United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States: (1) should support the principles of democracy and constitutional rule in the Republic of Haiti and oppose attempts to remove President Aristide from office; (2) should condemn the violent activities of groups of thugs, former members of Haiti's disbanded army, and paramilitary organizations; and (3) working with the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and other countries, should immediately provide assistance to strengthen and professionalize the Haitian police force in order to enable it to restore law and order and preserve democracy in Haiti.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that negotiations on access to critical segments of the U.S. automobile market should not take place on a piecemeal basis, but only as part of: (1) negotiations that include all major automobile producing nations; and (2) comprehensive negotiations that address both tariff and nontariff barriers specific to the automobile industry, with progress on eliminating tariff barriers explicitly linked to concrete progress on eliminating nontariff barriers.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2004
Fairness and Individual Rights Necessary to Ensure a Stronger Society: Civil Rights Act of 2004 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Education Amendments of 1972, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 to set forth requirements for: (1) establishing discrimination based on disparate impact; and (2) rights of action and recovery for unlawful discrimination (intentional or based on disparate impact) and harassment. Amends the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to provide that a State's receipt or use of Federal financial assistance for a State program or activity shall constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity to a suit under such Acts by a program employee. Amends the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 to authorize civil actions in Federal court for discrimination based on disability. Settlement Encouragement and Fairness Act - Modifies the definition of "prevailing party" for purposes of provisions governing the recovery of attorney's fees to include a party whose pursuit of a non-frivolous claim or defense was a catalyst for a voluntary or unilateral change in position by the opposing party that provides any significant part of the relief sought. Preservation of Civil Rights Protections Act of 2004 - Makes arbitration clauses in employment contracts unenforceable, with exceptions. Authorizes recovery of expert fees by prevailing parties in civil rights actions. Equal Remedies Act of 2004 - Repeals provisions limiting the amount of compensatory and punitive damages that may be awarded in cases of intentional discrimination in employment. Paycheck Fairness in Employment - Amends FLSA to revise provisions governing discrimination in the payment of wages, including equal pay requirements. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit denying back-pay or other monetary relief for unlawful employment practices against undocumented immigrant workers.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2004
Expresses support for the goals of National Manufacturing Week. Congratulates manufacturers and their employees for their contributions to growth, innovation, and the Nation's future. Recognizes that the manufacturing sector is facing serious, new challenges which affect prospects for growth of the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2004
Designates the U.S. Postal Service facility located at 223 South Main Street in Roxboro, North Carolina, as the Oscar Scott Woody Post Office Building.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2004
Commends the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons field hockey team for winning the 2003 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Field Hockey Championship.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Employee Free Choice Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board to certify a bargaining representative without directing an election if a majority of the bargaining unit employees have authorized designation of the representative and there is no other individual or labor organization currently certified or recognized as the exclusive representative of any of the employees in the unit. Sets forth special procedural requirements for reaching an initial collective bargaining agreement following certification or recognition. Revises enforcement requirements with respect to unfair labor practices during union organizing drives. Provides, under injunction provisions, for priority to be given to preliminary investigation of charges of violations by employers or other entities. Adds to remedies for such violations: (1) back pay plus liquidated damages; and (2) additional civil penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Every Child is Created Equal Act of 2003 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require school improvement plans to include a statement that providers of supplemental educational services (SES), as recipients of Federal funds, are subject to certain ESEA civil rights provisions that prohibit discrimination. Requires SES providers, as recipients of Federal funds, to meet all applicable Federal, State, and local health, safety, and civil rights laws. Prohibits construing anything in ESEA provisions for SES as permitting discrimination based on religion with respect to employment or provision of services. Requires SES providers to serve all eligible students, including students with disabilities and limited English proficient students.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Health Empowerment Zone Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate a community as a health empowerment zone if a participating community partnership: (1) requests such designation; and (2) demonstrates that the community is a community of color experiencing disproportionate disparities in health status and health care. Directs the Secretary to make: (1) grants to community partnerships of private and public entities to establish health empowerment zone programs to assist individuals, businesses, schools, minority health associations, nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, hospitals, health care clinics, and foundations in a health empowerment zone that are seeking to improve the health or environment of minority individuals and eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health status and health care; (2) at least one grant in a health empowerment zone in a U.S. territory or possession; and (3) establish a health empowerment zone coordinating committee for each zone. Directs the Secretary, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide assistance for such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Medicare Chronic Kidney Disease Management Act of 2003 - Entitles qualified chronic kidney disease patients to benefits under part A (Hospital Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. Prohibits enrollment of chronic kidney disease patients in part C (Medicare+Choice) of the Social Security Act. Provides for pre-end stage renal disease (pre-ESRD) professional nutritional and other counseling and related services and items for individuals diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish demonstration projects to evaluate methods through which kidney patient peer education may: (1) slow down or prevent the progress of kidney disease to end-stage renal disease in Medicare beneficiaries; (2) improve the management of co-morbid conditions associated with kidney disease; (3) improve choice in selection of renal replacement therapies (including home dialysis); and (4) improve other outcomes (such as employment).
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Expresses: (1) condolences and deepest sympathy to the families of the young women killed in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, since 1993, many of whom appear to be victims of one or more serial murders; and (2) the solidarity of the people of the United States with the people of Mexico in the face of these tragic and senseless acts. Recognizes the courageous struggle of the victims' families in seeking justice for them. Condemns: (1) the abductions and murders of such young women in Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua; (2) the use of torture as a means of investigation into these crimes; and (3) all senseless acts of violence in all parts of the world and violence against women in particular. Urges the President and Secretary of State to express: (1) concern over these abductions and murders to the Government of Mexico and to request that the investigative and preventative efforts of such Government become part of the bilateral agenda between the Governments of Mexico and the United States; and (2) support for the efforts of the victims' families to seek justice for the victims, to express concern relating to the continued harassment of these families and the human rights defenders with which they work, and to express concern with respect to impediments in the ability of the families to receive prompt and accurate information in their cases. Supports multilateral efforts to create a DNA database that would allow families to positively identify the remains of the victims and encourages the Secretary to facilitate U.S. participation in such database. Encourages the Secretary to: (1) include in the Department of State's annual Country Report on Human Rights all instances of improper investigatory methods, threats against human rights activists, and the use of torture with respect to cases involving the murder and abduction of young women in the State of Chihuahua; and (2) urge the Government of Mexico to ensure fair and proper judicial proceedings for the individuals accused of these abductions and murders and to impose appropriate punishment for those individuals subsequently determined to be guilty of such crimes. Recommends that the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico visit Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua to meet with the victims' families, women's rights organizations, and Mexican Federal and State officials responsible for investigating these crimes and preventing future such crimes.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2003
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users - Reauthorizes the Federal-aid surface transportation program through FY 2009. Reauthorizes appropriations from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for: (1) specified highway (including highway safety) programs; (2) research and technology; (3) motor carrier safety; and (4) transportation research. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a National Commission on Future Revenue Sources to Support the HTF. Establishes: (1) a National Commission on the Future of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate Defense Highways; and (2) a Commission on Intelligent Transportation Systems Procurement Policy. Requires States with an urbanized area population of over 200,000 to obligate specified funds for congestion relief. Federal Public Transportation Act of 2004 - Sets forth revised provisions governing public transportation funding and the Secretary's authority to make specified grants, including grants for capital projects, planning, and transit and for commercial driver's license program improvements. Directs the Secretary to establish programs involving: (1) long-term bridge performance; (2) innovative highway safety technologies; (3) freight planning capacity building; (4) freight transportation research; (5) future strategic highway research; (6) surface transportation congestion solutions research; and (7) commercial remote sensing products and spatial information technologies. Intelligent Transportation Systems Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary to conduct an ongoing intelligent system transportation program to research, develop, and operationally test and advance nationwide deployment of intelligent transportation systems as a component of the U.S. surface transportation systems. Incorporates Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration planning provisions. Reauthorizes the hazardous materials transportation program. Makes the guaranteed funding levels provided under this Act dependent on identifying additional budgetary resources.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2003
Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act - States that the purpose of this Act is to improve minority health and healthcare and to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health and healthcare. FamilyCare Act of 2003 - Amends the Social Security Act respecting: (1) family care; (2) Medicaid coverage for all residents with poverty level incomes; and (3) funding for the territories. Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to provide for optional coverage of legal immigrants under Medicaid and SCHIP (State children's health insurance program). Amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to revise provisions respecting program operations and funding. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a demonstration project to strengthen Medicaid and SCHIP coverage for migrant workers and farmworkers. Establishes the National Commission for Expanded Access to Health Care. Amends the Public Service Health Act to improve limited English speakers' access to health care. Directs the Secretary to establish a Center for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Healthcare. Provides for health workforce diversity, including provisions respecting: (1) career training and support; (2) data collection; (3) cultural training; (4) Hispanic-serving health professions schools; (5) student assistance, including online degree programs; (6) the Louis Stokes public health scholars program; (7) the Patsy Mink health and gender research fellowship program; (8) the Paul David Wellstone international health fellowship program; and (9) the Edward R. Roybal Healthcare scholar program. Environmental Justice Act of 2003 - Establishes: (1) the Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice which shall provide guidance to Federal agencies for identifying disproportionately high and adverse health and environmental effects on minority, low-income, and Native American populations; and (2) the Federal Environmental Justice Advisory Committee which shall advise the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Working Group on areas environmental justice. Border Health Security Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary, through the United States members of the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, to award grants to eligible entities to improve the health of border area residents that are established by: (1) the United States members of the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission; (2) the State border health offices; and (3) the Secretary. Amends the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission Act to make permanent authorizations of appropriations for activities under such Act. Patient Navigator, Outreach, and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to public and nonprofit private health centers (including Indian Health Service Centers, tribal governments, urban Indian organizations, tribal organizations, clinics serving Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Alaska Natives, and rural health clinics) for model programs that provide health disparity populations with: (1) cancer and chronic disease prevention and treatment; (2) patient navigators to manage the care of individuals within such groups; and (3) outreach services. Authorizes similar grant programs through: (1) the National Cancer Institute; and (2) the Indian Health Service. Community Health Workers Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to States or local or tribal units to promote positive health behaviors for women in target populations, especially racial and ethnic minority women in medically underserved communities. Extends funding for breast and cervical cancer preventive health measures. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to qualifying health centers, nonprofit organizations, and public institutions for cancer treatment and prevention programs for underserved minority and other populations, with consideration given to such population's language and cultural context. Provides for grants and activities respecting: (1) health empowerment zone programs in health disparity communities; (2) the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative; (3) infant mortality and sudden infant death syndrome rates in minority communities; (4) fetal alcohol syndrome treatment and diagnosis; (5) diabetes prevention and treatment activities with Indian tribes, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians; (6) diabetes programs, including youth and children's programs; (7) heart disease; (8) a national stroke education campaign; and (9) obesity treatment and prevention in underserved minority populations; (10) tuberculosis control and prevention; (11) asthma; (12) sickle cell disease; (13) autoimmune disease in minority populations; (14) sexually transmitted diseases; (15) children's dental disease coverage under Medicaid or SCHIP, and dental health services in underserved areas; (16) demonstration projects to reduce violence; (17) uterine fibroid research and education; (18) disease screening; (19) community outreach; (20) immunizations; (21) chronic disease management; and (22) racial and ethnic approaches to community health. Requires HHS funded or operated programs to collect race, ethnicity, and language data to detect ethnic and racial health care disparities. Authorizes demonstration program grants for health plan, health center, and hospital data collection. Amends the Social Security Act to require the Social Security Administration to collect similar data. Directs the Secretary to fund epidemiology centers in Indian health areas lacking such centers. Extends funding for the National Center for Health Statistics. Minority Health and Genomics Act of 2003 - Establishes the Minority Health and Genomics Commission, which shall conduct a study of, and develop recommendations on, issues relating to genomic research as applied to minority groups. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) civil rights compliance offices within each HHS agency that administers a health program; and (2) an Office of Minority Health within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Establishes the Indian Health Service as an agency of the Public Health Service. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish an Office of Minority Affairs within the Office of the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary to make grants for demonstration programs to improve minority healthcare access and quality. Directs the Secretary to: (1) designate centers of excellence at hospitals and other health systems serving large numbers of minority patients; (2) provide financial assistance to designated healthcare providers and community health centers for facility and service improvements in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii; and (3) provide grants and loan guarantees from the Health Safety Net Infrastructure Trust Fund (established by this Act) for capital financing assistance to eligible healthcare facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2003
Calls for the House of Representatives, prior to the conclusion of the first session of the 108th Congress, to pass legislation that would create an independent commission or select House committee to investigate U.S. intelligence relating to Operation Iraqi Freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2003
Declares the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the Iraqi Reconstruction Coordinator should be an Undersecretary of State accountable for all reconstruction funding in Iraq; (2) twenty percent of the emergency supplemental appropriations should be made immediately available to the Coalition Provisional Authority; (3) such amount should be contingent upon a presentation to Congress by the Administration and the Authority consistent with a plan proposed by the President to restore freedom, self-rule, and democracy in Iraq; (4) the expenditure of funds for Iraq reconstruction should be obligated to the maximum extent possible in Iraq to promote its redevelopment, with steps taken to ensure transparency in contracting to prevent profiteering; (5) local procurement and management in Iraq should be encouraged wherever feasible, including through prime contracting as it can be developed; and (6) the Secretary of State should work with the governments of other countries to establish an Iraqi Reconstruction Council consisting of all major donor countries, all neighboring countries, and the Iraqi Governing Council, with the mandate to set donor priorities and foster regional economic cooperation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2003
Authorizes the President to award congressional gold medals posthumously, to their next of kin, on behalf of Reverend Joseph A. DeLaine, Harry and Eliza Briggs, and Levi Pearson, in recognition of their contributions to the Nation as pioneers in South Carolina in the effort to desegregate public schools that led directly to the landmark desegregation case of Brown et al. v. the Board of Education of Topeka et al. Directs that amounts received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals be deposited in the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2003
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2003 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by covered entities (including employment agencies, labor organizations, and training programs). Prohibits related retaliation and coercion. Declares this Act inapplicable to the provision of employee benefits for the benefit of an employee's domestic partner. Prohibits the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from: (1) collecting statistics on sexual orientation from covered entities; and (2) compelling covered entities to collect such statistics. Prohibits: (1) quotas and preferential treatment; and (2) an order or consent decree for a violation of this Act that includes a quota or preferential treatment. Declares that this Act is inapplicable to: (1) religious organizations; (2) the relationship between the United States and members of the armed forces; or (3) laws creating special rights or preferences for veterans. Prohibits the imposition of affirmative action for a violation of this Act. Disallows State immunity. Makes the United States or a State liable for remedies to the same extent as under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2003
Keeping Families Together Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award competitive grants to States to establish systems of individualized mental health treatment and family support services for children who are in custody or in danger of entering the custody of the state for the purpose of receiving mental health services. Requires eligible States to: (1) have laws or policies in effect that ensure that children receive appropriate mental health services so that parents do not have to relinquish legal custody of such children; (2) provide matching funds; (3) establish infrastructure for interagency cooperation and cross system financing; and (4) expand public health insurance programs to cover these services after the grant expires. Establishes a Federal interagency task force to examine mental health issues in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems and the role of their agencies in promoting access by children and youth to mental health services. Amends the Social Security Act to permit the use of the Medicaid home and community-based services waiver to provide mental health services to children and youths as an alternative to care in inpatient psychiatric hospitals.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2003
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act - Amends the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (TEUCA) to: (1) extend the TEUC program; (2) provide for additional weeks of TEUC benefits; (3) revise unemployment rate triggers for TEUC benefit periods; and (4) provide for regular unemployment compensation for certain individuals based on part-time work or an alternative base period. Extends the TEUC program through weeks of unemployment ending before July 1, 2004. Provides a phase-out period for individual payments up to weeks beginning after December 31, 2004. Increases to 26 weeks an eligible individual's TEUC payments. Provides for an additional seven weeks of payments, for a total of 33 weeks, for individuals in high-unemployment States (TEUC-X). (Current law provides 13 weeks of regular TEUC payments, with an additional 13 and total 26 in TEUC-X States.) Revises requirements for determining TEUC-X States, using certain triggers based on insured unemployment rates and on total unemployment rates. Establishes a program of payments to States to provide regular unemployment compensation benefits for individuals who otherwise would be ineligible because: (1) the base period does not count wages earned in the most recently completed calendar quarter; or (2) the individuals seek or are available for less than full-time work.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2003
NICS Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to require: (1) the head of each Federal agency that has records relating to persons for whom receipt of a firearm would violate Federal or State law to provide that information to the Attorney General for inclusion in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS); (2) the agency, upon being made aware that the basis under which a record was made available no longer applies, to correct the record and notify the Attorney General; and (3) the Department of Homeland Security to make available to the Attorney General records relevant to a determination that a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm and information about a change in such person's status for removal from NICS, where appropriate. Directs the Attorney General to make grants to: (1) States and Indian tribal governments to establish or upgrade information and identification technologies for firearms eligibility determinations; and (2) States for use by the State court system to improve the automation and transmittal to Federal and State record repositories of criminal history dispositions, records relevant to determining whether a person has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, court orders, and mental health adjudications or commitments. Requires: (1) the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics to study and evaluate NICS operations and to report annually to Congress and to specified States regarding best practices; and (2) the Comptroller General to conduct an audit of the expenditure of all funds appropriated for criminal records improvement to determine how the funds were expended.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2003
Recognizes the 40th anniversary of the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church of Birmingham, Alabama. Honors the victims (Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley) and commends the efforts of the law enforcement personnel who worked to bring those responsible to justice.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2003
Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology Act of 2003 - Rape Kits and DNA Evidence Backlog Elimination Act of 2003 - Amends: (1) the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to reauthorize the Act; (2) the DNA Identification Act of 1994 (Identification Act) to expand the scope of DNA samples to be included in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS); and (3) the Violence Against Women Act to authorize grants to increase the availability of legal assistance to victims of dating violence. DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2003 - Amends the Identification Act to require that CODIS include only information on DNA identification records and analyses that are prepared by laboratories that: (1) have been accredited by a nationally recognized nonprofit professional association of forensic scientists within two years; and (2) undergo external audits at least every two years that demonstrate compliance with specified standards. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants for: (1) DNA training and education; (2) sexual assault forensic examination programs; (3) research and development; (4) using DNA technology to identify missing persons; and (5) tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions. Expands and reauthorizes the Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grant Program. Innocence Protection Act of 2003 - Sets forth conditions under which a Federal prisoner may obtain post-conviction DNA testing of specific evidence. Directs the Attorney General to award grants to States to improve the quality of legal representation in State capital cases.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2003
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Rest and Recuperation Leave program for members of the armed forces serving in combat zones in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom should cover all travel and transportation costs necessary to return members granted leave to their homes. (Currently, such program covers transportation to only an approved point of debarkation in the United States.)
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2003
Benjamin Franklin Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue one dollar coins emblematic of the life and legacy of Benjamin Franklin (not more than 250,000 bearing his image as a young statesman and not more than 250,000 with his image as an older numismatist). Directs that all sales include a $10 per coin surcharge, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Commission, to be used to educate people about Franklin's legacy.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2003
Calls for the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee of the U.S. Postal Service to recommend and the Postmaster General to issue a postage stamp commemorating the Fisk Jubilee Singers (a choral group from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee).
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 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 Monsignor Ignatius McDermott (founder of Haymarket Center, the largest drug abuse treatment center in Chicago) in recognition of his contribution to the drug treatment community and his accomplishments as a priest and humanitarian.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2003
Ralph J. Bunche Scholarship Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise and reauthorize title III part C programs of the Institute for International Public Policy. Directs the Institute to conduct a program to enhance U.S. global competitiveness by increasing the participation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, and other underrepresented minorities in the international service, including private international voluntary organizations, the foreign commercial service, and the foreign service of the United States. Lowers, from one-half to one-third, the matching funds requirement for recipients of grants from the Institute. Establishes a Ralph J. Bunche Scholarships program. Authorizes the Institute to provide such scholarships to qualified low-income, minority, and other underrepresented students who demonstrate special interest in international affairs and language study, demonstrate exceptional academic ability, and show promise of continued academic excellence and ability. Provides such Bunche Scholarships for up to $5,000 for each of the last two years of undergraduate study toward a bachelor's degree. Directs the Institute to provide a program of study leading to an advanced degree in international relations, international affairs, international economics, or other academic areas related to the Institute fellow's career objectives. Authorizes the Institute to grant fellowships for such program of study up to an amount comparable to National Science Foundation research graduate fellowships. Requires fellowship recipients to agree to undertake full-time study and to enter the international service, including work with international voluntary organizations, or the U.S. foreign service.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2003
Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to award a grant to each State to carry out a program for making available throughout that State the 2-1-1 telephone service for information and referral on human services. Requires a participating State to ensure that at least 50 percent of the resources of the program funded by the grant will be derived from other sources. Requires a State seeking a grant to carry out its activities through a lead entity to be known as a 2-1-1 Collaborative. Requires grant amounts to be used solely to make available to a State 2-1-1 telephone service for community information and referral on human services, including telephone connections between families and individuals seeking services and the service providers. Requires grant recipients to: (1) abide by the Key Standards for 2-1-1 Centers; and (2) collaborate with human service organizations to provide an exhaustive database of services with which to provide information or referral to individuals utilizing the 2-1-1 service.
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 · 17 September 2003
Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide owners of residential properties built in the United States before 1978 with a tax credit for lead-based paint abatement costs performed by a certified lead abatement contractor (50 percent of the cost of the abatement, not to exceed $1,500 per dwelling unit).
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2003
Expresses congressional concern over the detrimental effects of currency manipulation by foreign governments on the U.S. economy, especially the manufacturing sector. Calls on the President to: (1) vigorously enforce U.S. trade laws dealing with such practices; (2) encourage the harmonization of an international exchange rate policy of freely floating exchange rates based on market forces; and (3) review all tools available to counteract currency manipulation. Urges that: (1) the executive branch take certain steps to enable the dollar and other major currencies to move toward their equilibrium rates; (2) the Secretary of the Treasury include in each semiannual report on international economic and exchange rate policies the currency manipulation practices of foreign governments; and (3) the U.S. Trade Representative take action under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to combat such practices should negotiations fail to produce meaningful results.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2003
Currency Harmonization Initiative through Neutralizing Action Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to analyze annually the exchange rate policies of the People's Republic of China, and to impose additional tariffs, if necessary, to equalize any currency manipulations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 September 2003
Honors the 1963 March on Washington as one of the largest political demonstrations in U.S. history and recognizes its importance in the struggle for civil rights and equal rights for all Americans. Expresses gratitude to the organizers and participants for their dedication and commitment to equality and justice.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2003
Columbian Temporary Protected Status Act of 2003 - Expresses the sense of Congress in favor of extending temporary protected status to Columbian nationals in the United States. Designates Columbia under the Immigration and Nationality Act as a country undergoing an ongoing armed conflict in order to make qualifying Columbians living in the United States eligible aliens for temporary protected status. States that such initial designation shall be for a two-year period.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 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 honoring Wilma G. Rudolph (three-time gold medal winner in the 1960 Olympics) in recognition of her outstanding and enduring contributions to humanity and to women's athletics.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2003
John Marshall Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury: (1) to mint and issue not more than 400,000 silver one dollar coins emblematic of Chief Justice John Marshall and his contributions to the United States in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of his birth; and (2) in cooperation with the Legacy Fund of the Library of Congress, to develop and implement a marketing program to promote and sell the coins. Directs that all sales of coins minted under this Act include a ten dollar per coin surcharge, to be paid by the Secretary to the Supreme Court Historical Society for purposes of: (1) supporting historical research about the Supreme Court, the Constitution, and related topics; (2) supporting fellowship programs, internships, and docents at the Supreme Court; and (3) collecting and preserving related antiques, artifacts, and other historical items.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2003
Air Line Pension Act of 2003 - Sets forth special funding requirements for certain pension plans maintained by commercial passenger air carriers (plans), notwithstanding any contrary provisions of the Internal Revenue Code or of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Provides for such plans, if they have a funded percentage of less than 80 percent as of January 1, 2003, the following: (1) modifications of funding rules, including funded percentage, assumed interest rate for determining current liability, and estimation of current liability; (2) a moratorium on the deficit reduction contribution, under specified conditions; (3) a one-time amortization of 2008 unfunded current liability; and (4) recognition of a waiver in the deficit reduction contribution. Provides for such plans, if they are maintained for benefit of the carrier's employees pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement and if they terminated during calendar year 2003, the following: (1) restoration by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to the plan's pre-termination status and transfer of control of plan assets and liabilities to the employer, unless the collective bargaining agreement provides that the plan should not be restored; (2) exclusion of any expected increase in current liability due to benefits accruing during each plan year; (3) amortization of unfunded amounts under the restoration payment schedule; (4) inapplicability of certain contribution requirements to a restored plan until a plan year beginning on the initial post-restoration valuation date, with modified required annual payments; and (5) resetting of funding standard account balances. Limits PBGC liability with respect to certain plans under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2003
Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of Congress, a gold medal to Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. (posthumously) and his widow, Coretta Scott King, in recognition of their service to the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2003
Model Alternative Publicly Accountable Schools Act of 2003 - Authorizes appropriations for: (1) public transformation schools in the District of Columbia to expand opportunities for low-income District parents to enroll their children in higher-performing schools, and to fund the additional services necessary to achieve continued improvements in the performance of such students; and (2) the Direct Loan Fund for Charter School Improvement, to be used to expand opportunities for District students to attend charter schools in the District.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2003
Commends: (1) the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for successfully negotiating and signing in Accra, Ghana, on June 17, 2003, the "Agreement on Ceasefire and Cessation of Hostilities Between the Government of the Republic of Liberia and Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy and the Movement for Democracy of Liberia" (Ceasefire Agreement); (2) the Parties to the Ceasefire Agreement; and (3) the Liberian civil society and Liberian communities in exile for continuing to strive for peace and democracy in their country and for sustaining families unable to survive economically under President Taylor's corrupt regime with financial remittances and for steadfast advocacy for their country; Calls on all parties to the Ceasefire Agreement to: (1) refrain from committing, aiding, abetting, or permitting, any acts in violation of the Agreement; and (2) facilitate the sustained delivery of humanitarian relief supplies throughout the country, ensure the safety and freedom of movement of all humanitarian workers, abide by the Ceasefire Agreement timetable, and form a transitional national government. Calls on President Charles Taylor to implement his June 4, 2003, statement that he would seek "a national unity government immediately" and be willing to remove himself from power in the interest of transition to peace for the Liberian people. Commends the Special Court for Sierra Leone for its work to bring justice to the people of Sierra Leone who suffered in the civil war sponsored by President Charles Taylor and fueled by the trade in "conflict diamonds". Calls upon the U.S. Government to: (1) to assume a leadership role in the international community through its membership in the International Contact Group for Liberia to help guide the Ceasefire Agreement and subsequent peace agreement, political transition and establishment of a sustainable democracy with good governance, and economic reconstruction processes; and (2) play a strong and proactive role in supporting the Ceasefire Agreement and peace and reconciliation initiatives. Calls upon the Secretary of State to: (1) take a lead role in collaboration with ECOWAS in negotiating the establishment of the Joint Verification Team under the Ceasefire Agreement; (2) provide leadership and participate in negotiations to establish the Joint Monitoring Committee to supervise the ceasefire; and (3) together with the United Nations, ECOWAS, and the African Union to establish and deploy an International Stabilization Force that will initially monitor the peace agreement and provide security for humanitarian relief efforts. Calls upon the Secretary of Defense to: (1) provide military experts, personnel, logistical support, equipment and funds to support the Joint Verification Team; (2) provide financial, logistical, personnel, and technical support, and to participate in the Joint Monitoring Committee; and (3) play a lead role in creating and deploying an international stabilization force to Liberia. Calls on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to: (1) commit to providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Liberia; (2) focus on the most vulnerable populations, including internally displaced persons and war-affected persons in Monrovia; and (3) coordinate relief efforts with national and international nongovernmental organizations and other donors. Calls on the international community to: (1) support humanitarian efforts to meet the urgent and dire needs of the Liberian people; (2) support efforts that advance the development of democratic civil institutions in Liberia; and (3) assist in the establishment of a government that respects the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of its neighbors. Calls upon Liberian indigenous private and voluntary organizations active in local grassroots rehabilitation, reconstruction, and development efforts and Liberians living overseas to engage fully in the international efforts to help restore Liberia as a viable country in which present and future generations can live peacefully. Calls upon the United Nations to: (1) provide peacekeeping troops to enforce the Ceasefire Agreement, protect humanitarian efforts, and maintain a stable transitional environment; and (2) provide adequate repatriation packages for refugees and resettlement packages for internally displaced persons.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
Creates the Independent Commission on Intelligence about Iraq. Gives the Commission responsibility for: (1) evaluating executive branch intelligence collection, assessment, and representations concerning the threats posed by Iraq; (2) evaluating the effectiveness of collaborative arrangements between the United States and others in assessing such threats; (3) examining the extent to which Congress has imposed restrictions that have hampered the efforts of the intelligence community; (4) reviewing the work of other investigations; and (5) reporting its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to Congress and the President.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
Honors the life and accomplishments of Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr., the first African-American Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. Recognizes his legendary compassion as a civil rights leader. Extends the condolences of the House of Representatives to the Jackson family and the city of Atlanta on his death.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2003
Nullifies certain provisions of Executive Order 13279, dated December 12, 2002 (relating to equal protection of the laws for faith-based and community organizations) authorizing exemptions from specified Federal procurement contracting requirements with respect to contractors that are religious entities.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2003
Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2003 - Repeals death penalty provisions for a wide range of specified offenses under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Federal criminal code (the code), the Controlled Substances Act, and other statutes, including for murder relating to the smuggling of aliens, murder during a hostage-taking, and certain non-homicide-related offenses (espionage and treason). Repeals code procedures relating to imposition of the death sentence. Prohibits sentencing to death or putting to death any person for any violation of Federal law. Directs that any person sentenced to death before the date of this Act's enactment for any such violation serve a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Redesignates the Federal building located at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest in the District of Columbia, commonly known as the J. Edgar Hoover Federal Building, as the Federal Bureau of Investigation Building.
![Official portrait of Rep. Watt, Melvin L. [D-NC-12]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/w000207_200.jpg)