United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2004
Preservation of Federalism in Banking Act - Amends the Revised Statutes of the United States to set forth State law preemption standards for national banks and their subsidiaries. Declares that any State: (1) consumer law of general application (including any law relating to unfair or deceptive acts or practices and any consumer fraud law) shall also apply to any national bank; and (2) law applicable to State banks shall also apply to any national bank if it was enacted pursuant to, or consistent with, Federal law permitting the States to exceed or supplement Federal law requirements. Prohibits construction of Federal law governing visitorial powers, or otherwise limiting or restricting the supervisory, examination, or regulatory authority to which any national bank is subject, as limiting or restricting the authority of a State attorney general to enforce: (1) any applicable Federal or State law; or (2) on behalf of residents of such State, any applicable provision of any Federal or State law against a national bank, or seek relief and recover damages for such residents from any violation of any such law by any national bank. Prohibits construction of Federal law governing nondepository institution subsidiaries of national banks as preempting the applicability of State law to any State-chartered nondepository institution subsidiary of a national bank, except to the extent the preemption is explicitly provided by an Act of Congress. Directs the Comptroller of the Currency to record and monitor each complaint received from a consumer regarding a national bank or any subsidiary of a national bank as well as the resolution of the complaint.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2004
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to prohibit payments to States under the Medicaid program for redispensing prescription drugs, other than in accordance with guidance of the Secretary of Health and Human Services that: (1) specifies the circumstances under which redispensing of a prescribed drug shall be permissible; and (2) allows for a reasonable restocking fee that takes into account the costs of inspection and inventory processes for redispensing.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2004
No Guns for Felons Act - Amends the Federal criminal code to limit the applicability of provisions authorizing persons prohibited from possessing firearms to apply for and obtain relief from federally imposed disabilities comprising such prohibition. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, upon granting such relief, to include in the information to be published in the Federal Register: (1) the name of the person; (2) the disability with respect to which the relief is granted; and (3) if the disability was imposed by reason of a criminal conviction, the crime for which and the court in which the person was convicted.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2004
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow combat zone compensation (otherwise excludable from gross income) to be treated as earned income for purposes of the earned income tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2004
Affordability in Medicare Premiums Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, for each year beginning with 2005, to reduce the monthly Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) premium rate for each month in the year for individuals not enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan and each individual enrolled under Medicare part B so that the aggregate amount of such reductions in the year equals an amount computed according to a specified formula involving reduced payments to Medicare Advantage organizations. Requires the Secretary, in applying risk adjustment factors to payments to Medicare Advantage organizations, to ensure that such payments are adjusted to reflect the enrollee's health status, including adjusting for the difference between the health status of the enrollee and individuals enrolled under the original Medicare fee-for-service program under Medicare parts A (Hospital Insurance) and B. Requires payments to such organizations, in the aggregate, to reflect such differences. Eliminates the MA Regional Plan Stabilization Fund (Slush Fund).
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 · 30 September 2004
International Remittance Consumer Protection Act of 2004 - Amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to require a remittance transfer provider to: (1) clearly and conspicuously make specified disclosures in writing and in a form that the consumer may keep to each consumer requesting a remittance transfer; and (2) make such disclosures in English and in the same languages principally used by the remittance transfer provider, or its agents at that office, if other than English. Prescribes error resolution guidelines and remedies governing remittance transfer errors. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to publish electronically on each business day the foreign currencies dollar exchange rate. Subjects a remittance transfer provider to liability for violations committed by its agents or subsidiaries. Amends the Federal Credit Union Act to empower Federal Credit Unions to: (1) provide remittance transfers to persons in the field of membership; and (2) to cash checks and money orders for such persons for a fee. Directs the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to work with the Federal reserve banks to expand the use of the automated clearinghouse system for remittance transfers to foreign countries. Requires certain Federal banking agencies to provide guidelines to financial institutions regarding the offering of low-cost remittance transfers and no-cost or low-cost basic consumer accounts, as well as agency services to remittance transfer providers. Requires such agencies and the Secretary to assist the Financial Literacy and Education Commission in improving the financial literacy and education of consumers who send remittances.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2004
Supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the United States and its devastating impact on families.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2004
Designates the second Sunday in the month of December 2004 as National Children's Memorial Day. Requests that the President issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe National Children's Memorial Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities in remembrance of the many infants, children, teenagers, and young adults of families in the United States who have died.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2004
National Heritage Area Extension Act of 2004 - Amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to extend to September 30, 2027, the authorization for making grants or providing assistance with respect to the National Coal Heritage Area, Tennessee Civil War Heritage Area, Steel Industry Heritage Project (the Steel Industry American Heritage Area), Essex National Heritage Area, Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor (redesignated by this Act as the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway), and Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. National Aviation Heritage Area Act - Establishes within the States of Ohio and Indiana the National Aviation Heritage Area. Amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996, to: (1) make additions to the National Coal Heritage Area; (2) provide specified assistance to the National Coal Heritage Area Authority; (3) make resources within Lincoln County and Paint Creek and Cabin Creek also eligible for assistance; (4) provide for the Authority to submit a Coal Heritage Management Plan for the Area; and (5) require the Plan to set forth responsibilities of the Authority. Reauthorizes appropriations for the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route. Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Act Amendments of 2004 - Provides for the designation, upon the termination of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Commission, of the Canal Corridor Association to be the management entity for the Corridor. Oil Region National Heritage Area Act - Establishes the Oil Region National Heritage Area in Pennsylvania. Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area Act of 2004 - Establishes the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area in New Jersey. Western Reserve Heritage Areas Study Act - Provides for a study regarding the establishment of the Western Reserve Heritage Area in specified Ohio counties. Provides for updating the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor plan.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2004
Patients' Privacy Protection Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal Rules of Evidence to declare that a patient has a privilege with respect to any evidence consisting of a confidential communication or record made in the course of medical treatment by a duly licensed health care provider. Authorizes a court to order the disclosure of such a communication or record to the extent the court determines that the public interest in disclosure significantly outweighs the patient's privacy interests. Requires the court to ensure that personally identifiable information is redacted and that the patient's communications and records remain under seal.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2004
Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should reject Social Security privatization proposals, including those that require deep cuts in the Social Security benefits, such as the proposals of President Bush's Social Security Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2004
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the United Nations Security Council should take responsive actions to the growing threats posed to the Southeast Asia region by conditions in Burma under the illegitimate rule of the State Peace and Development Council, including the threats posed by: (1) human rights violations; (2) the spread of HIV/AIDS; (3) the illicit production and trafficking in narcotics, and trafficking in persons; and (4) alleged efforts by the State Peace and Development Council to purchase weapons from North Korea, China, and Russia.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2004
Asthmatic Schoolchildren's Treatment and Health Management Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in making certain PHSA grants or any other asthma-related grant to a State, to give preference to States that require public elementary and secondary schools to allow students to self-administer medication to treat that student's asthma or anaphylaxis under specified conditions. Provides that this Act does not create a cause of action or in any other way increase or diminish the liability of any person under any other law. Expresses the sense of Congress: (1) commending the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for identifying and creating strategies for addressing asthma within a coordinated school program; and (2) encouraging all schools to review these strategies and adopt policies that will best meet the needs of their student population.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2004
Congratulates the citizens of Greece, the members of the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the International Olympic Committee, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the members, coaches, and officials of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team, athletes from around the world, and the security personnel and volunteers who ensured that the 2004 Olympic Summer Games in Athens was a great success for a job well done.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 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 · 9 September 2004
Expresses the sense of the Senate with respect to recommending expenditures for the construction of an appropriate visitor center at the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2004
Keep the Promise of Medicare Act of 2004 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cap the Medicare part B premium for each month in 2005 at the same rate for each month in 2004, adjusted for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2004
9/11 Commission Report Implementation Act of 2004 - National Intelligence Authority Act of 2004 - Establishes as an independent executive entity the National Intelligence Authority (Authority), headed by a National Intelligence Director (Director), to, among other things: (1) unify and strengthen efforts of the intelligence community (IC); (2) operate the National Counterterrorism Center and national intelligence centers; and (3) establish clear responsibility and accountability for counterterrorism and other intelligence matters relating to U.S. national security. Requires the Director to: (1) serve as the head of the IC; (2) advise the President on intelligence related to national security; and (3) direct, manage, and oversee the execution of the National Intelligence Program (formerly the National Foreign Intelligence Program). Establishes a National Intelligence Council (Council) to produce national intelligence estimates for the U.S. Government and evaluate the collection and production of intelligence by the IC. Establishes a National Counterterrorism Center (Center) to: (1) unify strategy for U.S. civilian and military counterterrorism efforts; and (2) integrate counterterrorism intelligence and operations across agency boundaries, both inside and outside the United States. Requires the President to publicly disclose certain intelligence funding information for fiscal years after 2005. Merges the Homeland Security Council into the Council. Maintains within the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) the direction and execution of clandestine and covert operations. Makes the Secretary of Defense responsible for directing and executing paramilitary operations, whether clandestine or covert. Requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to develop and maintain within the FBI a national security workforce of agents, analysts, linguists, and surveillance specialists. Directs the President to: (1) establish an information sharing network to promote the sharing of terrorism information among all relevant Federal departments and agencies, State, tribal, and local authorities, and private sector entities in a manner consistent with national security and the protection of privacy and civil liberties; and (2) submit to Congress a network system design and implementation plan. Establishes an Advisory Council on Information Sharing. Prohibits the 108th Congress from adjourning until jurisdiction over proposed legislation and other matters relating to: (1) the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is consolidated into a single committee in each House with a nonpartisan staff; and (2) intelligence resides in a joint committee or a committee with combined authorization and appropriations authority, with a subcommittee devoted solely to oversight. Requires the President-elect to be provided detailed, classified summaries by relevant outgoing executive officials of specific operational threats to national security, major military or covert operations, and pending decisions on possible use of military force. Outlines procedures for the President-elect to designate, the FBI to investigate, and the Senate to expeditiously consider nominees for high-level national security positions. Requires specified reports from the President to Congress concerning, among other things: (1) terrorist sanctuaries; (2) efforts to support Pakistan; (3) aid to Afghanistan; (4) the U.S.-Saudi Arabia relationship; (5) a strategy to help win the struggle of ideas within the Islamic world; (6) proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and (7) efforts to curtail the international financing of terrorism. Provides, through specified activities of the Secretary of State, for the expansion of international educational and cultural exchange programs between the United States and countries with sizable Muslim populations. Directs the President to establish an International Youth Opportunity Fund to provide financial assistance for the improvement of public education in the Middle East. Authorizes the President to establish an international counterterrorism policy contact group with leaders of governments of other countries to develop a comprehensive coalition strategy to fight Islamist terrorism. States U.S. policy concerning the humane treatment of prisoners. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to submit to Congress a: (1) strategy for combining terrorist travel intelligence, operations, and law enforcement into a cohesive effort to intercept terrorists, find terrorist travel facilitators, and constrain terrorist mobility domestically and internationally; and (2) plan describing how DHS and the State Department can acquire and deploy, to all consulates, ports of entry, and immigration benefits offices, technologies that facilitate document authentication and the detection of potential terrorist indicators on travel documents. Directs the Secretary to develop plans: (1) for a comprehensive integrated screening system; (2) to accelerate the full implementation of an automated biometric entry and exit data system for preventing the entry of terrorists; (3) to expedite the processing of registered travelers who enter and exit the United States through a single registered traveler program; and (4) to require biometric passports and other secure identification for all travel into the United States by U.S. citizens and individuals for whom immigration and nationality documentation requirements have previously been waived. Directs the Secretary to develop, implement, and revise as necessary a National Strategy for Transportation Security for the protection from terrorist or other hostile acts of all transportation infrastructure assets. Directs the Secretary to allocate homeland security assistance grants to communities based on threat levels, presence of critical infrastructure, population density, and other criteria. Calls for adoption by all appropriate entities of the Incident Command System (a national, coordinated emergency response system developed by the National Incident Management System). Authorizes specified officials of the National Capital Region to enter into, provide, or request from other Region entities mutual aid assistance for emergency services related to a terrorist or other hostile act. Directs the Secretary to: (1) encourage and support the establishment of consistent and effective communications capabilities in high risk urban areas; (2) establish a program to promote private sector preparedness; (3) undertake certain critical infrastructure readiness assessments; and (4) regularly assess the adequacy of the United States Northern Command to respond to all military and paramilitary threats within the United States. Establishes within the Executive Office of the President a Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Children's Health Protection and Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise the extended availability through FY 2004 of SCHIP allotments for FY 1998 through 2001. Specifies formulae for amounts to be used in computing redistributions for FY 2003, 2003, and 2004. Provides for reallocation of 70 percent of the expiring FY 1998, 1999, and 2000 funds to States that have fully expended their annual allotments. Extends the availability of the remaining 30 percent of such expiring funds with the States that currently have them. Permits 50 percent of the total amount of a State's unexpended FY 2002 SCHIP allotments to remain available through FY 2006. Permits 50 percent of the total amount of a State's unexpended FY 2003 and 2004 SCHIP allotments to remain available through the end of FY 2007. Requires redistribution of the other 50 percent of such funds to States that have fully spent their allotments during the three-year period they were available. Requires a second redistribution according to the same 70-30 formula of any retained or redistributed funds still unexpended at the end of the two-year extention or redistribution. Provides for continued authority for qualifying States to use certain funds for Medicaid expenditures.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Terrorism Insurance Extension Act of 2004 - Amends the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA) to extend the terrorism risk insurance program from 2005 through 2007. Repeals the condition on the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to pay or adjust compensation for insured losses after termination of the program that limits such losses to those arising from an act of terrorism occurring only during the period in which the program was in effect. Defines "Program Year 4" as calendar 2006 and "Program Year 5" as calendar 2007. Increases the insurance marketplace aggregate retention amount for Program Years 4 and 5. Directs the Secretary to apply TRIA to providers of group life insurance. Instructs the Presidential Working Group on Financial Markets to report to Congress its recommendations for legislation to address the long-term availability and affordability of insurance for terrorism risk.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Social Security COLA Protection Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to limit increases in the monthly Medicare premium, including the Medicare Advantage prescription drug program premium, to 25 percent of any Social Security cost of living increase.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act or STOP Underage Drinking Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish an interagency coordinating committee to guide policy and program development across the Federal Government on underage drinking; (2) issue an annual report card to rate the performance of each State in enacting, enforcing, and creating laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce underage drinking; (3) develop a set of outcome measures to prepare report cards, including the strictness of the minimum drinking age laws and the number of compliance checks conducted; (4) fund and oversee the Ad Council's national adult-oriented media public service campaign; (5) award grants to reduce the rate of underage alcohol use and binge drinking among students at institutions of higher education; and (6) collect data on, and conduct or support research on, underage drinking, including the impact alcohol use and abuse has upon adolescent brain development, the scope of the underage drinking problem, and progress in preventing and treating underage drinking. Requires the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to award grants to design, test, evaluate, and disseminate strategies to maximize the effectiveness of community-wide approaches to preventing and reducing underage drinking. Requires the Secretary to carry out activities toward the objectives of: (1) testing every unnatural death of persons ages 12 to 20 for alcohol involvement; (2) obtaining new epidemiological data that identifies alcohol use and attitudes about alcohol use during pre- and early adolescence; and (3) developing or identifying successful clinical treatment for youth with alcohol problems.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
America Saving for Personal Investment, Retirement, and Education Act of 2004, or the ASPIRE Act of 2004 - Establishes a KIDS Account Fund (KIDS) in the Treasury. Establishes within the KIDS Account Fund a Kids Investment and Development Savings Account (KIDS Account). Provides that a U.S. citizen born after December 31, 2005, and under 18 years of age, whose modified adjusted gross income is below the applicable national median adjusted gross income amount, is eligible to contribute to such account and to receive a matching Federal contribution. Establishes the KIDS Account Fund Board to establish a default investment program under which, in a manner similar to a lifecycle investment program, sums in each KIDS Account are allocated to investment funds in the KIDS Account Fund based on the amount of time before the account holder attains the age of 18. Subjects the Board to the same statutory composition requirements, duties, and responsibilities as the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the Financial Literacy and Education Commission, to develop programs to promote the financial literacy of account holders of KIDS Accounts.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Captive Exotic Animal Protection Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit knowingly transferring, transporting, or possessing a confined exotic animal for purposes of allowing the killing or injuring of that animal for entertainment or the collection of a trophy. Permits any person authorized by the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to: (1) arrest without warrant any person who violates this Act in the presence or view of the arresting person; (2) execute any warrant or other process issued by an officer or court of competent jurisdiction to enforce this Act; and (3) with a search warrant, search for and seize any animal taken in violation of this Act. Declares that any animal seized shall be held by the Secretary of the Interior or a U.S. marshal and, upon a defendant's conviction, be forfeited to the United States and disposed of by the Secretary. Permits the Director to use by agreement the personnel and services of any other Federal or State agency to enforce this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Closing the Coverage Gap 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 eliminate: (1) the initial standard prescription drug coverage limit of $2,250 (adjusted for inflation); and (2) the MedicareAdvantage regional plan stabilization fund. Repeals the Premium Support Demonstration Program. Eliminates Health Savings Accounts under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Designates the month of September 2004 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Declares that the Federal Government has a responsibility to: (1) raise awareness about the importance of screening methods and treatment of prostate cancer; (2) increase research funding that is commensurate with the burden of the disease so that the causes of, and improved screening, treatments, and a cure for, prostate cancer may be discovered; and (3) continue to consider ways for improving access to, and the quality of, health care services for detecting and treating prostate cancer. Requests the President to call upon Americans, interested groups, and affected persons to promote awareness of prostate cancer, to take an active role in ending the devastating effects of prostate cancer on individuals, their families, and the economy, and to observe the month of September 2004 with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
States that Congress declares that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide. Reminds the Contracting Parties to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, particularly the Government of Sudan, of their legal obligations under the Convention. Declares that the Government of Sudan has violated such Convention. Deplores the United Nations Human Rights Commission's failure to take appropriate action with respect to the crisis in Darfur, particularly the Commission's failure to support U.S.-sponsored efforts to strongly condemn gross human rights violations committed in Darfur. Calls upon the United Nations (UN) and the UN Secretary General to assert leadership by calling the atrocities being committed in Darfur genocide. Calls on UN member states, particularly member states from the African Union, the Arab League, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to undertake measures to prevent the genocide in Darfur from escalating further, including the imposition of targeted sanctions against those responsible for the atrocities. Commends the Administration's leadership in seeking a peaceful resolution to the Darfur conflict and in addressing the ensuing humanitarian crisis, including the visit of Secretary of State Colin Powell to Darfur in June 2004, to engage directly in efforts to end the genocide, and the provision of nearly $140 million in bilateral humanitarian assistance through the United States Agency for International Development (AID). Commends the President for appointing former Senator John Danforth as Envoy for Peace in Sudan, and further commends the appointment of Senator Danforth as U.S. Ambassador to the UN. Calls on the Administration to: (1) continue to lead an international effort to stop genocide in Darfur; and (2) impose targeted means, including visa bans and the freezing of assets, against officials of the Government of Sudan and Janjaweed militia commanders who are responsible for the war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Calls on AID to establish a Darfur Resettlement, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Declares that Congress affirms its support for preserving Alexander Hamilton's image on the face of $10 Federal reserve notes because of his standing as one of the United States' most influential founding fathers.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
Kinship Caregiver Support Act - Authorizes the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services to make grants for kinship navigator programs to State agencies, metropolitan agencies, or tribal organizations with experience in addressing needs of kinship caregivers or children and connecting them with services and assistance. Amends part E (Federal Payments for Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to authorize all States to opt to enter agreements to provide kinship guardianship assistance payments on behalf of children to grandparents and other relatives who have assumed legal guardianship of children for whom they have cared as foster parents and have committed to care for on a permanent basis. Allows States to use part E funds to make such payments under specified conditions. Requires States to: (1) notify all adult grandparents and other adult relatives (with exceptions due to family or domestic violence) when a child is removed from custody of a parent or parents; and (2) explain the options the relative has to participate in the child's care and placement.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
Designates September 2004 as Service for Seniors Month. Recognizes the need for companionship and assistance with daily tasks among seniors with long-term health conditions throughout the year. Encourages: (1) the people of the United States to volunteer regularly with homebound frail elderly or at a nursing home or long-term care facility; (2) volunteer organizations that offer companionship and assistance to seniors to incorporate Service for Seniors Month in their recruitment efforts; and (3) individuals to volunteer in these service organizations.
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 · 15 July 2004
State Fiscal Relief Act of 2004 - Amends the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 to extend the temporary freeze of the Federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) for certain States (continuing the FY 2003 FMAP through each calendar quarter of FY 2004, and the FY 2004 FMAP for each calendar quarter of FY 2005 if the FY 2005 FMAP would otherwise be less than the FY 2004 FMAP). Amends the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 to increase the FMAP: (1) by 2.95 percentage points for the last two calendar quarters of FY 2003 and the first three calendar quarters of FY 2004; and (2) by 1.26 percentage points for the last calendar quarter of FY 2004 and each calendar quarter of FY 2005. Increases by 5.9 percent the ceiling on Medicaid payments to specified territories for the last two calendar quarters of FY 2003 and the first three calendar quarters of FY 2004. Increases such ceiling by 2.52 percent for the last calendar quarter of FY 2004 and each calendar quarter of FY 2005. Amends SSA title XIX, with respect to the transitional increased Federal matching rate for increased administrative costs, to require a specified minimum increase for administrative expenditures that would not be incurred but for enactment of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. Sets $1.2 billion as the cap on the total amount of additional Federal funds expended as a result of this Act with respect to such administrative expenditures between October 1, 2004, and the later of either: (1) April 1, 2006; or (2) the end of the first fiscal year quarter that begins on or after the date on which benefits are first provided under the voluntary prescription drug benefit program under SSA title XVIII (Medicare) part D.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
States that Congress: (1) declares that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide; (2) reminds the President and the international community of their international legal obligations, as affirmed in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; (3) commends the President's leadership in seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Darfur and in addressing the humanitarian crisis caused by that conflict, including the provision of assistance in Darfur and Eastern Chad; (4) urges the President to seek a United Nations Security Council resolution that directs the member states of the United Nations to impose sanctions against those responsible for the atrocities committed in Darfur, authorizes a multinational force to guarantee humanitarian access and security for foreign aid workers and internally displaced persons, urges a halt to violence committed by militias and by the armed forces of Sudan, creates a Commission of Inquiry, and calls for the establishment of a formal peace process between Darfurians and the Government of Sudan; (5) calls on the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to establish a Darfur Resettlement, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Fund; and (6) urges the President to provide political and financial support to the African Union to promote its effective intervention in Darfur.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2004
Designates September 2004 as Service for Seniors Month. Recognizes the need for companionship and assistance with daily tasks among seniors with long-term health conditions throughout the year. Encourages: (1) the people of the United States to volunteer regularly with homebound frail elderly or at a nursing home or long-term care facility; (2) volunteer organizations that offer companionship and assistance to seniors to incorporate Service for Seniors Month in their recruitment efforts; and (3) individuals to volunteer in these service organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2004
Honors the great importance of the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton to the United States of America on the bicentennial of his death on July 12, 1804, because of his standing as one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States and recognizes the tremendous significance of his contributions to the United States as a soldier, citizen, and statesman.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) at the 56th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission the United States should remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling, and take other specified related steps; and (2) the United States should make full use of all appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, relevant international laws and agreements, and other appropriate mechanisms to implement these goals.
United States · United States Congress · 8 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
Calls for the President to designate the week of November 7-13, 2003, as National Veterans Awareness Week to emphasize educational programs for elementary and secondary school students regarding the contributions and sacrifices of veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
District of Columbia and United States Territories Circulating Quarter Dollar Program Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to issue during 2009 redesigned quarter dollars commemorating the District of Columbia and the U.S. Territories.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Requires the Architect of the Capitol to enter into a contract to revise the statue commemorating women's suffrage located in the rotunda of the United States Capitol (known as the Portrait Monument) to include a likeness of Sojourner Truth.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Prescription Drug Price Comparison for Savings Act of 2004 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish and maintain an Internet website using the information supplied by participating pharmacies to allow an individual to compare for each zip code the usual and customary prices for a range of strengths and quantities of covered outpatient drugs sold by retail pharmacies that receive Medicaid payments. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to direct States to: (1) require a participating pharmacy, concurrent with filling a prescription for an individual receiving assistance under Medicaid, to report to the State its zip code and the usual and customary price for the covered outpatient drug as of the date the prescription is filled; and (2) submit this information to the Secretary to enable the Secretary to post monthly updates on the website.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Expresses: (1) condolences and deepest sympathy to the families of the young women killed in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, since 1993, many of whom appear to be victims of one or more serial murders; and (2) the solidarity of the people of the United States with the people of Mexico in the face of these tragic and senseless acts. Recognizes the courageous struggle of the victims' families in seeking justice for them. Condemns: (1) the abductions and murders of such young women in Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua; (2) the use of torture as a means of investigation into these crimes; and (3) all senseless acts of violence in all parts of the world and violence against women in particular. Urges the President and Secretary of State to continue to express: (1) concern over these abductions and murders to the Government of Mexico and to request that the investigative and preventative efforts of such Government become part of the bilateral agenda between the Governments of Mexico and the United States; and (2) support for the efforts of the victims' families to seek justice for the victims, to express concern relating to the continued harassment of these families and the human rights defenders with which they work, and to express concern with respect to impediments in the ability of the families to receive prompt and accurate information in their cases. Supports multilateral efforts to create a DNA database that would allow families to positively identify the remains of the victims and encourages the Secretary to facilitate U.S. participation in such database. Encourages the Secretary to: (1) continue to include in the Department of State's annual Country Report on Human Rights all instances of improper investigatory methods, threats against human rights activists, and the use of torture with respect to cases involving the murder and abduction of young women in the State of Chihuahua; and (2) urge the Government of Mexico to ensure fair and proper judicial proceedings for the individuals accused of these abductions and murders and to impose appropriate punishment for those individuals subsequently determined to be guilty of such crimes. Recommends that the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico visit Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua to meet with the victims' families, women's rights organizations, and Mexican Federal and State officials responsible for investigating these crimes and preventing future such crimes.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
States that the Senate: (1) endorses the principles and practices of U.S. policy in the Middle East and ongoing actions toward realizing the vision of an Israeli and a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security; and (2) supports efforts to continue working with others in the international community to build the capacity and will of Palestinian institutions to fight terrorism and prevent the areas from which Israel has withdrawn from posing a threat to the security of Israel.
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 · 23 June 2004
Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2004 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) phase out the waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare benefits under SSA title XVIII (Medicare); and (2) eliminate the waiting period for individuals with life-threatening conditions to become eligible for Medicare benefits. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to request that the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences conduct a study on the range of disability conditions that can be delayed or prevented if individuals receive access to health care services and coverage before the condition reaches disability levels.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2004
Amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004, to delete the requirement for a 24-hour time limit for destroying identifying information submitted with respect to a firearm background check from the prohibition against the use of funds to implement national instant criminal background check system provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2004
Recognizes and honors the 40th anniversary of passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and commends all persons whose support and efforts led to passage of such Act.
![Official portrait of Sen. Corzine, Jon S. [D-NJ]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001042_200.jpg)