United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2002
Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act of 2002 - Designates specified National Forest System and Bureau of Land Management district lands in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, and Napa Counties in California as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Requires that such lands be administered by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, whoever has current administrative jurisdiction. Designates specified Bureau of Land Management district lands in California as potential wilderness areas. Requires that the Secretary of the Interior manage such lands as wilderness and carry out ecological restoration activities. Designates specified segments of the Black Butte River in Mendocino County, California as a wild and scenic river. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to submit a fire management plan and a report on the cultural and historic resources of Black Butte River. Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture for: (1) the establishment of a program to provide grants for creating wilderness-related jobs and for developing visitors centers, brochures, and kiosks; (2) the development of trails and other facilities to promote wilderness recreation; (3) the support of law enforcement activities; and (4) the acquisition of inholdings.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2002
Northern California Wild Heritage Wilderness Act of 2002 - Designates specified national forest lands, Bureau of Land Management district lands, and certain lands in Lassen Volcanic National Park in California as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System (System). Designates specified California public lands as: (1) salmon restoration areas; (2) wilderness study areas; and (3) potential wilderness areas. Designates specified California national park lands as wilderness and components of the System, requiring such lands to be managed by the National Park Service. Designates specified California rivers as wild and scenic rivers. Requires the review of the Carson River, East Fork, California, to determine its suitability as wild, scenic, and recreational rivers. Establishes the Sacramento River National Conservation Area. Requires the development of a comprehensive plan for the long-range protection and management of such Area.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2002
Health Disparities Tax Refund Act of 2002 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit taxpayers to designate a portion (not less than $1) or all of any overpayment of tax to the Office of Minority Health of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department's Office of Women's Health. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer to each Office at least once annually 50 percent of the amounts so designated, for use in improving the health of minorities and women respectively.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2002
First Amendment Restoration Act - Denies jurisdiction to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, U.S. district courts, and the District Courts of Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands, to hear or determine religious freedom-related cases.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2002
Bracero Justice Act of 2002 - Sets forth rules for cases in which an eligible claim is brought against the United States, Mexico, or certain financial institutions alleging failure to pay moneys owed to workers participating in the labor importation (bracero) program between January 1, 1942, and January 1, 1969. Declares that an eligible claim brought in any U.S. district court not later than two years after enactment of this Act shall not be barred by any statute of limitations, and that district courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction in instances where such claims are brought. Waives U.S. sovereign immunity in such cases, and declares that foreign States shall not be immune from the jurisdiction of U.S. district courts hearing eligible claims.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2002
Family Violence Prevention Act of 2002 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish an Office of Family Violence within the Department of Health and Human Services. Directs the Office to coordinate intra-departmental family violence programs and develop a Federal family violence prevention Internet website. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for the establishment of five family violence research and education centers through grants or contracts with public and nonprofit private entities. Requires such centers to: (1) include both professional and public education; and (2) be linked to national, State, and local resources. Requires one center to be linked to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and another to the National Institute of Mental Health. Directs the Secretary to establish an advisory board to make recommendations concerning the centers' research agenda. Requires the Director to award grants to eligible entities, including healthcare delivery systems or training entities, to develop and disseminate family violence education and training curricula, programs, and strategies.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2002
Calls upon the President of the United States and the Government of Russia to fulfill their commitments under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to work with the other nuclear powers toward eliminating nuclear weapons in stages that are subjected to careful inspection and verification. Calls for the United States to: (1) renounce the first use of nuclear weapons and permanently end the development, testing, and production of nuclear weapons; (2) seek an agreement with Russia that provides for the mutual and verified destruction of nuclear weapons that are withdrawn under signed treaties and that increases resources to secure and implement the destruction of nuclear warheads and material; (3) strengthen non-proliferation efforts by ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, by refraining from providing nuclear reactor technologies that can be exploited for nuclear weapons purposes to North Korea and urging Russia to refrain from providing such technologies to Iran, by supporting United Nations inspections of suspected nuclear weapons facilities and nuclear weapons materials in Iraq, and by participating in locating and reducing fissile material worldwide and negotiating a ban on its production; (4) enter into an agreement with the other nuclear powers to take nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert, thereby reducing the risk of accidental or unauthorized use and preparing for the ultimate elimination of the warheads; and (5) initiate talks on further reductions of nuclear weapons.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2002
Brownfield Site Redevelopment Assistance Act of 2002 - Amends the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to make grants for projects to alleviate or prevent conditions of excessive unemployment, underemployment, blight, and infrastructure deterioration associated with brownfield sites. Defines a "brownfield site," with exceptions, as real property the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance or pollutant. Allows inclusions of sites otherwise excluded from consideration if: (1) financial assistance will protect human health and the environment, promote economic development or enable the creation of parks, greenways, or other property used for nonprofit purposes, or promote eco-industrial development; (2) they were contaminated by a controlled substance; (3) they are certain low-risk petroleum-contaminated sites; or (4) they are mine-scarred. Defines eco-industrial development as development conducted in a manner in which businesses cooperate with each other and the local community to share resources efficiently (such as information, materials, water, energy infrastructure, and natural habitat) with the goals of economic gains, improved environmental quality, and equitable enhancement of human resources in businesses and local communities.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2002
National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2002 - Identifies roadless areas within the National Forest System set forth in specified documents as National Forest Inventoried Roadless Areas, and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to manage such Areas to maintain their roadless character.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2002
Citizen Service Act of 2002 - Amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA) and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (DVSA) to reauthorize appropriations and revise requirements for national volunteer service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Includes among NCSA programs: (1) Learn and Serve America (Service-Learning); (2) AmeriCorps (AC) Grants; (3) AC-National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC); and (2). Includes among DVSA programs: (1) AC-Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA); and (2) Senior Corps, including Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, and Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). Authorizes grants to: (1) America's Promise: The Alliance for Youth; and (2) the Points of Light Foundation. Revises provisions for CNCS administration of national volunteer service programs and for accountability of recipients of funds.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2002
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2002 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the Federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.75 an hour beginning 30 days after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.25 an hour during the year beginning on January 1, 2003; and (3) $6.65 an hour beginning January 1, 2004. 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 · 22 May 2002
Genetically Engineered Crop and Animal Farmer Protection Act of 2002 - Requires a biotech company that sells any genetically engineered animal, plant, or seed that will be used in the United States to: (1) provide the purchaser with written notice of possible legal and environmental risks of such article's use (such disclosure shall neither relieve the company from liability, nor be construed to create purchaser liability); and (2) disclose any technology fees to the Secretary of Agriculture, and not charge fees that are higher than those outside the United States. Sets forth related contract prohibitions and limitations. Directs the Secretary to: (1) identify which plants are outcrossed pollinators and make such information available to affected sellers and purchasers; and (2) issue rules to require mitigation strategies for predominately outcrossed crops. Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to: (1) establish the best achievable resistance plan for plant-incorporated pesticides engineered to include toxins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuring- iensis (Bt); (2) revoke Bt registrations not in plan compliance; and (3) reduce a pesticide's use if it is determined to be facilitating Bt-toxin resistance in pests. Prohibits: (1) labeling seeds as non-genetically engineered if the Secretary determines such seeds contains genetically engineered material; (2) manufacture, sale, or planting of genetically engineered or chemically induced non-fertile seeds; and (3) loan discrimination against a producer who refuses to use genetically engineered plants or animals. Authorizes, with respect to violations under this Act,: (1) the Secretary to assess civil penalties; and (2) citizen civil actions against the Secretary, a Federal agency, or an individual.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2002
Widows of Wartime Veterans Assistance Act - Increases the maximum annual rates of pensions for surviving spouses of veterans of a period of war. Amends the Social Security Act to require that the amount of such rate increases not be included in a surviving spouse's income for purposes of Medicaid (title XIX) eligibility.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2002
Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), and the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) to deem a food misbranded if it contains or was produced with a genetically engineered material unless its labeling contains statements meeting specified requirements. Requires the periodic testing of such foods transferred along a chain of distribution to assure accuracy of labels, subject to specified exceptions. Excludes, in all three Acts, food: (1) served in restaurants; or (2) prepared primarily in a retail establishment, ready for human consumption, but not offered for sale for immediate consumption in the establishment. Excludes, for the FDCA, a medical food as defined in the Orphan Drug Act. Subjects violators to civil monetary penalties, exempting recipients who accept a guarantee of the absence of genetically engineered material in good faith or producers whose food inadvertently becomes contaminated by genetically engineered material. Authorizes citizen suits as specified.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2002
Real Solutions to World Hunger Act of 2002 - Makes it unlawful for any person to ship, or offer to ship, or for any carrier or person to transport, or receive for transportation, to any foreign country, any genetically engineered animal, plant, or seed (as defined by this Act) if the person knows or has reason to believe that the engineered article will be used to produce an agricultural commodity if: (1) such article was denied Federal approval for U.S. marketing, or its application for approval was withdrawn; or (2) the foreign government has not certified that related ecological impacts of such article have been satisfactorily mitigated. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to designated international research institutions to promote development of sustainable agricultural techniques (which may not derive any genetic engineered material) that rely on minimum artificial inputs to meet developing countries' food and fiber needs. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the United States Executive Director at each international financial institution to make no effort to encourage the institution from prohibiting countries eligible for certain assistance from requiring compulsory licensing of genetically engineered animals, plants, or seeds. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose a tax on a corporation equal to one percent of the gross income that is attributable to the U.S. marketing of any genetically engineered organism (as defined by this Act), or the holding of a patent on any such organism; and (2) establish in the Treasury the Sustainable Agriculture Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2002
Genetically Engineered Food Safety Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to include genetically engineered food and related materials in the definition of "food additive." Requires that a petition to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for a regulation prescribing the conditions of safe use of a genetically engineered food additive include all data collected or developed pursuant to safety investigations, including data that does not support the claim of safety. Authorizes citizen suits concerning food additives against the alleged violator or against the Secretary for failure to perform a mandatory act or duty under this Act. Mandates a fee from petitioners to cover related costs and to provide for a program of basic and applied research on genetic food additive safety. Authorizes the detention (seizure) of food as well as devices during an inspection where the appropriate officer or employee of the Department of Health and Human Services has reason to believe such food or device is in violation of this Act. Requires all food retailers to register with the Food and Drug Administration to expedite recalls, embargoes, and seizures.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2002
Genetically Engineered Organism Liability Act of 2002 - States that a biotech company shall be liable, and that the liability may not be waived or avoided, to any party injured by the release of a genetically engineered organism into the environment if the injury results from such genetic engineering. Defines "biotech company" and "injury" for purposes of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2002
Urges the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend to the Postmaster General that a commemorative postage stamp be issued by the U.S. Postal Service each year in honor of Veterans Day.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2002
Rejection of Social Security Privatization Act of 2002-States that Congress hereby commits: (1) to preserve the guaranteed, lifelong, inflation-protected benefits provided under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to retirees, disabled workers and their families, and the survivors of deceased workers; and (2) therefore to reject the President's plans to partially privatize Social Security, as well as other proposals to privatize Social Security, and any and all proposals that would threaten the ability of the Social Security Trust Funds to sustain the lifelong, guaranteed, inflation-protected benefits provided under SSA.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2002
Pension Protection Act of 2002 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to direct the Secretary of Labor to undertake enforcement actions with respect to requirements for pension plan participation, vesting, benefit accrual, and funding, including an appropriate enforcement response in connection with a report on oversight of certain cash balance plan lump sum distributions. Directs the Secretary, with the Secretary of the Treasury, to develop improved guidance for defined benefit plan administrators, with respect to requirements for such plans which express accrued benefits in the form of an account balance, including further assistance relating to all factors involved in determining lump sum distributions of accrued benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2002
Garment Consumer's Right-to-Know Act of 2002 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to establish recordkeeping and disclosure requirements for apparel manufacturers with respect to wages, hours, and other labor conditions of their contractors' employees.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2002
Mineral Exploration and Development Act of 2002 - Sets forth guidelines for mineral exploration and development on public domain lands. Declares, under certain conditions, that holders of mining claims executed under this Act have the exclusive right of possession and use of the claimed land for mineral activities. Subjects existing and/or future unpatented mining claims, mill sites, and tunnel sites, with specified exceptions, to an annual claim maintenance fee payable to the Secretary of the Interior in lieu of the assessment work requirement contained in the general mining laws and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Exempts from the mandated fee any claimants holding ten or fewer mining claims who elect to perform the assessment work. Requires locators of unpatented mining claims, mill sites, and tunnel sites located after this Act's enactment to pay a location fee. Imposes penalties against holders of mining claims for noncompliance with this Act. Requires, with respect to environmental considerations of mineral exploration and development on public domain lands: (1) a permit, with exceptions, to engage in mineral activities on Federal land that may cause a disturbance of surface resources; (2) an operations permit to carry out any activity greater than casual use; (3) denial of permits to persons who are in violation of this Act; and (4) operation and reclamation standards. Establishes the Abandoned Locatable Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund in the Treasury. Amends the Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970 and the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 to revise the Secretary of Agriculture's responsibilities within the scope of this Act. Requires the Secretaries of the Interior and of Agriculture to establish and collect user fees from persons subject to this Act's requirements. Repeals the Building Stone Act and the Saline Placer Act. Applies this Act to beneficiation and processing of non-Federal minerals on Federal lands.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2002
Air Traffic Controller Retirement Reform Act of 2002 - Amends Federal provisions concerning the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees' Retirement System to include under the definition of "air traffic controller" or "controller" a civilian employee of the Department of Transportation or Defense holding a supervisory, managerial, executive, technical, semiprofessional, or professional position for which experience as a controller is a prerequisite (thereby continuing to treat such service as controller service for Federal retirement benefits purposes).
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2002
Teacher Education for Autistic Children Act of 2002 - TEACH Act of 2002 - Authorizes additional appropriations for: (1) training of special education teachers with expertise in autism spectrum disorders (ASD); and (2) improving results for children with ASD, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a refundable tax credit for education and training relating to ASD. Amends IDEA to require local educational agencies receiving IDEA assistance to report on autism early intervention activities. Directs the Secretary of Education: (1) acting through the Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, to establish and provide administrative support for a task force on ASD; (2) with the Secretary of Labor, to study and report to Congress on the effectiveness of Federal vocational training programs in providing appropriate assistance to individuals with ASD; and (3) to make grants to each State that establishes and operates at least one State autism ombudsman office.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2002
Nursing Home Staffing Improvement Act of 2002 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate standards for minimum nurse staffing levels in nursing facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid payments. Reinstitutes (Boren amendment) payment methodology, providing for payment of Medicaid services through the use of rates determined pursuant to the criteria under State Medicaid plan provisions as in effect on August 1, 1997. Establishes safe harbor rates. Provides a permanent 1.50 percent increase of the Medicaid Federal medical assistance percentage for a State beginning with FY 2003. Authorizes inclusion of financial accountability requirements in the survey and certification process with respect to facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid payments.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2002
Disapproves the rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services relating to modification of the Medicaid upper payment limit for non-State government-owned or operated hospitals published on January 18, 2002.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2002
Declares that Congress should: (1) commit and provide substantially increased Federal funding and resources for combined sewer overflow control; (2) increase funding for such control to levels sufficient to cover at least 80 percent of the costs incurred by economically disadvantaged communities; (3) provide the Environmental Protection Agency with additional resources to improve nationwide tracking of progress in combined sewer overflow control programs; and (4) expressly authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to assist municipalities with assessment and design work associated with combined sewer system upgrades.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2002
Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should: (1) take the lead in improving the lives of millions of mothers and children in the developing world through targeted, effective, and multifaceted health and development programs; and (2) increase its commitment to the world's mothers and children by increasing funding for basic child survival and maternal health programs by at least $500 million.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2002
Food Allergen Consumer Protection Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require food labels to identify known food allergens contained therein or be deemed misbranded, without regard as to whether or not the presence of an allergen is intentional or unintentional. Defines "known food allergen" to include milk, eggs, fish, Crustacea, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, other grains containing gluten, and any food the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines to cause allergic or adverse responses which endanger human health. Includes spices, flavorings, colorings, or incidental additives that are or contain a known food allergen. Sets forth special requirements for raw agricultural commodities which are or contain a known food allergen. Sets forth criteria for labels, requiring a format comparable to that required for the disclosure of nutrition information. Requires certain manufacturers, packers, or distributors to include a toll-free telephone number on such label. Establishes civil penalties for violations of this Act. Requires the Secretary to issue rules which address the use of good manufacturing practices to minimize the unintentional presence of allergens in food and advisory labeling if such allergens may be unintentionally present. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, to annually publish national data on the prevalence of food allergies and the incidence of deaths and injuries. Requires the Secretary to study the adequacy of existing data collection systems and possible alternative systems as well as educate health providers on improving data collection and analysis.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2002
Stolen Asset Recovery Act of 2002 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to submit annual reports to specified congressional committees on: (1) the possibility that assets stolen or misappropriated from foreign countries and their people by any senior foreign political figure, family member, or associate may be held in an account at a U.S. financial institution; (2) Government efforts and plans to identify such assets; (3) identification mechanisms available to the Government; and (4) legislation that could be enacted to facilitate the identification and return of such assets. Directs the Secretary to: (1) urge each international financial institution to provide a copy of audit reports or other information concerning the use of the funds loaned by the institution to governments in which corruption was or is a serious problem; and (2) release such information to the public and include such information in each annual report.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2002
Arsenic-Treated Lumber Prohibition and Disposal Act - Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations prohibiting the use of lumber treated with a pesticide that is a chromated copper arsenical (CCA lumber) in the manufacture, production, or use of any product that may be used for or by children and for any residential purpose. Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to: (1) list CCA lumber as a hazardous waste; (2) require disposal of discarded CCA lumber, notwithstanding regulations exempting certain solid wastes from the definition of hazardous waste, in a lined landfill with a leachate system and groundwater monitoring system; (3) require the Administrator to conduct an assessment of the risks of CCA lumber production and use; and (4) direct the Administrator to promulgate regulations for the gradual cessation and prohibition of production of such lumber. Requires the Administrator to: (1) develop and conduct an educational program to assist consumers, municipalities, and school systems in testing arsenic levels and making decisions concerning CCA lumber containment and removal; and (2) establish a pilot program of grants and technical assistance to assist school systems in removal of playground and other equipment containing CCA lumber and remediation activities.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2002
Expresses profound gratitude to airline flight attendants for their daily service to make air travel safe and honors their courage and dedication. Expresses support for the flight attendants who displayed heroism on September 11, 2001, and to all flight attendants who continue to display heroism each day.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2002
Social Security Widow's Benefit Guarantee Act of 2002 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) provide for an increase in widow's and widower's insurance benefits; (2) repeal the seven year restriction on eligibility for widow's and widower's insurance benefits based on disability; (3) waive the two-year waiting period for a divorced spouse's benefits upon the other spouse's remarriage; and (4) disregard months ending after a deceased individual's death in applying early retirement rules with respect to the deceased individual for purposes of the limitation on widow's and widower's benefits. Amends SSA title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) to provide that an eligible widow or widower who is entitled to a widow's or widower's insurance benefit for any month under OASDI, but is not eligible for benefits under SSI in that month, shall be deemed for purposes of SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to be an individual with respect to whom SSI benefits are paid in that month, if he or she: (1) has been continuously entitled to such widow's or widower's insurance benefits from the first month for which the increase in widow's or widower's insurance benefits resulting from this Act is reflected in such benefits through the month involved; and (2) would be eligible for benefits under SSI in the month involved if the amount of the increase in his or her widow's or widower's insurance benefits were disregarded.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2002
Racial Equity and Fair Treatment Act of 2002 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to States and county applicants to pay the Federal share of the costs of improving the administration of support programs for low-income families with children. Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to revise requirements for assessments and work activities for TANF recipients. Requires: (1) interpretation and translation services in certain cases for TANF recipients; (2) an expedited process for discrimination complaints; (3) provision of notice of rights of TANF recipients; (3) training of TANF program personnel in respecting such rights; (4) standardized sanction process; and (5) opportunity for TANF applicants or recipients to appeal adverse decisions. Modifies penalties against individuals for violating mandatory work requirements, creating additional exceptions, including those for child care and discrimination. Prohibits States from diverting potential TANF applicants. Bans States from penalizing the entire family for the misconduct of one family member. Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to repeal provisions for denial of assistance and benefits for certain drug-related convictions. Makes various changes under the TANF program concerning: (1) the five-year time limit on assistance; and (2) treatment of aliens. Permits participation in English-as-a-second language programs as a work activity. Prescribes requirements encouraging racial equality.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2002
Expresses regret and sympathy to the families of the four Canadian soldiers who lost their lives and others who suffered injury on April 17, 2002, in a friendly-fire incident in southern Afghanistan and to the Government and people of Canada. Reaffirms appreciation for Canada's strong support and commitment to the war against terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2002
Steel Industry Legacy Relief Act of 2002 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to establish a steel industry retiree benefits protection program administered by the Secretary of Commerce and the Board of Trustees of the Steel Industry Legacy Relief Trust Fund (created by this Act) to provide specified medical benefits to eligible steel retirees and beneficiaries. Prescribes qualifying events (acquisition, closing, election, or bankruptcy transfer) as a result of which the United States shall assume liability for the provision of steel retiree benefits for each eligible retiree and eligible beneficiary certified for participation in the retiree benefits program. Requires transfer to the Trust Fund by a qualified steel company and any applicable acquiring company of all assets which, under the terms of an applicable collective bargaining agreement, were required to be set aside under an employee benefit plan or otherwise for the provision of the steel retiree benefits. Requires contributions to the Trust Fund by such companies.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2002
Nurse Retention and Quality of Care Act of 2002 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible health care facilities to carry out demonstrations of models and best practices in nursing care in order to develop strategies for nurse retention. Requires such demonstrations to promote nurse satisfaction, communication, collaboration in decision-making, professional advancement, high quality care, and a balanced work-life environment.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2002
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Vice President Hu Jintao of the People's Republic of China should be made aware of congressional concern for the Panchen Lama and the need to resolve the situation in Tibet through dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives. Calls on the Chinese Government to: (1) release the Panchen Lama and allow him to pursue his traditional role at Tashi Lhunpo monastery in Tibet; and (2) negotiate with the Dalai Lama or his representatives to find a solution for genuine autonomy that respects the rights of all Tibetans.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2002
Corporate Subsidy Reform Commission Act of 2002 - Establishes an independent Corporate Subsidy Reform Commission to: (1) identify Federal programs and tax laws that provide inequitable Federal subsidies; (2) review such subsidies; (3) conduct public hearings on agency recommendations regarding inequitable subsidies; and (4) report to the President recommendations for termination, modification, or retention of each subsidy reviewed. Requires each Federal agency to include in budget documents submitted in 2003 a list of programs or tax laws within that agency that provide inequitable Federal subsidies, together with recommendations for appropriate action. Provides a special review requirement for international trade programs. Requires the President to: (1) report to the Commission and Congress on his approval or disapproval of the entire package of Commission recommendations; and (2) certify the recommendations to Congress if the package is approved either initially or after being revised by the Commission after initial disapproval. Sets forth procedures for congressional implementation and consideration of recommendations certified by the President.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2002
Disabled Veterans' Caregiver Compensation Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay monthly compensation of $234 to a veteran if and while totally disabled and in need of regular aid and attendance and while unpaid aid and attendance is provided by an adult family member who is dependent upon such veteran for support.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2002
Amends provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act set forth in the Medicine Equity and Drug Safety Act of 2000 to: (1) direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations permitting pharmacists and wholesalers to import Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescription drugs from Canada (currently, from Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, the countries in the European Union and the European Free Trade Association, or other countries designated by the Secretary); and (2) exclude an infused or intravenously injected drug or a drug that is inhaled during surgery. Prohibits discrimination in the sale of prescription drugs by manufacturers to pharmacists or wholesalers, requiring: (1) terms as favorable as those provided to foreign purchasers; and (2) full access to drugs permitted to be imported. Continues the requirement that exported donated prescription drugs may only be reimported by the manufacturer. Permits the Secretary to waive the prohibition against importing a prescription drug or device on a case-by-case basis, particularly those from Canada that are FDA-approved and for limited personal use. Requires a study and report by the: (1) Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences on the regulatory compliance of importers of drugs; and (2) Comptroller General on how drug prices were affected.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2002
National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Act of 2002 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish and administer: (1) a national greenhouse gas emissions information system to collect annual lists required to be submitted under this Act of an entity's greenhouse gas emissions; and (2) a national greenhouse gas registry (included in such system) to collect voluntarily reported information on emissions reductions. Specifies factors for adjustment of emissions records by a reporting entity. Directs the Administrator and the Secretaries of Commerce, Agriculture, and Energy to develop greenhouse gas emissions quantification and verification protocols, electronic reporting methods, and accounting and reporting standards. Requires verification of reported emissions information. Requires the Administrator to publish an annual national greenhouse gas emissions inventory.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2002
Federal Agency Protection of Privacy Act - Requires Federal agencies: (1) when publishing a general notice of proposed rulemaking for any proposed rule or for an interpretative rule involving the internal revenue laws, to prepare, make available for public comment, and publish an initial analysis describing the rule's impact on the privacy of individuals; and (2) when promulgating the final rule, to prepare, make publicly available, and publish a final privacy impact analysis that includes a summary of the significant issues raised by and changes made pursuant to public comments on the initial analysis. Requires the head of an agency promulgating a rule that may have a significant privacy impact on individuals or on a substantial number of individuals to use specified techniques to assure that individuals have been given an opportunity to participate in the rulemaking. Requires each agency to: (1) carry out a periodic review of promulgated rules that have such impact to determine whether each such rule can be amended or rescinded in a manner that minimizes such impact while remaining in accordance with applicable statutes; (2) carry out such review in accordance with a plan that provides for the review of each rule every ten years after the rule was published as a final rule; and (3) publish annually a list of the rules to be reviewed. Sets forth provisions governing judicial review of agency compliance with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2002
Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2001 - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (the Act) to require the Secretary of the Interior or Commerce, as appropriate, to designate: (1) survival habitat concurrently with making a determination that a species is endangered or threatened; (2) critical habitat concurrently with adoption of a final recovery plan for a species; and (3) survival and critical habitat in the case of a highly migratory marine species. Requires the Secretary to designate survival habitat based only on biological factors, giving special consideration to habitat currently occupied by the species. Establishes a schedule for publishing species listing determinations. Provides for draft and final recovery plans for the conservation of endangered and threatened species. Requires Federal agencies to monitor the status and trends of endangered, threatened, and candidate species on lands or waters under their administration. Applies provisions regarding interagency cooperation and consultation to species in a foreign country or on the high seas. Requires the Secretary to: (1) undertake to conserve species where a permittee defaults on permit or plan obligations; and (2) implement a streamlined application and approval procedure for incidental take permits and plans determined to be low effect, small scale plans. Sets forth requirements for the deposit of performance bonds and other financial security by incidental take permit (other than low effect, small scale) applicants. Establishes the Habitat Conservation Plan Fund. Directs the Secretary to establish a Community Assistance Program to provide timely and accurate information to local governments or property owners. Makes persons who negligently damage any member or habitat of an endangered or threatened species liable to the United States and a State for the restoration or replacement costs. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into endangered species conservation agreements with owners or lessees of real property on which conservation measures for endangered, threatened, or candidate species or species proposed for listing are to be carried out. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require that the value of a taxable estate be determined by deducting from the value of the gross estate the value of included real property subject to an endangered species conservation agreement. Allows an additional tax deduction for real property taxes imposed on State and local property subject to such agreements. Allows a tax credit for costs incurred in connection with such agreements. Extends the authorization of appropriations to carry out the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2002
Gulf War Veterans' and Other Iraqi Claims Protection Act of 2002 - Authorizes the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States to receive, determine the validity of, and certify claims by U.S. nationals against the Government of Iraq, giving first priority to non-commercial claims of members of the U.S. armed forces and other individuals arising out of Iraq's invasion and occupation of Kuwait, or out of the 1987 attack on the U.S.S. Stark. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to establish in the Treasury an Iraq Claims Fund for the payment of such claims. Authorizes the President, subject to specified limitations, to vest and liquidate Iraqi Government assets in the United States that have been blocked pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and allocate the proceeds to the Fund to satisfy claims against the Government of Iraq by U.S. nationals, as well as claims of the U.S. Government that are outside the jurisdiction of the United Nations Compensation Commission. Provides for the reimbursement to the U.S. Government of expenses incurred in administering this Act. Establishes an order of priority for payment of claims. Sets forth a ten-year statute of limitations on any demand or claim for the payment of such an award.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2002
Life Insurance Employee Notification Act - Requires an employer to notify an employee in writing upon the purchase of an employer-owned insurance policy on the life of such employee for a beneficiary other than the individual who is the subject of the policy. Declares that violation of this Act constitutes an unfair method of competition and an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2002
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health, should conduct or support research on the effectiveness of medical screening techniques for ovarian cancer, including the use of proteomic patterns in blood serum in combination with other techniques. Requires a report to Congress and the inclusion of such technique in Federal health care programs and group and individual health plans if it proves effective.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2002
Authorizes the President to award to Dr. Dorothy Height, on behalf of Congress, a congressional gold medal in recognition of her many contributions to the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2002
Expresses strong support for United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1397 (calling for an immediate cessation of all acts of violence between Israel and the Palestinians) and 1402 (calling for a meaningful cease-fire and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian cities). Condemns acts of violence against both Israeli and Palestinian civilians. Urges all parties to: (1) recognize that continued military attacks and terrorist activities will lead to escalating violence and the potential destabilization of the Middle East and neighboring regions; (2) stop using state-controlled media or other means of propaganda to incite hatred and violence; and (3) ensure the safety of international human rights observers and aid workers in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
![Official portrait of Rep. McKinney, Cynthia A. [D-GA-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m000523_200.jpg)