United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2004
Crosby-Puller Combat Wounds Compensation Act - Continues hazardous duty pay, aviation career incentive pay, career enlisted flier incentive pay, hardship duty pay, imminent danger pay, the travel or transportation per diem for duty outside the United States or in Hawaii or Alaska, and the family separation allowance for members of the Armed Forces who are wounded or injured in combat zones and removed from the area for treatment until such time as the member: (1) is found physically fit to perform the duties of the member's office, grade, rank, or rating; (2) is discharged or separated; or (3) dies. Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the time limitation on the income tax exclusion for combat zone compensation resulting from hospitalization due to wounds, disease, or injury incurred in such combat zone.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2004
Providing Reliable Officers, Technology, Education, Community Prosecutors, and Training In Our Neighborhoods Act of 2004 or PROTECTION Act - Modifies provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 regarding public safety and community policing ("cops on the beat" program, COPS) to authorize the Attorney General to use COPS grants to: (1) increase prosecutor presence and to enhance law enforcement access to new technologies; (2) pay overtime to existing career law enforcement officers for community policing; and (3) promote higher education among in-service State and local law enforcement officers by reimbursing them for certain educational costs. Includes among permitted additional grant projects: (1) specialized integrity and ethics training; and (2) innovative proactive crime control and prevention programs involving school officials and religiously-affiliated organizations. Authorizes the Attorney General to use up to five percent of appropriated funds for technical assistance and training to States, local governments, Indian tribal governments, and other entities. Repeals provisions of the Act regarding termination of grants for hiring officers. Allows grants to be used to assist: (1) police departments in employing specified professional, scientific, and technological advancements; (2) State, local, or tribal prosecutors' offices in implementation of community-based prosecution programs that build on local community policing efforts; and (3) in paying overtime to existing career law enforcement officers. Reserves specified funds for local governmental units with a population of less than 50,000. Authorizes the Attorney General to use no more than 50 percent of grant renewal funds to award grants targeted for police officer retention.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2004
Cancer Care Preservation Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to allow the average sales price system to go into effect but also to ensure that Medicare payments for cancer drugs do not go below 95 percent of 2004 levels in 2005, and 95 percent of 2005 levels in 2006. Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 with respect to the transitional adjustment in practice expense relative value units in the physician fee schedule for drug administration services. Extends application of the transition adjustment through December 31, 2006. Increases from three percent to 27 percent during 2005 the applicable percentage of the fee schedule amount that shall be paid to a physician from the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund. Reduces this applicable percentage during 2006 to 22 percent. (Current law reduces the 32 percent transitional payment for practice expenses in 2004 to 3 percent in 2005 and 0 percent in 2006.)
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2004
States that the House of Representatives: (1) condemns in the strongest terms all efforts to suppress and intimidate voters in the United States; (2) reaffirms that voting is a fundamental right of all eligible U.S. citizens; (3) urges States to replace decades-old election machinery with less error-prone equipment before the November 2004 national elections; (4) calls upon all States to institute a moratorium on the erection of roadblocks or identity checkpoints designed to racially profile or intimidate voters on Election Day; and (5) calls upon the Attorney General to monitor vigorously and investigate all credible allegations of voter intimidation and suppression, and to prosecute expeditiously all offenders to the full extent of the law.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that Congress should fully fund the design and construction of a visitor center at the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2004
Emergency Loan Abuse Prevention Act of 2004 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reduce certain special allowance payments to holders of student loans. Appropriates, for each fiscal year after enactment of this Act, an additional amount to increase the maximum Pell grant for that fiscal year. Makes such amount equal to the amount by which expenditures for such special allowances are reduced by this Act for that fiscal year, as determined by the Congressional Budget Office.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2004
Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act - Expresses the sense of Congress regarding: (1) the relevance of the Sudan Peace Act and its extension to the Darfur region of Sudan; (2) the genocide unfolding in Darfur and the Government of Sudan's violation of the Convention of the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; and (3) actions to address the conflict in Sudan. Requires an annual report on the identities of entities doing business in Sudan. Prohibits an entity doing business in Sudan from raising capital or trading its securities in the United States. Provides for: (1) sanctions in support of peace in Darfur; and (2) actions to secure multilateral efforts against the Government of Sudan. Amends the Sudan Peace Act to authorize the President to assist Sudan to support the implementation of a comprehensive peace agreement that applies to all regions of Sudan, including the Darfur region, and to address the humanitarian and human rights crisis in the Darfur region and its impact on eastern Chad, contingent upon a continuing certification to the appropriate congressional committees that the Government of Sudan is taking specified actions. States that certain export prohibitions shall not apply to any export or related transaction from an area in Sudan outside of the Government of Sudan's control if the President determines that the export or related transaction would directly benefit the economic development of that area and its people.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2004
Disabled Veterans Transition Assistance Act of 2004 - Requires the Secretary of Defense to carry out a program to provide a support system for members of the Armed Forces who incur severe disabilities on or after September 11, 2001, including a system of advocacy and follow-up to assist those members to transition from military service to the civilian community. Requires the Secretary to designate an executive agent to carry out the program throughout the Department of Defense and, in cooperation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, for members of the Coast Guard with severe disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2004
Increases the death gratuity payable with respect to members of the Armed Forces from $12,000 to $50,000. Makes this increase applicable to deaths occurring on or after September 11, 2001. Requires the Secretary of Defense to derive funds for payments under this Act in FY 2005 from travel funds for personnel of the Office of the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2004
9/11 Commission Recommendations Implementation Act of 2004 - Establishes a National Intelligence Director to manage the National Intelligence Program. Empowers the Secretary of Defense with lead responsibility for directing and executing paramilitary operations, whether clandestine or covert. Establishes a National Counterterrorism Center for strategic analysis concerning transnational terrorist organizations with global reach. Requires the President to direct the head of each appropriate Federal department or agency to identify and prioritize actual or potential terrorist sanctuaries throughout the world. Requires a national strategy to destabilize identified sanctuaries. Authorizes the President to support the Government of: (1) Pakistan in its efforts against extremists; and (2) Afghanistan to extend its authority over such country. Directs the Secretary of State to establish programs to promote greater familiarity with American society and values among the general public and select audiences in Muslim countries. Directs the President to: (1) strengthen counterproliferation efforts against weapons of mass destruction; and (2) track the financing of terrorist organizations and prevent money laundering for their benefit. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) integrate U.S. border screening systems with Federal security sites within the U.S. transportation system and sites containing vital national facilities; (2) complete a biometric entry and exit screening system for persons entering and departing the United States; (3) develop a plan for the allocation of limited transportation security resources; and (4) improve aviation screening. Requires: (1) the sharing of information for purposes of protecting the national security; (2) the establishment of a board to oversee Federal adherence to civil liberties; (3) that all U.S. emergency response agencies adopt the Incident Command System and unified command procedures; (4) the promotion of private sector emergency preparedness; (5) both Houses of Congress to pass separate intelligence appropriations bills; (6) a specialized and integrated national security workforce at the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and (7) regular adequacy assessments of the strategies and planning of the United States Northern Command to defend the United States against military threats.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Interstate 3/3rd Infantry Division Highway Initiation Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to study and report to the appropriate congressional committees on the steps and estimated funding necessary to designate and construct a new interstate (Interstate Route I-3) for the 3rd Infantry Division 6 Highway, from Savannah, Georgia, to Knoxville, Tennessee 7 (formerly the Savannah River Parkway).
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
14th/14 Amendment Interstate Highway Initiation Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to study and report to the appropriate congressional committees on the steps and estimated funding necessary to designate and construct a new interstate route (Interstate Route I-14) for the 14th Amendment Highway, from Augusta, Georgia, to Natchez, Mississippi, (formerly designated the Fall Line Freeway within the State of Georgia).
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
Requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission, within six months of enactment of this Act, to promulgate a rule declaring mercury-containing toys to be banned hazardous products under the Consumer Product Safety Act. Defines "mercury-containing toy" as any toy or other product that contains mercury and is designed primarily for or marketed primarily to children.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2004
No Child Left Behind Appropriations Support Act of 2004 - Makes a supplemental appropriation for the Department of Education for FY 2004 to carry out this Act. Directs the Secretary of Education to make payments in additional amounts to each local education agency (LEA) that receives a lesser amount of funds for FY 2004 than it received for FY 2003 under subpart 2 (Allocations) of part A (Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies) of title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Requires such payments to equal the difference between the amount the LEA would otherwise receive for FY 2004 and the amount the LEA received in FY 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells if: (1) the stem cells were derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics for the purpose of fertility treatment and were in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking such treatment; (2) the embryos will never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and (3) such individuals donate the embryos with written informed consent and receive no financial or other inducements.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
States that Congress: (1) declares that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide; (2) reminds the international community, including the U.S. Government, of their international legal obligations, as affirmed in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; (3) calls on the Bush Administration to lead an international effort to prevent genocide in Darfur; (4) urges the Bush Administration to consider multilateral or even unilateral intervention to prevent genocide should the United Nations Security Council fail to act; (5) demands that the Bush Administration impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and the freezing of assets of the National Congress and affiliated business and individuals directly responsible for the atrocities in Darfur; and (6) calls on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish a Darfur Resettlement, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Second Chance Act of 2004: Community Safety Through Recidivism Prevention or Second Chance Act of 2004 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reauthorize, rewrite, and expand provisions regarding adult and juvenile offender reentry demonstration projects, including by authorizing funds to: (1) provide structured post-release housing and transitional housing through which offenders are provided supervision and services immediately following reentry into the community; (2) facilitate specified collaboration to promote the employment of people released from prison and jail; and (3) establish or expand the use of reentry courts. Sets forth grant priorities and requirements, including that each State or local government recipient establish a Reentry Task Force or other relevant convening authority. Authorizes the Attorney General to make a grant to provide for the establishment of a National Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Resource Center. Directs the Attorney General to establish an interagency task force on Federal programs and activities relating to offender reentry. Authorizes the National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics to conduct research on offender reentry. Directs: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review the role of State child protective services at the time of arrest and to establish services for the preservation of families impacted by the incarceration of a family member; and (2) the Secretary of Labor to implement a program to educate employers about existing incentives to the hiring of former prisoners and to make grants to community-based organizations to provide mentoring and other transitional services essential to reintegrating ex-offenders.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2004
No Child Left Behind Fairness Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Education to require local educational agencies (LEAs) and State educational agencies (SEAs) to give schools and LEAs, respectively, an opportunity to request a review of a determination that they did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2002-2003 school year. Sets forth standards for such reviews, providing for consideration of subsequent regulations and guidance applicable to AYP determinations under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Prohibits the Secretary, an SEA, or an LEA, with respect to subsequent determinations of whether a school is subject to school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring as a result of not making AYP, from taking into account a 2002-2003 non-AYP determination that was revised under this Act if the school received a final determination of AYP for such school year.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2004
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service, to develop a national plan to control and manage Sudden Oak Death, a forest disease caused by the fungus-like pathogen Phytophthora ramorum.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2004
Honors the life and accomplishments of Ray Charles Robinson. Recognizes his invaluable contributions to the Nation, the State of Georgia, and the American musical heritage. Extends condolences to his family on his death.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2004
Recognizes the 40th anniversary of the day civil rights organizers Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner gave their lives. Encourages all Americans to observe the anniversary of the deaths of the three men by committing themselves to the fundamental principles of freedom, equality, and democracy.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Montgomery GI Bill Second Chance Act of 2004 - Authorizes certain members of the Armed Forces to make an irrevocable election during October of any year beginning in 2004 to become entitled to basic educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill. Requires a reduction in basic pay of those members electing such educational assistance or, if the member is discharged or released from active duty prior to such reduction, the collection of specified amounts from the member or an equivalent reduction in retired or retainer pay. States that members who are enrolled in the post-Vietnam era veterans' educational assistance program shall be disenrolled from that program upon electing the educational assistance described in this Act. Requires the Secretary concerned, in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, to provide notice of the opportunity created by this Act to elect educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of tobacco products by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Food and Drug Administration, including through disclosure, annual registration, inspection, recordkeeping, and user fee requirements. Sets forth criteria by which tobacco products are deemed adulterated or misbranded. Allows the Secretary to require prior approval of all label statements. Allows the Secretary to restrict the sale or distribution of tobacco products, including advertising and promotion, if the Secretary determines that such regulation would be appropriate for the protection of the public health. Prohibits such regulations from: (1) limiting product sales or distribution to authorization of a practitioner licensed to prescribe medical products; (2) prohibiting product sales in face-to-face transactions by a specific category of retail outlets; or (3) establishing a minimum age greater than 18 years of age for product purchases. Prohibits cigarettes from containing any artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, cinnamon, or coffee. Requires the Secretary to establish tobacco product standards to protect the public health, but reserves to Congress the power to ban any tobacco products or reduce the nicotine level to zero. Allows the Secretary to take specified actions, including public notification and recall, against unreasonably harmful products. Requires premarket approval of all new tobacco products. Sets forth standards for the sale of modified risk tobacco products. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) judicial review; (2) coordination with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); (3) congressional review of regulations; and (4) state and local authority. Requires the Secretary to establish a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to change cigarette warning label and advertising requirements. Amends the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 to change smokeless tobacco warning label and advertising requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2004
Direct Loan Reward Act of 2004 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a Direct Loan Reward Program to encourage institutions of higher education to participate in the student loan program under part D, Federal Perkins Loans. Makes the amount of financial reward payment to an institution under this Act equal to 50 percent of the savings to the Federal Government generated by the institution's participation in such part D student loan program instead of its participation in the student loan program under the part B Federal Family Education Loan Program.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2004
Women's Sustainability Recovery Act of 2004 - Establishes FY 2004 funding priorities for women's business development centers by: (1) reserving a certain percentage of available funds for sustainability grants under the Small Business Act notwithstanding current limits on the use of unawarded funds; (2) setting a maximum funding amount for such grants; and (3) specifying a formula for continuation grants to centers that received FY 2003 funding.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
Healthy Troops Act - Requires predeployment and postdeployment medical examinations of certain members of the armed forces to include self-administered surveys followed by clinical examinations. Specifies that predeployment surveys and examinations shall include: (1) the collection of clinical data; (2) the collection of information on current and past physical or mental health conditions that might affect performance; (3) an assessment of mental health; (4) screening for diseases prevalent among the armed forces; and (5) referrals for any conditions needing further treatment. Specifies that postdeployment surveys and examinations shall include self-reported information about relevant exposures during the period of deployment including combat experience and screening for post-traumatic stress disorder. Directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study of the effectiveness of self-administered surveys.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
Requests that the Secretary of Defense transmit to the House of Representatives any picture, photograph, video, communication, or report produced in conjunction with any completed Department of Defense (DOD) investigation: (1) conducted by Major General Antonio M. Taguba and relating to allegations of torture or allegations of violations of the Geneva Convention at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq; or (2) relating to the abuse or alleged abuse of prisoners of war or detainees by civilian contractors employed in Iraq on behalf of the DOD.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Reading Failure Prevention Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to States to establish statewide programs for screening children between the ages of five and seven for the prevention of reading failure. Requires a State to agree to use the grant to: (1) develop and implement a program that screens such children for traits that indicate dyslexia or that they are otherwise at risk of reading failure; and (2) provide adequate professional development for personnel who administer screening programs under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Honors the extraordinary contributions of the women whose dedicated service on the home front during World War II was instrumental in achieving an Allied victory. Recognizes the lasting legacy of equal employment opportunity and support for child care and health care that developed during the "Rosie the Riveter" era. Calls on the people of the United States to study, reflect on, and celebrate the stories and accomplishments of women who served the Nation as "Rosies" during that war.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Declares that the Congress: (1) recognizes and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision; (2) encourages all Americans to recognize and celebrate the anniversary; and (3) renews its commitment to continuing and building on the legacy of Brown with a pledge to acknowledge and address the modern day disparities that remain.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2004
San Francisco Old Mint Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 100,000 $5 coins and 500,000 $1 coins emblematic of the San Francisco Old Mint Building, its importance to California and U.S. history, and its role in rebuilding San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire. Requires that all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act be promptly paid to the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society for use for the purposes of rehabilitating the Historic Old Mint in San Francisco as a city museum and an American Coin and Gold Rush Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2004
Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Attorney General to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that: (1) constitutes a crime of violence under Federal law or a felony under State or Indian tribal law; and (2) is motivated by prejudice based on the race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability of the victim or is a violation of the hate crime laws of the State or tribe. Directs the Attorney General to give priority for assistance to crimes committed by offenders who have committed crimes in more than one State and to rural jurisdictions that have difficulty covering the extraordinary investigation or prosecution expenses. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to assist State, local, and Indian law enforcement officials with such extraordinary expenses. Directs the Office of Justice Programs to: (1) work closely with funded jurisdictions to ensure that the concerns and needs of all affected parties are addressed; and (2) award grants to State and local programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles. Prohibits specified offenses involving actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to study and provide sentencing enhancements for adult recruitment of juveniles to commit hate crimes. Amends the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to require the crime data to be collected and published by the Attorney General to include data about crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on gender.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2004
Amends Federal provisions concerning the National Guard Challenge Program (a civilian youth opportunities program conducted by the Secretary of Defense) to: (1) provide a maximum Federal matching funds level of 65 percent of the costs of operating the State program during FY 2005, 70 percent during FY 2006, and 75 percent for FY 2007 and beyond; (2) authorize appropriations for the Program for FY 2005; and (3) rename it the National Guard Youth Challenge Program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2004
Putting Prevention First Act - Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2004 - Authorizes appropriations for family planning services grants and contracts under the Public Health Services Act. Family Planning State Empowerment Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow States to provide family planning services and supplies to certain individuals not otherwise eligible for Medicaid. Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to prohibit a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer providing group coverage, from excluding or restricting benefits in any way for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, and outpatient services if the plan provides benefits for other outpatient prescription drugs, devices, or outpatient services. Amends the PHSA to apply those prohibitions to coverage offered in the individual market. Emergency Contraception Education Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and disseminate information on emergency contraception to the public and to health care providers. Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act - Requires hospitals, as a condition of receiving Federal funds, to offer and to provide, upon request, emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault. Family Life Education Act - Requires the Secretary to make grants to States for family life education, including education on abstinence and contraception to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Preventing Teen Pregnancy Act - Amends the PHSA to authorize the Secretary to award grants to public and private entities to establish or expand teenage pregnancy prevention programs.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2004
Family Life Education Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to States for family life education, including education on abstinence and contraception, to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Expresses the sense of Congress that States are encouraged but not required to provide matching funds. Requires the Secretary to provide for a national evaluation of a representative sample of such programs for effectiveness in changing adolescent sexual behavior, including delaying sexual and high-risk activity, preventing pregnancy and disease (including HIV/AIDS), and increasing contraceptive knowledge. Requires States receiving such grants to provide for an individual evaluation of the State's program by an external, independent entity.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2004
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 the family of Thurgood Marshall (the first African-American Justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court) in recognition of Marshall's contributions to the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2004
States that Congress: (1) remembers the victims of the 1994 Rwanda genocide and pledges to work to ensure that such an atrocity does not take place again; (2) acknowledges that the international community, including the United States, failed the people of Rwanda and watched with indifference while hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians were being killed; (3) supports assistance to the survivors of the Rwandan genocide; (4) urges political and financial support for the Gacaca courts; (5) acknowledges the heroic work of many individuals and human rights organizations for their campaign to help stop the genocide; (6) expresses deep appreciation to General Romeo Dallaire for his efforts to stop the genocide and for helping many Rwandese civilians; (7) accepts the fact that General Dallaire warned the United Nations on a number of occasions of an impending genocide and was ordered by his superiors not to take action; (8) calls for an investigation of the role played by the United States prior to and during the Rwandan genocide, noting that the parliaments of Belgium and France both created commissions of inquiry to investigate the roles played by their respective governments; and (9) urges the creation of a bi-partisan Commission of Inquiry for Rwanda to investigate all aspects of the role played by the United States prior to and during the Rwandan genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
Congratulates the Kennesaw State University Owls for winning the 2004 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship, and recognizes the contributions of the players, coaches, staff, faculty, families, and supporters in winning the Championship. Commends the city of Kennesaw, Georgia, for its enthusiastic support of the Kennesaw State University Owls. Hopes that the high academic and athletic standards set by the Kennesaw State University Owls will continue to inspire fans and young players around the world by producing student athletes of a high caliber.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
States that Congress: (1) condemns the Government of the Republic of Sudan for its attacks on innocent civilians in the Darfur region of Sudan and demands their cessation; (2) calls on the international community to condemn such attacks and demand their cessation; and (3) urges the President to direct the United States representative to the United Nations to seek an official investigation into whether Sudan has committed crimes against humanity in Darfur.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2004
Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004 - Amends, and repeals, specified agricultural Acts to eliminate tobacco quota and price support programs. Provides for: (1) transitional payments (funded by appropriations made by this Act) to tobacco quota holders and active producers of quota tobacco; (2) geographic restrictions on tobacco expansion through penalties for tobacco grown outside traditional tobacco counties; and (3) county committee resolution of payment disputes.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2004
Honors the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin for its commitment to improving access to health care and enhancing awareness of and action on issues affecting Indian American health. Calls for the establishment of an American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin Day.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2004
States that Congress: (1) condemns the detention of Father Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly by the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and calls for his immediate and unconditional release; (2) condemns the violations of freedom of speech, religion, movement, association, and the lack of due process afforded to individuals in Vietnam; and (3) urges the Government of Vietnam to consider the implications of its actions for the broader relationship with the United States, including the United States-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should: (1) make the immediate release of Father Ly a top concern; (2) reiterate its deep concern regarding the violation of Father Ly's and other prisoners' human rights, and continue to urge the Government of Vietnam to comply with international standards for freedom and human rights; and (3) make it clear to the Government of Vietnam that the detention and human rights violations of Father Ly and other persons create obstacles to improved bilateral relations with the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2004
Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) to reauthorize various programs, including the national school lunch and breakfast, child and adult care food, after-school snack, summer food service, and special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC). Revises requirements relating to eligibility for and access to such programs. Reauthorizes, without any termination date, the exclusion of military housing allowances from consideration as income in determining eligibility for free or reduced price lunches. Includes as automatically eligible for free lunches and breakfasts: (1) children or youth defined as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; and (2) youth served under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. Makes eligible also for such special payments any new schools which draw attendance from schools receiving severe need assistance. Extends through FY 2009 the summer food pilot projects and the summer food service program for children. Allows nonprofit organizations to participate in such programs. Revises the child and adult care food program. Extends indefinitely the period during which private day care providers with at least 25 percent of served children eligible for free and reduced price lunch are eligible to participate. Extends, from three years to five years, the period of a tier classification of a family or group day care home. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretary) to issue regulations requiring States to develop and use a standard form of agreement between each family or group home day care sponsoring organization and their homes participating in the program. Extends through FY 2006 the period during which the Secretary is required to reserve funds for providing training and technical assistance to States to improve program management and oversight. Authorizes the Secretary or a State agency to disregard any overpayment to an institution if the total overpayment does not exceed a collection cost amount consistent with other disregards, except where there is evidence of a violation of criminal law or civil fraud law. Allows children up to age 18 (currently 12) to be served program meals while residing at homeless or domestic violence shelters. Directs the Secretary, in conjunction with States and participating institutions, to examine the feasibility of reducing paperwork under the program. Revises eligibility and certification requirements for free and reduced price lunches. Directs the Secretary to base income eligibility guidelines on nonfarm income poverty guidelines issued by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires applications and related descriptive materials for free and reduced price lunches to be distributed at least annually to parents and guardians in clear and understandable format and language. Requires descriptive material to contain: (1) only the income levels for reduced price lunches, and an explanation that lower income levels may mean eligibility for free lunches; and (2) notice that WIC participants in the program are eligible for free or reduced price lunches. Allows applications to be submitted by an adult of the household: (1) as a single application for all children in the household; and (2) electronically if the filing system meets confidentiality standards. Directs local education agencies (LEAs) to verify information in a sample of approved applications, with variations in such samples according to specified formulae based non-response rates. Provides for direct certification of children as eligible for free meals, without further application, based on their being in households receiving assistance under the food stamp program or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program under title IV part A of the Social Security Act. Sets forth privacy protections. Prohibits requiring LEAs to submit free and reduced price meal policy statements to State agencies after the initial submission unless there is a substantive change in such policy. Requires, with certain exceptions, a child's eligibility for free and reduced price lunches to remain in effect from the date of approval for the current school year until the beginning of school in a subsequent school year, or as otherwise specified by the Secretary. Transfers responsibility for local administration of school lunch and breakfast programs from local school food authorities (LSFAs) to LEAs (including appropriate entities determined by the Secretary in cases of private nonprofit school food authorities). Makes LEAs, as well as LSFAs, responsible for program compliance and accountability. Directs the Secretary to give priority consideration to States that will use reallocated funds for technology and information management improvements. Requires States to describe how they will use technology and information management systems to improve program integrity in certain ways. Raises the amount of the minimum State administrative expense grant, and guarantees that such a grant shall not be less than the one received in a previous fiscal year. Permits eligibility for special assistance to be determined district-wide, as an alternative to determining it on an individual school basis. Directs the Secretary to develop and distribute training and technical assistance materials relating to administration of school meals programs. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) provide training and technical assistance related to administrative practices to improve program integrity and administrative accuracy to State educational agencies (SEAs), LSFAs, and LEAs; and (2) assist SEAs in reviewing administrative practices of LSFAs. Establishes additional administrative and performance review requirements for selected LSFAs and LEAs that have demonstrated high levels of or high risks for administrative errors. Directs SEAs, where such a selected LSFA or LEA fails to meet performance criteria established by the Secretary, to: (1) require such entity to develop and carry out a plan of corrective action; (2) provide technical assistance; and (3) conduct a follow-up review. Authorizes the Secretary require the SEA to recover funds that were expended in error and use them to improve program integrity and administrative accuracy. Requires States to provide annual training and technical in administrative practices, emphasizing requirements established under this Act. Requires the Secretary to assist the State or provide such training and technical assistance or directly. Authorizes the Secretary or the State to contract with a third party conducting such activities. Requires each LSFA or LEA to insure that an individual conducting or overseeing such administrative procedures receives such training at least annually. Authorizes the Secretary to assist States in carrying out State training and administrative reviews of selected LSFAs and LEAs with excessive error rates. Requires LEAs participating in school meals programs to establish local school wellness policies with: (1) goals for nutrition education, physical activity, and other school-based activities; (2) nutrition guidelines for all foods sold on school campus during the school day in order to promote health and reduce obesity; (3) a plan to ensure policy implementation, including designating persons with operational responsibility; and (4) involvement of parents, students, and representatives of the LSFA, school board, school administrators, and the public. Revises the system of nutrition education grants to SEAs to provide assistance to State agencies, schools, and nonprofit entities for the Team Nutrition Network (TNN) program and other nutrition education projects that improve student understanding of healthful eating patterns, the quality of school meals, and access to local foods in schools and institutions operating programs under NSLA and CNA. Establishes TNN to: (1) promote the Nation's schoolchildren's health through nutrition education, physical fitness, and other activities supporting healthy lifestyles; (2) provide grants to States to develop Statewide, comprehensive, and integrated nutrition education and physical fitness programs; and (3) provide training and technical assistance to States, school and community nutrition programs, and child nutrition food service professionals. Requires State TNN Coordinators to: (1) administer and coordinate a comprehensive integrated statewide nutrition education program; and (2) coordinate efforts with the Food and Nutrition Service and State agencies responsible for children's health programs. Directs the Secretary to provide assistance for the following types of three-year pilot projects: (1) to States on a competitive basis for State TNN Coordinators to create model nutrition education and physical fitness programs for school students; and (2) to not more than 100 LEAs, at least one per State, to promote healthy eating habits and increase physical fitness among school students. Authorizes the Secretary to provide: (1) technical assistance to SEAs to improve school meal quality; and (2) technical assistance and competitive matching grants to schools and nonprofit entities to improve access to local foods in schools and institutions. Includes fruits and vegetables among the foods to be emphasized in commodity distribution. Revises fruit and vegetable pilot program requirements to direct the Secretary to make available fresh and dried fruits and fresh vegetables to 25 schools in each of four additional States and one Indian reservation, with an emphasis on low-income schools. Requires schools to serve milk in a variety of fat contents. Permits substitute nutritionally-equivalent nondairy beverages to be reimbursable, if a note is provided from a medical authority or the child's parent or guardian. Extends the period during which weighted averages are not required to be used in nutrient analysis of foods under the school lunch program, if school food authority has an equivalent nutrient analysis system. Directs the Secretary to: (1) promulgate rules, based on Federal nutrition guidelines, to increase the presence of whole grains in foods offered in school nutrition programs; and (2) enter into an agreement with a science-based organization to study, determine, and report on appropriate nutritional standards for foods available to students in school, considering total daily dietary intake of students participating in the school foods program. Revises WIC program (under CNA) definitions of: (1) nutrition education to include child development and physical activity; and (2) supplemental foods to provide for consideration of the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Revises certification requirements for WIC program participation to allow: (1) a State to certify breastfeeding women for up to one year or until they stop breastfeeding, whichever is earlier; (2) a local agency to waive the physical presence requirement for infants under eight weeks of age; and (3) applicants or participants to reschedule appointments to apply or be recertified. Directs the Secretary to: (1) promulgate a rule updating the prescribed supplemental foods available through the WIC program, within six months of receiving the review of the WIC food package undertaken by the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine in September 2003; and (2) beginning in 2013, and at least every ten years thereafter, conduct scientific reviews of supplemental foods available in the WIC program and recommend changes to reflect nutrition science, current public health concerns, and cultural eating patterns. Requires State agencies to notify vendors in writing of violations, unless the notification would compromise an investigation. Authorizes State agencies to round up to the next whole can of infant formula to ensure all infants receive the full-authorized nutritional benefit. Revises WIC program competitive bidding provisions to require infant formula: (1) rebate invoices to provide reasonable estimates or actual counts of numbers of units sold to program participants; and (2) bid solicitations amounts to be adjusted on a cent-by-cent basis according to changes in the lowest national wholesale truckload price. Authorizes demonstration projects, in up to ten local sites, to evaluate inclusion of fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables, to be made available through private funds, as an addition to supplemental food provided under the WIC program. Revises WIC program provisions for management information systems to require: (1) States to comply with certain standards for electronic benefit systems; and (2) the Secretary to implement a national Universal Product Code Database for use by all State agencies. Requires participating vendors in the WIC program to purchase infant formula from a State-maintained list of approved manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers. Prohibits State alliances from exceeding 200,000 infant participants (except alliances with such numbers as of October 2003). Allows any State agency serving under 5,000 participants, or any Indian Tribal Organization, to request to join any State alliance. Increases from one to three percent the maximum portion of nutrition services and administration funds a State may expend during the subsequent fiscal year for allowable expenses incurred during a fiscal year. Extends through FY 2009 the authorization of appropriations for: (1) the WIC program; (2) WIC nutrition services and administrative funds; and (3) WIC farmers' market nutrition program. Revises requirements relating to training and technical assistance under NSLA, CNA, and other federally-assisted feeding programs. Directs the Secretary to develop policy and establish procedures regarding the purchase, distribution, notice of consumption, and provision of information regarding irradiated foods in Federal school meals programs. Extends through FY 2009 the authorization of appropriations for: (1) State administrative expenses (CNA); (2) the commodity distribution program (NSLA and the Commodity Distribution Reform Act and WIC Amendments of 1987); (3) purchases of locally produced foods (NSLA); (4) training, technical assistance, and food service management institute (NSLA); and (5) compliance and accountability (NSLA).
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2004
Haitian Refugee Protection Act - Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate Haiti as a country whose nationals may be eligible for temporary protected status. Restricts eligibility for such status to aliens who were physically present in the United States on February 25, 2004.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2004
Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) allow pancreata procured for use in islet cell transplantation or research to be counted for certification purposes for qualified organ procurement organization grants; and (2) require the Diabetes Mellitus Interagency Coordinating Committee to include in its annual report an assessment of the Federal activities and programs related to pancreatic islet cell transplantation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2004
End Racial Profiling Act of 2004 - Prohibits any law enforcement agent or agency from engaging in racial profiling. Authorizes the United States or an individual injured by racial profiling to bring a civil action for declaratory or injunctive relief in State court or U.S. district court. Makes proof that the routine or spontaneous investigatory activities of law enforcement agents in a jurisdiction have had a disparate impact on racial, ethnic, or religious minorities prima facie evidence of a violation. Authorizes the court to allow a prevailing plaintiff attorney's fees under specified circumstances. Directs Federal law enforcement agencies to: (1) cease practices that encourage racial profiling; and (2) maintain policies and procedures to eliminate racial profiling, including the collection of data on routine investigatory activities, procedures for responding meaningfully to complaints alleging racial profiling, and procedures to discipline agents who engage in racial profiling. Requires that an application by a State, local , or Indian tribal government for funding under the Byrne, Cops on the Beat, or Local Law Enforcement Block Grant program include a certification that such government: (1) maintains adequate policies and procedures designed to eliminate racial profiling; and (2) has ceased any practices that encourage racial profiling. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to States and specified entities to develop and implement best practice devices and systems to ensure the racially neutral administration of justice.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2004
Early Treatment for HIV Act of 2004 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to give States the option of providing Medicaid coverage for certain low-income HIV-infected individuals. Provides States taking advantage of this option with an enhanced Federal Medicaid match.
![Official portrait of Rep. Majette, Denise L. [D-GA-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m001145_200.jpg)