United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2002
Small Business Drought Relief Act - Amends the Small Business Act to include drought within the definition of "disaster" for purposes of disaster loans provided to small businesses through the Small Business Administration (SBA). Authorizes such loan assistance for farm- and nonfarm-related small businesses affected by droughts. Requires the SBA to respond in writing to a State governor regarding its determination concerning the provision of disaster loan assistance within 30 days after receiving such governor's certification that small businesses in that State have suffered economic injury as a result of a disaster.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2002
Amends Federal transportation law with respect to urbanized area formula grants for capital projects and the planning and improvement costs of equipment, facilities, and associated capital maintenance items for use in mass transportation. Makes a special rule for FY 2003 authorizing the Secretary of Transportation to make such grants from FY 2003 funds to finance the operating cost of equipment and facilities for use in mass transportation in an urbanized area with a population of at least 200,000 as determined under the 2000 Federal decennial census of population, if: (1) the urbanized area had a population under 200,000 in the 1990 census; (2) a portion of the area was a separate urbanized area with a population under 200,000 in the 1990 census; or (3) the area was not designated as a urbanized area in the 1990 census. Limits such amounts: (1) for the first two described areas to the amount apportioned in FY 2002 to such areas; and (2) for urbanized areas that, for the first time, exceeded 200,000 in population according to the 2000 census, to the amount apportioned for FY 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2002
Urges the recognition of General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. (who died on July 4, 2002) for his achievement as one of America's most accomplished military officers, whose strength, determination, and character in the face of racial injustice and bigotry could not prevent him from serving with the highest honor and distinction for the country he so proudly loved.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2002
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that a National Epilepsy Awareness Month should be established and observed with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2002
Textile and Apparel Recognition Act - Calls upon the President to: (1) ensure enforcement of U.S. trade laws with respect to trade practices resulting in harm to the U.S. textile and apparel industry; (2) ensure enforcement of international trade agreements with respect to the U.S. textile and apparel industry, including existing safeguard remedies available under the World Trade Organization and the North American Free Trade Agreement; (3) ensure enforcement of existing quota and tariff regulations to prevent further illegal circumvention of the U.S. textile import restraint program; (4) deny requests from trading partners of the United States for unilateral liberalization by the United States of its textile and apparel market other than that provided for under existing international trade agreements; and (5) implement strategies to open foreign markets to provide equitable access for goods exported by the U.S. textile and apparel industry. Directs the President when conducting negotiations to enter into trade agreements with other countries to take into account potential foreign currency devaluations so that such countries do not receive the benefit of reduced tariffs while at the same time making their exports more cost-competitive on the international market through such currency devaluations. Requires the President to report annually to Congress on the ability of the U.S. textile manufacturing sector to compete with the textile industry in other countries when foreign currencies are devalued.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2002
Urges the Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend to the Postmaster General that a commemorative postage stamp be issued by the United States Postal Service honoring Charles Hamilton Houston, the first African American to earn a Doctor of Juridical Science degree from Harvard University and to serve as editor of the Harvard Law Review.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2002
Unemployment Extension Act of 2002 - Amends the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (which is title II of the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002, PL107-147) to extend temporary extended unemployment compensation (TEUC) program agreements through weeks of unemployment ending before June 30, 2003 (currently January 1, 2003). Revises the formula for determining the amount in an eligible individual's TEUC account. Sets such amount at the lesser of: (1) the total (currently half of the total) amount of regular compensation, including dependents' allowances, payable to the individual during the individual's benefit year; or (2) 26 (currently 13) times the individual's average weekly benefit amount for the benefit year. Augments an individual's account by half (currently all) of the amount originally established in that account if it is exhausted at the time a State is in an extended benefit period.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2002
National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2002 - Identifies roadless areas within the National Forest System set forth in specified documents as National Forest Inventoried Roadless Areas, and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to manage such Areas to maintain their roadless character.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2002
Urges the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend to the Postmaster General that a commemorative postage stamp be issued by the U.S. Postal Service each year in honor of Veterans Day.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2002
Establishes a National Commission on Terrorist Acts Upon the United States. Directs the Commission to: (1) investigate facts and circumstances relating to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; and (2) evaluate lessons learned regarding the abilities of the Federal Government, and, if appropriate, of State and local governments and nongovernmental entities to detect, prevent, and respond to such attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2002
Children's Health Coverage Improvement Act of 2002 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to provide for grants to promote innovative outreach and enrollment efforts under SCHIP.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2002
National Drought Preparedness Act of 2002 - Establishes the National Drought Council which shall: (1) develop a national drought policy action plan; (2) evaluate Federal drought-related programs; (3) coordinate and prioritize enhancement of the national drought monitoring network; and (4) provide for the development of a drought information delivery system, drought planning models, and drought preparedness plans. Terminates the Council eight years after enactment of this Act. Requires the Director of the National Drought Council to establish the National Office of Drought Preparedness. Establishes within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) the Drought Assistance Fund, which shall be used to: (1) assist State, local, tribal, and critical service entities with drought-related activities; and (2) expand the technology transfer of drought and water conservation strategies. Requires: (1) the Director to publish guidelines for administering a national technical and financial drought assistance program; and (2) the Director, the Secretaries of Agriculture, the Interior, and the Army, and other appropriate Federal agency heads to implement integrated drought preparedness plans. Authorizes States, Indian tribes, local governments, and regional, water providers to develop and implement drought preparedness plans. Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the Director of FEMA to reimburse States for qualifying costs incurred in prepositioning wildfire suppression resources.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2002
Renewable Fuel Equity Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the renewable resources credit to include geothermal and solar energy, incremental hydropower and biomass (other than closed-loop biomass). Sets forth qualifying dates of service for facilities using such means to produce electricity. Expands the investment tax credit to include equipment used to produce electricity from certain renewable resources. Increases, from 10 to 20 percent, the "energy percentage" used to determine the energy credit in the case of energy property having a total installed electrical generating capacity of less than one megawatt that is placed in service before January 1, 2007.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2002
Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act of 2002 - Mandates satisfaction of judgements against a terrorist party from the frozen assets of terrorists, terrorist organizations, and State sponsors of terrorism. Authorizes the President to waive this requirement before the enforcement of any judicial order directing attachment in aid of execution against property subject to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations or the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, upon a determination on an asset-by-asset basis that waiver is necessary in the national security interest. Amends the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 to set forth a special rule for cases against Iran with respect to distribution of foreign military sales funds inadequate to satisfy the amount of compensatory awards against Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2002
Federal Agency Protection of Privacy Act - Requires Federal agencies: (1) when publishing a general notice of proposed rulemaking for any proposed rule or for an interpretative rule involving the internal revenue laws, to prepare, make available for public comment, and publish an initial analysis describing the rule's impact on the privacy of individuals; and (2) when promulgating the final rule, to prepare, make publicly available, and publish a final privacy impact analysis that includes a summary of the significant issues raised by and changes made pursuant to public comments on the initial analysis. Requires the head of an agency promulgating a rule that may have a significant privacy impact on individuals or on a substantial number of individuals to use specified techniques to assure that individuals have been given an opportunity to participate in the rulemaking. Requires each agency to: (1) carry out a periodic review of promulgated rules that have such impact to determine whether each such rule can be amended or rescinded in a manner that minimizes such impact while remaining in accordance with applicable statutes; (2) carry out such review in accordance with a plan that provides for the review of each rule every ten years after the rule was published as a final rule; and (3) publish annually a list of the rules to be reviewed. Sets forth provisions governing judicial review of agency compliance with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2002
Authorizes the President to award to Dr. Dorothy Height, on behalf of Congress, a congressional gold medal in recognition of her many contributions to the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2002
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend, through December 31, 2007, the duty on Disperse Orange 30, Disperse Blue 79:1, Disperse Red 167:1, Disperse Yellow 64, Disperse Red 60, Disperse Blue 60, Disperse Blue 77, Disperse Yellow 42, Disperse Red 86, and Disperse Red 86:1.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2002
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend, through December 31, 2007, the duty on Acid Yellow 219, Acid Orange 152, Acid Red 278, Acid Orange 116, Acid Orange 156, and Acid Blue 113.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2002
Urges the President to: (1) end any embargo against Haiti and to no longer require, as a condition of providing humanitarian and development assistance to Haiti, the resolution of the political impasse in Haiti resulting from the legislative elections of May 2000; (2) direct the Secretary of State to intervene to mediate the political impasse, provide constructive guarantees to any resolution to the crisis, and recruit positive support from the Organization of American States (OAS) and other international bodies to sustain any negotiated settlement; and (3) direct the Secretary to review of U.S. policy toward Haiti. Calls on the United States Agency for International Development, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Inter-American Development Bank to convene a meeting of all donors and potential donors to Haiti to launch a new and sustainable humanitarian initiative, including a lending program to bolster Haiti's economic base. Supports the expansion of the OAS mission to Haiti and calls on the President to urge that the mission work constructively with the Government and people of Haiti to advance their goals and aspirations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2002
Declares that Congress expresses its deepest gratitude for the service of the District of Columbia Army National Guard in protecting Congress and increasing security around the Capitol complex. Congratulates the National Guard and Capitol Police on the fine work they have done to increase security around the Capitol grounds since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2002
Rare Diseases Orphan Product Development Act of 2002 - Amends the Orphan Drug Act to authorize appropriations for FY 2002 through 2006 for grants and contracts for the development of drugs for rare diseases and conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2002
Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2002 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to prohibit certain employee group health plans or related insurances providing both medical-surgical and mental health benefits from imposing mental health treatment limitations or financial requirements unless comparable limitations and requirements are imposed upon medical-surgical benefits. States that the foregoing shall not be construed as requiring a group health plan (or related insurances) to: (1) provide any mental health benefits; (2) prevent the medical management of mental health benefits; or (3) require the provision of specific mental health services, except to the extent that failure to provide such services would result in a disparity between the coverage of mental health and medical-surgical benefits. Exempts specified small employers from such requirements. Requires that, in the case of a group health plan that offers a participant or beneficiary two or more benefit package options, the coverage requirements shall be applied separately with respect to each such option. Provides that, in the case of a plan or insurance providing in-network mental health benefits, out-of-network mental health benefits need not be provided at parity to medical-surgical benefits, as long as in-network mental health benefits are provided at parity with medical-surgical benefits and the plan or insurance provides reasonable access to in-network providers and facilities. Requires a General Accounting Office study of such requirements' effects upon health insurance costs, access, and quality and a cost estimation of extending such requirements to the treatment of substance abuse and chemical dependency.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2002
Community Economic Development Expertise Enhancement Act of 2002 - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make grants to increase the capacity and expertise of qualifying community-based economic development organizations. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct an assessment of such organizations' capability needs; and (2) establish the Advisory Council on Community Economic Development. Directs the President to include with each annual budget request a report regarding Federal financial support for community economic development.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2002
Declares that Congress supports the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) in condemning the sexual exploitation of children by humanitarian aid workers. Urges the UN Office of Investigative Oversight Services to investigate sexual exploitation of refugees by such workers of both non-governmental organizations and government-sponsored agencies. Urges the President to: (1) affirm the U.S. commitment to protecting the well-being and human rights of women and girls; and (2) instruct the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Secretary of Agriculture to review the distribution of food assistance to refugee communities to ensure that the provision of U.S. humanitarian assistance is respectful of the human rights of women and girls and supports young girls identified as victims of sexual exploitation.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2002
Water Quality Financing Act of 2002 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to make grants to nonprofit organizations to provide technical and information assistance for rural and small treatment works. Requires establishment of procedures for the competitive award of grants. Extends funding for State- and interstate-managed pollution control programs. Revises State water pollution control revolving fund provisions concerning: (1) agreements for treatment works capitalization grants; (2) project eligibility; (3) loan payments, subsidization, and administrative expenses; (4) technical and planning assistance for small treatment works; (5) funding allotments; (6) priorities and intended use plans; and (7) Federal oversight review procedures. Increases the limit on amounts authorized for grants for development of management plans and construction of publicly owned treatment works to serve Indians. Waives application of the Federal Reports Elimination and Sunset Act to various water pollution-related reporting requirements, thereby leaving them in place. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the private activity bond volume cap bonds issued as part of an issue whose proceeds are to be used to provide water or sewage facilities. Revises arbitrage bond rules to exclude from consideration as proceeds of an issue any amounts derived from a Federal grant or related State contribution made in connection with a FWPCA or Safe Drinking Water Act State revolving loan fund.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2002
Comprehensive Investor Protection Act of 2002 - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to set forth auditor independence requirements, including a prohibition against: (1) nonaudit services for audit clients; and (2) improper influence exerted upon the conduct of audits. Establishes the Public Accounting Regulatory Board to: (1) establish audit quality standards; (2) review public accounting firms and individual audits; (3) conduct disciplinary and investigation proceedings; and (4) suspend or revoke registration for noncompliance. Permits State licensing boards to participate in such proceedings and impose sanctions. Authorizes the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to oversee the Board. Subjects to Board jurisdiction foreign accounting firms that already fall within SEC jurisdiction. Proscribes insider trades during pension fund blackout periods. Mandates an SEC rulemaking proceeding to attain increased financial disclosure of : (1) off-balance sheet transactions; (2) insider transactions; (3) relationships between SEC registrants and philanthropic organizations; (4) insider controlled affiliates; and (5) provision of services by related persons. Instructs the SEC to: (1) initiate additional rulemaking proceedings regarding plain language financial reports; (2) implement a current disclosure reporting system; and (3) conduct enhanced oversight of issuers' periodic financial statements. Mandates electronic disclosure of affiliate transactions. Amends the Securities Act of 1933, the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, to establish liability for aiding and abetting securities violations. Mandates preservation of audit records for seven years. Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Securities Act of 1933 to require preservation of records during shareholder litigation. Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 establish a statute of limitations for an implied private right of action. Directs the SEC to study and report to specified congressional committees on credit rating agencies and analyst conflicts of interest.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2002
Responsible Student Financial Assistance Assurance Act of 2002 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide that only those students who have committed drug offenses during the period they were receiving student grant, loan, or work assistance shall have their eligibility for such assistance suspended upon conviction for such an offense.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2002
Declares that it is the sense of the Congress that: (1) an outpatient prescription drug benefit for medicare beneficiaries (under title XVIII of the Social Security Act) should be enacted in 2002; (2) the concurrent resolution on the budget for FY 2003 should include new budget authority for each of FY 2003 through 2008 to provide for medicare coverage of outpatient prescription drugs; and (3) the aggregate amount of that new budget authority for FY 2003 through 2008 should be $300 billion.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2002
Highway Funding Restoration Act - Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to require that obligations for Federal-aid highway and highway safety construction programs for FY 2003: (1) meet a specified minimum level; and (2) be distributed in accordance with that Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2002
Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers, Farmers, Fishermen, Communities, and Firms Act of 2002 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to revise requirements with respect to: (1) agreements between the United States and cooperating States for certain services for workers adversely affected by import competition; (2) eligibility certification of a group of adversely affected workers for trade adjustment assistance; (3) payment to them of trade adjustment allowances; (4) training programs for them; and (5) the maximum amount of job search and relocation allowances payable to an adversely affected worker. Provides for the eligibility certification for such assistance of adversely affected secondary workers employed at a downstream producer (a firm that performs additional, value-added production processes to articles produced by another firm) or a supplier. Establishes a self-employment training pilot program to be administered by the Small Business Administration for adversely affected workers. Reauthorizes the trade adjustment assistance program for firms adversely affected by import competition. Revises eligibility requirements for certification of communities for trade adjustment assistance. Establishes trade adjustment assistance programs for adversely affected groups of agricultural commodity producers and commercial fishermen or U.S. fish processors. Establishes a program to provide 75 percent of the premium for COBRA continuation health coverage for workers (and their families) eligible for trade adjustment assistance. Allows a State to elect to provide temporary coverage under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act for: (1) certain uninsured workers; and (2) for the unsubsidized portion of COBRA continuation premiums.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2002
Employee Pension Freedom Act of 2002 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to set forth requirements for disclosure, diversification, account access, and accountability under defined contribution plans that are individual account plans (401(k) and similar plans). Requires pension plan administrators to provide certain benefit information to participants or beneficiaries periodically. Requires plan sponsors (employers) and plan administrators to provide all material investment information to participants and beneficiaries, in an accurate form, as required to be disclosed to investors under applicable securities laws, and treats misleading investment information as a violation. Requires individual account plans that permit participants or beneficiaries to exercise control over their account assets to grant them the right to allocate all their nonforfeitable accrued benefits which are readily tradable employer securities to any investment option provided under the plan. Reduces, from three years to one year, the maximum vesting period for individual account plans (so that an employee who has completed at least one year of service has a nonforfeitable right to all of the employee's accrued benefit derived from employer contributions). Requires individual account plan fiduciaries to give 30 days notice to plan participants and beneficiaries before a lockdown limiting their control over their account assets, and limits the maximum duration of any such lockdown to ten business days. Requires each fiduciary of an individual account plan to be bonded or insured in an amount sufficient to ensure coverage of financial losses due to failures to meet certain ERISA requirements. Requires joint boards of trustees, representing interests of employers and those of employee participants and beneficiaries, to hold in trust the assets of single-employer plans which are individual account plans with some or all assets derived from employee contributions. Makes liable anyone who participates in or conceals certain breaches of fiduciary duty. Provides that rights or claims under ERISA may not be waived, with specified exceptions. Establishes an Office of Pension Participant Advocacy in the Department of Labor. Directs the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to study and report to specified congressional committees on the feasibility of and options for developing an insurance system for individual account plans.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2002
Securities Fraud Prevention Act of 2002 - Amends Federal criminal law with respect to civil remedies for violations of prohibited activities by racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO). Repeals the denial of (thus permitting) civil remedies for securities fraud.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2002
Enron Employee Pension Recovery Act of 2002 - Sets forth a priority allocation scheme requiring the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to distribute to former Enron, subsidiary, or affiliate employees the proceeds from any administrative or judicial order brought for securities violations against the Enron Corporation or Arthur Andersen L.L.C., or any of their subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, or principal shareholders for an accounting or disgorgement of funds (including any civil penalty assessments). Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to authorize the transfer of Federal campaign contributions to such disgorgement fund. Authorizes the SEC to accept donations to the United States for such fund.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2002
Sammy Davis, Jr. Recognition Act - Authorizes the President to present posthumously, on behalf of Congress, a gold medal to a surviving family member of Sammy Davis, Jr. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2002
Establishes a SouthEast Crescent Authority for parts of the following southeastern states not already served by the Appalachian Regional Commission or the Delta Regional Authority: DC, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Directs the Authority to perform various functions, including: (1) formulating plans and programs to spur economic development, and approving grants to States and public and nonprofit entities toward that end; (2) establishing priorities in a development plan for the region; (3) working with State and local agencies to craft appropriate model legislation; (4) encouraging private investment in the region; (5) supporting local development districts, and creating them where they do not exist; and (6) making recommendations to Governors and State legislatures on means of interstate cooperation. Authorizes the Authority to hold hearings, take testimony, receive evidence and require oaths as it deems necessary. Requires Federal agencies to cooperate with the Authority. Permits the Authority to request and receive Federal, State and local government personnel as employees. Stipulates that Authority grants for infrastructure development may be made only to State or local governments. Permits other Authority grants for job training, employment-related education, business development, assisting severely distressed and poor areas in improving basic services, or for other purposes in accordance with the Act. Allows the Authority to annually designate: (1) distressed counties; and (2) isolated areas of distress in nondistressed counties. Directs the Authority to garner public participation in the development, revision and implementation of its plans and programs.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Rural Equity Payment Index Reform Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish a minimum geographic cost-of-practice index value for physicians' services furnished under the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2001
Child Development and Family Employment Act of 2002 - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (CCDBGA) to increase and extend the authorization of appropriations. Revises State plan requirements to include preservice training for child care providers. Requires payment rates to: (1) ensure access to comparable quality and types of services; (2) be adjusted to reflect increases in cost of living, as determined by market surveys at least every two years; and (3) reflect cost variations for different ages of children and different types of care. Revises requirements for activities to improve child care quality services. Earmarks funds for: (1) services for children from birth through three years of age; and (2) a statewide system of local child care resource and referral organizations carrying out certain functions, including training, to assist parents and providers. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make incentive grants to States to increase reimbursement rates for child care providers. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) a national training and technical assistance center specializing in infant and toddler care and their families; and (2) a national data system on supply, demand, and quality of child care, early education, and non-school hours programs. Includes foster children among those who may be eligible for CCDBGA services if other conditions are met. Focus On Committed and Underpaid Staff for Children's Sake Act - FOCUS Act - Establishes: (1) the Child Care Provider Retention and Development Grant Program; and (2) the Child Care Provider Scholarship Program.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2001
Call to Service Act of 2001 - Amends National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA) to extend the authorization of appropriations for specified programs. Revises the Americorps program. Directs the Corporation for National and Community Service to: (1) increase the number of approved national service positions; and (2) ensure that half of any such increased number are for programs that address public safety needs, including homeland defense and public health. Allows the Corporation to allot a limited portion of national service positions to receive educational awards only. Allows releases of participants from completing service terms, and requires released participants to receive a portion of the educational award. Includes programs at veterans' facilities or in public health among national service projects. Requires consultation by the Corporation and State Commissions for National and Community Service, respectively, with the Director of the Office of Homeland Security and State emergency management agencies to determine ways to promote homeland security and emergency management through national service programs. Authorizes the Corporation to make grants through the senior training programs and programs of national significance. Amends the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to extend the authorization of appropriations for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, Foster Grandparent Program, and Senior Companion Program. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to require that specified increasing percentages of HEA grants for college work-study programs be used to compensate students in community service. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude national service educational awards from gross income. Amends Federal law relating to the Armed Forces to provide for: (1) employment of retired military personnel as instructors in basic training programs; (2) improved access to institutions of higher education for military recruiting purposes; (3) increase the amount of basic educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill; and (4) allow use of entitlements to basic education assistance for contributions to Coverdell education savings accounts under the Internal Revenue Code. Requires heads of institutions of higher education to provide the Department of Defense the same access to students for recruiting purposes provided generally to prospective employers. Directs the Secretaries of Defense and of State to establish a Commission on Military Recruitment and National Service.
![Official portrait of Rep. Watt, Melvin L. [D-NC-12]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/w000207_200.jpg)