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United States · Official source
11,330 records where Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2004
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax deduction for college tuition expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2004
Authorizes the printing as a Senate document of a compilation of tributes and other related materials concerning the Honorable Paul Simon (a former Senator from the State of Illinois).
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2004
Truth in Trials Act - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to establish as an affirmative defense for any person facing prosecution or a proceeding for any marijuana-related offense that the marijuana-related activities in question were in compliance with State law regarding the medical use of marijuana.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2004
Expresses support for the goals and ideas of National Time Out Day to promote the adoption of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' universal protocol for preventing errors in the operating room. Congratulates perioperative nurses and representatives of surgical teams for working together to reduce medical errors.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2004
Designates November 2004 as American Music Month.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2004
Designates the week of October 24-30, 2004, as National Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2004
Designates the week beginning October 17, 2004, as National Character Counts Week.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2004
Taxpayer Abuse Prevention Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that advance payments of the earned income tax credit are not transferable or assignable or subject to the claims of any creditors, except outstanding claims of the Federal Government. Prohibits: (1) the collection of a debt from a debtor's Federal tax refund by means of a refund anticipation loan; and (2) mandatory arbitration as a condition of providing a refund anticipation loan. Terminates the Department of Treasury Debt Indicator Program. Excludes tax returns that have been filed subject to a refund anticipation loan from any determination of whether goals for electronic filing of tax returns have been met. Allows earned income tax credit benefits to be paid through electronic transfer accounts. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) develop and implement a program to encourage the greater use of the advance earned income tax credit; and (2) enter into cooperative agreements with federally insured depository institutions to provide low- and moderate-income taxpayers with the option of establishing low-cost direct deposit accounts using appropriate tax forms.
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 · 7 October 2004
Safe Food Act of 2004 - Establishes the Food Safety Administration to administer and enforce food safety laws. Directs the Administrator of the Food Safety Administration to: (1) promulgate regulations to ensure the security of the food supply from all forms of contamination; (2) implement Federal food safety inspection, enforcement, and research efforts to protect the public health; (3) develop consistent and science-based standards for safe food; (4) coordinate and prioritize food safety research and education programs with other Federal agencies; (5) prioritize Federal food safety efforts and deployment of resources to achieve the greatest possible benefit in reducing food-borne illness; (6) coordinate the Federal response to food-borne illness outbreaks with other Federal and State agencies; and (7) integrate Federal food safety activities with State and local agencies. Transfers to the Administration all functions of specified Federal agencies that relate to the administration or enforcement of food safety laws, including (1) the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture; and (2) the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and the Center for Veterinary Medicine of the Food and Drug Administration. Requires the Administrator to: (1) administer a national food safety program based on an analysis of the hazards associated with different food and the processing of different food; (2) establish standards for processors of food and food establishments; (3) establish a certification system for foreign governments or food establishments seeking to import food to the United States; (4) establish requirements for tracing food and food producing animals from point of origin to retail sale; (5) maintain an active surveillance system of food, food products, and epidemiological evidence; (6) establish a sampling system to monitor contaminants in food; (7) rank and analyze hazards in the food supply; (8) establish a national public education campaign on food safety; and (9) conduct research relating to food safety. Sets forth provisions regarding prohibited acts, administrative detention, condemnation, temporary holds, recall, penalties for violations of food safety laws, whistle blower protection, and civil actions.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2004
Amends the Exchange Rates and International Economic Policy Coordination Act of 1988 with respect to bilateral negotiations with countries considered to manipulate the rate of exchange between their currency and the U.S. dollar for purposes of preventing effective balance of payments adjustments or gaining unfair competitive advantage in international trade. Reduces the preconditions for the initiation of negotiations by the Secretary of the Treasury to possession of significant bilateral trade surpluses with the United States (removing the other current condition of possession of material global current account surpluses). Declares that a country shall be considered to be manipulating the rate of exchange between its currency and the U.S. dollar if there is a protracted large-scale intervention in one direction in the exchange markets. Requires the Secretary's annual report to specified congressional committees on international economic policy to include a detailed explanation of the test the Secretary uses to determine whether or not a country is manipulating the rate of exchange.
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 · 5 October 2004
American Bald Eagle Recovery and National Emblem Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in celebration of the recovery of the bald eagle, in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the enactment of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the placement of the bald eagle on the endangered species list under such Act, to mint and issue not more than: (1) 100,000 $5 gold coins; (2) 500,000 $1 silver coins; and (3) 750,000 half dollar coins. Directs that the design of the coins be emblematic of the bald eagle and its history, natural biology, and national symbolism. Requires that sales of the coins include a surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin, $10 for the $1 coin, and $3 for the half dollar coin, which shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to the American Eagle Foundation of Tennessee to: (1) establish an interest-bearing endowment called the American Eagle Fund as a permanent source of support for the care, monitoring, maintenance, and recovery of the bald eagle and its habitat in the United States; (2) make annual grants to Federal, State, and private eagle restoration, protection, and enhancement projects; (3) administer the Fund in an annual amount not to exceed the lesser of ten percent of the annual income of the Fund or $250,000; and (4) provide financial support for capital projects and for continuation and expansion of the Foundation's efforts to educate the American people about the bald eagle.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2004
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise provisions for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program of campus-based child care. Increases the minimum CCAMPIS grant to an institution of higher education from $10,000 to $30,000. Expands eligibility to participate in CCAMPIS to graduate and professional students, international students, and students from families with certain low-incomes that do not qualify for Federal Pell Grants (as well as, currently, students eligible for Pell Grants). Extends and increases the amount of the authorization of appropriations for CCAMPIS.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2004
Student Loan Abuse Prevention Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reduce certain special allowance payments to holders of student loans. Appropriates, for each fiscal year after enactment of this Act, an additional amount to increase the maximum Pell grant for that fiscal year. Makes such amount equal to the amount by which expenditures for such special allowances are reduced by this Act for that fiscal year, as determined by the Congressional Budget Office.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2004
Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretaries of Education, of State, and of Health and Human Services to award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, Special Olympics for specified education, international, and health activities, including ones promoting Special Olympics and a greater understanding of contributions to society by individuals with intellectual disabilities both within and outside of the United States.
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 · 23 September 2004
National Intelligence Reform 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 and oversee the National Intelligence Program (formerly the National Foreign Intelligence Program). Authorizes the Director to establish and train a National Intelligence Reserve Corps for the temporary reemployment of former IC employees during periods of emergency. Establishes in the Treasury the Reserve for Contingencies of the National Intelligence Director. 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 to, among other things: (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. Authorizes the Director to establish within the Authority one or more national intelligence centers to address intelligence priorities established by the Council. Requires the Director to establish the Intelligence Community Scholarship Program to award scholarships designed to recruit and prepare students for civilian careers in the IC. Requires the President to publicly disclose certain intelligence funding information for fiscal years after 2005. Merges the Homeland Security Council into the Council. Establishes a Joint Intelligence Community Council to assist the Director in developing and implementing a joint, unified national intelligence effort to protect national security. 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. Federal Bureau of Investigation Intelligence Career Service Authorization Act of 2005 - Authorizes the FBI Director to establish an FBI Intelligence Career Service for FBI intelligence analysts. Directs the President to establish an information sharing network to promote the sharing of intelligence and homeland security information among all relevant Federal departments and agencies, State, tribal, and local authorities, and private sector entities. Establishes an Executive Council on Information Sharing. Establishes within the Executive Office of the President a Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. Requires the congressional intelligence committees to be provided all intelligence estimates and assessments other than those prepared exclusively for the President.
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
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial 1-Cent Coin Redesign Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue 1-cent coins during 2009, in accordance with the following design specifications: (1) the obverse of the 1-cent coin shall continue to bear the Victor David Brenner likeness of President Abraham Lincoln; and (2) the reverse of the coins shall bear four different designs each representing a different aspect of the life of Abraham Lincoln.. Mandates that: (1) beginning at the start of each calendar quarter of 2009, the redesigned Lincoln cents bear one of such four designs; and (2) the design on the reverse of the 1-cent coins issued after 2009, bear an image emblematic of President Lincoln's preservation of the United States of America as a single and united country. Expresses the sense of Congress that the original Victor David Brenner design for the 1-cent coin was a dramatic departure from previous American coinage that should be reproduced, using the original form and relief of the likeness of Abraham Lincoln, on the 1-cent coins issued in 2009.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2004
Designates November 2004 as National Runaway Prevention Month.
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 · 15 September 2004
Establishes the Special Committee on War and Reconstruction Contracting in the Senate to: (1) investigate the awarding and performance of contracts for military, security, and reconstruction activities in Afghanistan and Iraq; and (2) support the prosecution of the war on terrorism. Requires the Committee to examine such contracting actions and report on them regarding: (1) bidding, contracting, accounting, and auditing standards for Federal Government contracts; (2) methods of contracting, including sole-source contracts and limited competition or noncompetitive ones; (3) subcontracting under large, comprehensive contracts; (4) oversight procedures; (5) consequences of cost-plus and fixed price contracting; (6) allegations of wasteful and fraudulent practices; (7) accountability of contractors and Government officials involved in procurement and contracting; (8) penalties for violations of law and abuses in the awarding and performance of Government contracts; and (9) lessons learned from the contracting process used in Iraq and Afghanistan and in connection with the war on terrorism with respect to the structure, coordination, management policies, and Federal procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2004
Health Promotion Funding Integrated Research, Synthesis, and Training Act or Health Promotion FIRST Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a plan for health promotion that includes coordinating the health promotion activities of the Department of Health and Human Services and addressing how best to: (1) develop the basic and applied science of health promotion; (2) disseminate health promotion research; (3) support the health promotion community; and (4) modify or develop policies, structure, and legislation to integrate health promotion into all health professions and sectors of society. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, to: (1) develop a plan on how best to develop the basic science of health promotion through NIH agencies; and (2) conduct or support early research programs and research training regarding health promotion. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop a plan to establish a research agenda regarding health promotion for CDC. Requires the Director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion to award grants to develop Health Promotion Research Centers. Requires the Director of CDC to: (1) make an effort to attract grant applications from groups experienced in providing programs; (2) fund research to develop the applied science of health promotion for specified settings; and (3) develop a research agenda for workplace health promotion. Requires the Secretary to modify the application process for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts awarded under this Act to attract the most qualified individuals and organizations, rather than those most experienced with the application process.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2004
Amends the Trademark Act of 1946 to provide registered service marks, collective marks, and certification marks with the same protections, rights, and privileges as registered trademarks.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2004
No Child Left Behind Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, to subject to school facility capacity requirements the obligation of a local educational agency (LEA) to provide a public school choice option for students to transfer under certain conditions. Authorizes school construction and renovation grants to LEAs experiencing school overcrowding, with priority to LEAs having difficulty in meeting public school choice requirements. Revises requirements for: (1) supplemental educational services personnel qualifications, and nondiscrimination in such services; and (2) State qualifications for teachers and paraprofessionals. Directs the Secretary of Education to require LEAs and State educational agencies (SEAs) to give schools and LEAs, respectively, an opportunity to request a review of a determination that they did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2002-2003 school year. Prohibits the Secretary, an SEA, or an LEA, with respect to subsequent determinations of whether a school is subject to school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring as a result of not making AYP, from taking into account a 2002-2003 non-AYP determination that was revised under this Act, if the school received a final determination of AYP for such school year. Authorizes competitive grants to SEAs for increasing State and local data system capacity for assessment and accountability, including measuring student academic progress, achievement, and graduation rates. Requires competitive grants to SEAs or SEA consortia to collaborate with institutions of higher education and research organizations in designing, improving, and ensuring accurate assessments of academic content and achievement standards for students who are limited English proficient and students with disabilities. Directs the Secretary to collect, from SEAs, LEAs, and schools, annual reports on student enrollment in grades 7 through 12 and graduation rates. Sets forth provisions relating to civil rights and to technical assistance and research.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2004
Honors and memorializes the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 for their decisive actions and efforts of bravery on September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2004
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should designate the week beginning September 12, 2004, as "National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week".
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
Orderly and Timely Interstate Placement of Foster Children Act of 2004 - Amends the Social Security Act to require each State to: (1) have in effect procedures for orderly and timely placement of children, in foster care or for adoption, across State lines; and (2) complete home studies for such purpose within 60 days of another State's request. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make incentive grants to States that complete timely interstate home studies. Revises requirements for checking of child abuse registries to eliminate an opt-out provision. Allows access to the Federal parent locator service to courts in foster care or adoptive placement cases. Provides for consideration of out-of-state placements in permanency hearings, case plans, and case reviews. Revises provisions relating to caseworker visits, health and education records, notice of proceedings, and use of interjurisdictional resources. Directs the Comptroller General to study State performance of background checks for child placements. Expresses the sense of Congress that States should: (1) revise the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children; and (2) use private agencies to conduct home studies and give full faith and credit to other States' home study reports.
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
Advancing FASD Research, Prevention, and Services Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a research agenda for the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and facilitate surveillance and prevention of such disorders. Requires the Secretary to award grants for individuals with FASD, including to: (1) establish programs of surveillance, prevention, and treatment for such individuals; (2) identify best practices for educating affected children, educating officials in the criminal justice system on coping with such individuals, and educating adoption or foster care agency officials about services for children with FASD; and (3) provide for transitional services for such individuals and for respite care for their caretakers. Requires the Secretary to issue public service announcements to raise awareness of the risks associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Requires the National Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders to identify and describe the ten most important actions that must be taken to reduce prenatal alcohol exposure and all its adverse outcomes. Requires the Secretary of Education to direct the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to take certain actions with regard to individuals with FASD, including implementing screening procedures and introducing curricula on how to educate children with such disorders. Requires the Attorney General to direct the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to take certain actions with regard to individuals with FASD, including educating officials on how to treat such individuals, studying the inadequacies of the current system for dealing with such individuals, and developing transition programs for such individuals who are released from incarceration.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2004 - Amends Federal monetary law to set forth requirements for the redesign and issuance of circulating $1 coins emblematic of each President of the United States. Prohibits inclusion of a President who has not completed his or her term of service (sitting President). Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue during the same period in which such $1 coins are issued commemorative coins emblematic of the spouse of each deceased former President so honored. Mandates that all Federal agencies and instrumentalities and entities that operate any business on Federal premises (including vending machines) take action to ensure that business operations they conduct that involve coins or currency shall be fully capable of accepting and dispensing $1 coins in connection with such operations. Expresses the sense of Congress about the issuance of such coins.
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
Children's Access to Vision Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to make grants to States for: (1) comprehensive eye examinations for children needing such services, with priority for children under nine years old; (2) subsequent vision treatment or services; and (3) educational materials on recognizing signs of visual impairment in children. Directs the Secretary to coordinate the grant program with appropriate Federal and State child services programs. Requires an annual State program evaluation.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Declares that the steel import licensing and monitoring program established by the Secretaries of the Treasury and of Commerce shall remain in effect and be established by the Secretary of Commerce as a permanent program. Requires the Secretaries to expand the program to include specified iron and steel, and articles of iron and steel. Requires release of the import and licensing data made available to the public as part of this program, based upon classifications at the tenth digit level of the Harmonized Schedule of the United States. Grants the Secretaries authority to maintain the program and to expand it as necessary and appropriate in accordance with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Getting Results for Advanced Degrees Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise and reauthorize provisions relating to graduate student assistance. Extends and increases the authorization of appropriations for: (1) Jacob K. Javits Fellowships (Javits Fellows); and (2) graduate assistance in areas of national need. Sets the amount of a stipend under both such programs at the same level as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, without regard to financial need. Revises Board membership requirements under the Javits Fellows program. Establishes, and authorizes appropriations for, the Patsy T. Mink Fellowship program of awards to assist highly qualified minorities and women to acquire the doctoral degree, or highest possible degree available, in academic areas in which such individuals are underrepresented, to enable them to enter the higher education professoriate. Revises family contribution calculations for independent students with, and those without, dependents other than spouses. Allows a greater income protection allowance for such students. Revises cost of attendance calculations for students with one or more dependents to include actual living expenses incurred for dependents, which includes their room, board and health insurance as well as dependent care. Increases unsubsidized Stafford loan limits for graduate and professional students. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat reasonable room, board, and special needs services allowances as part of permitted higher education expenses, in cases of qualified scholarships or of tuition reduction programs for teaching and research assistants.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Medicare, Medicaid, and MCH Tobacco Cessation Promotion Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of: (1) counseling for cessation of tobacco use; and (2) tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy. Provides for similar benefits under SSA titles V (Maternal and Child Health Services) and XIX (Medicaid).
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
International and Foreign Language Studies Act of 2004 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise provisions for international and foreign language studies (part A of title VI, international education). Includes support for instructors of less commonly taught languages among activities of national language and area centers and programs. Makes undergraduate students eligible for fellowships for foreign language and area or international studies (in addition to graduate students under current law). Allows a portion of funds for undergraduate international studies and foreign language programs to be used for subgrants to undergraduate students for educational programs abroad that promote foreign language literacy and cultural knowledge and are closely linked to grant program goals. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to support data collection, analysis, and dissemination that helps achieve part A purposes. Extends and increases the authorization of appropriations for part A.
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
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 · 21 July 2004
Comprehensive Peace for Sudan Act - Authorizes the President to provide: (1) humanitarian assistance for Chad and Darfur; and (2) assistance to support a North-South peace agreement in Sudan, contingent upon a continuing certification to the appropriate congressional committees that the Government of Sudan is acting to demobilize the Janjaweed militia, protect civilians, and cooperate with aid workers and the African Union monitoring team. Directs the President to take specified sanctions against Sudan and its officials if Sudan has not taken actions necessary for such certification. Directs the Secretary of State to require the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations to pursue a Security Council Resolution condemning Sudan for its actions in Darfur and calling for: (1) accountability for those responsible for the atrocities in Darfur; and (2) member states of the United Nations to freeze the assets of senior members of the Government of Sudan, cease importing Sudanese oil, restrict the entry or transit of senior members of the Government of Sudan, and cease selling arms to the Government of Sudan.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Supreme Court should act expeditiously to resolve the current confusion and inconsistency in the Federal criminal justice system by promptly considering and ruling on the constitutionality of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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 · 20 July 2004
Declares that the Senate: (1) should continue to recognize and support the integrity and independence of the accounting standard setting process of the Financial Accounting Standards Board; (2) should not interfere with the Board's independence; and (3) should not dictate accounting standards to the Board for stock-based compensation or for any other financial accounting issue.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should designate September 11 as an annually recognized day of voluntary service, charity, and compassion.
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 · 15 July 2004
Designates October 15, 2004, as National Mammography Day.