United States · United States Congress · 15 May 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 President Jose Maria Aznar of Spain in recognition of his contributions to maintaining the security of all freedom-loving nations. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to strike such medal and authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2003
Project BioShield Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act regarding preparations for public health emergencies affecting national security, including a bioterrorist attack. Grants the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) certain authority with respect to the research and development of qualified countermeasures, including: (1) expedited procurement authority; (2) expedited peer authority; and (3) authority for personal services contracts. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to maintain a stockpile of drugs, vaccines (including smallpox vaccine), and other supplies to provide for the emergency health security of the United States in the event of a bioterrorist attack or other public health emergency. Directs the Secretary to: (1) award grants to ensure that the stockpile contains an adequate amount of smallpox vaccine; and (2) assess, on an ongoing basis, the potential public health consequences from the use of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents and determine the agents for which countermeasures are necessary. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow the Secretary to declare a national emergency under specified conditions and authorize the release of a drug or device intended for use in an emergency. Directs the Secretary to impose requirements on the authorization, including ensuring that health care professionals administering the product and persons to whom the product is administered are fully informed about the benefits and risks involved and other alternatives. Requires the Secretary to periodically review an authorization under this Act, and authorizes the Secretary to revoke such an authorization if circumstances so warrant. Allows the President, under specified circumstances in cases involving the Armed Forces, to waive the requirement that individuals be allowed to refuse administration of a countermeasure. Requires: (1) reports from the Secretary regarding authorities under this Act; (2) the Secretary to request the National Academy of Sciences to review biomedical countermeasure research and development activities under this Act; and (3) review by the General Accounting Office.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2003
Increases the annual salaries of the Chief Justice and associate justices of the Supreme Court, U.S. circuit and district judges, and judges of the U.S. Court of International Trade and Court of Federal Claims by 16.5 percent on January 1, 2004.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2003
Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a deduction (increasing percentages with full deductibility as of 2008) for eligible long-term care insurance premiums for a taxpayer, spouse, and dependents and (2) long-term care insurance to be offered under cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements. Allows an income-adjusted (limited) credit for eligible individuals with long-term care needs. Sets forth specified requirements for qualifying long-term care insurance contracts. Treats an exchange of qualified long-term care insurance contracts as a disposition of property for which no gain or loss is recognized.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2003
Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Health Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to define: "minor species" as animals other than cattle, horses, swine, chickens, turkeys, dogs, and cats; and (2) "minor use" as use on minor species or on other species for a disease or condition that occurs infrequently or in limited geographic areas. Provides for: (1) designation of new animal drugs for minor use; and (2) three-year approval exclusivity. Provides for establishment of an index of unapproved new animal drugs for minor species, and allows marketing of such drugs that evidence no human food safety concern. Authorizes: (1) designation of new animal drugs for minor use or minor species; and (2) grants or contracts for development (and exclusivity) of designated new animal drugs. Modifies new animal drug approval requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2003
Stop Tuberculosis (TB) Now Act - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct the President to provide assistance for the prevention, treatment and control of tuberculosis. Requires the President to: (1) coordinate with specified health agencies worldwide to develop and implement a comprehensive tuberculosis control program; (2) set as a goal the detection of at least 70 percent of the cases of infectious tuberculosis, the cure of at least 85 percent of the cases detected, and the reduction of tuberculosis-related deaths by 50 percent by December 31, 2010; (3) give priority to activities that increase Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) coverage (World Health Organization-recommended strategy for treating tuberculosis) and treatment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis using DOTS-Plus; (4) expend at least 75 percent of the allocated funds on antituberculosis drugs, supplies, direct patient service, and training in diagnosis and treatment of DOTS and DOTS-Plus; (5) expend at least 10 percent of the allocated funds on a U.S. contribution to the Global Tuberculosis Drug Facility. Authorizes appropriations for global tuberculosis activities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2003
Medicare+Choice Revitalization Act of 2003 - Amends part C (Medicare+Choice) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to make each annual Medicare+Choice capitation rate for a Medicare+Choice payment area for a contract year equal to the largest of the amounts specified under current law or, for 2004 and any subsequent year, 100 percent of the fee-for-service costs for the Medicare+Choice payment area for services covered under Medicare parts A (Hospital Insurance) or B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) for individuals entitled to benefits under part A and enrolled under part B who are not enrolled in a Medicare+Choice plan for the year. Provides that, in determining the adjusted average per capita cost of Medicare+Choice for a year, such cost shall be adjusted to include the Secretary of Health and Human Services's estimate, on a per capita basis, of the amount of additional payments that would have been made in the area involved under Medicare if individuals entitled to Medicare benefits had not received services from facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or the Department of Defense (DOD). Revises the calculation of the national standardized annual Medicare+Choice capitation rate used in determining the input-price-adjusted annual national Medicare+Choice capitation rate for a Medicare+Choice payment area. Terminates use of a payment adjustment budget neutrality factor after 2003. Raises the minimum percentage increase for calculation of annual Medicare+Choice capitation rates, beginning 2004, to 104 percent of the annual rate for the area for the previous year. Provides for the inclusion of costs of DOD and VA military facility services to Medicare-eligible beneficiaries in calculation of Medicare+Choice payment rates. Makes permanent the current Medicare+Choice reporting deadlines, and makes the month of November the permanent annual coordinated election period. Declares that Federal standards supercede certain State law or regulations with respect to Medicare+Choice plans. Prescribes requirements for specialized Medicare+Choice plans for special needs beneficiaries, allowing them to be any type of coordinated care plan.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2003
Export Freedom to Cuba Act of 2003 - Prohibits the President from regulating or prohibiting travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or legal residents, or any of specified transactions incident to such travel. Declares that: (1) this prohibition does not authorize the importation into the United States of any goods for personal consumption acquired in Cuba; and (2) the restrictions on authority contained in this Act do not apply in a case in which the United States is at war with Cuba, armed hostilities between the two countries are in progress, or there is imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of U.S. travelers.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2003
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act - Permits the Director of the National Institutes of Health (the "Director" of NIH), acting through the Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, to expand and coordinate the activities of NIH with respect to research on paralysis. Allows the Director to award grants to public or nonprofit entities to fund Christopher Reeve Paralysis Research Consortia for paralysis research. Permits the Director to solicit public input regarding paralysis research programs. Allows the Director, acting through the Director of the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development and the National Center for Rehabilitation Research and in collaboration with other agencies, to expand and coordinate the activities of NIH with respect to research with implications for enhancing daily function for persons with paralysis. Permits the Director to make grants to multicenter networks of clinical sites that will collaborate on rehabilitation intervention protocols. Permits the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to study the unique health challenges associated with paralysis and other physical disabilities to improve the quality of life and long-term health status of individuals with such conditions. Allows the Secretary to undertake direct research and to make grants. Provides for the formation of a national paralysis and physical disability quality of life plan and a hospital-based paralysis registry. Permits the Secretary to award grants to: (1) State and local health and disability agencies, including for the purpose of establishing paralysis registries; and (2) nonprofit private health and disability organizations, including for the purpose of disseminating information to the public. Allows the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) establish within the Department of Veterans Affairs centers for paralysis research, education, and clinical activities; and (2) carry out initiatives, through the award of grants, for quality enhancement of research on paralysis.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2003
SMART Research and Development Compact - Grants the consent of the Congress to the SMART Research and Development Compact (to promote the contribution of the Mid-Atlantic region to the Nation's research and development in science and technology and to create multi-State organization for strengthening the Mid-Atlantic region for tomorrow (SMART)) if it is entered into by two or more of the following States: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2003
Highlands Stewardship Act - Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to establish the Highlands Stewardship Area in the Highlands region (an area encompassing more than 2,000,000 acres extending from eastern Pennsylvania through New Jersey and New York to northwestern Connecticut (the Highlands States)). Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish: (1) within the Department of Agriculture the Office of Highlands Stewardship to advise the Secretaries and the Governors of the Highlands States on priorities for projects carried out with financial or technical assistance under this Act, land conservation partnership projects, Highlands region research, policy and educational initiatives necessary to implement the findings of the New York-New Jersey Highlands Regional Study (conducted by the Forest Service in 1990) and the New York-New Jersey Highlands Regional Study: 2002 Update (conducted by the Service), and to implement the strategies of the study, the update, and other studies in consultation with the Highlands States; and (2) the Highlands Stewardship Area Work Group to assist with the implementation of the study and update strategies. Authorizes the Office to provide financial and technical assistance to an eligible entity to carry out a project, consistent with the stewardship goals and conservation strategies articulated in the study and update, to protect, restore, preserve, promote, or interpret natural, agricultural, historical, cultural, or recreational resources of the Area. Directs: (1) the Governors of the Highlands States, with input from pertinent units of local government, the public, the Office, and the Work Group, to jointly identify land conservation projects that shall be proposed for Federal financial assistance and submit them to the Secretary of the Interior; and (2) such Secretary to annually designate those projects that are eligible to receive financial assistance under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2003
Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of certain self-administered intramuscular and subcutaneous drugs under the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2003
Jamestown 400th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 100,000 $5 gold coins and 500,000 $1 silver coins, which shall be emblematic of the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia (the first permanent English settlement in America). Provides for a $35 per coin surcharge for the $5 dollar coins and $10 per coin for the $1 dollar coins. Directs that: (1) half of the surcharges be used to support programs to promote the understanding of the legacies of Jamestown (to be paid to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation); and (2) half be used to sustain the ongoing mission of preserving Jamestown, to enhance national and international educational programs relating to Jamestown, to improve infrastructure and archeological research activities relating to Jamestown, and conduct other programs to support the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown (to be distributed by the Secretary in equal shares to the Secretary of the Interior, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation).
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2003
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to exempt from certain child labor restrictions the employment, inside or outside of businesses where machinery is used to process wood products, of individuals between ages 14 and 18 who are members of religious sects that do not permit formal education beyond the eighth grade. Permits such youth employment if the individual: (1) is supervised by an adult relative or by an adult member of the same religious sect or division; (2) does not operate or assist in the operation of power-driven woodworking machines; (3) is protected from wood particles or other flying debris within the workplace by a barrier appropriate to such potential hazard or by maintaining a sufficient distance from machinery in operation; and (4) is required to use personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to excessive levels of noise and sawdust.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2003
Directs the Secretary of Defense to provide transportation on Department of Defense aircraft, on a space-available basis, for veterans with service-connected disabilities rated at 50 percent or more, and for their dependents, on the same basis that such transportation is provided to former military personnel entitled to retired or retainer pay.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2003
Runaway, Homeless, and Missing Children Protection Act - Amends the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) and the Missing Children's Assistance Act (MCAA) to reauthorize and revise programs under such Acts. Amends RHYA part A (Runaway and Homeless Youth Grant Program) to provide for an exception to a 20-youth-maximum-capacity requirement for funding a runaway and homeless youth center or a locally controlled temporary shelter if the applicant assures that there is a State or local law or regulation that requires a higher maximum to comply with licensure requirements for children and youth serving facilities. Includes maternity group homes among the types of transitional living youth projects eligible for grants under part B (Transitional Living Grant Program) of RHYA.. Extends an individual youth's eligibility to remain in a part B shelter beyond the regular 540-day period, until the earlier of the youth's 18th birthday or the 180th day after the end of the 540-day period. Extends through FY 2008 the authorization of appropriations for programs under: (1) RHYA part E, Sexual Abuse Prevention Program; and (2) all other parts of RHYA. Increases to a minimum 45 percent, and a maximum 55 percent under certain conditions, the part B portion of funds allocated to parts A and B. Revises RHYA part A coordination assurance and part B coordination agreement requirements to provide for coordinating services with school district liaisons designated the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, to assure that runaway and homeless youth are provided information about the educational services available to such youth under such Act. Requires part B plan development to include referral of homeless youth to postsecondary education, to training services and programs under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, and welfare programs under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) report on strategies to end youth homelessness; and (2) evaluate RHYA part B programs to report on long-term housing outcomes for youth 12 to 18 months after exiting the program. Sets 18 years as the maximum age limit for youth seeking shelter in RHYA part A centers. Amends MCAA to extend through FY 2008 the authorization of appropriations for: (1) an annual grant by the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (in the Department of Justice) to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC); and (2) other programs under MCAA. Requires NCMEC to coordinate the operation of a cyber tipline for reporting Internet-related child sexual exploitation in the areas of: (1) distribution of child pornography; (2) online enticement of children for sexual acts; and (3) child prostitution.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2003
Pacific Salmon Recovery Act - Requires the Secretary of Commerce to provide financial assistance for salmon conservation and habitat restoration activities to qualified States and tribal governments. Requires qualified States to: (1) submit a Salmon Conservation and Salmon Habitat Restoration Plan to the Secretary; (2) use allocated funds for local and regional projects; (3) match, in the aggregate, financial assistance provided; and (4) establish citizens advisory committees or other similar fora for public participation. Permits the use of assistance outside the jurisdiction of the recipient if the assisted activity will provide conservation benefits to naturally produced salmon in streams of concern to the recipient. Treats Lahontan cutthroat trout and bull trout as salmon in Oregon, and bull trout as salmon in Washington and Idaho, for purposes of this Act. Directs the President, for U.S. citizens who served as employees of the International Pacific Salmon and North Pacific Fisheries Commissions and who worked in Canada during the course of such employment, to calculate and report to Congress the difference in amount between the valuation of the Commissions' annuity for each employee's payment in U.S. and in Canadian currency for past and future annuity payments. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) any equipment or products authorized for purchase with financial assistance under this Act, should only be U.S. equipment or products; and (2) the Congress supports the bipartisan July 2000 goals, objectives, and recommendations of the Governors of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Directs the Secretary to report annually to Congress regarding the effects on Pacific Salmon stocks of timber harvesting on publicly owned lands in British Columbia.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2003
Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance and Employment Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Public Health Service Act , the Internal Revenue Code, and Medicare supplemental policy provisions to prohibit health plans and insurers, with respect to protected genetic information, from discriminating in enrollment, eligibility, contribution rates, and premium rates based on such information. Makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or training program to discriminate because of protected genetic information.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2003
Medicare Vision Rehabilitation Services Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for coverage of outpatient vision rehabilitation services under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2003
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research Amendments Act of 2003 - Amends the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (Harmful Algal Act) to repeal the President's authority to disestablish the Interagency Task Force (thus retaining it). Requires the Task Force to: (1) work with the appropriate State, Indian tribe, and local governments to ensure that the assessment and research plans fulfill the requirements of the Harmful Algal Act; and (2) complete and submit to specified congressional committees not less than once every five years scientific assessments of harmful algal blooms and of hypoxia. Specifies amended assessment requirements. Requires the Task Force to: (1) make a specified scientific assessment of freshwater algal blooms; and (2) develop and submit to specified congressional committees a research plan providing for a comprehensive and coordinated national research program to develop prevention, control, and mitigation methods to reduce the impacts of harmful algal blooms on coastal ecosystems, public health, and the economy. Specifies research program requirements. Requires the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Task Force and appropriate State, Indian tribe, and local governments, to provide for local and regional scientific assessments of hypoxia or harmful algal blooms, as requested by State, Indian tribe, and local governments. Specifies assessment requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2003
Oil Region National Heritage Area Act - Establishes the Oil Region National Heritage Area in Pennsylvania. Designates the Oil Heritage Region, Inc., to be the management entity for the Area. Directs such entity to prepare and implement a management plan for the Area. Prohibits such entity from using Federal funds under this Act to acquire real property. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide technical and financial assistance to such entity. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Historic American Building Survey and the Historic American Engineering Record, to conduct studies to document the industrial, engineering, building, and architectural history of the Area.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2003
Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 - Declares the sense of Congress that: (1) the Government of Syria should immediately and unconditionally halt support for terrorism, permanently and openly declare its total renunciation of all forms of terrorism, and close all terrorist offices and facilities in Syria, including the offices of Hamas, Hizballah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command; (2) the Government of Syria should take other specified steps to withdraw its armed forces from Lebanon, halt development of certain weapons, halt illegal imports and transshipments of Iraqi oil and illegal sales and supplies of weapons and military-related equipment to Iraq; (3) the Government of Lebanon should deploy the Lebanese armed forces to all areas of Lebanon, including South Lebanon, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 520 (September 17, 1982) (Security Council Resolution 520); (4) the Governments of Lebanon and Syria should enter into serious unconditional bilateral negotiations with the Government of Israel in order to realize a full and permanent peace; (5) the United States should continue to provide humanitarian and educational assistance to the people of Lebanon only through appropriate private, nongovernmental organizations and appropriate international organizations, until such time as the Government of Lebanon asserts sovereignty and control over all of its territory and borders and achieves full political independence; and (6) being in violation of several key United Nations Security Council resolutions and pursuing policies which undermine international peace and security, Syria should not have been permitted to join the United Nations Security Council or serve as the Security Council's President, and should be removed from the Security Council. Declares that it is U.S. policy: (1) Syria will be held responsible for attacks committed by Hizballah and other terrorist groups with offices or other facilities in Syria, or bases in areas of Lebanon occupied by Syria; (2) the United States shall impede Syria's ability to support acts of international terrorism and efforts to develop or acquire weapons of mass destruction; (3) the Secretary of State will continue to list Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism until it ends support for terrorism, including its support of Hizballah and other terrorist groups in Lebanon and its hosting of terrorist groups in Damascus, and comes into full compliance with U.S. law relating to terrorism and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 (September 28, 2001); (4) efforts against Hizballah will be expanded given the recognition that Hizballah is equally or more capable than al Qaeda; (5) the full restoration of Lebanon's sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity is in the U.S. national security interest; (6) Syria is in violation of Security Council Resolution 520 through its continued occupation of Lebanese territory and its encroachment upon its political independence; (7) Syria's obligation to withdraw from Lebanon is not conditioned upon progress in the Israeli-Syrian or Israeli-Lebanese peace process but derives from Syria's obligation under Security Council Resolution 520; (8) Syria's acquisition of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs threaten the security of the Middle East and U.S. national security interests; (9) Syria is in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 661 (August 6, 1990) and subsequent relevant resolutions through its continued purchase of oil from Iraq and shipments of weapons and other military equipment to Iraq; (10) Syria will be held accountable for any harm to Coalition armed forces of Operation Iraqi Freedom caused by shipments of military supplies from Syria to Iraq; and (11) the United States will not provide any assistance to Syria and will oppose multilateral assistance for Syria until Syria withdraws its armed forces from Lebanon, halts the development and deployment of weapons of mass destruction and medium and long range surface to surface ballistic missiles, and complies with Security Council Resolution 661 and subsequent relevant resolutions. Sets forth the following penalties against Syria until the President determines and certifies to Congress that Syria meets the requirements of this Act. Directs the President to prohibit the export to Syria of any item, including the issuance of an export license, on the United States Munitions List or Commerce Control List of dual-use items in the Export Administration Regulations. Requires the President, at the same time, to impose two or more of the following sanctions: (1) prohibit the export to Syria of U.S. products (other than food and medicine); (2) prohibit U.S. businesses from investing or operating in Syria; (3) restrict Syrian diplomats in Washington, D.C., and at the United Nations in New York City, to travel only within a 25-mile radius of Washington, D.C., or the United Nations headquarters building, respectively; (4) prohibit aircraft of any air carrier owned or controlled by Syria to take off from, land in, or overfly the United States; (5) reduce U.S. diplomatic contacts with Syria (other than those required to protect U.S. interests or carry out the purposes of this Act); and (6) block transactions in any property in which the Government of Syria has any interest, by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to U.S. jurisdiction. Authorizes the President to waive such sanctions for one or more six-month periods if the President determines that it is in the vital national security interest of the United States to do so and reports his reasons to Congress. Authorizes the President to provide development assistance to Syria and Lebanon under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 if he certifies to Congress that: (1) Syria meets the requirements of this Act; (2) substantial progress has been made both in negotiations aimed at achieving a peace agreement between Israel and Syria and in negotiations aimed at achieving a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon; and (3) the Government of Syria is strictly respecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity, and political independence of Lebanon under the sole and exclusive authority of the Government of Lebanon through the Lebanese army throughout Lebanon, as required under Security Council Resolution 520. Requires annual reports to the appropriate congressional committees on Syria's progress in complying with the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2003
Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act Amendments of 2003 - Amends the Poison Control Enhancement and Awareness Act to authorize appropriations for: (1) the maintenance of a national toll-free number to access regional poison control centers; and (2) the nationwide media campaign to promote poison control center utilization. Amends provisions pertaining to the poison control center grant program, including to provide funds for: (1) developing standardized poison prevention and poison control centers; and (2) improving national toxic exposure surveillance. Modifies provisions pertaining to the renewal of a waiver of the certification requirements for receiving poison control center grants. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to assist in the implementation and maintenance of continuos national toxicosurveillance of poison control center data to detect new hazards from various sources, including household products.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2003
Emergency Contraception Education Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop and disseminate to the public information on emergency contraception. Requires that the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to develop and disseminate to health care providers information on emergency contraception. Requires that the information disseminated to health care providers include at a minimum: (1) information describing the use, safety, efficacy, and availability of emergency contraception; (2) a recommendation regarding its use in appropriate cases; and (3) information explaining how to obtain copies of information from the CDC.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2003
Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to classify automatic fire sprinkler systems as five-year depreciable property. .
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2003
Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2003 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to extend through FY 2007 the authorization of appropriations for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program (a matching grant program which helps State, tribal, and local jurisdictions purchase armor vests for use by law enforcement officers).
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2003
Medicare Puerto Rico Hospital Payment Parity Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise: (1) the payment formula to increase payment amounts to Puerto Rico hospitals that are based on the discharge-weighted average of the nationally adjusted DRG (diagnostically-related group) prospective payment rate for hospitals located in urban and rural areas for discharges beginning in FY 2004; and (2) the calculation of Medicare disproportionate share payments for prospective payment system hospitals in Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2003
Solid Waste Interstate Transportation Act of 2003 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to prohibit a landfill or incinerator (facility) from receiving out-of-State municipal solid waste (MSW) for disposal or incineration unless the waste is received pursuant to a new or existing host community agreement or an exemption from this prohibition (which may be limited by the State). Establishes conditions for exemptions. Authorizes States to establish limits on the amount of out-of-State waste received annually for disposal at each facility. Allows a State to limit the amount of out-of-State MSW received annually at each facility to the amount received during 1995 if the State has enacted a comprehensive, statewide recycling program. Prohibits State limits from conflicting with permits or host community agreements that set higher (or no) limits. Sets the limitation amount for any facility that began receiving documented out-of-State waste before enactment of this Act at the amount received during 1993. Prohibits discrimination against shipments of such waste on the basis of State of origin. Allows States to require that a permit issued for a new facility or an expansion include an annual limitation of not less than 20 percent on the total quantity of out-of-State MSW relative to the total waste received by the facility. Requires percentage limitations to be uniform for all facilities and not discriminate against out-of-State waste according to the State of origin.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2003
Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Services, based on recommendations from the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Advisory Panel (established by this Act), to make grants, after a process of peer review and programmatic review, to public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of not more than eight centers for the purpose of conducting multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research on environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2003
Coral Reef and Coastal Marine Conservation Act of 2003 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to establish in the Department of the Treasury the Coral Reef and Other Coastal Marine Resources Facility. Authorizes the President, through the exchange by the Facility of new obligations for outstanding obligations of an eligible Latin American or Caribbean country with a coral reef or other coastal marine resource meeting specified requirements, to reduce the amount owed by the country to the United States that is outstanding as of January 1, 1999, as a result of concessional loans. Authorizes the President to sell, reduce, or cancel such loans in order to facilitate a debt-for-nature swap or a debt buyback with an eligible purchaser or eligible country to support activities to conserve, maintain, and restore the country's coral reefs and other coastal marine resources. Authorizes appropriations. Requires each beneficiary country that has entered into a Coral Reef and Other Coastal Marine Resources Agreement with the Secretary of State to establish a Coral Reef and Other Coastal Marine Resources Fund to receive payments of interest on new obligations undertaken by the country to provide grants to certain entities in such country to conserve, maintain, and restore its coral reefs and other coastal marine resources. Requires the Enterprise for the Americas Board to carry out certain duties with respect to implementing this Act. Requires the President to: (1) consult with the appropriate congressional committees on a periodic basis to review the operation of, and the eligibility of countries for benefits from, the Facility; and (2) report annually to Congress on Facility operations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2003
Acknowledges the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987 (the Proxmire Act) on November 4, 2003. Encourages the people and Government of the United States to rededicate themselves to ending genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2003
Ocean Habitat Protection Act - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to prohibit the use of bottom trawls with rollers, bobbins, tires, rockhoppers, or any other device affixed to the footrope and in excess of eight inches in diameter, for fishing that is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, including fishing by a U.S. vessel beyond the equivalent of the exclusive economic zone of all countries. Permits the Secretary of Commerce or his designee to exempt from this prohibition fishing in the exclusive economic zone if the Council having jurisdiction over the area submits to the Secretary: (1) substantial evidence that the area is composed predominately of sand and mud bottom and that the prohibited devices are necessary to prevent a significant increase from rates of bycatch of non-target managed species, or to provide other significant benefits; (2) the geographic boundaries of the area; and (3) a credible and effective vessel monitoring plan of bottom trawl fishing in the area that is adopted by the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to provide to the owner of a qualified fishing vessel: (1) the depreciated cost of prohibited fishing devices that are part of the fishing gear of a vessel on the date of the enactment of this Act, and are disposed of in an approved manner; (2) the cost of converting trawl nets to compliance; and (3) payment for cessation of trawling. Requires the Secretary to provide economic assistance to the owners and crew members of any qualified fishing vessel that ceases fishing in bottom trawl fisheries and does not continue fishing in other fisheries. Requires the Secretary to undertake a program to collect, and make available to Regional Fishery Management Councils, information and maps on diverse bottom habitats of the exclusive U.S. economic zone.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2003
Consumer Privacy Protection Act of 2003 - Requires data collection organizations, under specified conditions, to notify consumers: (1) at the time of collection that their personally identifiable information may be used for an unrelated transaction purpose; and (2) of any material change in the organization's privacy policy statement immediately after each change. Requires such organizations to establish a privacy policy with respect to the collection, sale, disclosure for consideration, or use of the consumer's information. Requires an organization to provide consumers, without charge, the opportunity to preclude the sale or disclosure of their information to any organization that is not an information-sharing partner. Prescribes requirements for opportunities an organization may give consumers to limit other information practices of the organization. Directs an organization to prepare and implement an information security policy that prevents the unauthorized disclosure or release of a consumer's information. Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to presume that an organization is in compliance with this Act if it participates in an approved five-year self-regulatory program. Prescribes requirements for a self-regulatory consumer dispute resolution process. Directs the FTC to: (1) facilitate electronic and promote the use of common identity theft affidavits; (2) require the timely resolution of identity theft disputes; (3) utilize the Identity Theft Clearinghouse to transmit information to appropriate entities for protective action and to mitigate losses; and (4) provide change of address protection for consumers. Requires: (1) the Comptroller General to analyze the impact on U.S. interstate and foreign commerce of information privacy laws, regulations, or agreements enacted, promulgated, or adopted by other nations, and whether the enforcement mechanisms or procedures of them result in discriminatory treatment of U.S. entities; and (2) the Secretary of Commerce, based on such results, to take steps to mitigate against such discriminatory impact. Directs the Secretary to seek harmonization of this Act with other international privacy laws, regulations, and agreements for the advancement of transnational and electronic commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2003
Teacher Tax Credit Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an eligible educator an annual $2,000 tax credit. Defines: (1) "eligible educator" as an individual who is a kindergarten through grade 12 teacher, instructor, counselor, principal, or aide in an eligible elementary or secondary school for at least 900 hours during a school year; and (2) "eligible elementary or secondary school" as a school that is eligible for schoolwide assistance under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001).
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2003
Ukrainian American Veterans Charter Act - Grants a Federal charter to the Ukrainian American Veterans, Incorporated (a nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of the State of New York).
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2003
Requires engine coolant or antifreeze sold after January 1, 2004, that is manufactured after July 1, 2003, and that contains more than ten percent ethylene glycol, to include denatonium benzoate at a minimum of 30 parts per million (or other equally effective aversive agent) as a bittering agent so as to render it unpalatable. Requires a manufacturer or packager of such product to maintain records of compliance with this Act. Declares that any manufacturer, distributor, recycler, or seller of an automotive product required by this Act to contain an aversive agent shall not be liable (except for willful or wanton misconduct) for personal injury, death, or property damage that results from compliance with this Act. Declares this Act inapplicable to: (1) the sale of a motor vehicle that contains engine coolant or antifreeze; or (2) wholesale containers of engine coolant or antifreeze containing 55 gallons or more of engine coolant or antifreeze.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2003
Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to increase the imprisonment penalty for animal fighting violations from one year to two years. Makes it unlawful to sell, buy, transport, or deliver in interstate or foreign commerce a knife, gaff, or other sharp instrument used in a bird-fighting venture. Revises enforcement provisions. Permits euthanasia for an animal in extreme pain. Includes the Internet or any technology as interstate instrumentality.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2003
Fuel Tax Equalization Credit for Substantial Power Takeoff Vehicles Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a $250 credit for each qualified commercial power takeoff vehicle (certain highway vehicles designed to deliver ready mixed concrete or collect refuse or recyclables) owned by a taxpayer at the end of the year. Stipulates that such credit shall not be available for a vehicle used during the year by a governmental entity or a tax-exempt organization.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2003
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in southeastern Pennsylvania (the city of Philadelphia and specified neighboring counties). Authorizes the Governor of Pennsylvania to establish a blue-ribbon panel to recommend a site for such cemetery.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2003
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 Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to maintaining the security of all freedom-loving nations. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) strike such gold medal (and authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell duplicate bronze medals); and (2) deposit sums received from the sale of the bronze medals into the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2003
Don't Feed the Bears Act of 2003 - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to enforce the National Parks System regulatory prohibitions against the feeding and baiting of wildlife on National Park System lands and in wildlife refuge areas, in particular the intentional feeding of bears for the purpose of enticing them to a particular area to be hunted (bear baiting). Requires the Secretary of the Interior with respect to lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, and the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to National Forest System lands, to adopt and enforce a regulation to prohibit individuals from intentionally feeding bears, including feeding for the purpose of bear baiting.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2003
Colon Cancer Screen for Life Act of 2003 - Expresses the sense of the Congress with respect to the use of and reimbursement for colorectal cancer screening tests covered under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (SSA). Amends SSA title XVIII to: (1) increase reimbursement for colorectal cancer screening and diagnostic tests; (2) cover an outpatient office visit or consultation for the purpose of beneficiary education before a colorectal cancer screening test consisting of a screening colonoscopy or in conjunction with the beneficiary's decision to obtain such a screening, regardless of whether such screening is medically indicated with respect to the beneficiary; and (3) waive the deductible for colorectal cancer screening tests.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2003
Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to waive or modify any requirement or regulation applicable to the student financial assistance programs under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as deemed necessary with respect to an affected individual who: (1) is serving on active duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency; (2) is performing qualifying National Guard duty during a war, operation, or emergency; (3) resides or is employed in an area that is declared a disaster area by any Federal, State, or local official in connection with a national emergency; or (4) suffered direct economic hardship as a direct result of a war or other military operation or national emergency. Authorizes the Secretary to grant such a waiver to ensure that: (1) affected individuals who have received student financial assistance (affected recipients) are not placed in a worse position financially in relation to that financial assistance because of their status; (2) administrative requirements placed on affected recipients are minimized to ease the burden on them and avoid inadvertent, technical violations or defaults; (3) calculations of income or overpayment amounts required to be returned may be modified in light of the special circumstances; and (4) institutions of higher education, eligible lenders, guaranty agencies, and other participating entities that are located in declared disaster areas in connection with a national emergency, or whose operations are significantly affected by such a disaster, may be granted temporary relief from requirements that are rendered infeasible or unreasonable by the emergency, including due diligence requirements and reporting deadlines. Declares the sense of Congress that: (1) all institutions offering postsecondary education should provide a full refund (or credit) of tuition and related fees to students who are affected individuals for that portion of a period of instruction such student was unable to complete, or for which such individual did not receive academic credit, because he or she was called up for active duty or active service; and (2) if affected individuals withdraw from a course of study as a result of such active duty or active service, such institutions should make every effort to minimize deferral of enrollment or reapplication requirements and should provide the greatest flexibility possible with administrative deadlines related to those applications.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2003
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to permit additional States to enter into long-term care partnerships to promote the use of long-term care insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2003
Honors, and calls on all Americans to honor, the men and women of the U.S. armed forces and their families. Encourages those families to proudly display the Blue Star Banner (symbolizing military service of a family member) or, if a family member has died during such service, the Gold Star. Calls upon the media to recognize the importance and symbolism of the Banner.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2003
Improving Education Results for Children With Disabilities Act of 2003 - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to reauthorize appropriations through FY 2009. Revises requirements for: (1) assistance for education of all children with disabilities, including infants and toddlers, particularly the identification of such children; (2) national activities to improve the education of such children; (3) scientifically based research into educational practices that support learning and improve academic achievement and progress for all students with disabilities; (4) technical assistance, model demonstration projects, dissemination of information, and personnel programs; and (5) supports to improve results for children with disabilities, especially parent and community training and information centers. Replaces State program improvement grants for children with disabilities with grants to State education agencies for professional development of both special education and regular education teachers of children with disabilities. Revises reporting requirements to reduce paperwork for special education teachers.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2003
International School Curriculum Monitoring Act - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 with respect to the Department of State's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices regarding foreign countries that receive development assistance and security assistance information. Requires the Secretary of State to describe in such reports the nature and extent of the promotion of violence and hatred in the curriculum (including textbooks and any other related materials) of schools in such foreign countries, including the promotion of anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism, and racism.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the deduction of premiums for mortgage insurance. Provides for the phaseout of such deduction based on income.
![Official portrait of Rep. Greenwood, James C. [R-PA-8]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/g000439_200.jpg)