United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2004
Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2004 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as added by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, for each year beginning with 2006, to: (1) offer one or more Medicare operated prescription drug plans nationally that offer qualified prescription drug coverage and access to negotiated prices, while allowing the plan to offer supplemental prescription drug coverage in the same manner as other qualified prescription drug coverage offered by other prescription drug plans; and (2) enter into negotiations with pharmaceutical manufacturers to reduce the purchase cost of covered Medicare part D drugs for eligible part D individuals, and encourage the use of more affordable therapeutic equivalents. Requires the monthly beneficiary premium charged under such a plan to be uniform nationally. Makes the premium for months in 2006 $35. Bases the premium for months in succeeding years on the average monthly per capita actuarial cost of offering the Medicare operated prescription drug plan for the year involved, including administrative expenses. Allows for adjustment of such premium amount in case of supplemental prescription drug coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2004
Department of Energy National Laboratories Water Technology Research and Development Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a National Laboratories water technology research and development program for research, development, and commercialization of water supply technologies, with Sandia National Laboratory as the lead laboratory. Instructs Secretary to establish the National Water Supply Technology Advisory Panel to advise the Program Coordinator. Requires establishment of Regional Centers comprising certain universities and National Laboratories acting in partnership to conduct specified water commercialization research. Provides for: (1) block grants to such Regional Centers; and (2) competitive grants to eligible collaborative institutions for water supply technology research, development, and demonstration projects. Designates the Utton Center at the University of New Mexico Law School as the National Water Supply Law and Policy Institute, which shall: (1) establish a database of existing water laws, regulations, and policy; (2) furnish legal, regulatory, and policy alternatives to increase national and international water supplies; (3) consult with the Regional Centers and other interested persons on water law and policy; and (4) conduct an annual water law and policy seminar on research carried out or funded by the Institute.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2004
Kindergarten Plus Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) to provide Kindergarten Plus (K+) programs of voluntary full days of kindergarten during the summer before and the summer after the traditional kindergarten school year determined by the State. Directs the Secretary to ensure, to the extent possible, that each such grant is of sufficient size to enable the SEA to provide K+ to all eligible students served by the local educational agencies (LEAs) within the State with the highest concentrations of eligible students. Makes eligible students those children who are: (1) five-years old, or who will be eligible to attend kindergarten at the beginning of the next school year; (2) from a family with an income at or below 185 percent of the poverty line; and (3) not already served by a high-quality program in the summer before or the summer after the child enters kindergarten. Requires SEAs, in awarding subgrants, to give priority to LEAs that: (1) serve the greatest number or percentage of eligible students; and (2) propose to reduce class size and student-to-teacher ratios in K+ significantly below the average ratios in regular kindergarten classes served by the LEA. Provides for direct grants to LEAs in States that do not apply for grants. Sets forth K+ teacher and personnel quality standards.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
Amends the Congressional Award Act to extend through calendar 2009 the requirement that the Comptroller General determine, and report to Congress on, whether the Director of the Congressional Award Board is complying with requirements for financial operations of the Congressional Award Program. Extends the authorization of the Board from October 1, 2004, to October 1, 2009.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
Cigarette Fire Safety Act of 2004 - Requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to prescribe fire safety standards for cigarettes that, except as provided in this Act, are substantively the same as specified standards promulgated by the State of New York. Directs sponsors of testing methodologies employed under this Act to notify the Commission of any modifications in such methodologies. Authorizes the Commission to modify established fire safety standards to incorporate modifications that will enhance those standards. Requires fire safety standards promulgated under this Act to be treated as consumer product safety standards, and directs that cigarettes shall be treated as consumer products, under the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). Precludes the preemption by this Act of the New York standard or more stringent fire safety standards for cigarettes promulgated by any State. Makes the CPSA's private remedy provisions applicable to fire safety standards promulgated under this Act. Denies the Commission any jurisdiction over tobacco or tobacco products except as provided in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
States that Congress: (1) declares that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide; (2) reminds the President and the international community of their international legal obligations, as affirmed in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; (3) commends the President's leadership in seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Darfur and in addressing the humanitarian crisis caused by that conflict, including the provision of assistance in Darfur and Eastern Chad; (4) urges the President to seek a United Nations Security Council resolution that directs the member states of the United Nations to impose sanctions against those responsible for the atrocities committed in Darfur, authorizes a multinational force to guarantee humanitarian access and security for foreign aid workers and internally displaced persons, urges a halt to violence committed by militias and by the armed forces of Sudan, creates a Commission of Inquiry, and calls for the establishment of a formal peace process between Darfurians and the Government of Sudan; (5) calls on the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to establish a Darfur Resettlement, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Fund; and (6) urges the President to provide political and financial support to the African Union to promote its effective intervention in Darfur.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise provisions regarding Federal assistance for programs to reduce suicide among children and adolescents. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to award grants or cooperative agreements to: (1) develop and implement State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies in schools, educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, substance abuse programs, mental health programs, foster care systems, and other child and youth support organizations; (2) support public organizations actively involved in State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies and in the development and continuation of such intervention and prevention strategies; (3) collect and analyze data on State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention services that can be used to monitor the effectiveness of such services and for research, technical assistance, and policy development; and (4) assist eligible entities in achieving their targets for youth suicide reductions. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, to award a grant or contract to establish the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Requires the Secretary to award grants to institutions of higher education to expand mental and behavior health services to students, to provide such services, and to develop best practices for the delivery of such services.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
Federal Employee Protection of Disclosures Act - Includes as a protected disclosure by a Federal employee: (1) any lawful disclosure an employee or applicant reasonably believes is credible evidence of waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure; and (2) the disclosure of information required to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or the conduct of foreign affairs that the employee or applicant reasonably believes is direct evidence of waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement if such disclosure is made to a Member or employee of Congress who is authorized to receive information of the type disclosed. Sets forth provisions concerning review and appeal of actions concerning such disclosures. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide that, for purposes of provisions regarding the protection of voluntarily shared critical infrastructure information, a permissible use of independently obtained critical infrastructure information includes any lawful disclosure an employee or applicant reasonably believes is credible evidence of waste, fraud, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure. Requires agencies to inform employees on how to make a lawful disclosure of information.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
Requires the President to initiate consultations with Indonesia, Kuwait, Nigeria, Qatar, The United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela to seek their elimination of any action that limits the production or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any other petroleum product, sets or maintains the price of any such product, or otherwise is an action in restraint of trade with respect to such products when such action constitutes an act, policy, or practice that is unjustifiable and burdens and restricts U.S. commerce. Requires the U.S. Trade Representative to: (1) initiate World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute proceedings if the consultation is not successful with respect to any such country; and (2) take appropriate action regarding the country under U.S. trade remedy laws.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
Calls for the President to designate the week of November 7-13, 2003, as National Veterans Awareness Week to emphasize educational programs for elementary and secondary school students regarding the contributions and sacrifices of veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of the World Year of Physics, as designated by the General Assembly of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics. Encourages: (1) the people of the United States to observe such Year as a special occasion for giving impetus to education and research in physics; (2) the Secretary of Energy, all science-related organizations, the private sector, and the media to highlight and give enhanced recognition to the role of physics in social, cultural, and economic development; and (3) the Secretary and all people involved in physics education and research to take additional steps to ensure that support for physics continues and that physics studies continue to attract an adequate number of students. Calls on the Secretary to lead and coordinate Federal activities to commemorate the World Year of Physics.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2004
Public Health Preparedness Workforce Development Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Public Health Workforce Scholarship Program to assure an adequate supply of public health professionals to eliminate critical public health preparedness workforce shortages in Federal, State, and local public health agencies by offering four-year scholarships in return for employment at such agencies. Requires the Secretary to establish the Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program to provide for the repayment of loans incurred by individuals in the pursuit of the relevant public health preparedness workforce educational degree or certificate in exchange for working at such agencies for at least three years. Requires the Secretary to award grants to public health agencies that receive public health preparedness cooperative agreements from the Department of Health and Human Services to operate State and local public health workforce loan repayment programs
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2004
Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2004 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to replace the program of assistance to disadvantaged children in Asia with a program of assistance for orphans and vulnerable children in developing countries. Authorizes the President to provide assistance (grants, international organization contributions, or governmental assistance) for orphans and other vulnerable children in developing countries for: (1) basic care; (2) HIV/AIDS treatment, including mental health services; (3) school food programs; (4) education and employment training assistance; and (5) protection of inheritance rights. Establishes within the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) an Office for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children. Provides assistance priority for countries with specified HIV levels among women and high-risk groups.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2004
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should: (1) mobilize necessary economic and scientific support to establish a Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise (a virtual consortium to accelerate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine development by enhancing coordination, information sharing, and collaboration globally); (2) urge members of the Group of Eight (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) to garner support from their own communities for the development of an HIV vaccine; and (3) establish a second vaccine research and development center in the United States. Expresses the sense of the Senate that such countries should: (1) leverage financial contributions from the international philanthropic community to provide funding to promote the development of an HIV vaccine; (2) include the scientific and political leadership of the countries most affected by HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic; and (3) develop a plan for furthering such efforts at their June 2005 meeting. Urges the President to generate global support for the establishment of a Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise by carrying out an initiative that includes: (1) coordinating and partnering with member countries, the private sector, and other countries; (2) encouraging Group of Eight countries to act swiftly to mobilize resources; (3) following a strategic plan to prioritize the challenges to be addressed, to coordinate research and product development, and to encourage greater use of information-sharing networks and technologies; and (4) encouraging the establishment of coordinated global HIV vaccine development centers.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
District of Columbia and United States Territories Circulating Quarter Dollar Program Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to issue during 2009 redesigned quarter dollars commemorating the District of Columbia and the U.S. Territories.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic located in Peoria, Illinois, as the Bob Michel Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Expresses: (1) condolences and deepest sympathy to the families of the young women killed in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, since 1993, many of whom appear to be victims of one or more serial murders; and (2) the solidarity of the people of the United States with the people of Mexico in the face of these tragic and senseless acts. Recognizes the courageous struggle of the victims' families in seeking justice for them. Condemns: (1) the abductions and murders of such young women in Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua; (2) the use of torture as a means of investigation into these crimes; and (3) all senseless acts of violence in all parts of the world and violence against women in particular. Urges the President and Secretary of State to continue to express: (1) concern over these abductions and murders to the Government of Mexico and to request that the investigative and preventative efforts of such Government become part of the bilateral agenda between the Governments of Mexico and the United States; and (2) support for the efforts of the victims' families to seek justice for the victims, to express concern relating to the continued harassment of these families and the human rights defenders with which they work, and to express concern with respect to impediments in the ability of the families to receive prompt and accurate information in their cases. Supports multilateral efforts to create a DNA database that would allow families to positively identify the remains of the victims and encourages the Secretary to facilitate U.S. participation in such database. Encourages the Secretary to: (1) continue to include in the Department of State's annual Country Report on Human Rights all instances of improper investigatory methods, threats against human rights activists, and the use of torture with respect to cases involving the murder and abduction of young women in the State of Chihuahua; and (2) urge the Government of Mexico to ensure fair and proper judicial proceedings for the individuals accused of these abductions and murders and to impose appropriate punishment for those individuals subsequently determined to be guilty of such crimes. Recommends that the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico visit Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua to meet with the victims' families, women's rights organizations, and Mexican Federal and State officials responsible for investigating these crimes and preventing future such crimes.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Benjamin Franklin Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue one dollar coins emblematic of the life and legacy of Benjamin Franklin (not more than 250,000 bearing his image as a young statesman and not more than 250,000 with his image as an older numismatist). Directs that all sales of coins minted under this Act include a $10 per coin surcharge, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the Franklin Institute for purposes of the celebration of the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2004 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) phase out the waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare benefits under SSA title XVIII (Medicare); and (2) eliminate the waiting period for individuals with life-threatening conditions to become eligible for Medicare benefits. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to request that the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences conduct a study on the range of disability conditions that can be delayed or prevented if individuals receive access to health care services and coverage before the condition reaches disability levels.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Commends national and community organizations and health care providers for supplying information concerning the importance of screening for prostate cancer and the treatment options. Declares that the Federal Government and the States should ensure that health care providers supply patients with appropriate information and tools necessary to receive readily understandable information about all medically efficacious screening and treatments for prostate cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2004
Amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004, to delete the requirement for a 24-hour time limit for destroying identifying information submitted with respect to a firearm background check from the prohibition against the use of funds to implement national instant criminal background check system provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2004
Commemorates the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Wilderness Act on September 3, 1964. Recognizes and applauds the extraordinary work of the individuals and organizations involved in building the National Wilderness Preservation System. Expresses gratitude for the tremendous asset the United States has been able to pass along as a gift to future people of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2004
Screening Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Very Efficiently Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of screening ultrasound for abdominal aortic aneurysms. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national education and information campaign to promote awareness among health care practitioners and the general public with respect to the importance of early detection and treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2004
Childhood Obesity Reduction Act - Establishes a Congressional Council on Childhood Obesity to engage in the following activities to encourage every U.S. elementary and middle school to develop and implement a plan to reduce and prevent obesity, promote improved nutritional choices, and promote increased physical activity: (1) work with outside experts to develop the Congressional Challenge to Reduce and Prevent Childhood Obesity; (2) develop and maintain a website on best practices for reducing and preventing childhood obesity; (3) assist schools in establishing goals for the healthy reduction and prevention of childhood obesity; (4) consult and coordinate with the President's Council on Physical Fitness and other Federal initiatives that are conducting activities to reduce and prevent childhood obesity; (5) reward elementary schools, middle schools, and local educational agencies promoting innovative, successful strategies; (6) provide information to secondary schools; and (7) designate model plans for reducing and preventing childhood obesity that are submitted by schools as Congressional Challenge winners. Establishes the National Foundation for the Prevention and Reduction of Childhood Obesity as a nonprofit private corporation to support and carry out activities to prevent and reduce childhood obesity, including by: (1) establishing a fund to provide endowments for positions within the Council and the Department of Health and Human Services associated with reducing childhood obesity; (2) evaluating model plans used by schools; and (3) making Challenge awards to schools and local agencies for developing and implementing such plans. Requires creation of a committee to incorporate the Foundation under State laws, establish its policies and bylaws, provide for its initial operation, and appoint members of its board of directors.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2004
Recognizes and honors the 40th anniversary of passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and commends all persons whose support and efforts led to passage of such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2004
No Child Left Behind Fairness Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Education to require local educational agencies (LEAs) and State educational agencies (SEAs) to give schools and LEAs, respectively, an opportunity to request a review of a determination that they did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2002-2003 school year. Sets forth standards for such reviews, providing for consideration of subsequent regulations and guidance applicable to AYP determinations under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Prohibits the Secretary, an SEA, or an LEA, with respect to subsequent determinations of whether a school is subject to school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring as a result of not making AYP, from taking into account a 2002-2003 non-AYP determination that was revised under this Act if the school received a final determination of AYP for such school year.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2004
Genetically Engineered Foods Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require a producer to obtain pre-market approval before introducing any genetically engineered food into interstate commerce. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to set forth regulations governing the approval process, including requirements for the approval of split use food (defined as genetically engineered food that could be used by both humans and animals, but is not marketed to humans). Requires the Secretary to provide public notice, make the application and supporting material available to the public, and provide for public comment for genetically engineered foods and animals. Allows the Secretary to protect trade secrets under certain circumstances. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) programs to conduct testing to detect the presence of genetically engineered ingredients in foods; (2) programs to monitor the safety of approved genetically engineered foods; and (3) a public registry of such foods. Requires genetically engineered animals and genetic engineering techniques intended to be used to produce animals to meet the same requirements for approval as new animal drugs. Requires the Secretary to conduct environmental assessments to evaluate the potential effects of such genetically engineered animals. Deems genetically engineered animals or foods that are not approved to be adulterated. Sets forth provisions for the approval of any genetic engineering technique or any genetically engineered food or animal that entered into interstate commerce before enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2004
Medicare Preventive Services Coverage Act of 2004 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits for Aged and Disabled) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the part B program to provide appropriate preventive benefits. Amends part E (Miscellaneous), as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to provide for additional preventive services (including mental health services) under Medicare. Eliminates coinsurance in outpatient department (OPD) hospital settings and application of deductible with respect to additional preventive services.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2004
Recognizes as a compelling national priority the need to increase awareness about and prevent suicide. Reaffirms Congress's commitment to the priorities expressed in prior legislation (which recognized suicide as a national problem and declared suicide prevention to be a national priority). Encourages Americans, communities, and the nation to work to increase awareness about and prevent suicide.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2004
Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to make Alzheimer's disease research a priority within the National Institute on Aging. Requires the Director of the Institute to: (1) undertake an Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Initiative to accelerate the discovery of new risk and protective factors, to rapidly identify therapies and preventive interventions, and to implement effective prevention and treatment strategies; (2) conduct and support cooperative clinical research regarding Alzheimer's; and (3) conduct research concerning early detection and diagnosis, the relationship between Alzheimer's and vascular disease, and interventions designed to help caregivers. Authorizes the Director to establish a National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center to facilitate collaboration among Alzheimer's Disease Centers and Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to educate the public and public health community regarding Alzheimer's disease. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants or cooperative agreements to develop coordinated respite care programs on a statewide basis. Defines "respite care" to mean planned or emergency care provided to a child or adult with a special need in order to provide temporary relief to the family caregiver of such child or adult. Directs the Secretary to award a grant or cooperative agreement to a public or private nonprofit entity to establish a National Resource Center on Lifespan Respite Care. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a nonrefundable tax credit for each individual certified as having long-term care needs and for whom the taxpayer is acting as a caregiver; (2) a tax deduction for long-term care premiums paid under a qualified insurance contract; and (3) qualified long-term care insurance to be offered in a cafeteria plan and flexible spending arrangements.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2004
Children's Hospitals Educational Equity and Research Act of 2004 or CHEER Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make payments through FY 2010 (currently, through FY 2005) to children's hospitals for costs associated with operating approved graduate medical resident training programs.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2004
Civil Liberties Restoration Act of 2004 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to require removal proceedings to be open to the public subject to specified exceptions. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) serve notice to appear within 48 hours on aliens arrested or detained under the INA and bring them before an immigration judge within 72 hours, with exceptions for aliens certified as engaging in espionage or terrorism; and (2) conduct individualized bond determinations reviewable by an immigration judge. Limits the authority of the Board of Immigration Review (created by this Act) to stay release orders. Abolishes the Executive Office of Immigration Review and replaces it with the Immigration Review Commission. Terminates the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) and most NSEERS-related removal proceedings. Requires the Secretary to use prosecutorial discretion in immigration enforcement. Eliminates criminal penalties and deportation, and establishes civil penalties, for an alien's violation of registration and change of address requirements. Requires data entered into the National Crime Information Center database to meet Privacy Act accuracy requirements. Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to authorize (currently, require) courts to review in camera and ex parte materials relating to, or information derived from, electronic surveillance, physical searches, business records, and pen registers or trap and trace devices under FISA where the Attorney General asserts that disclosure implicates national security. Requires disclosure of such materials to comport with the Classified Information Procedures Act. Requires Federal agencies to report data-mining activities to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2004
Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers with at least 15 or more employees to provide a minimum paid sick leave of: (1) seven days annually for those who work at least 30 hours per week; and (2) a prorated annual amount for those who work less than 30 but at least 20 hours a week, or less than 1,500 but at least 1,000 hours per year. Allows employees to use such leave to meet their own medical needs or to care for the medical needs of certain family members. Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority with respect to this Act's provisions regarding employees covered by title I of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Provides that, for employees under their jurisdiction, such authority shall be exercised by the Librarian of Congress, the Comptroller General, the Board of Directors of the congressional Office of Compliance, or the Merit Systems Protection Board. Declares that the requirements under this Act are minimum requirements, and are not to be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2004
Designates September 7, 2004, as National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day. Recognizes Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) as a major public health concern. Encourages people to find out more about AD/HD and supporting mental health services and to seek treatment and support. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Government has the responsibility to: (1) raise public awareness about AD/HD; and (2) consider ways to improve mental health services for children and adults with AD/HD.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2004
Guardsmen and Reservists Financial Relief Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the ten percent penalty on early distributions from tax-exempt retirement plans withdrawals made by military reservists or national guardsmen called to active duty for a period in excess of 179 days or for an indefinite period. Permits reimbursement of such withdrawals within two years after the end of the active duty period. Applies the provisions of this Act to individuals ordered or called to active duty after September 11, 2001, and before September 12, 2005, for retirement plan distributions made after September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2004
Accessing College through Comprehensive Early Outreach, State Partnerships, and Simplification Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to replace the current special leveraging educational assistance partnership program with a program of allotments to enable States to: (1) expand and enhance partnerships with institutions of higher education, early information and intervention, mentoring, or outreach programs, private corporations, philanthropic organizations, and other interested parties to carry out specified activities and provide coordination and cohesion among Federal, State, and local governmental and private efforts providing financial assistance to help low-income students attend college; (2) provide need-based grants for college access and increased college persistence to eligible low-income students; (3) provide early notification to low-income students of their eligibility for financial aid; and (4) encourage increased participation in early information and intervention, mentoring, or outreach programs. Sets 66.66 percent as the Federal share of the cost of establishing partnerships under the program. Requires partnerships for the award of grants between a State agency and: (1) at least one public and one private degree granting institution of higher education located in the State; and (2) new or existing early information and intervention, mentoring, or outreach programs also located in the State. Permits partnerships with philanthropic organizations located in, or which provide funding in, the State, as well as private corporations located in, or doing business in, the State. Prescribes requirements for the amounts of grants awarded in partnerships with institutions of higher learning: (1) serving less than a majority of students in the State; and (2) serving the majority of students in the State. Requires annual early notification of low-income students of their potential eligibility for student financial assistance. Prescribes minimum eligibility requirements for such students. Revises requirements for the simplified needs test to take into account dislocated workers and recipients of means-tested Federal benefits (such as the supplemental security income program under title XVI of the Social Security Act, the food stamp program, and the free and reduced price school lunch program under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act). Directs the Secretary of Education to develop and use a simplified paper application form of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), to be called the FAFSA-EZ, for students who meet the requirements of the automatic zero expected family contribution. Requires the Secretary to: (1) phase-out by the 2009-2010 award year the paper form (the long form or full FAFSA) for students who do not meet the requirements for a FAFSA-EZ; and (2) produce, distribute, and process common forms in electronic format, including a simplified electronic application form on the Internet. Directs the Secretary to make every effort to provide students with early information about potential financial aid eligibility, both through a widely disseminated printed form and the Internet or other electronic means, including a system for individuals to determine easily, by entering relevant data, approximately the amount of grant, work-study, and loan assistance for which an individual would be eligible. Directs the Secretary to make special efforts to notify: (1) students who qualify for specified means-tested Federal benefits of their potential eligibility for a maximum Federal Pell Grant; and (2) middle school and secondary school students of the availability of student financial assistance and of the approximate amounts of grant, work-study, and loan assistance for which they would be eligible. Requires the Secretary to contract for or establish a toll-free telephone service to provide an application mechanism and timely and accurate information to the general public. Revises requirements for determining the income contribution of dependent students, independent students without dependents other than spouse, and independent students with dependents other than spouse (generally increasing allowances). Excludes qualified education benefits (prepayment and savings plans, State tuition programs, and Coverdell education savings accounts) from consideration as an asset in a needs analysis. Revises the purposes of the independent Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance to reflect this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2004
Credit Card Minimum Payment Warning Act - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to include among the mandatory disclosures at each billing cycle of open end consumer credit plans: (1) the words "Minimum Payment Warning: Making only the minimum payment will increase the amount of interest that you pay and the time it will take to repay your outstanding balance;" ( 2) the number of years and months it would take the consumer to pay the entire amount of the balance if the consumer pays only the required minimum monthly payments; ( 3) the total cost to the consumer, as well as a breakdown in principal and interest payments, of paying that balance in full if the consumer pays only the required minimum monthly payments, and if no further advances are made; (4) the monthly payment amount that would be required to eliminate the outstanding balance in 36 months if no further advances are made; and (5) a toll-free telephone number for information about accessing credit counseling and debt management services. Directs the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Trade Commission to issue jointly guidelines for creditors to establish and maintain a toll-free telephone number for such disclosures.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2004
Recognizes the impact that Tourette Syndrome can have on people living with the disorder, the importance of an early diagnosis and proper treatment of the disorder, and the need for enhanced public awareness of the disorder. Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act - Directs the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) created by this Act to establish a modern system for regulating rates and classes for market-dominant products. Specifies regulatory requirements for workshare discounts. Authorizes the United States Postal Service (USPS) to enter into service agreements with customers that provide for postal service under terms different from those otherwise applicable to market-dominant products. Directs USPS Governors to establish rates and classes for products in the competitive category of mail. Authorizes the USPS to conduct market tests of experimental products. Establishes a Postal Service Competitive Products Fund. Prohibits the USPS from engaging in unfair competition. Abrogates the USPS's immunity from suit for violations of the Trademark Act of 1946 and those provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act concerning unfair or deceptive acts or practices. Sets forth qualifications and requirements for Governors. Requires the appointment of a mediator (in lieu of current factfinding panel) in the event of USPS labor disputes. Replaces the Postal Rate Commission with the Postal Regulatory Commission. Modifies the USPS's contributions to the Civil Service Retirement System. Establishes a USPS Retiree Health Benefits Fund. Repeals a provision of the Postal Civil Service Retirement System Funding Reform Act of 2003 which addressed the disposition of savings under that Act. Addresses the temporary disability and disability retirement of postal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Peace Corps Volunteers Health, Safety, and Security Act of 2004 - Amends the Peace Corps Act to establish in the Peace Corps the Office of the Ombudsman of the Peace Corps, which shall administer complaints or concerns regarding services or support provided by the Peace Corps to its volunteers, including matters respecting: (1) safety and security; (2) due process, including processes relating to separation from the Peace Corps; (3) benefits and assistance; (4) medical or other health-related assistance; and (5) access to files and records. Establishes the Office of Safety and Security of the Peace Corps, which shall be responsible for safety and security activities of the Peace Corps, including background checks, volunteer, staff, and facilities safety, and information technology security. Requires specified reports respecting Peace Corps: (1) medical services; (2) volunteer assignment; and (3) employment duration. Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to provide for the appointment of an Office of Inspector General for the Peace Corps.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Directs the Secretary of the Army (at a specified cost of Treasury funds to be matched by the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, which is paid by private users) to: (1) construct mooring facilities at Locks 12, 14, 18, 20, 22, 24, and LaGrange Lock, provide switch boats at Locks 20 through 25 over five years for project operation, and conduct development and testing of an appointment scheduling system; (2) construct new 1,200-foot locks at Locks 20, 21, 22, 24, and 25 on the Upper Mississippi River and at LaGrange Lock and Peoria Lock on the Illinois Waterway; and (3) conduct mitigation for new locks and small scale and nonstructural measures authorized under this Act. Directs the Secretary to modify the operation of the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway System to address the cumulative environmental impacts of operation of the system and improve the ecological integrity of the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois River. Directs the Secretary to carry out ecosystem restoration projects to attain and maintain the ecosystem of the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois River in accordance with the general framework outlined in the preferred integrated plan contained in the Integrated Feasibility Report and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the UMR-IWW System Navigation Feasibility System, dated April 29, 2004. Lists projects that may be included, such as island building, floodplain restoration, and land acquisition. Directs the Secretary to: (1) submit implementation reports to specified congressional committees; and (2) appoint and convene an advisory panel.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Amends the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 to revise the per-unit cost calculation for expiring tenant-based rental assistance contracts under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2004
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of tobacco products by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Food and Drug Administration, including through disclosure, annual registration, inspection, recordkeeping, and user fee requirements. Sets forth criteria by which tobacco products are deemed adulterated or misbranded. Allows the Secretary to require prior approval of all label statements. Allows the Secretary to restrict the sale or distribution of tobacco products, including advertising and promotion, if the Secretary determines that such regulation would be appropriate for the protection of the public health. Prohibits such regulations from: (1) limiting product sales or distribution to authorization of a practitioner licensed to prescribe medical products; (2) prohibiting product sales in face-to-face transactions by a specific category of retail outlets; or (3) establishing a minimum age greater than 18 years of age for product purchases. Prohibits cigarettes from containing any artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, cinnamon, or coffee. Requires the Secretary to establish tobacco product standards to protect the public health, but reserves to Congress the power to ban any tobacco products or reduce the nicotine level to zero. Allows the Secretary to take specified actions, including public notification and recall, against unreasonably harmful products. Requires premarket approval of all new tobacco products. Sets forth standards for the sale of modified risk tobacco products. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) judicial review; (2) coordination with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); (3) congressional review of regulations; and (4) state and local authority. Requires the Secretary to establish a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to change cigarette warning label and advertising requirements. Amends the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 to change smokeless tobacco warning label and advertising requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2004
Children and Media Research Advancement Act or CAMRA Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to establish: (1) an independent panel of experts to review, synthesize, and report on research, theory, and applications in the social, behavioral, and biological sciences; and (2) research priorities regarding the roles and impact of the use of and exposure to electronic media on youth in certain core areas of child development. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct initial pilot projects to supplement and inform the panel's work. Requires the Director to develop and implement a program that funds additional research determined to be necessary by the panel concerning the role and impact of electronic media in the development of children and adolescents, with a particular focus on media content, format, length of exposure, age of the child, and nature of parental involvement.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2004
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the Government of the People's Republic of China is in violation of international human rights standards by detaining and mistreating Tibetans who engage in peaceful activities to protest China's occupation of Tibet or promote the preservation of a distinct Tibetan identity; (2) sustained international pressure on the Government of the People's Republic of China is essential to improve the human rights situation in Tibet and secure the release of Tibetan political prisoners; (3) the Government of the United States should raise the cases of Tenzin Delek and other Tibetan political prisoners in every meeting with officials from the People's Republic of China, and work with other governments concerned about human rights in Tibet and China to encourage the release of Tibetan political prisoners and promote systemic improvement of human rights in Tibet and China; and (4) the Government of the People's Republic of China should release all Tibetan political prisoners, including Tenzin Delek.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2004
Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community Act of 2004 - Establishes the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community to develop a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of the American Latino Community in Washington, D.C.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2004
Voting Integrity and Verification Act of 2004 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require the voting system to permit a voter to verify the accuracy of his or her ballot by allowing the voter to review an individual paper version of the ballot before it is cast and counted. Provides the voter with the opportunity to change the ballot or correct any error discovered on the individual paper version. Requires the voting system to preserve: (1) the individual paper version of the voter's ballot, after the voter has certified that it accurately reflects the voter's intent, as the individual permanent paper record; and (2) such permanent record at the polling place. Requires the voting system to produce an individual permanent paper record for each ballot that is cast which provides for voter verification of the record and which will serve as the official record for purposes of any recount. Provides that, in the event of any inconsistencies or irregularities between any electronic records and the individual permanent paper records, the individual permanent paper records shall be the true and correct record of the votes cast.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2004
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should: (1) directly confront OPEC and challenge it to increase oil production immediately; (2) direct the Federal Trade Commission and Attorney General to exercise vigorous oversight over the oil markets to protect the American people from price gouging and unfair practices at the gasoline pump; and (3) suspend deliveries of oil to the SPR and release 1,000,000 barrels of oil per day from the SPR for 30 days following the date of adoption of this resolution, and if necessary, for an additional 30 days beyond that.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2004
Student Bill of Rights - Directs the Secretary of Education to make annual determinations as to whether each State's public school system provides all its students with educational resources to succeed academically and in life. Requires such education to enable students to: (1) acquire knowledge and skills necessary for responsible citizenship; (2) meet challenging academic achievement standards; and (3) compete and succeed in a global economy. Requires each system to do so through: (1) providing specified fundamentals of educational opportunity to students at each public elementary and secondary school; (2) providing educational services in school districts that receive funds for disadvantaged students that are, taken as a whole, at least comparable to educational services provided in school districts not receiving such funds; and (3) complying with any final Federal or State court order in any matter concerning the adequacy or equitableness of the system. Requires withholding of specified portions of its Federal funding for administrative expenses if a system: (1) fails to meet a yearly interim goal; (2) does not remedy, after two school years, a failure to provide comparable educational services to schools that receive funds for disadvantaged children; or (3) does not comply with a court order. Allows students or parents aggrieved by violations of this Act to bring civil actions for enforcement in Federal district courts.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the U.S. Government and Congress should condemn acts of anti-Semitism and intolerance; (2) officials and elected leaders of all Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) participating states, including all OSCE Mediterranean Partner for Cooperation countries, should also condemn acts of anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, and discrimination; (3) the participating OSCE states should be commended for supporting the Berlin Declaration and for bringing increased attention to incidents of anti-Semitism and intolerance; (4) the U.S. Government should work with other OSCE participating states to encourage compliance with OSCE commitments and, if necessary, urge the creation of legal mechanisms to combat and track acts of anti-Semitism and intolerance; (5) all participating states should forward their respective laws and data on incidents of anti-Semitism and other hate crimes to the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights; (6) the United States should encourage appointment of a high level "personal envoy" to ensure sustained attention to OSCE commitments on the reporting of anti-Semitic crimes; (7) the United States should urge OSCE participating states that have not already done so to join the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research; and (8) all OSCE participating states should renew efforts to implement their existing commitments to fight anti-Semitism and intolerance.
![Official portrait of Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000563_200.jpg)