United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2003
Milk Import Tariff Equity Act - Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to impose tariff-rate quotas (quantitative import limits) and provide various duty rates on certain casein, caseinates, milk protein concentrate, and other casein derivatives and glues imported into the United States (except imports from Mexico). Authorizes the President to: (1) enter into a trade agreement with a foreign country to grant new concessions as compensation in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions; and (2) proclaim any necessary modification or continuance of any existing duty, or continuance of existing duty-free or excise treatment, or any quantitative limitation. Sets forth certain limits on the reduction of duties on such products.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2003
Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to repeal the Medicare outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2003
Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to award grants or cooperative agreements to develop State-wide lifespan respite care programs. Defines "lifespan respite care" to mean a coordinated system of accessible community-based respite care services for family caregivers regardless of the individual's age, race, ethnicity, or special need. Requires the Secretary to establish a review panel to make recommendations on applicants. Permits the use of funds for respite care services and training programs. Limits grants to five years. Directs the Secretary to provide for the establishment of a National Resource Center on Lifespan Respite Care to maintain a national database and provide training, technical assistance, and information.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2003
Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include pancreases procured by an organ procurement organization and used for islet cell transplantation or research to be counted toward organ procurement organization certification. Establishes the Interagency Committee on Islet Cell Transplantation within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires the Committee to study related issues, including Federal research funding, the effect of specified policies on transplantation, and data collection. Instructs the Secretary of HHS to request the Institute of Medicine to provide a study of the impact of islet cell transplantation on juvenile diabetes patients, including their health and the treatment's cost-effectiveness. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to establish a demonstration project to assess the efficacy of pancreatic cell islet transplantation for individuals who: (1) have Type I (juvenile) diabetes; and (2) have end-stage renal disease; and (3) are Medicare beneficiaries. Establishes reporting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2003
English Language Unity Act of 2003 - Amends specified Federal law to declare English to be the official language of the United States. Gives representatives of the Federal Government an affirmative obligation to preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the Federal Government, including encouraging greater opportunities for individuals to learn the English language. Requires the official functions of the United States (meaning, in this case, the States and the District of Columbia) to be conducted in English. Sets forth exceptions to and rules of construction for such requirements. Requires a uniform English language rule for U.S. naturalization, and all naturalization ceremonies to be conducted in English. Amends specified Federal law to declare, as a general rule of construction, that English language requirements and workplace policies, whether in the public or private sector, shall be presumptively consistent with the Laws of the United States. Requires the Department of Justice to issue for public notice and comment a proposed rule for uniform testing of English language ability of candidates for naturalization, based upon the principles that: (1) all citizens should be able to read and understand generally the English language text of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Laws of the United States; and (2) any exceptions to this standard should be limited to extraordinary circumstances, such as asylum.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2003
PILT and Refuge Revenue Sharing Permanent Funding Act - Provides permanent funding for the following programs: (1) Bureau of Land Management Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT); and (2) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's refuge revenue sharing program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2003
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act - Prohibits any qualified civil liability action from being brought in any State or Federal court and requires pending actions to be dismissed. Defines such an action to: (1) include an action brought against a manufacturer or seller of a firearm, ammunition, or a component of a firearm that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce, or against a trade association of such manufacturers or sellers, for damages resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm; and (2) exclude an action brought against persons who transfer a firearm knowing that it will be used to commit a crime of violence or a drug trafficking crime; an action brought against a seller for negligent entrustment or negligence per se; an action in which a manufacturer or seller of a firearm willfully violated a State or Federal statute applicable to the sale or marketing of the firearm and the violation was a proximate cause of the harm for which relief is sought; an action for breach of contract or warranty in connection with the purchase of the firearm; or an action for physical injuries or property damage resulting directly from a defect in design or manufacture of the firearm when used as intended.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2003
Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act - Amends the Consumer Credit Protection Act to prescribe consumer protection guidelines for rental-purchase transactions, including: (1) the determination of rental-purchase cost; (2) disclosure requirements; (3) prohibitions against confessions of judgment, wage assignments, and waiver of consumer claims or defenses; (4) furnishing of statements of account; (5) point-of-rental disclosures; and (6) rental-purchase advertising disclosures. Establishes civil and criminal liability for violations of this Act. Grants enforcement powers to the Federal Trade Commission and to State attorneys general.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2003
Patient Navigator, Outreach, and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration; (2) the Director of the National Cancer Institute; and (3) the Director of the Indian Health Service to make grants for model programs to provide services for cancer and chronic diseases to individuals of health disparity populations. Requires that these services: (1) be provided in a culturally competent way; (2) include patient navigators to help with finding services and follow-up care; and (3) include ongoing outreach activities. Conditions grants on the presence of a fee schedule consistent with prevailing rates and a fee discount schedule which provides fee adjustments based on ability to pay. Evaluates services according to a peer-reviewed model according to best practices. Limits the grants to five years.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2003
National Language Act of 2003 - Makes English the official language of the U.S. Government. Requires the Government to: (1) conduct its official business in English, including publications, income tax forms, and informational materials; and (2) preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the United States of America. Provides that no person has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the Government act, communicate, perform, or provide services or materials in any other language, unless specifically stated in applicable law. Provides that this Act shall not apply to the use of a language other than English for religious purposes, for training in foreign languages for international communication, in school programs designed to encourage students to learn foreign languages, or by persons over age 62. Repeals the Bilingual Education Act. Terminates the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs in the Department of Education. Repeals provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 regarding bilingual election requirements and regarding congressional findings of voting discrimination against language minorities, prohibition of English-only elections, and other remedial measures. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require that all public ceremonies in which the oath of allegiance is administered pursuant to such Act be conducted solely in English. Specifies that this Act shall not preempt the law of any State.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2003
Medicare Innovation Responsiveness Act of 2003 - Amends part D (Miscellaneous Provisions) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) prescribe criteria for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to use in making national coverage determinations; (2) direct the Secretary to establish a Council for Technology and Innovation within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to coordinate coverage, coding, and payment processes with respect to new technologies and procedures under Medicare in order to expedite patient access to new technologies and therapies; and (3) revise the Medicare coverage determination appeals process. Directs the Secretary to establish a process that provides for the assignment of inpatient hospital codes for new medical services and related technologies as of April 1 of each year. Requires the Secretary to establish a process for the assignment of Health Care Financing Administration Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Level II codes each calendar quarter for new medical services and technologies. Amends SSA title XI to provide that, if the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics has not made a recommendation to the Secretary before April 1, 2003, with respect to the adoption of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) as a standard for the reporting of inpatient hospital services, the Secretary may adopt ICD-10-PCS as such a standard without receiving such a recommendation. Revises requirements for the use of internal and external data for annual adjustments to the inpatient hospital prospective payment system (PPS) and outpatient hospital PPS. Provides for limitation on use of foreign payer data in determining Medicare payment amounts. Revises requirements for the recognition of the costs of new medical services and technologies under the inpatient hospital PPS. Establishes requirements for any agreement or contract to perform the function of making local coverage determinations. Modifies requirements for the use of carriers for administration of benefits with respect to national inherent reasonableness determinations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2003
Jurisdictional Certainty Over Digital Commerce Act - Reserves solely to the Federal Government the responsibility and authority to regulate digital commercial transactions. Prohibits: (1) any State or political subdivision from enacting or enforcing any provision regulating such transactions; or (2) the delegation of such responsibility or authority to any State. Makes such reservation inapplicable to non-digital commercial transactions, and makes this Act inapplicable to Uniform Commercial Code requirements in effect in any State.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2003
Mass Immigration Reduction Act of 2003 - Provides that during a specified immigration moratorium period: (1) employment-based immigrant visas shall be reduced, and family-sponsored and diversity immigrant visas shall be eliminated; (2) immigrant status shall be granted only to children and spouses of U.S. citizens or priority workers; (3) refugee admissions and asylee adjustments shall be limited to 25,000 per year; and (4) an alien shall be required to renounce citizenship or nationality of any other country in order to be naturalized as a U.S. citizen.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2003
Amends the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 to remove from the Secretary of Transportation's authority to determine by rule whether an exemption is not in the public interest the current exemption of certain commercial motor vehicles transporting agricultural commodities and farm supplies from maximum hours of service requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2003
Equity in Education Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to specify that church employees and persons treated as church employees under the Code are eligible for the exclusion for qualified tuition reduction programs of charitable educational organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2003
Clean, Learn, Educate, Abolish, Neutralize, and Undermine Production (CLEAN-UP) of Methamphetamines Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to carry out environmental cleanup and remediation programs involving specified lands that are contaminated with hazardous substances associated with illegal methamphetamine manufacture. Directs: (1) the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate as hazardous certain byproducts of the methamphetamine production process and expand penalties against laboratory operators; (2) the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration to list byproducts likely to cause long-term environmental harm; (3) the Secretary of Labor, acting through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, to provide grants to State and local law enforcement for specified training and equipment acquisition; (4) the EPA Administrator to study the impact of methamphetamine laboratory operation on the environment; and (5) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study contamination issues. Amends: (1) the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize grants for educational programs; (2) the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to provide treatment; (3) the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to include among permissible grant projects under the "cops on the beat" program hiring personnel and purchasing equipment; and (4) the Controlled Substances Act to set penalties for promoting, for commercial purposes, an entertainment event where the promoter knows that a controlled substance will be used or distributed in violation of specified law. Urges the President to seek commitments from the Canadian Government regarding the availability of pseudoephedrine.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2003
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act - Prohibits a person from: (1) slaughtering a horse for human consumption; (2) importing to, or exporting from, the United States horseflesh or horses for human consumption; (3) selling, bartering, transferring, receiving, or distributing horseflesh or horses for human consumption; or (4) soliciting or knowingly causing any such actions. Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) criminal and civil penalties; (2) enforcement authority of the Secretary of Agriculture; (3) placement of confiscated horses; (4) euthanasia of unplaceable or severely injured or diseased horses; (4) funding of animal rescue facilities; and (5) exemptions.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a broadband credit equal to the sum of: (1) the current generation broadband credit; plus (2) the next generation broadband credit. Defines: (1) the current generation broadband credit for any taxable year as ten percent of the qualified expenditures incurred with respect to qualified equipment providing current generation broadband services to qualified subscribers and taken into account with respect to such taxable year; and (2) the next generation broadband credit for any year as twenty percent of the qualified expenditures incurred with respect to qualified equipment providing next generation broadband services to qualified subscribers and taken into account with respect to such taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2003
Security and Fairness Enhancement for America Act of 2003 or the Safe for America Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the diversity immigrant program.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2003
Teacher Tax Relief Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase from $250 to $400 the maximum above-the-line deduction allowed for classroom supply expenses incurred by elementary and secondary school teachers, effective after December 31, 2002. Expands such deduction to include qualified professional development expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2003
ADA Notification Act - Amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to deny jurisdiction to a court in a civil action for remedies unless the complainant has implemented specified notification procedures that include opportunity for correction of the alleged violation. States that, if a complainant fails to provide such an opportunity, the court: (1) shall impose an appropriate sanction upon the attorneys involved (notwithstanding the court's lack of jurisdiction to proceed with the action); and (2) may not allow plaintiff's attorneys' fees or costs (including litigation expenses) even if the notification criteria are subsequently met and the civil action proceeds.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2003
Straight Talk on Social Security Act of 2003 - Amends the Social Security Act to require Social Security account statements to contain additional information, such as a statement of the current Social Security tax rates applicable to wages and self-employment income, including an indication of the combined total of such rates of employee and employer taxes with respect to wages.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2003
Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to revise provisions relating to access and choice for small business employers with respect to medical care for their employees. Establishes rules governing association health plans (group health plans whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations), including requirements relating to certification, sponsors and boards of trustees, participation, coverage, plan documents, contribution rates, benefit options, applications for certification, notice for voluntary termination, corrective actions, and mandatory termination. Requires association health plans which provide health benefits in addition to health insurance coverage to maintain certain reserves and comply with other solvency provisions. Directs the Secretary of Labor to apply for appointment, and carry out specified duties, as trustee of any such insolvent association health plans which provide health benefits in addition to health insurance coverage. Allows a State to impose a contribution tax on any association health plan commencing operations in such State after the enactment of this Act. Requires association health plans to include in their summary plan descriptions, in connection with each benefit option, a description of the form of any solvency or guarantee fund protection secured under ERISA or applicable State law. Revises provisions relating to treatment of: (1) single employer arrangements; and (2) certain collectively bargained arrangements. Provides for association health plans with respect to: (1) enforcement; (2) cooperation between Federal and State authorities; and (3) treatment of certain existing health benefit programs.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2003
Identification Integrity Act of 2003 - Prohibits a Federal employee from accepting from individuals for purposes of establishing their identity a form of identification issued by a foreign government, except for a passport that is accepted for such purpose on the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2003
Prohibits Federal agencies (as defined by this Act) from accepting for any identification-related purpose any State-issued driver's license or other comparable identification document unless the State requires such licenses or documents issued to nonimmigrant aliens to expire on a date that is not later than: (1) the expiration of the alien's authorized U.S. stay; or (2) five years after such document's expiration in any case in which the alien's lawful stay is modified after U.S. admission, or does not expire on a fixed date. Directs the Attorney General to make grants to assist States in issuing appropriate licenses and identification documents.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2003
Education Improvement Tax Cut Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a credit (of up to $3,000) against income tax for qualified scholarship contributions; and (2) allow a credit (of up to $3,000) against income tax for qualified school materials contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2003
Social Security Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal: (1) pension offset provisions applicable to husband's and wife's insurance benefits, widow's and widower's insurance benefits, and mother's and father's insurance benefits with respect to Old-Age and Survivors insurance benefit payments; and (2) windfall elimination provisions with respect to computation of the primary insurance amount of an individual.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2003
Military Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 2003 - Adjusts the basic Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity amount for surviving spouses, age 62 and older, of former military personnel to: (1) 35 percent of the retired pay of the decedent (current law), for months before October 2004; (2) 40 percent for months during FY 2005; (3) 45 percent for months during FY 2006; (4) 50 percent for months during FY 2007; and (5) 55 percent for months after FY 2007. Adjusts similarly percentage amounts with respect to survivors of reserve personnel and survivors of persons who die while on active duty. Provides a corresponding phased elimination of the SBP supplemental annuity authorized to be provided to such surviving spouses. Requires periodic recomputation of: (1) annuity amounts beginning in October 2004; and (2) retired pay reductions for supplemental survivor annuities. Provides a one-year open enrollment period for SBP participation, commencing October 1, 2004, for those currently not participating, those electing to increase current coverage, and those wishing to participate in the supplemental SBP. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to require appropriate premiums for SBP participation.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2003
Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise the special rule for the redistribution and availability of unexpended FY 1998 and 1999 SCHIP allotments, including to: (1) extend the availability of FY 1998 and 1999 reallocated funds through FY 2004; and (2) permit 50 percent of the total amount of unexpended FY 2000 and 2001 SCHIP allotments that remain available to a State through the end of FY 2002 and 2003 to remain available for expenditure by the State through the end of FY 2004 and 2005, respectively.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2003
Hope Plus Scholarship Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include qualified elementary and secondary education expenses within the definition of the term qualified tuition and related expenses for purposes of the Hope Scholarship Credit.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2003
Authorizes the President to award a gold medal to each of the seven crew members who perished aboard the space shuttle Columbia: Rick D. Husband; Michael P. Anderson; Laurel Clark; David M. Brown; William C. McCool; Kapana Chawla; and Ilan Ramon.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2003
Social Security for Americans Only Act of 2003 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) prohibit the wages earned, and self-employment income derived, by individuals who are not citizens or nationals of the United States from being credited for coverage under the OASDI program; and (2) provide the President with authority to enter into agreements with other nations taking into account such limitation on crediting of wages and self-employment.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2003
Prohibits any Federal entity, in providing a Federal public benefit or service, from accepting, recognizing, or relying on any identification document that was not issued by a Federal or State authority and that is not subject to verification by a Federal law enforcement, intelligence, or homeland security agency. Deems any Federal official, employee, contractor, or agent who takes action inconsistent with such prohibition to be acting beyond the scope of his or her authority and to be liable for such action, unless conferred immunity under the Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2003
Amends the Federal Law Enforcement Pay Reform Act of 1990 to revise the special pay adjustments for (percentage differentials payable to) Federal law enforcement officers in specified consolidated metropolitan statistical areas. Includes Capitol Police as law enforcement officers under such Act. Eliminates the limitation on the aggregate of basic pay and premium pay with respect to availability pay for Federal criminal investigators.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2003
National Right-to-Work Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to repeal those provisions that permit employers, pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement that is a union security agreement, to require employees to join a union as a condition of employment (including provisions permitting railroad carriers to require, pursuant to such an agreement, payroll deduction of union dues or fees as a condition of employment).
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2003
Liver Research Enhancement Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the National Center on Liver Disease Research in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Establishes the Liver Disease Research Advisory Board to help the Director of the Center develop the Liver Disease Research Action Plan identifying scientific opportunities and priorities of liver disease research. Requires the Director to coordinate the Plan's implementation by the national research institutes, which shall allocate adequate funds for same.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2003
Declares Executive Order 13166, "Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency," to be null and void. Prohibits the use of funds for the promulgation or enforcement of an executive order that creates an entitlement to services provided in a language other than English.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2003
Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2003 - Permits retired members of the armed forces with service-connected disabilities to be paid both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation. Repeals provisions providing for special compensation for certain severely disabled military retirees and certain combat-related disabled uniformed services retirees.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2003
Authorizes the Secretary of Defense, upon request of the Secretary of Homeland Security, to assign members of the armed forces to assist: (1) the Bureau of Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security in preventing the entry of terrorists, drug traffickers, and illegal aliens into the United States; and (2) the U.S. Customs Service in the inspection of cargo, vehicles, and aircraft at U.S. points of entry to prevent the entry of weapons of mass destruction and their components, prohibited narcotics or drugs, or other terrorist or drug trafficking items. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to certify that such request is necessary to respond to a threat to national security. Requires the Secretaries to establish a training program that must be completed by military personnel serving in such capacity. Requires any member so serving to be accompanied by a civilian law enforcement officer from the agency concerned. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish ongoing joint task forces to respond to threats to national security posed by the entry of terrorists, drug traffickers, or illegal aliens. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to notify the governor and local governments of the State involved of the deployment of such members and the types of tasks to be performed. Prohibits any such assignment after September 30, 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2003
Access to Hospitals Act of 2003 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to repeal specified reductions after FY 2000 and thereby extend certain modifications to disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments provided under the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000. Increases the Medicaid DSH allotment for the District of Columbia.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2003
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to expand activities addressing inflammatory bowel disease, emphasizing genetic, animal model, and clinical research. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish a national program of prevention and epidemiology concerning such disease, addressing its prevalence and public and professional awareness. Directs the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science to study public and private insurance standards for coverage of inflammatory bowel therapies. Directs the General Accounting Office to study problems inflammatory bowel disease patients have applying for disability insurance benefits under the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2003
Housing Bond and Credit Modernization and Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the required use of certain principal repayments on mortgage subsidy bond financings to redeem bonds; (2) modify the purchase price limitation under mortgage subsidy bond rules based on median family income; and (3) define the term "area median gross income" for low-income housing credit projects.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2003
Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to state that churches and other houses of worship shall not lose such designation because of the content, preparation, or presentation of any homily, sermon, teaching, dialectic, or other presentation made during religious services or gatherings. States that such provision shall not affect campaign finance laws under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to authorize qualified law enforcement officers (including certain qualified retired officers) carrying the photographic identification issued by their governmental agency, notwithstanding State or local laws, to carry a concealed firearm. Provides that such authorization shall not supersede State laws that: (1) permit private entities to prohibit the possession of concealed firearms on their property; or (2) prohibit the possession of firearms on State or local government property. Excludes from the definition of "firearm" any machine gun, firearm silencer, or destructive device.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Blind Empowerment Act of 2003 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to increase, by specified increments over five years, the level of earnings demonstrating the ability of a blind person to engage in substantial gainful activity for purposes of determining disability insurance benefit payments.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Includes as an employee, for purposes of Federal provisions authorizing enrollment under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: (1) a member of the armed forces who began service before June 7, 1956, and retired after a minimum of 20 years of such service or by reason of a service-connected disability; and (2) the surviving widow or widower of such member. Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide FEHB coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member entitled to military retired or retainer pay; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member; and (5) a family member.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Rural Equity Payment Index Reform Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish a minimum geographic cost-of-practice index value for physicians' services furnished under the Medicare program.
![Official portrait of Rep. Deal, Nathan [R-GA-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000168_200.jpg)