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United States · Official source
3,655 records where Rep. Wexler, Robert [D-FL-19] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2004
United States Seaport Multiyear Security Enhancement Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to seaports to enhance security if the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, determines that the grant will improve security at a seaport or improve the efficiency of the seaport without lessening security.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2004
Freedom of Choice Act - Declares that it is the policy of the United States that every woman has the fundamental right to choose to: (1) bear a child; (2) terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability; or (3) terminate it after fetal viability when necessary to protect her life or her health. Prohibits a governmental entity from : (1) denying or interfering with a woman's right to exercise such choices; or (2) discriminating against the exercise of those rights in its regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information. Authorizes an individual aggrieved by a violation of this Act to obtain appropriate relief, including relief against a governmental entity in a civil action. States that this Act applies to every Federal, State, and local statute, ordinance, regulation, administrative order, decision, policy, practice, or other action enacted, adopted, or implemented before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2004
Empowering Parents and Teachers for a Drug-Free Education Act of 2004 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (under provisions which are also known as the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act) to authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to local educational agencies and private schools to establish drug-free school demonstration programs that include random drug testing of students and meet other specified requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2004
Requests the President to transmit to the House of Representatives (House), within 14 days of the adoption of this resolution, all documents in the possession of the President relating to the disclosure of the identity of Ms. Valerie Plame as an employee of the Central Intelligence Agency during the period beginning on May 6, 2003, and ending on July 31, 2003. Directs the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and Attorney General to each transmit to the House, within such 14 days, all documents in possession of such officials relating to such disclosure during such period.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2004
Authorizes the President to extend nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of Kazakhstan.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2004
Medicare's Equitable Drugs for Seniors Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to repeal provisions prohibiting the Secretary of Health and Human Services from: (1) interfering with the negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors; and (2) requiring a particular formulary to institute a price structure for the reimbursement of covered Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drugs. Grants the Secretary instead, in order to ensure that beneficiaries enrolled under prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans pay the lowest possible price, authority similar to that of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other Federal agencies and departments that purchase prescription drugs in bulk to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered Medicare part D drugs, consistent with the requirements and in furtherance of the goals of providing quality care and containing costs under such part.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2004
Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations permitting pharmacists and wholesalers to import prescription drugs from Canada into the United States. Sets forth specified provisions respecting: (1) importer and foreign seller recordkeeping and information requirements; (2) qualified laboratory drug testing; (3) registration with the Secretary of Canadian sellers; and (4) approved labeling. Declares that the Secretary should: (1) focus enforcement on cases in which individual importation poses a significant public health threat; and (2) exercise discretion to permit individuals to make such importation for non-risk personal use. Authorizes the Secretary to grant individuals a waiver of the prohibition of importation of a prescription drug or device. Directs the Secretary to grant individuals a waiver of such prohibition for an approved prescription drug imported from Canada that is: (1) imported from a licensed pharmacy for not more than 90-day personal use; (2) accompanied by a valid prescription; (3) in a final finished dosage that was manufactured in a registered establishment; and (4) imported under such other conditions as the Secretary determines necessary to ensure public safety.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2004
Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to repeal the comparative cost adjustment program.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2003
Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) carry out a national education and information campaign to promote stroke prevention and increase the number of stroke patients who seek immediate treatment; and (2) maintain the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry and Clearinghouse by collecting specific data points and benchmarks for stroke care analysis, and compiling and disseminating information on State, local, and private care system achievements and problems. Defines "stroke" as an attack in which blood flow to the brain is interrupted, or in which a blood vessel or aneurysm in the brain breaks or ruptures. Includes stroke and traumatic injury prevention, diagnosis, and treatment within the grant program for emergency medicine residency training. Authorizes the Secretary, through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to make grants to qualified entities for health care professionals education programs in the use of diagnostic approaches, technologies, and therapies for stroke and traumatic injury prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Gives preference to areas with a significant incidence of stroke or traumatic injuries. Authorizes the Secretary, through the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, to make up to seven grants to States and to consortia of public and private entities in any non-grantee State to conduct a five-year pilot project (not to extend beyond FY 2009) to improve and coordinate stroke-related health care through telehealth networks.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2003
Bullying Prevention for School Safety and Crime Reduction Act of 2003 - Amends: (1) the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act to cover bullying (as well as drug and violence) prevention; and (2) the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize (with respect to juvenile accountability block grants) establishing and maintaining accountability-based programs that are designed to enhance school safety, which may include research-based bullying prevention programs.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2003
War Profiteering Prevention Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit profiteering and fraud involving a contract or the provision of goods or services in connection with the war, military action, or relief or reconstruction efforts in Iraq (including making materially false statements or representations or materially overvaluing any good or service with the specific intent to make excessive profit). Sets penalties for violations, including up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of the greater of $1 million or twice the gross profits or other proceeds. Subjects: (1) any property which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to a violation to civil and criminal forfeiture; and (2) transactions involving such property or proceeds to money laundering provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2003
Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to set forth food labeling requirements for a food that is not a raw agricultural commodity and that is, or contains, a major food allergen (as defined by this Act). States that: (1) any person may petition the Secretary of Health and Human Services to exempt a food ingredient from such requirements; and (2) the Secretary's determination of such a petition shall constitute final agency action. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct inspections to ensure compliance with practices to reduce or eliminate cross-contact with major food allergen residues, and ensure that major food allergens are properly labeled on foods; (2) issue a final rule to define, and permit use of, the term "gluten-free" on the labeling of foods; (3) improve food allergen data collection, including physician and health care provider education; (4) convene a panel of allergy and immunology experts to review food allergy research efforts; (5) pursue Food Code revisions in order to provide allergen-free food preparation guidelines for food establishments; and (6) include food allergy treatment in trauma and emergency care technical assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2003
National Security Language Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish programs to encourage early foreign language instruction, including grants to: (1) partnerships of institutions of higher education (IHEs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) for activities relating to foreign language instruction at elementary or secondary schools, with priorities for high-need LEAs and less-commonly taught foreign languages; and (2) IHEs that develop innovative programs for the teaching of foreign languages, with priorities for combining foreign languages with science and technology and for less-commonly taught foreign languages. Provides undergraduate student loan forgiveness of up to $10,000 for students who major in a critical need foreign language and are employed as teachers of such language in elementary or secondary schools or as using such language regularly in a Federal agency. Directs the Secretary of Education to: (1) establish a foreign language education marketing campaign to encourage students at secondary schools and IHEs to study foreign languages, particularly ones less commonly taught and critical to national security; and (2) conduct a study to identify foreign language heritage communities and recruit speakers of such critical languages. Amends the David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991 to establish an International Flagship Language Initiative with grants to IHEs.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2003
Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as added by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter into direct negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies, and between Medicare prescription drug plan sponsors and Medicare Advantage organizations offering prescription drug plans, to promote the best prices of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Anti-counterfeiting Amendments of 2003 - Rewrites Federal criminal code provisions regarding trafficking in counterfeit labels. Prohibits knowingly trafficking in: (1) a counterfeit label affixed to, enclosing, or accompanying (currently, affixed to) a phonorecord, a copy of a computer program, a copy of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, or documentation or packaging; or (2) counterfeit documentation or packaging. Expands the definition of "counterfeit label" to include a genuine label that is: (1) distributed for a product for which it was not intended, without authorization of the copyright owner; or (2) altered to falsify the number of authorized copies, the authorized user, or the edition of the program. Authorizes the court, when a person is convicted of violating this Act, to order the forfeiture and destruction or other disposition of any equipment, device, or material used to manufacture, reproduce, or assemble the counterfeit labels. Authorizes a copyright owner who is injured, or threatened with injury, by a violation of this Act to bring a civil action in U.S. district court. Authorizes the court: (1) to grant one or more temporary or permanent injunctions to prevent or restrain violations of this Act; (2) to order the impounding of any article in the alleged violator's custody or control that the court has reasonable cause to believe was involved in a violation; and (3) to award to the injured party reasonable attorney fees and costs, actual damages, and any additional profits of the violator or statutory damages, as specified. Sets forth provisions regarding subsequent violations and limitation on actions.
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
Saudi Arabia Accountability Act of 2003 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the Government of Saudi Arabia must immediately and unconditionally: (1) provide complete, unrestricted, and unobstructed cooperation to the United States in the investigation of terror groups and individuals; (2) close permanently all organizations in Saudi Arabia that fund, train, incite, encourage, or in any way aid and abet terrorism anywhere in the world; (3) end all funding for terror organizations outside Saudi Arabia ("offshore terror organizations"); and (4) block all funding from private Saudi citizens and entities to Saudi-based or offshore terror organizations. Directs the President to certify to Congress that the Government of Saudi Arabia is fully cooperating with the United States in investigating and preventing terrorist attacks, has closed permanently all Saudi-based terror organizations, has ended funding for any offshore terror organization, and has made all efforts to block funding from private Saudi citizens and entities to offshore terror organizations. Requires the President to prohibit certain exports to Saudi Arabia and restrict travel of certain Saudi diplomats if the President cannot certify that the Government of Saudi Arabia has taken the measures required by this Act to combat terrorism. Allows the President to waive such sanctions if the President determines that it is in the national security interest to do so.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Requires the Secretary of State to submit to specified congressional committees an annual report on progress made to eradicate poppy cultivation and prevent illicit drug trafficking in Afghanistan
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to reimburse a member of the armed forces for the cost of protective body armor purchased by the member, or another person on behalf of the member, for the member's use while deployed in connection with Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, or Iraqi Freedom if the member was so deployed and was not issued protective armor before such deployment.
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 · 21 November 2003
Affirms congressional support for preserving President Franklin D. Roosevelt's profile on the dime because of his innumerable contributions to and lasting impact on the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Resolves that: (1) the President should take action, through the liquidation of blocked Iraqi assets or other appropriate sources, to ensure that prisoners of war (POWs) during the 1991 Gulf War, and their immediate family members, receive without delay just compensation for their suffering as awarded by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia; and (2) Congress will continue to oversee provisions of the Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2003 to ensure that it is not misinterpreted, including by divesting U.S. courts of jurisdiction, with respect to the POWs and other victims of Iraqi terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2003
Directs the Comptroller General to investigate and report to specified congressional committees on: (1) the cost of college textbooks in the United States; and (2) whether the same textbooks are being sold outside the United States at a substantially lower cost.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2003
Expresses the outrage of the House of Representatives that the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has reneged on its pledge and is abandoning seniors by supporting the Republican Medicare prescription drug bill. Urges seniors to hold the AARP accountable for its actions. Urges AARP to reverse its decision immediately and oppose the Republican prescription drug bill.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2003
Deplores the development by Iran of a nuclear weapons program and the failure of the Government of Iran to report material, facilities, and activities to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in contravention of its obligations under the safeguards convention it signed in connection with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (Treaty). Concurs with the conclusion of the Department of State that Iran is pursuing a program to develop nuclear weapons. Calls on the President to use all appropriate means to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, with particular attention to the needs of the IAEA for information and access, including information concerning gas centrifuges and the conduct of uranium conversion experiments. Calls on Russia to suspend all nuclear cooperation with Iran until Iran fully complies with a specified IAEA resolution, with particular attention to spent fuel. Calls on the IAEA to declare Iran in violation of the Treaty. Calls on the United Nations Security Council to consider immediately the passage of a Security Council resolution or the taking of other actions that may be necessary to impose diplomatic and economic sanctions against Iran if it fails to meet its obligations to the IAEA. Calls on the Government of Iran to cease all efforts to acquire nuclear fuel cycle capabilities and to end the enrichment and processing of uranium until it is able to provide specific, verifiable assurances that it is not engaged in a clandestine nuclear weapons program.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2003
College Affordability and Accountability Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to require State maintenance of effort in providing funding to public institutions of higher education (IHEs). Requires all IHEs to plan, engage in, and report on cost containment strategies. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to conduct research on such strategies. Directs the Secretary to publish an annual report on college affordability and to disseminate certain data, including the net price tuition index (NTPI) for each IHE through a college price calculator on an enhanced college opportunities on line (COOL) website. Establishes a Pell Plus program to provide an increased award to each Pell Grant recipient at IHEs that maintain specified types of: (1) low tuition; (2) guaranteed tuition; or (3) affordable tuition. Establishes a program of grants for cooperative education for IHEs that restrain tuition increases. Authorizes grants and contracts for cooperative education demonstration and innovation projects, training and resource centers, and research. Directs the Secretary to commission the National Research Council to study the viability of developing and implementing standards in environmental, health, and safety areas to provide for differential regulation of: (1) industrial laboratories and facilities; and (2) research and teaching laboratories. Authorizes the Secretary to select IHEs, IHE systems, or IHE consortia for voluntary participation in an articulation agreement demonstration program to specify the acceptability of courses in transfer toward meeting specific degree requirements, as a means to lower tuition prices for students. Directs the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance to convene a task force of experts, representative of key constituents in higher education, to: (1) determine the best methods to finance higher education in the long-term; (2) help public institutions utilize long-term budgeting to plan for the future; (3) review the trends of financing of higher education; and (4) define the role played by the States, the Federal Government, families, and outside entities in financing higher education, and determine the best methods to strengthen this partnership.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2003
Condemns the terrorist attacks in Istanbul, Turkey, on November 15, 2003. Expresses condolences to the families of the individuals murdered in the attacks and expresses sympathies to the individuals injured. Conveys hope for the rapid and complete recovery of all such injured individuals. Urges the United States, Turkey, and all other countries to stand united against terrorism that targets the civilized world and to work together to bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2003
International Human Rights Equality Resolution - Condemns all violations of internationally recognized human rights norms based on the real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of an individual. Recognizes that the protection of sexual orientation and gender identity is not a special category of human rights, but is fully embedded in the overall human rights norms set forth in international law, including the international conventions to which the United States is a party. Affirms that: (1) human rights abuses abroad based on sexual orientation and gender identity should be punished without discrimination and classified as crimes; and (2) such violations should be given the same consideration and concern as human rights abuses based on other grounds. Commends the United Nations and nongovernmental human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, for documenting the ongoing abuses of human rights on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Calls on the Department of State to: (1) continue to improve its documentation of human rights abuses on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity; (2) give such violations the same consideration and concern as all other human rights abuses; and (3) develop a comprehensive strategy to combat such abuses abroad.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2003
Puppy Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to modify the standards that govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals by dealers, research facilities, and exhibitors. Requires a standard for addressing the initiation and frequency of breeding of female dogs so that they are not bred before reaching at least one year of age, and whelped more frequently than three times in any 24-month period. Prescribes a process for immediate suspension and eventual revocation of the license of a dealer, exhibitor, or operator of an auction sale for three or more violations of such Act within 18 months.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2003
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member entitled to military retired or retainer pay; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member; and (5) a family member. Directs the Secretary to reimburse such eligible persons for pharmacy benefits received from a pharmacy that is not a TRICARE (Department of Defense managed health care plan) network pharmacy in the same manner as the Secretary would reimburse such person for such benefits received from a TRICARE network pharmacy. Requires such persons, in order to receive such reimbursement, to submit a certification from their physician stating that the person does not have access to a TRICARE network pharmacy due to physical or medical constraints. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to waive the monthly part B premium (Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits for the Aged and Disabled) with respect to: (1) an individual who is entitled to military retired or retainer pay based upon service that began before December 7, 1956; and (2) the spouse, widow, or widower of such individuals.
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 · 6 November 2003
Presumes to be service-connected, and therefore compensable through veterans' disability compensation, hepatitis C becoming manifest to a degree of ten percent or more after active-duty military service with respect to veterans who, during a period of such service: (1) received a transfusion of blood or blood products before December 31, 1992; (2) were exposed to blood on or through the skin or a mucous membrane; (3) underwent hemodyalisis; (4) experienced a needle-stick accident or medical event involving a needle, not due to the veteran's willful misconduct; (5) were diagnosed with or experienced unexplained liver disease or dysfunction; or (6) served in a health-care position or specialty under circumstances to be prescribed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2003
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a grants program to reduce class size through the use of fully-qualified teachers. Allots funds to States and local educational agencies to recruit, hire, and train additional teachers, in order to: (1) reduce class sizes nationally, in grades one through three, to an average of 18 students per classroom; and (2) improve teaching in those grades so that all students can learn to read independently and well by the end of the third grade.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2003
School Nutrition Enhancement Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to phase out reduced price lunches and breakfasts by phasing in increases in income eligibility for free lunches and breakfasts by specified increments from 130 percent of the Office of Management and Budget nonfarm income poverty guidelines for July 1, 2003, to 185 percent of such guidelines for July 1, 2008, and every subsequent school year.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2003
Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation Act - Prohibits an individual from killing, hazing, or capturing any buffalo on Federal lands or land held under Federal conservation easements or using any form of bait to lure buffalo from any Federal land onto private land until the Secretary of the Interior and other appropriate Federal agencies carry out specified duties. Establishes fines and criminal penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2003
Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act of 2003 or Johanna's Law - Directs The Secretary of Health and Human Services: (1) through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and in collaboration with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to carry out a national campaign to increase the awareness and knowledge of women with respect to gynecologic cancers; and (2) through NIH and the Director, to carry out a demonstration program with nonprofit private entities to test different outreach and education strategies to increase such awareness among women and health care providers.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2003
Juvenile Gun Crime Reporting Act - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to prohibit: (1) the sale or other disposition of a firearm or ammunition to any person who has been found by a court to be guilty of an act committed as a juvenile, which, if committed by an adult, would have been a crime of violence; and (2) the shipment or receipt in interstate or foreign commerce, or the possession in or affecting commerce, of a firearm or ammunition by such a person. Amends the Crime Identification Technology Act of 1988 to require a State, to be eligible for a grant under that Act, to provide assurances to the Attorney General that it has the capability and does contribute to a system for criminal justice identification, information, and communication, which identifies each such person.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2003
Higher Education Affordability and Equity Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand education incentives, including: (1) the deduction for interest on education loans; (2) making the deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses permanent; (3) increasing allowable contributions to Coverdell education savings accounts; (4) allowing qualified higher education expenses (books, supplies, room, board, and special needs services) to be excluded from gross income in the case of scholarship programs for higher education; and (5) repealing the sunset provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 applicable to title IV (Affordable Education Provisions) of such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2003
Congratulates the new leadership of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam. Urges the Government of Vietnam to: (1) respect the right of all independent religious organizations to freely practice their faith; and (2) release all Vietnamese citizens imprisoned for doing so, especially the Most Venerable Thich Huyen Quang and the Very Venerable Thich Quang Do. Urges the passage of the Vietnam Human Rights Act and implementation of the recommendations of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Urges the United States Embassy in Vietnam to closely monitor cases of abuse of religious belief and practice and report to the Congress on specific measures taken to protect and promote religious freedom in Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2003
Urges the Government of Iran to eliminate religious, educational, and employment discrimination against the members of the Bahai Faith. Urges the reestablishment of Bahai institutions and the return of all confiscated Bahai properties. Urges the United States and other countries, including the United Nations, to pursue an end to human rights violations in Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2003
Recognizes a day dedicated to A Tribute to Survivors at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and devoted to programs about and for the survivors of the Holocaust. Commends the Museum for its first decade of education dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Endeavors to continue to support the Museum's vital work. Requests that this resolution be duly recorded in the Museum's official records.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2003
New Partnership for Haiti Act of 2003 - Directs the President to work with the Government of Haiti and international organizations to establish a comprehensive and integrated strategy to combat infectious diseases in Haiti, including HIV/AIDS, and to establish a comprehensive health infrastructure in Haiti. Authorizes the President: (1) acting through the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to provide assistance to Haiti to develop its health sector, including by supporting infrastructure and education and prevention activities; and (2) acting through the Secretary of State and the Corps of Engineers, to provide assistance to develop Haiti's basic sanitation and transportation infrastructure. Directs the President to establish a program to recruit U.S. health care professionals and engineers to rebuild the health care and physical infrastructures of Haiti. Authorizes the President to provide financial incentives to encourage such individuals to participate in the program.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2003
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Federal Government has a responsibility to further research on von Willebrand's disease, improve access to treatment centers for all individuals with bleeding disorders, and increase funding for research; (2) the Director of the National Institutes of Health should develop a 5-year research plan concerning women with bleeding disorders; (3) the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should continue to improve outreach, treatment, and prevention of the complications of women's bleeding disorders; (4) physicians should screen all adolescents and all adult women presenting with severe menorrhagia for von Willebrand's disease; (5) hysterectomy for excessive menstrual bleeding should not be performed without the consideration of a bleeding disorder; (6) referral of women with bleeding disorders to a federally sponsored hemophilia treatment center is critical to comprehensive treatment; (7) physicians should be encouraged to conduct clotting factor assays for carrier diagnosis and to facilitate genotyping of the disorder and patients should be referred for genetic counseling when appropriate; and (8) patient advocate organizations and medical specialty societies should continue to collaborate on public education campaigns to educate women about bleeding disorders.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2003
Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to use amounts in the Multinational Species Conservation Fund to finance projects for the conservation of marine turtles and their nesting habitats in foreign countries. Authorizes the Secretary to approve projects that help recover and sustain viable populations of marine turtles in the wild by assisting conservation programs in foreign countries. Gives preference to projects which: (1) are designed for long-term conservation of marine turtles and their nesting habitats; and (2) have matching funds available. Establishes the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund as a separate account in the Multinational Species Conservation Fund. Authorizes the Secretary to convene an advisory group of individuals representing public and private organizations actively involved in the conservation of marine turtles.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2003
Student Loan Interest Full Deductibility Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the limitations on the maximum amount of the deduction of interest on education loans.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2003
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to waive the waiting periods for social security disability and Medicare (SSA title XVIII) coverage of certain terminally ill individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2003
Declares that the House of Representatives: (1) condemns bigotry and intolerance against any religious group, including people of the Islamic faith; and (2) calls on the President to clearly censure Lieutenant General William Boykin, United States Army, for his religiously intolerant remarks against people of the Islamic faith and to reassign him to a new position in which his views will not impact U.S. Government policy decisions toward Muslims.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2003
Congratulates: (1) the Florida Marlins for winning the 2003 Major League Baseball World Series championship and for their outstanding performance during the 2003 Major League Baseball season; and (2) Florida Marlins pitcher Josh Beckett for winning the 2003 World Series Most Valuable Player Award.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2003
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the plight of Jewish refugees from Arab countries should be recognized and included in any settlement of the Middle East conflict or as part of any agreement regarding the issue of refugees; (2) the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) should establish a program and timetable for resettling all of the Palestinian refugees; (3) the UNRWA should immediately replace anti-Semitic and anti-Israel educational materials used in the UNRWA education system and take steps to ensure that UNRWA facilities are not being used to store weapons; and (4) Arab countries should accept a meaningful number of refugees and take a larger role in financing UNRWA.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2003
Prevention, Awareness, and Research Auto-Immune Disease Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide grants through the Centers for Disease Control to conduct public and professional awareness activities regarding autoimmune diseases, including lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Provides grants through the Health Resources and Services Administration for the education of health care providers on potential links between autoimmune diseases and cognitive and mood disorders such as depression. Establishes a research program where qualified physicians agree to conduct research concerning autoimmune diseases in exchange for student loan repayment.