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United States · Official source
1,961 records where Rep. Hoekstra, Peter [R-MI-2] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2003
Tip Tax Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit the Secretary of the Treasury from issuing a notice and demand to an employer for Social Security taxes with respect to tips received by an employee until the Secretary has determined the amount of tips received by the employee.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2003
Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2003 or Laci and Conner's Law - Provides that: (1) whoever engages in conduct that violates specified provisions of the Federal criminal code, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, or the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, or specified articles the Uniform Code of Military Justice (conduct constituting certain Federal violent crimes) and thereby causes the death of, or bodily injury to, a child who is in utero, shall be guilty of a separate offense; and (2) the punishment for that separate offense shall be the same as that provided under Federal law for that conduct had that injury or death occurred to the unborn child's mother. Specifies that a violation of such provisions does not require proof that: (1) the person engaging in the conduct had knowledge or should have had knowledge that the victim of the underlying offense was pregnant; or (2) the defendant (or accused) intended to cause the death of, or bodily injury to, the unborn child. Prohibits imposition of the death penalty for an offense under this Act. Bars prosecution under this Act: (1) of any person for conduct relating to an abortion for which the consent of the pregnant woman, or a person authorized by law to act on her behalf, has been obtained or for which such consent is implied by law; (2) for conduct relating to any medical treatment of the pregnant woman or her unborn child; or (3) of any woman with respect to her unborn child.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2003
Leave No Securities Behind Act - Amends the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act to extend Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) authority to mortgage-backed and subordinate obligations, and corporate securities (with an exemption for approved sellers) of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae). Amends the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Act to extend SEC authority to corporate securities (with an exception for approved sellers) of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). Amends the Securities Act of 1933 to limit specified SEC registration fees.
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
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 - Permits the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National Forest System lands, and the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, to plan and conduct hazardous fuels reduction projects (fuels projects) on specified types of Federal lands. Directs the Secretary concerned to give priority to fuels projects that provide for the protection of communities and watersheds. Authorizes the Secretary concerned to make grants: (1) to improve the commercial value of forest biomass to produce electric energy, sensible heat, transportation fuels, or substitutes for petroleum-based products; and (2) to offset the cost of projects to add value to biomass. Amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to permit the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Forest Service, to provide assistance to State foresters and officials for the purpose of expanding State forest capacities and activities to address watershed issues on non-Federal forested lands and potentially forested lands. Directs the Secretary concerned to establish an accelerated program to plan, conduct, and promote comprehensive and systematic information gathering on bark beetles. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the healthy forests reserve program within the Forest Service for the purpose of protecting, restoring, and enhancing degraded forest ecosystems to promote the recovery of threatened and endangered species as well as improve biodiversity and enhance carbon sequestration. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a comprehensive plan to inventory, monitor, characterize, assess, and identify forest stands and potential forest stands in specified locations. States that issues to be addressed shall include: (1) the early detection, identification, and assessment of environmental threats; and (2) the loss or degradation of forests.
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
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 · 29 April 2003
Commends the charter school movement and charter schools, administrators, teachers, parents, and students across the Nation for their ongoing contributions to education and improving and strengthening the Nation's public school system. Supports the fourth annual National Charter Schools Week. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should issue a proclamation calling on the people of the Nation to conduct appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to demonstrate support for charter schools during this week-long celebration in communities throughout the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2003
Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to replace provisions regarding the purchase of prison-made products by Federal departments with provisions establishing a Government-wide procurement policy relating to purchases from Federal Prison Industries (FPI), which shall generally require the use of competitive procedures. Requires that an analysis of the probable impact of a proposed expansion of sales within the Federal market by FPI on private sector firms and their non-inmate workers be made whenever FPI proposes to authorize the sale of a new specific product or service or to expand production of a current product or service. Authorizes FPI to enter into a contract with a Federal contractor to produce products as a subcontractor or supplier in the performance of a Federal procurement contract. Establishes within the Bureau of Prisons: (1) the Enhanced In-Prison Educational and Vocational Assessment and Training Program; and (2) the Cognitive Abilities Assessment Demonstration Program. Directs: (1) the Chief Operating Officer of FPI to develop proposals to have FPI donate products and services to eligible entities that provide goods or services to low-income individuals who would likely otherwise have difficulty purchasing such products or services; (2) the Director of the Bureau to afford to inmates opportunities to participate in programs and activities designed to help prepare such inmates to obtain employment upon release; (3) the Attorney General to establish the Federal Reentry Center Demonstration Project; and (4) the Comptroller General to undertake to have an independent study conducted on the effects of eliminating FPI's mandatory source authority.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2003
Calls for establishment of a National Librarians Week to recognize the work of librarians.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2003
Freedom Flat Tax Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize an individual and a person engaged in business activity to make an irrevocable election to be subject to a flat tax (in lieu of the existing tax provisions) of 19 percent for the first two years, and 17 percent thereafter. Defines individual and business "taxable income." Imposes an employer tax on the value of excludable compensation provided to employees not engaged in business activity of 19 percent through 2004, and 17 percent thereafter.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2003
Directs the President to establish a Presidential Commission on Employee Ownership to study and report on all issues that affect ownership of businesses in the United States, with a primary focus on the issues that affect employee ownership of such businesses. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on Federal regulations and policies that might impact the creation and operation of an employee-owned corporation, identifying those regulations and policies that are barriers to employee ownership.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2003
Freeing Alternatives for Speedy Transportation (FAST) Act - Amends Federal highway law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish and implement an Interstate System FAST Lanes program under which the Secretary shall permit a State, or a public or private entity designated by the State, to collect fees to finance the expansion of a highway by constructing additional lanes on the Interstate System for the purpose of reducing traffic congestion. Requires the Secretary to conduct a study for a project with an estimated total cost of $50 million or more to determine: (1) if a toll facility for such project is feasible; and (2) if privatizing the construction, operation, and maintenance of the facility is financially advisable (while retaining legal and administrative control of the portion of the Interstate route).
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2003
Job Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the foreign sales corporation/extraterritorial income (FSC/ETI) exclusion, with an exemption for certain binding contracts in effect before the date of enactment of this Act. Permits a foreign corporation that elected to be treated as a domestic corporation to revoke such election and be treated as a domestic corporation transferring its property to a foreign corporation with no gain recognized on such transfer. Provides: (1) a transitional 2004 through 2008 sliding-scale deduction for an FSC/ETI beneficiary based on the corporation's 2001 FSC/ETI benefit; and (2) special rules for 2003 and for fiscal year taxpayers. Defines "FSC/ETI benefit." Allows a deduction for income attributable to U.S. production activities equal to ten percent of qualified production activities. Provides a 2006 through 2009 phase-in period. Defines "qualified production activities" as: (1) the portion of the modified taxable income attributable to domestic activities; and (2) the domestic/foreign fraction. Sets forth related provisions with respect to: (1) determination of income attributable to domestic production activities; (2) domestic production gross receipts; (3) qualifying production property; (4) domestic/foreign fraction; and (5) special rules.
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
Child Custody Protection Act - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit transporting a minor across a State line to obtain an abortion and thereby abridging the right of a parent under a law in force in the State where the minor resides requiring parental involvement in a minor's abortion decision. Makes an exception if the abortion was necessary to save the life of the minor. Specifies that neither the minor transported nor her parent may be prosecuted or sued for a violation of this Act. Makes it an affirmative defense to a prosecution for, or to a civil action based on, such a violation that the defendant reasonably believed that before the minor obtained the abortion, the parental consent or notification or judicial authorization that would have been required had the abortion been performed in the State where the minor resides, took place. Authorizes any parent who suffers harm from a violation to obtain appropriate relief in a civil action. Defines "parent" to include a guardian, legal custodian, or person standing in loco parentis who has care and control of the minor, and with whom the minor regularly resides, who is designated by such law as a person to whom notification, or from whom consent, is required.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to change the income tax filing deadline for calendar year taxpayers from April 15 to the first Monday in November.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2003
Constitutional Amendment - Requires that any bill, resolution, or other legislative measure changing the internal revenue laws shall require for final adoption in each House the concurrence of two-thirds of the Members of that House voting and present, unless the bill is determined at the time of adoption not to increase the internal revenue by more than a de minimis amount. States that for purposes of determining any increase, there shall be excluded any increase resulting from the lowering of an effective rate of any tax. Requires journal entry of any vote. Permits the waiver of such requirement, for up to two years, if there is a declaration of war or if the United States is engaged in a military conflict which causes an imminent and serious threat to national security, and is so declared by a joint resolution which becomes law.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2003
Prison Rape Reduction Act of 2003 - Directs the Bureau of Justice Statistics to carry out an annual, comprehensive statistical review and analysis of the incidence and effects of prison rape. Establishes within the Bureau the Review Panel on Prison Rape. Directs the Panel to request the public testimony of Federal, State, and local officials who bear responsibility for the prevention, detection, and punishment of prison rape at specified entities. Provides for an increase in Federal funds for entities whose officials testify at a reasonably designated time. Requires the Bureau to submit an annual report to Congress, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on its activities regarding prison rape. Establishes within the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) a national clearinghouse for the provision of information and assistance regarding prison rape. Directs: (1) NIC to conduct periodic training and education programs; and (2) the Attorney General to make grants to prevent prison rape, investigate such instances, and punish the perpetrators. Establishes the National Prison Rape Reduction Commission to: (1) study the impact of prison rape on Federal, State, and local governments and communities and social institutions; and (2) report recommended national standards for enhancing the detection, prevention, reduction, and punishment of prison rape. Directs: (1) the Attorney General to publish a notice of proposed rule-making for the adoption of national standards; and (2) the Secretary to complete a review of model programs and protocols for the response to and treatment of acute trauma for rape victims within prisons and jails.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2003
Constitutional Amendment - States that people retain the right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, and traditions on public property, including schools. States that the United States and the States shall not establish any official religion nor require any person to join in prayer or religious activity.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2003
Occupational Safety and Health Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to revise requirements relating to enforcing, contesting, reviewing, and adjudicating citations, failures to correct violations, and assessments of penalties. Exempts employers from a 15-day deadline for notifying the Secretary of Labor of their intent to contest OSHA citations, notices of uncorrected violations, and proposed penalties, if their failure to meet such deadline results from mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect. Limits what may be considered willful violations under OSHA. Requires the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) to give de novo consideration to evidence of the penalty's appropriateness with respect to these factors: (1) size and financial condition of the business of the employer; (2) gravity of the violation, considering probability of harm, nature and extent of the harm, number of affected employees, and other relevant factors; (3) employer's good faith, including efforts to comply or abate; (4) history and recentness of substantially similar previous violations of the cited employer at the same nonconstruction worksite and construction worksites in the same State; and (5) the employer's, employees', or other persons' degree of responsibility or culpability for the violation. Increases OSHRC membership from three to five. Awards attorney's fees and costs to a prevailing employer in an administrative adversary adjudication, or a judicial review of an action, instituted under OSHA, if at the time such adjudication was initiated or such action filed the employer had not more than: (1) 100 employees; and (2) $1,500,000 net worth. Revises judicial review provisions to require deference to be given to reasonable OSHRC conclusions with respect to all questions of law.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2003
Repeals the sunset provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-16).
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2003
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of a National Safety in Numbers Month (to educate people about the importance of ensuring that their street address is clearly marked).
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2003
Designates the visitors' center in Organ Pipe National Monument as the Kris Eggle Memorial Visitors' Center. Dedicates such center to Eggle (a park ranger who was murdered in the line of duty along the U.S-Mexico border) and to promote awareness of the risks taken each day by all public land management law enforcement officers. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to post interpretive signs at the center and at the trail-head of the Baker Mine-Milton Mine Loop that describe the important role of public law enforcement officers in protecting park visitors, refer to the tragic loss of Eggle and to the dedication of the trail and visitors' center by Congress, and include a copy of this Act and Eggle's image.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that certain bonds issued by local governments in connection with delinquent real property taxes (delinquent tax bonds) may be treated as tax exempt. Sets forth delinquent tax bond requirements.
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
Parental Notification and Intervention Act of 2003 - Prohibits any person or organization from performing, permitting facilities to be used to perform, or assisting in the performance of an abortion on an unemancipated minor under age 18, without: (1) clear and convincing evidence of physical abuse of the minor by the parent and the provision of written notification to the parents; (2) compliance with a 96-hour waiting period after notice has been received by the parents; and (3) compliance with judicial intervention procedures. Prescribes penalties of up to ten years' imprisonment and/or a $1 million fine for violating such prohibition. Provides for an exception where a physician without principal responsibility for making the decision to perform the abortion determines that: (1) a medical emergency exists due to a grave, physical disorder or disease that would cause the minor's death if an abortion is not performed; (2) parental notification is not possible as a result of the emergency; and (3) certifications and determinations to that effect have been entered in the minor's medical records. Requires parental notification through certified mail or personal delivery. Authorizes a notified parent to bring an action in Federal district court which shall enjoin the abortion: (1) until the court's judgment is final; or (2) permanently unless the court determines that granting such relief would be unlawful.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2003
Condemns the Earth Liberation Front and its adoption of terrorist tactics that destroy private property and endanger the lives of private property owners, government officials, law enforcement, and firefighters. Urges the Attorney General and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to: (1) seek to investigate and punish the actions of the Earth Liberation Front and its supporters; (2) pursue Earth Liberation Front as a terrorist organization and work closely with State and local law enforcement to combat it and its destruction of private property; and (3) continue to exhaust all resources in the fight against all forms of terrorism, foreign and domestic.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2003
Student Athlete Protection Act - Amends the Federal judicial code to include as unlawful sports gambling a lottery, sweepstakes, or other betting, gambling, or wagering scheme based, directly or indirectly, on one or more: (1) competitive games in which high school or college athletes participate; (2) performances of high school or college athletes in competitive games; or (3) competitive games at the Summer or Winter Olympics.
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
IDEA Parental Choice Act of 2003 - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to authorize use of funds for parental school choice programs which may involve vouchers for private or public education for students with disabilities. Allows the use of certain research and innovation grant and contract funds to support planning, design, and implementation of State programs that allow parents of children with disabilities a choice of an appropriate public or private school (parental option program). Allows any State with a statewide or local area parental option program that allows use of public funds to pay some or all costs of attendance at a public or private school to supplement those public funds from its IDEA allocation, if the Federal funds are distributed to parents who make a genuine independent choice as to the appropriate school for their child. Provides that a State's allowing a parent to exercise this option fulfills the State's obligation to provide a free appropriate public education with respect to the child with disabilities during the period in which the child is enrolled in the selected school. Authorizes use of IDEA funds for local educational agencies to support reasonable additional expenses for the accommodation of students with disabilities who are eligible to receive supplemental education services, including services from private or faith-based providers, because they attend underachieving schools designated for improvement. Allows, at a State's discretion, students with disabilities up to age six, who meet certain criteria, to be included in IDEA early intervention services programs (thus giving parents the choice to have their child continue with the same service provider).
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
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) revise the basis for calculating the projected lost earnings of a person who sustained a vaccine-related injury; (2) increase the award for a vaccine-related death; (3) allow compensation for expenses for family counseling and establishing guardianship; (4) allow payment of interim attorneys' fees and costs; (5) establish a procedure for paying attorneys' fees; (6) extend from two to six years the statute of limitations for injuries or death from a vaccine set forth in the Vaccine Injury Table; (7) revise the membership and meeting schedule of the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines; and (8) direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a public service announcement campaign about the availability of the Program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the limit on Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund administrative expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2003
Recreational Marine Employment Act of 2003 - Amends the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act with respect to employer liability for death and disability compensation payable to longshore, harbor workers, and other specified marine employees not otherwise covered by State workers compensation laws. Excludes from the definition of employee any individuals employed by or at, or engaged in the construction or maintenance of, a recreational marine facility or structure. Expands the range of individuals whose work is concerned with recreational vessels who do not qualify as employees, including people who principally buy and sell, or test, such vessels. Makes such exclusions contingent on the employer's being in compliance with a State workers' compensation law. (Currently they are contingent on workers' being covered under such a law). Modifies requirements for third part actions against vessels for negligence to apply them only to injuries to maritime workers who do not qualify as seamen under specified Federal law. (Currently they apply to injuries to all persons covered under the Act).
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.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce from $18 to $9 (its pre-1991 level) the per-barrel tax on beer.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2003
Recognizes: (1) the achievements of the Ford Motor Company on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; (2) the Company's impact on the lives of Americans and people of all nations; and (3) that Ford will continue to have an even greater impact and will enhance personal mobility for generations to come.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to set forth that a plan or other arrangement shall not cease to count as a cafeteria plan solely because qualified benefits under such plan include a health flexible spending arrangement under which, with respect to any plan year, not more than $500 of unused health benefits may be carried forward to the next year of such arrangement or paid to or on behalf of an employee as compensation from employment. Sets forth rules for determining whether or not such benefits shall be included or excluded from income.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2003
Family Time Flexibility Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide for compensatory time for all employees. Allows an employee to receive, in lieu of monetary overtime compensation, compensatory time off at a rate not less than one and one-half hours for each hour of employment for which overtime compensation is required under the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2003
Milk Import Tariff Equity Act - Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to impose tariff-rate quotas (quantitative import limits) and provide various duty rates on certain casein, caseinates, milk protein concentrate, and other casein derivatives and glues imported into the United States (except imports from Mexico). Authorizes the President to: (1) enter into a trade agreement with a foreign country to grant new concessions as compensation in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions; and (2) proclaim any necessary modification or continuance of any existing duty, or continuance of existing duty-free or excise treatment, or any quantitative limitation. Sets forth certain limits on the reduction of duties on such products.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2003
Aquatic Invasive Species Research Act - Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and the U.S. Geological Survey (Administering Agencies) to: (1) enter into a memorandum of understanding regarding the implementation of this Act; and (2) develop and conduct a marine and fresh-water research program to support efforts to assess rates and patterns of the introduction of invasive nonnative species into the Aquatic Ecosystem and efforts to detect, prevent, and eradicate them. Requires the Administering Agencies to: (1) develop standardized protocols for conducting ecological and pathway surveys of nonnative aquatic species; (2) document baseline ecological information of the aquatic ecosystem and pathways; (3) acting through NOAA, administer a program to award grants to academic institutions and other appropriate groups to develop standardized protocols and conduct marine and fresh-water research experiments; and (4) conduct laboratory and field-based marine and fresh-water research experiments on a range of taxonomic groups to identify the relationship between the introduction and establishment of nonnative aquatic species. Requires the United States Geological Survey to develop, maintain, and update a central, national database of the information and make the database widely available to the public. Requires the Administering Agencies to analyze the data collected. Makes the Invasive Species Council responsible for disseminating such information and develop a national strategy for how it will be shared with Federal, State, and local entities. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), acting through the Office of Research and Development, to develop a grant program to fund research, development, demonstration and verification of environmentally sound, cost-effective technologies and methods to control and eradicate aquatic invasive species. Reauthorizes the ship pathway technology demonstration program. Requires the Coast Guard and the EPA to develop a research program to support implementation of ship pathway standards to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species by ships into the Aquatic Ecosystem. Requires the National Science Foundation to establish a grant program for researchers at institutions of higher education and museums to carry our research programs in systematics and taxonomy.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2003
National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2003 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to establish aquatic invasive species prevention requirements for all vessels operating in U.S. waters. Requires the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to promulgate regulations for ballast water management standards and certification procedures. Directs the Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force to establish a priority pathway management program that identifies those pathways that pose the highest risk for the introduction of aquatic invasive species unless further managed. Prohibits the importation of live aquatic organisms not in trade without specified screening and approval. Requires the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to construct and maintain a national dispersal barrier program to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species in U.S. waterways. Provides for expansion of the Brown Tree Snake Control Program and Aquatic Nuisance Species Program information, education, and outreach activities. Requires the Task Force to establish a national subcommittee on nutria for its control. Requires the Invasive Species Council to coordinate with the Task Force to combat aquatic invasive species. Requires the Task Force to recommend to appropriate Federal agencies additions to the list of aquatic invasive species. Requires the Task Force, the Council, and the Secretary of State to coordinate activities to ensure that international efforts to prevent and manage aquatic invasive species are coordinated with U.S. policies.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2003
Neutral Cost Recovery Act for Small Business - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide for increased expensing for small businesses; and (2) require that the depreciation deduction for certain property placed in service after 2003 be computed using neutral cost recovery ratios.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2003
English Language Unity Act of 2003 - Amends specified Federal law to declare English to be the official language of the United States. Gives representatives of the Federal Government an affirmative obligation to preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the Federal Government, including encouraging greater opportunities for individuals to learn the English language. Requires the official functions of the United States (meaning, in this case, the States and the District of Columbia) to be conducted in English. Sets forth exceptions to and rules of construction for such requirements. Requires a uniform English language rule for U.S. naturalization, and all naturalization ceremonies to be conducted in English. Amends specified Federal law to declare, as a general rule of construction, that English language requirements and workplace policies, whether in the public or private sector, shall be presumptively consistent with the Laws of the United States. Requires the Department of Justice to issue for public notice and comment a proposed rule for uniform testing of English language ability of candidates for naturalization, based upon the principles that: (1) all citizens should be able to read and understand generally the English language text of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Laws of the United States; and (2) any exceptions to this standard should be limited to extraordinary circumstances, such as asylum.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2003
Great Lakes Ecology Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations to: (1) prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance species within the Great Lakes; and (2) among other things require the use of environmentally sound treatment methods for ballast water and ballast sediments in preventing and controlling infestations of such species. Requires the Secretary to maximize public participation in proposed rulemaking with respect to such regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to (restore) increase and make permanent the exclusion from gross income for amounts received under qualified group legal services plans.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2003
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act - Prohibits any qualified civil liability action from being brought in any State or Federal court and requires pending actions to be dismissed. Defines such an action to: (1) include an action brought against a manufacturer or seller of a firearm, ammunition, or a component of a firearm that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce, or against a trade association of such manufacturers or sellers, for damages resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm; and (2) exclude an action brought against persons who transfer a firearm knowing that it will be used to commit a crime of violence or a drug trafficking crime; an action brought against a seller for negligent entrustment or negligence per se; an action in which a manufacturer or seller of a firearm willfully violated a State or Federal statute applicable to the sale or marketing of the firearm and the violation was a proximate cause of the harm for which relief is sought; an action for breach of contract or warranty in connection with the purchase of the firearm; or an action for physical injuries or property damage resulting directly from a defect in design or manufacture of the firearm when used as intended.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2003
Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2003 - Amends Federal bankruptcy law governing: (1) conversion of bankruptcy petitions; (2) abusive creditor practices; (3) domestic support obligations; (4) consumer protections, including protection of personally identifiable information; (5) measures to discourage bankruptcy abuse, including reduction of the homestead exemption for fraud; (6) guidelines for general and small business bankruptcies, including appointment of a committee of retired employees; (7) bankruptcy data dissemination and bankruptcy tax provisions; (8) ancillary and other cross-border cases to incorporate the Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency; and (9) financial contracts and transfers entered into with an insolvent insured depository institution before its conservatorship or receivership. Reenacts Chapter 12, Adjustment of Debts of a Family Farmer with Regular Annual Income. Brings family fishermen within the purview of Federal bankruptcy protection. Prescribes guidelines for insolvent health care businesses and related patients' rights. Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Judicial Code to mandate appointments for additional temporary bankruptcy judgeships in designated States. Prescribes additional consumer credit disclosures, including open end credit plans and introductory rates.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2003
Consolidation Student Loan Flexibility Act of 2003 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow student loan borrowers to choose a lender for loan consolidation. (Eliminates the requirement that: (1) the consolidation loan lender must already hold an outstanding student loan of the borrower; or (2) the borrower must certify to having sought and been unable to obtain a consolidation loan with income-sensitive repayment terms from any holders of the outstanding loans selected for consolidation.)
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2003
Schoolchildren's Health Protection Act - Amends the General Education Provisions Act to prohibit Federal education funding (from programs for which the Secretary or Department of Education has administrative responsibility) to any State or local educational agency that provides to an unemancipated minor, at an elementary or secondary school, postcoital emergency contraception (e.g. the "morning-after pill") or a prescription for such contraception.