United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2003
Celia Cruz Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 300,000 one dollar silver coins and 500,000 half dollar clad coins emblematic of Celia Cruz (known as the "Queen of Salsa") and her legacy. Establishes surcharges of ten dollars per coin for the dollar coin and three dollars per coin for the half dollar coin, which shall be paid to the Celia Cruz Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 3 September 2003
Exempts from the requirement to pay subsistence charges while hospitalized in a military facility an officer or former officer, or an enlisted member or former enlisted member not entitled to retired or retainer pay or equivalent pay, who is hospitalized in a military facility because of an injury incurred: (1) as a direct result of armed conflict; (2) while engaged in hazardous service; (3) in the performance of duty under conditions simulating war; or (4) through an instrumentality of war.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Critical Habitat Reform Act of 2003 - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require the process for designating critical habitat to be practicable, economically feasible, and concurrent with the approval of a recovery plan for a species. Prohibits the relevant Secretary (the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce) from designating an area as critical habitat of a species, and any designation of critical habitat of a species from applying to an area, if the area is subject to: (1) a habitat conservation plan that the Secretary determines provides protection for habitat of the species that is substantially equivalent to the protection that would be provided by such designation; or (2) a State or Federal land conservation program that provides such protection. Directs the Secretary, in determining whether an area is critical habit, to seek and consider information from local governments in the vicinity of the area, including local resource data maps. Specifies factors for consideration of the economic impact on landowners under the Act, including lost revenues and costs associated with preparing reports, surveys, and analyses. Modifies the contents of the required notice of proposed designation of critical habit to include any municipality having administrative jurisdiction over the area in which the species is believed to occur. Requires the Secretary, with respect to a regulation to designate or revise a designation of critical habitat, to: (1) maintain, on a publicly accessible Internet page of the relevant Department (Interior or Commerce), Geographical Information System maps and coordinates of the area; and (2) include in such notice a reference to the Internet page.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act, reenacted with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, to eliminate pear marketing order requirements that: (1) processors be members of an agency administering a marketing order; and (2) processor and producer agency representation be equal respecting a marketing order for canned or frozen pears.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Medicare Payment Update for Certified Nurse-Midwives Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for the coverage of and payment for certified midwife services (currently only certified nurse-midwife services are covered) under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Declares that nothing precludes certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives from teaching or supervising an intern or resident-in-training. Extends Medicare coverage to items and services at a free-standing birth center.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare recognition of the services of respiratory therapists that are furnished as part-time or intermittent nursing care or physical therapy services under a plan of care for home health services. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study and report to Congress on the impact of paying for the services of respiratory therapists as a separate benefit under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of Medicare, and as an explicit component of the several benefits under part A (Hospital Insurance) of Medicare.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal Subchapter B (Communications) of Chapter 33 (Facilities and Services) of Subtitle D (Miscellaneous Excise Taxes).
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2003
Fighting Abuse of Inhalants Act of 2003 - Amends the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1994 to include prevention of the abuse of inhalants under its programs.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2003
Consumer Access to Digital Television Enhancement Act of 2003 - Requires the Federal Communications Commission to: (1) adopt and implement regulations proposed in the memorandum of understanding between the cable and consumer electronics industries filed with the Commission on December 19, 2002, concerning compatibility between cable television systems and consumer electronics equipment, including regulations to require that all television receivers marketed as "digital cable-ready" include the capability to receive off-the-air digital television broadcast signals; and (2) revise its regulations to establish minimum power levels and deadlines for achieving such power levels for any television broadcasting facility transmitting a digital broadcast signal.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2003
Calls upon the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend and the Postal Service to issue a commemorative postage stamp to promote public awareness of Down syndrome.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2003
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judgeship and Reorganization Act of 2003 - Divides the current U.S. Court of Appeals for the ninth circuit into: (1) the ninth circuit, composed of Arizona, California, and Nevada, consisting of 24 judges, and holding regular sessions in San Francisco, Pasadena, and Phoenix ; and (2) the twelfth circuit, composed of Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, and Washington, consisting of nine judges, and holding regular sessions in Portland and Seattle. Directs the President to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate: (1) two additional circuit judges for the former ninth circuit court of appeals, whose official duty stations shall be in Arizona, California, or Nevada, and three additional circuit judges for the new ninth circuit court of appeals (who shall not be appointed before January 21, 2005); and (2) two temporary additional circuit judges for the former ninth circuit court of appeals). Directs that each circuit judge of the former ninth circuit who is in regular active service and whose official duty station on the day before this Act's effective date is in Arizona, California, or Nevada be a circuit judge of the new ninth circuit as of such effective date. Requires that each such judge whose duty station on such date is in Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, or Washington be a circuit judge of the twelfth circuit. Allows each judge who is a senior circuit judge of the former ninth circuit on the day before this Act's effective date to elect to be assigned to the new ninth or twelfth circuit. (Requires each such judge to notify the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts of such election.) Provides that the seniority of each judge assigned, or elected to be assigned, shall run from the date of commission as a judge of the former ninth circuit. Authorizes certain temporary assignment in the public interest of circuit judges and district judges between circuits.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2003
National Uniformity for Food Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) to prohibit any State or political subdivision from establishing or continuing in effect as to any food in interstate commerce any requirement for food that is not identical to specified FDCA provisions. Prohibits any State or political subdivision from establishing or continuing in effect any notification requirement for a food that provides for a warning concerning the food's safety that is not identical to FDCA provisions. Allows current State notification or food safety requirements to continue for 180 days after the enactment of this Act, during which such State may petition for an exemption or a new national standard. Allows a State to petition for an exemption and for a national standard regarding any requirement under the FDCA, as amended by this Act, or the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act relating to food regulation. Allows a State to establish a requirement that would otherwise violate FDCA provisions relating to national uniform nutrition labeling or this paragraph if the requirement is needed to address an imminent hazard to health that is likely to result in serious adverse health consequences and if other requirements are met.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2003
Health Insurance Certificate Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program for the issuance to eligible individuals of health insurance certificates to be applied towards the cost of qualified health insurance coverage for such individuals and family members. Declares that no certificate shall be issued to a family member who is covered under the eligible individual's qualified health insurance coverage. Prohibits more than one certificate from being used for any one person. States that a certificate may be used for a spouse and up to two other family members. Excludes an individual from counting as an eligible individual if such individual is eligible to be covered under any of specified medical programs (not counting Cobra continuation coverage). Declares that in no case shall the value of a certificate be applied towards an amount that exceeds 70 percent of the premium for coverage for a given period or 70 percent of an employee's premium for coverage under a group health plan. Sets forth procedures for calculating the value of certificates. Sets forth rules to cover certificates used to purchase coverage in group health plans. Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend funding for the operation of State high risk health insurance pools.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2003
Rachel Granger Act of 2003 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to authorize waivers by the Commissioner of Social Security of the five-month waiting period for entitlement to benefits based on disability in cases in which the Commissioner determines that such waiting period would cause undue hardship to terminally ill beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2003
Anti-Spam Act of 2003 - Prohibits a person from initiating in interstate commerce any commercial electronic mail (commercial email) message unless the message contains: (1) identification as commercial email; (2) notice of an opt-out opportunity, along with an email address or other mechanism for doing so; and (3) a valid physical street address of the sender. Prohibits the transmission of commercial email: (1) after valid objection; (2) with false or misleading header information or subject headings; (3) from illegally harvested email addresses, including addresses generated by automated means; or (4) without warning labels on commercial email containing sexually oriented material. Provides a right of enforcement action for: (1) providers of Internet access service; (2) States on behalf of any of their residents; and (3) the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Amends the Federal criminal code to provide criminal penalties for: (1) falsifying the identity of a commercial email sender; (2) failing to place warning labels on commercial email containing sexually oriented material; (3) repeat offenses and bulk email violations; and (4) illegal harvesting of email addresses. Provides for enforcement of such penalties through actions by Internet service providers, the FTC and the Attorney General, and State attorneys general. Requires the FTC to report to Congress regarding the need to protect the rights of users of email to avoid receiving unsolicited commercial email.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2003
Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2003 - Declares that the sunset provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 shall not apply to Title V: Estate, Gift, and Generation-skipping Transfer Tax Provisions of such Act. (Makes the repeal of estate and generation-skipping taxes under the Internal Revenue Code, and certain reductions of the gift tax, permanent.)
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2003
Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2003 - Amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to revise requirements for health care programs and services for Indians, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations. Provides for enrollment of qualified Indians in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) under title XXI of the Social Security Act (SSA), as well as Medicare under SSA title XVIII and Medicaid under SSA title XIX (as under current law). Replaces the Urban Health Programs Branch with an Office for Urban Indian Health. Directs the Secretary, acting through the IHS and Indian tribes and tribal organizations, to consolidate certain existing programs into a new program of comprehensive behavioral health, prevention, treatment, and aftercare for Indian tribes. Establishes the National Bi-Partisan Indian Health Care Entitlement Commission to: (1) establish a Study Committee to study the extent of Indian health services needs; (2) review and analyze the Study Committee's report; and (3) make recommendations to Congress for providing health services for Indians as an entitlement. Reauthorizes the Indian Health Care Improvement Act through FY 2015. Amends SSA titles XVIII (Medicare), XIX (Medicaid), and XXI (SCHIP) to conform with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
National Monument Fairness Act - Revises Federal law with respect to a presidential proclamation that, during one calendar year, either creates a national monument that is more than 50,000 acres or that adds more than 50,000 acres to an existing national monument. Prohibits the issuance of such a proclamation until 30 days after the President has transmitted the proposed proclamation to the Governor of the State or States in which such acreage is located, soliciting written comment. Makes any such proclamation ineffective two years after its issuance unless Congress has approved it by law. Provides that land subject to a proclamation issued after the enactment of this Act that ceases to be effective shall revert to the land use status it had before the proclamation was issued. Requires the President: (1) to solicit public participation and comment in the development of a monument proclamation; (2) to consult with the Governor and entire congressional delegation of the State or territory in which such lands are located at least 60 days before any national monument proclamation; and (3) before issuing it, to consider any information, including public comments, made available in the development of existing plans and programs for the management of the lands under consideration. Requires any management plan for a national monument developed subsequent to a proclamation made under this Act to comply with the procedural requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
States that the House of Representatives supports the efforts of organizations such as Second Harvest to provide emergency food assistance to hungry people in the United States, and encourages all Americans to provide volunteer services and other support for local antihunger advocacy efforts and hunger relief charities, including food banks, food rescue organizations, food pantries, soup kitchens, and emergency shelters.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act of 2003 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for programs, functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration for FY 2005 130 percent of the amount obligated during FY 2003. Adjusts the amount provided for fiscal years after FY 2005 based on the number of enrolled veterans and the number of other persons eligible but not enrolled who are provided care, multiplied by the per capital baseline amount for FY 2003, as increased by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index. Prohibits the availability of such funds for: (1) construction, acquisition, or alteration of veterans' medical facilities (other than for repairs provided for before the date of enactment of this Act); or (2) grants for the construction of State home facilities for the furnishing of veterans' domiciliary, nursing home, and hospital care.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Rural Provider Equity Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), the Public Health Service Act, and other Federal law with respect to rural health care, especially: (1) physician reimbursement; (2) rural health clinics and community health centers; (3) home health services and hospice care; (4) air and ground ambulance services; (5) mental health care accessibility; and (6) rural health services research. Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income any loan payments under the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Reduction in Distribution of Spam Act of 2003 - Prohibits a person from initiating in interstate commerce the transmission of any unsolicited commercial electronic (UCE) mail message unless the message contains: (1) identification as an advertisement or solicitation; (2) notice of an opt-out opportunity, along with a mechanism for doing so; and (3) a valid physical street address of the vendor. Prohibits the transmission of UCE mail: (1) after valid objection; (2) with fraudulent header information; and (3) from illegally harvested email addresses. Provides a right of enforcement action for: (1) providers of Internet access service; (2) States on behalf of any of their residents; and (3) the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Amends the Federal Criminal code to provide criminal penalties for: (1) falsifying the identify of an UCE mail sender; (2) failing to place warning labels on UCE mail containing sexually oriented material; (3) bulk email violations and repeat offenses; and (4) illegal harvesting of email addresses. Provides for enforcement of such penalties through actions by Internet service providers, the Attorney General, and State attorneys general. Requires the FTC to issue regulations to implement this Act. Requires the FTC and the Federal Communications Commission to report to Congress: (1) regarding the need to protect the rights of users of email to avoid receiving unwanted commercial email; and (2) a detailed analysis of the effectiveness and enforcement of the provisions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Catch-Up Lost Retirement Savings Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow, until December 31, 2007, an individual who participated in a retirement plan under which the employer matched at least 50 percent of the employee's contribution with the employer's stock and whose employer filed for bankruptcy and was subject to a related prosecution resulting from business transactions to make three times the otherwise applicable deductible retirement contributions and to receive a credit for 50 percent for such contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2003
Unemployment Compensation Amendments of 2003 - Amends the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (TEUCA) to extend the TEUCA program through December 31, 2003, with a phaseout period through March 31, 2004. (The TEUCA program provides: (1) an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits (TEUC) to jobless workers who have exhausted their regular unemployment benefits; and (2) another additional 13 weeks of benefits (TEUC-X), for a total of 26 additional weeks, for such workers in high unemployment States.)
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2003
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to President Jose Maria Aznar of Spain in recognition of his contributions to maintaining the security of all freedom-loving nations. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to strike such medal and authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2003
Amends the Federal Tort Claims Act to allow claims to be brought for damages against the United States for personal injury or death of a member of the armed forces serving on active duty or on full-time National Guard duty, arising out of medical or dental care furnished to such member in a fixed medical treatment facility operated by the Secretary of a military department or any other fixed medical facility operated by the United States. Provides for a reduction of claims under this Act by the present value of other benefits attributable to such death or injury that are received by the member and by that member's estate, survivors, and beneficiaries pursuant to other Federal provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2003
Telecommunications Ownership Diversification Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an electing taxpayer to treat a qualified telecommunications business sale to an eligible purchaser as an involuntary conversion. Places limits on the ensuing tax benefit. Defines an eligible purchaser as: (1) an economically and socially disadvantaged business; or (2) a corporation or partnership which, following the purchase, has substantially all of its assets in the telecommunications business and is at least five percent owned by the Telecommunications Development Fund. Provides a limited tax credit to a local exchange carrier that is not a Bell operating company and is headquartered in an empowerment zone. Provides for the exclusion from income of 50 percent of the gain on any sale or exchange of stock in an eligible purchaser engaged in a telecommunications business held for more than five years. Directs the Comptroller General to biennially audit the administration of the provisions of this Act and issue a report.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2003
Pledge Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal judicial code to deny jurisdiction to any court established by Act of Congress to hear or determine any claim that the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance violates the first amendment of the Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2003
Jamestown 400th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 100,000 $5 gold coins and 500,000 $1 silver coins, which shall be emblematic of the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia (the first permanent English settlement in America). Provides for a $35 per coin surcharge for the $5 dollar coins and $10 per coin for the $1 dollar coins. Directs that: (1) half of the surcharges be used to support programs to promote the understanding of the legacies of Jamestown (to be paid to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation); and (2) half be used to sustain the ongoing mission of preserving Jamestown, to enhance national and international educational programs relating to Jamestown, to improve infrastructure and archeological research activities relating to Jamestown, and conduct other programs to support the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown (to be distributed by the Secretary in equal shares to the Secretary of the Interior, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation).
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2003
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 - Permits the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National Forest System lands, and the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, to plan and conduct hazardous fuels reduction projects (fuels projects) on specified types of Federal lands. Directs the Secretary concerned to give priority to fuels projects that provide for the protection of communities and watersheds. Authorizes the Secretary concerned to make grants: (1) to improve the commercial value of forest biomass to produce electric energy, sensible heat, transportation fuels, or substitutes for petroleum-based products; and (2) to offset the cost of projects to add value to biomass. Amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to permit the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Forest Service, to provide assistance to State foresters and officials for the purpose of expanding State forest capacities and activities to address watershed issues on non-Federal forested lands and potentially forested lands. Directs the Secretary concerned to establish an accelerated program to plan, conduct, and promote comprehensive and systematic information gathering on bark beetles. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the healthy forests reserve program within the Forest Service for the purpose of protecting, restoring, and enhancing degraded forest ecosystems to promote the recovery of threatened and endangered species as well as improve biodiversity and enhance carbon sequestration. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a comprehensive plan to inventory, monitor, characterize, assess, and identify forest stands and potential forest stands in specified locations. States that issues to be addressed shall include: (1) the early detection, identification, and assessment of environmental threats; and (2) the loss or degradation of forests.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2003
Amends Federal patent law denying any patent infringement for the use of an invention in any vessel, aircraft or vehicle of any country which affords similar privileges to vessels, aircraft or vehicles of the United States, entering the United States temporarily or accidentally, if the invention is used exclusively for the needs of the vessel, aircraft or vehicle and is not offered for sale or sold in or used for the manufacture of anything to be sold in or exported from the United States. Applies this denial of patent infringement for temporary presence in the United States to use of an invention in a railroad car that enters and leaves the United States on a recurring basis.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2003
Authorizes the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation to Dr. Dorothy Height (President of the National Council of Negro Women) of a congressional gold medal in recognition of her many contributions to the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2003
Health Care Parity for Legal Transportation and Recreational Activities Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit a group health plan or health insurance issuer from denying benefits otherwise provided for the treatment of an injury solely because such injury resulted from the participation of the participant or beneficiary in a legal transportation and recreational activity such as motorcycling or skiing.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the additional requirements for qualified veterans mortgage bonds to: (1) revise the definition of a qualified veteran to mean any veteran who served on active duty (removes the limitation of service before January 1, 1977) and who applied for financing before 30 years after leaving service (removes the additional proviso of, or before January 31, 1985); (2) revise the State veterans limit; and (3) permit a State to elect to carry forward any of such unused limitation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2003
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that the rights of victims of violent crime, being capable of protection without denying the constitutional rights of those accused of victimizing them, are hereby established and shall not be denied by any State or the United States and may be restricted only as provided in this article. States that a victim of violent crime shall have: (1) the right to reasonable and timely notice of any public proceeding involving the crime and of any release or escape of the accused; (2) the rights not to be excluded from such public proceeding and reasonably to be heard at public release, plea, sentencing, reprieve, and pardon proceedings; and (3) the right to adjudicative decisions that duly consider the victim's safety, interest in avoiding unreasonable delay, and just and timely claims to restitution from the offender. States further that these rights shall not be restricted except when and to the degree dictated by a substantial interest in public safety or the administration of criminal justice, or by compelling necessity. States that nothing in this article shall be construed to provide grounds for a new trial or to authorize any claim for damages. Authorizes only the victim or the victim's lawful representative to assert the rights established by this article. Prohibits any person accused of the crime from obtaining any form of relief under this article.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2003
Constitutional Amendment - Requires that any bill, resolution, or other legislative measure changing the internal revenue laws shall require for final adoption in each House the concurrence of two-thirds of the Members of that House voting and present, unless the bill is determined at the time of adoption not to increase the internal revenue by more than a de minimis amount. States that for purposes of determining any increase, there shall be excluded any increase resulting from the lowering of an effective rate of any tax. Requires journal entry of any vote. Permits the waiver of such requirement, for up to two years, if there is a declaration of war or if the United States is engaged in a military conflict which causes an imminent and serious threat to national security, and is so declared by a joint resolution which becomes law.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2003
Sound Science for Endangered Species Act Planning Act of 2003 - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) give greater weight to scientific and commercial data that is empirical or that has been field-tested or peer-reviewed in determining that a species is an endangered or threatened species; and (2) promulgate regulations that establish criteria for data to be used as the basis of such a determination. Prohibits the Secretary from determining that a species is endangered or threatened unless the determination is supported by field data. Requires the Secretary to include in the rule-making record of such a determination data collected by landowners. Requires the Secretary to publish a description of additional scientific and commercial data that would assist in the preparation of a recovery plan. Directs the Secretary to: (1) solicit recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences and develop a list of qualified reviewers to participate in independent scientific review actions; and (2) appoint from such list three individuals who shall report on the scientific information and analyses on which final action is based. Requires the Secretary, when consulting with a Federal agency to determine whether agency action will jeopardize an endangered or threatened species or destroy the critical habitat of such species, to: (1) consider information provided by affected States; and (2) allow any person who has sought agency authorization or funding for an action to participate in related consultations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2003
Health Care Access and Rural Equity Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to make a variety of changes with regard to rural health care and such matters as: (1) urban and rural standardized payment amounts under the Medicare inpatient hospital prospective payment system (PPS); (2) disproportionate share hospital (DSH) adjustment for rural hospitals; (3) adjustment to the Medicare inpatient hospital PPS wage index to revise the labor-related share of such index; (4) treatment of certain sole community hospitals to limit the decline in payment under the PPS for hospital outpatient department services; (5) the critical access hospital program; and (6) permanent treatment of certain physician pathology services under Medicare. Amends the Public Health Service Act to give the Secretary the authority to make and guarantee loans from the loan fund to any rural entity for projects for capital improvements. Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for a five-year extension of the authorization for appropriations for certain Medicare rural grants.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2003
Amends Federal provisions relating to the military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) to change from October 1, 2008, to October 1, 2003, the effective date on or after which no reduction may be made in the retired pay of an SBP participant for any month after the later of: (1) the 360th month for which such pay was so reduced; and (2) the month during which the participant attains 70 years of age.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2003
Consumer Privacy Protection Act of 2003 - Requires data collection organizations, under specified conditions, to notify consumers: (1) at the time of collection that their personally identifiable information may be used for an unrelated transaction purpose; and (2) of any material change in the organization's privacy policy statement immediately after each change. Requires such organizations to establish a privacy policy with respect to the collection, sale, disclosure for consideration, or use of the consumer's information. Requires an organization to provide consumers, without charge, the opportunity to preclude the sale or disclosure of their information to any organization that is not an information-sharing partner. Prescribes requirements for opportunities an organization may give consumers to limit other information practices of the organization. Directs an organization to prepare and implement an information security policy that prevents the unauthorized disclosure or release of a consumer's information. Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to presume that an organization is in compliance with this Act if it participates in an approved five-year self-regulatory program. Prescribes requirements for a self-regulatory consumer dispute resolution process. Directs the FTC to: (1) facilitate electronic and promote the use of common identity theft affidavits; (2) require the timely resolution of identity theft disputes; (3) utilize the Identity Theft Clearinghouse to transmit information to appropriate entities for protective action and to mitigate losses; and (4) provide change of address protection for consumers. Requires: (1) the Comptroller General to analyze the impact on U.S. interstate and foreign commerce of information privacy laws, regulations, or agreements enacted, promulgated, or adopted by other nations, and whether the enforcement mechanisms or procedures of them result in discriminatory treatment of U.S. entities; and (2) the Secretary of Commerce, based on such results, to take steps to mitigate against such discriminatory impact. Directs the Secretary to seek harmonization of this Act with other international privacy laws, regulations, and agreements for the advancement of transnational and electronic commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to classify qualified leasehold improvement property (defined as certain improvements made to an interior portion of nonresidential real property) as ten-year property for depreciation purposes under the Accelerated Cost Recovery System.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2003
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal to Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to maintaining the security of all freedom-loving nations. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) strike such gold medal (and authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell duplicate bronze medals); and (2) deposit sums received from the sale of the bronze medals into the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2003
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act - Provides that, for purposes of the Federal Communications Commission's regulation relating to station antenna structures in the amateur radio services, any private land use rules applicable to such structures shall be treated as a State or local regulation and subject to the same requirements and limitations of such a regulation.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2003
Condemns the Earth Liberation Front and its adoption of terrorist tactics that destroy private property and endanger the lives of private property owners, government officials, law enforcement, and firefighters. Urges the Attorney General and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to: (1) seek to investigate and punish the actions of the Earth Liberation Front and its supporters; (2) pursue Earth Liberation Front as a terrorist organization and work closely with State and local law enforcement to combat it and its destruction of private property; and (3) continue to exhaust all resources in the fight against all forms of terrorism, foreign and domestic.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2003
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the U.S. Government should act carefully with regard to issues involving semiconductor trade between the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) to assure that trade disputes do not create geopolitical or economic tensions between the two countries, and do not result in the loss of highly skilled jobs in the United States, including jobs at U.S. facilities of Korean semiconductor manufacturers; (2) the Secretary of Commerce should review the financial restructuring of Hynix Semiconductor Inc. in light of economic reforms which have taken place in South Korea and avoid taking any action that will threaten the jobs of American workers in the semiconductor industry or threaten future investment in Hynix Semiconductor Inc.'s facility in Eugene, Oregon; and (3) the U.S. Trade Representative should seek to address issues involving semiconductor trade between the two countries through consultation after full review of the facts.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2003
Expresses the sympathy of Congress to Craig and Cynthia Corrie and to their extended families, friends, and co-workers for the loss of Rachel Corrie in the Palestinian village of Rafah in the Gaza strip on March 16, 2003. Calls on the U.S. Government to undertake a full investigation into her death. Urges the U.S. Government and the Government of Israel to work together to determine the circumstances that led to her death and to ensure that an incident of this kind does not happen again.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2003
Broad-Based Stock Option Plan Transparency Act of 2003 - Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require companies to include within certain mandatory reports details regarding stock option plans, stock purchase plans, and other arrangements involving employee acquisition of an equity interest in the company, including: (1) a discussion of the dilutive effect of stock option plans (written in accordance with the Plain English Handbook published by the Office of Investor Education and Assistance of the Commission); (2) expanded disclosure of the dilutive effect of employee stock options on the company's earnings per share number; (3) prominent placement and increased comparability of all stock option related information; and (4) a summary of stock options granted to the five most highly compensated executive officers, including outstanding stock options of those officers. Directs the SEC to examine and report to specified congressional committees on the effectiveness of the enhanced disclosures required by this Act in increasing transparency to current and potential investors. Prohibits the Commission, between enactment of this Act and submission of such report, from recognizing as generally accepted accounting principles any new accounting standards regarding the treatment of stock options. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to analyze and report to specified congressional committees on broad-based employee stock option plans, particularly in the high technology and any other high growth industries.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2003
Prohibits cargo transported by commercial motor vehicle (including cargo transported by vessel) from entering the United States from Canada or Mexico unless an appropriate officer or employee of the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security or other appropriate U.S. officer or employee has inspected such cargo to ensure that it complies with U.S. laws.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2003
Reforestation Tax Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a deduction to a taxpayer who has a qualified timber gain in an amount equal to the qualified percentage of such gain. Allows a deduction, for qualified timber property, for reforestation expenditures and terminates current provisions allowing for the amortization of such expenditures.
![Official portrait of Rep. Walden, Greg [R-OR-2]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/w000791_200.jpg)