United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2004
Commends national and community organizations and health care providers for supplying information concerning the importance of screening for prostate cancer and the treatment options. Declares that the Federal Government and the States have a moral responsibility to ensure that health care providers supply patients with appropriate information and tools necessary to receive readily understandable information about all medically efficacious treatments for prostate cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
American Bald Eagle Recovery and National Emblem Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in celebration of the recovery of the bald eagle, in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the enactment of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the placement of the bald eagle on the endangered species list under such Act, to mint and issue not more than: (1) 100,000 $5 gold coins; (2) 500,000 $1 silver coins; and (3) 750,000 half dollar coins. Directs that the design of the coins be emblematic of the bald eagle and its history, natural biology, and national symbolism. Requires that sales of the coins include a surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin, $10 for the $1 coin, and $3 for the half dollar coin, which shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to the American Eagle Foundation of Tennessee to: (1) establish an interest-bearing endowment called the American Eagle Fund as a permanent source of support for the care, monitoring, maintenance, and recovery of the bald eagle and its habitat in the United States; (2) make annual grants to Federal, State, and private eagle restoration, protection, and enhancement projects; (3) administer the Fund in an annual amount not to exceed the lesser of ten percent of the annual income of the Fund or $250,000; and (4) provide financial support for capital projects and for continuation and expansion of the Foundation's efforts to educate the American people about the bald eagle.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2004
Federal Contractor Security Act - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to require the following Federal service contractors to participate in a pilot program for employment eligibility confirmation: (1) those contractors required to pay at least minimum wage; and (2) those contractors exempted from the requirements of the Service Contract Act of 1965.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2004
States that Congress: (1) condemns Iran's continuing deceptions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the international community about its nuclear programs and activities, and demands that Iran immediately and permanently cease efforts to acquire nuclear fuel cycle capabilities and cease nuclear enrichment activities; (2) calls upon all State Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), including the United States, to use all appropriate means to deter Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, including ending all nuclear and other cooperation with Iran, until Iran fully implements the Additional Protocol between Iran and the IAEA for the application of safeguards; (3) calls upon all countries to intercede with their commercial entities to ensure that these entities refrain from or cease all investment and investment-related activities that support Iran's energy industry; (4) urges the IAEA Board of Governors to report to the United Nations Security Council that Iran is in noncompliance with its agreements; (5) urges the United Nations Security Council, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Zangger Committee, and other international entities to declare that non-nuclear-weapon states under NPT who commit violations of their safeguards agreements regarding uranium enrichment or plutonium reprocessing, or engage in activities which could support a military nuclear program, thereby forfeit their right to engage in nuclear fuel-cycle activities; (6) urges the United Nations Security Council to consider measures to support IAEA inspection efforts; and (7) urges the President to keep the Congress fully and currently informed concerning the matters addressed in this resolution.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2004
Local Emergency Radio Service Preservation Act of 2004 - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to revise its regulations to provide that digital audio radio satellite service (DARSS): (1) licensees shall not provide services that are locally differentiated or that result in programming being delivered to consumers in one geographic market that is different from programming delivered in any other geographic market; and (2) repeaters shall be restricted to simultaneously retransmitting the programming transmitted by satellite directly to DARSS subscribers' receivers. Requires the FCC to complete a rulemaking proceeding to determine whether DARSS licensees should be permitted to provide locally oriented services on nationally distributed channels, taking into account, among other things, the ability of such licensees to afford listeners the same emergency and other information as is afforded listeners of local broadcast stations.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2004
National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004 - Establishes the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program to achieve major measurable reductions in losses of life and property from windstorms. Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish an Interagency Working Group consisting of representatives of the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other Federal agencies as appropriate. Outlines general agency responsibilities. Requires the Program to consist of the following primary mitigation components: (1) improved understanding of windstorms; (2) windstorm impact assessment; and (3) windstorm impact reduction, which shall be implemented through activities such as data collection and analysis and research and development. Requires research activities authorized under this Act to be peer-reviewed and the components to be designed to be complementary to and avoid duplication of other hazard reduction efforts. Requires the Working Group to: (1) develop an implementation plan for achieving Program objectives; and (2) transmit biennial reports on the status of the Program. Requires the Director to establish a National Advisory Committee on Windstorm Impact Reduction to assess: (1) trends and developments in the science and engineering of windstorm impact reduction; (2) the effectiveness of the Program in carrying out specified activities to improve windstorm impact assessment; (3) revising the Program; and (4) implementation and management of the Program. Requires the Advisory Committee to report biennially on such assessment.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2004
Congressional Accountability for Judicial Activism Act of 2004 - Authorizes Congress, if two thirds of each House agree, to reverse a judgment of the United States Supreme Court: (1) if that judgment is handed down after the date of the enactment of this Act; and (2) to the extent that judgment concerns the constitutionality of an Act of Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2004
Pell Grants Plus Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to direct the Secretary of Education to establish a program to award Pell Grants Plus grants to students who: (1) have completed a rigorous secondary school program for State Scholars; (2) are enrolled full-time in their first year of undergraduate education; and (3) are eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants for that year. Sets such Plus grant award at $1,000. Provides for a continuation award for the second year of undergraduate education if the student maintains compliance with certain eligibility requirements and obtains a grade point average of at least 3.0 for the first year. Repeals HEA provisions for Academic Achievement Incentive Scholarships.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2004
Recognizes the extraordinary contributions resulting from the Hubble Space Telescope to scientific research and education. Recommends that the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) appoint an independent panel of expert scientists and engineers inside and outside of NASA to examine all possible options for safely carrying out the planned servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Expresses the strong sentiment of the House of Representatives that NASA should continue all planning, preparation, and astronaut training activities for the SM-4 servicing mission without interruption until: (1) the expert panel issues its report; and (2) NASA provides a timetable of compliance with a recommendation of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board report which calls for a fully autonomous capability for all missions, since such compliance will allow both a Hubble servicing mission and missions to the International Space Station to be carried out safely.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2004
Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) to reauthorize various programs, including the national school lunch and breakfast, child and adult care food, after-school snack, summer food service, and special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC). Revises requirements relating to eligibility for and access to such programs. Reauthorizes, without any termination date, the exclusion of military housing allowances from consideration as income in determining eligibility for free or reduced price lunches. Includes as automatically eligible for free lunches and breakfasts: (1) children or youth defined as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; and (2) youth served under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. Makes eligible also for such special payments any new schools which draw attendance from schools receiving severe need assistance. Extends through FY 2009 the summer food pilot projects and the summer food service program for children. Allows nonprofit organizations to participate in such programs. Revises the child and adult care food program. Extends indefinitely the period during which private day care providers with at least 25 percent of served children eligible for free and reduced price lunch are eligible to participate. Extends, from three years to five years, the period of a tier classification of a family or group day care home. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretary) to issue regulations requiring States to develop and use a standard form of agreement between each family or group home day care sponsoring organization and their homes participating in the program. Extends through FY 2006 the period during which the Secretary is required to reserve funds for providing training and technical assistance to States to improve program management and oversight. Authorizes the Secretary or a State agency to disregard any overpayment to an institution if the total overpayment does not exceed a collection cost amount consistent with other disregards, except where there is evidence of a violation of criminal law or civil fraud law. Allows children up to age 18 (currently 12) to be served program meals while residing at homeless or domestic violence shelters. Directs the Secretary, in conjunction with States and participating institutions, to examine the feasibility of reducing paperwork under the program. Revises eligibility and certification requirements for free and reduced price lunches. Directs the Secretary to base income eligibility guidelines on nonfarm income poverty guidelines issued by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires applications and related descriptive materials for free and reduced price lunches to be distributed at least annually to parents and guardians in clear and understandable format and language. Requires descriptive material to contain: (1) only the income levels for reduced price lunches, and an explanation that lower income levels may mean eligibility for free lunches; and (2) notice that WIC participants in the program are eligible for free or reduced price lunches. Allows applications to be submitted by an adult of the household: (1) as a single application for all children in the household; and (2) electronically if the filing system meets confidentiality standards. Directs local education agencies (LEAs) to verify information in a sample of approved applications, with variations in such samples according to specified formulae based non-response rates. Provides for direct certification of children as eligible for free meals, without further application, based on their being in households receiving assistance under the food stamp program or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program under title IV part A of the Social Security Act. Sets forth privacy protections. Prohibits requiring LEAs to submit free and reduced price meal policy statements to State agencies after the initial submission unless there is a substantive change in such policy. Requires, with certain exceptions, a child's eligibility for free and reduced price lunches to remain in effect from the date of approval for the current school year until the beginning of school in a subsequent school year, or as otherwise specified by the Secretary. Transfers responsibility for local administration of school lunch and breakfast programs from local school food authorities (LSFAs) to LEAs (including appropriate entities determined by the Secretary in cases of private nonprofit school food authorities). Makes LEAs, as well as LSFAs, responsible for program compliance and accountability. Directs the Secretary to give priority consideration to States that will use reallocated funds for technology and information management improvements. Requires States to describe how they will use technology and information management systems to improve program integrity in certain ways. Raises the amount of the minimum State administrative expense grant, and guarantees that such a grant shall not be less than the one received in a previous fiscal year. Permits eligibility for special assistance to be determined district-wide, as an alternative to determining it on an individual school basis. Directs the Secretary to develop and distribute training and technical assistance materials relating to administration of school meals programs. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) provide training and technical assistance related to administrative practices to improve program integrity and administrative accuracy to State educational agencies (SEAs), LSFAs, and LEAs; and (2) assist SEAs in reviewing administrative practices of LSFAs. Establishes additional administrative and performance review requirements for selected LSFAs and LEAs that have demonstrated high levels of or high risks for administrative errors. Directs SEAs, where such a selected LSFA or LEA fails to meet performance criteria established by the Secretary, to: (1) require such entity to develop and carry out a plan of corrective action; (2) provide technical assistance; and (3) conduct a follow-up review. Authorizes the Secretary require the SEA to recover funds that were expended in error and use them to improve program integrity and administrative accuracy. Requires States to provide annual training and technical in administrative practices, emphasizing requirements established under this Act. Requires the Secretary to assist the State or provide such training and technical assistance or directly. Authorizes the Secretary or the State to contract with a third party conducting such activities. Requires each LSFA or LEA to insure that an individual conducting or overseeing such administrative procedures receives such training at least annually. Authorizes the Secretary to assist States in carrying out State training and administrative reviews of selected LSFAs and LEAs with excessive error rates. Requires LEAs participating in school meals programs to establish local school wellness policies with: (1) goals for nutrition education, physical activity, and other school-based activities; (2) nutrition guidelines for all foods sold on school campus during the school day in order to promote health and reduce obesity; (3) a plan to ensure policy implementation, including designating persons with operational responsibility; and (4) involvement of parents, students, and representatives of the LSFA, school board, school administrators, and the public. Revises the system of nutrition education grants to SEAs to provide assistance to State agencies, schools, and nonprofit entities for the Team Nutrition Network (TNN) program and other nutrition education projects that improve student understanding of healthful eating patterns, the quality of school meals, and access to local foods in schools and institutions operating programs under NSLA and CNA. Establishes TNN to: (1) promote the Nation's schoolchildren's health through nutrition education, physical fitness, and other activities supporting healthy lifestyles; (2) provide grants to States to develop Statewide, comprehensive, and integrated nutrition education and physical fitness programs; and (3) provide training and technical assistance to States, school and community nutrition programs, and child nutrition food service professionals. Requires State TNN Coordinators to: (1) administer and coordinate a comprehensive integrated statewide nutrition education program; and (2) coordinate efforts with the Food and Nutrition Service and State agencies responsible for children's health programs. Directs the Secretary to provide assistance for the following types of three-year pilot projects: (1) to States on a competitive basis for State TNN Coordinators to create model nutrition education and physical fitness programs for school students; and (2) to not more than 100 LEAs, at least one per State, to promote healthy eating habits and increase physical fitness among school students. Authorizes the Secretary to provide: (1) technical assistance to SEAs to improve school meal quality; and (2) technical assistance and competitive matching grants to schools and nonprofit entities to improve access to local foods in schools and institutions. Includes fruits and vegetables among the foods to be emphasized in commodity distribution. Revises fruit and vegetable pilot program requirements to direct the Secretary to make available fresh and dried fruits and fresh vegetables to 25 schools in each of four additional States and one Indian reservation, with an emphasis on low-income schools. Requires schools to serve milk in a variety of fat contents. Permits substitute nutritionally-equivalent nondairy beverages to be reimbursable, if a note is provided from a medical authority or the child's parent or guardian. Extends the period during which weighted averages are not required to be used in nutrient analysis of foods under the school lunch program, if school food authority has an equivalent nutrient analysis system. Directs the Secretary to: (1) promulgate rules, based on Federal nutrition guidelines, to increase the presence of whole grains in foods offered in school nutrition programs; and (2) enter into an agreement with a science-based organization to study, determine, and report on appropriate nutritional standards for foods available to students in school, considering total daily dietary intake of students participating in the school foods program. Revises WIC program (under CNA) definitions of: (1) nutrition education to include child development and physical activity; and (2) supplemental foods to provide for consideration of the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Revises certification requirements for WIC program participation to allow: (1) a State to certify breastfeeding women for up to one year or until they stop breastfeeding, whichever is earlier; (2) a local agency to waive the physical presence requirement for infants under eight weeks of age; and (3) applicants or participants to reschedule appointments to apply or be recertified. Directs the Secretary to: (1) promulgate a rule updating the prescribed supplemental foods available through the WIC program, within six months of receiving the review of the WIC food package undertaken by the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine in September 2003; and (2) beginning in 2013, and at least every ten years thereafter, conduct scientific reviews of supplemental foods available in the WIC program and recommend changes to reflect nutrition science, current public health concerns, and cultural eating patterns. Requires State agencies to notify vendors in writing of violations, unless the notification would compromise an investigation. Authorizes State agencies to round up to the next whole can of infant formula to ensure all infants receive the full-authorized nutritional benefit. Revises WIC program competitive bidding provisions to require infant formula: (1) rebate invoices to provide reasonable estimates or actual counts of numbers of units sold to program participants; and (2) bid solicitations amounts to be adjusted on a cent-by-cent basis according to changes in the lowest national wholesale truckload price. Authorizes demonstration projects, in up to ten local sites, to evaluate inclusion of fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables, to be made available through private funds, as an addition to supplemental food provided under the WIC program. Revises WIC program provisions for management information systems to require: (1) States to comply with certain standards for electronic benefit systems; and (2) the Secretary to implement a national Universal Product Code Database for use by all State agencies. Requires participating vendors in the WIC program to purchase infant formula from a State-maintained list of approved manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers. Prohibits State alliances from exceeding 200,000 infant participants (except alliances with such numbers as of October 2003). Allows any State agency serving under 5,000 participants, or any Indian Tribal Organization, to request to join any State alliance. Increases from one to three percent the maximum portion of nutrition services and administration funds a State may expend during the subsequent fiscal year for allowable expenses incurred during a fiscal year. Extends through FY 2009 the authorization of appropriations for: (1) the WIC program; (2) WIC nutrition services and administrative funds; and (3) WIC farmers' market nutrition program. Revises requirements relating to training and technical assistance under NSLA, CNA, and other federally-assisted feeding programs. Directs the Secretary to develop policy and establish procedures regarding the purchase, distribution, notice of consumption, and provision of information regarding irradiated foods in Federal school meals programs. Extends through FY 2009 the authorization of appropriations for: (1) State administrative expenses (CNA); (2) the commodity distribution program (NSLA and the Commodity Distribution Reform Act and WIC Amendments of 1987); (3) purchases of locally produced foods (NSLA); (4) training, technical assistance, and food service management institute (NSLA); and (5) compliance and accountability (NSLA).
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2004
Family Budget Protection Act of 2004 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to eliminate the May 15 deadline for consideration of annual appropriations measures. Requires annual joint (currently, concurrent) budget resolutions signed by the President. Provides for an amendment to change the statutory limit on the public debt. Requires consideration of budget-related legislation before the budget resolution becomes law. Sets forth provisions regarding the establishment of a reserve fund for emergencies. Requires: (1) biennial (currently, annual) budget resolutions; (2) biennial appropriations Acts; and (3) biennial Government strategic and performance plans. Provides spending caps on the growth of entitlements and mandatory budget outlays. Excludes benefits payable under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act (SSA), Tier 1 railroad retirement benefits, and benefits payable under part A of title XVIII (relating to part A Medicare hospital insurance benefits) of SSA and part C of such title (relating to the Medicare Advantage program) from required reductions under the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act, along with specified Government accounts and activities. Provides other exceptions, limitations, and special rules with respect to sequestration exemptions. Directs the Chairman to maintain the Family Budget Protection Mandatory Account and the Family Budget Protection Discretionary Account. Freezes at current levels spending authority for each unearned entitlement, high-cost discretionary spending program, and authorized and unauthorized discretionary spending programs. Establishes the Commission to Eliminate Waste, Fraud, and Abuse. Provides for accrual funding of the: (1) Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund; (2) Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System; and (3) Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System. Establishes in the Treasury: (1) the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Retirement Fund; (2) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Retirement System; and (3) the Coast Guard Military Retirement Fund. Changes the name of the Department of Defense Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care Fund to Uniformed Services Health Care Fund (thus, providing health care programs for all uniformed service retirees, under certain conditions). (Currently, such programs are for Department of Defense Medicare-eligible beneficiaries.) Decreases the limit on the public debt from $6.4 trillion to $4.393 trillion. Prohibits consideration of extraneous appropriations in omnibus appropriations measures.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2004
First Amendment Restoration Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to repeal: (1) a requirement that persons making disbursements for electioneering communications file reports on such disbursements with the Federal Election Commission; (2) a prohibition against the making of disbursements for electioneering communications by corporations and labor organizations; and (3) a provision treating coordinated communications as contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2004
Corporate Subsidy Reform Commission Act of 2004 - Establishes an independent Corporate Subsidy Reform Commission to: (1) identify Federal programs and laws that provide inequitable Federal subsidies; (2) review such subsidies; (3) conduct public hearings on agency recommendations regarding inequitable subsidies; and (4) report to Congress recommendations for termination, modification, or retention of each subsidy reviewed. Requires each Federal agency to include in budget documents submitted in FY 2005 a list of programs or laws within that agency that provide inequitable Federal subsidies, together with recommendations for appropriate action. Expresses the sense of Congress that, following submission of the Commission's report, the House of Representatives and the Senate should promptly consider legislation that would enact changes in Federal statutes necessary to implement the Commission's recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2004
Program Reform Commission Act of 2004 - Establishes an independent Program Reform Commission to: (1) identify unnecessary Federal programs; (2) review such programs; (3) conduct public hearings on agency recommendations regarding unnecessary programs; and (4) report to Congress recommendations for termination, modification, or retention of each program reviewed. Requires each Federal agency to include in budget documents submitted in FY 2005 a list of programs within that agency that are unnecessary, together with recommendations for appropriate action. Expresses the sense of Congress that, following submission of the Commission's report, the House of Representatives and the Senate should promptly consider legislation that would enact changes in Federal statutes necessary to implement the Commission's recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2004
Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2004 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to provide that, if the violator of the terms and conditions of any Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license, permit, or certificate is either a broadcast station licensee or permittee or an applicant for a broadcast license, permit, or certificate, and such violator is determined by the FCC to have broadcast obscene, indecent, or profane language, the amount of forfeiture penalty shall not exceed $275,000 for each violation or day of such violation, to a maximum of $3 million for any single act or failure to act.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Anti-counterfeiting Amendments of 2003 - Rewrites Federal criminal code provisions regarding trafficking in counterfeit labels. Prohibits knowingly trafficking in: (1) a counterfeit label affixed to, enclosing, or accompanying (currently, affixed to) a phonorecord, a copy of a computer program, a copy of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, or documentation or packaging; or (2) counterfeit documentation or packaging. Expands the definition of "counterfeit label" to include a genuine label that is: (1) distributed for a product for which it was not intended, without authorization of the copyright owner; or (2) altered to falsify the number of authorized copies, the authorized user, or the edition of the program. Authorizes the court, when a person is convicted of violating this Act, to order the forfeiture and destruction or other disposition of any equipment, device, or material used to manufacture, reproduce, or assemble the counterfeit labels. Authorizes a copyright owner who is injured, or threatened with injury, by a violation of this Act to bring a civil action in U.S. district court. Authorizes the court: (1) to grant one or more temporary or permanent injunctions to prevent or restrain violations of this Act; (2) to order the impounding of any article in the alleged violator's custody or control that the court has reasonable cause to believe was involved in a violation; and (3) to award to the injured party reasonable attorney fees and costs, actual damages, and any additional profits of the violator or statutory damages, as specified. Sets forth provisions regarding subsequent violations and limitation on actions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Stock Option Accounting Reform Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require an issuer of registered securities to show as an expense in its mandatory annual report the fair value of all stock purchase options granted to certain of its senior executive officers after December 31, 2004. Exempts small business issuers from such requirement. Amends the Securities Act of 1933 to require reporting of: (1) stock option expenses as a reduction of the total expense in the fiscal year in which they expire or are forfeited; and (2) as income any excess by which such reduction exceeds total option expenses for any fiscal year. Requires any accounting principle recognized as "generally accepted" by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding the expensing of stock purchase options to comply with this Act. Denies recognition to any such accounting principle until the Secretaries of Commerce and of Labor complete a joint study on the economic impact of mandatory expensing of all employee stock options.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Ronald Reagan Dime Act - Amends Federal law governing coins and currency to require dime coins issued after a certain date to bear the likeness of President Ronald Reagan.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2003
RU-486 Suspension and Review Act of 2003 - Deems the approved application for the drug mifepristone (marketed as Mifeprex, commonly known as RU-486, and used for the chemically induced termination of intrauterine pregnancy) to have been suspended. Directs the Comptroller General to review and report on the process by which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mifepristone. Provides for the contingent reinstatement of such drug if the report determines the approval to have been in accordance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2003
Family Budget Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to require, within 15 days after the end of each congressional session, a sequestration to eliminate any deficit that exceeds the excess margin (maximum permissible deficit). Requires half of the required outlay reductions to come from non-exempt defense accounts and half to come from non-exempt non-defense accounts. Provides decreasing maximum deficit amounts for FY 2005 and thereafter, with a zero balance for FY 2012 and beyond. Requires adjustment of the maximum deficit in the event of negative Federal revenue growth. Provides discretionary spending limits for FY 2005 through 2013. Repeals the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act expiration date. Directs the Chairman of the House Budget Committee to maintain the Family Budget Protection Discretionary Account, to be debited and credited by new budget increases and reductions. Provides spending caps on the growth of entitlements and mandatory budget outlays. Excludes benefits payable under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act and Tier 1 railroad retirement benefits from required reductions under the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act, along with specified Government accounts and activities. Provides other exceptions, limitations, and special rules with respect to sequestration exemptions. Directs the Chairman to maintain the Family Budget Protection Mandatory Account, to be debited and credited by increases or decreases in mandatory budget authority. Freezes at current levels spending authority for each unearned entitlement, high-cost discretionary spending program and authorized and unauthorized discretionary spending programs. Requires: (1) joint (currently, concurrent) and biennial (currently, annual) budget resolutions; (2) biennial appropriations Acts; and (3) biennial Government strategic and performance plans. Requires the appropriation of funds out of any available Treasury amounts to continue in a new fiscal year any previously-authorized Government project or activity in the event that a regular appropriations bill does not become law by the beginning of that fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2003
Nonprofit Athletic Organization Protection Act of 2003 - Exempts a nonprofit athletic organization from liability for harm caused by an act or omission in the adoption of rules for sanctioned or approved athletic competitions or practices if: (1) the organization was acting within the scope of its duties; (2) the organization was properly licensed, certified, or authorized for the competition or practice; and (3) the harm was not caused by the organization's willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, or reckless misconduct. Makes exceptions where State law: (1) requires such an organization to adhere to risk management procedures, including mandatory training; (2) makes the organization liable for the acts or omissions of its employees, agents, and volunteers to the same extent as an employer is liable for its employees; and (3) makes a limitation of liability inapplicable if the civil action was brought by an officer of a State or local government .
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2003
Repudiates the anti-Semitic rhetoric of the outgoing prime minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. Calls upon other governments and international bodies, notably the European Union, to condemn these remarks as dangerous incitement. Deplores the tacit acquiescence of those in attendance at the October 2003 Organization of the Islamic Conference.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2003
Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act, reenacted with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, to convert the dairy forward pricing program from a pilot program to a permanent program.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2003
Stop Terrorism of Property Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit intentionally, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, damaging the property of another with the intent to influence the public with regard to conduct the offender considers harmful to the environment (eco-terrorism).
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2003
Education Savings Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of an employee amounts paid by the employer as contributions to an education savings entity held by the employee or spouse of the employee if the contributions are made pursuant to an educational assistance program.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2003
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Lord Robertson of Port Ellen (Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) in recognition of his contributions to maintaining the security of the Euro-Atlantic region.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2003
Amends the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 to designate the La Entrada al Pacifico Corridor in Texas as a high priority corridor on the National Highway System.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2003
Mobile Machinery Tax Fairness Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit the treatment of certain mobile machinery as a highway vehicle, thereby exempting such machinery from federal highway excise taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2003
Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology Act of 2003 - Rape Kits and DNA Evidence Backlog Elimination Act of 2003 - Amends: (1) the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to reauthorize the Act; (2) the DNA Identification Act of 1994 (Identification Act) to expand the scope of DNA samples to be included in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS); and (3) the Violence Against Women Act to authorize grants to increase the availability of legal assistance to victims of dating violence. DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2003 - Amends the Identification Act to require that CODIS include only information on DNA identification records and analyses that are prepared by laboratories that: (1) have been accredited by a nationally recognized nonprofit professional association of forensic scientists within two years; and (2) undergo external audits at least every two years that demonstrate compliance with specified standards. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants for: (1) DNA training and education; (2) sexual assault forensic examination programs; (3) research and development; (4) using DNA technology to identify missing persons; and (5) tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions. Expands and reauthorizes the Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grant Program. Innocence Protection Act of 2003 - Sets forth conditions under which a Federal prisoner may obtain post-conviction DNA testing of specific evidence. Directs the Attorney General to award grants to States to improve the quality of legal representation in State capital cases.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2003
Benjamin Franklin Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue one dollar coins emblematic of the life and legacy of Benjamin Franklin (not more than 250,000 bearing his image as a young statesman and not more than 250,000 with his image as an older numismatist). Directs that all sales include a $10 per coin surcharge, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Commission, to be used to educate people about Franklin's legacy.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2003
District of Columbia Personal Protection Act - Amends the District of Columbia Code to provide that the D.C. Council's regulatory authority regarding firearms, explosives, and weapons in the District shall not be construed to permit the Council, the Mayor, or any governmental or regulatory authority of the District to prohibit, constructively prohibit, or unduly burden the ability of persons otherwise permitted to possess firearms under Federal law from acquiring, possessing in their homes or businesses, or using for sporting, self-protection or other lawful purposes, any firearm neither prohibited by Federal law nor regulated by the National Firearms Act. Denies the District any authority to enact laws or regulations that discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms. Amends the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 to repeal the definition of a machine gun as any firearm which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily converted or restored to shoot semiautomatically, more than 12 shots without manual reloading. (Thus repeals the ban on semiautomatic weapons.) Repeals the District's: (1) registration requirement for possession of firearms; (2) prohibition on registration of pistols (handguns); (3) prohibition on possession of handgun ammunition; (4) requirement that, under certain conditions, firearms in the possession of certain individuals must be kept unloaded, disassembled, or with the trigger locked; (5) related firearm registration requirements such as applicant qualifications and filing deadline. Maintains the current ban on the possession and control of a sawed-off shotgun, machine gun, or short-barreled rifle. Eliminates criminal penalties for possessing an unregistered firearm. Amends Federal law to eliminate criminal penalties for carrying a pistol whether loaded or unloaded in one's dwelling house, place of business, or on land possessed by such person.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2003
Safeguarding Our Religious Liberties Act - Declares that among those powers reserved to the States and their political subdivisions are the powers to display the Ten Commandments, to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and to recite the national motto on or within property owned or administered by them. Declares that: (1) the Pledge of Allegiance shall be, "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and justice for all."; and (2) the national motto shall be, "In God we trust." Excepts from the jurisdiction of Federal courts inferior to the Supreme Court the display of the Ten Commandments and the use of the word "God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2003
Government Network Security Act of 2003 - Directs each Federal agency to develop and implement a plan for protecting the security and privacy of Government computers and networks from the risks posed by peer-to-peer file sharing. Requires the Comptroller General to review and report to specified congressional committees on the adequacy of such agency plans.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2003
Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act - Requires a contact lens prescriber (a person permitted under State law to issue prescriptions for contact lenses) to provide a patient, or a person acting on behalf of such patient, with a copy of the contact lens prescription without any additional fee. Requires a seller of contact lenses to verify a prescription by direct communication with the prescriber. Declares that a contact lens prescription shall expire: (1) on the date specified by the law of the State involved, if that date is one year or more after the issue date of the prescription; or (2) not less than one year after the issue date of the prescription, if such State law specifies no date or a date that is less than one year after the date of the prescription. Permits an exception in either instance for a patient's ocular health. Prohibits: (1) advertising that lenses for which a prescription is required may be obtained without a prescription; and (2) a prescriber from issuing examination accuracy waivers. States that any violation of this Act shall be treated as a violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act regarding unfair or deceptive acts or practices.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2003
Removal of Terrorist Criminal Aliens Act of 2003 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish procedures for the expedited removal of a terrorist criminal alien, and authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue a final order of removal under such provisions. Limits judicial review respecting such an order, action, or decision. Makes such an alien ineligible for certain discretionary relief from removal. Revises provisions respecting countries to which an alien may be removed. Includes among the classes of deportable aliens a non-permanent resident alien who poses a danger or national security threat to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2003
Celia Cruz Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 300,000 one dollar silver coins and 500,000 half dollar clad coins emblematic of Celia Cruz (known as the "Queen of Salsa") and her legacy. Establishes surcharges of ten dollars per coin for the dollar coin and three dollars per coin for the half dollar coin, which shall be paid to the Celia Cruz Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2003
Right to Keep and Bear Arms Act of 2003 - Prohibits appropriated funds from being used by any U.S. official to promote any action by the United Nations which advocates the taxation of firearms or any other abrogation of rights under the Second Amendment to the Constitution (the right to keep and bear arms). Condemms all proposals to tax or otherwise limit rights under the Second Amendment.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2003
International Studies in Higher Education Act of 2003 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise provisions and reauthorize appropriations for title VI International Education Programs, including: (1) international and foreign language studies; (2) business and international education programs; and (3) the Institute for International Public Policy. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to use up to one percent of title VI funds for evaluation, outreach, and dissemination. Establishes an independent International Education Advisory Board to advise Congress and the Secretary on title VI programs in relation to national needs with respect to homeland security, international education, international affairs, and foreign language training. Sets forth requirements relating to: (1) U.S. Government agency recruiter access to students and student recruiting information; and (2) safety in programs of student travel and study abroad.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2003
Clarifications to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act - Amends the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to state that formal pleadings in a civil action shall not be considered the kind of communication (initial or otherwise) required for a validation of debt notice. Prescribes an alternative version of the initial communication debt collectors are required to give consumers, incorporating the three statements currently specified. States that collection activities and communications may continue during the 30 days following a debt collector's initial notice to the debtor. States that, if the consumer's attorney at law fails to respond to a communication from a debt collector within 30 days (currently, a reasonable period of time) after receiving a communication from the collector, such collector may communicate directly with the consumer. Limits to one the number of additional communications a debt collector may make to a consumer after the consumer has notified the collector in writing that the consumer refuses to pay the debt or wishes the collector to cease further communication. Limits the content of any such additional communication to one of the three purposes already specified by the Act. Revises notice of debt guidelines to require one of the debt collector's mandatory statements to specify that a consumer's dispute of the validity of a debt be submitted in writing in order to preclude an assumption by the collector that the debt is valid.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2003
Pretrial Detention and Lifetime Supervision of Terrorists Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to provide for pretrial detention for anyone who commits an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries (terrorist act) if the Attorney General certifies that the offense appears by its nature or context to be: (1) intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, or affect a government's conduct by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnaping; or (2) involved in or related to domestic or international terrorism. Deletes a requirement that the commission of a terrorist act must have resulted in, or created a foreseeable risk of, death or serious bodily injury to another person in order to qualify for a period of supervised release of any term of years or life.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2003
Expanding Opportunities in Higher Education Act of 2003 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise and reauthorize various programs and provisions. Repeals HEA provisions, under the definition of institution of higher education, that: (1) currently require for-profit institutions of higher education to derive at least ten percent of their revenue from funds that do not come from HEA title IV student assistance programs (the 90/10 rule); and (2) currently restrict distance education in terms of the relative number of courses an institution may offer by telecommunications, and relative number of students enrolled in such courses, for purposes of student assistance program eligibility (the 50 percent rule). (Retains such rule for correspondence courses not offered by telecommunications.) Revises HEA title III (Institutional Aid) to extend authorizations of appropriations for: (1) part A grants for American Indian tribally controlled colleges and universities, and for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions; (2) part B grants for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU); (3) endowment challenge grants for institutions; (4) HBCU capital financing; and (5) the minority science and engineering improvement program. Revises HEA title V (Developing Institutions) to extend the authorization of appropriations for grants to Hispanic-serving institutions. Revises HEA title IV (Student Assistance) to treat as independent students those currently serving on active duty in the Armed Forces for other than training purposes (thus including active duty members of the National Guard and Reserves). Revises requirements, and extends authorizations of appropriations for, the following title IV programs: (1) Federal TRIO support services programs for disadvantaged students; (2) GEAR UP early intervention and college awareness programs for low-income students; and (3) HEP/CAMP special programs for students whose families are engaged in migrant and seasonal farmwork. Directs the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance to study and report on the feasibility of simplifying the need analysis methodology for all for Federal student financial assistance programs and the process of applying for such assistance. Requires the Secretary of Education to initiate a redesign of the free application for Federal student aid (FAFSA). Revises requirements for a simplified needs test. Amends the Education of the Deaf Act of 1986 to extend the authorization of appropriations in general, as well as for monitoring and evaluation, and for Federal endowment programs for Gallaudet University and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). Extends authorizations of appropriations for programs under the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978, the Navajo Community College Act, and the United States Institute of Peace Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2003
Clean Air and Water Investment and Infrastructure Security Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) permit the issuance of tax-exempt bonds for certain air and water pollution control facilities; and (2) provide that the volume cap for private activity bonds shall not apply to bonds for such air and water pollution control facilities, facilities for the furnishing of water, and sewage facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 3 September 2003
Exempts from the requirement to pay subsistence charges while hospitalized in a military facility an officer or former officer, or an enlisted member or former enlisted member not entitled to retired or retainer pay or equivalent pay, who is hospitalized in a military facility because of an injury incurred: (1) as a direct result of armed conflict; (2) while engaged in hazardous service; (3) in the performance of duty under conditions simulating war; or (4) through an instrumentality of war.
United States · United States Congress · 3 September 2003
Congratulates Lance Armstrong and the United States Postal Service Team on their victory in the 2003 Tour de France. Commends the unwavering commitment to cancer awareness and survivorship demonstrated by Armstrong.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Terrorist Penalties Enhancement Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to require any person who, in the course of committing a terrorist offense, engages in conduct that results in the death of a person, to be punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or life. Includes "terrorist offenses resulting in death" among the aggravating factors for homicide which are used in determining whether a death sentence is justified. Denies Federal benefits to any individual who is convicted of a Federal crime of terrorism, for any term of years or for life.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Program Reform Commission Act of 2003 - Establishes an independent Program Reform Commission to: (1) identify unnecessary Federal programs; (2) review such programs; (3) conduct public hearings on agency recommendations regarding unnecessary programs; and (4) report to Congress recommendations for termination, modification, or retention of each program reviewed. Requires each Federal agency to include in budget documents submitted in FY 2005 a list of programs within that agency that are unnecessary, together with recommendations for appropriate action. Expresses the sense of Congress that, following submission of the Commission's report, the House of Representatives and the Senate should promptly consider legislation that would enact changes in Federal statutes necessary to implement the Commission's recommendations.
![Official portrait of Rep. Carter, John R. [R-TX-31]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001051_200.jpg)