United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2004
National Guard and Reserve Bill of Rights Act of 2004 - Requires the Secretary of Defense to limit the length of assignment of reservists during U.S. Central Command deployments of not less than one year. Requires the Secretary to submit to specified congressional committees a report on Department of Defense policies and communications regarding the length of deployments for reservists in connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom. Directs the Secretary of the Army to designate a senior level official of the Department of the Army to implement recommendations for executive action to address military pay problems. Expands reenlistment bonus eligibility and the amount of such bonuses for members of the Selected Reserve. Removes conditions on Ready Reserve members' eligibility for TRICARE enrollment. Makes such eligibility permanent. Requires the Secretary concerned to pay applicable premiums to continue qualified health benefit plan coverage for family members of eligible reservists serving on active duty for the benefits coverage continuation period. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to fund child care for members of the Armed Forces on active duty for Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. Requires employers to provide notice of rights and benefits under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). Directs the Secretary of Labor and the Office of Special Counsel to carry out a demonstration project under which certain USERRA claims against Federal agencies are referred to the Office of Special Counsel. Increases monthly educational assistance benefits for members of the Selected Reserve. Expands eligibility for such benefits to include reservists who have served on active duty for a cumulative period of 24 months during any five-year period. Reduces from 60 to 55 the age at which members of Reserve components may receive military retirement pay. Establishes the position of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (Reserve Affairs). Eliminates the position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. Reduces the number of Assistant Secretaries of Defense.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2004
Providing Reliable Officers, Technology, Education, Community Prosecutors, and Training In Our Neighborhoods Act of 2004 or PROTECTION Act - Modifies provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 regarding public safety and community policing ("cops on the beat" program, COPS) to authorize the Attorney General to use COPS grants to: (1) increase prosecutor presence and to enhance law enforcement access to new technologies; (2) pay overtime to existing career law enforcement officers for community policing; and (3) promote higher education among in-service State and local law enforcement officers by reimbursing them for certain educational costs. Includes among permitted additional grant projects: (1) specialized integrity and ethics training; and (2) innovative proactive crime control and prevention programs involving school officials and religiously-affiliated organizations. Authorizes the Attorney General to use up to five percent of appropriated funds for technical assistance and training to States, local governments, Indian tribal governments, and other entities. Repeals provisions of the Act regarding termination of grants for hiring officers. Allows grants to be used to assist: (1) police departments in employing specified professional, scientific, and technological advancements; (2) State, local, or tribal prosecutors' offices in implementation of community-based prosecution programs that build on local community policing efforts; and (3) in paying overtime to existing career law enforcement officers. Reserves specified funds for local governmental units with a population of less than 50,000. Authorizes the Attorney General to use no more than 50 percent of grant renewal funds to award grants targeted for police officer retention.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2004
Mark O. Hatfield-Elizabeth Furse Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal Governance Act of 2004 - Establishes as an independent entity of the executive branch the Mark O. Hatfield-Elizabeth Furse Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal Governance Foundation to be located in Portland, Oregon, to: (1) develop resources to properly train Native American and Alaska Native tribal council members in self-government and related fields; (2) foster greater recognition and understanding of the role of tribal self-government in the development of the United States; (3) identify critical issues facing tribal governments in the Nation; (4) establish a Program for Tribal Governance Research at the Institute for Tribal Government at Portland State University; and (5) provide educational outreach regarding tribal self-government. Directs the Foundation to award scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students who intend to pursue careers relating to tribal governance, and Native Americans and Alaska Natives intending to pursue careers in tribal public policy. Directs the Foundation to award fellowships to: (1) outstanding graduate students who intend to pursue advanced degrees in fields relating to tribal governance, and Native Americans and Alaska Natives intending to pursue advanced degrees in tribal public policy (including law or medicine); and (2) faculty from a variety of disciplines to bring their expertise to the Foundation. Directs the Foundation to award internships to deserving and qualified: (1) individuals to work in Federal, State, and local agencies or in offices of major tribal governance organizations; and (2) Native American and Alaska Native individuals to work in Federal, State, and local agencies or in offices of major public health or public policy organizations. Directs the Foundation to award grants to the Institute to: (1) provide for an annual panel of experts to discuss contemporary tribal governance issues; (2) conduct research in tribal governance policy and on Native American and Alaska Native tribal public policy issues; and (3) invite visiting policymakers to share practical experiences with the Foundation. Establishes in the Treasury the Mark O. Hatfield-Elizabeth Furse Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal Governance Trust Fund to be administered by the Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2004
Disabled Federal Employees Protection Act - Prohibits the termination of employment of a disabled Federal employee due to a conversion to contractor performance of any activity or function of an executive agency under Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76 or any other Federal policy, directive, or regulation. Exempts certain nonprofit agencies for the blind or severely handicapped from this prohibition if the terminated Federal employee is offered an equivalent position in the Federal Government or with the nonprofit agency.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should seek an European Union (EU) commitment that it will not lift its arms sale embargo to the People's Republic of China (PRC); and (2) the 2005 Department of Defense military report on the PRC should include an analysis of such embargo's lifting on U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region and a review of U.S. steps taken to address such EU action.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2004
No Child Left Behind Improvement and Flexibility Act of 2004 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to revise certain requirements which were added by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, including ones relating to: (1) academic assessments and adequate yearly progress; (2) teacher qualifications; (3) special education students; and (4) rural schools.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2004
Increases the death gratuity payable with respect to members of the Armed Forces from $12,000 to $50,000. Makes this increase applicable to deaths occurring on or after September 11, 2001. Requires the Secretary of Defense to derive funds for payments under this Act in FY 2005 from travel funds for personnel of the Office of the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2004
Declares that Rogelio Gallegos-Herrera may not be removed from the United States, denied admission to the United States, or considered ineligible for lawful permanent residence in the United States, by reason of any ground for removal or denial of admission that is reflected in the records of the Department of Homeland Security or the Visa Office of the Department of State, on the date of the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail Designation Act of 2004 - Designates the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, a trail from Missoula, Montana to the Pacific Ocean, to provide for the public appreciation, understanding, and enjoyment of the nationally significant natural and cultural features of the Ice Age Floods, and to promote efforts to interpret and educate along the pathways of the floods. Requires the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to administer the Trail. Allows the Secretary to establish and operate a Trail management office within the vicinity of the Trail. Requires the Secretary to establish and maintain a trail advisory committee to assist the Trail manager and staff with the operation of the Trail. Requires the Secretary to prepare a Cooperative Management and Interpretation Plan for the Trail to: (1) describe strategies for the coordinated development of the Trail; (2) identify potential partnering opportunities to develop interpretative facilities and educational programs; (3) confirm and expand upon the inventory of floods' features contained in a specified National Park Service study; and (4) review and modify the map of the Trail. Allows the Secretary to acquire not more than 25 acres of land for public information and administrative purposes to facilitate the geographic diversity of the Trail.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Honors the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Wilderness Act on September 3, 1964. Recognizes and applauds the extraordinary work of the individuals and organizations involved in building the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to mint and issue: (1) ten dollar gold coins; (2) five dollar gold coins; (3) one dollar silver coins; and (4) half-dollar silver coins emblematic of the 50 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of NASA and JPL. Directs each Federal agency and U.S. instrumentality that has in its possession any craft or any part of a craft that flew in space to: (1) retrieve any gold, silver, copper, and other precious metal that may be used in the production of any coins under this Act from such craft or part; and (2) deposit such metals with the Director of the United States Mint. Requires that all sales of coins minted under this Act include a surcharge of : (1) $75 per coin for the ten dollar coin; (2) $35 per coin for the five dollar coin; (3) $10 per coin for the one dollar coin; and (4) $3 for the half-dollar coin, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the NASA Family Assistance Fund for the purposes of providing financial assistance to the families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries suffered in the performance of their official duties.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
Smuggled Tobacco Prevention Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require all packages of tobacco products to carry a unique legibly printed serial number by which the Secretary of the Treasury can identify the manufacturer or importer and the location and date of manufacture or importation. Requires tobacco products sold on Indian reservations to be labeled as such. Requires a person to post a bond with the Secretary in order to export tobacco products. Requires a tobacco wholesaler to have a permit and to maintain certain records. Requires export warehouse proprietors to file certain reports with the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into certain tobacco related information exchange agreements with foreign countries. Establishes new criminal offenses relating to the distribution of tobacco products. Raises the $1,000 civil penalty for violations relating to tobacco products to $10,000. Amends the Contraband Cigarette Trafficking Act to: (1) expand the applicability of such Act from cigarettes only to tobacco products (cigars, cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, pipe tobacco, and roll-your-own tobacco); (2) define a "contraband tobacco product" as a quantity of tobacco product that is equivalent to or more than 2,000 cigarettes (currently, 60,000) which bear no evidence of the payment of applicable State tobacco taxes and that is possessed illegally; and (3) establish new unlawful acts. Allows a State tobacco tax authority to bring a civil action in U.S. district court for the collection of State cigarette taxes. Prohibits retaliation against employees (whistleblowers) who provide information in contraband tobacco cases. Provides for administrative and judicial remedies for such whistleblowers.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
Recognizes Sandra Feldman on the occasion of her retirement from the presidency of the American Federation of Teachers for her decades of work on behalf of disadvantaged children and her outstanding contributions and leadership in improving the quality of teaching and learning.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2004
Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise provisions regarding Federal assistance for programs to reduce suicide among children and adolescents. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to award grants or cooperative agreements to: (1) develop and implement State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies in schools, educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, substance abuse programs, mental health programs, foster care systems, and other child and youth support organizations; (2) support public organizations actively involved in State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies and in the development and continuation of such intervention and prevention strategies; (3) collect and analyze data on State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention services that can be used to monitor the effectiveness of such services and for research, technical assistance, and policy development; and (4) assist eligible entities in achieving their targets for youth suicide reductions. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, to award a grant or contract to establish the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Requires the Secretary to award grants to institutions of higher education to expand mental and behavior health services to students, to provide such services, and to develop best practices for the delivery of such services.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
National Guard and Reservists Education Benefits Act - Requires the Secretary of Education to carry out a program of block grants to States (defined to include U.S. territories and the District of Columbia) to pay tuition and fees for undergraduate studies at public institutions for members of the Selected Reserve. Excludes from the block grant program those members of the Selected Reserve who participate in other specified educational assistance programs. Requires the chief executive officer of each State wishing to receive block grant funds to submit an annual certification that the State will: (1) use such funds to defray the cost of undergraduate tuition and fees for members of the Selected Reserve; (2) return any unused funds to the Secretary according to the reconciliation process set forth in this Act; and (3) comply with the reporting requirements of this Act. Sets forth an allotment scheme for block grant funds that requires allotments to reflect the ratio of Selected Reserve members in the receiving State to Selected Reserve members in all States. Establishes minimum allotments.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2004
Fuel Efficiency Fairness Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the phaseout of the tax credit for qualified electric vehicles; (2) repeal the phaseout of the tax deduction for qualified clean-fuel vehicle property; and (3) exempt new qualified hybrid motor vehicles from the limitations on the depreciation of luxury automobiles.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells if: (1) the stem cells were derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics for the purpose of fertility treatment and were in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking such treatment; (2) the embryos will never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and (3) such individuals donate the embryos with written informed consent and receive no financial or other inducements.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Fisheries Management Reform Act of 2004 - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (currently, the Secretary of Commerce) to appoint members to the Regional Fishery Management Councils who, by reason of their occupational or other experience, are knowledgeable regarding the conservation and management, or the commercial or recreational harvest, of fishery resources. Revises requirements for the composition of such councils and the qualifications of voting Council members. Sets forth certain requirements with respect to: (1) training of appointed Council members; and (2) disclosure of financial interest and recusal of Council members. Directs the Secretary to establish regional science and technical teams to make recommendations on certain matters, on the basis of which the Secretary shall provide Councils conservation and management measures for incorporation into fishery management plans that establish: (1) catch and bycatch limits; (2) specific habitat and area protections to protect essential fish habitats; and (3) specific requirements necessary to protect endangered species.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Higher Education Sustainability Act of 2004 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to eligible institutions of higher education to establish university sustainability centers to develop and implement integrated environmental, economic, and social sustainability programs through administrative and operational practices as well as multidisciplinary research, education, and outreach.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
States that: (1) Congress reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act as the cornerstone of United States-Taiwan relations; (2) the military modernization and weapons procurement program of the People's Republic of China (PRC) is a matter of grave concern, particularly the missile deployment directed toward Taiwan; (3) the President should direct U.S. officials to raise these military concerns with PRC officials; (4) the President and Congress should determine whether the escalating arms buildup, including deployment of offensive weaponry and missiles in areas adjacent to the Taiwan Strait, requires that additional defense articles and services be made available to Taiwan, and the United States should encourage Taiwan to devote sufficient financial resources to its defense; (5) as recommended by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, the Department of Defense should provide the appropriate congressional committees with a comprehensive report on Russian military sales to the PRC; (6) the President should encourage further dialogue between Taiwan and the PRC; and (7) the United States should not discourage Taiwan officials from visiting the United States on the basis that doing so would violate the "one China policy."
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2004
Methamphetamine Remediation Act of 2004 - Directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a research program to: (1) identify methamphetamine laboratory-related chemicals of concern; and (2) support the development of standards to determine when a former methamphetamine laboratory is safe for human habitation. Requires the EPA, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to establish model guidelines and procedures for: (1) preliminary site assessment criteria for former methamphetamine laboratories; and (2) clean-up and remediation. Requires NIST to support a research program to develop: (1) new methamphetamine detection technologies; and (2) appropriate standard reference materials and validation procedures for methamphetamine detection testing. Directs the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to make available to the public a list of all methamphetamine laboratories that have undergone cleanup under the DEA's Clandestine Drug Laboratory Cleanup Program. Requires the EPA to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences (Academy) for a study of the residual effects of methamphetamine laboratories on residents of buildings where such laboratories are located, with particular emphasis on the health effects on children. Requires the NSF to enter into an arrangement with the Academy for a report on the societal costs of methamphetamine production and abuse.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2004
No Child Left Behind Fairness Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Education to require local educational agencies (LEAs) and State educational agencies (SEAs) to give schools and LEAs, respectively, an opportunity to request a review of a determination that they did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2002-2003 school year. Sets forth standards for such reviews, providing for consideration of subsequent regulations and guidance applicable to AYP determinations under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Prohibits the Secretary, an SEA, or an LEA, with respect to subsequent determinations of whether a school is subject to school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring as a result of not making AYP, from taking into account a 2002-2003 non-AYP determination that was revised under this Act if the school received a final determination of AYP for such school year.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2004
Small Employers Health Benefits Program Act of 2004 - Directs the Office of Personnel Management to administer a separate health insurance program for non-Federal employees who are either self-employed or employees of a small business with fewer than 100 employees. Allows the Office to contract with carriers to provide health insurance under this Act. Requires rates charged to reasonably and equitably reflect the costs of the benefits provided. Permits rates and premiums to vary based on age but not on health status factors. Permits the Office to reimburse a carrier for costs that exceed premiums received by a specified percentage. Requires a carrier to make payments to a contingency reserve fund established by the Office if the carrier's costs are lower than expected by a specified percentage. Allows the Office to use such funds to provide assistance to carriers that experience unanticipated financial hardships. Requires the Office to establish a reinsurance fund to provide payments to carriers that experience a catastrophic claim (a claim over $50,000) for benefits provided to an individual enrolled under this Act. Allows a participating employer to offer supplemental coverage options to employees for excepted benefits that are not subject to the Public Health Service Act requirements for health plans. Authorizes the Office to contract with entities to administer this health program regionally. Allows certain benefits to be offered to Medicare beneficiaries. Requires the Office to implement a public education campaign regarding this health insurance program. Allows a refundable tax credit for health insurance expenses of small employers who pay a specific percentage of employee expenses under such a health plan.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2004
Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal provisions prohibiting the Secretary of Health and Human Services from interfering with the negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors. Grants the Secretary 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 (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drugs. Eliminates the initial coverage limit on the maximum costs that may be recognized for payment purposes (including the annual deductible) with respect to prescription drug benefits. Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to: (1) repeal certain sections of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 relating to importation of prescription drugs from Canada. and (2) restore previous law. Amends such restored law to direct the Secretary to promulgate regulations allowing qualifying individuals (in addition to pharmacists and wholesalers) to import covered products. Repeals the mandate that the Secretary require that a foreign seller specify the original source of the product and the amount of each lot of the product originally received. Amends provisions regarding the testing of imported covered products. Declares that specified tests shall not be required unless the importer is a wholesaler. Requires such tests to be conducted by the importer-wholesaler unless a product is a prescription drug subject to the provisions of this Act pertaining to counterfeit-resistant packaging. Classifies prescription drugs as misbranded if they do not incorporate specified counterfeit-resistant technologies in packaging. Directs the Secretary to require that the packaging of any subject drug incorporate specified overt optically variable counterfeit-resistant technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2004
States that the House of Representatives: (1) expresses sympathy to the families of those killed, tortured, and imprisoned as a result of their participation in the democracy protests of June 3-4, 1989, in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, in the People's Republic of China, and to all those persons who have suffered for their efforts to keep that struggle alive, and to all the people of China who lack fundamental human rights; (2) commends all persons who are peacefully advocating for democracy and human rights in China; (3) calls upon those nations participating in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing to urge China to fully comply with the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights; (4) calls upon the Communist Government of China to honor its pledge of a `high degree of autonomy' made at the time of the Hong Kong reversion in 1997 by permitting immediate elections for the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and by leaving all revisions of Hong Kong law to a legislature elected by universal suffrage; and (5) condemns the human rights abuses by the Communist Government of China, and calls on that Government to reevaluate the official verdict on the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen pro-democracy activities and order formal investigations into the reported killing, torture, and imprisonment of democracy activists, establish a June Fourth Investigation Committee, release all prisoners of conscience, provide just compensation to the families of persons killed in such protests, allow the return of persons exiled for their activities in 1989, release Dr. Yang Jianli, and end the harassment and detention of all Chinese citizens exercising their legitimate freedoms of expression, association, and religion.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Angel Island Immigration Station Restoration and Preservation Act - Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of the Interior for restoring the Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay, in coordination with the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation and the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Requires funds appropriated by this Act to be used first for restoration of the Immigration Station Hospital on Angel Island.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Amends the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 to revise the per-unit cost calculation for expiring tenant-based rental assistance contracts under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2004
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2004 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the Federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.45 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (3) $7.00 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day. Makes Federal minimum wage requirements applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sets forth a transition period during which a specified minimum wage there shall be gradually increased to equal the Federal minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2004
Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Attorney General to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that: (1) constitutes a crime of violence under Federal law or a felony under State or Indian tribal law; and (2) is motivated by prejudice based on the race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability of the victim or is a violation of the hate crime laws of the State or tribe. Directs the Attorney General to give priority for assistance to crimes committed by offenders who have committed crimes in more than one State and to rural jurisdictions that have difficulty covering the extraordinary investigation or prosecution expenses. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to assist State, local, and Indian law enforcement officials with such extraordinary expenses. Directs the Office of Justice Programs to: (1) work closely with funded jurisdictions to ensure that the concerns and needs of all affected parties are addressed; and (2) award grants to State and local programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles. Prohibits specified offenses involving actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to study and provide sentencing enhancements for adult recruitment of juveniles to commit hate crimes. Amends the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to require the crime data to be collected and published by the Attorney General to include data about crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on gender.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2004
Putting Prevention First Act - Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2004 - Authorizes appropriations for family planning services grants and contracts under the Public Health Services Act. Family Planning State Empowerment Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow States to provide family planning services and supplies to certain individuals not otherwise eligible for Medicaid. Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to prohibit a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer providing group coverage, from excluding or restricting benefits in any way for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, and outpatient services if the plan provides benefits for other outpatient prescription drugs, devices, or outpatient services. Amends the PHSA to apply those prohibitions to coverage offered in the individual market. Emergency Contraception Education Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and disseminate information on emergency contraception to the public and to health care providers. Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act - Requires hospitals, as a condition of receiving Federal funds, to offer and to provide, upon request, emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault. Family Life Education Act - Requires the Secretary to make grants to States for family life education, including education on abstinence and contraception to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Preventing Teen Pregnancy Act - Amends the PHSA to authorize the Secretary to award grants to public and private entities to establish or expand teenage pregnancy prevention programs.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2004
American Workers and Manufacturers Support Act - Establishes in the Department of Commerce a Manufacturing and Technology Administration (MTA), which shall include: (1) the National Institute of Standards and Technology; (2) the National Technical Information Service; and (3) the Office of Manufacturing and Technology Policy. Provides for the appointment of: (1) an Under Secretary of Commerce for MTA; and (2) an Assistant Secretary of Manufacturing and an Assistant Secretary of Technology who both shall serve as policy analysts for the Under Secretary. Establishes a Manufacturing Advisory Board within the MTA. Requires the Under Secretary to study and report on: (1) abusive practices by large manufacturers and retailers; and (2) the feasibility and impact of laws and regulations requiring a certain labeling of all products retailing at more than $15. Revises requirements for the Advanced Technology Program. Requires the Director to establish a certain program of assistance to institutions of higher education or nonprofit research institutions that enter into partnerships with for-profit entities to support, promote, and enhance manufacturing research and development. Establishes the World Trade Organizations (WTO) Settlement Review Commission. Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to place restrictions on export-import bank assistance and on the overseas private investment corporation. Sets forth a period for the President to negotiate with the governments of countries that engage most egregiously in currency manipulation, in order to seek a prompt and orderly end to such manipulation and ensure the free trade of such currencies on international currency markets. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to redefine: (1) "domestic" to treat the acquiring corporation in a corporate expatriation transaction as a domestic corporation; and (2) " foreign base company income" to include such company's U.S. import income for a taxable year. Denies treaty benefits for certain deductible foreign payments. Repeals the exclusion of extraterritorial income from gross income. Provides for a phased-in deduction for income attributable to certain domestic production activities. Sets forth requirements for waivers of the Buy American Act. Prohibits Federal agencies from entering contracts or subcontracts with foreign entities that result in the manufacture of a dual-use item on the Commerce Control List, unless approval has been received according to specified procedures. Establishes the Congressional Trade Office.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
American Bald Eagle Recovery and National Emblem Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in celebration of the recovery of the bald eagle, in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the enactment of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the placement of the bald eagle on the endangered species list under such Act, to mint and issue not more than: (1) 100,000 $5 gold coins; (2) 500,000 $1 silver coins; and (3) 750,000 half dollar coins. Directs that the design of the coins be emblematic of the bald eagle and its history, natural biology, and national symbolism. Requires that sales of the coins include a surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin, $10 for the $1 coin, and $3 for the half dollar coin, which shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to the American Eagle Foundation of Tennessee to: (1) establish an interest-bearing endowment called the American Eagle Fund as a permanent source of support for the care, monitoring, maintenance, and recovery of the bald eagle and its habitat in the United States; (2) make annual grants to Federal, State, and private eagle restoration, protection, and enhancement projects; (3) administer the Fund in an annual amount not to exceed the lesser of ten percent of the annual income of the Fund or $250,000; and (4) provide financial support for capital projects and for continuation and expansion of the Foundation's efforts to educate the American people about the bald eagle.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
Access and Equity in Higher Education Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise title IV student assistance programs with respect to: (1) higher maximum amounts for subsidized and unsubsidized student loans under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program; (2) existence or amount of origination fees under FFEL and Federal Direct Loan programs; (3) loan-flex programs with income-sensitive repayment plans; (4) consolidation loan interest rate variation based on income; and (5) loan forgiveness for public service employees. Extends through FY 2010 the authorization of appropriations for programs for Historically Black colleges and universities, under HEA title III part B.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay a monthly bonus of $500 to each member of the Armed Forces: (1) who is subject to a stop-loss order issued since October 1, 2001; and (2) whose ability to retire or be separated from the Armed Forces is suspended as a result of such order. Provides for retroactive bonus payments since October 1, 2001, for qualifying members.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2004
Cesar E. Chavez Congressional Gold Medal Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal to the next of kin or other personal representative of Cesar E. Chavez in recognition of his service to the Nation. (Chavez organized farm workers to campaign for safe and fair working conditions, founded the National Farm Workers Association-- predecessor of the United Farm Workers of America-- and was a recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.)
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2004
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of the Day of Silence (designated April 21, 2004, a day on which participating students vow to remain silent for a full day to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students, teachers, and school employees). Encourages: (1) each unit of local government and each State to adopt laws to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students, teachers, and school employees from discrimination and harassment; and (2) each school district in the United States to protect such individuals from discrimination and harassment.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2004
Medicare Equity and Fairness in Fee-for-Service Reimbursement 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 direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a system for making adjustments to the amount of payment made to providers of services and health care professionals for services provided under the original Medicare fee-for-service program, with specified formulae for States whose average per beneficiary amount is: (1) greater than 100 percent of the national average; or (2) less than 100 percent of the national average. Provides for a three year phase-in of such rates.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2004
Trade Adjustment Assistance Equity for Service Workers Act of 2004 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend trade adjustment assistance (TAA) to workers in a service sector firm or its subdivision or public agency. Revises group eligibility requirements for TAA to include: (1) a shift, by a public agency to a foreign country, of production of articles, or in provision of services, like or directly competitive with articles produced or services provided by the workers' firm, subdivision, or public agency; and (2) the situation where such workers' firm, subdivision, or public agency obtains or is likely to obtain such services from a foreign country. Repeals group eligibility requirements that: (1) the country to which the workers' firm has shifted production of the articles be a party to a free trade agreement with the United States; (2) such country be a beneficiary country under the Andean Trade Preference Act, African Growth and Opportunity Act, or the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act; or (3) there has been or is likely to be an increase in imports of articles that are like or directly competitive with articles which are or were produced by such firm or subdivision. Requires the Secretary of Labor to certify as eligible to apply for TAA any adversely affected secondary workers in a service sector firm or its subdivision or public agency. Specifies criteria for determination of the existence of increased imports of like or directly competitive articles or services. Increases from $220 million to $440 million the amount of fiscal year payments for training of adversely affected workers under the Act. Authorizes the Secretary to waive training requirements for an individual receiving a trade readjustment allowance if he or she has an advanced degree or postgraduate certification in a specialized field and there is a reasonable expectation of employment at equivalent wages in the foreseeable future. Permits as a training program for an adversely affected worker to continue enrollment at an institution of higher education for purposes of obtaining a degree for a maximum 104-week period, and there is a reasonable expectation of employment at equivalent wages in the foreseeable future. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to provide technical assistance for the establishment of industrywide programs for new service development. Modifies the trade monitoring system to include imports of services. Amends the Internal Revenue Code relating to tax credits for health insurance costs of certain TAA and Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC) pension recipients with respect to: (1) redefining "eligible individual" to include any individual who is covered by a TAA petition, under certain conditions; (2) allowing a 100 percent tax credit for the first month of such costs; (3) modifying the cost requirements and the period of creditable coverage; (4) adding a special rule for eligible PBGC pension recipients; (5) continued qualification of family members after an eligible individual becomes Medicare eligible; and (6) offering by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Secretary of the Treasury jointly of Federal fallback coverage in States not offering State qualified health insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2004
End Racial Profiling Act of 2004 - Prohibits any law enforcement agent or agency from engaging in racial profiling. Authorizes the United States or an individual injured by racial profiling to bring a civil action for declaratory or injunctive relief in State court or U.S. district court. Makes proof that the routine or spontaneous investigatory activities of law enforcement agents in a jurisdiction have had a disparate impact on racial, ethnic, or religious minorities prima facie evidence of a violation. Authorizes the court to allow a prevailing plaintiff attorney's fees under specified circumstances. Directs Federal law enforcement agencies to: (1) cease practices that encourage racial profiling; and (2) maintain policies and procedures to eliminate racial profiling, including the collection of data on routine investigatory activities, procedures for responding meaningfully to complaints alleging racial profiling, and procedures to discipline agents who engage in racial profiling. Requires that an application by a State, local , or Indian tribal government for funding under the Byrne, Cops on the Beat, or Local Law Enforcement Block Grant program include a certification that such government: (1) maintains adequate policies and procedures designed to eliminate racial profiling; and (2) has ceased any practices that encourage racial profiling. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to States and specified entities to develop and implement best practice devices and systems to ensure the racially neutral administration of justice.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2004
Early Treatment for HIV Act of 2004 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to give States the option of providing Medicaid coverage for certain low-income HIV-infected individuals. Provides States taking advantage of this option with an enhanced Federal Medicaid match.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2004
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park Designation Act of 2004 - Designates the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System. Defines the boundaries of the park, located in the States of Oregon and Washington, according to a map entitled "Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Boundary Map" which includes the Fort Clatsop National Memorial and other specified lands. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land within park boundaries. Directs that such land may be acquired only with the consent of the owner except with regard to specified corporately owned timberlands. Requires the Secretary, if the owner of such corporately owned timberlands agrees to sell, to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the owner addressing post-acquisition management of those lands. Requires the map of the park to be made available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service (NPS). Requires the Secretary to: (1) administer the park in accordance with this Act and with laws generally applicable to the NPS; and (2) prepare a management plan for the park. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative management agreements with appropriate officials in Oregon and Washington.
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 · 10 February 2004
Authorizes the Secretary of State to: (1) initiate, and instruct the U.S. delegation to implement, a plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual World Health Assembly summit in May 2004, in Geneva, Switzerland; and (2) introduce a resolution in support of observer status for Taiwan at such summit.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2004
Declares the sense of the House of Representatives that there is a critical need to increase awareness and education about heart disease and the risk factors for heart disease among women. Commends First Lady Laura Bush and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in their vital campaign to raise public awareness that heart disease is the number one killer of American women. Recognizes that the more women become cognizant of the scourge of heart disease and how to prevent it, the more likely they can make sound lifestyle changes to help reduce their chances of getting heart disease.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2004
Family and Workplace Balancing Act of 2004 - Balancing Act of 2004 - Provides assistance for working families through: (1) family and medical care leave; (2) expanded child care for young children and incentives for child care providers; (3) preschool, in-school, and afterschool nutrition and education; (4) temporary and part-time workers pension and health plan benefits; and (5) encouragement of business use of employee telecommuting. Family Income to Respond to Significant Transitions Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make five-year grants to a State or local government to pay for the Federal share of the cost of carrying out projects that assist families by providing wage replacement for eligible individuals responding to caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a son or daughter or other family caregiving needs. Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act of 2003 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to allow employees covered by FMLA to take up to four hours during any 30-day period, and up to 24 hours during any 12-month period, of parental involvement leave to participate in or attend their children's or grandchildren's educational and extracurricular activities. Amends Federal civil service law to apply the same parental involvement leave allowance to Federal employees. Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to authorize additional funds for expanding child care activities for young children less than three years of age. Establishes: (1) the Child Care Provider Development and Retention Grant Program; and (2) the Child Care Provider Scholarship Program. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to allot funds to eligible States (and Indian tribes and tribal organizations) for distribution directly, or at State option through local governments, to pay the Federal share of the cost of making grants to eligible child care providers under both such programs. Healthy Early Education Workforce Grant Program Act - Authorizes the Secretary of HHS to allot funds to eligible States (and Indian tribes and tribal organizations) to pay for the Federal share of the cost of providing access to affordable health benefits coverage for: (1) eligible child care providers; and (2) at State option, the spouses, domestic partners, and dependents of such providers. Directs the Secretary to conduct an evaluation of several such funded State programs representing various approaches to increasing the rate of coverage for child care providers. Child Care Construction and Renovation Incentive Grants Act - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to provide for use of community development block grants to establish child care facilities. Amends the National Housing Act to provide for insurance for mortgages: (1) on new and rehabilitated child care facilities; and (2) for acquisition of or the refinancing of debt on existing child care facilities. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make technical and financial assistance grants to acquire or improve child care facilities or equipment. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish a business child care incentive grant program. Universal Prekindergarten Act - Directs the Secretary of HHS to make grants to State agencies to develop full-day, full-year universal prekindergarten programs for all children three, four, and five years old. Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a universal free school breakfast program without regard to family incomes. Provides that appropriations and expenditures for CNA shall be considered HHS, not Department of Agriculture, functions for budget purposes. Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program of healthy school nutrition environment incentive grants. Revises CNA and NSLA requirements for regulation of competitive foods. Revises NSLA child and adult care food program provisions relating to reimbursements for afterschool dinners and eligibility of private child care centers. Afterschool Education Enhancement Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require State educational agencies to give priority to 21st century community learning centers program applications submitted jointly by eligible entities consisting of at least one local educational agency receiving funds under ESEA provisions for disadvantaged students and at least one community-based organization or other public or private entity. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for treatment of employees working at less than full-time under participation, vesting, and accrual rules governing pension plans and under group health plans. Expands the definition of employee to include certain individuals whose services are leased or contracted for. United States Business Telework Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to conduct, in not more than five States, a pilot program to raise awareness about telework among employers and to encourage them to offer telework options to employees.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2004
Authorizes and requests the President to award the Medal of Honor posthumously to Colonel Rex T. Barber, U.S. Air Force (retired), for acts of valor while serving with the Army Air Corps during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2004
Honors the contributions of people of Indian origin to the United States. Declares that Congress is committed to working together with India to promote peace, prosperity, and freedom among all countries.
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.
![Official portrait of Rep. Wu, David [D-OR-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/w000793_200.jpg)