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 · 6 May 2004
Medicare Preservation and Anti-Privatization Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), as added by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to eliminate the MA Regional Plan Stabilization Fund. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide, beginning with 2005, for adjustment of payment rates to Medicare+Choice organizations so that they reflect only the payment at 100 percent of the fee-for-service rate. Provides that, in applying risk adjustment factors to payment to Medicare+Choice organizations in a budget neutral manner, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall assure that such factors, in the aggregate, take into account the actual characteristics of the entire Medicare population, and not merely the population of individuals enrolled under a Medicare+Choice plan under part C (Medicare+Choice) of SSA title XVIII.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2004
Safe Passengers and Lading in Aviation for the National Enhancement of Security Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) study and report to Congress on the workforce size needed to conduct adequate passenger and baggage screening operations at airports; and (2) certify to Congress that security will be preserved at an airport that has been authorized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to opt out of federalized screening of passengers and property at the airport and contract with a qualified private screening company. Directs the Secretary, in entering into agreements with airports to install electronic detection equipment or to alter airport structures to facilitate explosive detection equipment, to give priority to those airports that have not met specified Federal requirements to screen all checked baggage with explosive detection system (EDS). Amends Federal transportation law to eliminate a bag-match program (ensuring that no checked baggage is placed aboard an aircraft unless the passenger who checked the baggage is aboard the aircraft) as an acceptable alternative to screening of checked baggage by an EDS. Directs the Secretary, as part of the DHS budget request for FY 2006, to report to Congress on: (1) the status and technical maturity of aviation security technologies; (2) the planned schedule for their deployment; (3) the expected costs for development, testing, evaluation, procurement, and installation, and projected annual costs for operation and maintenance; (4) potential deployment problems in an airport setting; and (5) the advisability of deploying such technologies to airports in a manner that maximizes the number of technologies that Federal and airport security personnel can effectively operate. Requires the Secretary, acting through the head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Under Secretary for Science and Technology, and the Under Secretary for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection, to: (1) issue updated technical specifications governing the use of EDS for baggage screening; (2) determine compliance with such specifications of currently deployed baggage screening equipment; (3) use such specifications for future certification of new technologies for use in baggage screening; and (4) issue technical specifications governing the use of technology for screening air cargo if the Secretary determines that explosive detection technologies for passenger and baggage screening do not meet the needs for screening air cargo in accordance with the following system. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary to establish and begin to implement a system to screen or inspect all cargo that is to be transported in passenger aircraft operated by an air carrier or foreign air carrier in air transportation. Directs the Secretary to: (1) complete a database containing the names and other relevant information of all known shipping companies; and (2) make it available as appropriate to TSA personnel, freight forwarders, airport authorities, air carriers, and other relevant entities. Directs the Secretary to establish training standards that all Federal law enforcement officers must meet in order to serve as Federal air marshals. Requires the head of the Federal Air Marshal Service, in determining on which flights to place one or more Federal air marshals, to: (1) have access to information on whether Federal law enforcement officials meeting such training standards are scheduled to travel on commercial flights; and (2) not substitute Federal law enforcement officials that have not met such training standards for Federal air marshal personnel. Directs the Secretary to collaborate with foreign governments to coordinate air marshal activities, including air marshal scheduling on international flights, weapons training, use and protocols for nonlethal weapons, threat recognition, communications, and other appropriate issues. Directs the Secretary to issue regulations to: (1) require that overflying aircraft meet or exceed the level of flight deck security for passenger and cargo as required in specified Federal regulations; and (2) govern daily preflight searches of aircraft for foreign materials that might be used in a terrorist attack. Directs the Secretary to require, to the greatest extent technically feasible, air carriers to provide flight attendants with a discreet and wireless method of communicating with pilots that meets such standards as the Secretary may establish by regulation. Requires such a system to be accessible by any Federal air marshal on a flight of an air carrier, appropriate Government security officials, and air carrier personnel. Requires the head of TSA to report to Congress on TSA implementation of specified requirements of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act regarding: (1) improved airport perimeter access security; (2) short-term assessment and deployment of emerging security technologies and procedures; and (3) employment investigations and restrictions. Requires all personnel accessing airport sterile areas (any parts of an airport regularly accessible to passengers after having cleared a passenger security screening checkpoint) from unrestricted areas to undergo security screening. Requires TSA to ensure that all personnel accessing airport secure areas have successfully undergone a TSA-conducted background check consisting of all measures required of TSA passenger screener personnel. Requires the Secretary, acting through the head of TSA and the Under Secretary for Science and Technology of the Department of Homeland Security, to report to Congress on defending against the threat of attacks on commercial aircraft from man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) (shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missile systems that can be carried and transported by a person).
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2004
States that the House of Representatives calls on the Government of Romania to: (1) provide prompt and equitable restitution to the Romanian Greek Catholic Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Unitarian Church, the Hungarian Reformed Church, the Jewish community, and other affected religious communities for property confiscated under the former Communist government of Romania, including agricultural and forestry lands; (2) respect such churches' and communities' constitutional rights of existence and practice; (3) stop the demolition and dismemberment of Greek Catholic churches and immediately ensure the security of all Greek Catholic churches and other buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries; and (4) repeal Law-Decree NR. 126/1990, as the transfer of juridical duties of a state to a mixed ecclesiastic committee has proven ineffectual and seriously hampers the ability of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church to seek redress, and to allow the claims submitted to be heard by an independent, nonreligious commission.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2004
50 Caliber Sniper Rifle Reduction Act - Amends the National Firearms Act to include a 50 caliber sniper weapon (defined as a rifle capable of firing a center-fire 50 caliber cartridge) within the definition of a "firearm" regulated under that Act. Modifies the definition of "rifle" under the Act to include a weapon intended to be fired from a bipod or other support. Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to prohibit the transfer or possession of a 50 caliber sniper weapon, with exceptions involving: (1) the transfer to or possession by the United States, a State, or a political subdivision thereof; and (2) otherwise lawful possession of a weapon that was lawfully possessed before the date this provision takes effect. Includes 50 caliber sniper weapons within the scope of penalties under that Act for which an individual may be fined, imprisoned for up to ten years, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2004
Honors the life and accomplishments of Mary McGrory, who was a renowned reporter for the Washington Star and Washington Post newspapers and who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for her coverage of the Watergate scandal.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Rapid Pathogen Identification to Delivery of Cures Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Secretaries of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and Defense to submit a report setting forth a strategy to reduce the time frame from the identification of a pathogen to the development and emergency approval of a safe and effective countermeasure, which should include: (1) technical impediments to reducing this time frame; (2) research, development, and technology needs to address these impediments; (3) existing efforts to address such needs; (4) a proposal to establish a coordinated and integrated Federal program to address such needs; and (5) potential liability concerns stemming from distribution of rapidly developed priority countermeasures. Allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to contract with any firm or institution to conduct research and analysis needed for this report. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a system to rapidly: (1) establish clinical research programs to examine the safety and efficacy of treatments for novel, unknown, or bioengineered pathogens; and (2) disseminate results and recommendations to clinicians. Authorizes establishment of a fund to support such clinical research. Amends the Public Health Service Act to add the Secretary of Homeland Security to the working group on bioterrorism and to require the working group to assist in developing such a strategy. Requires the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Defense, and Homeland Security to conduct programs to develop the capability to rapidly identify, develop, produce, and approve countermeasures.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Amends the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 to revise the per-unit cost calculation for expiring tenant-based rental assistance contracts under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937.
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 · 30 April 2004
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2004 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the Federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.45 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (3) $7.00 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day. Makes Federal minimum wage requirements applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sets forth a transition period during which a specified minimum wage there shall be gradually increased to equal the Federal minimum wage.
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 · 28 April 2004
Declares that Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the Comptroller of the Currency relating to: (1) preemption of State law regarding national banks' deposit taking and lending activities; and (2) certain anti-predatory lending standards for national banks. Declares that such rule shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2004
Declares that Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the Comptroller of the Currency relating to: (1) the scope of the Comptroller's exclusive visitorial powers over national banks; and (2) the exception for visitorial powers "vested in the courts of justice". Declares that such rule shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2004
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives (House) that: (1) it is in the interests of the United States to immediately resolve long-standing military mail delivery problems so that our troops can receive mail from home and are not disenfranchised in the 2004 election; (2) the Secretary of Defense should establish a system that expedites the delivery of election ballots to members and accurately tracks military postal transit times; and (3) the House stands ready to assist in resolving these issues.
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
Fairness for Working Americans Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) eliminate the reduction in the percentage of earned income for calculating the refundable portion of the child tax credit (15 to ten percent) for taxable years beginning before 2005; (2) include in earned income for purposes of calculating the refundable portion of the credit otherwise tax excludable combat zone compensation of members of the armed services; and (3) set forth rules for the tax treatment of certain foreign corporations engaging in tax avoidance activities as U.S. domestic corporations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2004
Expresses that the House of Representatives: (1) commends the marchers who have come from around the world to fight for women's lives by participating in the March for Women's Lives; (2) believes that rights have no borders and that each individual has the fundamental right to manage his or her fertility; (3) recognizes that the full expression of sexuality is a lifelong aspect of human development; (4) trusts individuals to make responsible choices about whether, when, how, and with whom to have a child; (5) supports loving families in all of their relationship forms, and it should be ensured that they are strong, secure, and free from violence; and (6) celebrates the March in which individuals of every age, race, ethnicity, nationality, language, ability, immigration status, marital status, income, geography, religion, gender, and sexual orientation make their voices heard through collective pro-choice power.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2004
Supports the designation of a National Autism Awareness Month. Recognizes and commends the parents and relatives of children with autism for their sacrifice and dedication in providing for the special needs of children with autism and for absorbing significant financial costs for specialized education and support services. Supports the goal of increasing Federal funding for aggressive research to: (1) determine causes of autism; (2) identify the best methods of early intervention and treatment; (3) expand programs for individuals with autism across their lifespan; and (4) promote understanding of the special needs of individuals with autism. Commends the Department of Health and Human Services for the implementation of the Children's Health Act of 2000, particularly for establishing four centers of excellence at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the epidemiology of autism and related disorders and proposing centers of excellence at the National Institutes of Health for autism research. Stresses the need to begin early intervention services soon after an individual has been diagnosed with autism, noting that early intervention strategies are the primary therapeutic options for individuals with autism and early intervention significantly improves outcomes for individuals with autism and can reduce the level of funding and services needed later in life. Supports fulfilling the Federal Government's nearly 30-year-old commitment to provide States with part of the costs needed to educate children with disabilities under part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act by funding the maximum 40 percent of such costs. Recognizes the: (1) shortage of appropriately trained teachers who have the skills and support necessary to teach, assist, and respond to special needs students, including those students with autism; and (2) importance of worker training programs that meet the needs of developmentally disabled individuals, including those individuals with autism. Notes that people with autism can be, and are, productive members of the workforce if they are given appropriate support, training, and early intervention services.
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 · 2 April 2004
Homeland Security Overtime Reimbursement Act - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize a recipient of a grant under a homeland security overtime program (i.e., a program for which a grant is made to fund overtime expenditures to law enforcement agencies for training and increased patrols related to homeland security concerns) to use grant funds to pay for homeland security overtime expenditures incurred during the fiscal year before the grant is made. Directs that: (1) the Attorney General waive the requirement of a nonfederal contribution for any portion of a grant used to pay for such expenditures; and (2) Puerto Rico be considered both a unit of local government and a State for purposes of such a program.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2004
Osteoporosis Early Detection and Prevention Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to require a group health plan, and an insurer offering group coverage, to include coverage for bone mass measurement for individuals who: (1) are at a clinical risk for osteoporosis, including estrogen-deficient women; (2) have vertebral abnormalities; (3) are receiving chemotherapy or long-term gluococorticoid (steroid) therapy; (4) have primary hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, or excess thyroid replacement; or (5) are being monitored to assess the response to or efficacy of approved osteoporosis drug therapy. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to regulate the frequency with which individuals will be provided this benefit. Permits cost sharing, including deductibles and coinsurance. Prohibits specified actions discouraging the use of this benefit, including: (1) denying coverage; (2) offering incentives to not obtain or provide bone mass measurements; (3) restricting provider-patient communications; and (4) penalizing or limiting reimbursements to providers. Allows State laws providing greater detection or prevention benefits. Amends the Public Health Service Act to apply these requirements to coverage offered in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2004
Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem a banned mercury-containing vaccine to be adulterated. Amends the Public Health Service Act to deem a vaccine to be a banned mercury-containing vaccine if: (1) one dose of the vaccine contains 1 or more micrograms of mercury in any form; or (2) the vaccine contains any thimerosal and is listed in the current version of the recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedule of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to declare that an actual or potential bioterrorist incident or other public health emergency makes the administration of such vaccines advisable for a specified period. Specifies different effective dates of the provisions of this Act for particular vaccines. Requires the Secretary to revise the vaccine information included with thimerosal-containing vaccines to include: (1) a statement that indicates the presence of thimerosal in the vaccine; (2) information on the availability of any thimerosal-free or thimerosal-reduced alternative vaccine and instructions on how to obtain such an alternative vaccine; and (3) a recommendation against administration of any thimerosal-containing vaccine to a pregnant woman. Expresses the sense of Congress that the CDC should disseminate, with any vaccine-related information, a recommendation against administration of any thimerosal-containing vaccine to a pregnant woman.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2004
Operation Hero Miles Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to accept the donation of frequent traveler miles, credits, and tickets for air or surface transportation to facilitate the travel of: (1) a member of the Armed Forces who is deployed on active duty away from his or her permanent duty station and granted leave during such deployment; or (2) family members of such member to be reunited with the member. Directs the Secretary to reimburse members who participated in the Department of Defense Rest and Recuperation Leave program during the period beginning on September 15, 2003, and ending on December 18, 2003, for travel expenses incurred by the member (or family members on behalf of the member) to travel to or from a designated embarkation point before the program was expanded to include a domestic travel component.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2004
Cigarette Fire Safety Act of 2004 - Requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to prescribe fire safety standards for cigarettes that, except as provided in this Act, are substantively the same as specified standards promulgated by the State of New York. Directs sponsors of testing methodologies employed under this Act to notify the Commission of any modifications in such methodologies. Authorizes the Commission to modify established fire safety standards to incorporate modifications that will enhance those standards. Requires fire safety standards promulgated under this Act to be treated as consumer product safety standards, and directs that cigarettes shall be treated as consumer products, under the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). Precludes the preemption by this Act of the New York standard or more stringent fire safety standards for cigarettes promulgated by any State. Makes the CPSA's private remedy provisions applicable to fire safety standards promulgated under this Act. Denies the Commission any jurisdiction over tobacco or tobacco products except as provided in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
High Risk Nonprofit Security Enhancement Act of 2004 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) enter into contracts for security enhancements and technical assistance for nonprofit organizations; and (2) issue Federal loan guarantees in connection with loans made by financial institutions to nonprofit organizations for security enhancements and technical assistance. Permits the Secretary to guarantee only such loans that have favorable repayment terms. Directs the Secretary to designate high-risk nonprofit organizations eligible for contracts or loans based on the vulnerability of the specific site of the nonprofit to international terrorist attacks. Sets forth criteria for vulnerability determinations. Authorizes: (1) the use of federally guaranteed funds borrowed from lending institutions for technical assistance and security enhancements; (2) the Secretary to select applications for execution of security enhancement and technical assistance contracts, or issuance of loan guarantees, giving preference to the nonprofit organizations determined to be at greatest risk of international terrorist attack; (3) each State to establish a State Homeland Security Authority; and (4) the Secretary to provide grants to local governments to offset incremental costs associated with law enforcement in areas with a high concentration of nonprofit organizations. Establishes within the Department of Homeland Security the Office of Community Relations and Civic Affairs to administer grant programs for nonprofit organizations and local law enforcement assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
Afghan Women Security and Freedom Act of 2004 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the international community should commit substantial resources, including peacekeeping forces, for protecting the rights of women, reestablishing democracy, and eliminating terrorism in Afghanistan; (2) the United States should strongly support the Afghan Ministry of Women's Affairs and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission; (3) international peacekeeping forces and reconstruction teams should be authorized to stop violations of human rights and women's rights; (4) U.S. foreign policy should ensure restoration of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, assist in their recovery from the repression of the Taliban and prolonged warfare, and strengthen Afghan institutions led by women; and (5) assistance to Afghanistan should be conditioned on the Afghan Government's adherence to international standards for women's rights and human rights. Authorizes the President to provide assistance for women and children in Afghanistan for the purpose of promoting women's rights and human rights and providing health care, education, training, security, and shelter.
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 · 31 March 2004
Cesar E. Chavez Congressional Gold Medal Act - 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 next of kin or other personal representative of Cesar E. Chavez in recognition of his service to the Nation. (Chavez organized farm workers to campaign for safe and fair working conditions, founded the National Farm Workers Association-- predecessor of the United Farm Workers of America-- and was a recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.)
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2004
Climate Stewardship Act of 2004 - Expands Federal climate change research initiatives by: (1) establishing a graduate fellowship program; (2) creating a grant program for research in identified priority areas; and (3) instituting research programs on potential abrupt climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) related standards, measurement technologies, and processes. Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to require the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) report to Congress on the oceanic and coastal impacts of climate change; and (2) assist certain coastal States in preparing persons to adapt to climate change. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (Administrator) to establish a National Greenhouse Gas Database consisting of: (1) an inventory of GHG emissions by covered entities (specified entities that emit more than 10,000 metric tons of GHGs per year); and (2) a registry of GHG emission reductions and increased sequestration, applicable to both covered and noncovered entities. Establishes a program for the market-driven reduction of GHGs by covered entities through the use of tradeable emissions allowances. Requires covered entities, beginning in 2010, to submit to the Administrator one tradeable allowance for every metric ton of GHGs emitted. Allows tradeable allowances to be sold, exchanged, purchased, retired, or otherwise used as authorized by this Act. Establishes the Climate Change Credit Corporation (CCCC) to receive, manage, buy, and sell tradeable allowances. Directs the Administrator to make allocations of allowances to covered sectors and entities, and to the CCCC, providing initial allocations for early action and accelerated participation. Imposes civil penalties on covered entities that fail to submit allowances.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2004
Remember 9/11 Health Act - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to pay all health care expenses of eligible recipients, including emergency service personnel, cleanup workers, and residents of the declared disaster area, that result from exposure to the adverse conditions after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, in New York City. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants or cooperative agreements to specified programs, including one established by the New York City Fire Department, to carry out screening and clinical examinations and long-term health monitoring and analysis for eligible recipients. Limits such monitoring to 20 years and 40,000 individuals. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a similar program for those affected by the September 11, 2001, Pentagon attack. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health to conduct or support diagnostic or treatment research for adverse health conditions considered to be associated with the terrorist attacks. Requires the Secretary to convene a 9/11 Health Emergency Coordinating Council to examine and formulate recommendations on the adequacy of the: (1) responses by the Federal, State, and local governments and the private sector to the attacks; (2) care and compensation for the victims; (3) Federal tracking of the monitoring and treatment of individuals suffering health effects from the attacks; and (4) coordination among the Council members to the attacks. Allows the Council, upon request, to issue advisory opinions on the relative obligation of the Federal Government and any insurance company resulting from the attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2004
Commends The Jewish Museum in New York City for a century of exhibitions and programs educating and inspiring people of all backgrounds about the art and culture of the Jewish people. Recognizes that the Museum will devote special programs for adults, schoolchildren, and families on many aspects of Jewish culture, throughout its 100th anniversary year. Continues to acknowledge the Museum's vital work.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2004
Declares the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) compensation for civilian employees and members of the uniformed services of the United States must be sufficient to support critical efforts to recruit, retain, and reward quality people in Government service; and (2) to help achieve this objective, in FY 2005, compensation for civilian employees of the United States should be adjusted at the same time, and in the same proportion, as are rates of compensation for members of the uniformed services.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2004
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 555 West 180th Street in New York, New York, as the "Sergeant Riayan A. Tejada Post Office".
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2004
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of the Day of Silence (designated April 21, 2004, a day on which participating students vow to remain silent for a full day to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students, teachers, and school employees). Encourages: (1) each unit of local government and each State to adopt laws to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students, teachers, and school employees from discrimination and harassment; and (2) each school district in the United States to protect such individuals from discrimination and harassment.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2004
Commends the Government of the People's Republic of China (China) for its steps to improve its legal framework for intellectual property (IP) rights protection and efforts toward compliance with international standards for IP rights established by the World Trade Organization. Recognizes, despite such steps, the continued existence of widespread IP rights violations in China. Urges the Chinese Government to undertake a coordinated nationwide IP rights enforcement campaign and related actions. Recommends that China implement: (1) more effective customs and border measures to prevent massive exportation of pirated goods into the United States and other countries; and (2) a legal framework and effective enforcement mechanisms that would protect the IP rights not only of the United States and other foreign business enterprises, but also of Chinese IP rights holders. Urges the Chinese Government to give greater market access to the foreign producers of legitimate products such as film and other audiovisual products in order to reduce demand for and prevalence of pirated and counterfeit goods. Calls upon the Chinese Government to promptly accede to the 1996 World Intellectual Property Organization Internet-related treaties and harmonize its regulations and implementing rules. Encourages China's efforts to bring its framework of laws, regulations, and implementing rules into compliance with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement).
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2004
Honors the life of Mildred McWilliams "Millie" Jeffrey (a social justice activist and recipient of the Medal of Freedom who died in March 2004 at the age of 93) and her contributions to her community and the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2004
Allied Health Professions Reinvestment Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue public service announcements that advertise and promote the allied health professions, highlight the advantages and rewards of those professions, and encourage individuals to enter those professions. Allows the Secretary to award grants to: (1) support similar State and local advertising campaigns; (2) improve the education, practice, and retention of allied health professionals through specified activities; and (3) develop and implement programs and initiatives to train and educate allied health professionals in providing geriatric care. Permits the Secretary to provide scholarships for the cost of tuition in exchange for students agreeing to serve as allied health professionals at health care facilities with critical shortages of such persons for not less than one year for each year of scholarship received. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to enter into an agreement with any higher education institution for the establishment and operation of a student loan fund to increase the number of qualified allied health professions faculty. Directs the Secretary to establish the Council on Health Profession Education in the Health Resources and Service Administration to monitor the status of the allied health professions workforce and make annual reports to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2004
Calls for the adoption of a Sensible, Multilateral American Response to Terrorism (SMART) security platform for the 21st century. Sets forth various ways in which such platform will: (1) prevent future acts of terrorism by strengthening international institutions and respect for the rule of law; (2) reduce the threat and stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction and reduce proliferation of conventional weapons; (3) address root causes of terrorism and violent conflict in the Middle East and other regions; (4) shift U.S. budget priorities to fulfill unmet security needs; and (5) pursue to the fullest extent alternatives to war.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2004
States that Congress: (1) condemns the adoption of United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-10/14 (December 8, 2003) which requests the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to render an advisory opinion concerning the international legal consequences arising from Israel's construction of a security fence in parts of the West Bank; (2) deplores the use of the International Court of Justice by the United Nations General Assembly for political purposes that only do harm to the credibility of the General Assembly and the Court, and threaten to impede international and United States efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; (3) commends the Administration for its leadership in opposing the manipulation of the International Court of Justice into a political forum for denunciation of Israel and its legitimate self-defense; (4) expresses the continued commitment of the United States to Israel's right to exist as a Jewish democratic state, its security and its right of self-defense, including the right to build a security fence as a direct consequence of more than three years of Palestinian terrorism; (5) condemns the ongoing failure of the Palestinian leadership to take action to cease all violence and terrorism against Israel and to instead pursue misguided political alternatives to the Performance-Based Roadmap to a Permanent Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, democratic reform, and direct peace negotiations; and (6) reiterates support for the President's June 2002 speech setting out the conditions necessary for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for the achievement of a negotiated two-state solution based on United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), and 1397 (2002) calling for the exchange of territory for peace, direct negotiations between the parties, and the immediate cessation of all violence.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2004
Makes specified supplemental appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for Federal Air Marshals. Rescinds funds in the same amount previously appropriated for the DHS Office of the Secretary and Executive Management and the Office of the Under Secretary for Management.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2004
Amends Federal veterans' administrative provisions to require the principal office of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Court) to be in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. (Currently, such office must be in the District of Columbia.) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) a dedicated Veterans Courthouse and Justice Center (Center) should be provided for such Court; and (2) the Secretary of Defense should determine the feasibility of locating the Center at an appropriate site owned by the United States that is part of or proximate to the Pentagon Reservation in Arlington, Virginia.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2004
Veterans Pensions Protection Act - Excludes monetary veterans' benefits paid to a veteran from a State or municipality from consideration as income for purposes of pension benefits paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2004
Bring Our Children Home Act - Amends the Federal judicial code to provide that a contestant may bring an action in U.S. district court to resolve conflicting child custody determinations. Directs the Attorney General to establish a registry of child custody and visitation orders and proceedings. Authorizes State and local law enforcement officers to hold any child listed as missing for a proper custody disposition. Amends the International Child Abduction Remedies Act to require the U.S. Central Authority under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction to establish a funding program for the provision of legal services to persons seeking remedies in interstate or international parental kidnapping cases. Authorizes the Legal Services Corporation to provide Convention-related legal assistance to qualified aliens. Requires the Central Authority to encourage the designation of courts to hear Convention-related cases. Amends the Federal judicial code to require the Federal Judicial Center to include in its continuing education programs information on the Convention and related laws. Requires various reports relating to international child abduction. Requires the Attorney General to support, through specified activities, the adoption and implementation in the States of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to expand the Safe Havens for Children Pilot Program to include children at risk of parental kidnapping. Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to authorize the disclosure of taxpayer identity information to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2004
Commends the Girl Scouts of the United States of America (Girl Scouts) for its efforts to launch a national dialogue on the issue of girls' safety. Recognizes the Girl Scouts for its leadership and expertise in knowing the needs of girls through the work of the Girl Scout Research Institute. Commends the Girl Scouts for actively promoting issues important to girls.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2004
Prohibits the issuance of U.S. visas to citizens of Saudi Arabia until the President certifies that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not discriminate on the basis of religious affiliation or heritage when issuing its visas.
![Official portrait of Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_ny_12_maloney_carolyn_200.jpg)