United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Amends Federal aviation law to prohibit the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, solely by reason of a person's age if the person has not attained his or her Social Security retirement age, from: (1) denying, deferring as to, or failing to renew for any such person an airman or medical certificate for the operation of a commercial aircraft; (2) imposing restrictions or limitations on an airman or medical certificate following initial or periodic competency or medical testing which has the same age discriminatory effect on the person; or (3) requiring an air carrier to terminate the employment of, or not to employ, or to take any other action having the same age discriminatory effect on, such person as a pilot of an aircraft. Declares that such requirements shall not provide the basis for a claim of seniority made under any labor bargaining agreement in effect between the pilots and an air carrier by any pilot seeking re-employment by an air carrier following the pilot's previous termination or cessation of employment.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Rocky Mountain National Park Boundary Adjustment Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to accept an offer to convey specified federal land near MacGregor Ranch, Larimer County, Colorado, in exchange for specified non-federal land located near the Ranch. Instructs the Secretary to: (1) reserve an easement to the federal land for the purposes of protecting, preserving, and enhancing the conservation values of that land; and (2) adjust the boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, to reflect the acquisition of the non-federal land and manage such land as part of the Park.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Pitkin County Land Exchange Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretary) and the Secretary of the Interior, upon receipt of title to certain lands located in Pitkin County, Colorado, and certain lands located on Smuggler Mountain in the County, to convey to the County or to the Aspen Valley Land Trust, if the County so requests, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to certain National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands located in the County. Prohibits the conveyance of a specified parcel to the County unless and until specified conditions are met, including that the County grants to the Aspen Valley Land Trust, the Roaring Fork Conservancy, or to another entity mutually agreeable to the County and the Secretary of the Interior, a permanent conservation easement which provides public access to the parcel and limits future use of the parcel to recreational, fish, and wildlife conservation, and open space purposes. States that lands acquired by the Secretary pursuant to this Act shall become part of White River National Forest.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Community Choice in Real Estate Act - Amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, and the Revised Statutes of the United States, to prohibit the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Secretary of the Treasury, respectively, from determining that real estate brokerage activity or real estate management activity is financial in nature, is incidental to any financial activity, or is complementary to a financial activity. (In effect, prohibits financial holding companies and national banks from engaging, directly or indirectly, in real estate brokerage or real estate management activities.) Exempts from such prohibition activities of a bank holding company (or any affiliate) that directly relate to managing any real property owned by national banks or their affiliates. States that activities that were authorized for financial holding companies and national banks on December 6, 2001, are not affected by the prohibitions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Mortgage Insurance Fairness Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat mortgage insurance premium payments as tax deductible interest. Phases out the deduction for taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes exceeding $100,000.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Child Custody Protection Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit transporting a minor across a state line to obtain an abortion (deems such transporting to be a de facto abridgment of the right of a parent under any law in the minor’s state of residence that requires parental involvement in the minor’s abortion decision). Makes an exception for an abortion necessary to save the life of the minor. Protects from prosecution or civil liability the minor or the minor’s parents for violations of this Act. Makes it an affirmative defense to a prosecution or civil action under this Act that a defendant reasonably believed that before the minor obtained the abortion, the required parental consent or notification or judicial authorization took place. Authorizes any parent who suffers harm from a violation of this Act to seek relief in a civil action. Defines "parent" to include a guardian, legal custodian, or person standing in loco parentis.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Rio Grande Natural Area Act - Establishes the Rio Grande Natural Area in Colorado (which shall include the Rio Grande River from the southern boundary of the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge to the New Mexico State border, extending 1/4 mile on either side of the bank of the River) to conserve, restore, and protect the natural, historic, cultural, scientific, scenic, wildlife, and recreational resources of the Area. Establishes the Rio Grande Natural Area Commission to: (1) advise the Secretary of the Interior with respect to the Area; and (2) prepare a management plan relating to non-Federal land in the Area. Prohibits the Commission from acquiring any real property or interest in real property. Directs the Commission to assist the Secretary in implementing such management plan by carrying out authorized activities to preserve and interpret the Area's resources. Directs the Secretary to prepare a management plan relating to the management of Federal land in the Area. Applies the management plan for the non-Federal land to private land in the Area only if the private landowner agrees to be bound by such plan. Withdraws all Federal land in the Area from: (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) disposition under the mineral leasing laws. Permits the Secretary to acquire land or an interest in land within the Area from willing sellers.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Honoring Every Requirement of Exemplary Service Act of 2005 or HEROES Act of 2005 - Increases from $12,000 to $100,000 the death gratuity payable to the survivors of members of the Armed Forces who die: (1) as a direct result of armed conflict; (2) while engaged in hazardous service; (3) in the performance of duty under conditions simulating war; (4) through an instrumentality of war; or (5) in an operation or area designated as a combat operation or a combat zone. Requires the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay an additional death gratuity of $238,000 for a member of the Armed Forces who died before the date of enactment of this Act as a direct result of one or more wounds, injuries, or illnesses that were: (1) incurred in the theater of operations of Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom; or (2) as a direct result of armed conflict, while engaged in hazardous service, in the performance of duty under conditions simulating war, or through an instrumentality of war on or after October 7, 2001. Increases the maximum amount of life insurance coverage for a member of the armed forces under servicemembers' group life insurance. Provides for $150,000 additional life insurance with no deductible due from the member for combat-related deaths. Requires spousal approval for a member to elect not to have life insurance coverage or have less than the maximum amount allowable.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Extends the U.S. Postal Service's authority to issue special postage stamps to help provide funding for breast cancer research through December 31, 2007.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Trust Act of 2005 - Authorizes the United States to take into trust certain land (formerly known as the Dawson Ranch) in Kiowa County, Colorado, owned by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Tribes of Oklahoma (property). Directs the Tribes to convey title to the property to the United States. Declares that all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the property (except specified facilities) are to be held in trust by the United States for the Tribes. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) acquire by donation the improvements in fee; and (2) construct a facility on the property only after obtaining the agreement of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, and the Northern Arapaho Tribe. Permits the use of Federal funds to be expended only on improvements or facilities that are owned in fee by the United States. Directs the Secretary to cause a survey to be conducted by the Office of Cadastral Survey of the Bureau of Land Management of the boundary lines. Requires the property to be administered in perpetuity by the Secretary as part of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, only for historical, traditional, cultural, or other uses in accordance with the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Establishment Act of 2000.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Expresses: (1) sympathy for the victims and families of the earthquake and tsunami that struck communities throughout Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Eastern Africa on December 26, 2004; and (2) gratitude and respect for the work of all aid and relief personnel, including U.S. military personnel. Supports President George W. Bush's pledge of $350,000,000 in direct financial assistance, and additional indirect assistance, through the dispatch of U.S. military assets and personnel and through substantial voluntary and annual contributions to international organizations and bodies. Commends the ongoing international relief effort. Recognizes that U.S. Government assistance will be greatly supplemented by private U.S. donations and volunteers. Supports the long-term U.S. commitment to provide financial aid and other assistance to the impacted region.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of Defense should continue to exercise its long-standing statutory authority to support activities of the Boy Scouts of America, particularly the periodic national and world Boy Scout Jamborees.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2004
Public Transportation Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to define and clarify the respective public transportation security roles and responsibilities of the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Requires DOT's Federal Transit Administration to submit all public transportation security assessments to DHS and the Secretary to review and augment such assessments. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish security improvement priorities and to update them annually; (2) conduct assessments of all transit agencies considered to be at greatest risk of a terrorist attack, of local bus-only public transportation systems, and of selected rural transportation systems; and (3) use information collected to establish the process for developing security guidelines. Directs the Secretary to award grants directly to public transportation agencies for allowable capital security improvements (including tunnel and perimeter protection systems and surveillance and communications equipment); and (2) operational security improvements (including security training for transit employees, drills, public awareness campaigns, and canine patrols for chemical, biological, or explosives detection). Directs the Secretary to: (1) ensure that DOT receives appropriate and timely notification of all credible terrorist threats against U.S. public transportation assets; and (2) award grants for research, development, and demonstration of technologies and methods to reduce and deter terrorist threats or mitigate damages resulting from such attacks. Requires DHS to fund the reasonable costs of an Information Sharing and Analysis Center for Public Transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2004
Uniformed Services Differential Pay Protection Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat differential wage payments as a payment of wages by an employer to an employee for income tax purposes. Defines "differential wage payment" as any employer payment to an individual serving on active duty in the uniformed services for more than 30 days which represents wages such individual would have received if such individual were performing services for the employer. Treats an individual receiving differential wage payments as an employee and treats differential wage payments as compensation for retirement plan purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2004
Samaritan Initiative Act of 2004 - Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to establish a program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under which a participating Federal agency shall make matching grants to eligible entities, including faith-based and community-based organizations, for permanent housing (provision of housing or rental assistance) and related treatment (including health and drug and alcohol treatment) and support services for chronically homeless persons. Requires: (1) a participating Federal agency to establish an interagency implementation and monitoring team; and (2) a grantee to establish a homeless management information system. Obligates specified authorizations of appropriations for: (1) HUD; (2) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and (3) the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Authorizes the participation of other Federal agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Amends the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 to designate Heartland Expressway from Denver, Colorado, through Wyoming and Scottsbluff, Nebraska, to Rapid City, South Dakota, as a high priority corridor on the National Highway System.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Los Alamos National Laboratory National Security Act for Fiscal Year 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) terminate the contract of the University of California to operate Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico; (2) appoint either a Federal or private sector entity as interim contractor to operate the Laboratory until appointment of a successor contractor; and (3) ensure retention of essential employees at such Laboratory both during the transition period and after commencement of Laboratory operations by the successor to the University of California. Prohibits any future contract award to University of California for operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
States that the Senate recognizes Israel's right of self-defense against Palestinian terrorist attacks, and supports the construction of a security fence, the route of which, with the support of the Government of Israel, takes into account the need to minimize Palestinian land confiscation and the imposition of hardships on the Palestinian people. Condemns the decision of the International Court of Justice on the legality of the security fence. Urges the United States to vote against any further United Nations action that could delay or prevent the construction of the security fence and to engage in a diplomatic campaign to persuade other countries to do the same.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2004
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 222 West 8th Street, Durango, Colorado, as the "Ben Nighthorse Campbell Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2004
Constitutional Amendment - Federal Marriage Amendment - Declares that marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Prohibits the Constitution or any State constitution from being construed to require that marital status or its legal incidents be conferred upon any union other than that of a man and a woman.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Benjamin Franklin Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue one dollar coins emblematic of the life and legacy of Benjamin Franklin (not more than 250,000 bearing his image as a young statesman and not more than 250,000 with his image as an older numismatist). Directs that all sales of coins minted under this Act include a $10 per coin surcharge, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the Franklin Institute for purposes of the celebration of the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2004
Declares the sense of Congress that an artistic tribute to commemorate the speech given by President Ronald Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate on June 12, 1987, during which he uttered the immortal lines "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall," should be placed within the U.S. Capitol.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2004
Guardsmen and Reservists Financial Relief Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the ten percent penalty on early distributions from tax-exempt retirement plans withdrawals made by military reservists or national guardsmen called to active duty for a period in excess of 179 days or for an indefinite period. Permits reimbursement of such withdrawals within two years after the end of the active duty period. Applies the provisions of this Act to individuals ordered or called to active duty after September 11, 2001, and before September 12, 2005, for retirement plan distributions made after September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Tax Code Termination Act - Mandates the termination of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 after December 31, 2009, except for self-employment taxes, Federal Insurance Contributions Act taxes, and Railroad Retirement taxes. Declares that any new Federal tax system should be a simple and fair system that: (1) applies a low rate to all Americans; (2) provides tax relief for working Americans; (3) protects the rights of taxpayers and reduces tax collection abuses; (4) eliminates the bias against savings and investment; (5) promotes economic growth and job creation; and (6) does not penalize marriage or families. Requires that the new Federal tax system be approved by Congress in its final form by July 4, 2009.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2004
New Shipper Review Amendment Act of 2004 - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 with respect to reviews by the administering authority to establish an individual weighted average dumping margin or an individual countervailing duty rate (as the case may be) for a new exporter or producer that: (1) did not export the merchandise that was the subject of an antidumping duty or countervailing duty order to the United States during the period of investigation; and (2) was not affiliated with any exporter or producer who did. Repeals the requirement that the administering authority direct the Customs Service to allow, at the option of the importer of such merchandise, the posting, until completion of the review, of a bond or security in lieu of a cash deposit for each entry of the subject merchandise (bonding privileges).
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2004
Expresses the grateful thanks of the Nation to the more than 16 million individuals who served in the Army, Army Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine in World War II and to the millions of Americans on the home front who contributed to the war effort. Recognizes the dedication of the National World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2004, as an occasion to acknowledge and pay tribute to those members of the Armed Forces who served in World War II, who are known collectively as the Greatest Generation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2004
Commends all Americans serving nobly abroad. Condemns the despicable acts at Abu Ghraib prison and joins with the President in expressing apology for the humiliation suffered by the prisoners in Iraq and their families. Urges: (1) the Government of the United States to take appropriate measures to ensure that such acts do not occur in the future; and (2) that all individuals responsible for such acts be held accountable. Expresses the belief that the appropriate Senate committees and the President should conduct a full investigation of the abuses alleged to have occurred at Abu Ghraib.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2004
United Nations Oil-for-Food Accountability Act of 2004 - Requires the withholding of certain FY 2005 and 2006 U.S. contributions to the United Nations (UN) until the President certifies that the UN is cooperating in the investigation of the United Nations Oil-for-Food Program.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2004
Amends the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 to: (1) provide for the establishment of additional Boys and Girls Clubs of America; and (2) ensure that such facilities are in operation by January 1, 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2004
Constitution Restoration Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal judicial code to prohibit the U.S. Supreme Court and the Federal district courts from exercising jurisdiction over any matter in which relief is sought against an entity of Federal, State, or local government or an officer or agent of such government by reason of that entity's, officer's, or agent's acknowledgment of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government. Prohibits a court of the United States from relying upon any law, policy, or other action of a foreign state or international organization in interpreting and applying the Constitution, other than the constitutional law and English common law. Provides that any Federal court decision relating to an issue removed from Federal jurisdiction by this Act is not binding precedent on State courts. Provides that any Supreme Court justice or Federal court judge who exceeds the jurisdictional limitations of this Act shall be deemed to have committed an offense for which the justice or judge may be removed, and to have violated the standard of good behavior required of Article III judges by the Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2004
Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004 - Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to extend the national flood insurance program's authorization through September 30, 2008. Establishes a pilot program for mitigation of severe repetitive loss properties. Authorizes the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide financial assistance to States and communities for taking actions to mitigate flood damage to such properties and losses to the National Flood Insurance Fund from such properties. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) eligible activities (activities to reduce flood damages and to purchase such properties); and (2) matching fund requirements. Provides for increased premiums of up to 150 percent of the current chargeable rate in cases of refusal to mitigate. Authorizes the Director to provide funding for mitigation actions that reduce flood damages to individual properties for which one or more claim payments for losses have been made under flood insurance coverage where such activities are determined to be in the best interest of the Fund. Requires: (1) the Director to develop specified supplemental and acknowledgment forms and a flood insurance claims handbook; and (2) the Comptroller General of the United States to study the adequacy of the scope of coverage provided under flood insurance policies, the adequacy of payments to flood victims, and the practices of FEMA and insurance adjusters in estimating losses.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2004
Constitutional Amendment - Federal Marriage Amendment - Declares that marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Prohibits the Constitution or any State constitution from being construed to require that marital status or its legal incidents be conferred upon any union other than that of a man and a woman.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2004
Declares that the Senate: (1) expresses the outrage and shock of the people of the United States over the terrorist attacks that occurred in and around Madrid, Spain on March 11, 2004; (2) joins with President Bush in expressing its deepest condolences and pledges to remain shoulder to shoulder with the people of Spain in the war on terrorism; (3) expresses its strong solidarity with the people of Spain during their difficult hour, and its deep condolences to the families of the victims of these despicable terrorist attacks; (4) calls on all nations to join with the United States in condemning the monstrous attacks on the innocent people of Spain and in attempting to identify the perpetrators of the attacks and bring them to account; (5) expresses its readiness to consult with representatives of King Juan Carlos, President Jose Maria Aznar, the Spanish government, the Spanish Cortes, and other public authorities about joint efforts to combat terrorism more effectively; (6) commends the United States Embassy in Madrid for its prompt offers of assistance to the Government of Spain, and for its efforts to determine the welfare and whereabouts of United States citizens who may have been affected by the terrorist attacks; and (7) urges the executive branch to continue to provide all possible assistance to Spain in order to identify and bring to account the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks that occurred on March 11, 2004, in Madrid and of other terrorist attacks against the people of Spain.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2004
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests Land Exchange Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain lands in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, Colorado, with the City of Golden, Colorado, subject to the City's right to use necessary surface and subsurface land to maintain the Vidler Tunnel. States that if such land exchange is not completed the Secretary is authorized and directed to sell such Federal land to the City. Authorizes the City to construct a water pipeline on such Federal land upon enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2004
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal in commemoration of the Reverend Oliver L. Brown (the lead plaintiff in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education) in recognition of his and his fellow plaintiffs' enduring contributions to civil rights and American society.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2004
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Trust Act of 2004 - Authorizes the United States to take into trust certain land in Kiowa County, Colorado, owned by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Tribes of Oklahoma. Directs the Tribes to convey title to the Dawson Ranch to the United States. Declares that: (1) all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the Ranch, including all improvements and appurtenances to the Ranch and rights to all minerals, are to be held in trust by the United States for the Tribes; and (2) the Ranch is to become part of the Tribes' Indian reservation. Requires the Ranch to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with the law generally applicable to property held in trust for Indian tribes and the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Establishment Act of 2000. Instructs that the Ranch be used only for historic, religious, or cultural uses that are compatible with the use of the land as a national historic site.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2004
Constitution Restoration Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal judicial code to prohibit the U.S. Supreme Court and the Federal district courts from exercising jurisdiction over any matter in which relief is sought against an element of Federal, State, or local government or officer of such government by reason of that element's or officer's acknowledgment of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government. Prohibits a court of the United States from relying upon any law, policy, or other action of a foreign state or international organization in interpreting and applying the Constitution, other than the constitutional law and English common law. Provides that any Federal court decision relating to an issue removed from Federal jurisdiction by this Act is not binding precedent on State courts. Provides that any Supreme Court justice or Federal court judge who exceeds the jurisdictional limitations of this Act shall be deemed to have committed an offense for which the justice or judge may be removed, and to have violated the standard of good behavior required of Article III judges by the Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 25 November 2003
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Prohibits the Constitution or any State constitution, or State or Federal law, from being construed to require that marital status or its legal incidents be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups.
United States · United States Congress · 25 November 2003
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) Congress should take whatever steps necessary to affirm the fact that marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman; (2) same-sex marriage is not a right, fundamental or otherwise, recognized in this country; (3) neither the U.S. Constitution nor any Federal law shall be construed to require that marital status or its legal incidents be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups; (4) the Defense of Marriage Act is a proper and constitutional exercise of Congress's powers under the effects clause of section 1 of Article IV; and (5) that no State, territory, or possession of the United States, or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of such entities, or a right or claim arising from such relationship.
United States · United States Congress · 24 November 2003
Israeli-Palestinian Peace Enhancement Act of 2003 - Calls for: (1) any new Palestinian authority to take security-related steps to implement a road map to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and (2) the U.S. Administration to work toward the two states living in peace within secure and internationally recognized boundaries. Expresses the sense of Congress that a Palestinian State should not be recognized until the President makes specified determinations, including that new leadership of a Palestinian governing entity, not compromised by terrorism, has been elected and has taken measures to counter terrorism and terrorist financing in the West Bank and Gaza. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to allow U.S. assistance to be provided to a Palestinian state only: (1) during the effective period of a presidential certification that a Palestinian state exists that has been recognized by the United States and Israel and admitted to the United Nations, that a binding international peace agreement exists between Israel and the Palestinian state, and that the new Palestinian Government has been democratically elected, has renounced violence against Israel, has dismantled any group that conducts terrorism against Israel, has instituted clearly agreed upon limits on its military, and has no agreements that threaten Israel's security; and (2) if the President has provided advance notice to Congress. Authorizes the President to provide assistance to a Palestinian State to improve the economy and living conditions of the Palestinians. Directs the Secretary of State to coordinate a program of international economic assistance to the Palestinians.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2003
Stock Option Accounting Reform Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require an issuer of registered securities to show as an expense in its mandatory annual report the fair value of all stock purchase options granted to certain of its senior executive officers after December 31, 2004. Exempts small business issuers from such requirement. Amends the Securities Act of 1933 to require reporting of: (1) stock option expenses as a reduction of the total expense in the fiscal year in which they expire or are forfeited; and (2) as income any excess by which such reduction exceeds total option expenses for any fiscal year. Requires any accounting principle recognized as "generally accepted" by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding the expensing of stock purchase options to comply with this Act. Denies recognition to any such accounting principle until the Secretaries of Commerce and of Labor complete a joint study on the economic impact of mandatory expensing of all employee stock options.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2003
National Veterinary Medical Service Act - Amends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a veterinary school loan repayment program (including resultant tax liability payments) for persons who perform qualifying veterinary services in shortage and emergency situations.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2003
Art and Collectibles Capital Gains Tax Treatment Parity Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide art and collectibles with the same capital gain rates as other assets held long-term. Establishes a (limited) fair market value deduction for qualifying literary, musical, artistic, or scholarly charitable contributions created and donated by the taxpayer.
![Official portrait of Sen. Allard, Wayne [R-CO]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/a000109_200.jpg)