United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2004
Recognizes and commends the significant contributions of American youth. Encourages the cultivation of a common civic bond among young people dedicated to serving their neighbors, their communities, and the Nation. Urges the President to designate April 16, 2004, as National Youth Service Day.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2004
Ninth Circuit Judgeship and Reorganization Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal judicial code to divide the Ninth Judicial Circuit into the Ninth Circuit (to be composed of California, Guam, Hawaii, and the Northern Marianas Islands), the Twelfth Circuit (to be composed of Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, and Montana), and Thirteenth Circuit (to be composed of Alaska, Oregon, and Washington State). Requires the President to appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, five additional circuit judges for the new Ninth Circuit (not before January 21, 2005) and two temporary judges for the former Ninth Circuit. Specifies the locations where the new circuits are to hold regular sessions. Assigns active circuit judges of the former Ninth Circuit to the new circuits based on their current duty station. Allows senior circuit judges of the former Ninth Circuit to elect assignment to any of the three new circuits. Specifies the disposition of cases pending in the former Ninth Circuit before the effective date of this Act as follows: (1) proceedings in matters that have been submitted for decision shall continue without regard to this Act; (2) matters not yet submitted for decision must be transferred to the court to which they would have been submitted under this Act; and (3) proceedings on petitions for rehearing or rehearing en banc that have been submitted or decided shall continue without regard to this Act. Authorizes the temporary assignment of the circuit and district judges of the former Ninth Circuit among the new circuits. Authorizes administrative coordination among any two contiguous circuits among the new circuits. Directs that the former Ninth Circuit shall cease to exist for administrative purposes two years after enactment of this Act.
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
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 · 3 March 2004
Proclaims the week of March 14 through March 20, 2004 as National Safe Place Week. Requests that the President issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States and interested groups to promote awareness of and volunteer involvement in the Safe Place Program and to observe the week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2004
Senior Elder Care Relief and Empowerment (SECURE) Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable income tax credit for 50 percent of expenses exceeding $1,000 that are incurred for the care of chronically ill individuals who have attained normal retirement age (as determined under the Social Security Act). Allows the credit for certain long-term care services, respite care, or adult day care, but disqualifies expenses that are compensated by insurance or paid to a nursing facility.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2004
Long-Term Care Insurance Partnership Program Act of 2004 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to: (1) change from mandatory to discretionary a State's authority to adjust or recover medical assistance correctly paid on behalf of an individual who has received (or is entitled to receive) benefits under a long-term care insurance policy; and (2) repeal the grandfather date for cases to which such adjustment or recovery authority shall not apply. (Thus applies such exception to all State plans meeting specified requirements, and permits additional States to enter into long-term care partnerships to promote the use of long-term care insurance.)
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2004
Designates May 2004 as National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. Expresses support for the goals of: (1) increasing the quality of life for individuals with cystic fibrosis by promoting public knowledge and understanding in a manner that will result in earlier diagnoses; (2) encouraging increased resources for research; and (3) increasing levels of support for people who have cystic fibrosis and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2004
Flu Protection Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Act to require: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to conduct annual public influenza awareness campaign and education and outreach (including Medicare outreach) efforts preceding the flu season; (2) the Director to contract with influenza vaccine manufacturers to ensure the availability of additional doses of flu vaccine; (3) the Director to encourage States to develop a contingency immunization plan for high-risk populations in the event of a vaccine delay or shortage; and (4) the Secretary, through the Director, to establish a protocol to attempt to prevent, prepare for, and respond to an influenza epidemic or pandemic. Requires a manufacturer of a vaccine that receives Federal authority to distribute such vaccine to provide the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with advance notice of such manufacturer's intent to stop marketplace distribution of the vaccine. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish a vaccine manufacturing facilities investment tax credit (20 percent of qualifying property per year) for property placed in service by December 31, 2008; and (2) define "vaccine manufacturing facilities property."
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2004
Calls on the President and the United States Trade Representative to exercise caution in negotiating the terms that would apply to the dairy industry under the proposed United States-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2003
United States-Cuba Trademark Protection Act of 2003 - Requires the President to direct the Secretary of State to obtain assurances that the Republic of Cuba will: (1) adhere to specified international agreements for the protection of intellectual property; (2) implement the Joint Recommendation Concerning Provisions on the Protection of Well-Known Marks; and (3) subscribe to dispute resolution procedures approved by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. Repeals provisions of the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 prohibiting certain transactions, payments, or U.S. court recognition with respect to confiscated marks, trade names, or commercial names. Requires the Director of the Patent and Trademark Office to establish an electronic and publicly accessible registry of U.S. trademarks and well-known marks in Cuba. Amends the Cuban Assets Control Regulations to authorize: (1) specified transactions and proceedings regarding blocked foreign domain and trade names by any person who is not a designated national; (2) the transfer or receipt of any trademark, trade name, or domain name subject to U.S. law in which a designated national has an interest, as well as related proceedings; and (3) the payment of fees to foreign governments for research with respect to blocked foreign trademarks, trade names, and domain names, and related enforcement. Makes conforming amendments to the Trademark Act of 1946. Gives U.S. courts authority to validate any assertion by a designated national of rights in any mark or trade name based on common law rights or registration under specified provisions of the Trademark Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2003
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Federal Communications Commission should: (1) reconsider a specified decision of its Enforcement Bureau in light of the public policy considerations in protecting children from indecent broadcasting material; (2) return to enforcing its own standard for indecency in broadcast media as established under a specified declaratory order; (3) undertake new efforts to sanction broadcast licensees that refuse to adhere to the standards established by such order; (4) protect children from the degrading influences of indecent programming; (5) use its authority to protect the public from indecent broadcasts; (6) expeditiously resolve all indecency complaints and consider reviewing all such complaints at the full Commission level; and (7) aggressively investigate and enforce all indecency allegations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 November 2003
Intercountry Adoption Reform Act of 2003 or ICARE Act - Establishes an Office of Intercountry Adoptions within the Department of State (DOS). Requires the President to appoint an Ambassador at Large to head the Office. Transfers to the Office all immigration functions with respect to intercountry adoptions currently performed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to grant automatic U.S. citizenship to internationally adopted children upon entry of a full and final adoption decree (thus dispensing with the need for such children to obtain visas). Creates a new W nonimmigrant visa category for children traveling to the United States to be adopted by U.S. citizens. Allows adopted children age 18 or under to claim an exception to immunization requirements for purposes of admissibility (currently limited to those age 10 or under). Redefines the term "adoptable child." Requires U.S. citizen adoptive parents to obtain approval of an adoption petition prior to issuance of a W visa or a full and final adoption decree. Provides that such petitions are subject to the terms applicable to orphan petitions. Directs the Ambassador to issue regulations: (1) establishing an expedited reapproval process for families whose prior approvals to adopt have expired; and (2) governing the appeal of petition denials. Requires the Office to determine whether a child is an adoptable child, pursuant to specified procedures, as a prerequisite to the issuance of a W visa or a full and final adoption decree.
United States · United States Congress · 22 November 2003
Amends the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-16) to make the sunset provisions inapplicable to section 202, which expanded and increased the adoption credit and adoption assistance programs under the Internal Revenue Code.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2003
Homeland Security Enhancement Act of 2003 - States that: (1) State and local law enforcement personnel are fully authorized to investigate, apprehend, or transfer to federal custody aliens in the United States (including interstate transportation of such aliens to detention centers) in order to assist in the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws; and (2) a State that does not have a statute permitting enforcement of Federal immigration laws within two years of enactment of this Act shall not receive certain Federal incarceration assistance. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to illegal aliens to: (1) establish criminal penalties and forfeiture for aliens unlawfully present in the United States; and (2) increase specified criminal penalties for illegal entry and failure to depart violations. Provides for the listing of immigration violators in the National Crime Information Center database. Requires States and localities to provide the Department of Homeland Security with specified information about apprehended illegal aliens in order to receive certain Federal incarceration assistance. Provides Federal reimbursement for State and local costs in providing such information. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to construct or acquire 20 additional detention facilities for aliens detained pending removal or a decision on removal. Amends the Act to provide for Federal custody and State or local compensation of State or locally apprehended illegal aliens. Directs the Secretary to establish immigration-related training for State and local personnel. Authorizes a related fee. Provides: (1) personal liability immunity to the same extent as corresponding Federal immunity for State or local personnel enforcing immigration laws within the scope of their duties; and (2) civil rights money damage immunity for State or local agencies enforcing immigration laws unless their personnel violated criminal law in such enforcement. Sets forth provisions for the detention of aliens in State and local facilities prior to their examination for removal. States that the Department shall continue to operate the Institutional Removal Program, which shall be expanded to all States. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to prohibit a Federal agency from accepting for any identification-related purpose a State driver's license unless, if the driver's license is issued to an alien who is in lawful status but who is not an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence, the license expires on the date on which the alien's U.S. residency authorization expires. States that in the issuance of any Federal public benefit that requires recipient identification, no Federal entity may accept any identification document unless: (1) the document was issued by a Federal or State authority and is subject to verification by a Federal law enforcement, intelligence, or homeland security agency; or (2) the recipient is lawfully present in the United States, is in possession of a passport; and is a citizen of a country for which the visa requirement for U.S. entry is waived if the alien possesses a passport from such country.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2003
Integrity of the United States Courts Act of 2003 - Amends the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act to permit a party or person to file with the U.S. Court of International Trade an appeal of a determination of a binational panel or committee, alleging that a panel or committee determination was based on a misinterpretation of U.S. law, a member of a binational panel or committee is guilty of gross misconduct, bias, or serious conflict of interest, or that the panel or committee seriously departed from a fundamental rule of procedure or exceeded its own authority, and such actions have materially affected panel or committee determinations with respect to antidumping and countervailing duty cases and threaten the integrity of the panel or committee review process. Authorizes a person to commence an action in the U.S. Court of International Trade if such person has requested a panel or committee review of an antidumping or countervailing duty determination, but such panel or committee is not convened within 120 days. Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to grant the U.S. Court of International Trade jurisdiction over the review of a final determination of a binational panel or an investigating authority. Declares that the amendments made by this Act with respect to antidumping and countervailing duty law shall apply to goods from Canada and Mexico.
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 · 18 November 2003
Frontier Healthcare Access Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include residents of frontier areas (as defined by this Act) within the population groups making a servicing health facility eligible for "health center" grants and loans.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2003
Rural Health Training Incentive Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) award a three-year grant to the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho joint medical school to strengthen and expand programs to encourage health professionals to practice in rural areas; and (2) award grants (beginning in FY 2007) in other geographic areas to regional university and associated medical school partnerships that have at least a two-month old rural training program.
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 · 5 November 2003
Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology Act of 2003 - Rape Kits and DNA Evidence Backlog Elimination Act of 2003 - Amends: (1) the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to reauthorize the Act; (2) the DNA Identification Act of 1994 (Identification Act) to expand the scope of DNA samples to be included in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS); and (3) the Violence Against Women Act to authorize grants to increase the availability of legal assistance to victims of dating violence. DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2003 - Amends the Identification Act to require that CODIS include only information on DNA identification records and analyses that are prepared by laboratories that: (1) have been accredited by a nationally recognized nonprofit professional association of forensic scientists within two years; and (2) undergo external audits at least every two years that demonstrate compliance with specified standards. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants for: (1) DNA training and education; (2) sexual assault forensic examination programs; (3) research and development; (4) using DNA technology to identify missing persons; and (5) tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions. Expands and reauthorizes the Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grant Program. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to States, local governments, and tribal governments to eliminate forensic science backlogs.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2003
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act - Prohibits any qualified civil liability action from being brought in any State or Federal court and requires pending actions to be dismissed. Defines such an action to: (1) include an action brought against a manufacturer or seller of a firearm, ammunition, or a component of a firearm that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce (qualified product), or against a trade association of such manufacturers or sellers, for damages resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm; and (2) exclude an action brought against persons who transfer a firearm knowing that it will be used to commit a crime of violence or a drug trafficking crime; an action brought against a seller for negligent entrustment or negligence per se; an action in which a manufacturer or seller of a firearm willfully violated a State or Federal statute applicable to the sale or marketing of the firearm and the violation was a proximate cause of the harm for which relief is sought; an action for breach of contract or warranty in connection with the purchase of the firearm; or an action for physical injuries or property damage resulting directly from a defect in design or manufacture of the firearm when used as intended or in a manner that is reasonably foreseeable.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2003
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act - Prohibits any qualified civil liability action from being brought in any State or Federal court and requires pending actions to be dismissed. Defines such an action to: (1) include an action brought against a manufacturer or seller of a firearm, ammunition, or a component of a firearm that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce, or against a trade association of such manufacturers or sellers, for damages resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm; and (2) exclude an action brought against persons who transfer a firearm knowing that it will be used to commit a crime of violence or a drug trafficking crime; an action brought against a seller for negligent entrustment or negligence per se; an action in which a manufacturer or seller of a firearm willfully violated a State or Federal statute applicable to the sale or marketing of the firearm and the violation was a proximate cause of the harm for which relief is sought; an action for breach of contract or warranty in connection with the purchase of the firearm; or an action for physical injuries or property damage resulting directly from a defect in design or manufacture of the firearm when used as intended.
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.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2003
Designates October 27, 2003, as International Religious Freedom Day. Requests the President to issue a proclamation calling for a renewed commitment to eliminating violations of the internationally recognized right to freedom of religion and protecting fundamental human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2003
Coal Industry Retiree Health Benefit Stability and Fairness Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize appropriations from the U.S. Treasury to the Combined Fund to: (1) pay any benefit or administrative costs of unassigned beneficiaries of the Combined Fund remaining after the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund transfers; and (2) eliminate any annual deficit in any premium account of the Combined Fund as certified by the Trustees of the Combined Fund. Requires an annual audit of the Combined Fund by the Comptroller General. Provides for the appointment of two trustees by the Secretary of the Treasury to the board of the Fund. Makes other related revisions, including: (1) modifying premiums; (2) providing for refunds to certain operators; and (3) reductions in annual health benefit premiums to the Fund in the event of a surplus. Redefines a coal wage agreement as: (1) the 1988 agreement, meaning the collective bargaining agreement between the settlors which became effective on February 1, 1988; and (2) the coal wage agreement, meaning the 1988 agreement and any predecessor to the 1988 agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2003
Security and Freedom Ensured Act of 2003 (SAFE Act) - Amends the USA PATRIOT Act to modify provisions regarding roving wiretaps under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to require that: (1) an order approving an electronic surveillance specify either the identity of the target or the place to be wiretapped; and (2) surveillance be conducted only when the suspect is present at the place to be wiretapped. Revises provisions governing search warrants authorized under the USA PATRIOT ACT to: (1) limit the authority to delay notice of the issuance of such a search warrant to circumstances where providing immediate notice of the warrant will endanger the life or physical safety of an individual, result in flight from prosecution, or result in the destruction of or tampering with the evidence sought under the warrant; and (2) require such delayed notification to be issued not later than seven days (currently, within a "reasonable period") after execution, with extensions by the court for additional periods of up to seven days each time that the court finds reasonable cause to believe that notice of the execution of the warrant would have such consequences. Requires the Attorney General, every six months, to report to Congress summarizing the requests made by the Department of Justice for delays of notice and extensions of delays. Sunsets the delayed notice authority and reporting requirement on December 31, 2005. Amends FISA to require, with respect to access by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to business records for foreign intelligence and international terrorism investigations, that there be specific and articulable facts giving reason to believe that the person to whom the records pertain is a foreign power or an agent thereof. Provides that libraries shall not be treated as wire or electronic communication service providers under provisions granting counterintelligence access to provider subscriber information, toll billing records information, or electronic communication transactional records.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2003
Local Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act of 2003- Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a railroad track maintenance credit for qualified railroad track maintenance expenditures with respect to which the expenditures were paid or incurred by the taxpayer for the taxable year for Class II or Class III railroads.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2003
NICS Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to require: (1) the head of each Federal agency that has records relating to persons for whom receipt of a firearm would violate Federal or State law to provide that information to the Attorney General for inclusion in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS); (2) the agency, upon being made aware that the basis under which a record was made available no longer applies, to correct the record and notify the Attorney General; and (3) the Department of Homeland Security to make available to the Attorney General records relevant to a determination that a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm and information about a change in such person's status for removal from NICS, where appropriate. Directs the Attorney General to make grants to: (1) States and Indian tribal governments to establish or upgrade information and identification technologies for firearms eligibility determinations; and (2) States for use by the State court system to improve the automation and transmittal to Federal and State record repositories of criminal history dispositions, records relevant to determining whether a person has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, court orders, and mental health adjudications or commitments. Requires: (1) the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics to study and evaluate NICS operations and to report annually to Congress and to specified States regarding best practices; and (2) the Comptroller General to conduct an audit of the expenditure of all funds appropriated for criminal records improvement to determine how the funds were expended.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2003
PATRIOT Oversight Restoration Act of 2003 - Modifies the sunset provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act to provide that provisions concerning the following (with exceptions) will cease to be effective on December 31, 2005: (1) the disclosure of grand jury information to foreign officials; (2) the scope of subpoenas for records of electronic communications; (3) notification of search warrants; (4) pen register or trap and trace orders; (5) single-jurisdiction search warrants; (6) the Government's authority to declare certain persons inadmissible to the United States; (7) the Attorney General's authority to certify that an alien is engaged in activity that endangers national security and to take such alien into custody; (8) law enforcement authority to access telephone, bank, and credit records through the issuance of National Security Letters; (9) privacy protections for educational records and surveys; (10) the definition of "domestic terrorism"; (11) the Government's civil forfeiture authority to go after assets of terrorist organizations; and (12) the definition of "electronic surveillance."
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2003
Adoption Promotion Act of 2003 - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to revise requirements with respect to States eligible to receive adoption incentives payments. Reauthorizes the adoption incentive payments program. Provides additional incentives for adoptions of older children (nine years of age and up). Modifies requirements with respect to determination of numbers of special needs adoptions that are not older children as well as adoptions of older children. Revises the formula for adoption incentive payments to States to provide a payment for: (1) special needs adoptions that are not older child adoptions; and (2) older child adoptions. Repeals the requirement that the Secretary of Health and Human Services provide supplemental grants to incentive-eligible States. Authorizes the Secretary to impose specified penalties against a State for failure to provide necessary data to the Secretary for the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2003
Commission on the Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies Act - Establishes the Commission on the Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies to: (1) evaluate executive agencies and their programs; and (2) submit to Congress a plan recommending agencies and programs that should be realigned or eliminated and proposing implementing legislation. Directs the President to: (1) establish a systematic method for assessing the effectiveness and accountability of agency programs; and (2) submit to the Commission assessments of not less than half of the programs that use such method. Prohibits the implementation of such method until it has been reviewed and accepted by the Commission. Requires the Commission to consider submitted assessments in evaluating programs. Requires the President to identify common performance measures for programs having similar functions and provide the Commission with data on such measures.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2003
Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to revise registration and maintenance fee requirements for pesticides. (Fees collected are used to help defray the administrative costs of pesticide regulation.) Modifies certain timing requirements as they concern the submission of product-specific data and other regulatory action. Increases and then decreases the maximum amount of maintenance fees payable by registrants, including small businesses, through FY 2008, with the highest levels of fees occurring during FY 2005 and 2006. Extends the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) authority to collect maintenance, but not tolerance, fees through FY 2008. (Maintenance fees are assessed on already registered or reregistered pesticides; tolerance fees are assessed on pesticides used on food or animal feed which are subject to more stringent regulatory requirements.) Directs the Administrator of the EPA to assess and collect covered pesticide registration service fees for applications submitted from FY 2004 onward. (Registration fees would apply to new pesticide applications only.) Provides transitional requirements for pending applications. Sets forth the Administrator's responsibilities concerning the publication and revision of the schedule of registration service fees, including a mandatory increase by FY 2006. Permits the waiver or reduction of these fees for minor uses or small businesses. Provides for partial fee refunds when an application is withdrawn or at the Administrator's discretion. Establishes the Pesticide Registration Fund in the Treasury to collect registration fees. Limits the use of these funds to associated regulatory costs, except for limited earmarks for worker protection and the review of new inert ingredients. Makes these funds available only to the extent provided in advance through appropriations acts. Prohibits the assessment of registration fees in any year where the amount appropriated for the Office of Pesticide Programs of the EPA is less than the amount appropriated for that Office for FY 2002. Addresses several issues concerning decision time review periods, including the goal of reducing existing periods, schedule publication requirements, determining their start, and how they are impacted by waiver or reduction requests. Provides for judicial review if the Administrator fails to make a determination on an application before the expiration of the applicable decision time review period. Terminates the registration service fee after FY 2010, with a phase out occuring during the final two years.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2003
Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, upon completion of specified agricultural work and residency requirements, to adjust the status of a qualifying alien agricultural worker (and spouse and minor children) to that of a: (1) lawfully admitted temporary nonimmigrant; and (2) permanent resident nonimmigrant. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) adjustment of status applications, including penalties for false statements; (2) waiver of numerical limitations and certain grounds for inadmissibility; (3) temporary stay of removal and work authorization; (4) administrative and judicial review; and (5) dissemination of program information. Amends the Social Security Act to provide for the correction of such aliens' social security records. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to set forth registry application requirements for H-2A employers and employer associations, including assurances: (1) that the job opportunity is temporary or seasonal, and is not the result of a labor dispute, (2) that attempts have been made to hire U.S. workers; and (3) respecting required wages and benefits, and compliance with labor laws. Sets forth employment requirements with respect to: (1) wages; (2) housing; and (3) transportation reimbursement. Establishes the Commission on Agricultural Wage Standards under the H-2A program. Revises provisions respecting the admission and extension of stay of temporary H-2A workers. Provides special rules for alien sheepherders. Sets forth worker protection and labor standards enforcement provisions for such aliens
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2003
Recognizes September 11 as both a day to remember those killed and a day for recommitment to our national purpose. Extends sympathies to the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and their families and friends. Honors the heroic actions of first responders, law enforcement personnel, and others who aided the victims. Extends gratitude to the members of the armed forces who are defending the United States from future attack. Praises the people of the United States for donating time and money to support the victims and their families and friends. Expresses gratitude to the leaders and citizens of all nations who have assisted and continue to stand in solidarity with the United States against terrorism. Reaffirms that the Senate will honor the memory of those who lost their lives as a result of those attacks and will act to defend U.S. citizens in all future challenges.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2003
Religious Liberties Restoration Act - States that the following powers are reserved to the States or their political subdivisions on property owned or administered by them: (1) to display the Ten Commandments; (2) to recite the Pledge of Allegiance as: "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all "; and (3) to recite the national motto as "In God we trust". States that such powers are excepted from the jurisdiction of Federal courts inferior to the Supreme Court.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2003
Home School Non-Discrimination Act of 2003 - Expresses the sense of the Congress that parents who choose private home education should be encouraged within the framework provided by the Constitution. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) with respect to: (1) student aid eligibility of home-schooled students who have satisfied certain secondary education standards; and (2) institutional aid eligibility of the higher education institutions that such students attend. Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to provide, if a parent does not consent to an initial evaluation or special education or related services for a child with a disability, the local educational agency shall not be required to convene an individualized education program (IEP) meeting or develop an IEP for such child. Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to qualified elementary and secondary education expenses (the Coverdell Education Savings Account) to include home schools if they are treated as a home school or private school under State law. Amends the part of the General Education Provisions Act known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 to prohibit release of certain information on and educational records of students in non-public education, including any student educated at home or in a private school in accordance with State law, without written parental consent. Amends HEA to include students at home schools, whether treated as a home school or a private school under State law, among those prospective secondary school graduates eligible to apply for the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program for higher education. Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to direct the Secretary of Labor to extend the hours and periods of permissible employment of employees between the ages of 14 and 16 years who are privately educated at a home school, whether the home school is treated as a home school or a private school under State Law, beyond those hours and periods applicable to employees of such ages who are educated in traditional public schools. (Thus allows home-school students to be employed during the traditional school day.)
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2003
Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish, for a limited period of time: (1) a biodiesel fuels credit business credit; and (2) as a credit against the gasoline and diesel fuel excise tax, a credit equal to the sum of the alcohol fuel mixture credit plus the biodiesel mixture credit.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2003
Organized Retail Theft Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit organized retail theft. Prescribes penalties to be imposed for: (1) obstructing, delaying, or affecting commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce by taking possession of, carrying away, or transferring, with intent to steal, any goods offered for retail sale with a total value of between $1,000 and $5,000, or of over $5,000, during any 180-day period; (2) receiving, possessing, concealing, storing, bartering, selling, disposing of, or traveling in interstate or foreign commerce with intent to distribute, any property which the person knows, or should have known, has been taken or stolen in violation of this Act; and (3) knowingly promoting, managing, or facilitating such an offense. Provides enhanced penalties for assault, jeopardizing a person's life by use of a dangerous weapon, killing, or kidnapping committeed in the course of such an offense. Requires a person to forfeit any interest in goods acquired or maintained in violation of this Act. Sets forth provisions concerning injunctions to restrain violations, impounding of goods, the forfeiture and disposition of goods, and civil remedies by persons aggrieved by violations of this Act. Makes commission of organized retail theft a predicate for a claim under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Prohibits anyone at a flea market from selling, offering for sale, or knowingly permitting the sale of: (1) baby food, infant formula, or similar products uses as a sole or major source of nutrition, manufactured and packaged for sale for consumption primarily by children under age three; or (2) any drug, food for special dietary use, cosmetic, or device, except by an authorized representative of the product manufacturer or distributor. Requires the Attorney General to report on Department of Justice actions involving organized retail theft.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2003
Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2003 or the DREAM Act - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on State residence unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to such State residence. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who: (1) entered the United States prior to his or her sixteenth birthday, and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; (4) at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education, or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma; and (5) from the age of 16 and older, has never been under a final order of exclusion, deportation, or removal. Sets forth the conditions for conditional permanent resident status, including: (1) termination of status for violation of this Act; and (2) removal of conditional status to permanent status. Authorizes an alien who has satisfied the appropriate requirement prior to enactment of this Act to petition the Secretary for permanent status without first becoming a conditional resident. Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) exclusive jurisdiction; (2) penalties for false application statements; (3) confidentiality; (4) fee prohibitions; and (5) a General Accounting Office report respecting the number of aliens adjusted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2003
Chief Justice John Marshall Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 400,000 silver one dollar coins emblematic of Chief Justice John Marshall and his contributions to the United States in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of his birth. Directs that all sales of coins minted under this Act include a ten dollar per coin surcharge, to be paid by the Secretary to the Supreme Court Historical Society for purposes of: (1) historical research about the Supreme Court, the Constitution, and related topics; (2) supporting fellowship programs, internships, and docents at the Supreme Court; and (3) collecting and preserving related antiques, artifacts, and other historical items.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2003
Expresses the sense of the Senate that trade agreements are not the appropriate vehicle for enacting immigration-related laws or modifying current immigration policy and that future trade agreements to which the United States is a party and the legislation implementing them should not contain immigration-related provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Designates the month of September 2003 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 2003 with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2003
National Drought Preparedness Act of 2003 - Establishes in the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture the National Drought Council which shall develop a comprehensive National Drought Policy Action Plan. (Terminates the Council eight years after enactment of this Act.) Directs the Secretary to establish the National Office of Drought Preparedness to assist the Council. Establishes in the Treasury the Drought Assistance Fund, which shall provide financial assistance for drought preparedness plans and drought mitigation. Directs the Secretary to issue related implementing guidelines, including: special requirements applicable to interstate watersheds. Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to require the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reimburse States for costs of prepositioning wildfire suppression resources.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2003
Adoption Incentive Program Reauthorization Act of 2003 - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to reauthorize adoption incentive payments and to revise requirements with respect to determination of numbers of adoptions of older children. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) and the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to increase the congressional discretionary spending limit with respect to adoption incentive payments.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2003
Commonsense Consumption Act of 2003 - Declares that a qualified civil liability action may not be brought in any Federal or State court, and that any pending qualified civil liability action shall be dismissed immediately by the relevant court. Defines a qualified civil liability action as a civil action brought by any person against a manufacturer or seller of a food, or a trade association, for damages or injunctive relief based on a claim of injury resulting from weight gain or obesity. Specifies actions which shall not count as qualified civil liability actions, including an action regarding the sale of a food which is adulterated.
![Official portrait of Sen. Craig, Larry E. [R-ID]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c000858_200.jpg)