United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2003
Amends the Federal Law Enforcement Pay Reform Act of 1990 to revise the special pay adjustments for (percentage differentials payable to) Federal law enforcement officers in specified consolidated metropolitan statistical areas. Includes Capitol Police as law enforcement officers under such Act. Eliminates the limitation on the aggregate of basic pay and premium pay with respect to availability pay for Federal criminal investigators.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that, in the case of an electing individual, no gain shall be recognized on the receipt of a capital gain dividend distributed by a regulated investment company if such capital gain dividend is automatically reinvested in additional shares of the company pursuant to a dividend reinvestment plan.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2003
Koby Mandell Act of 2003 - Directs the President to establish within the Department of Justice an office which shall assume responsibility for administration of the Rewards for Justice program and its website to ensure that rewards are offered to capture all terrorists involved in harming American citizens overseas, regardless of the terrorists' country of origin or residence. Directs the office to take specified steps, including: (1) establishing a program which will update American victims of overseas terrorism or their families on the status of efforts to capture the terrorists; (2) undertaking a comprehensive assessment to determine the reasons for the absence of indictments of terrorists residing in some regions; (3) monitoring public actions pertaining to terrorists by governments and regimes overseas, such as naming schools, streets, or other public institutions or sites after terrorists who have harmed American citizens; (4) initiating negotiations to secure financial compensation for American citizens (or their families) who were harmed by terrorist acts overseas by an organization that subsequently became part of a governing regime with which the U.S. Government maintains diplomatic or official contacts; and (5) coordinating with other Government agencies to seek the transfer to the United States of terrorists released from incarceration abroad who are eligible for further prosecution in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2003
Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act - Shields the manufacturer, distributor, or seller of a food or non-alcoholic beverage product intended for human consumption from civil liability, relating to consumption of such products, in Federal or State court, unless the plaintiff proves that the product was not in compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements at the time of sale.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2003
National Right-to-Work Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to repeal those provisions that permit employers, pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement that is a union security agreement, to require employees to join a union as a condition of employment (including provisions permitting railroad carriers to require, pursuant to such an agreement, payroll deduction of union dues or fees as a condition of employment).
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2003
Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2003 - Permits retired members of the armed forces with service-connected disabilities to be paid both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation. Repeals provisions providing for special compensation for certain severely disabled military retirees and certain combat-related disabled uniformed services retirees.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2003
Education Freedom Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit a tax credit for 50 percent of certain cash contributions by a taxpayer to an education investment organization or to an elementary or secondary school. Sets a maximum credit of $50,000 for corporations and $250 for other taxpayers ($500 for a joint return). Provides other limitations on the amount of the credit in certain specified instances. Excludes from gross income any amount received as a grant for qualified elementary and secondary expenses from an education investment organization. Defines "qualified elementary and secondary expenses" and "education investment organization." Revises definition of "school" for purposes of defining qualified elementary and secondary education expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2003
Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to state that churches and other houses of worship shall not lose such designation because of the content, preparation, or presentation of any homily, sermon, teaching, dialectic, or other presentation made during religious services or gatherings. States that such provision shall not affect campaign finance laws under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to authorize qualified law enforcement officers (including certain qualified retired officers) carrying the photographic identification issued by their governmental agency, notwithstanding State or local laws, to carry a concealed firearm. Provides that such authorization shall not supersede State laws that: (1) permit private entities to prohibit the possession of concealed firearms on their property; or (2) prohibit the possession of firearms on State or local government property. Excludes from the definition of "firearm" any machine gun, firearm silencer, or destructive device.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Blind Empowerment Act of 2003 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to increase, by specified increments over five years, the level of earnings demonstrating the ability of a blind person to engage in substantial gainful activity for purposes of determining disability insurance benefit payments.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Amends the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940 to rename the Act as the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act and to revise provisions with respect to certain civil protections and rights afforded to servicemembers while on active-duty assignment. Authorizes any servicemember to waive any of such rights and protections, pursuant to written agreement. Provides certain protections of servicemembers against default judgments, including a minimum 90-day stay of proceedings, with respect to the payment of any tax, fine, penalty, insurance premium, or other civil obligation or liability. Prohibits an eviction or distress from being made against a servicemember or his or her dependents during a period of military service for a premise for which rent does not exceed $1,700 (currently $1,200), except by court order. Prohibits: (1) rescinding or terminating for breach of contract during a period of military service a contract for the purchase or lease of real or personal property entered into prior to such service; and (2) a person holding a lien on property or effects of a servicemember from foreclosing or otherwise enforcing such lien (with penalties and protection for materially affected dependents) during a period of service and 90 days thereafter. Increases the total amount of life insurance coverage protection provided under the Act to $250,000, or an amount equal to the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance maximum limit, whichever is greater. Allows findings of fact and conclusions of law made by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in administering the life insurance provisions of the Act to be reviewed by the Board of Veterans Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (not reviewable under current law).
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to permanently ban: (1) taxes on Internet access; and (2) multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Investment Tax Incentive Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for reduced capital gain rates for qualified economic stimulus gain. Defines "qualified economic stimulus gain" as the aggregate long-term capital gain (with specified exceptions) from property the holding period for which begins during the 2-year period beginning on the date of the enactment. Provides for the indexing of assets (certain stocks and tangible property) for purposes of determining gain or loss.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Voluntary Opportunities for Increasing Contributions to Education Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an annual tax credit of up to $500 for an individual ($1,000 for joint filers) and $100,000 for a corporation for 75 percent of the qualified charitable contributions (school tuition organizations, facility construction or renovation, computer acquisition or training) made on behalf of elementary or secondary schools.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Fed Up Higher Education Technical Amendments of 2003 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to make various technical revisions regarding access to student aid programs. Revises the HEA general definition of institution of higher education (IHE) to include one that admits as regular students those who have been home-schooled (as well as high school graduates or those with equivalency certificates), thus conforming it with provisions that make such home-schooled students eligible for student aid under HEA title IV. Makes students attending nonprofit foreign veterinary schools eligible for the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) student loan program if the school does not meet certain requirements, but only if: (1) it was certified as eligible by the Secretary of Education; and (2) students complete their clinical training at an approved veterinary school in the United States. Allows IHEs to make mandatory reports on teacher preparation program quality by electronic means under HEA title II. Eliminates a HEA title IV requirement that new forbearance agreements between lenders and borrowers be in writing; but requires lenders to notify borrowers of their terms. Requires students withdrawing from an IHE to return only HEA title IV grant aid amounts exceeding 50 percent of the total (if more than $50). Permits Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to apply for Federal HSI grants under HEA title V without waiting two years between applications. Authorizes the use of HEA title VII funds for: (1) Federal scholarship aid to low-income and minority students for summer institutes to prepare for law school; and (2) Thurgood Marshall Fellowships to attend law school. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report on teacher preparation requirements of States and IHEs. Amends HEA to direct the Secretary to discharge or cancel the Federal student loan indebtedness of spouses, surviving joint debtors, and parents of public servants and other individuals who died (or die) or who became (or become) permanently and totally disabled from injuries suffered in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Exempts courses offered through telecommunications by qualifying IHEs from certain HEA title IV limitations on student financial assistance that otherwise apply to correspondence courses. Requires reports on such exceptions by the qualifying IHEs and by the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Death Tax Permanency Act of 2003 - Amends title IX (Compliance with Congressional Budget Act) of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-16) to repeal the sunset provisions applicable to title V (Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Transfer Taxes) of such Act. (Makes estate tax repeal permanent.) States that such amendments shall take effect as if included in section 901 of such Act.
![Official portrait of Rep. Garrett, Scott [R-NJ-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/g000548_200.jpg)