United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Prescription Plan Preservation Act of 2004 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to condition the payment of Medicare employer prescription drug subsidies on the maintence of current prescription drug benefits. Requires the actuarial value of prescription drug coverage to be at least equal to the greater of actuarial value of: (1) standard prescription drug coverage (as under current law); or (2) the employment-based retiree health coverage in effect as of December 8, 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Probation and Parole Officer Safety Task Force Act of 2004 - Establishes within the Department of Justice the Probation and Parole Officer Safety Task Force to study and report to Congress and the Attorney General on: (1) Federal and State policies and practices as they affect the personal safety of probation and parole officers during the execution of their duties; and (2) guidelines for the safety training of, the use of force by, and equipment standards for such officers, including regarding whether to arm such officers. Requires the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (after the Task Force terminates) to carry out and report to the Attorney General on an annual, comprehensive statistical review of the incidence and effects of violence perpetrated against Federal and State probation and parole officers.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Medicare Preventive Services Coverage Act of 2004 - Amends part E (Miscellaneous) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, to provide for additional preventive services (including mental health services) under Medicare. Eliminates coinsurance in outpatient department (OPD) hospital settings and application of deductible with respect to additional preventive services.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers a business tax credit of $1,000 for each of their employees who teaches a course at an accredited community college for which the employee receives no compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Gateway to Democracy Act of 2004 - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to allow individuals under the minimum legal voting age, but who will reach such age before voting, to fill out the voter registration application forms when they get their driver's license. Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to maintain information on such individuals and make it available to election officials.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Social Security COLA Protection Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to limit increases in the monthly Medicare premium, including the Medicare Advantage prescription drug program premium, to 25 percent of any Social Security cost of living increase.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to mint and issue: (1) ten dollar gold coins; (2) five dollar gold coins; (3) one dollar silver coins; and (4) half-dollar silver coins emblematic of the 50 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of NASA and JPL. Directs each Federal agency and U.S. instrumentality that has in its possession any craft or any part of a craft that flew in space to: (1) retrieve any gold, silver, copper, and other precious metal that may be used in the production of any coins under this Act from such craft or part; and (2) deposit such metals with the Director of the United States Mint. Requires that all sales of coins minted under this Act include a surcharge of : (1) $75 per coin for the ten dollar coin; (2) $35 per coin for the five dollar coin; (3) $10 per coin for the one dollar coin; and (4) $3 for the half-dollar coin, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the NASA Family Assistance Fund for the purposes of providing financial assistance to the families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries suffered in the performance of their official duties.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
Encourages the International Olympic Committee to choose New York City as the site of the 2012 Olympic Games. Hopes that the United States will be selected as the host country of such Games and pledges cooperation and support for their successful fulfillment in the highest Olympic tradition.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2004
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) at the 56th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission the United States should remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling, and take other specified related steps; and (2) the United States should make full use of all appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, relevant international laws and agreements, and other appropriate means to implement these goals.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
Smuggled Tobacco Prevention Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require all packages of tobacco products to carry a unique legibly printed serial number by which the Secretary of the Treasury can identify the manufacturer or importer and the location and date of manufacture or importation. Requires tobacco products sold on Indian reservations to be labeled as such. Requires a person to post a bond with the Secretary in order to export tobacco products. Requires a tobacco wholesaler to have a permit and to maintain certain records. Requires export warehouse proprietors to file certain reports with the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into certain tobacco related information exchange agreements with foreign countries. Establishes new criminal offenses relating to the distribution of tobacco products. Raises the $1,000 civil penalty for violations relating to tobacco products to $10,000. Amends the Contraband Cigarette Trafficking Act to: (1) expand the applicability of such Act from cigarettes only to tobacco products (cigars, cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, pipe tobacco, and roll-your-own tobacco); (2) define a "contraband tobacco product" as a quantity of tobacco product that is equivalent to or more than 2,000 cigarettes (currently, 60,000) which bear no evidence of the payment of applicable State tobacco taxes and that is possessed illegally; and (3) establish new unlawful acts. Allows a State tobacco tax authority to bring a civil action in U.S. district court for the collection of State cigarette taxes. Prohibits retaliation against employees (whistleblowers) who provide information in contraband tobacco cases. Provides for administrative and judicial remedies for such whistleblowers.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance for projects for the conservation of rare felids and rare canids. Authorizes the Secretary to convene an advisory group of individuals representing public and private organizations actively involved in the conservation of felids and canids. Restricts the use of grants for captive breeding or display purposes. Establishes in the Multinatonal Species Conservation Fund as a separate account the Great Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund. Defines "rare canid" to: (1) mean any canid species, subspecies, or population that is not native to the United States and Canada, and is included in the threatened or endangered lists of the World Conservation Union, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or the Endangered Species Act of 1973; and (2) include such a subspecies or population of dhole, gray wolf, ethiopian wolf, african wild dog, or maned wolf. Defines "rare felid" to: (1) mean any felid species, subspecies, or population that is not native to the United States and Canada, and is included in the threatened or endangered lists of the World Conservation Union, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or the Endangered Species Act of 1973; and (2) include such a subspecies or population of lion, leopard, jaguar, snow leopard, clouded leopard, cheetah, or iberian lynx. Does not include any tiger.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2004
Honors the great importance of the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton to the United States of America on the bicentennial of his death on July 12, 1804, because of his standing as one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States and recognizes the tremendous significance of his contributions to the United States as a soldier, citizen, and statesman.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2004
Dietary Supplement Regulatory Implementation Act of 2004 - Makes appropriations for FY 2005, and authorizes appropriations for FY 2006 through 2009: (1) to carry out the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), the amendments made by DSHEA, and all applicable regulatory requirements for dietary supplements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; and (2) for expanded research and development of consumer information, including information on safety and beneficial effects, of dietary supplements by the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to: (1) fully and appropriately use such funds to regulate dietary supplements; (2) report annually on DSHEA implementation and enforcement; (3) carry out programs to educate health professionals and consumers on the safety and health benefits of the dietary supplements, including the potential for interactions of dietary supplements and drugs (using specified funds authorized by this Act); and (4) establish a system for the requirements for the reporting of serious adverse experiences associated with the use of a dietary supplement received by the manufacturer, packer, or distributor whose name appears on the label of the product. Expresses the sense of the Congress regarding dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2004
Selective Service Registration Termination Act - Amends the Military Selective Service Act to terminate the selective service registration requirement except in the event of a declaration of war by Congress. Prohibits sanctions against persons previously subject to registration who failed to so register prior to enactment of this Act. Suspends appointments to and meetings of civilian local boards, civilian appeal boards, or other similar local agencies of the Selective Service System during any period in which registration requirements are terminated.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2004
Directs the Secretary of State to transmit to the House of Representatives all documents in the possession of the Secretary, except those documents that have been found by a court to be protected by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e), relating to the treatment of prisoners or detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Guantanamo Bay and any requisite instructions for handling such documents.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2004
Directs the Attorney General to transmit to the House of Representatives all documents in the possession of the Attorney General, except those documents that have been found by a court to be protected by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e) in a proceeding in which the Attorney General or the Department of Justice is a party, relating to the treatment of prisoners or detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Guantanamo Bay and any requisite instructions for handling such documents.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2004
Water for the World Resolution - Declares that Congress: (1) recognizes that government policies should ensure that all individuals have equitable access to water and that no one is cut off from water for survival due to economic constraints; and (2) upholds the principle that governments should engage all members of society in direct participation in overseeing decisions about the conservation, distribution, use, and management of water in their communities. Recognizes that more sustainable agricultural practices are necessary to protect water resources. Affirms that Congress firmly commits itself to met the Millennium Development Goals, especially as they pertain to universal access to water and sanitation. Asserts that Federal policies should ensure that in the United States direct and indirect sources of water pollution, including factories, refineries, commercial agriculture, and wastewater treatment plants, are adequately regulated and those responsible held accountable for the pollution they cause.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Positive Aging Act of 2004 - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to direct the Assistant Secretary for Aging to establish an Office of Older Adult Mental Health Services within the Administration on Aging of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Directs the Assistant Secretary to make grants to: (1) States for systems to deliver mental health screening and treatment services to older individuals lacking access to such services, and for programs to increase public awareness of the benefits of preventing and treating mental disorders; and (2) public and nonprofit private entities for demonstration projects providing mental health screening and treatment services to older individuals residing in rural areas or in naturally occurring retirement communities in urban areas. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of HHS, acting through the Director of the Center for Mental Health Services, to make grants to public and nonprofit private entities for: (1) demonstration projects integrating mental health services for older patients into primary care settings; and (2) multidisciplinary geriatric mental health outreach teams in community settings where older adults reside or receive social services. Requires the Director to designate a Deputy Director for Older Adult Mental Health Services. Requires membership of the advisory council for the Center for Mental Health Services to include representatives of older Americans, their families, and geriatric mental health specialists. Includes among projects of national significance the targeting of substance abuse by older individuals. Includes services for older individuals under community mental health services block grant State plan criteria.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells if: (1) the stem cells were derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics for the purpose of fertility treatment and were in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking such treatment; (2) the embryos will never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and (3) such individuals donate the embryos with written informed consent and receive no financial or other inducements.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Geriatric and Chronic Care Management Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to provide for Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) coverage of geriatric assessments and chronic care management services for eligible individuals. Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on: (1) the effectiveness of the different payment methodologies applicable with respect to chronic care management services developed and implemented under this Act; (2) the effectiveness of the pay for performance programs to serve Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions, including dementia; (3) process measures and outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic illnesses, including dementia; (4) the cost-effectiveness and quality associated with chronic care management under the Medicare program; and (5) the feasibility of broadening and incorporating the findings of the Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders (ACOVE) study into the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Meaningful Expression of Democracy in America (MEDIA) Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require broadcast licensees to afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views on issues of public importance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Fisheries Management Reform Act of 2004 - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (currently, the Secretary of Commerce) to appoint members to the Regional Fishery Management Councils who, by reason of their occupational or other experience, are knowledgeable regarding the conservation and management, or the commercial or recreational harvest, of fishery resources. Revises requirements for the composition of such councils and the qualifications of voting Council members. Sets forth certain requirements with respect to: (1) training of appointed Council members; and (2) disclosure of financial interest and recusal of Council members. Directs the Secretary to establish regional science and technical teams to make recommendations on certain matters, on the basis of which the Secretary shall provide Councils conservation and management measures for incorporation into fishery management plans that establish: (1) catch and bycatch limits; (2) specific habitat and area protections to protect essential fish habitats; and (3) specific requirements necessary to protect endangered species.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
States that Congress: (1) declares that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide; (2) reminds the international community, including the U.S. Government, of their international legal obligations, as affirmed in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; (3) calls on the Bush Administration to lead an international effort to prevent genocide in Darfur; (4) urges the Bush Administration to consider multilateral or even unilateral intervention to prevent genocide should the United Nations Security Council fail to act; (5) demands that the Bush Administration impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and the freezing of assets of the National Congress and affiliated business and individuals directly responsible for the atrocities in Darfur; and (6) calls on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish a Darfur Resettlement, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Higher Education Sustainability Act of 2004 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to eligible institutions of higher education to establish university sustainability centers to develop and implement integrated environmental, economic, and social sustainability programs through administrative and operational practices as well as multidisciplinary research, education, and outreach.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Directs the Secretary of State to submit to the appropriate congressional committees, every six months, a list of each country where torture or degrading treatment is commonly used in interrogation and detention. Prohibits, with specified waiver authority, the transfer of a person in U.S. custody to such a country. States that such prohibition shall not be construed to apply to the legal extradition of a person under a bilateral or multilateral extradition treaty if, prior to extradition, that person has recourse to a U.S. court to challenge the extradition on the basis that there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be in danger of being subjected to torture or degrading treatment in the requesting country.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Requests that the President, and directs the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and Attorney General (AG) to transmit to the House of Representatives all documents in their possession (as more specifically identified in this Resolution) relating to the treatment of prisoners or detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Guantanamo Bay and any instructions for handling such documents, with the exception of those documents in the AG's possession that are protected by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e) in proceedings in which the AG or the Department of Justice are parties.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Creates the Select Committee to Investigate Detainee Abuses to conduct a full and complete investigation of the abuses of detainees held in U.S. custody in connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, or any operation within the Global War on Terrorism, in particular those documented abuses at Abu Ghraib prison, and to make appropriate findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives. Requires the Select Committee to assess, analyze, and evaluate relevant persons, policies, procedures, reports, and events during the course of its investigation, including but not limited to those specified in this Resolution. Sets forth procedures and authorities of the Select Committee. Requires the Select Committee to submit its final report to the House within six months of adoption of this Resolution and to cease to exist one month thereafter.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2004
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 19504 Linden Boulevard in St. Albans, New York, as the "Archie Spigner Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2004
Patient Bill of Rights Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code to apply patient protection and quality care standards to group health plans and issuers of health insurance coverage. Applies such standards also to Federal health insurance programs. Requires such plans and issuers to have approved utilization review programs, claims procedures, and appeal procedures concerning claims denials. Requires patient access to health plan information and to care, including: (1) a consumer choice option and choice of health care professional; (2) emergency care; (3) timely access to specialists; (4) obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics; (5) care continuity; (6) prescription drugs; (7) participation in clinical trials; and (8) breast cancer treatment hospital stays and consultations. Restricts interference by a plan or insurer with the doctor-patient relationship. Prohibits discrimination against a licensed health care professional with respect to participation or indemnification. Sets forth requirements relating to payment of claims and protection of patient advocacy. Provides a tax credit for the health insurance expenses of small businesses. Treats qualified health benefit purchasing distributions by private foundations as distributions for a charitable purpose. Establishes demonstration grants programs to: (1) increase access to health insurance through alternative means; and (2) provide health insurance information to small employers.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2004
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 10 West Prospect Street in Nanuet, New York, as the "Anthony I. Lombardi Memorial Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2004
National Dairy Equity Act of 2004 - Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to give producers in a State participating in the national dairy market loss payment program 60 days to decide whether to continue participating in such program or to participate in the program established under this Act. Establishes the following five regional dairy marketing areas: (1) Northeast region - Northeast Dairy Marketing Area (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont); (2) Southern region - Southern Dairy Marketing Area (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia); (3) Midwest region - Midwest Dairy Marketing Area (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin); (4) Intermountain region - Intermountain Dairy Marketing Area (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) and (5) Pacific region - Pacific Dairy Marketing Area (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington). Administers each region by a Regional Dairy Board. Sets forth Board powers, including authority to establish: (1) over-order price (a price higher than the marketing order or non-marketing area price) for Class I milk; (2) equalization pools to equalize over-order prices to producers throughout a regulated area; and (3) processor administrative fees. Requires producer referendum to approve of a proposed over-order price establishment, amendment, or termination. States that each covered processor that purchases Class I milk during a month that will be sold in the regulated area of a Region shall pay to the Secretary an amount equal to the product of the over-order premium and the quantity of purchased Class I milk. Establishes in the Treasury the National Dairy Producers Fund. Directs the Secretary to make monthly payments from the Fund to the Boards which shall make payments to eligible producers of all milk classes. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to extend the national dairy market loss payment program.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2004
Civil Liberties Restoration Act of 2004 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to require removal proceedings to be open to the public subject to specified exceptions. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) serve notice to appear within 48 hours on aliens arrested or detained under the INA and bring them before an immigration judge within 72 hours, with exceptions for aliens certified as engaging in espionage or terrorism; and (2) conduct individualized bond determinations reviewable by an immigration judge. Limits the authority of the Board of Immigration Review (created by this Act) to stay release orders. Abolishes the Executive Office of Immigration Review and replaces it with the Immigration Review Commission. Terminates the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) and most NSEERS-related removal proceedings. Requires the Secretary to use prosecutorial discretion in immigration enforcement. Eliminates criminal penalties and deportation, and establishes civil penalties, for an alien's violation of registration and change of address requirements. Requires data entered into the National Crime Information Center database to meet Privacy Act accuracy requirements. Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to authorize (currently, require) courts to review in camera and ex parte materials relating to, or information derived from, electronic surveillance, physical searches, business records, and pen registers or trap and trace devices under FISA where the Attorney General asserts that disclosure implicates national security. Requires disclosure of such materials to comport with the Classified Information Procedures Act. Requires Federal agencies to report data-mining activities to Congress. Prohibits orders requiring the production of certain business records in the course of foreign intelligence or international terrorism investigations absent a finding that specific and articulable facts support the belief that the person to whom the records pertain is a foreign power.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2004
Full-Service Community Schools Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to: (1) eligible entities to assist public elementary or secondary schools to function as full-service community schools; and (2) State collaboratives to support development of full-service community school programs. Requires such schools to: (1) participate in community-based efforts to coordinate educational, developmental, family, health, and other comprehensive services through community-based organizations and public and private partnerships; and (2) provide access to such services to students, families, and the community. Gives local grant priority to entities that: (1) will serve at least one school eligible for schoolwide programs under specified provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and more than one full-service community school as part of a community or districtwide strategy; and (2) demonstrate a record of effectiveness in integrating at least three of various qualified services. Establishes a Full-Service Community Schools Advisory Committee.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2004
Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers with at least 15 or more employees to provide a minimum paid sick leave of: (1) seven days annually for those who work at least 30 hours per week; and (2) a prorated annual amount for those who work less than 30 but at least 20 hours a week, or less than 1,500 but at least 1,000 hours per year. Allows employees to use such leave to meet their own medical needs or to care for the medical needs of certain family members. Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority with respect to this Act's provisions regarding employees covered by title I of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Provides that, for employees under their jurisdiction, such authority shall be exercised by the Librarian of Congress, the Comptroller General, the Board of Directors of the congressional Office of Compliance, or the Merit Systems Protection Board. Declares that the requirements under this Act are minimum requirements, and are not to be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2004
Better Nutrition for School Children Act of 2004 - Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) to revise nutritional requirements for the school breakfast program under CNA and the school lunch program under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA). Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to base regulations for the school breakfast and lunch programs on sound nutritional science. Authorizes the Secretary, through such Federal regulations, to prohibit the sale of certain competitive foods in food service facilities or areas during the time of school breakfast or school lunch program service (by eliminating a provision of current law that bars such regulations from prohibiting such sale of competitive foods approved by the Secretary during such time). Requires Federal regulations relating to service of foods in schools participating in the breakfast or lunch programs to apply throughout the entire school, including the school grounds, until the end of the time of service of food under the school lunch program. Directs the Secretary, in promulgating such regulations, to consider: (1) the nutritional needs of students in various grade levels; (2) the proximity of any area where foods of minimal nutritional value may be sold, donated, or served without charge to the food service facilities or areas; (3) the extent to which students will likely substitute consumption of foods of minimal nutritional value for other food served in participating schools; and (4) the benefits to a school of permitting the sale, donation, or service without charge of foods of minimal nutritional value, including the extent to which the proceeds of such sales inure to the benefit of a school or an organization of students approved by a school.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2004
Providing Resources and Education for Kids Act (Pre-K) - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to provide grants to applicant State educational agencies to make subgrants to local educational agencies to establish or expand prekindergarten early learning programs, which meet specified requirements, for children ages five and younger.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2004
Amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to: (1) extend to September 30, 2027, the authorization for making grants or providing assistance with respect to the National Coal Heritage Area, Tennessee Civil War Heritage Area, Augusta Canal National Heritage Area, Steel Industry Heritage Project (the Steel Industry American Heritage Area), Essex National Heritage Area, South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, America's Agricultural Heritage Partnership, Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor (redesignated by this Act as the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway), and Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area; (2) increase the total amount that may be appropriated for such areas (with the exception of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area); and (3) increase the amount authorized to be appropriated for such Area.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2004
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to repeal the reduction in Medicare payment for certain items of durable medical equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of tobacco products by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Food and Drug Administration, including through disclosure, annual registration, inspection, recordkeeping, and user fee requirements. Sets forth criteria by which tobacco products are deemed adulterated or misbranded. Allows the Secretary to require prior approval of all label statements. Allows the Secretary to restrict the sale or distribution of tobacco products, including advertising and promotion, if the Secretary determines that such regulation would be appropriate for the protection of the public health. Prohibits such regulations from: (1) limiting product sales or distribution to authorization of a practitioner licensed to prescribe medical products; (2) prohibiting product sales in face-to-face transactions by a specific category of retail outlets; or (3) establishing a minimum age greater than 18 years of age for product purchases. Prohibits cigarettes from containing any artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, cinnamon, or coffee. Requires the Secretary to establish tobacco product standards to protect the public health, but reserves to Congress the power to ban any tobacco products or reduce the nicotine level to zero. Allows the Secretary to take specified actions, including public notification and recall, against unreasonably harmful products. Requires premarket approval of all new tobacco products. Sets forth standards for the sale of modified risk tobacco products. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) judicial review; (2) coordination with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); (3) congressional review of regulations; and (4) state and local authority. Requires the Secretary to establish a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to change cigarette warning label and advertising requirements. Amends the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 to change smokeless tobacco warning label and advertising requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Depleted Uranium Screening and Testing Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to: (1) establish procedures for the predeployment notification to members of the Armed Forces of any known or likely use of depleted uranium in the theater of operation and any health risks associated with exposure to depleted uranium; (2) provide predeployment training on how to handle depleted uranium before deploying individuals to a theater in which it will be used; (3) carry out a program to identify individuals exposed to depleted uranium during active service in the Armed Forces; (4) provide such individuals with bioassay testing and notification of test results; and (5) identify specified depleted uranium exposure events. Requires the Secretary of each military department to establish procedures for collecting, tracking, and maintaining information on the health status of individuals tested under this Act to assess long-term health consequences of exposure to depleted uranium. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct an independent review of bioassay types and contamination thresholds for purposes of required testing. Requires the Secretary of the military department concerned to provide appropriate treatment for any illness of an individual resulting from depleted uranium contamination or exposure. Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a survey of radioisotope identification equipment used by the Department of Defense (DOD) to assess the capability of DOD facilities to identify concentrations of different radioisotopes in naturally occurring levels of uranium and to report survey findings to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 73 South Euclid Avenue in Montauk, New York, as the "Perry B. Duryea, Jr. Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 with respect to the senior farmers' market nutrition program to: (1) increase program funding; (2) expand the program to include locally produced farm products as deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Agriculture; and (3) permit up to ten percent of program funds to be used for administrative costs.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Authorizes the Government of Ukraine to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia to honor the victims of the Ukrainian famine-genocide of 1932-1933. Prohibits the U.S. Government from paying any expense for the establishment of the memorial or its maintenance.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Declares that Congress: (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Celiac Awareness Month (May 2004); (2) should work with health care providers and celiac disease advocacy and education organizations to encourage screening and early detection of celiac disease; and (3) should increase Federal funding for celiac disease research.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2004
Authorizes members of the National Guard who, immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, served in counties declared Federal disaster areas as the result of those attacks to count such service as Federal active duty for purposes of military retirement credit. Makes this Act retroactively effective to benefit those members of the National Guard who became entitled to retired pay between September 11, 2001, and the date of enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2004
Direct Loan Reward Act of 2004 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a Direct Loan Reward Program to encourage institutions of higher education to participate in the student loan program under part D, Federal Perkins Loans. Makes the amount of financial reward payment to an institution under this Act equal to 50 percent of the savings to the Federal Government generated by the institution's participation in such part D student loan program instead of its participation in the student loan program under the part B Federal Family Education Loan Program.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2004
Patient Safety Act of 2004 - Requires any provider under the Medicare program (title XVIII of the Social Security Act ), as a condition of continued participation in such program, to make publicly available information regarding nurse staffing and patient outcomes as specified by the Secretary. Requires the public availability of data regarding complaints filed with the State agency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or an accrediting agency, compliance with the standards of which have been deemed to demonstrate Medicare participation compliance, and data regarding investigations and findings as a result of those complaints and the findings of scheduled inspection visits. Requires the Secretary to provide for the auditing of such information for accuracy as a part of the process of determining whether a provider is eligible for continued participation in the Medicare program. Amends SSA title XVIII and XIX (Medicaid) to provide for public disclosure of accurate data on nursing facility staffing. Creates a staffing quality measure for consumers to compare nursing facilities. Prohibits adverse employment actions by Medicare providers against their employees for notifying the provider, or any Federal or State agency or accreditation agency, of conditions which are dangerous or potentially dangerous to patients.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2004
State and Local Government Economic Empowerment Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to issue an interest-free loan to any State, county, incorporated municipality, or Indian tribe upon obtaining appropriate assurances that the proceeds of the loan will be used solely for funding capital projects, including the construction of or improvements to: (1) streets, highways, bridges, and tunnels; (2) waste water and sewer systems; and (3) infrastructure and other public facilities. Sets maximum loan limitations. Entitles each such unit of government to obtain an interest-free loan unless it is delinquent in repaying a prior loan.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2004
Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefields Commemorative Coin Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue five-dollar gold coins, one-dollar silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
![Official portrait of Rep. Hinchey, Maurice D. [D-NY-22]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h000627_200.jpg)