United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
States that Congress: (1) declares that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide; (2) reminds the international community, including the U.S. Government, of their international legal obligations, as affirmed in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; (3) calls on the Bush Administration to lead an international effort to prevent genocide in Darfur; (4) urges the Bush Administration to consider multilateral or even unilateral intervention to prevent genocide should the United Nations Security Council fail to act; (5) demands that the Bush Administration impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and the freezing of assets of the National Congress and affiliated business and individuals directly responsible for the atrocities in Darfur; and (6) calls on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish a Darfur Resettlement, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Second Chance Act of 2004: Community Safety Through Recidivism Prevention or Second Chance Act of 2004 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reauthorize, rewrite, and expand provisions regarding adult and juvenile offender reentry demonstration projects, including by authorizing funds to: (1) provide structured post-release housing and transitional housing through which offenders are provided supervision and services immediately following reentry into the community; (2) facilitate specified collaboration to promote the employment of people released from prison and jail; and (3) establish or expand the use of reentry courts. Sets forth grant priorities and requirements, including that each State or local government recipient establish a Reentry Task Force or other relevant convening authority. Authorizes the Attorney General to make a grant to provide for the establishment of a National Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Resource Center. Directs the Attorney General to establish an interagency task force on Federal programs and activities relating to offender reentry. Authorizes the National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics to conduct research on offender reentry. Directs: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review the role of State child protective services at the time of arrest and to establish services for the preservation of families impacted by the incarceration of a family member; and (2) the Secretary of Labor to implement a program to educate employers about existing incentives to the hiring of former prisoners and to make grants to community-based organizations to provide mentoring and other transitional services essential to reintegrating ex-offenders.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Requests that the President, and directs the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and Attorney General (AG) to transmit to the House of Representatives all documents in their possession (as more specifically identified in this Resolution) relating to the treatment of prisoners or detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Guantanamo Bay and any instructions for handling such documents, with the exception of those documents in the AG's possession that are protected by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e) in proceedings in which the AG or the Department of Justice are parties.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Creates the Select Committee to Investigate Detainee Abuses to conduct a full and complete investigation of the abuses of detainees held in U.S. custody in connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, or any operation within the Global War on Terrorism, in particular those documented abuses at Abu Ghraib prison, and to make appropriate findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives. Requires the Select Committee to assess, analyze, and evaluate relevant persons, policies, procedures, reports, and events during the course of its investigation, including but not limited to those specified in this Resolution. Sets forth procedures and authorities of the Select Committee. Requires the Select Committee to submit its final report to the House within six months of adoption of this Resolution and to cease to exist one month thereafter.
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 · 16 June 2004
Mourns the loss of Ray Charles (one of the world's most influential musicians) and expresses deepest sympathy to his family. Recognizes and honors the tremendous artistic and social contributions of Ray Charles, who lost his eyesight as a child, but never lost his vision to expand hope and increase the circle of human dignity through peaceful musical expression.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2004
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the State of Virginia should provide the necessary resources to establish and maintain a scholarship fund to make tuition grants available to eligible former students who were denied an education in Prince Edward County, Virginia, when the public schools there closed rather than comply with the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2004
Recognizes the 40th anniversary of the day civil rights organizers Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner gave their lives. Encourages all Americans to observe the anniversary of the deaths of the three men by committing themselves to the fundamental principles of freedom, equality, and democracy.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of tobacco products by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Food and Drug Administration, including through disclosure, annual registration, inspection, recordkeeping, and user fee requirements. Sets forth criteria by which tobacco products are deemed adulterated or misbranded. Allows the Secretary to require prior approval of all label statements. Allows the Secretary to restrict the sale or distribution of tobacco products, including advertising and promotion, if the Secretary determines that such regulation would be appropriate for the protection of the public health. Prohibits such regulations from: (1) limiting product sales or distribution to authorization of a practitioner licensed to prescribe medical products; (2) prohibiting product sales in face-to-face transactions by a specific category of retail outlets; or (3) establishing a minimum age greater than 18 years of age for product purchases. Prohibits cigarettes from containing any artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, cinnamon, or coffee. Requires the Secretary to establish tobacco product standards to protect the public health, but reserves to Congress the power to ban any tobacco products or reduce the nicotine level to zero. Allows the Secretary to take specified actions, including public notification and recall, against unreasonably harmful products. Requires premarket approval of all new tobacco products. Sets forth standards for the sale of modified risk tobacco products. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) judicial review; (2) coordination with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); (3) congressional review of regulations; and (4) state and local authority. Requires the Secretary to establish a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to change cigarette warning label and advertising requirements. Amends the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 to change smokeless tobacco warning label and advertising requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Amends the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 to extend by one year the deadline for: (1) installing at all U.S. ports of entry equipment and software capable of processing machine-readable, tamper-resistant entry and exit documents and passports that contain biometric identifiers; (2) Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries to certify that they are issuing machine-readable, tamper-resistant passports that contain biometric and document authentication identifiers comporting with specified standards; and (3) VWP participants who are issued passports on or after the new deadline to present passports that comply with such requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Waives certain time limitations with respect to the posthumous award of the Medal of Honor to Doris Miller for acts of heroism during World War II as a member of the United States Navy.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
States that Congress: (1) applauds the Republic of South Africa for the remarkable transition to a democratic government and the tremendous progress achieved during ten years of majority rule; (2) looks forward to a continued partnership with South Africa focused on a sustained commitment to the health of South Africans; and (3) anticipates continued social development and economic growth in South Africa.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2004
Calls for the establishment of a National Health Center Week (beginning on August 8, 2004) to raise awareness of the health services provided by community, migrant, public housing, and homeless health centers.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
Medicare Early Access 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 add a new part E (Purchase of Medicare Benefits by Certain Individuals 55 to 65 Years of Age). Provides access to Medicare benefits for individuals 55 to 64 years of age who do not have coverage under a Federal health insurance program or under a group plan. Requires enrollees to pay a premium to receive Medicare coverage. Requires the Secretary to base the premium on the Secretary's estimate of the average, national annual per capita amount of the cost of providing services to the population. Allows early retirees with access to retiree coverage to enroll under this part while keeping their Federal or State COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) continuation coverage. Allows an employer that offers employment-based retiree health coverage to an individual who enrolls under this part to modify such coverage to provide for: (1) employer payment of items and services for which payment may not be made under Medicare; and (2) employer payment of 25 percent of the monthly premium applicable to the individual after enrollment. Creates in the Treasury the Medicare Early Access Trust Fund to hold the premiums collected under this Act and to support the new program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow program enrollees to receive a 75 percent advance, refundable credit to offset premium costs (thus requiring program enrollees in the Medicare buy-in to be responsible for 25 percent of the monthly premiums).
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
FamilyCare Act of 2004 - Amends title XXI of the Social Security Act (SSA) to rename the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) the FamilyCare Program. Provides for: (1) automatic enrollment in the FamilyCare Program of children born to title XXI parents; and (2) optional family care coverage of parents of targeted low-income children and low-income pregnant women under Medicaid (SSA title XIX). Provides for optional coverage of legal immigrants under Medicaid and SSA title XXI, and of children through age 20 under Medicaid and SSA title XXI. Allows States to elect to provide for a period of presumptive eligibility for medical assistance for a parent of a child with respect to whom such a period is provided under Medicaid. Revises the transitional medical assistance (TMA) program, including making reporting requirements optional, giving States the option to extend eligibility for low-income individuals for up to 12 additional months, and eliminating the sunset for TMA. Establishes limitations with respect to marketing activities to comply with new conflict of interest requirements. Prohibits affiliation with debarred persons. Increases the SCHIP allotment for each of FY 2002 through 2004. Directs the Secretry to award demonstration grants to up to seven States (or other qualified entities) to conduct innovative programs designed to improve outreach to homeless individuals and families under specified programs, including Medicaid. Limits cost-sharing under the FamilyCare program to 2.5 percent for families with income below 150 percent of poverty. Increases Federal reimbursement for language services under the Medicaid program and SSA title XXI.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
Healthy Troops Act - Requires predeployment and postdeployment medical examinations of certain members of the armed forces to include self-administered surveys followed by clinical examinations. Specifies that predeployment surveys and examinations shall include: (1) the collection of clinical data; (2) the collection of information on current and past physical or mental health conditions that might affect performance; (3) an assessment of mental health; (4) screening for diseases prevalent among the armed forces; and (5) referrals for any conditions needing further treatment. Specifies that postdeployment surveys and examinations shall include self-reported information about relevant exposures during the period of deployment including combat experience and screening for post-traumatic stress disorder. Directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study of the effectiveness of self-administered surveys.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) sponsoring or exhibiting a bird in a fighting venture in a State where it would not otherwise be in violation of the law, only if the person knew that any bird in the venture was knowingly bought, sold, delivered, transported, or received in interstate or foreign commerce for such purpose; or (2) knowingly sponsoring or exhibiting in an animal fighting venture any other animal that was moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Prohibits knowingly: (1) selling, buying, transporting, delivering, or receiving, for purposes of transportation in interstate or foreign commerce, any dog or other animal to participate in an animal fighting venture; (2) using interstate mail service for commercial speech promoting an animal fighting venture except as performed outside the limits of the States (with an exception for bird fights in States whose laws allow them); or (3) selling, buying, transporting, or delivering in interstate or foreign commerce a knife, gaff, or other sharp instrument to be attached to the leg of a bird for use in an animal fighting venture.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Declares that the Congress: (1) recognizes and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision; (2) encourages all Americans to recognize and celebrate the anniversary; and (3) renews its commitment to continuing and building on the legacy of Brown with a pledge to acknowledge and address the modern day disparities that remain.
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 · 29 April 2004
Recognizes and honors the firefighters, police, public servants, civilians, and private businesses who responded to the devastating fire in Richmond, Virginia, on March 26, 2004, and commends them for their dedicated service to the people of Virginia.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2004
Virginia Ridge and Valley Wilderness and National Scenic Areas Act of 2004 - Designates certain lands in the Jefferson National Forest, Virginia (Brush Mountain and Brush Mountain East, Seng Mountain and Raccoon Branch, Stone Mountain, Mountain Lake Additions, Lewis Fork Addition and Little Wilson Creek Additions, Shawvers Run Additions, and Peters Mountain Addition) as wilderness. Designates Seng Mountain and Raccoon Branch, and Crawfish Valley, as National Scenic Areas (Areas). Establishes such Areas for purposes of: (1) ensuring the protection and preservation of scenic quality, water quality, natural characteristics, and water resources; (2) protecting wildlife and fish habitat; (3) protecting areas that may develop characteristics of old-growth forests; and (4) providing a variety of recreation opportunities. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) administer such Areas in accordance with this Act and the laws and regulations generally applicable to the National Forest System (NFS); (2) develop a management plan for such Areas; and (3) establish a trail for NFS lands to develop hiking and equestrian trails within the wilderness areas and non-motorized recreation trails within the Areas. Sets forth provisions regarding roads, vegetation management, motorized travel, fire, insects and disease, water, and mining and geothermal leasing.
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
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 family of Thurgood Marshall (the first African-American Justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court) in recognition of Marshall's contributions to the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2004
Recognizes the contributions of the teachers, administration, and staff of military impacted schools and Department of Defense education activity schools worldwide. Commends the teachers in military impacted communities who educate students during times of peace and conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2004
States that Congress: (1) remembers the victims of the 1994 Rwanda genocide and pledges to work to ensure that such an atrocity does not take place again; (2) acknowledges that the international community, including the United States, failed the people of Rwanda and watched with indifference while hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians were being killed; (3) supports assistance to the survivors of the Rwandan genocide; (4) urges political and financial support for the Gacaca courts; (5) acknowledges the heroic work of many individuals and human rights organizations for their campaign to help stop the genocide; (6) expresses deep appreciation to General Romeo Dallaire for his efforts to stop the genocide and for helping many Rwandese civilians; (7) accepts the fact that General Dallaire warned the United Nations on a number of occasions of an impending genocide and was ordered by his superiors not to take action; (8) calls for an investigation of the role played by the United States prior to and during the Rwandan genocide, noting that the parliaments of Belgium and France both created commissions of inquiry to investigate the roles played by their respective governments; and (9) urges the creation of a bi-partisan Commission of Inquiry for Rwanda to investigate all aspects of the role played by the United States prior to and during the Rwandan genocide.
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 · 29 March 2004
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the U.S. flag flown over the U.S. Capitol should be lowered to half-mast one day each month in honor of the men and women from the United States who have lost their lives in military conflicts.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2004
Amends the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 to postpone until: (1) 2007 the implementation of recommendations for military base closures and realignments currently scheduled for 2005; and (2) corresponding dates two years later certain dates for reviews, recommendations, and reports related to to such closures and realignments.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2004
Declares that Congress: (1) congratulates the Citizens Savings Bank & Trust of Nashville, Tennessee, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the bank, for its dedication and service to the people of Tennessee; (2) recognizes the vital role the Nation's minority-owned banks have played in providing financial services and resources to minority individuals and businesses, particularly in communities that have been underserved by other institutions; and (3) honors the Nation's minority-owned banks for their historic and continuing contributions to the economic and social well-being of the communities they serve.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2004
GEAR UP & GO Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise specified requirements for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) to facilitate the transition of low-income high school students into postsecondary education. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to carry out a GEAR UP & GO grants program to provide low-income high school students participating in GEAR UP partnerships or State programs opportunities for dual/concurrent enrollment in college courses while still enrolled in high school. Provides that students in such program: (1) shall not be required to apply for admission to the institution of higher education; and (2) may receive college credit. Requires up to 25 percent of GEAR UP & GO program funds to be reserved for grants to early/middle college high schools designed to provide 9th through 12th grade low-income and first-generation college students with a coherent course of study enabling them to earn simultaneously a high school diploma and college credit toward a postsecondary degree.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2004
Family Abduction Prevention Act of 2004 - Directs the Attorney General to make grants to States for projects involving: (1) the extradition of individuals suspected of committing a family abduction back to the State from which the child was taken; (2)investigation by law enforcement agencies of family abduction cases; (3) training for law enforcement agencies in responding to family abductions and recovering abducted children; (4) outreach and media campaigns to educate parents on the dangers of family abductions; and (5) notifying law enforcement authorities of the name and address of anyone requesting the school records of an abducted child. Requires that not less than 50 percent of the cost of a project for which a grant is made be provided by non-Federal sources.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2004
Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 - Amends: (1) the Controlled Substances Act to subject an offense of manufacturing, distributing, or possessing with intent to distribute an anabolic steroid within 1,000 feet of a sports facility to twice the maximum penalty otherwise imposed for a controlled substance violation; and (2) the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 to modify the definition of "anabolic steroid" to include certain steroid precursors (including tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) and androstenedione) and to exclude dehydroepiandrosterone. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review the Federal sentencing guidelines with respect to offenses involving anabolic steroids and consider amending such guidelines to provide for increased penalties. Authorizes the Attorney General, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to exempt from regulation under such Act any compound, mixture, or preparation that contains any anabolic steroid that is intended for administration to a human being or an animal and that does not present any significant potential for abuse because of its concentration, preparation, formulation, or delivery system.
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
Extended Deployment Pay Increase Act of 2004 - Entitles a member of the armed forces who completes a period of 180 days of continuous duty on deployment away from the member's permanent station (or home of record, in the case of a reserve member) to an increase in basic pay of $1,000 for each month thereafter during which the member continues such deployment. Provides for retroactive application of such entitlement for duty performed in connection with a deployment commenced or completed before the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2004
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary of Homeland Security should: (1) designate Haiti as a country the return to which would jeopardize the safety of nationals thereof; and (2) grant temporary protected status to Haitian nationals in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2004
Urges the Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend to the Postmaster General that a commemorative stamp be issued by the United States Postal Service honoring Matthew Lyon, the first person to stand trial under the Sedition Act (1798), which restricted Americans' First Amendment rights (freedom of speech) for political purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States: (1) should support the principles of democracy and constitutional rule in the Republic of Haiti and oppose attempts to remove President Aristide from office; (2) should condemn the violent activities of groups of thugs, former members of Haiti's disbanded army, and paramilitary organizations; and (3) working with the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and other countries, should immediately provide assistance to strengthen and professionalize the Haitian police force in order to enable it to restore law and order and preserve democracy in Haiti.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that negotiations on access to critical segments of the U.S. automobile market should not take place on a piecemeal basis, but only as part of: (1) negotiations that include all major automobile producing nations; and (2) comprehensive negotiations that address both tariff and nontariff barriers specific to the automobile industry, with progress on eliminating tariff barriers explicitly linked to concrete progress on eliminating nontariff barriers.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2004
Fairness and Individual Rights Necessary to Ensure a Stronger Society: Civil Rights Act of 2004 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Education Amendments of 1972, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 to set forth requirements for: (1) establishing discrimination based on disparate impact; and (2) rights of action and recovery for unlawful discrimination (intentional or based on disparate impact) and harassment. Amends the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to provide that a State's receipt or use of Federal financial assistance for a State program or activity shall constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity to a suit under such Acts by a program employee. Amends the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 to authorize civil actions in Federal court for discrimination based on disability. Settlement Encouragement and Fairness Act - Modifies the definition of "prevailing party" for purposes of provisions governing the recovery of attorney's fees to include a party whose pursuit of a non-frivolous claim or defense was a catalyst for a voluntary or unilateral change in position by the opposing party that provides any significant part of the relief sought. Preservation of Civil Rights Protections Act of 2004 - Makes arbitration clauses in employment contracts unenforceable, with exceptions. Authorizes recovery of expert fees by prevailing parties in civil rights actions. Equal Remedies Act of 2004 - Repeals provisions limiting the amount of compensatory and punitive damages that may be awarded in cases of intentional discrimination in employment. Paycheck Fairness in Employment - Amends FLSA to revise provisions governing discrimination in the payment of wages, including equal pay requirements. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit denying back-pay or other monetary relief for unlawful employment practices against undocumented immigrant workers.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2004
Recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education (in which the Court determined that segregated schools are not equal, a decision that led to the desegregation of public schools).
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 · 8 December 2003
Identity Theft Investigation and Prosecution Act of 2003 - Authorizes appropriations to the Department of Justice for the investigation and prosecution of identity theft and related credit card and other fraud cases.
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 give the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority similar to that of other Federal entities that purchase prescription drugs in bulk to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered part D drugs, consistent with the requirements and in furtherance of the goals of providing quality care and containing costs.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to give family- or employment-based immigrant visa priority to the children, sons, or daughters of Filipino World War II veterans who were naturalized as U.S. citizens under the Immigration Act of 1990.
![Official portrait of Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000185_200.jpg)