United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2003
Overtime Compensation Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to prohibit the Secretary of Labor from promulgating any regulation that has the effect of exempting from FLSA overtime compensation requirements (which limit maximum hours at regular compensation) any employee who is not otherwise exempted under regulations in effect on the date of enactment of this Act. Provides that such prohibition does not bar the Secretary from reducing the number of employees who are exempt from such overtime compensation requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2003
Commends: (1) the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for successfully negotiating and signing in Accra, Ghana, on June 17, 2003, the "Agreement on Ceasefire and Cessation of Hostilities Between the Government of the Republic of Liberia and Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy and the Movement for Democracy of Liberia" (Ceasefire Agreement); (2) the Parties to the Ceasefire Agreement; and (3) the Liberian civil society and Liberian communities in exile for continuing to strive for peace and democracy in their country and for sustaining families unable to survive economically under President Taylor's corrupt regime with financial remittances and for steadfast advocacy for their country; Calls on all parties to the Ceasefire Agreement to: (1) refrain from committing, aiding, abetting, or permitting, any acts in violation of the Agreement; and (2) facilitate the sustained delivery of humanitarian relief supplies throughout the country, ensure the safety and freedom of movement of all humanitarian workers, abide by the Ceasefire Agreement timetable, and form a transitional national government. Calls on President Charles Taylor to implement his June 4, 2003, statement that he would seek "a national unity government immediately" and be willing to remove himself from power in the interest of transition to peace for the Liberian people. Commends the Special Court for Sierra Leone for its work to bring justice to the people of Sierra Leone who suffered in the civil war sponsored by President Charles Taylor and fueled by the trade in "conflict diamonds". Calls upon the U.S. Government to: (1) to assume a leadership role in the international community through its membership in the International Contact Group for Liberia to help guide the Ceasefire Agreement and subsequent peace agreement, political transition and establishment of a sustainable democracy with good governance, and economic reconstruction processes; and (2) play a strong and proactive role in supporting the Ceasefire Agreement and peace and reconciliation initiatives. Calls upon the Secretary of State to: (1) take a lead role in collaboration with ECOWAS in negotiating the establishment of the Joint Verification Team under the Ceasefire Agreement; (2) provide leadership and participate in negotiations to establish the Joint Monitoring Committee to supervise the ceasefire; and (3) together with the United Nations, ECOWAS, and the African Union to establish and deploy an International Stabilization Force that will initially monitor the peace agreement and provide security for humanitarian relief efforts. Calls upon the Secretary of Defense to: (1) provide military experts, personnel, logistical support, equipment and funds to support the Joint Verification Team; (2) provide financial, logistical, personnel, and technical support, and to participate in the Joint Monitoring Committee; and (3) play a lead role in creating and deploying an international stabilization force to Liberia. Calls on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to: (1) commit to providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Liberia; (2) focus on the most vulnerable populations, including internally displaced persons and war-affected persons in Monrovia; and (3) coordinate relief efforts with national and international nongovernmental organizations and other donors. Calls on the international community to: (1) support humanitarian efforts to meet the urgent and dire needs of the Liberian people; (2) support efforts that advance the development of democratic civil institutions in Liberia; and (3) assist in the establishment of a government that respects the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of its neighbors. Calls upon Liberian indigenous private and voluntary organizations active in local grassroots rehabilitation, reconstruction, and development efforts and Liberians living overseas to engage fully in the international efforts to help restore Liberia as a viable country in which present and future generations can live peacefully. Calls upon the United Nations to: (1) provide peacekeeping troops to enforce the Ceasefire Agreement, protect humanitarian efforts, and maintain a stable transitional environment; and (2) provide adequate repatriation packages for refugees and resettlement packages for internally displaced persons.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
Farm-To-Cafeteria Projects Act of 2003 - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to make competitive grants to private nonprofit entities and educational institutions to establish and carry out Farm-to-Cafeteria projects to improve access to local foods in schools and institutions receiving funds under NSLA and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) (except the special supplemental program for women, infants, and children (WIC) which already has a WIC Farmers Market Nutrition program). Requires such projects to be designed to: (1) procure local foods from small and medium-sized farms to provide foods for school meals; (2) support nutrition education activities or curriculum planning incorporating school children's participation in farm and agriculture education projects; and (3) develop a sustained commitment to farm-to-cafeteria projects in the community by linking schools, agricultural producers, parents, and other community stakeholders.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
Creates the Independent Commission on Intelligence about Iraq. Gives the Commission responsibility for: (1) evaluating executive branch intelligence collection, assessment, and representations concerning the threats posed by Iraq; (2) evaluating the effectiveness of collaborative arrangements between the United States and others in assessing such threats; (3) examining the extent to which Congress has imposed restrictions that have hampered the efforts of the intelligence community; (4) reviewing the work of other investigations; and (5) reporting its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to Congress and the President.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
Honors the life and accomplishments of Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr., the first African-American Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. Recognizes his legendary compassion as a civil rights leader. Extends the condolences of the House of Representatives to the Jackson family and the city of Atlanta on his death.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
Expresses sorrow on the death of Lawrence Eugene "Larry" Doby (the first African American to play professional baseball in the American League) and appreciation for the impact that he made in pioneering civil rights by breaking down racial barriers in baseball and in America.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2003
Nullifies certain provisions of Executive Order 13279, dated December 12, 2002 (relating to equal protection of the laws for faith-based and community organizations) authorizing exemptions from specified Federal procurement contracting requirements with respect to contractors that are religious entities.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2003
Salute to Veterans and the Armed Forces Act of 2003 - Allows the full payment of military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation, without deduction from either (current law), without the enactment of qualifying offsetting legislation. Repeals: (1) special compensation programs for certain severely disabled and combat-disabled military retirees; and (2) provisions requiring a dependency and indemnity compensation offset from surviving spouse annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan. Increases the amount of basic educational assistance for members of the Selected Reserve. Directs the Secretary of Defense, for fiscal years after 2005, to provide a percentage increase in the higher learning cost index for determining basic educational assistance amounts. Directs the Secretary to pay a bonus to members who, at any time during service under Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom, satisfied eligibility requirements for the receipt of special pay for duty subject to hostile fire or imminent danger. Directs the Secretary of Homeland to provide such bonus to qualifying Coast Guard members. Authorizes additional appropriations for veterans' improved access to medical care. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make interim payments under claims for veterans' benefits when the final decision regarding the payment of such benefits is delayed following remand by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims or the Board for Veterans' Appeals to the Secretary for expedited consideration. Prohibits with respect to veterans: (1) increases in medication copayments; and (2) the imposition of health care enrollment fees. Requires the: (1) Secretaries of Veterans Affairs and Labor to provide appropriate information concerning veterans' benefits and employment opportunities; and (2) Secretary of Veterans Affairs to prepare an annual plan for the conduct of veterans' outreach activities. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to place the maximum individual income tax rate at 38.6 percent.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2003
Foster Child Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to modify eligibility requirements for grants to States for child abuse and neglect prevention and treatment programs. Requires States to include within such programs an assurance that their foster care agencies meet certain requirements if they have knowledge that foster children under the responsibility of the State are missing.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2003
Acknowledges the strong relationship between the United States and the Republic of Mali and encourages expanded relations between the two countries on issues of importance to them, including assistance programs aimed at promoting economic development in Mali. Applauds Mali for building a democratic society, developing a vibrant civil society, and providing leadership in conflict resolution and peacekeeping activities. Recognizes the support and assistance Mali has provided in combating terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2003
Amends the Head Start Act to authorize additional appropriations for each of FY 2004 through 2008, to be allocated for Head Start program purposes to States that have an increase in the total number of children under six below the poverty level.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Downed Animal Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate regulations to provide for the humane treatment, handling, and disposition of nonambulatory livestock by a covered entity, including a requirement that nonambulatory livestock be humanely euthanized. Provides that an entity shall: (1) not move nonambulatory livestock while such livestock is conscious; and (2) humanely euthanize such livestock. Prohibits an establishment covered by the Federal Meat Inspection Act to pass nonambulatory livestock through inspection. Defines "covered entity," and "humanely euthanize."
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act - Requires hospitals, as a condition of receiving Federal funds, to provide emergency contraception to a woman who is a victim of sexual assault.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Fairness to All Vietnam Veterans Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to study and report to Congress: (1) to identify veterans who died after October 31, 1955, as a result of military operations in southeast Asia whose names are not eligible for inscription on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; and (2) on the feasibility and equitability of revising the eligibility requirements to be more inclusive of such veterans or of creating an alternative means for recognizing them, including alternatives involving an education center at the Memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Women and Children in Conflict Protection Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) develop a strategy for the protection of women and children who are affected by a complex humanitarian emergency (a situation occurring outside the United States and caused by armed conflict, natural disaster, food shortage, or state-sponsored harassment or persecution, which results in a significant number of refugees, internally displaced persons, or other civilians requiring urgent basic humanitarian assistance) (emergency); and (2) designate coordinators to implement such strategy. Requires such coordinators to: (1) maintain and disseminate a database of information on gender-based violence or exploitation of children during an emergency; (2) assist embassies and consular posts in responding to such risks; and (3) establish a gender-based violence or exploitation reporting and monitoring system for U.S. diplomatic missions and consular posts. Prohibits any State Department refugee or migration assistance from being provided to an organization that has failed to adopt a code of conduct regarding the protection of beneficiaries of humanitarian assistance that incorporates six core principles (established herein) against sexual exploitation and abuse as recommended by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. Requests all national, multilateral, and nongovernmental agencies to review and revise their administrative, management, and employment practices in refugee and displaced persons camps. Requires each coordinator to: (1) ensure that U.S.-funded organizations that respond to an emergency have the necessary resources to address the specific health needs of women affected by the emergency; and (2) identify an organization or individual to facilitate the coordination and implementation of such activities. Directs the Secretary to urge the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to work with nongovernmental organizations to design and implement a model whistleblower system under which humanitarian workers, refugees, and internally displaced persons can report instances of gender-based violence or exploitation of children. Requires: (1) the State Department to work with certain entities to ensure that, in situations of long-term displacement, refugees and internally displaced persons are granted work permits and other documentation to enable them to generate legitimate income; and (2) a report from the Secretary on the development of protection initiatives for the prevention of gender-based violence and exploitation of children. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and implement programs to assist communities that have been affected by an emergency and former combatants (women or children affiliated with an armed group); and (2) report on all current programs to assist nations to reconstitute civilian police authority and capability following an emergency. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to provide assistance to promote the security of, provide equal access to basic services for, and safeguard the human rights and dignity of civilian women and children who are refugees, displaced persons, or inhabitants of areas affected by an emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Blue-Collar Employee Relief Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the 10-percent additional tax on early withdrawals from qualified retirement plans certain former employees of bankrupt employers and certain former employees of closed facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2003
Student Loan Fairness Consolidation Act of 2003 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise student aid requirements for Federal consolidation loans under the Federal Family Education Loan program, and establish parallel requirements under a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan program, to: (1) allow borrowers to refinance existing consolidation loans; and (2) make available variable interest rate consolidation loans. Excludes consolidation loans for repaying Federal PLUS loans (taken out by parents of students) from such provisions for refinancing and variable interest rates.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2003
Anti-Spam Act of 2003 - Prohibits a person from initiating in interstate commerce any commercial electronic mail (commercial email) message unless the message contains: (1) identification as commercial email; (2) notice of an opt-out opportunity, along with an email address or other mechanism for doing so; and (3) a valid physical street address of the sender. Prohibits the transmission of commercial email: (1) after valid objection; (2) with false or misleading header information or subject headings; (3) from illegally harvested email addresses, including addresses generated by automated means; or (4) without warning labels on commercial email containing sexually oriented material. Provides a right of enforcement action for: (1) providers of Internet access service; (2) States on behalf of any of their residents; and (3) the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Amends the Federal criminal code to provide criminal penalties for: (1) falsifying the identity of a commercial email sender; (2) failing to place warning labels on commercial email containing sexually oriented material; (3) repeat offenses and bulk email violations; and (4) illegal harvesting of email addresses. Provides for enforcement of such penalties through actions by Internet service providers, the FTC and the Attorney General, and State attorneys general. Requires the FTC to report to Congress regarding the need to protect the rights of users of email to avoid receiving unsolicited commercial email.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2003
Elder Justice Act - Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new title XXII (Elder Justice) to establish: (1) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Office of Elder Justice; (2) within HHS an Intra-Agency Elder Justice Steering Committee to coordinate HHS elder justice programs and policy; (3) the Elder Justice Coordinating Council to make recommendations for the coordination of activities to HHS, the Department of Justice, and other relevant Federal, State, local, and private agencies and entities; and (4) the Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation. Outlines provisions with respect to uniform collection, maintenance, and dissemination of national data relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Authorizes the HHS Secretary to award various grants, including grants for: (1) prevention of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (2) five Centers of Excellence nationwide that shall specialize in research, clinical practice, and training relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (3) six diverse communities to examine various types of elder shelters and to test various models for establishing safe havens; (4) nonprofit organizations and faith-based organizations to encourage such organizations to establish or continue volunteer programs that focus on the issues of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, or that provide related services; and (5) various multidisciplinary elder justice activities. Provides for: (1) reporting to law enforcement of crimes occurring in Federally-funded long-term care facilities; (2) revising the quality of long-term care; and (3) increasing consumer information about long-term care. Amends: (1) SSA titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) to establish programs to prevent abuse of skilled nursing facility and nursing facility residents; (2) the Public Health Service Act to increase the number of health care professionals with geriatric training; (3) the Older Americans Act of 1965 with respect to the long-term care ombudsman program; (4) part A (General Provisions) of SSA title XI to establish in HHS the Office of Adult Protective Services; and (5) SSA titles XVIII and XIX to assure safety of residents when nursing facilities close. Establishes in the Department of Justice an Office of Elder Justice. Amends the: (1) Federal criminal code to provide for a cause of action for elder abuse and neglect; and (2) Internal Revenue Code to provide for a long-term care facility worker employment tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2003
Cable Consumer Rights Act of 2003 - Repeals provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 which prohibit the Federal Communications Commission and local cable franchising authorities from regulating the rates for cable television service. Reinstates cable rate regulatory provisions of the Communications Act of 1934 in effect before the enactment of such provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2003
Protect Diversity in Media Act - Invalidates the final rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) pursuant to its broadcast media ownership proceeding and announced on June 2, 2003. Reinstates (retroactively, as in effect prior to such announcement) any rule that the FCC modified pursuant to that proceeding. Prohibits the FCC from using current biennial rule review authority to review broadcast media ownership rules.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2003
Calls for the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend and the U.S. Postal Service to issue a commemorative postage stamp honoring Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone (the first recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor awarded in World War II, and the only enlisted Marine in that war to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, and the Purple Heart).
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2003
Calls on: (1) the Government of Iran to comply with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), verify its compliance under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, sign the Model Additional Protocol of the International Atomic Energy Agency which would allow inspectors freer access to nuclear sites, and immediately and unconditionally halt support for terrorism; (2) the President to set a new direction, incorporating all available nonproliferation tools, to redirect Iranian efforts away from nuclear weapons; and (3) United Nations members to join the United States in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and reaffirm their commitment to fighting all forms of terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2003
National Great Black Americans Commemoration Act of 2003 - Directs the Attorney General, acting through the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice, to make a grant to the Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Inc., to pay up to 25 percent of the costs of expanding its existing facilities to create the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum and Justice Learning Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2003
Military Tribunal Regulations Review Act - Requires the President, before a military tribunal rule takes effect, to submit to Congress a report containing: (1) a copy of the rule; (2) a concise statement relating to the rule; and (3) its proposed effective date. Sets forth congressional procedures for rule disapproval by joint resolution. Directs the President to submit to Congress periodic reports on the activities of each military tribunal.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2003
Surveillance Oversight Act and Disclosure Act of 2003 - Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to authorize courts established to hear applications, grant orders, and review denials regarding electronic surveillance to establish rules and procedures and take actions necessary to administer their responsibilities under FISA. Directs that such rules and procedures be transmitted to the judges on such courts, the Chief Justice of the United States, and specified congressional committees. Requires the Attorney General to issue a public report annually on the aggregate number of U.S. persons targeted for FISA orders, the aggregate number of applications for orders for U.S. persons and for all persons without regard to nationality, and the number of times that the Attorney General has authorized that such information be used in a criminal proceeding. Amends: (1) the Federal criminal code to require that the semiannual report of the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to the intelligence and judiciary committees concerning requests for access to telephone and transactional records include a separate statement of requests made of institutions operating as public libraries or serving as libraries of secondary schools or institutions of higher education; (2) the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 to require that the Attorney General's semiannual report regarding requests for financial records go to the judiciary committees; and (3) the Fair Credit Reporting Act to require that the Attorney General's semiannual report regarding disclosures by credit reporting agencies to the FBI be made to the judiciary committees.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2003
Ending Tax Breaks for Discrimination Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny all deductions (including advertising expenses) for business expenses associated with the use of a private club that discriminates on the basis of sex, race, or color.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2003
Theodore Roosevelt Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than: (1) 500,000 $1 coins with the image of Theodore Roosevelt as a Rough Rider on one side and an eagle design on the other side; and (2) 500,000 $1 coins with the image of Roosevelt on horseback on one side and a flaming sword of righteousness on the other side. Calls for the coins to be struck at the U.S. Mint at West Point, New York. Authorizes the Secretary to issue such minted coins beginning on January 1, 2006, and to initiate coin sales before such date (2006 will mark the 100th anniversary of Roosevelt receiving the Nobel Peace Prize). Requires surcharges from the sale of the coins to be paid to the Theodore Roosevelt Association to be used exclusively for educational programs at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, including for construction and maintenance of a visitor's center.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2003
Keeping Our Promises to America's Children Act of 2003 - Provides a moratorium on compliance with certain requirements for adequate yearly progress under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA), for any fiscal year in which amounts appropriated are less than those authorized for the applicable program, project, or activity under ESEA title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) part A (Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies) (I-A). Authorizes State or local educational agencies that are recipients of I-A funds to defer commencing, suspend, or modify their administering functions under such requirements with respect to such program, project or activity. Directs the Secretary of Education to ensure that otherwise applicable negative consequences shall not apply to such recipients because of such actions.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2003
Taxpayer Abuse Prevention Resolution of 2003 - Expresses the sense of Congress that Federal tax collection services should not be paid for on the basis of a commission or as a percentage of taxes collected.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Right Start Act of 2003 - Extends and increases authorizations of appropriations for: (1) the Head Start Act; (2) State entitlements to funding for child care, under Social Security Act (SSA) provisions for block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families (TANF); and (3) services to low-income families through the social services block grant under SSA. Increases set-aside portion of funds for child care quality under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990. Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act - IMPACT Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to address issues of overweight and obesity. Expands certain existing grant programs for health professional training to include the treatment of overweight and obesity. Creates grant programs at the local level to promote increased physical activity and improved nutrition. Expands an existing coordinated school health program to include grants for the development of programs which focus on healthy lifestyle, including balanced diet and physical activity. Authorizes the collection and analysis of data concerning the fitness levels of children and youth. Requires a study of the food and nutrition assistance programs run by the Department of Agriculture to determine how they can be improved or altered to help prevent obesity and overweight. Requires an evidence report study on the effectiveness of weight reduction programs. Permits the use of preventive health and health services block grants for community education programs which promote healthy eating and exercise habits. Creates a Medicare demonstration project to reduce obesity and other chronic disease risks in older Americans. Makes grants available to local healthcare delivery systems for overweight and obesity treatment and prevention demonstration programs. Provides grants and contracts for a national youth media campaign to change children's health behaviors. Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act - Family Income to Respond to Significant Transitions Insurance Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make grants to a State or local government to pay for the Federal share of the cost of carrying out projects that assist families by providing wage replacement for eligible individuals responding to caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a son or daughter or other family caregiving needs. Family and Medical Leave Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to extend coverage to employees at worksites where the employer employs at least 25 (currently 50) employees at the worksite and within 75 miles of that worksite. Amends FMLA and Federal civil service law to entitle to leave those employees who must address the effects of domestic violence. Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2003 - Permits the Office of Personnel Management to contract with one or more employing agencies to conduct a demonstration project that provides paid leave for eligible individuals who are responding to caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a son or daughter or other family caregiving needs. Requires the leave to last for at least six weeks during a 12-month period. Time for Schools Act of 2003 - Amends FMLA to allow employees covered by such Act to take up to 24 hours, during any 12-month period, of school involvement leave to participate in: (1) an academic activity of their child's school, such as a parent-teacher conference or an interview for a school; or (2) literacy training under a family literacy program. Amends Federal civil service law to provide the same school involvement leave allowance for Federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Focus On Committed and Underpaid Staff for Children's Sake Act (FOCUS Act) - Establishes: (1) the Child Care Provider Development and Retention Grant Program; and (2) the Child Care Provider Scholarship Program. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to allot funds to eligible States (and Indian tribes and tribal organizations) for distribution directly, or at State option through local governments, to pay the Federal share of the cost of making grants to eligible child care providers under both such programs. Healthy Early Education Workforce Grant Program Act - Authorizes the Secretary to allot funds to eligible States (and Indian tribes and tribal organizations) to pay for the Federal share of the cost of providing access to affordable health benefits coverage for: (1) eligible child care providers; and (2) at State option, the spouses, domestic partners, and dependents of such providers. Directs the Secretary to conduct an evaluation of several such funded State programs representing various approaches to increasing the rate of coverage for child care providers.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act - Identifies roadless areas within the National Forest System set forth in specified documents as National Forest Inventoried Roadless Areas, and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to manage such Areas to maintain their roadless character.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Low Income Housing Extension Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide an increased low-income housing credit for property which is contiguous to a qualified census tract and which meets qualified allocation plan criteria.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Peace Stamp for the Peace Corps Act - Directs the U.S. Postal Service to issue a semipostal (a postage stamp sold at a premium in order to help provide funding for certain causes) to benefit the Peace Corps.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Fully Fund the No Child Left Behind Act - Suspends amendments made by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA) to titles I or II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) if the Federal Government fails to fully fund them.. Provides for such suspension if the Government appropriates any amount less than the specific dollar amount for that fiscal year in the authorization of appropriations for title I (currently, Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) or title II (currently, Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals). Requires the ESEA provisions in effect before NCLBA's enactment to be in effect during any fiscal year of such suspension for title I (formerly, Helping Disadvantaged Children Meet High Standards) or title II (formerly, Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development Program).
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Trade Law Reform Act of 2003 - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to revise various factors that the International Trade Commission (ITC) must consider in making material injury determinations in countervailing duty and antidumping duty proceedings. Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to change the standard for determining if an imported product is harming domestic producers by requiring a showing that the product causes or threatens to cause serious injury. (Current law requires a product to be a substantial cause of injury). Amends the Trade Act of 2002 to: (1) direct the U.S. Trade Representative to reject any trade agreement proposal whether through the World Trade Organization (WTO) or with any country if such agreement would weaken existing U.S. trade remedy laws; and (2) expand the President's reporting duties under such Act. Congressional Advisory Commission on WTO Dispute Settlement Act - Establishes the Congressional Advisory Commission on WTO Dispute Settlement to review all decisions made by a WTO appellate body or dispute settlement panel adversely affecting the United States to determine if such entity acted properly under existing law. Authorizes the Commission to hold public hearings to solicit views concerning a report of such an entity. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) a private U.S. person who is supportive of a U.S. position in a trade matter before such an entity should be permitted to observe and have access to the proceedings; (2) the U.S. Trade Representative should provide such person with all pertinent information, and (3) the U.S. Trade Representative should consult with such person and involve such person in dispute settlement proceedings. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish and implement a steel import licensing and surge monitoring program. Requires a person to have a steel import license before entering certain steel products into the United States. Applies the amendments made by this Act to goods from Canada and Mexico.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Urges the President to submit to the House of Representatives documents or other materials in his possession that provides specific evidence with respect to claims of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Honors Specialist Shoshana Johnson, U.S. Army, a former prisoner of war in Operation Iraqi Freedom, for her heroism and sacrifice and for representing the highest ideals of service in the armed forces.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act of 2003 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for programs, functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration for FY 2005 130 percent of the amount obligated during FY 2003. Adjusts the amount provided for fiscal years after FY 2005 based on the number of enrolled veterans and the number of other persons eligible but not enrolled who are provided care, multiplied by the per capital baseline amount for FY 2003, as increased by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index. Prohibits the availability of such funds for: (1) construction, acquisition, or alteration of veterans' medical facilities (other than for repairs provided for before the date of enactment of this Act); or (2) grants for the construction of State home facilities for the furnishing of veterans' domiciliary, nursing home, and hospital care.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Medicare Chronic Care Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from requiring the payment of deductibles and coinsurance for certain existing preventive benefits under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Directs the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to study and report to the President on current literature and best practices in the field of health promotion and disease prevention among Medicare beneficiaries, including specified issues. Requires the Institute to develop recommendations in legislative form that prioritize Medicare preventive health benefits and modify them, adding new ones based on such study. Authorizes the Secretary by regulation to adopt any or all of such recommendations. Applies the elimination of cost-sharing for preventive benefits under this Act to any Medicare furnished items and services incorporated by such regulation. Provides for: (1) Medicare coverage of an initial preventive physical examination and care coordination and assessment services furnished by a care coordinator as a Medicare part B medical service; and (2) care coordination and assessment services and quality improvement program in Medicare+Choice plans under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice). Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to enable them to develop, implement, or train personnel in the use of standardized clinical information technology systems designed to: (1) improve the coordination and quality of care furnished to Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions; and (2) increase administrative efficiencies of such entities. Directs the Secretary to: (1) review appropriate regulations, policies, and procedures, including those of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMMS), with respect to determinations of whether an item or service is reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury for purposes of payment under Medicare; and (2) take appropriate corrective measures to ensure that the proper standard for making such determinations is applied, if it is found that CMMS, a fiscal intermediary, or a carrier has misapplied the coverage standard by requiring that the item or service improve the condition of the patient with respect to such illness or injury. Directs the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine to study and report to the Secretary and Congress on factors of the Medicare program that facilitate or impede effective care for Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Working Taxpayer Fairness Restoration Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the refundability of the child tax credit, to accelerate the increase to the 15 percent rate. Limits, to fair market value immediately following a transaction, the importation of net built-in loss by a corporation. Prohibits an allocation of any decrease in the adjusted basis of partnership property to stock in a corporation which is a partner in the partnership. Repeals part V (Financial Asset Securitization Investment Trusts) of subchapter M (Regulated Investment Companies and Real Estate Investment Trusts). Expands the definition of a disqualified debt instrument with respect to deduction disallowance on certain debt instruments of corporations. Expands the authority to disallow deductions, credits, or other allowances under provisions disallowing such benefits due to acquisitions made to evade or avoid income tax. Amends provisions affecting passive foreign investment companies to state that the term "qualified portion" (of a shareholder's holding period) does not include any period if there is only a remote likelihood of an inclusion in gross income under subpart F (Controlled Foreign Income). Adds to the definition of the term "real estate investment trust" by stating that such term includes a corporation, trust, or association which is not a controlled entity. Directs the Secretary to establish a program requiring the payment of user fees, until September 30, 2013, for: (1) requests to the Internal Revenue Service for ruling letters, opinion letters, and determination letters; and (2) other similar requests.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2003
Linking Educators and Developing Entrepreneurs for Reaching Success (LEADERS) Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to support business incubation at institutions of higher education that award associate or baccalaureate degrees. Directs the Secretary to make competitive, matching awards to: (1) a non-profit entity that manages or provides technical assistance to a degree-granting institution's affiliated incubator (or to the institution that manages in the absence of such an entity), for helping acquire or renovate space for incubators, and for developing curricula, providing services, or providing programming for entrepreneurs housed in an incubator; and (2) a degree-granting institution or a nonprofit local government or community development organization, for feasibility studies to determine the need for or siting of incubators. Requires the Secretary to reserve certain amounts for research regarding best practices for incubator programs, including the development of a benchmarking system based on uniform measures, and for dissemination of information regarding such practices. Authorizes contracts for such purposes with organizations with expertise in business incubation practices.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2003
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a program to assist States and local educational agencies (LEAs) to recruit, train, and hire additional school-based mental health and student service providers, including additional school counselors, psychologists, and social workers (in order to reduce the student-to-counselor ratios nationally, in elementary and secondary schools, to an average of one school counselor for every 250 students, one psychologist for every 1,000 students, and one social worker for every 800 students, as recommended in a report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences relating to schools and health). Directs the Secretary of Education, after reserving certain funds for schools in outlying areas and schools run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to make program allotments to States according to a specified formula. Requires States to allocate funds from Federal and State shares of program costs to LEAs according to specified formulae.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2003
Amends title IV part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of the Social Security Act to prescribe procedural guidelines for the collection of child support arrears in interstate cases, including: (1) accelerated transmission of income withholding orders to employers; and (2) certification by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to the Secretary of the Treasury for collection on behalf of the State by the Internal Revenue Service of specified child support arrears owed in a case in which the amount is at least $5,000, and in which the State has undertaken collection proceedings, but income withholding is not available, or diligent efforts have not succeeded.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2003
Working Families Tax Credit Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) accelerate and increase the refundability of the child tax credit to the 15 percent rate; and (2) include combat pay (otherwise excludable from gross income) as earned income for purposes of determining such refundability. Increases the earned income credit phaseout amount on a joint return by $3,000. Revises tax shelter provisions to, among other things: (1) define economic substance; (2) impose a penalty for the failure to include in a return information concerning a reportable transaction, a reportable transaction understatement (including imposing the penalty for certain understatements which were based on unreasonable legal or factual assumptions), a noneconomic substance transaction understatement, and interests in foreign financial accounts; (3) modify rules concerning the failure to furnish information regarding reportable transactions and the penalty for such failure, the failure to maintain lists of investors in potentially abusive tax shelters and the penalty for such failure, the authority to seek an injunction to enjoin promoters of abusive tax shelters; and (4) deny a deduction of interest on underpayments attributable to nondisclosed reportable transactions and noneconomic substance transactions. Amends other provisions to, among other things: (1) place a limit on the transfer or importation by a corporation of built-in losses; (2) provide for the partnership treatment of certain contributed property with a built-in loss; (3) repeal part V (Financial Asset Securitization Investment Trusts) of subchapter M (Regulated Investment Companies and Real Estate Investment Trusts); and (4) modify rules concerning the disallowance of a deduction on certain debt instruments of corporations, passive foreign investment companies, and the reduction in a corporate shareholder's basis in stock by the nontaxed portion of extraordinary dividends. Revises corporate expatriation provisions to treat acquiring corporations in "corporate expatriation transactions" as domestic corporations. Defines a "corporate expatriation transaction" as, with certain exceptions, one in which a "nominally foreign corporation" acquires substantially all of the properties held by a domestic corporation and in which, immediately after the transaction, more than 80 percent of the stock of the acquiring corporation is held by former shareholders of the domestic corporation. Lowers the 80 percent threshold to 50 percent when the acquiring "nominally foreign corporation" lacks substantial business activities in the foreign country in which it was created and organized compared to the total activities of the "expanded affiliated group" and the stock is publicly traded, with the principal market of trading being the United States. Defines the terms "nominally foreign corporation" and "expanded affiliated group." Applies similar rules to partnership transactions. Establishes that a series of related transactions relevant to the Act shall be handled as a single transaction.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
225th Anniversary of the American Revolution Commemoration Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to be known as the 225th Anniversary of the American Revolution Commemoration. Requires the Secretary to: (1) produce and disseminate educational materials related to the Anniversary; (2) enter into appropriate cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding to provide technical assistance to other Federal agencies, States, local governments, private entities, and the governments of the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Canada; (3) assist in the protection of resources associated with the American Revolution; (4) enhance communications, connections, and collaboration among the National Park Service (NPS) units and programs related to the Revolutionary War; (5) expand the research base for American Revolution interpretation and education; and (6) create and adopt an official symbol or device for the theme "Lighting Freedom's Flame: American Revolution, 225th Anniversary." Requires the program to encompass: (1) all NPS units and programs determined to pertain to the American Revolution; (2) other governmental and nongovernmental sites, facilities, and programs of an educational, research, or interpretive nature directly related to the American Revolution; and (3) the participation of such foreign governments.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to provide for an extension of time for States to request payments for activities to improve administration of elections and for replacement of punch card or lever voting machines. Repeals the exemption of the Election Assistance Commission from certain Government contracting requirements (thus requiring the Commission to advertise for proposals for purchases and contracts for supplies or services). Revises audit capacity requirements to require the voting system to produce a voter-verified paper record suitable for a manual audit equivalent or superior to that of a paper ballot box system. Requires the voting system to provide a mechanism for voter-verification of results with respect to individuals with disabilities which separates the function of vote generation from the function of vote casting, but does not require the use of paper. Requires instruction of election officials in the rights of the disabled to vote with the assistance of an aide of their selection under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Requires the Commission to study and develop best practices to enhance accessibility and voter-verification mechanisms for disabled voters. Accelerates the deadline for compliance with voting systems standards from January 1, 2006, to the regularly scheduled November 2004 general Federal election. Requires each State and jurisdiction unable to meet such deadline to receive a paper voting system at Commission expense that shall be deemed compliant with such standards for use in the November 2004 general election. Requires Federal certification of technological security of voter registration lists. Directs the Commission to: (1) conduct manual mandatory surprise recounts of the voter-verified records of each election for Federal office (and, at State or local option, of elections for State and local office) in .5 percent of the jurisdictions in each State and .5 percent of the overseas jurisdictions in which voter-verified records are preserved in accordance with this Act immediately following each general election for Federal office; and (2) promptly publish the results of those recounts.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Judicial Use of Discretion to Guarantee Equity in Sentencing Act of 2003 (JUDGES Act) - Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to report to Congress on the incidence of downward departures from the U.S. sentencing guidelines (i.e., imposition of a sentence below the range established by such guidelines). Includes among required report contents: (1) a discussion of the history and purpose of departures in the Federal system; (2) information on rates of departures from the guidelines among different districts and judicial circuits and among different offense and departure types; (3) an analysis of the grounds provided by district court judges when they depart from the guidelines; (4) a comparison of the departure authority in Federal law with that of State systems; and (5) an assessment of the extent to which departures undermine or promote the purposes of sentencing. Repeals specified nonconforming (sentencing reform) provisions of the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003 (PROTECT Act), including provisions that limit judges' discretion in sentencing, require the Chief Judge of each district court to submit written reports to the Commission within 30 days of entry of judgment in every criminal case, and make changes to the composition of the Commission.
![Official portrait of Rep. Jones, Stephanie Tubbs [D-OH-11]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/j000284_200.jpg)