United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Global Democracy Promotion Act of 2003 - Declares that foreign nongovernmental organizations: (1) shall not be ineligible for assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 solely on the basis of health or medical services (including counseling and referral services) provided by them with non-U.S. Government funds if such services do not violate the laws of the country in which they are being provided, and would not violate U.S. Federal law if provided in the United States; and (2) shall not be subject to requirements relating to the use of non-U.S. Government funds for advocacy and lobbying activities other than those that apply to U.S. nongovernmental organizations receiving such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Bringing America Home Act - Recognizes housing as a basic human right, and declares Congress' goal to end homelessness in the Unites States. Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to establish the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which shall be used to fund specified housing and related programs. Authorizes appropriations for specified housing and related programs. Federal Homelessness to Housing Mutual Mortgage Association Act - Establishes the Federal Homelessness to Housing Mutual Mortgage Association (Hollie May), which shall provide housing and homeownership opportunities for the homeless in cooperative housing associations. Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to: (1) provide for the use of surplus Federal property to assist the homeless; and (2) revise and consolidate specified homeless assistance programs. Establishes in the Treasury the Emergency Rent Relief Fund. Exempts work performed in public housing from consideration as income under specified housing programs. Sets forth conditions for postal delivery service for the homeless. Authorizes grants for public housing police forces. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish a temporary ex-offender low-income housing credit; (2) limit mortgage interest deductions; and (3) repeal the exclusion of gain on a principal residence sale. Expresses the sense of Congress against local ordinances that disadvantage the homeless. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) every person in the United States should have access to affordable and comprehensive medical care; and (2) Medicaid should be expanded. Authorizes appropriations for specified health and homeless programs. Amends the Public Health Service Act, with respect to substance abuse, mental health services, and the homeless, to: (1) require the establishment of Federal plans on addiction, mental illness, HIV/AIDS, and homelessness; (2) provide grants for treatment; (3) revise the projects for assistance in transition from homelessness (PATH) program; (4) revise the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act of 1990. Expresses the sense of the Congress regarding the right to a living wage or similar benefits. Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to authorize grants for a homebuild program for affordable housing construction and apprenticeship. Authorizes a Department of Labor apprenticeship program for working people experiencing homelessness. Sets forth day laborer and temporary worker employment and related provisions. Amends the Social Security Act to: (1) require supplemental security income (SSI) and old age, survivors, and disability insurance (OASDI) outreach programs for the homeless; and (2) increase SSI asset limits, and provide presumptive eligibility for persons experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Head Start Assessment Act of 2003 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from proceeding with the full-scale implementation of the Head Start National Reporting System on Child Outcomes, as described in a specified project proposal, until the Secretary certifies to Congress that: (1) congressional oversight hearings have been concluded concerning the development and implementation of the System; (2) the Secretary has concluded public forums in different regions of the United States, and provided an opportunity for written public comments, concerning early childhood assessment proposals; (3) the Secretary has reported to Congress a study by the National Academy of Sciences of early childhood assessments focusing on improving accountability, instruction, and the delivery of services; and (4) sufficient funds are available to develop and implement any new Head Start assessments, and deliver necessary additional technical assistance and professional development required to successfully implement these assessments. Prescribes requirements for participants in such public forums.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Genetically Engineered Food Safety Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to include genetically engineered food and related materials in the definition of "food additive." Requires that a petition to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for a regulation prescribing the conditions of safe use of a genetically engineered food additive include all data collected or developed pursuant to safety investigations, including data that does not support the claim of safety. Authorizes citizen suits concerning food additives against the alleged violator or against the Secretary for failure to perform a mandatory act or duty under this Act. Mandates a fee from petitioners to cover related costs and to provide for a program of basic and applied research on genetic food additive safety. Authorizes the detention (seizure) of food as well as devices during an inspection where the appropriate officer or employee of the Department of Health and Human Services has reason to believe such food or device is in violation of this Act. Requires all food retailers to register with the Food and Drug Administration to expedite recalls, embargoes, and seizures.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Infant and Toddler Durable Product Safety Act - Instructs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to: (1) promulgate a consumer product safety standard for durable infant or toddler products; and (2) establish an Infant and Toddler Product Review Panel to advise the Commission regarding guidelines and promulgation of consumer product safety standards for such products. Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to declare the limitation on maximum civil penalty inapplicable to this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), and the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) to deem a food misbranded if it contains or was produced with a genetically engineered material unless its labeling contains statements meeting specified requirements. Requires the periodic testing of such foods transferred along a chain of distribution to assure accuracy of labels, subject to specified exceptions. Excludes, in all three Acts, food: (1) served in restaurants; or (2) prepared primarily in a retail establishment, ready for human consumption, but not offered for sale for immediate consumption in the establishment. Excludes, for the FDCA, a medical food as defined in the Orphan Drug Act. Subjects violators to civil monetary penalties, exempting recipients who accept a guarantee of the absence of genetically engineered material in good faith or producers whose food inadvertently becomes contaminated by genetically engineered material. Authorizes citizen suits as specified.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Genetically Engineered Pharmaceutical and Industrial Crop Safety Act of 2003 - Prohibits: (1) a pharmaceutical crop or industrial crop to be grown, raised, or otherwise cultivated until the final regulations and tracking system required by this Act are in effect; and (2) cultivation of a pharmaceutical crop or industrial crop in an open air environment, or in a food commonly used for human food or domestic animal feed. Directs: (1) the United States Department of Agriculture to establish a tracking system to regulate the growing, handling, transportation, and disposal of all pharmaceutical and industrial crops and their byproducts to prevent contamination; and (2) the Secretary of Agriculture to issue related regulations. Authorizes the Secretary to assess civil penalties for violations of such provisions. Directs the National Academy of Sciences to report on alternative methods to produce pharmaceuticals or industrial chemicals that may be conducted in controlled production facilities without the risk of contamination. Defines: (1) genetically engineered plant; (2) genetically engineered material; (3) genetically engineered seed; (4) pharmaceutical crop; and (5) industrial crop.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Real Solutions to World Hunger Act of 2003 - Makes it unlawful for any person to ship, or offer to ship, or for any carrier or person to transport, or receive for transportation, to any foreign country, any genetically engineered animal, plant, or seed (as defined by this Act) if the person knows or has reason to believe that the engineered article will be used to produce an agricultural commodity if: (1) such article was denied Federal approval for U.S. marketing, or its application for approval was withdrawn; or (2) the foreign government has not certified that related ecological impacts of such article have been satisfactorily mitigated. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to designated international research institutions to promote development of sustainable agricultural techniques (which may not derive any genetic engineered material) that rely on minimum artificial inputs to meet developing countries' food and fiber needs. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the United States Executive Director at each international financial institution to make no effort to encourage the institution from prohibiting countries eligible for certain assistance from requiring compulsory licensing of genetically engineered animals, plants or seeds. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose a tax on a corporation equal to one percent of its gross income that is attributable to the U.S. marketing of any genetically engineered organism (as defined by this Act), or the holding of a patent on any such organism; and (2) establish in the Treasury the Sustainable Agriculture Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2003
Directs the President to review certain steel tariff exclusions granted to foreign companies and to revoke: (1) any exclusion that would have been denied pursuant to an objection if the objection had been timely filed; and (2) any exclusion that was obtained by materially false or misleading information regarding the availability of a competing domestic product.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2003
COBRA Coverage Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a tax credit for employer-provided COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) continuation coverage for covered employees and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2003
Workers with Disabilities Opportunity Act - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to remove the limitation on the period of Medicare (SSA title XVIII part A) Hospital Insurance program eligibility for disabled workers.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2003
Prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from taking any action proposed under the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services initiative of the Department of Veterans Affairs: (1) unless the Secretary has notified Congress of the intention to take such action; and (2) until the later of the expiration of a 60-day period, or 30 days of continuous congressional session, after such notification.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2003
Breastfeeding Promotion Act - Pregnancy Discrimination Act Amendments of 2003 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include lactation (breastfeeding, including expression of milk) as protected conduct under such Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow a limited credit to employers for expenses incurred in enabling employed nursing mothers to breastfeed. Safe and Effective Breast Pumps Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) put into effect a performance standard for breast pumps irrespective of the class to which the breast pumps have been classified under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; and (2) issue a compliance policy guide which will assure that women who want to breastfeed a child are given full and complete information respecting breast pumps. Expands the IRC definition of medical care to include qualified breastfeeding equipment and services.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2003
Reiterates the condemnation of the House of Representatives of the attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 18, 1994, and honors its victims. Urges the Government of Argentina to fulfill its international obligations and its promise to the Argentine people by pursuing the local and international connections to this act of terrorism, wherever it may lead, and to properly punish all those involved. Welcomes Argentine President Nestor Kirchner's political will to pursue the investigation of the bombing of the AMIA to its ultimate conclusions. Calls on the President of the United States to: (1) raise this issue in bilateral discussions with Argentine officials; and (2) underscore the U.S. concern regarding the past delay in the resolution of this case. Recommends that the President of the United States create more mechanisms for intra-regional information sharing and, where needed, joint counter-terrorism operations. Encourages the President of the United States to provide democratic governments in South America and Central America with the necessary financial resources as well as equipment and training for intelligence and security forces. Recommends that the U.S. Representative to the Organization of American States seek support from the countries composing the Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism to assist, if needed, in the investigation of this terrorist attack. Calls on all governments in the Western Hemisphere to pursue an anti-terrorism campaign based on unity of purpose, dedication of resources, constant vigilance, and cooperation. Calls on the Islamic Republic of Iran to: (1) respond favorably to the Argentine arrest warrant for five Iranian citizens believed to be responsible for the 1994 attack on the AMIA; and (2) cease any and all assistance to terrorist organizations, and renounce any and all involvement with terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2003
John Marshall Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury: (1) to mint and issue not more than 400,000 silver one dollar coins emblematic of Chief Justice John Marshall and his contributions to the United States in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of his birth; and (2) in cooperation with the Legacy Fund of the Library of Congress, to develop and implement a marketing program to promote and sell the coins. Directs that all sales of coins minted under this Act include a ten dollar per coin surcharge, to be paid by the Secretary to the Supreme Court Historical Society for purposes of: (1) supporting historical research about the Supreme Court, the Constitution, and related topics; (2) supporting fellowship programs, internships, and docents at the Supreme Court; and (3) collecting and preserving related antiques, artifacts, and other historical items.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2003
Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act of 2003 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to prohibit a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer providing group coverage, from: (1) excluding or restricting benefits for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, and outpatient services if the plan provides benefits for other outpatient prescription drugs, devices, or outpatient services; (2) denying eligibility based on use or potential use of such items or services; (3) providing monetary payments or rebates to a covered individual to encourage acceptance of less than the minimum protections available; (4) penalizing, reducing, or limiting a professional's reimbursement because the professional prescribed such drugs or devices or provided such services; or (5) providing incentives to a professional to induce the professional to withhold drugs, devices, or services. Amends the Public Health Service Act to apply those prohibitions to coverage offered in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2003
Great Lakes Restoration Financing Act of 2003 - Establishes the Great Lakes Advisory Board to: (1) develop a biennial comprehensive Great Lakes management plan; (2) coordinate Great Lakes restoration efforts; and (3) implement a public awareness campaign. Establishes a scientific working group to evaluate the scientific integrity of the Great Lakes restoration effort and assist the Board in its decisionmaking. Requires the management plan to be submitted to the President, appropriate congressional committees, the governor of each Great Lakes State, and the Great Lakes mayors. Includes as possible Great Lakes ecosystem goals: (1) the cleanup of toxic hot spots; (2) the elimination of invasive species; (3) pollution decrease; (4) the restoration and conservation of wetlands and critical coastal habitat; (5) the elimination of dead zones caused by hypoxia and harmful algal bloom; (6) the sustainable use and management of Great Lakes water resources; and (7) public participation in Great Lakes restoration. Requires each Great Lakes State to have in effect a State Great Lakes Management Plan, approved by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and updated every two years, in order to be eligible for assistance apportionments authorized under this Act. Provides apportioned funding to Great Lakes States for restoration activities. Authorizes the Administrator to appoint a special master to direct the remediation of an area of concern.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2003
Calls on the Government of Saudi Arabia to ensure that its review of its education curriculum is thorough, objective, and public. Urges the Government of Saudi Arabia to reform its education curriculum so as to promote tolerance, develop civil society, and encourage functionality in the global economy. Expresses extreme disappointment with the slow pace of education reform in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Applauds the public statements by Crown Prince Abdullah; and urges him to implement policies that are consistent with his statements. Urges the U.S. Department of State and other appropriate Federal agencies to work closely with the Government of Saudi Arabia on efforts to address issues related to education curriculum, textbooks, and teacher training. Supports expanding and creating more cultural, academic, visitor, and other exchanges between the United States and Saudi Arabia, subject to appropriate security checks. Requests the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization to encourage UNESCO to examine the educational system in Saudi Arabia and monitor the progress of the efforts to reform the education curriculum.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2003
Ferry Transportation Enhancement Act of 2003 - Amends the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 to authorize appropriations for FY 2004 through 2009 for construction of ferry boats and ferry terminal facilities. Amends Federal highway law to make ferry maintenance (currently, only terminal) facilities eligible for Federal funding. Amends Federal transportation law to include ferries within the Federal clean fuels program. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) establish a Ferry Joint Program Office to coordinate Federal programs affecting ferry boat and facility construction, maintenance, and operation, and to promote ferry service as a component of the Nation's transportation system; (2) maintain a national ferry database containing ferry routes, vessels, passengers and vehicles carried, funding sources, and related information; and (3) make grants to an institution of higher education to establish a National Ferry Transportation Institute for research, development, training programs, etc. relating to U.S. ferry transportation systems.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2003
Student Loan Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise student aid requirements for consolidation loans. Repeals a prohibition against refinancing consolidation loans. Allows borrowers to select lenders of consolidation loans. Requires lenders and institutions to provide certain information on consolidation loans to applicants. Revises interest rates on consolidated and reconsolidated loans.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2003
New York Fair Fishing Act of 2003 - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to add the State of New York as a member of the New England Fishery Management Council.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2003
Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to extend the authorization of appropriations for the Matching Grant Program for School Security through 2008.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2003
Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of Congress, a gold medal to Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. (posthumously) and his widow, Coretta Scott King, in recognition of their service to the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2003
Overtime Compensation Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to prohibit the Secretary of Labor from promulgating any regulation that has the effect of exempting from FLSA overtime compensation requirements (which limit maximum hours at regular compensation) any employee who is not otherwise exempted under regulations in effect on the date of enactment of this Act. Provides that such prohibition does not bar the Secretary from reducing the number of employees who are exempt from such overtime compensation requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2003
Recognizes the members of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps for their patriotism and civic activism during World War II on the Corps' 60th anniversary.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
Amends the Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998 (IPPCTPA) to limit the number of participants in the Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program who have a degree from an institution of higher education to no more than 20 percent. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise the nonimmigrant alien eligibility qualifications for program participants. Sets a minimum age of 21 (retaining the current age 35 maximum), and requires that the individual has: (1) been unemployed for at least six months; and (2) has resided for at least six months in Northern Ireland or one of designated border counties of the Republic of Ireland. Reduces from 36 to 24 months the temporary period of the visit to the United States for participation in the program. Denies any such person eligibility to apply for an immigrant visa, or for permanent residence, or for a nonimmigrant visa under such Act until he or she has resided and been physically present in the country of nationality or last residence for an aggregate of a least one year following departure from the United States. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive this requirement if: (1) departure from the United States would impose exceptional hardship upon the alien's spouse or child (if such spouse or child is a U.S. citizen or a lawfully resident alien); (2) the alien cannot return to the country of his or her nationality or last residence because he or she would be subject to persecution on account of race, religion, or political opinion; or (3) the admission of the alien is in the U.S. public or national interest. Extends the authority of the IPPCTPA through FY 2008. Requires the Secretary to report each program year to Congress (currently, the third program year and the three subsequent years) on the number of aliens admitted who have overstayed their visas.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003 - Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) to direct the President to establish programs of border interdiction by providing grants to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that provide for transit shelters operating at key border crossings, and help train survivors of trafficking in persons to educate and train border guards, officials, and other law enforcement officials to: (1) identify traffickers and victims of severe forms of trafficking; (2) treat such victims appropriately; and (3) monitor the implementation of border interdiction programs, including helping in the identification of such victims to stop the cross-border transit of victims. Requires the President to establish programs supporting the production of television and radio programs to inform vulnerable populations overseas of the dangers of trafficking, as well as the public in countries of destination. Directs the President to require airlines to develop and disseminate materials alerting travelers that sex tourism is illegal. Directs the President to ensure that any Federal grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under which certain assistance funds relating to international affairs are to be provided to a private entity, in whole or in part, shall include a condition that authorizes the Federal department or agency involved to terminate the grant, contract, or agreement, without penalty, if the grantee or any subgrantee, or the contractor or any subcontractor: (1) engages in specified severe forms of trafficking in persons or has procured a commercial sex act during the period of time that the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement is in effect; or (2) uses forced labor in the performance of the grant, contract, or agreement. Extends to nonimmigrant alien family members the same benefits and services available to a trafficking victim. Revises the benefits and services eligibility criteria for trafficking victims to consider a victim's willingness to assist with a State or local investigation as well as with a Federal investigation. Allows a victim of criminal trafficking offenses to bring a civil action in any appropriate U.S. district court. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase the minimum age at which a trafficking victim is required to assist in investigations and prosecutions to be eligible for a "T" visa. Adds unmarried siblings under age 18 to the family members of a trafficking victim eligible for a "T" visa. Amends the Federal criminal code to extend jurisdiction of sex trafficking offenses to acts of trafficking in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Amends the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (VTVPA) to require the Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, acting through the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking (OMCT) of the Department of State, to report to specified congressional committees on Federal agencies implementing such Act. Declares that the Director of OMCT shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, with the rank of Ambassador-at-Large. Establishes within the Task Force a Senior Policy Operating Group. Amends the VTVPA to direct the President, acting through specified entities, to carry out research on trafficking. Prohibits the use of funds under this Act to promote, support, or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
School Safety and Violence Prevention Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to applicant States for antibullying programs that consist of: (1) antibullying educational, counseling, mentoring, and peer programs; (2) a statewide database for schools to report, in real time, school-related crimes, violence, and bullying; (3) a statewide hotline for anonymous reporting by students and staff of information on bullying; and (4) an emergency plan for responding to school-related crimes, violence, and bullying.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
Rebuild America Act of 2003 - Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century and Federal transportation law to increase, for FY 2003, the: (1) Federal-aid highway program obligation ceiling; (2) authorization of appropriations for formula grants from the Highway Trust Fund and General Fund; (3) Federal Transit Program obligation ceiling; and (4) authorization of appropriations for airport planning and development. Authorizes grants for airport baggage and other security improvement projects. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a tax credit to holders of qualified AMTRAK bonds. Outlines requirements prior to the written approval by the Secretary of Transportation of qualified high-speed rail projects (which in turn qualify for the AMTRAK tax credit). Directs the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to submit to the President and Congress a multiyear capital spending plan. Expresses the sense of Congress that the proceeds of qualified AMTRAK bonds are intended to finance the construction of qualified high-speed projects. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 for AMTRAK capital expenditures. Directs the Secretary to establish a program of capital grants for the rehabilitation, preservation, or improvement of class II and III railroad track used primarily for freight transportation. Amends the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 to: (1) increase the aggregate unpaid principal ceiling on railroad rehabilitation and improvement loans; (2) authorize the Secretary to make grants to supplement such loans and loan guarantees; (3) prohibit the Secretary from requiring such a loan applicant to provide collateral; (4) require loan approval or disapproval within 30 days; and (5) prohibit the Secretary from assessing fees for such loans. Authorizes appropriations for port security grants. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to: (1) require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to assist States in establishing simplified procedures for small water treatment works to obtain assistance under such Act; (2) add to authorized purposes of State water pollution control revolving funds; (3) extend, from 20 to 30 years, the authorized term for loans made from such funds; (4) allow such funds to be used to provide owners and operators of small treatment works with certain technical and planning assistance; (5) allow an additional subsidization to benefit individual water rate payers; and (6) authorize FY 2003 appropriations for such funds, for sewer water overflow grants, and for safe drinking water revolving funds. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 for: (1) Army Corps of Engineers construction, operation, and maintenance activities; (2) public works and economic development; (3) Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Great Plains regional development; and (4) security enhancements for properties of the General Services Administration. Provides with respect to projects under this Act: (1) priority consideration for security enhancement projects; and (2) Buy American requirements. Amends provisions of the Internal Revenue Code concerning tax shelters to provide penalties for failure to include reportable transaction information with respect to a return or statement for a transaction which the Secretary of the Treasury determines has the potential for tax avoidance or evasion. Imposes an accuracy-related penalty of: (1) 20 percent for understatements with respect to reportable transactions (with an exception for reasonable cause shown); and (2) 40 percent for understatements attributable to transactions lacking economic substance. Makes confidentiality of tax-related communications provisions inapplicable to communications between a tax practitioner and a person in connection with tax shelter participation. Requires each material advisor (currently, each tax shelter organizer) to disclose specified information with respect to such tax shelter (adding specified tax shelter threshold amounts). Increases penalties for failure to register tax shelters. Provides penalties for failure to report interests in foreign financial accounts and for frivolous tax submissions. Places limits on the transfer or importation of built-in losses. Provides for the prevention of corporate expatriation in order to avoid U.S. income tax.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
Creates the Independent Commission on Intelligence about Iraq. Gives the Commission responsibility for: (1) evaluating executive branch intelligence collection, assessment, and representations concerning the threats posed by Iraq; (2) evaluating the effectiveness of collaborative arrangements between the United States and others in assessing such threats; (3) examining the extent to which Congress has imposed restrictions that have hampered the efforts of the intelligence community; (4) reviewing the work of other investigations; and (5) reporting its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to Congress and the President.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2003
Nullifies certain provisions of Executive Order 13279, dated December 12, 2002 (relating to equal protection of the laws for faith-based and community organizations) authorizing exemptions from specified Federal procurement contracting requirements with respect to contractors that are religious entities.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2003
Salute to Veterans and the Armed Forces Act of 2003 - Allows the full payment of military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation, without deduction from either (current law), without the enactment of qualifying offsetting legislation. Repeals: (1) special compensation programs for certain severely disabled and combat-disabled military retirees; and (2) provisions requiring a dependency and indemnity compensation offset from surviving spouse annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan. Increases the amount of basic educational assistance for members of the Selected Reserve. Directs the Secretary of Defense, for fiscal years after 2005, to provide a percentage increase in the higher learning cost index for determining basic educational assistance amounts. Directs the Secretary to pay a bonus to members who, at any time during service under Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom, satisfied eligibility requirements for the receipt of special pay for duty subject to hostile fire or imminent danger. Directs the Secretary of Homeland to provide such bonus to qualifying Coast Guard members. Authorizes additional appropriations for veterans' improved access to medical care. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make interim payments under claims for veterans' benefits when the final decision regarding the payment of such benefits is delayed following remand by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims or the Board for Veterans' Appeals to the Secretary for expedited consideration. Prohibits with respect to veterans: (1) increases in medication copayments; and (2) the imposition of health care enrollment fees. Requires the: (1) Secretaries of Veterans Affairs and Labor to provide appropriate information concerning veterans' benefits and employment opportunities; and (2) Secretary of Veterans Affairs to prepare an annual plan for the conduct of veterans' outreach activities. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to place the maximum individual income tax rate at 38.6 percent.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Hudson-Fulton-Champlain 400th Commemoration Commission Act of 2003 - Establishes the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain 400th Commemoration Commission to plan, develop, and execute programs and activities appropriate to commemorate, in 2009, the 400th anniversary of the voyage of Henry Hudson (the first European to sail up the Hudson River), the 200th anniversary of the voyage of Robert Fulton (the first person to use steam navigation on a commercial basis), and the 400th anniversary of the voyage of Samuel de Champlain (the first European to discover and explore Lake Champlain).
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Downed Animal Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate regulations to provide for the humane treatment, handling, and disposition of nonambulatory livestock by a covered entity, including a requirement that nonambulatory livestock be humanely euthanized. Provides that an entity shall: (1) not move nonambulatory livestock while such livestock is conscious; and (2) humanely euthanize such livestock. Prohibits an establishment covered by the Federal Meat Inspection Act to pass nonambulatory livestock through inspection. Defines "covered entity," and "humanely euthanize."
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act - Requires hospitals, as a condition of receiving Federal funds, to provide emergency contraception to a woman who is a victim of sexual assault.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Redesignates the Federal building located at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest in the District of Columbia, commonly known as the J. Edgar Hoover Federal Building, as the Federal Bureau of Investigation Building.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Requests the President to inform Congress and the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) regarding U.S. efforts and measures taken with respect to implementation and observance of Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and certain UN resolutions calling for U.S. and world nuclear disarmament. Calls on the President to implement and observe all NPT obligations and commitments and to revise national policies on nuclear weapons accordingly. Urges the President, in the interests of protecting and advancing human, national, and global security, to: (1) declare unconditionally that the United States will not use nuclear weapons first, and that pending their elimination, such weapons serve only to deter a nuclear attack by a hostile state or other entity; (2) initiate and conclude multilateral negotiations on verifiable steps nuclear states, including the United States, shall take to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons; (3) cooperate with the Russian Federation to remove from deployment nuclear weapons that are operational; (4) reaffirm the moratorium on nuclear testing and work for ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty; and (5) terminate all efforts to enhance U.S. military capabilities of the U.S. nuclear arsenal and to develop ballistic missile defenses.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Condemns the recent terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas and other terrorist organizations that intentionally sought to thwart the efforts of the United States and the world community to move toward peace in the Middle East at the summit in Aqaba, Jordan. Urges the European Union to classify Hamas as a terrorist organization, enabling it to take further action to prohibit any funding from Europe to Hamas. Urges the Palestinian Authority to combat terrorism by establishing itself as the sole armed entity within the Palestinian territories as soon as possible. Stands in solidarity with Israel as it takes necessary steps toward peace and toward providing security to its people.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2003
First Responders Funding Reform Act of 2003 - Amends the USA PATRIOT Act to require: (1) that each State be allocated in each fiscal year not less than .5 percent (currently, .75 percent) of the total amount appropriated for domestic preparedness grants; (2) such grants to be awarded based on a quantitative risk assessment for threat, vulnerability, and consequences; and (3) the Office for State and Local Domestic Preparedness Support of the Office of Justice Programs, by March 1 of each year, to submit that assessment to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2003
Honor Thy Parents Act of 2003 - Suspends any tax reduction and any tax deduction, limitation, or credit made by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 scheduled to take effect after 2003. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) to add a new part which establishes a voluntary outpatient prescription medicine benefit. Sets premium, deductible, and coinsurance limits, with an annual out-of-pocket limit of $2,000.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2003
Medicare Extension of Drugs to Seniors (MEDS) Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new part D (Prescription Medicine Benefit for the Aged and Disabled) establishing a voluntary insurance program to provide prescription medicine benefits, including pharmacy services, for eligible individuals (including low-income individuals) who are aged or disabled or have end-stage renal disease, and who elect to enroll during a prescribed period. Provides that the program shall be financed from monthly premium payments by enrollees together with Federal appropriations. Creates the Prescription Medicine Insurance Account within the Federal Supplemental Medical Insurance Trust Fund. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and implement an Employer Incentive Program that encourages employers to provide adequate prescription medicine benefits to retired individuals and maintain such existing benefit programs. Outlines provisions for substantial reductions in the price of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001, with respect to the importation of certain prescription drugs, to revise testing requirements (granting the Secretary certain waiver discretion), and add approved labeling requirements. Requires the recipient of a patent to make a reasonable pricing agreement with the Secretary (or the Secretary to waive such an agreement in the public interest) if any Federal agency or any non-profit entity: (1) undertakes federally funded health care research and development; and (2) is to convey or provide a patent or other exclusive right to use such research and development for a drug or other health care technology.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2003
Prescription Drug Parity for Americans Act - Amends provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act set forth in the Medicine Equity and Drug Safety Act of 2000 to: (1) direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations permitting pharmacists and wholesalers to import Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescription drugs from Canada (currently, from Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, the countries in the European Union and the European Free Trade Association, or other countries designated by the Secretary); and (2) exclude an infused or intravenously injected drug or a drug that is inhaled during surgery. Prohibits discrimination in the sale of prescription drugs by manufacturers to pharmacists or wholesalers, requiring: (1) terms as favorable as those provided to foreign purchasers; and (2) full access to drugs permitted to be imported. Continues the requirement that exported donated prescription drugs may only be reimported by the manufacturer. Permits the Secretary to waive the prohibition against importing a prescription drug or device on a case-by-case basis, particularly those from Canada that are FDA-approved and for limited personal use. Requires a study and report by the: (1) Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences on the regulatory compliance of importers of drugs; and (2) Comptroller General on how drug prices were affected.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2003
Elder Justice Act - Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new title XXII (Elder Justice) to establish: (1) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Office of Elder Justice; (2) within HHS an Intra-Agency Elder Justice Steering Committee to coordinate HHS elder justice programs and policy; (3) the Elder Justice Coordinating Council to make recommendations for the coordination of activities to HHS, the Department of Justice, and other relevant Federal, State, local, and private agencies and entities; and (4) the Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation. Outlines provisions with respect to uniform collection, maintenance, and dissemination of national data relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Authorizes the HHS Secretary to award various grants, including grants for: (1) prevention of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (2) five Centers of Excellence nationwide that shall specialize in research, clinical practice, and training relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (3) six diverse communities to examine various types of elder shelters and to test various models for establishing safe havens; (4) nonprofit organizations and faith-based organizations to encourage such organizations to establish or continue volunteer programs that focus on the issues of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, or that provide related services; and (5) various multidisciplinary elder justice activities. Provides for: (1) reporting to law enforcement of crimes occurring in Federally-funded long-term care facilities; (2) revising the quality of long-term care; and (3) increasing consumer information about long-term care. Amends: (1) SSA titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) to establish programs to prevent abuse of skilled nursing facility and nursing facility residents; (2) the Public Health Service Act to increase the number of health care professionals with geriatric training; (3) the Older Americans Act of 1965 with respect to the long-term care ombudsman program; (4) part A (General Provisions) of SSA title XI to establish in HHS the Office of Adult Protective Services; and (5) SSA titles XVIII and XIX to assure safety of residents when nursing facilities close. Establishes in the Department of Justice an Office of Elder Justice. Amends the: (1) Federal criminal code to provide for a cause of action for elder abuse and neglect; and (2) Internal Revenue Code to provide for a long-term care facility worker employment tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2003
Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to: (1) limit a brand name drug manufacturer to one Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 30-month stay of competition in a patent infringement suit against a generic drug applicant; (2) permit a generic applicant being sued to file a counterclaim to correct or delete patent information; (3) limit damages that a brand name manufacturer may recover in an instance where such manufacturer failed to file certain patent information; (4) permit a generic drug applicant to seek declaratory judgment regarding patent infringement prior to marketing a drug; (5) forfeit the180-day market exclusivity period for a first generic drug applicant to a subsequent generic applicant if the first applicant engages in certain activities which impede such drug's timely marketing; and (6) permit alternative means to determine bioequivalence for drugs that are not absorbed into the bloodstream.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2003
Recognizes the celebration of Lou Gehrig's 100th birthday and commends the contribution Gehrig and his legacy have made to the search for better treatments and a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Supports cutting-edge research to find a cure for ALS. Applauds all organizations, including the ALS Association, in their efforts to raise awareness about the disease, support research initiatives, and assist those suffering with ALS and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2003
Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act - Redefines the term "law enforcement officer" under provisions of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to include: (1) Federal employees not otherwise covered by such term whose duties include the investigation or apprehension of suspected or convicted individuals and who are authorized to carry a firearm; and (2) such employees of the Internal Revenue Service whose duties are primarily the collection of delinquent taxes and the securing of delinquent returns. Requires that such service which is performed by an incumbent law enforcement officer be treated: (1) on or after the enactment date of this Act, for all purposes, as service performed as a law enforcement officer, irrespective of how such service is treated under the following; and (2) before, on, or after such date, for purposes of CSRS and FERS, as service performed as such an officer, but only if an appropriate written election is submitted to the Office of Personnel Management five years after such date or before separation from Government service, whichever is earlier. Provides that nothing under current law respecting mandatory separation from Government service under CSRS or FERS shall cause the involuntary separation of an officer before the end of the three-year period beginning on such date.
![Official portrait of Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/n000002_200.jpg)