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to support the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on juvenile arthritis. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to support the development of a National Juvenile Arthritis Patient Registry to collect data for follow-up studies regarding the prevalence and incidence of juvenile arthritis, as well as capturing information on evidence-based health outcomes related to specific therapies and interventions. Requires the Secretary to promote and support pediatric rheumatology training, including by allowing the Secretary to establish a loan repayment program. Requires the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on the economic impact of arthritis in the workplace.
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 · 16 June 2004
Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2004 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit a person from using any telephone facsimile (fax) machine, computer, or other device to send, to another fax machine, an unsolicited advertisement to a person who has requested that such sender not send such advertisements, or to any other person unless: (1) the sender has an established business relationship with the person; and (2) the advertisement contains a conspicuous notice on its first page that the recipient may request not to be sent any further unsolicited advertisements, and includes a domestic telephone and fax number (neither of which can be a pay-per-call number) for sending such a request. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide that a request not to send unsolicited advertisements complies with FCC requirements if: (1) the request identifies the recipient fax number to which the request relates; (2) the request is made to the telephone or fax number of the sender; and (3) the person making the request has not subsequently provided express invitation or permission to have such advertisements sent. Authorizes the FCC to allow professional tax-exempt trade associations to send unsolicited advertisements to their members in furtherance of association purposes. Requires the: (1) FCC to report annually to Congress on the enforcement of the above requirements; and (2) Comptroller General to study, and report to specified congressional committees on, complaints received by the FCC concerning unsolicited advertisements sent to fax machines.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2004
Civil Liberties Restoration Act of 2004 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to require removal proceedings to be open to the public subject to specified exceptions. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) serve notice to appear within 48 hours on aliens arrested or detained under the INA and bring them before an immigration judge within 72 hours, with exceptions for aliens certified as engaging in espionage or terrorism; and (2) conduct individualized bond determinations reviewable by an immigration judge. Limits the authority of the Board of Immigration Review (created by this Act) to stay release orders. Abolishes the Executive Office of Immigration Review and replaces it with the Immigration Review Commission. Terminates the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) and most NSEERS-related removal proceedings. Requires the Secretary to use prosecutorial discretion in immigration enforcement. Eliminates criminal penalties and deportation, and establishes civil penalties, for an alien's violation of registration and change of address requirements. Requires data entered into the National Crime Information Center database to meet Privacy Act accuracy requirements. Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to authorize (currently, require) courts to review in camera and ex parte materials relating to, or information derived from, electronic surveillance, physical searches, business records, and pen registers or trap and trace devices under FISA where the Attorney General asserts that disclosure implicates national security. Requires disclosure of such materials to comport with the Classified Information Procedures Act. Requires Federal agencies to report data-mining activities to Congress. Prohibits orders requiring the production of certain business records in the course of foreign intelligence or international terrorism investigations absent a finding that specific and articulable facts support the belief that the person to whom the records pertain is a foreign power.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2004
Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to make Alzheimer's disease research a priority within the National Institute on Aging. Requires the Director of the Institute to: (1) undertake an Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Initiative to accelerate the discovery of new risk and protective factors, to rapidly identify therapies and preventive interventions, and to implement effective prevention and treatment strategies; (2) conduct and support cooperative clinical research regarding Alzheimer's; and (3) conduct research concerning early detection and diagnosis, the relationship between Alzheimer's and vascular disease, and interventions designed to help caregivers. Authorizes the Director to establish a National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center to facilitate collaboration among Alzheimer's Disease Centers and Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to educate the public and public health community regarding Alzheimer's disease. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants or cooperative agreements to develop coordinated respite care programs on a statewide basis. Defines "respite care" to mean planned or emergency care provided to a child or adult with a special need in order to provide temporary relief to the family caregiver of such child or adult. Directs the Secretary to award a grant or cooperative agreement to a public or private nonprofit entity to establish a National Resource Center on Lifespan Respite Care. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a nonrefundable tax credit for each individual certified as having long-term care needs and for whom the taxpayer is acting as a caregiver; (2) a tax deduction for long-term care premiums paid under a qualified insurance contract; and (3) qualified long-term care insurance to be offered in a cafeteria plan and flexible spending arrangements.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2004
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the State of Virginia should provide the necessary resources to establish and maintain a scholarship fund to make tuition grants available to eligible former students who were denied an education in Prince Edward County, Virginia, when the public schools there closed rather than comply with the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2004
Children's Hospitals Education Equity and Research (CHEER) Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make payments through FY 2010 (currently, through FY 2005) to children's hospitals for costs associated with operating approved graduate medical resident training programs.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2004
Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers with at least 15 or more employees to provide a minimum paid sick leave of: (1) seven days annually for those who work at least 30 hours per week; and (2) a prorated annual amount for those who work less than 30 but at least 20 hours a week, or less than 1,500 but at least 1,000 hours per year. Allows employees to use such leave to meet their own medical needs or to care for the medical needs of certain family members. Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority with respect to this Act's provisions regarding employees covered by title I of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Provides that, for employees under their jurisdiction, such authority shall be exercised by the Librarian of Congress, the Comptroller General, the Board of Directors of the congressional Office of Compliance, or the Merit Systems Protection Board. Declares that the requirements under this Act are minimum requirements, and are not to be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2004
Recognizes the 40th anniversary of the day civil rights organizers Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner gave their lives. Encourages all Americans to observe the anniversary of the deaths of the three men by committing themselves to the fundamental principles of freedom, equality, and democracy.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2004
Directs the Secretary of Defense to provide, on a monthly basis for new contracts and for existing contracts entered into since October 1, 2001, to the House Committees on Armed Services, Government Reform, Appropriations, and International Relations and the Senate Committees on Armed Services, Governmental Affairs, Appropriations, and Foreign Relations copies and descriptions of contracts and task orders in excess of $1 million entered into by the Department of Defense in relation to work in Iraq and Afghanistan.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of tobacco products by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Food and Drug Administration, including through disclosure, annual registration, inspection, recordkeeping, and user fee requirements. Sets forth criteria by which tobacco products are deemed adulterated or misbranded. Allows the Secretary to require prior approval of all label statements. Allows the Secretary to restrict the sale or distribution of tobacco products, including advertising and promotion, if the Secretary determines that such regulation would be appropriate for the protection of the public health. Prohibits such regulations from: (1) limiting product sales or distribution to authorization of a practitioner licensed to prescribe medical products; (2) prohibiting product sales in face-to-face transactions by a specific category of retail outlets; or (3) establishing a minimum age greater than 18 years of age for product purchases. Prohibits cigarettes from containing any artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, cinnamon, or coffee. Requires the Secretary to establish tobacco product standards to protect the public health, but reserves to Congress the power to ban any tobacco products or reduce the nicotine level to zero. Allows the Secretary to take specified actions, including public notification and recall, against unreasonably harmful products. Requires premarket approval of all new tobacco products. Sets forth standards for the sale of modified risk tobacco products. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) judicial review; (2) coordination with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); (3) congressional review of regulations; and (4) state and local authority. Requires the Secretary to establish a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to change cigarette warning label and advertising requirements. Amends the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 to change smokeless tobacco warning label and advertising requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Medicare Trust Fund Reimbursement Act of 2004 - Provides that if the Comptroller General of the United States determines that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have violated the restriction on using appropriated funds for publicity or propaganda purposes contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 or any other provision of law, the principal campaign committee of the President shall reimburse the Federal Government for the amount used in committing such violation as appropriate. Requires the amount reimbursed to be credited to the appropriate Medicare trust fund to the extent that it was initially appropriated to such trust fund.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
International Commission to Monitor United States-Held Prisoners in Iraq Act of 2004 - Directs the President to seek to establish an international commission for monitoring the treatment of persons in U.S. custody in Iraq. States that it is the sense of Congress that such international commission should monitor the treatment of persons in U.S. custody in Iraq so as to ensure compliance with the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and other relevant international instruments and to provide assurances to the people of Iraq and the international community that such persons' treatment accords with international law.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the addition of India as a country for which the Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally has responsibilities should not decrease funding to any other country; (2) the United States should continue to increase the number of countries eligible to receive U.S. assistance to combat HIV and AIDS; and (3) the United States should increase assistance to combat HIV and AIDS. Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to include India among those countries for which the Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally has program responsibilities.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Cuba Sanctions Reform Act of 2004 - Provides for the expiration of certain trade and travel restrictions with respect to Cuba unless such restrictions are renewed annually by a specified renewal resolution of the two Houses of Congress. Authorizes the President with respect to Cuba to: (1) impose certain export controls; and (2) exercise certain emergency economic powers.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2004
Accountability and Responsibility in Contracting Act - Prohibits any acquiring corporation or any subsidiary of any such a corporation that enters into a corporate expatriation transaction (as defined by this Act) from being eligible to be awarded a Federal contract for a three-year period, unless the acquiring corporation reorganizes as a domestic corporation under the applicable incorporation laws of a State. Prohibits any entity and any entity with a foreign subsidiary doing business with a state sponsor of terrorism or foreign terrorist organization from being eligible to be awarded a Federal contract for a period of: (1) three years for a first offense; (2) ten years for a second offense; and (3) 15 years for any offense after a second offense. Directs each executive agency to require certification from a current contractor that the contractor, the contractor's domestic parent company and all other domestic subsidiaries of the parent did not do business, and did not own a foreign subsidiary that did business, during the ten-year period ending on this Act's enactment with such a state sponsor or organization. Directs each executive agency to require certification from a potential contractor, that the potential contractor, the potential contractor's domestic parent company, and all other domestic subsidiaries of the parent is not doing business, and does not own a foreign subsidiary that is doing business, or has done business within the last ten years, with such a state sponsor or organization. Permits citizens to file complaints with executive agencies regarding Federal contractors and requires annual reporting on the complaints to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2004
Direct Loan Reward Act of 2004 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a Direct Loan Reward Program to encourage institutions of higher education to participate in the student loan program under part D, Federal Perkins Loans. Makes the amount of financial reward payment to an institution under this Act equal to 50 percent of the savings to the Federal Government generated by the institution's participation in such part D student loan program instead of its participation in the student loan program under the part B Federal Family Education Loan Program.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2004
Science Over Politics Act - Requires the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to: (1) review the decision of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) not to approve the application for the commercial distribution of the emergency contraceptive drug Plan B (levonorgestrel in 0.75 mg. tablet form) as an over-the-counter drug; (2) affirm that the decision was not politically influenced, was based on sound science, and conformed to FDA precedents and procedures; and (3) publish such affirmation in the Federal Register.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2004
Safe Transit and Rail Awareness and Investments for National Security Act of 2004 (Safe TRAINS Act) - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to improve the security of public transportation systems (including passenger, commuter, and light rail) against acts of terrorism. Sets forth grant uses and requirements. Directs grant recipients to submit to the Secretary their emergency response plan as well as a plan for conducting exercises for emergency response and public transportation employee training pursuant to guidelines published by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and disseminate to appropriate owners, operators, and providers of public transportation systems (including public transportation employees), and Federal, State, and local officials, a report containing best practices for the security of public transportation systems; (2) develop a national plan for public outreach and awareness of measures the public can take to increase public transportation system security; (3) develop a strategic plan for the security of the Nation's public transportation systems; (4) execute in conjunction with the Secretary of Transportation, a Memorandum of Agreement governing the responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation, respectively, in addressing security matters for public transportation systems; and (5) establish National Transportation Security Centers at institutions of higher education to assist in carrying out this Act, to conduct research and education, and to develop or provide professional training of public transportation employees. Sets forth certain whistleblower protections for employees or other persons who have commenced, testified at, or participated in, a proceeding to enhance public transportation security, or who have refused to violate or assist in the violation of any regulation related to public transportation security.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2004
Personal Data Offshoring Protection Act of 2004 - Requires business enterprises to give U.S. citizens notice before transmitting personally identifiable information about such citizens to foreign affiliates or subcontractors located in countries with adequate privacy protections. Prohibits such transmittal where adequate privacy protections are lacking, unless: (1) the business enterprise discloses the lack of protections and obtains the citizen's prior consent for transmittal; and (2) such consent is renewed by the citizen within one year before the transmittal. Prohibits business entities from denying goods and services or modifying business terms for any person based on that person's exercise of consent rights provided by this Act or other law. Requires violations of this Act to be treated as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act. Creates a private right of action in State court for violations of this Act. Authorizes States, on behalf of their residents, to bring civil actions in Federal court for such violations. Requires prior notice to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of State actions and authorizes the FTC's intervention and appeal. Directs the FTC to certify those countries that have legal systems providing adequate privacy protections. Creates a presumption of inadequacy for foreign laws that are less protective of privacy than Federal law or the law of any State, or where the FTC determines that enforcement is lacking. Requires certification of countries whose laws meet the requirements of the European Union Data Protection Directive, unless such laws are not adequately enforced.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
Medicare Early Access Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to add a new part E (Purchase of Medicare Benefits by Certain Individuals 55 to 65 Years of Age). Provides access to Medicare benefits for individuals 55 to 64 years of age who do not have coverage under a Federal health insurance program or under a group plan. Requires enrollees to pay a premium to receive Medicare coverage. Requires the Secretary to base the premium on the Secretary's estimate of the average, national annual per capita amount of the cost of providing services to the population. Allows early retirees with access to retiree coverage to enroll under this part while keeping their Federal or State COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) continuation coverage. Allows an employer that offers employment-based retiree health coverage to an individual who enrolls under this part to modify such coverage to provide for: (1) employer payment of items and services for which payment may not be made under Medicare; and (2) employer payment of 25 percent of the monthly premium applicable to the individual after enrollment. Creates in the Treasury the Medicare Early Access Trust Fund to hold the premiums collected under this Act and to support the new program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow program enrollees to receive a 75 percent advance, refundable credit to offset premium costs (thus requiring program enrollees in the Medicare buy-in to be responsible for 25 percent of the monthly premiums).
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
Financial Services for All Act - Amends the Federal Credit Union Act to empower a Federal Credit Union to sell or provide electronic fund transfers, as well as receive them, for a fee.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
FamilyCare Act of 2004 - Amends title XXI of the Social Security Act (SSA) to rename the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) the FamilyCare Program. Provides for: (1) automatic enrollment in the FamilyCare Program of children born to title XXI parents; and (2) optional family care coverage of parents of targeted low-income children and low-income pregnant women under Medicaid (SSA title XIX). Provides for optional coverage of legal immigrants under Medicaid and SSA title XXI, and of children through age 20 under Medicaid and SSA title XXI. Allows States to elect to provide for a period of presumptive eligibility for medical assistance for a parent of a child with respect to whom such a period is provided under Medicaid. Revises the transitional medical assistance (TMA) program, including making reporting requirements optional, giving States the option to extend eligibility for low-income individuals for up to 12 additional months, and eliminating the sunset for TMA. Establishes limitations with respect to marketing activities to comply with new conflict of interest requirements. Prohibits affiliation with debarred persons. Increases the SCHIP allotment for each of FY 2002 through 2004. Directs the Secretry to award demonstration grants to up to seven States (or other qualified entities) to conduct innovative programs designed to improve outreach to homeless individuals and families under specified programs, including Medicaid. Limits cost-sharing under the FamilyCare program to 2.5 percent for families with income below 150 percent of poverty. Increases Federal reimbursement for language services under the Medicaid program and SSA title XXI.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
Women's Health Office Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Social Security Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the establishment of separate Offices on Women's Health within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Office of the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Office of the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Office of the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration to carry out specified activities relating to the health of women. Directs the lead officers of each Office of Women's Health to establish goals, provide information, serve as a consultant, and establish a Coordinating Committee on Women's Health within their respective agencies. Requires the Director of the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality to designate an official of the Office of Priority Populations to carry out similar responsibilities relating to women's health. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Office of Women's Health, to establish a National Women's Health Information Center to facilitate the exchange of information, access to such information, and the analysis of issues and problems relating to women's health. Transfers the functions of the Office on Women's Health of the Public Health Service to the Office of Women's Health within the Department of Health and Human Services.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
Corporate Jet Tax Shelter Reform Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to limit the tax deduction allowable for employer-provider aircraft flights to the expenses for goods, services, and facilities relating to such aircraft which are treated as employee compensation and wages. Dedicates any increase in Federal receipts resulting from this Act solely to reduction of the public debt.
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
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 · 12 May 2004
Requests that the Secretary of Defense transmit to the House of Representatives any picture, photograph, video, communication, or report produced in conjunction with any completed Department of Defense (DOD) investigation: (1) conducted by Major General Antonio M. Taguba and relating to allegations of torture or allegations of violations of the Geneva Convention at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq; or (2) relating to the abuse or alleged abuse of prisoners of war or detainees by civilian contractors employed in Iraq on behalf of the DOD.
![Official portrait of Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_il_9_schakowsky_janice_200.jpg)