United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2004
Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay a monthly benefit of $1,000 to certain honorably-discharged veterans of the U.S. Merchant Marine who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946 (or to their survivors). Includes service in the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service. Exempts benefits paid under this Act from taxation.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2004
Directs the Secretary of Defense to reimburse members of the armed forces who participated in the Department of Defense Rest and Recuperation Leave program during the period beginning on September 15, 2003, and ending on December 18, 2003, for travel expenses incurred by the member (or family members on behalf of the member) to travel to or from a designated embarkation point before the program was expanded to include a domestic travel component.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2004
Freedom of Choice Act - Declares that it is the policy of the United States that every woman has the fundamental right to choose to: (1) bear a child; (2) terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability; or (3) terminate it after fetal viability when necessary to protect her life or her health. Prohibits a governmental entity from : (1) denying or interfering with a woman's right to exercise such choices; or (2) discriminating against the exercise of those rights in its regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information. Authorizes an individual aggrieved by a violation of this Act to obtain appropriate relief, including relief against a governmental entity in a civil action. States that this Act applies to every Federal, State, and local statute, ordinance, regulation, administrative order, decision, policy, practice, or other action enacted, adopted, or implemented before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2004
Requests the President to transmit to the House of Representatives (House), within 14 days of the adoption of this resolution, all documents in the possession of the President relating to the disclosure of the identity of Ms. Valerie Plame as an employee of the Central Intelligence Agency during the period beginning on May 6, 2003, and ending on July 31, 2003. Directs the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and Attorney General to each transmit to the House, within such 14 days, all documents in possession of such officials relating to such disclosure during such period.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2004
Medicare's Equitable Drugs for Seniors Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to repeal provisions prohibiting the Secretary of Health and Human Services from: (1) interfering with the negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors; and (2) requiring a particular formulary to institute a price structure for the reimbursement of covered Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drugs. Grants the Secretary instead, in order to ensure that beneficiaries enrolled under prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans pay the lowest possible price, authority similar to that of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other Federal agencies and departments that purchase prescription drugs in bulk to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered Medicare part D drugs, consistent with the requirements and in furtherance of the goals of providing quality care and containing costs under such part.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2003
War Profiteering Prevention Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit profiteering and fraud involving a contract or the provision of goods or services in connection with the war, military action, or relief or reconstruction efforts in Iraq (including making materially false statements or representations or materially overvaluing any good or service with the specific intent to make excessive profit). Sets penalties for violations, including up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of the greater of $1 million or twice the gross profits or other proceeds. Subjects: (1) any property which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to a violation to civil and criminal forfeiture; and (2) transactions involving such property or proceeds to money laundering provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2003
National Security Language Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish programs to encourage early foreign language instruction, including grants to: (1) partnerships of institutions of higher education (IHEs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) for activities relating to foreign language instruction at elementary or secondary schools, with priorities for high-need LEAs and less-commonly taught foreign languages; and (2) IHEs that develop innovative programs for the teaching of foreign languages, with priorities for combining foreign languages with science and technology and for less-commonly taught foreign languages. Provides undergraduate student loan forgiveness of up to $10,000 for students who major in a critical need foreign language and are employed as teachers of such language in elementary or secondary schools or as using such language regularly in a Federal agency. Directs the Secretary of Education to: (1) establish a foreign language education marketing campaign to encourage students at secondary schools and IHEs to study foreign languages, particularly ones less commonly taught and critical to national security; and (2) conduct a study to identify foreign language heritage communities and recruit speakers of such critical languages. Amends the David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991 to establish an International Flagship Language Initiative with grants to IHEs.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2003
Applauds the courage and vision of Israelis and Palestinians who are working together to conceive plans for peace. Urges Israeli and Palestinian leaders to capitalize on the opportunity offered by these peace initiatives. Urges the President to encourage efforts to move away from violent military stalemate toward Israeli-Palestinian peace.
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
Employee Free Choice Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board to certify a bargaining representative without directing an election if a majority of the bargaining unit employees have authorized designation of the representative and there is no other individual or labor organization currently certified or recognized as the exclusive representative of any of the employees in the unit. Sets forth special procedural requirements for reaching an initial collective bargaining agreement following certification or recognition. Revises enforcement requirements with respect to unfair labor practices during union organizing drives. Provides, under injunction provisions, for priority to be given to preliminary investigation of charges of violations by employers or other entities. Adds to remedies for such violations: (1) back pay plus liquidated damages; and (2) additional civil penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Clean Money, Clean Elections Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to: (1) prescribe eligibility and qualifying contribution requirements, seed money limits, and benefits of clean money financing of House election campaigns; (2) set forth requirements applicable to clean money candidates; (3) direct the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to certify whether or not a candidate is a clean money candidate; (4) establish in the Treasury a House of Representatives Election Fund for clean money financing; (5) set forth requirements concerning reporting of certain expenditures of private money candidates and reporting of certain independent expenditures; (6) limit expenditures that may be made by political party committees in connection with the general election campaign of a House election in which one or more of the candidates is a clean money candidate; and (7) provide for the treatment of coordinated expenditures as contributions. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to entitle clean money candidates to receive specified free broadcast time and reduced broadcast rates under certain circumstances. Amends Federal postal law to prohibit franked mass mailings by Members of Congress (except notices of public meetings) during primary and general election periods, unless they are not candidates for re-election or election to any other Federal office. Amends FECA to revise requirements for the composition and terms of FEC Commissioners and mandate electronic filing of FEC reports, among other changes, including those made with respect to audits, authority to seek injunction, and standard for investigation.
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 · 21 November 2003
Affirms congressional support for preserving President Franklin D. Roosevelt's profile on the dime because of his innumerable contributions to and lasting impact on the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2003
Rural Healthcare Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to services in rural areas, inpatient hospital services, physician services, physician updates, home health services, and the Office of Rural Health Policy. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to provide for a special, temporary increase in disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments on a one-time, non-cumulative basis, and an increase in the floor for treatment as a low DSH State. Provides for allotment adjustments for FY 2004 and 2005 for States without a DSH allotment owing to revocation or termination of a certain waiver. (The Medicare provisions of H.R. 3549 are identical to title I of S. 1926, the Support Our Health Care Providers Act of 2003, which in turn is identical, except with respect to any provider cuts or premium increases, to title IV of the conference report of H.R. 1, the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003, which became Public Law 108-173 on December 8, 2003. The Medicaid provision is very similar to one in title VI, subtitle A of H.R. 3549.)
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2003
Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act - Requires the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to carry out a recovery program for southern sea otter populations along the coast of California. Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop a Southern Sea Otter Health Assessment Plan; (2) collect and analyze tissue samples from southern sea otters; and (3) submit the tissue to the Secretary of Commerce for inclusion in the National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank to allow for managed access to such tissues by other researchers. Requires the Secretary to: (1) award competitive grants to support research regarding southern sea otters; and (2) establish the Southern Sea Otter Recovery Implementation Team to make recommendations on overall southern sea otter recovery program administration and research goals, as well as funding of scientific research, serve as a link between the recovery program and stakeholders, and review the recommendations of the Southern Sea Otter Recovery Scientific Advisory Committee. Requires the Secretary to establish the Southern Sea Otter Recovery Scientific Advisory Committee to evaluate and make recommendations to the Team regarding the scientific merit and quality of southern sea otter research funding proposals.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2003
Recognizes the sacrifices made by members of the regular and reserve armed forces. Expresses concern for their safety and security. Urges the Secretary of Defense to take immediate steps to ensure that the National Guard and Reserves are provided with the same equipment as the regular component.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2003
Labor Recruiter Accountability Act of 2003 - Requires foreign labor contractors (recruiters) and employers to accurately inform foreign workers of specified terms and conditions of their employment at the time they are recruited. Requires such information to be provided in written form in English or, as necessary and reasonable, in the language of the worker being recruited. Prohibits charging fees to workers for recruitment. Requires employers to pay such a worker's transportation costs, including subsistence costs during the period of travel: (1) from the place of recruitment to the place of employment; and (2) from the place of employment to the worker's place of permanent residence. Requires employers to notify the Secretary of Labor of the identity of: (1) any recruiter involved in any foreign labor contractor activity for or on behalf of the employer; and (2) any such recruiter whose activities do not comply with this Act. Subjects employers to the civil remedies of this Act for violations committed by such recruiters to the same extent as if the employers had committed the violations. Directs the Secretary to: (1) maintain a public list of recruiters whom the Secretary knows or believes have been involved in violations of this Act; and (2) provide a procedure for removal of a recruiter's name from the list upon demonstration that such recruiter has not been in violation in the previous five years. Provides for criminal fines and imprisonment for knowing violations. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) assess civil fines; and (2) seek injunctive relief and specific performance of contractual obligations to assure employer compliance. Provides that rights and remedies under this Act are in addition to any other contractual or statutory rights and remedies of workers who are subject to foreign labor contracting activity.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2003
Improving Homeownership Opportunities in High-Cost States Act - Amends the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Act (Freddie Mac) to include among the exceptions to the prohibition that an outstanding mortgage cannot exceed 80 percent of the securing property's value for a residential mortgage those properties located in a State containing any high-cost metropolitan statistical area (or portion thereof). Bases such high-cost determination on specified quarterly average one-family home prices.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2003
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) Dr. Wang Bingzhang, a permanent resident of the United States, is being arbitrarily detained in the People's Republic of China in violation of international law; and (2) his immediate release should be a top priority of United States foreign policy.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2003
Puppy Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to modify the standards that govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals by dealers, research facilities, and exhibitors. Requires a standard for addressing the initiation and frequency of breeding of female dogs so that they are not bred before reaching at least one year of age, and whelped more frequently than three times in any 24-month period. Prescribes a process for immediate suspension and eventual revocation of the license of a dealer, exhibitor, or operator of an auction sale for three or more violations of such Act within 18 months.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2003
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide Federal Employees Health Benefits (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. Directs the Secretary to reimburse such eligible persons for pharmacy benefits received from a pharmacy that is not a TRICARE (Department of Defense managed health care plan) network pharmacy in the same manner as the Secretary would reimburse such person for such benefits received from a TRICARE network pharmacy. Requires such persons, in order to receive such reimbursement, to submit a certification from their physician stating that the person does not have access to a TRICARE network pharmacy due to physical or medical constraints. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to waive the monthly part B premium (Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits for the Aged and Disabled) with respect to: (1) an individual who is entitled to military retired or retainer pay based upon service that began before December 7, 1956; and (2) the spouse, widow, or widower of such individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2003
Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act - States that the purpose of this Act is to improve minority health and healthcare and to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health and healthcare. FamilyCare Act of 2003 - Amends the Social Security Act respecting: (1) family care; (2) Medicaid coverage for all residents with poverty level incomes; and (3) funding for the territories. Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to provide for optional coverage of legal immigrants under Medicaid and SCHIP (State children's health insurance program). Amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to revise provisions respecting program operations and funding. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a demonstration project to strengthen Medicaid and SCHIP coverage for migrant workers and farmworkers. Establishes the National Commission for Expanded Access to Health Care. Amends the Public Service Health Act to improve limited English speakers' access to health care. Directs the Secretary to establish a Center for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Healthcare. Provides for health workforce diversity, including provisions respecting: (1) career training and support; (2) data collection; (3) cultural training; (4) Hispanic-serving health professions schools; (5) student assistance, including online degree programs; (6) the Louis Stokes public health scholars program; (7) the Patsy Mink health and gender research fellowship program; (8) the Paul David Wellstone international health fellowship program; and (9) the Edward R. Roybal Healthcare scholar program. Environmental Justice Act of 2003 - Establishes: (1) the Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice which shall provide guidance to Federal agencies for identifying disproportionately high and adverse health and environmental effects on minority, low-income, and Native American populations; and (2) the Federal Environmental Justice Advisory Committee which shall advise the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Working Group on areas environmental justice. Border Health Security Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary, through the United States members of the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, to award grants to eligible entities to improve the health of border area residents that are established by: (1) the United States members of the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission; (2) the State border health offices; and (3) the Secretary. Amends the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission Act to make permanent authorizations of appropriations for activities under such Act. Patient Navigator, Outreach, and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to public and nonprofit private health centers (including Indian Health Service Centers, tribal governments, urban Indian organizations, tribal organizations, clinics serving Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Alaska Natives, and rural health clinics) for model programs that provide health disparity populations with: (1) cancer and chronic disease prevention and treatment; (2) patient navigators to manage the care of individuals within such groups; and (3) outreach services. Authorizes similar grant programs through: (1) the National Cancer Institute; and (2) the Indian Health Service. Community Health Workers Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to States or local or tribal units to promote positive health behaviors for women in target populations, especially racial and ethnic minority women in medically underserved communities. Extends funding for breast and cervical cancer preventive health measures. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to qualifying health centers, nonprofit organizations, and public institutions for cancer treatment and prevention programs for underserved minority and other populations, with consideration given to such population's language and cultural context. Provides for grants and activities respecting: (1) health empowerment zone programs in health disparity communities; (2) the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative; (3) infant mortality and sudden infant death syndrome rates in minority communities; (4) fetal alcohol syndrome treatment and diagnosis; (5) diabetes prevention and treatment activities with Indian tribes, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians; (6) diabetes programs, including youth and children's programs; (7) heart disease; (8) a national stroke education campaign; and (9) obesity treatment and prevention in underserved minority populations; (10) tuberculosis control and prevention; (11) asthma; (12) sickle cell disease; (13) autoimmune disease in minority populations; (14) sexually transmitted diseases; (15) children's dental disease coverage under Medicaid or SCHIP, and dental health services in underserved areas; (16) demonstration projects to reduce violence; (17) uterine fibroid research and education; (18) disease screening; (19) community outreach; (20) immunizations; (21) chronic disease management; and (22) racial and ethnic approaches to community health. Requires HHS funded or operated programs to collect race, ethnicity, and language data to detect ethnic and racial health care disparities. Authorizes demonstration program grants for health plan, health center, and hospital data collection. Amends the Social Security Act to require the Social Security Administration to collect similar data. Directs the Secretary to fund epidemiology centers in Indian health areas lacking such centers. Extends funding for the National Center for Health Statistics. Minority Health and Genomics Act of 2003 - Establishes the Minority Health and Genomics Commission, which shall conduct a study of, and develop recommendations on, issues relating to genomic research as applied to minority groups. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) civil rights compliance offices within each HHS agency that administers a health program; and (2) an Office of Minority Health within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Establishes the Indian Health Service as an agency of the Public Health Service. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish an Office of Minority Affairs within the Office of the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary to make grants for demonstration programs to improve minority healthcare access and quality. Directs the Secretary to: (1) designate centers of excellence at hospitals and other health systems serving large numbers of minority patients; (2) provide financial assistance to designated healthcare providers and community health centers for facility and service improvements in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii; and (3) provide grants and loan guarantees from the Health Safety Net Infrastructure Trust Fund (established by this Act) for capital financing assistance to eligible healthcare facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2003
Social Investment and Economic Development Fund for the Americas Act of 2003 - Sets forth the policy of the United States to: (1) promote market-based principles, economic integration, social development, and trade in and between countries of the Americas; and (2) establish an investment fund for the Western Hemisphere to advance the national interests of the United States, improve the lives of the poor and marginalized, encourage broad-based economic growth while protecting the environment, build human capital and knowledge, support meaningful participation in democratic institutions and processes, and promote peace and justice in the Americas. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require the President to provide assistance to reduce poverty and foster increased economic opportunity in the countries of the Western Hemisphere by: (1) nurturing public-private partnerships and microenterprise development; (2) improving the quality of life and investing in human capital; (3) strengthening the rule of law through improved efficiency and transparency in government services; and (4) reducing poverty and eliminating the exclusion of marginalized populations. Establishes a technical review committee to review the projects proposed for assistance and to make recommendations to the President with respect to the guidelines to be used in evaluating project proposals and the suitability of the proposed projects for funding. Amends the Inter-American Development Bank Act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. Executive Director at the Bank to urge the Bank to establish an account to be operated and administered consistent with the above guidelines. Establishes a technical review committee in the same manner as discussed above. Expresses the sense of Congress that the countries of the Western Hemisphere should collectively provide assistance equal to the amount of U.S. bilateral and multilateral assistance provided.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2003
School Nutrition Enhancement Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to phase out reduced price lunches and breakfasts by phasing in increases in income eligibility for free lunches and breakfasts by specified increments from 130 percent of the Office of Management and Budget nonfarm income poverty guidelines for July 1, 2003, to 185 percent of such guidelines for July 1, 2008, and every subsequent school year.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2003
Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation Act - Prohibits an individual from killing, hazing, or capturing any buffalo on Federal lands or land held under Federal conservation easements or using any form of bait to lure buffalo from any Federal land onto private land until the Secretary of the Interior and other appropriate Federal agencies carry out specified duties. Establishes fines and criminal penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2003
Post Office Community Partnership Act of 2003 - Modifies Federal postal law to revise requirements for the closing or consolidation of a post office and apply them, as well, to its proposed closing, consolidation, relocation, or construction. Requires a 60-day notice, under certain conditions, to persons (including local government officials) who are (or would be) served by the post office involved to allow such individuals an opportunity to present their views before such proposed action. Requires the notice: (1) by the deadline, to be hand delivered or delivered by mail and published once a week for at least four weeks in one or more newspapers regularly issued and of general circulation within the zip code areas which are (or would be) served by the post office involved; and (2) to include a description of the proposed action, a summary of the reasons for it, and the date on which the action is to be taken (or, in the case of the construction of a post office, the proposed timetable). Revises the factors to be considered in deciding whether or not to take such proposed actions. Requires the Postal Service to follow a community's public participation procedures to address the relocation, closing, consolidation, or construction of buildings in the community if such procedures are more stringent than those provided in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2003
Declares the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) member states of the United Nations (UN) should meet their obligations to women as agreed to in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, including increased representation of women at all decision-making levels in conflict resolution and peace processes; and (2) the United States should fully implement international law relating to human rights that protects the rights of women and girls during and after conflicts. Urges U.S. representatives at the UN to call upon all parties to armed conflict to protect women and girls from gender-based violence. Requests the Secretary of State to study and report to Congress on the impact of armed conflict on women and girls, the role of women in peace-building, the gender dimensions of peace processes and conflict resolution, and progress on gender mainstreaming throughout peacekeeping missions.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2003
Bridges to the Cuban People Act of 2003 - Exempts from the embargo on trade with Cuba (including prohibitions under the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 against the unloading at a U.S. port of vessels that previously entered a Cuban port to engage in trade) the export of any agricultural commodity, farm machinery or equipment, medicine, medical device, assistive technology device, personal care products, or products intended for the exclusive use by children, or any travel incident to the sale or delivery of such items. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to study and report on export promotion and credit programs for Cuba. Prohibits the President from prohibiting or regulating travel to or from or within Cuba by U.S. nationals or lawful resident aliens, including specified transactions ordinarily incident to such travel, financial or otherwise. Authorizes the President to provide scholarships, with funds under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 for Cuban nationals who seek to undertake graduate study in public health, public policy, economics, law, or other field of social science. Authorizes the President to waive certain sanctions against, and restrictions on assistance to, Cuba, including the exclusion from the United States of certain aliens who have confiscated property in Cuba of U.S. nationals or who traffic in such property, if he determines that it will promote the peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba or will further U.S. national economic interests. Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from limiting the amount of remittances to Cuba that any U.S. person may make. Authorizes the import into the United States of a Cuban-originated medical article if the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that there is a medical need in the United States for such article that is not being met by any medicine or medical device in commercial distribution in the United States. Repeals a prohibition, under the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999, on certain transactions or payments with respect to U.S. intellectual property. Requires the U.S. Postal Service to provide direct mail service to and from Cuba. Amends the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 to provide for expedited security checks for certain visiting Cubans. Prohibits the President from regulating or prohibiting travel to, from, or within Cuba by U.S. persons for the purpose of engaging in or financing motion picture or television projects, or engaging in music recording projects, or any transactions incidental to such travel. Removes certain restrictions under specified Federal laws in order to allow Cuban nationals to come to the United States to play organized professional sports.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2003
Security and Financial Empowerment Act - Sets forth entitlement standards and implementation guidelines for employee use of emergency leave to address domestic or sexual violence. Permits victims of domestic or sexual violence to substitute existing leave in lieu of emergency leave. Authorizes State use of funds under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) to provide nonrecurrent short-term emergency benefits for emergency leave precipitated by domestic or sexual violence . Amends the Internal Revenue Code relating to approval of State unemployment compensation laws to prohibit denial of compensation where an individual is separated from employment due to circumstances resulting from the individual's experience of domestic or sexual violence. Amends the Social Security Act to include training under this Act for unemployment compensation and TANF personnel. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award a grant to a national victim services organization to develop and disseminate a model program for domestic and sexual violence training. Victims' Employment Sustainability Act - Prohibits certain discriminatory employer practices relating to terms or conditions of employment in connection with victims of domestic or sexual violence. Victims of Abuse Insurance Protection Act - Prohibits denial or restriction of insurance coverage based on the status of the applicant or insured regarding abuse or abuse-related claims. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business related credit for 40 percent of an employer's costs for implementing workplace safety and education programs relating to domestic and sexual violence. Authorizes the Attorney General to provide a grant for a clearinghouse and resource center to provide information and assistance to employers, labor organizations, and advocates on behalf of victims of domestic or sexual violence.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2003
Healthy Children Through Better Nutrition Act of 2003 - 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. Establishes programs for: (1) year-round community child nutrition; (2) school meals improvements grants; and (3) free fruit and vegetables at schools. Expands eligibility for free meals. Makes homeless children and youth automatically eligible for free lunches and breakfasts. Lowers area eligibility thresholds under the child and adult care food programs and the summer food service program. 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, and through other means-tested programs. Provides for categorical eligibility for recipients of other means-tested benefits. Revises the summer food service program to make it a permanent rather than a pilot program, and to provide startup and expansion grants. Revises school breakfast programs to provide: (1) startup and expansion grants; and (2) universal secondary school breakfast pilot projects. Provides commodity assistance for school breakfast, as well as school lunch, programs. Revises the child and adult care food program to provide for nutrition education pilot programs. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to establish a year-round community child nutrition program. Requires local educational agencies (LEAs) participating in school meals programs to establish school nutrition policies that at a minimum ensure that operational responsibility for school food services includes approval of all foods sold on campus, excluding occasional sales. Revises prohibitions and restrictions on competitive foods sold within food service areas. Revises requirements for nutritional reviews. Authorizes the Secretary to make school meals improvement grants to State educational agencies. Directs the Secretary to carry out an expanded pilot program for availability of free fruits and vegetables throughout the schoolday. Revises the system of nutrition education grants to SEAs to provide Team Nutrition Network (TNN) program grants to States for various State and local community activities, including subgrants to schools and school food authorities to carry out nutrition education activities at the local level. Requires schools to serve milk in a variety of fat contents. Permits soy milk to be included as a fluid milk option if the Secretary determines it to be nutritionally equivalent and to meet nutritional standards. Revises certification requirements for WIC program participation to: (1) allow a State to certify breastfeeding women for up to one year or until they stop breastfeeding, whichever is earlier; and (2) modify physical presence requirements. Expands the definition of nutrition education under WIC to include not only dietary habits but related matters such as physical activity, parenting, and child development. Directs the Secretary to engage the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine every ten years to reevaluate the supplemental foods available in the WIC program and recommend changes. 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. Directs the Secretary to make competitive grants to private nonprofit entities and educational institutions to establish and carry out Farm-to-Cafeteria projects to improve access to local foods in schools and institutions receiving funds under NSLA and CNA (except the WIC program, which already has a WIC Farmers Market Nutrition program). Requires States to amend their plans to describe how funds for State administrative expenses will be used for technology and information management systems (TIMS), and how they will use such systems to improve program integrity in certain ways. Directs the Secretary to make funds available, on a competitive basis, to provide for grants to schools and school food authorities to purchase or upgrade TIMS for use in NSLA or CNA 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; (3) training, technical assistance, and food service management institute (NSLA); and (4) accommodation of the special dietary needs of individuals with disabilities (NSLA). Reauthorizes through FY 2009 the exclusion of military housing allowances from consideration as income in determining eligibility for free or reduced price lunches.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2003
California FIRE Act - Authorizes emergency supplemental appropriations for FY 2004 to the Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness and Response Disaster Relief, for "Disaster Relief" activities associated with the California wildfires.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2003
Commends the firefighters and public servants who participated in responding to the October 2003 wildfires in southern California for their dedicated service to the people of California.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2003
Declares that the House of Representatives: (1) condemns bigotry and intolerance against any religious group, including people of the Islamic faith; and (2) calls on the President to clearly censure Lieutenant General William Boykin, United States Army, for his religiously intolerant remarks against people of the Islamic faith and to reassign him to a new position in which his views will not impact U.S. Government policy decisions toward Muslims.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2003
Declares that the House of Representatives: (1) unequivocally condemns the damaging rhetoric of Lieutenant General William G. Boykin, United States Army, which has promoted hateful stereotypes of the religion of Islam; and (2) reaffirms the remarks made by President George W. Bush on October 24, 2003, that "Islam is a peaceful religion, and people who practice the Islamic faith have made great contributions to our Nation and the world." .
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
Amerasian Naturalization Act of 2003 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide automatic U.S. citizenship for lawful immigrants residing in the United States who were fathered by a U.S. citizen and born in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975.
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 · 21 October 2003
Calls for the House of Representatives, prior to the conclusion of the first session of the 108th Congress, to pass legislation that would create an independent commission or select House committee to investigate U.S. intelligence relating to Operation Iraqi Freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2003
Adequate Yearly Federal Funding Report Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require the Comptroller General to report annually to Congress on whether amounts appropriated for the preceding fiscal year to carry out each ESEA grant program are adequate to permit grant recipients to meet conditions imposed by receipt of the grant.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2003
Disapproves the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission and received by Congress on July 10, 2003, relating to broadcast media ownership.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2003
Declares the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the Iraqi Reconstruction Coordinator should be an Undersecretary of State accountable for all reconstruction funding in Iraq; (2) twenty percent of the emergency supplemental appropriations should be made immediately available to the Coalition Provisional Authority; (3) such amount should be contingent upon a presentation to Congress by the Administration and the Authority consistent with a plan proposed by the President to restore freedom, self-rule, and democracy in Iraq; (4) the expenditure of funds for Iraq reconstruction should be obligated to the maximum extent possible in Iraq to promote its redevelopment, with steps taken to ensure transparency in contracting to prevent profiteering; (5) local procurement and management in Iraq should be encouraged wherever feasible, including through prime contracting as it can be developed; and (6) the Secretary of State should work with the governments of other countries to establish an Iraqi Reconstruction Council consisting of all major donor countries, all neighboring countries, and the Iraqi Governing Council, with the mandate to set donor priorities and foster regional economic cooperation.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2003
Calls for the Government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to: (1) stop interfering in the exercise of religious and political freedoms within the United States, such as the right to practice Falun Gong; (2) cease using diplomatic missions in the United States to spread falsehoods about Falun Gong; (3) release prisoners of conscience; (4) end the harassment, detention, physical abuse, and imprisonment of individuals who are exercising their legitimate rights to freedom of religion, of expression, and of association as stated in the PRC Constitution; and (5) demonstrate its willingness to abide by international standards of such freedoms by ceasing to restrict them. Calls on the President to take such actions as: (1) issuing a formal protest about repeated Chinese Government human rights violations to the Chinese Foreign Ministry; and (2) working more closely with Chinese human rights activists to identify Chinese authorities who have been personally responsible for acts of violence and persecution in China. Urges the Attorney General to investigate reports that Chinese consular officials in the United States have committed illegal acts while attempting to intimidate or inappropriately influence Falun Gong practitioners or local elected officials, and determine an appropriate legal response. Calls on local government officials in the United States to recognize and support organizations and individuals that share the goals of the local community, including Falun Gong practitioners, and report to Congress, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of State any incidents of pressure or harassment by Chinese agents.
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 · 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
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
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2003 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by covered entities (including employment agencies, labor organizations, and training programs). Prohibits related retaliation and coercion. Declares this Act inapplicable to the provision of employee benefits for the benefit of an employee's domestic partner. Prohibits the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from: (1) collecting statistics on sexual orientation from covered entities; and (2) compelling covered entities to collect such statistics. Prohibits: (1) quotas and preferential treatment; and (2) an order or consent decree for a violation of this Act that includes a quota or preferential treatment. Declares that this Act is inapplicable to: (1) religious organizations; (2) the relationship between the United States and members of the armed forces; or (3) laws creating special rights or preferences for veterans. Prohibits the imposition of affirmative action for a violation of this Act. Disallows State immunity. Makes the United States or a State liable for remedies to the same extent as under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2003
Earned Legalization and Family Unification Act of 2003 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide permanent resident status for certain: (1) long-term resident workers; and (2) children in middle or secondary school.
![Official portrait of Rep. Farr, Sam [D-CA-20]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/f000030_200.jpg)