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United States · Official source
2,200 records where Rep. Ehlers, Vernon J. [R-MI-3] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the work opportunity tax credit to include trade adjustment assistance recipients as a targeted group.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2003
Abortion Non-Discrimination Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the Federal Government, and any State or local government that receives Federal financial assistance, from discriminating against any health care entity because (in addition to current prohibited reasons) the entity refuses to provide coverage of, or pay for, induced abortions. Expands the definition of "health care entity" to include (in addition to physicians) other health professionals, a hospital, a provider sponsored organization, a health maintenance organization, a health insurance plan, and any other kind of health care facility, organization, or plan.
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
Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2003 - Directs the President to establish: (1) an Interagency Committee (IC) to plan and coordinate Federal efforts in manufacturing research and development; and (2) an Advisory Committee to provide advice and information to the IC from the non-Federal manufacturing research and development community. Requires Federal agencies that are the IC members to coordinate their manufacturing grant activities with a collaborative manufacturing research grants program established by this Act's amendment to the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (NIST Act). Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to refer to Manufacturing in renaming the following Department of Commerce entities: (1) Manufacturing and Technology Administration; (2) Office of Manufacturing and Technology Policy; and (3) Under Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and Technology. Establishes the post of Assistant Secretary of Manufacturing to serve as one of the policy analysts for the Under Secretary. Directs the Under Secretary to: (1) serve as a point of contact on Federal manufacturing research and development, as well as broader policy issues related to manufacturing, for discussions among industry, academic, labor, and other groups; and (2) report on foreign governments' efforts to attract and develop technology-based manufacturing. Amends the NIST Act to require the NIST Director to establish the following programs: (1) collaborative manufacturing research grants to partnerships among firms, educational institutions, research institutions, State agencies, and nonprofit organizations to encourage development of innovative, multidisciplinary manufacturing technologies; and (2) manufacturing sciences research fellowships, at specified postdoctoral and senior levels. Reauthorizes and revises the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. Establishes, within the MEP program, a manufacturing extension center competitive grant program to develop projects to solve new or emerging manufacturing problems.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Children's Access to Vision Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to make grants to States for: (1) comprehensive eye examinations for children needing such services, with priority for children under nine years old; (2) subsequent vision treatment or services; and (3) educational materials on recognizing signs of visual impairment in children. Directs the Secretary to coordinate the grant program with appropriate Federal and State child services programs. Requires an annual State program evaluation.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Authorizes appropriations for FY 2004 through 2009 for: (1) surface transportation research, development, and deployment; (2) training and education; (3) the Bureau of Transportation Statistics; (4) university transportation research; and (5) intellligent transportation systems research. Revises requirements for transportation: (1) research strategic planning to include development priorities; and (2) deployment grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to demonstrate the application of innovative technology in surface transportation infrsstructure construction and safety. Directs the Secretary to arrange with the National Academy of Sciences for establishment of a Future Strategic Highway Research Program. Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to revise the Intelligent Transportation Systems Act of 1998 and rename it the Intelligent Transportation Systems Act of 2003. Directs the Secretary to establish a National Multimodal Trends Policy Research Program that systematically addresses critical short-term, medium-term, and long-term social science issues affecting and affected by the transportation system. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2004 through 2009 for transit research and development. Amends Federal highway law to direct the Secretary to establish an Innovative Practices and Technologies Demonstration and Deployment Program. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a multimodal energy and climate change program to study the relationship of transportation, energy, and climate change as part of the National Climate Change Technology Initiative and the Climate Change Research Initiative; and (2) a national cooperative freight transportation research program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Coal Industry Retiree Health Benefit Stability and Fairness Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize appropriations from the U.S. Treasury to the Combined Fund to: (1) pay any benefit or administrative costs of unassigned beneficiaries of the Combined Fund remaining after the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund transfers; and (2) eliminate any annual deficit in any premium account of the Combined Fund as certified by the Trustees of the Combined Fund. Requires an annual audit of the Combined Fund by the Comptroller General. Provides for the appointment of two trustees by the Secretary of the Treasury to the board of the Fund. Makes other related revisions, including: (1) modifying premiums; (2) providing for refunds to certain operators; and (3) reductions in annual health benefit premiums to the Fund in the event of a surplus. Redefines a coal wage agreement as: (1) the 1988 agreement, meaning the collective bargaining agreement between the settlors which became effective on February 1, 1988; and (2) the coal wage agreement, meaning the 1988 agreement and any predecessor to the 1988 agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Expresses: (1) condolences and deepest sympathy to the families of the young women killed in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, since 1993, many of whom appear to be victims of one or more serial murders; and (2) the solidarity of the people of the United States with the people of Mexico in the face of these tragic and senseless acts. Recognizes the courageous struggle of the victims' families in seeking justice for them. Condemns: (1) the abductions and murders of such young women in Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua; (2) the use of torture as a means of investigation into these crimes; and (3) all senseless acts of violence in all parts of the world and violence against women in particular. Urges the President and Secretary of State to express: (1) concern over these abductions and murders to the Government of Mexico and to request that the investigative and preventative efforts of such Government become part of the bilateral agenda between the Governments of Mexico and the United States; and (2) support for the efforts of the victims' families to seek justice for the victims, to express concern relating to the continued harassment of these families and the human rights defenders with which they work, and to express concern with respect to impediments in the ability of the families to receive prompt and accurate information in their cases. Supports multilateral efforts to create a DNA database that would allow families to positively identify the remains of the victims and encourages the Secretary to facilitate U.S. participation in such database. Encourages the Secretary to: (1) include in the Department of State's annual Country Report on Human Rights all instances of improper investigatory methods, threats against human rights activists, and the use of torture with respect to cases involving the murder and abduction of young women in the State of Chihuahua; and (2) urge the Government of Mexico to ensure fair and proper judicial proceedings for the individuals accused of these abductions and murders and to impose appropriate punishment for those individuals subsequently determined to be guilty of such crimes. Recommends that the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico visit Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua to meet with the victims' families, women's rights organizations, and Mexican Federal and State officials responsible for investigating these crimes and preventing future such crimes.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2003
Surface Transportation Research and Development Act of 2003 - Authorizes appropriations for FY 2004 through 2009 for: (1) surface transportation research, development, and deployment; (2) training and education; (3) the Bureau of Transportation Statistics; (4) university transportation research; and (5) intellligent transportation systems research. Revises requirements for transportation: (1) research strategic planning to include development priorities; and (2) deployment grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to demonstrate the application of innovative technology in surface transportation infrsstructure construction and safety. Requires the Director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics to: (1) develop an integrated, multimodal data strategic plan and revise it triennially; and (2) establish an Advisory Council on Transportation Statistics. Directs the Secretary to arrange with the National Academy of Sciences for establishment of a Future Strategic Highway Research Program. Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to revise the Intelligent Transportation Systems Act of 1998 and rename it the Intelligent Transportation Systems Act of 2003. Directs the Secretary to establish a National Multimodal Trends Policy Research Program that systematically addresses critical short-term, medium-term, and long-term social science issues affecting and affected by the transportation system. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2004 through 2009 for: (1) transit research and development; (2) highway safety research and development; and (3) motor carrier research and development. Amends Federal highway law to direct the Secretary to establish an Innovative Practices and Technologies Demonstration and Deployment Program. Authorizes the Secretary (or the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development when required for urban transportation planning) to make grants to nonprofit institutions of higher learning to: (1) conduct competent research and investigations into the theoretical or practical problems of urban transportation; and (2) train individuals to conduct further research or obtain employment in an organization that plans, builds, operates, or manages an urban transportation system. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a motor carrier research and technology program; (2) a multimodal energy and climate change program to study the relationship of transportation, energy, and climate change as part of the National Climate Change Technology Initiative and the Climate Change Research Initiative; (3) a national cooperative freight transportation research program; (4) data exchange formats to ensure that highway and transit monitoring systems data, including statewide incident reporting systems, can readily be exchanged across jurisdictional boundaries; and (5) a planning capacity building initiative to support enhancements in transportation planning. Directs the President shall establish a Next Generation National Transportation Policy Study Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2003
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users - Reauthorizes the Federal-aid surface transportation program through FY 2009. Reauthorizes appropriations from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for: (1) specified highway (including highway safety) programs; (2) research and technology; (3) motor carrier safety; and (4) transportation research. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a National Commission on Future Revenue Sources to Support the HTF. Establishes: (1) a National Commission on the Future of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate Defense Highways; and (2) a Commission on Intelligent Transportation Systems Procurement Policy. Requires States with an urbanized area population of over 200,000 to obligate specified funds for congestion relief. Federal Public Transportation Act of 2004 - Sets forth revised provisions governing public transportation funding and the Secretary's authority to make specified grants, including grants for capital projects, planning, and transit and for commercial driver's license program improvements. Directs the Secretary to establish programs involving: (1) long-term bridge performance; (2) innovative highway safety technologies; (3) freight planning capacity building; (4) freight transportation research; (5) future strategic highway research; (6) surface transportation congestion solutions research; and (7) commercial remote sensing products and spatial information technologies. Intelligent Transportation Systems Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary to conduct an ongoing intelligent system transportation program to research, develop, and operationally test and advance nationwide deployment of intelligent transportation systems as a component of the U.S. surface transportation systems. Incorporates Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration planning provisions. Reauthorizes the hazardous materials transportation program. Makes the guaranteed funding levels provided under this Act dependent on identifying additional budgetary resources.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2003
Deplores the development by Iran of a nuclear weapons program and the failure of the Government of Iran to report material, facilities, and activities to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in contravention of its obligations under the safeguards convention it signed in connection with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (Treaty). Concurs with the conclusion of the Department of State that Iran is pursuing a program to develop nuclear weapons. Calls on the President to use all appropriate means to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, with particular attention to the needs of the IAEA for information and access, including information concerning gas centrifuges and the conduct of uranium conversion experiments. Calls on Russia to suspend all nuclear cooperation with Iran until Iran fully complies with a specified IAEA resolution, with particular attention to spent fuel. Calls on the IAEA to declare Iran in violation of the Treaty. Calls on the United Nations Security Council to consider immediately the passage of a Security Council resolution or the taking of other actions that may be necessary to impose diplomatic and economic sanctions against Iran if it fails to meet its obligations to the IAEA. Calls on the Government of Iran to cease all efforts to acquire nuclear fuel cycle capabilities and to end the enrichment and processing of uranium until it is able to provide specific, verifiable assurances that it is not engaged in a clandestine nuclear weapons program.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2003
Home Energy Generation Act - Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to require that: (1) each retail electric supplier make available an electric energy meter capable of net metering to certain retail customers that have installed an energy generation unit intended for net metering; and (2) rates, charges, and contract terms for electric energy sales to customer-generators be the same as those that would be applicable if the customer-generator did not own or operate a qualified generation unit and use a net metering system. Prescribes the manner in which such retail electric suppliers shall calculate the net energy measurement and billing for a customer using a net metering system. Subjects qualified generation units and net metering systems to specified safety, performance, and reliability standards. Authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to: (1) adopt additional control and testing requirements for customer-generators necessary to protect public safety and system reliability; and (2) prohibit additional charges by electric suppliers and local distribution systems for equipment or services for safety or performance additional to those necessary to meet such standards. Sets a deadline for FERC to promulgate: (1) model standards for the physical connection between local distribution systems and qualified generation units and other specified electric generation units; and (2) regulations ensuring simplified contracts will be used for the interconnection of electric energy by electric energy transmission or distribution systems and generating facilities with a power production capacity of 250 kilowatts or less.
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 · 28 October 2003
Commends the President for continued efforts to engage the Government of the People's Republic of China. Joins the President in encouraging the People's Republic of China to meet its commitments as a member of the World Trade Organization and the international community. States that the Chinese economy would benefit from a market-determined exchange rate to avoid market and trade distortions. Joins the President in continuing to encourage China's efforts to modernize its financial system which includes the establishment of a more flexible exchange rate and compliance with its trade agreement obligations. Urges the Administration to continue its efforts to facilitate moves towards a market-based valuation of the renminbi, relaxation of capital controls, and reform of its banking sector. Encourages U.S. government efforts to promote innovation, reduce costs, and level the international playing field in the manufacturing sector.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2003
Security and Freedom Ensured Act of 2003 (SAFE Act) - Amends the USA PATRIOT Act to modify provisions regarding roving wiretaps under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to require that: (1) an order approving an electronic surveillance specify either the identity of the target or the place to be wiretapped; and (2) surveillance be conducted only when the suspect is present at the place to be wiretapped. Revises provisions governing search warrants authorized under the USA PATRIOT ACT to: (1) limit the authority to delay notice of the issuance of such a search warrant to circumstances where providing immediate notice of the warrant will endanger the life or physical safety of an individual, result in flight from prosecution, or result in the destruction of or tampering with the evidence sought under the warrant; and (2) require such delayed notification to be issued within seven days (currently, within a "reasonable period") after execution, with extensions by the court for additional periods of up to seven calendar days each time that the court finds reasonable cause to believe that notice of the execution of the warrant would have such consequences. Requires the Attorney General, on a semiannual basis, to transmit to Congress and make public a report concerning all requests for delays of notice and for extensions of such delays. Amends FISA to require, with respect to access by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to business records for foreign intelligence and international terrorism investigations, that there be specific and articulable facts giving reason to believe that the person to whom the records pertain is a foreign power or agent. Provides that libraries shall not be treated as wire or electronic communication service providers under provisions granting counterintelligence access to provider subscriber information, toll billing records information, or electronic communication transactional records. Redefines "domestic terrorism" to mean activities that involve acts dangerous to human life that constitute a Federal crime of terrorism (currently, that violate criminal laws).
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2003
Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act of 2003 - Establishes procedures for immigration officers who find an unaccompanied alien child at a U.S. land border or point of entry who is a national or habitual resident of a contiguous country. Establishes that other unaccompanied alien children, including trafficking victims, shall be in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, except that such children who threaten U.S. security or who are charged with or have been convicted of a felony shall be in the care of the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security. Sets forth a family reunification preference order. Prohibits, with an exception for violent children, detention in adult or delinquent children facilities. Directs the Office to develop procedures for detention and prohibited detention practices. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States Government should ensure that it does not repatriate children in its custody into life- and safety-threatening settings. Directs the Secretary of State to include in the annual State Department Country Report on Human Rights an assessment of the degree to which each country protects children from smugglers and traffickers. Directs the Office, with respect to unaccompanied alien children in the custody of the Office or the Department of Homeland Security, to: (1) develop age determination procedures; and (2) provide immigration counsel. Directs the Executive Office for Immigration Review to develop model guidelines for legal representation of children. Authorizes the Office to provide that each unaccompanied child have a guardian ad litem. Requires the Office to implement a pilot program for the appointment of guardians ad litem. Amends special immigrant juvenile provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Expresses congressional commendation of the Immigration and Naturalization Service' s issuance of its "Guidelines for Children's Asylum Claims." Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide immigration officers with related training. Exempts unaccompanied alien children from certain removal and asylum provisions. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to set forth additional responsibilities and authorities of the Office with respect to unaccompanied alien children.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2003
Thanks the Michigan State University Board of Trustees and the university community for allowing their president, Peter McPherson (who, after being asked by the Bush Administration to aid in the financial reconstruction of Iraq, was granted an upaid leave of absence), to temporarily set aside his commitment to the university to perform his patriotic duty by serving the Iraqi people and the United States. Expresses appreciation of McPherson's contribution to the financial reconstruction of Iraq and commends him on his long and successful career in public service.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2003
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of the World Year of Physics, as designated by the General Assembly of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics. Encourages: (1) the American people to observe such Year as a special occasion for giving impetus to education and research in physics; (2) all science-related government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and the media to highlight and give enhanced recognition to the role of physics in social, cultural, and economic development; and (3) those involved in physics education and research to take additional steps to ensure that support for physics continues and that physics studies continue to attract an adequate number of students.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2003
Authorizes the President to award congressional gold medals posthumously, to their next of kin, on behalf of Reverend Joseph A. DeLaine, Harry and Eliza Briggs, and Levi Pearson, in recognition of their contributions to the Nation as pioneers in South Carolina in the effort to desegregate public schools that led directly to the landmark desegregation case of Brown et al. v. the Board of Education of Topeka et al. Directs that amounts received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals be deposited in the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2003
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Chemistry Week, as founded by the American Chemical Society (the week of October 19 in 2003).
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2003
Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 500,000 one dollar coins which shall be emblematic of the warrior ethos of the United States Marine Corps. Requires all surcharges from the sale of the coins to be paid to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation for construction of the Marine Corps Heritage Center.
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 · 8 October 2003
Workers Assistance Extension Act - Amends the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (TEUCA) to extend the TEUCA program through June 30, 2004, with a phase-out period through September 30, 2004. (The TEUCA program provides: (1) an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits (TEUC) to jobless workers who have exhausted their regular unemployment benefits; and (2) another additional 13 weeks of benefits (TEUC-X), for a total of 26 additional weeks, for such workers in high unemployment States.)
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2003
Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act - Amends Federal law to protect specified disclosures by Federal employees or applicants without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure. Creates a rebuttable presumption regarding the performance of duty by employees with authority. Prohibits implementation or enforcement of nondisclosure documents absent a statement that the restrictions imposed are consistent with and do not supersede specified laws. Authorizes the Merit Systems Protection Board or any reviewing court to determine whether there was a violation of prohibited personnel practices in actions relating to security clearances and to provide specified relief. Authorizes the President to exclude agencies with certain intelligence functions from coverage under the whistleblower statute only if the exclusion decision, as it relates to a personnel action, is made before that personnel action. Includes compensatory damages in the list of authorized corrective actions the Board may impose. Authorizes the Board to impose a combination of discliplinary action and civil penalties. Permits representation by attorneys for the Office of the Special Counsel in specified civil actions. Authorizes the Office of Special Counsel to obtain judicial review of Board decisions. Allows petitions for review to be filed in any court of appeals of competent jurisdiction during the five-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act (restricted to the Federal Circuit thereafter). Lengthens the appeal period. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to clarify that the disclosure of independently obtained critical infrastructure information is a protected disclosure.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2003
HELP Commission Act - Establishes the Helping Enhance the Livelihood of People (HELP) Around the Globe Commission to: (1) identify objectives and beneficiaries of U.S. development assistance; (2) evaluate cases in which assistance has been successful; (3) study ways of expanding educational opportunities and investments in people, coordinating U.S. assistance programs with those of other countries and international organizations, ensuring the safety of development assistance workers, strengthening indigenous nongovernmental organizations in grassroots development, placing conditions on governments receiving assistance, and measuring results of targeting U.S. assistance to the least developed countries; (4) assess infrastructure needs; (5) study whether additional resources are needed for tangible results; (6) compare the effectiveness of increased and open trade with development assistance; (7) analyze how political pressures affect the assistance decision making process and how assistance decisions can involve more people of the recipient countries; (8) recommend standards for graduating recipient countries from U.S. assistance; (9) analyze whether assistance should be used to achieve foreign policy objectives; and (10) analyze how to evaluate the performance of the U.S. assistance programs, including in democratization efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2003
Commends the participation of Afghan women in Afghanistan's government and civil society. Encourages the full inclusion of women in the political and economic life of their country. Advocates the protection of women's human rights in the Afghanistan Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2003
Honors Sargent Shriver for his dedication and service to the United States, his service in the Navy, and his lifetime of work acting as an ambassador for the poor and powerless citizens of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2003
Congratulates Focus: HOPE (which began as a civil and human rights organization in 1968 in the wake of the Detroit riots) on its 35th anniversary for its commitment and contributions to Detroit, the State of Michigan, and the United States.
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 · 1 October 2003
Constitutional Amendment - Requires any judge, ambassador, or other officer nominated by the President under the Constitution to be appointed at the time of nomination subject to disapproval by a majority vote of Senators serving at the time of the nomination, except that such disapproval shall be effective only if it occurs during the 120-day period (excluding days on which the Senate is not in session) which begins on the date the Senate receives such nomination.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2003
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Rest and Recuperation Leave program for members of the armed forces serving in combat zones in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom should cover all travel and transportation costs necessary to return members granted leave to their homes. (Currently, such program covers transportation to only an approved point of debarkation in the United States.)
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
Health and Education Access for Students with Diabetes Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to prohibit a State or public or private entity from receiving funds under ESEA title IV part A, also known as the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, unless it has a policy in effect against hindering or restricting a student from engaging in diabetes treatment prescribed or recommended by a physician.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2003
American Manufacturing Jobs Retention Act of 2003 - Amends Federal defense procurement provisions and the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to prohibit the head of a military department or executive agency, in the case of a contract for the procurement of goods and services, from considering a covered prospective contractor as a responsible source unless such contractor employs at least 50 percent of its employees in the United States. Defines a prospective contractor as covered if at least ten percent of its annual gross receipts during the preceding year were attributable to Government contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2003
Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to award a grant to each State to carry out a program for making available throughout that State the 2-1-1 telephone service for information and referral on human services. Requires a participating State to ensure that at least 50 percent of the resources of the program funded by the grant will be derived from other sources. Requires a State seeking a grant to carry out its activities through a lead entity to be known as a 2-1-1 Collaborative. Requires grant amounts to be used solely to make available to a State 2-1-1 telephone service for community information and referral on human services, including telephone connections between families and individuals seeking services and the service providers. Requires grant recipients to: (1) abide by the Key Standards for 2-1-1 Centers; and (2) collaborate with human service organizations to provide an exhaustive database of services with which to provide information or referral to individuals utilizing the 2-1-1 service.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2003
National Highway Borders and Trade Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish and implement a coordinated border infrastructure program under which the Secretary shall make allocations to border States (i.e., States with a common boundary with Canada or Mexico) for projects within a border region (the portion of a border State located within 100 kilometers of a land border crossing with Canada or Mexico) to improve the efficient and safe movement of people and goods at or across the U.S.-Canadian and U.S.-Mexican borders. Permits allocations to States to be used in a border region only for specified: (1) improvements to transportation and supporting infrastructure that facilitate cross-border vehicle and cargo movement; (2) construction of highways and related safety and safety enforcement facilities; (3) operational improvements; (4) international coordination of planning, programming, and border operation; (5) projects in Canada or Mexico proposed by border States that directly and predominantly facilitate cross-border vehicle and commercial cargo movements; and (6) planning and environmental studies. Directs the Secretary to allocate among border States funds based on a formula which takes into consideration the average annual weight of cargo entering a border State by commercial vehicles across the international borders and the average trade value of all cargo imported and exported. Sets the Federal cost share of projects under this Act at 80 percent. Directs the Secretary to carry out a program to allocate funds to States for coordinated planning, design, and construction of corridors of national significance.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2003
Expresses congressional concern over the detrimental effects of currency manipulation by foreign governments on the U.S. economy, especially the manufacturing sector. Calls on the President to: (1) vigorously enforce U.S. trade laws dealing with such practices; (2) encourage the harmonization of an international exchange rate policy of freely floating exchange rates based on market forces; and (3) review all tools available to counteract currency manipulation. Urges that: (1) the executive branch take certain steps to enable the dollar and other major currencies to move toward their equilibrium rates; (2) the Secretary of the Treasury include in each semiannual report on international economic and exchange rate policies the currency manipulation practices of foreign governments; and (3) the U.S. Trade Representative take action under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to combat such practices should negotiations fail to produce meaningful results.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2003
Directs the President to establish separate campaign medals to recognize service by members of the armed forces in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2003
Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2003 - Extends Federal highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and transit programs for six months, and authorizes appropriations, through March 31, 2004. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) apportion funds made available for Federal-aid highway programs under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) to each State according to the ratio of the State's FY 2003 obligation authority to the FY 2003 obligation authority for all States; and (2) ensure that each State is apportioned funds for the Interstate maintenance program, the National Highway System program, the bridge program, the surface transportation program, the congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program, the recreational trails program, the Appalachian development highway system program, and the minimum guarantee. Sets forth provisions: (1) for reducing future apportionments, and for recovering funds not apportioned, under a law reauthorizing the Federal-aid highway program that is enacted after enactment of this Act; (2) prohibiting States from obligating any Federal-aid highway program funds after March 31, 2004, until the earlier of the date of enactment of a multi-year law reauthorizing such program or June 30 2004; and (3) directing the Secretary of Transportation, on the earlier of such enactment date or June 1, 2004, to distribute to each State any remaining amounts of obligation authority for Federal-aid highways and highway safety construction programs by allocation as provided in an Act making appropriations for the Department of Transportation for FY 2004 Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 and TEA-21, respectively, to set related discretionary spending limits and obligation limitations for FY 2004.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2003
Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $500 for the purchase of a qualified hearing aid for an individual who is either: (1) age 55 or older; or (2) is claimed as a dependent of the taxpayer.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2003
Strengthening Science at the Environmental Protection Agency Act - States that conducting, sponsoring, and evaluating environmental science and technology research shall be a central mission of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Requires the President to appoint a Deputy Administrator for Science and Technology of the EPA to coordinate and oversee the agency's science and technology activities and ensure that its decisions are informed by the results of appropriate and relevant research. Requires appointment of an Assistant Administrator for Research and Development, who shall be a person with an outstanding science and technology background.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2003
Recognizes the 30th anniversary of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship Program and reaffirms a commitment to support the use of science in governmental decisionmaking through such Program.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2003
Right to Life Act - States that Congress declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being. Defines "human person" and "human being" as including each and every member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life, including, but not limited to, the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2003
Currency Harmonization Initiative through Neutralizing Action Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to analyze annually the exchange rate policies of the People's Republic of China, and to impose additional tariffs, if necessary, to equalize any currency manipulations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2003
National Science Education Incentive Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) permit an eligible science, engineering, math, or technology teacher a limited credit for undergraduate tuition; and (2) permit an elementary and secondary science, mathematics, engineering, and technology credit (SMET) credit for qualified contributions of property or service to qualified elementary and secondary schools.
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 · 25 July 2003
Safeguard Against Privacy Invasions Act - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prohibit the transmission of a spyware program to a covered computer by means of the Internet, unless the user of the computer expressly consents to such transmission in response to a clear and conspicuous request or through an affirmative request for such transmission. Requires the FTC to establish requirements for such a transmission that requires affirmative action on the part of the user of the covered computer to agree to a license, contract, or other agreement, including setting forth on a World Wide Web page license or contract terms, the mechanism for agreeing to them, and the name and valid physical street address of the person or entity transmitting the spyware program. Directs the FTC to prohibit the use of any spyware program for collecting any personally identifiable information from the covered computer unless notice of such use is provided. Provides for enforcement of the provisions of this Act, including criminal penalties, through the Federal Trade Commission Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
American Manufacturing Works Act of 2003 - Amends the the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to rename: (1) the Technology Administration in the Department of Commerce as the Manufacturing and Technology Administration; (2) its Office of Technology Policy as the Office of Manufacturing and Technology Policy; and (3) the Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and Technology. Establishes an Assistant Secretary of Manufacturing and a Manufacturing Advisory Board. Repeals the program to monitor Japanese technical activities and developments and the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Technology. Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Commerce for: (1) Manufacturing Engineering activities at the Scientific and Technical Research and Services Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) ; (2) the Advanced Technology Program; and (3) the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program. Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to require the Director of NIST to establish a program of assistance to institutions of higher education or nonprofit research institutions that enter into partnerships with for-profit entities to support, promote, and enhance manufacturing research and development. Requires the Director to establish a program to award postdoctoral research and senior research fellowships to individuals seeking research positions at institutions, including the Institute, engaged in research activities related to manufacturing sciences. Revises requirements of the Advanced Technology Program to permit institutions of higher education or nonprofit oprganizations to lead joint ventures, as well as take title to intellectual property developed by them. Directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and Technology to develop a plan to maximize the utilization of Federal programs such as the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program to support manufacturing sciences. Authorizes appropriations to the Director of the National Science Foundation for: (1) the Advanced Technological Education Program under the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992; and (2) the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council formed as the voluntary partnership for the manufacturing occupational cluster under the National Skill Standards Act of 1994.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to apply its countervailing duty provisions to nonmarket economy countries.