United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
American Bald Eagle Recovery and National Emblem Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in celebration of the recovery of the bald eagle, in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the enactment of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the placement of the bald eagle on the endangered species list under such Act, to mint and issue not more than: (1) 100,000 $5 gold coins; (2) 500,000 $1 silver coins; and (3) 750,000 half dollar coins. Directs that the design of the coins be emblematic of the bald eagle and its history, natural biology, and national symbolism. Requires that sales of the coins include a surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin, $10 for the $1 coin, and $3 for the half dollar coin, which shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to the American Eagle Foundation of Tennessee to: (1) establish an interest-bearing endowment called the American Eagle Fund as a permanent source of support for the care, monitoring, maintenance, and recovery of the bald eagle and its habitat in the United States; (2) make annual grants to Federal, State, and private eagle restoration, protection, and enhancement projects; (3) administer the Fund in an annual amount not to exceed the lesser of ten percent of the annual income of the Fund or $250,000; and (4) provide financial support for capital projects and for continuation and expansion of the Foundation's efforts to educate the American people about the bald eagle.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
High Risk Nonprofit Security Enhancement Act of 2004 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) enter into contracts for security enhancements and technical assistance for nonprofit organizations; and (2) issue Federal loan guarantees in connection with loans made by financial institutions to nonprofit organizations for security enhancements and technical assistance. Permits the Secretary to guarantee only such loans that have favorable repayment terms. Directs the Secretary to designate high-risk nonprofit organizations eligible for contracts or loans based on the vulnerability of the specific site of the nonprofit to international terrorist attacks. Sets forth criteria for vulnerability determinations. Authorizes: (1) the use of federally guaranteed funds borrowed from lending institutions for technical assistance and security enhancements; (2) the Secretary to select applications for execution of security enhancement and technical assistance contracts, or issuance of loan guarantees, giving preference to the nonprofit organizations determined to be at greatest risk of international terrorist attack; (3) each State to establish a State Homeland Security Authority; and (4) the Secretary to provide grants to local governments to offset incremental costs associated with law enforcement in areas with a high concentration of nonprofit organizations. Establishes within the Department of Homeland Security the Office of Community Relations and Civic Affairs to administer grant programs for nonprofit organizations and local law enforcement assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
Medical Malpractice Relief Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business tax credit for taxable years beginning in 2004 or 2005 for expenditures for medical professional malpractice insurance. Allows a credit for: (1) 20 percent of the malpractice insurance expenditures of a physician who practices in any surgical specialty or subspecialty, emergency medicine, obstetrics, or anesthesiology or who does intervention work which is reflected in medical malpractice insurance expenditures; (2) ten percent of such expenditures of a physician who practices in general medicine, allergy, dermatology, pathology, or other specialty; and (3) 15 percent of such expenditures of any hospital, clinic, or long-term care provider. Limits the amount of expenditures that may be taken into account to twice the average of costs of medical malpractice insurance for similarly situated health care providers, as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to make grants to certain non-profit hospitals, clinics, and long-term care providers to assist such entities in defraying their medical malpractice insurance expenditures. Limits the amount of such grants to 15 percent of the medical malpractice insurance expenditures incurred by such entities in any year.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
Intelligence Transformation Act of 2004 - Amends the National Security Act of 1947 to establish the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (Director), to be composed of: (1) the Director and Deputy Director of National Intelligence; (2) the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Operations; (3) the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Resources; (4) the National Intelligence Council (Council); (5) the General Counsel to the Director; (6) the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community; (7) the Senior Advisor to the Director of National Intelligence for Homeland Security; and (8) such other offices and officials as may be established or designated. Establishes within the Council the National Intelligence Council Alternative Analysis Unit for challenging the accuracy of Council intelligence estimates. Includes among the Director's responsibilities: (1) providing national intelligence to the President, the heads of Federal departments and agencies, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and senior military commanders, and, where appropriate, Congress; (2) developing an annual budget for intelligence and intelligence-related activities; (3) establishing requirements and priorities to govern the collection of national intelligence by elements of the intelligence community (IC); and (4) protecting intelligence sources and methods from unauthorized disclosure. Recodifies provisions establishing the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), designating as its lead official the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA Director) (currently, the Director of Central Intelligence), and removing provisions which established specified CIA deputy and assistant director positions. Prohibits an individual from serving simultaneously as Director of National Intelligence and CIA Director. Establishes: (1) a Joint Tasking Organization to assist in the tasking of collection, analysis, and dissemination of all elements of the IC under the National Foreign Intelligence Program; (2) the Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation Threat Integration Center to provide integrated tasking of collection and analysis of national intelligence relating to weapons of mass destruction that threaten U.S. national security; and (3) a Joint Intelligence Comptroller to prepare and execute that part of the defense budget relating to IC elements and their intelligence programs. Requires the: (1) President to establish and implement policies and procedures governing access to, and use of, specified database information by IC officers and employees and Federal law enforcement personnel; (2) Director to establish all-source analysis training programs for all IC analysts; and (3) Director and Secretary of Defense to develop an integrated communications network that provides communications capabilities to all IC elements. Establishes a Joint Acquisition Office for the oversight of acquisition programs of specified IC agencies. Outlines Director authority with respect to IC personnel, including the management of IC specialists. Provides a ten-year term for the CIA Director.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2004
Cesar E. Chavez Congressional Gold Medal Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal to the next of kin or other personal representative of Cesar E. Chavez in recognition of his service to the Nation. (Chavez organized farm workers to campaign for safe and fair working conditions, founded the National Farm Workers Association-- predecessor of the United Farm Workers of America-- and was a recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.)
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2004
Get Outdoors Act of 2004 - Establishes the Get Outdoors Act Fund (GOAF) in the U.S. Treasury. Sets forth formulas and related requirements for allocating GOAF amounts: (1) to coastal States with approved Coastal State Conservation and Impact Assistance Plans, as required by this Act; (2) to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for Federal and State purposes (amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965); (3) for entitlement land and migratory bird refuge revenue sharing payments; (4) for Federal and Indian lands enhancement; (5) to the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Planning program (amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act); (6) to develop and implement Imperiled Wildlife and Rare Plant Recovery Agreements, as defined in this Act; (7) to carry out the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act of 1978; and (8) for historic preservation purposes (amends the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Maritime Heritage Act of 1994). Requires congressional approval for use of the Federal portion of LWCF amounts. Authorizes each State to define priorities and criteria for the selection of projects eligible for grants under this Act if: (1) consistent with this Act; (2) the State provides for public involvement; and (3) the State publishes a State Action Agenda for Community Conservation and Recreation (replacing the current State Plan). Requires the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to develop a plan for acquisition and disposal of land in Montana to consolidate forest reserves.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2004
Climate Stewardship Act of 2004 - Expands Federal climate change research initiatives by: (1) establishing a graduate fellowship program; (2) creating a grant program for research in identified priority areas; and (3) instituting research programs on potential abrupt climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) related standards, measurement technologies, and processes. Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to require the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) report to Congress on the oceanic and coastal impacts of climate change; and (2) assist certain coastal States in preparing persons to adapt to climate change. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (Administrator) to establish a National Greenhouse Gas Database consisting of: (1) an inventory of GHG emissions by covered entities (specified entities that emit more than 10,000 metric tons of GHGs per year); and (2) a registry of GHG emission reductions and increased sequestration, applicable to both covered and noncovered entities. Establishes a program for the market-driven reduction of GHGs by covered entities through the use of tradeable emissions allowances. Requires covered entities, beginning in 2010, to submit to the Administrator one tradeable allowance for every metric ton of GHGs emitted. Allows tradeable allowances to be sold, exchanged, purchased, retired, or otherwise used as authorized by this Act. Establishes the Climate Change Credit Corporation (CCCC) to receive, manage, buy, and sell tradeable allowances. Directs the Administrator to make allocations of allowances to covered sectors and entities, and to the CCCC, providing initial allocations for early action and accelerated participation. Imposes civil penalties on covered entities that fail to submit allowances.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2004
Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004 - Amends, and repeals, specified agricultural Acts to eliminate tobacco quota and price support programs. Provides for: (1) transitional payments (funded by appropriations made by this Act) to tobacco quota holders and active producers of quota tobacco; (2) geographic restrictions on tobacco expansion through penalties for tobacco grown outside traditional tobacco counties; and (3) county committee resolution of payment disputes.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2004
Declares that the House of Representatives: (1) supports the goals and ideals of Financial Literacy Month; and (2) requests the President to issue a proclamation calling on the Federal Government, States, localities, schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, other entities, and the people of the United States to observe the month with appropriate programs and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2004
Allied Health Professions Reinvestment Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue public service announcements that advertise and promote the allied health professions, highlight the advantages and rewards of those professions, and encourage individuals to enter those professions. Allows the Secretary to award grants to: (1) support similar State and local advertising campaigns; (2) improve the education, practice, and retention of allied health professionals through specified activities; and (3) develop and implement programs and initiatives to train and educate allied health professionals in providing geriatric care. Permits the Secretary to provide scholarships for the cost of tuition in exchange for students agreeing to serve as allied health professionals at health care facilities with critical shortages of such persons for not less than one year for each year of scholarship received. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to enter into an agreement with any higher education institution for the establishment and operation of a student loan fund to increase the number of qualified allied health professions faculty. Directs the Secretary to establish the Council on Health Profession Education in the Health Resources and Service Administration to monitor the status of the allied health professions workforce and make annual reports to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2004
Declares that Congress: (1) congratulates the Citizens Savings Bank & Trust of Nashville, Tennessee, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the bank, for its dedication and service to the people of Tennessee; (2) recognizes the vital role the Nation's minority-owned banks have played in providing financial services and resources to minority individuals and businesses, particularly in communities that have been underserved by other institutions; and (3) honors the Nation's minority-owned banks for their historic and continuing contributions to the economic and social well-being of the communities they serve.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2004
Assuring Honesty and Accountability Act of 2004 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to extend through FY 2007 the spending limits (spending caps) for the discretionary categories in new budget authority and outlays. Extends pay-as-you-go requirements through FY 2009. Extends specified budget enforcement mechanisms through FY 2009. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 concerning legislation which: (1) evades specified budget enforcement mechanisms; (2) provides direct spending (to be included in the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis (scoring)); and (3) is unreported by committee (for purposes of budget point of order rules). Requires reports on legislation which provide new budget, spending, or credit authority or otherwise provide an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures to include a projection by CBO of the cost of debt servicing (interest). Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to address issues of emergency spending through: (1) establishing criteria and guidelines; and (2) requiring a separate House vote on an emergency designation. Amends the Rules of the House of Representatives concerning: (1) budget compliance statements (permitting inclusion of budgetary implications); (2) requirements for budget act waivers (inclusion mandatory for bill consideration); and (3) a separate vote to waive a major budget act point of order.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2004
GEAR UP & GO Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise specified requirements for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) to facilitate the transition of low-income high school students into postsecondary education. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to carry out a GEAR UP & GO grants program to provide low-income high school students participating in GEAR UP partnerships or State programs opportunities for dual/concurrent enrollment in college courses while still enrolled in high school. Provides that students in such program: (1) shall not be required to apply for admission to the institution of higher education; and (2) may receive college credit. Requires up to 25 percent of GEAR UP & GO program funds to be reserved for grants to early/middle college high schools designed to provide 9th through 12th grade low-income and first-generation college students with a coherent course of study enabling them to earn simultaneously a high school diploma and college credit toward a postsecondary degree.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2004
Cool and Efficient Buildings Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a 15-year depreciation recovery period, calculated on a straight line basis, for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, or refrigeration systems installed in nonresidential buildings.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2004
Declares the sense of the Congress that music education grounded in rigorous instruction is an important component of a well-rounded academic curriculum and should be available to every student in every school. Recognizes the International Music Products Association for its efforts to designate a Music Education Month in order to highlight the important role that school music programs play in the academic and social development of children.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2004
States that Congress: (1) condemns the detention of Father Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly by the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and calls for his immediate and unconditional release; (2) condemns the violations of freedom of speech, religion, movement, association, and the lack of due process afforded to individuals in Vietnam; and (3) urges the Government of Vietnam to consider the implications of its actions for the broader relationship with the United States, including the United States-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should: (1) make the immediate release of Father Ly a top concern; (2) reiterate its deep concern regarding the violation of Father Ly's and other prisoners' human rights, and continue to urge the Government of Vietnam to comply with international standards for freedom and human rights; and (3) make it clear to the Government of Vietnam that the detention and human rights violations of Father Ly and other persons create obstacles to improved bilateral relations with the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2004
Trade Adjustment Assistance Equity for Service Workers Act of 2004 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend trade adjustment assistance (TAA) to workers in a service sector firm or its subdivision or public agency. Revises group eligibility requirements for TAA to include: (1) a shift, by a public agency to a foreign country, of production of articles, or in provision of services, like or directly competitive with articles produced or services provided by the workers' firm, subdivision, or public agency; and (2) the situation where such workers' firm, subdivision, or public agency obtains or is likely to obtain such services from a foreign country. Repeals group eligibility requirements that: (1) the country to which the workers' firm has shifted production of the articles be a party to a free trade agreement with the United States; (2) such country be a beneficiary country under the Andean Trade Preference Act, African Growth and Opportunity Act, or the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act; or (3) there has been or is likely to be an increase in imports of articles that are like or directly competitive with articles which are or were produced by such firm or subdivision. Requires the Secretary of Labor to certify as eligible to apply for TAA any adversely affected secondary workers in a service sector firm or its subdivision or public agency. Specifies criteria for determination of the existence of increased imports of like or directly competitive articles or services. Increases from $220 million to $440 million the amount of fiscal year payments for training of adversely affected workers under the Act. Authorizes the Secretary to waive training requirements for an individual receiving a trade readjustment allowance if he or she has an advanced degree or postgraduate certification in a specialized field and there is a reasonable expectation of employment at equivalent wages in the foreseeable future. Permits as a training program for an adversely affected worker to continue enrollment at an institution of higher education for purposes of obtaining a degree for a maximum 104-week period, and there is a reasonable expectation of employment at equivalent wages in the foreseeable future. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to provide technical assistance for the establishment of industrywide programs for new service development. Modifies the trade monitoring system to include imports of services. Amends the Internal Revenue Code relating to tax credits for health insurance costs of certain TAA and Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC) pension recipients with respect to: (1) redefining "eligible individual" to include any individual who is covered by a TAA petition, under certain conditions; (2) allowing a 100 percent tax credit for the first month of such costs; (3) modifying the cost requirements and the period of creditable coverage; (4) adding a special rule for eligible PBGC pension recipients; (5) continued qualification of family members after an eligible individual becomes Medicare eligible; and (6) offering by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Secretary of the Treasury jointly of Federal fallback coverage in States not offering State qualified health insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2004
Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) allow pancreata procured for use in islet cell transplantation or research to be counted for certification purposes for qualified organ procurement organization grants; and (2) require the Diabetes Mellitus Interagency Coordinating Committee to include in its annual report an assessment of the Federal activities and programs related to pancreatic islet cell transplantation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2004
End Racial Profiling Act of 2004 - Prohibits any law enforcement agent or agency from engaging in racial profiling. Authorizes the United States or an individual injured by racial profiling to bring a civil action for declaratory or injunctive relief in State court or U.S. district court. Makes proof that the routine or spontaneous investigatory activities of law enforcement agents in a jurisdiction have had a disparate impact on racial, ethnic, or religious minorities prima facie evidence of a violation. Authorizes the court to allow a prevailing plaintiff attorney's fees under specified circumstances. Directs Federal law enforcement agencies to: (1) cease practices that encourage racial profiling; and (2) maintain policies and procedures to eliminate racial profiling, including the collection of data on routine investigatory activities, procedures for responding meaningfully to complaints alleging racial profiling, and procedures to discipline agents who engage in racial profiling. Requires that an application by a State, local , or Indian tribal government for funding under the Byrne, Cops on the Beat, or Local Law Enforcement Block Grant program include a certification that such government: (1) maintains adequate policies and procedures designed to eliminate racial profiling; and (2) has ceased any practices that encourage racial profiling. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to States and specified entities to develop and implement best practice devices and systems to ensure the racially neutral administration of justice.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2004
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary of Homeland Security should: (1) designate Haiti as a country the return to which would jeopardize the safety of nationals thereof; and (2) grant temporary protected status to Haitian nationals in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that negotiations on access to critical segments of the U.S. automobile market should not take place on a piecemeal basis, but only as part of: (1) negotiations that include all major automobile producing nations; and (2) comprehensive negotiations that address both tariff and nontariff barriers specific to the automobile industry, with progress on eliminating tariff barriers explicitly linked to concrete progress on eliminating nontariff barriers.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2004
Military Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 2004 - Adjusts the basic Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity amount for surviving spouses, age 62 and older, of former military personnel to: (1) 35 percent of the retired pay of the decedent (current law), for months before October 2005; (2) 40 percent for months after September 2005 and before October 2008; (3) 45 percent for months after September 2008 and before October 2014; and (4) 55 percent for months after September 2014 . Adjusts similarly percentage amounts with respect to survivors of reserve personnel and survivors of persons who die while on active duty. Provides a corresponding phased elimination of the SBP supplemental annuity authorized to be provided to such surviving spouses. Requires periodic recomputation of: (1) annuity amounts beginning in October 2005; and (2) retired pay reductions for supplemental survivor annuities. Provides a one-year open enrollment period for SBP participation, commencing October 1, 2005, for those currently not participating, those electing to increase current coverage, and those wishing to participate in the supplemental SBP. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to require appropriate premiums for SBP participation.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2004
Songwriters Capital Gains Tax Equity Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to define certain self-created musical works or copyrights in musical works as capital assets eligible for capital gains tax treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2004
Zero Downpayment Act of 2004 - Amends the National Housing Act to authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to insure zero-downpayment mortgages for one-family residences.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2004
Honors the life and legacy of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Recognizes his contributions on the anniversary of the date of his birth (January 30, 1882).
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2004
Recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education (in which the Court determined that segregated schools are not equal, a decision that led to the desegregation of public schools).
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 · 8 December 2003
Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) carry out a national education and information campaign to promote stroke prevention and increase the number of stroke patients who seek immediate treatment; and (2) maintain the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry and Clearinghouse by collecting specific data points and benchmarks for stroke care analysis, and compiling and disseminating information on State, local, and private care system achievements and problems. Defines "stroke" as an attack in which blood flow to the brain is interrupted, or in which a blood vessel or aneurysm in the brain breaks or ruptures. Includes stroke and traumatic injury prevention, diagnosis, and treatment within the grant program for emergency medicine residency training. Authorizes the Secretary, through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to make grants to qualified entities for health care professionals education programs in the use of diagnostic approaches, technologies, and therapies for stroke and traumatic injury prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Gives preference to areas with a significant incidence of stroke or traumatic injuries. Authorizes the Secretary, through the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, to make up to seven grants to States and to consortia of public and private entities in any non-grantee State to conduct a five-year pilot project (not to extend beyond FY 2009) to improve and coordinate stroke-related health care through telehealth networks.
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
Resolves that: (1) the House of Representatives (House) does not support the lowering of standards or the weakening of the rules of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) prohibiting obscene and indecent broadcasts to allow network or other communications to use language that is indecent or vulgar; (2) the FCC has a responsibility to utilize its enforcement authority to maintain those rules; and (3) the House will not allow the FCC to permit intrusion upon the family's ability to raise their children in an environment that is not inundated with indecent or profane language on our public airwaves.
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
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
Pharmacy Education Aid Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to permit payments of up to $35,000 on behalf of a qualifying individual with a pharmacy degree for the repayment of pharmacy education loans for each year (two-year minimum) that such person serves in a health care facility with a critical shortage of pharmacists. Provides for: (1) additional tax liability payments; (2) financial need preference; and (3) Federal repayment for recipient breach of agreement unless otherwise waived. Directs the Secretary to make payments of up to $35,000 on behalf of a qualifying individual with a pharmacy degree or in the final year of such study for the repayment of pharmacy educational loans for each year (two-year minimum) that such person serves as a faculty member at a school of pharmacy which provides assistance to: (1) medically underserved areas; (2) prisons; (3) veterans or the armed forces; (4) the Indian Health Service; or (5) a disproportionate share hospital under the Social Security Act .
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
Encourages all U.S. citizens to: (1) join the people of Haiti in celebrating their bicentennial of independence; and (2) recognize the courage and spirit of Haiti for having spearheaded the battle for human rights.
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
Congratulates the Ohio State University Buckeyes and the University of Michigan Wolverines on the 100th football game of their rivalry and recognizes the Buckeyes and Wolverines rivalry as the greatest sports rivalry in history.
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 · 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 · 6 November 2003
Diabetic Retinopathy Prevention Act of 2003 - Amends the Social Security Act to provide Medicare and Medicaid coverage for remote assessment diabetic retinopathy procedures. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a mobile diabetic retinopathy screening pilot program with five eligible entities (hospitals, States, Indian or local governments, institutions of higher education, nonprofit health organizations, or certain community health centers) serving patients primarily in rural underserved areas.
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
Fallen Patriots Tax Relief Act - Doubles, from $6,000 to $12,000, the military death gratuity payment and amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that the full payment shall be tax exempt.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2003
Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act or the PREEMIE Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to expand and coordinate research relating to preterm labor and delivery and infant mortality. Establishes within NIH two networks: a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network and a Neonatal Research Unit Network. Requires the Director of the CDC to study and report on the relationship between prematurity, birth defects, and developmental disabilities as well as review the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Survey. Requires the Director of NIH to contract with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences for a study on the health and economic consequences of preterm birth. Directs the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration to assess the current national core performance and outcome measures under the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant with the goal of expanding them to include known risk factors of low birthweight and prematurity such as smoking by pregnant women. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants for a demonstration project to improve the provision of information on prematurity to health professionals and other health care providers and the public. Funds grants for projects to support the informational and emotional needs of families during the stay of an infant in a neonatal intensive care unit (nicu). Establishes an Interagency Coordinating Council on Prematurity and Low Birthweight.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2003
Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act, reenacted with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, to convert the dairy forward pricing program from a pilot program to a permanent program.
![Official portrait of Rep. Ford, Harold E., Jr. [D-TN-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/f000262_200.jpg)