United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2003
Declares that the Federal Trade Commission is authorized under the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act to compile and implement a national do-not-call registry. Ratifies the do-not-call registry provision of the Telemarketing Sales Rule promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission, effective March 31, 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2003
Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, upon completion of specified agricultural work and residency requirements, to adjust the status of a qualifying alien agricultural worker (and spouse and minor children) to that of a: (1) lawfully admitted temporary nonimmigrant; and (2) permanent resident nonimmigrant. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) adjustment of status applications, including penalties for false statements; (2) waiver of numerical limitations and certain grounds for inadmissibility; (3) temporary stay of removal and work authorization; (4) administrative and judicial review; and (5) dissemination of program information. Amends the Social Security Act to provide for the correction of such aliens' social security records. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to set forth registry application requirements for H-2A employers and employer associations, including assurances: (1) that the job opportunity is temporary or seasonal, and is not the result of a labor dispute, (2) that attempts have been made to hire U.S. workers; and (3) respecting required wages and benefits, and compliance with labor laws. Sets forth employment requirements with respect to: (1) wages; (2) housing; and (3) transportation reimbursement. Establishes the Commission on Agricultural Wage Standards under the H-2A program. Revises provisions respecting the admission and extension of stay of temporary H-2A workers. Provides special rules for alien sheepherders. Sets forth worker protection and labor standards enforcement provisions for such aliens
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2003
Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal section 114 (Extraterritorial Income) which excludes from gross income extraterritorial income. Permits a corporation a limited deduction for qualified production activities (expenses attributable to domestic production activities). Allows a 20 year foreign tax credit carryforward. Revises provisions concerning the application of look-thru rules to dividends from noncontrolled section 902 corporations. Adds provisions providing for the recharacterization of overall domestic loss. Permits a worldwide affiliated group to have the taxable income of each domestic corporation which is a member of such group to be determined by allocating and apportioning interest expense of each member as if all members of such group were a single corporation. Revises provisions concerning foreign personal holding income with respect to commodity transactions. Repeals provisions relating to: (1) foreign personal holding companies; (2) gain on foreign investment company stock; (3) the election by foreign investment companies to distribute income currently; (4) the withholding tax on dividends from certain foreign corporations; and (5) the capital gains tax on aliens present in the United States for 183 days or more. Exempts a foreign corporation from the definition of a personal holding company.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2003
Exempts from the requirement to pay subsistence charges while hospitalized in a military facility an officer or former officer, or an enlisted member or former enlisted member not entitled to retired or retainer pay or equivalent pay, who is hospitalized in a military facility because of an injury or disease incurred: (1) as a direct result of armed conflict; (2) while engaged in hazardous service; (3) in the performance of duty under conditions simulating war; or (4) through an instrumentality of war.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2003
Recognizes September 11 as both a day to remember those killed and a day for recommitment to our national purpose. Extends sympathies to the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and their families and friends. Honors the heroic actions of first responders, law enforcement personnel, and others who aided the victims. Extends gratitude to the members of the armed forces who are defending the United States from future attack. Praises the people of the United States for donating time and money to support the victims and their families and friends. Expresses gratitude to the leaders and citizens of all nations who have assisted and continue to stand in solidarity with the United States against terrorism. Reaffirms that the Senate will honor the memory of those who lost their lives as a result of those attacks and will act to defend U.S. citizens in all future challenges.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2003
Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out the following major medical facility projects, in specified amounts: (1) construction of a health care facility at a location selected by the Secretary in East Central Florida, as part of the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) initiative; (2) improvements at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to bring that facility into compliance with the CD-54 Natural Disasters Directive; and (3) construction of a health care facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, as part of the CARES initiative.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2003
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Acknowledges historically Black colleges and universities and their presidents, faculties, staff, and trustees for their efforts in support of equal opportunity in higher education. Commends the students of such institutions for their pursuit of academic excellence.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2003
Commends the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) for its major contributions to the strengthening of democracy around the world, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of NED's establishment. Declares that Congress endeavors to continue to support NED's vital work.
United States · United States Congress · 2 September 2003
Amends the Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act to authorize three additional health care regions for the Department of Veterans Affairs assisted living for veterans pilot program. (Limits service in such additional areas to three years.)
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2003
Real Estate Investment Trust Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise real estate investment trust (REIT) provisions respecting: (1) straight debt safe harbor; (2) limited rental exception; (3) customary services exception; (4) hedging instruments; (5) prohibited transaction safe harbor; (6) distributions attributable to gain from sales or exchanges of U.S. real property interests; and (7) rules of application for asset requirements and limitations.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2003
Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2003 or the DREAM Act - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on State residence unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to such State residence. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who: (1) entered the United States prior to his or her sixteenth birthday, and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; (4) at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education, or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma; and (5) from the age of 16 and older, has never been under a final order of exclusion, deportation, or removal. Sets forth the conditions for conditional permanent resident status, including: (1) termination of status for violation of this Act; and (2) removal of conditional status to permanent status. Authorizes an alien who has satisfied the appropriate requirement prior to enactment of this Act to petition the Secretary for permanent status without first becoming a conditional resident. Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) exclusive jurisdiction; (2) penalties for false application statements; (3) confidentiality; (4) fee prohibitions; and (5) a General Accounting Office report respecting the number of aliens adjusted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to classify any motorsports entertainment complex asset as 7-year property for purposes of the accelerated cost recovery system.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2003
9-11 Memorial Intelligence Reform Act - Amends the National Security Act of 1947 to establish: (1) an Office of the Director of National Intelligence (Office); (2) a Director of National Intelligence (Director); (3) a Deputy Director of National Intelligence; (3) a Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Community Management; (4) a National Intelligence Council; (5) Assistant Directors of National Intelligence for Collection, Analysis and Production, and Administration; (6) a General Counsel to the Director; and (7) an Inspector General of the Intelligence Community. Renames the Director of Central Intelligence the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Provides for the coordination of functions and responsibilities between the Office and Director and the Central Intelligence Agency and its Director. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Director of National Intelligence should be a Cabinet-level officer. Directs the President to establish priorities for the intelligence, intelligence-related, and counterterrorism activities of the Government. Requires the: (1) National Security Council to prepare a Government-wide strategy for combating terrorism; (2) National Intelligence Officer on Terrorism to be included on the National Intelligence Council; (3) Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to enhance FBI counterterrorism capabilities; (4) Director of National Intelligence, Attorney General, and Secretary of Homeland Security to report on reforms in domestic intelligence programs and activities; (5) Attorney General to provide training to intelligence community personnel in addressing terrorist threats; (6) Director to improve and enhance the quality of personnel of the intelligence community, and to report on the budgeting and funding of Federal intelligence and counterterrorism activities; and (7) enhancement of access to relevant intelligence information among Federal agencies and of intelligence community accountability in the performance of intelligence activities. Requires the Director to: (1) establish the National Terrorist Watchlist Center; and (2) enhance efforts to identify the support or involvement of foreign governments in terrorist activities.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2003
Provides that : (1) Executive Order 13233 of November 1, 2001 (relating to restrictions on access to presidential records with respect to constitutionally based privileges) shall have no force or effect; and (2) Executive Order 12667 of January 18, 1989 (relating to the assertion of executive privilege in connection with the release of presidential records) shall apply by its terms.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2003
Calls for the President to designate the week of November 9-15, 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 · 25 July 2003
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the committee of conference between the Senate and House of Representatives on H.R. 1308 should agree to a conference report before the August recess; (2) any conference report on H.R. 1308 should contain the provisions in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1308 concerning the refundability of the child tax credit; (3) any conference report on H.R. 1308 should contain the provisions in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1308 concerning the availability of the child tax credit for military families; (4) any conference report on H.R. 1308 should contain the provisions in the Armed Forces Tax Fairness Act of 2003; and (5) any conference report on H.R. 1308 should contain provisions to fully offset its cost.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2003
Relief for Working Families Tax Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (the Code), with respect to the child tax credit, to: (1) accelerate the increase from the 10 percent to the 15 percent rate; and (2) reduce the marriage penalty. Provides for a uniform definition of child in the Code. Establishes special tax provisions applicable to the uniformed services and the Foreign Service, including an extension of time to exclude gain from the sale of a principal residence, exclusion from income of certain death gratuity benefits, extending combat zone filing rules to contingency operations, excluding certain dependent care assistance from income, and the deduction overnight travel expenses for National Guard and Reserve members. Provides tax relief for families of the Columbia Space Shuttle by making the tax relief provisions applicable to terrorist attack victims applicable to the Columbia Space Shuttle. Suspends the tax-exempt status of a designated terrorist organization. Establishes IRS service user fee authority through September 30, 2013. Revises IRC expatriation tax provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2003
Sales Tax Equity Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit taxpayers an election to deduct State and local sales taxes in lieu of State and local income taxes. Sets forth rules for use in applying the economic substance doctrine, including defining economic substance doctrine. Establishes and modifies penalties concerning tax shelters. Revises provisions concerning corporate governance and executive compensation. Revises expatriation provisions. Revises other provisions concerning: (1) foreign source income and foreign pension plans; (2) partnership loss transfers; and (3) tax-exempt insurance companies.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2003
Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of Congress, a gold medal to Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. (posthumously) and his widow Coretta Scott King in recognition of their service to the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2003
Expresses the condolences of the Senate on the death of the Honorable J. Strom Thurmond, former Senator and President Pro Tempore Emeritus from South Carolina.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
Provides that, if a veteran claimant's filing of a notice of disagreement (a notice of the belief that a veteran's claim decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs is incorrect, together with a request for its appeal) meets minimum statutory requirements, then the notice will be deemed a notice of disagreement with full rights of appeal through the Board of Veterans' Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, notwithstanding its rejection by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Allows for the reevaluation of notices which were found to be defective during the period beginning on March 15, 2002, and ending on the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
Directs the President to appoint: (1) two additional permanent district judges for the middle district of Florida and four additional permanent district judges for the southern district of Florida; and (2) one additional temporary judge for the middle district of Florida (and directs that the first vacancy in the office of district judge in that district occurring ten years or more after the confirmation date of that judge not be filled).
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit rural mail carriers to treat qualified vehicle expenses in excess of reimbursements as miscellaneous itemized deductions.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2003
Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a deduction (based on years of continuous coverage) for eligible long-term care insurance premiums for a taxpayer, spouse, and dependents, including accelerated deduction percentages for persons who are 55 years old; and (2) long-term care insurance to be offered under cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements. Allows an income-adjusted (limited) credit for eligible individuals with long-term care needs. Sets forth specified requirements for qualifying long-term care insurance contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Downed Animal Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate regulations to provide for the humane treatment, handling, and disposition of nonambulatory livestock by a covered entity, including a requirement that nonambulatory livestock be humanely euthanized. Provides that an entity shall: (1) not move nonambulatory livestock while such livestock is conscious; and (2) humanely euthanize such livestock. Prohibits an establishment covered by the Federal Meat Inspection Act to pass nonambulatory livestock through inspection. Defines "covered entity," and "humanely euthanize."
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as the Paul Wellstone Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2003
Prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from taking any action proposed under the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services initiative of the Department of Veterans Affairs: (1) unless the Secretary has notified Congress of the intention to take such action; and (2) until the later of the expiration of a 60-day period, or 30 days of continuous congressional session, after such notification.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2003
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) identify the ten burial service areas in the United States that are most in need of a new national cemetery in order to ensure that 90 percent of the veterans who reside in each such area live within 75 miles of a national cemetery; (2) establish a national cemetery in each identified area; and (3) carry out advance planning in FY 2004 for the establishment of such cemeteries.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2003
Veterans Information and Benefits Enhancement Act of 2003 - Includes the following among the diseases to be considered service-connected, and therefore compensable through the Department of Veterans Affairs, when suffered by a veteran who is a former prisoner of war who was detained or interned for at least 30 days: (1) cardiovascular (heart) disease; (2) cerebrovascular disease (stroke); or (3) chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis and primary liver carcinoma. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) and the Secretary of Defense to jointly conduct a review of the mission, procedures, and administration of the Dose Reconstruction Program of the Department of Defense. Requires appointment of an advisory board for Program review and oversight. Directs the Secretary to conduct a study to determine the appropriate disposition of the Air Force Health Study, an epidemiologic study of Air Force personnel responsible for conducting aerial herbicide spray missions during the Vietnam era. Requires the Secretaries to make specified funds available to the National Academy of Sciences in each of FY 2004 through 2013 for the Academy's Medical Follow-Up Agency of the Institute of Medicine to conduct epidemiological research on military personnel and veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2003
Authorizes the President to present to Dr. Dorothy Height (President of the National Council of Negro Women) a congressional gold medal in recognition of her many contributions to the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2003
Reaffirms support for the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Anticipates the commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987 on November 4, 2003. Encourages the people and Government of the United States to rededicate themselves to ending genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2003
Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 - Prohibits the importation into the United States of any article that is a product of Burma (Myanmar) until the President determines and certifies to Congress that Burma has taken certain democratic and counternarcotics actions. Authorizes the President to waive such requirements. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to direct any U.S. financial institution holding funds of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) of Burma or the assets of individuals who hold senior positions in the SPDC or its political arm, the Union Solidarity Development Association, to report those assets to the Office of Foreign Assets Control and take such action as may be necessary to secure them. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. executive director to each appropriate international financial institution to oppose any extension of a loan or financial or technical assistance to Burma until the requirements of this Act are met. Authorizes the President to deny visas and entry into the United States to the former and present leadership of the SPDC or the Union Solidarity Development Association. Urges the Secretary of State to use all appropriate fora, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum and Asian Nations Regional Forum, to encourage other states to restrict financial resources to the SPDC and Burmese companies while offering support to Burma's democratic movement, including the National League for Democracy and Burma's ethnic groups. Authorizes the President to assist Burmese democracy activists dedicated to nonviolent opposition to the regime in their efforts to promote freedom, democracy, and human rights in Burma.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Safety Net Hospital Pharmacy Access Act of 2003 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to exclude inpatient prices charged to certain high-volume disproportionate share hospital (DSH) safety net providers from the Medicaid "best price" rule. (Thus allows such providers to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to receive deeper discounts on the prices of inpatient drugs. Currently such entities are able to receive discounts only on outpatient drugs because of a specified Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services interpretation of the "best price" exemption under the Medicaid drug rebate program.) Applies to any such drug purchased for inpatient use certain auditing and recordkeeping requirements under the Public Health Service Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the June 2, 2003, ruling of the Federal Communications Commission weakening media ownership rules is not in the public interest and should be rescinded.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2003
Working Taxpayer Fairness Restoration Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the refundability of the child tax credit, to accelerate the increase to the 15 percent rate. Limits, to fair market value immediately following a transaction, the importation of net built-in loss by a corporation. Prohibits an allocation of any decrease in the adjusted basis of partnership property to stock in a corporation which is a partner in the partnership. Repeals part V (Financial Asset Securitization Investment Trusts) of subchapter M (Regulated Investment Companies and Real Estate Investment Trusts). Expands the definition of a disqualified debt instrument with respect to deduction disallowance on certain debt instruments of corporations. Expands the authority to disallow deductions, credits, or other allowances under provisions disallowing such benefits due to acquisitions made to evade or avoid income tax. Amends provisions affecting passive foreign investment companies to state that the term "qualified portion" (of a shareholder's holding period) does not include any period if there is only a remote likelihood of an inclusion in gross income under subpart F (Controlled Foreign Income). Adds to the definition of the term "real estate investment trust" by stating that such term includes a corporation, trust, or association which is not a controlled entity. Directs the Secretary to establish a program requiring the payment of user fees, until September 30, 2013, for: (1) requests to the Internal Revenue Service for ruling letters, opinion letters, and determination letters; and (2) other similar requests.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2003
National Museum of African American History and Culture Act - (Sec. 4) Establishes within the Smithsonian Institution (SI) the National Museum of African American History and Culture, to be operated as a center for scholarship and a location for museum training, public education, exhibits, and collection and study of items and materials relating to the life, art, history, and culture of African Americans that encompass the period of slavery, the era of reconstruction, the Harlem renaissance, the civil rights movement, and other periods of the African American diaspora. (Sec. 5) Establishes the National Museum of African American History and Culture Council to: (1) advise and assist the SI Board of Regents on Museum planning, design, construction, operation, and budgets; and (2) have responsibility and authority with respect to the Museum's collections and work, subject to the Board of Regents' general policies. (Sec. 6) Requires the Secretary of SI to appoint a Director to manage the Museum. (Sec. 7) Establishes the Office of Education and Liaison Programs within the Museum to work with educational institutions and museums throughout the Nation. Requires the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services to establish specified grant, scholarship, internship, and fellowship programs relating to African American museums. (Sec. 8) Directs the Board of Regents to select the Museum's site from one of four specified sites on or adjacent to the national mall. Requires the Board of Regents to pay costs of planning, design, and construction of the Museum on the chosen site as follows: 50 percent from Federal funds and 50 percent from non-Federal sources. (Sec. 9) Provides for Congressional Budget Act compliance by declaring that authority under this Act to enter into contracts or to make payments shall be effective in any fiscal year only to the extent provided in advance in an appropriations Act, except that mounts made available under section 11 of this Act shall remain available until expended. (Sec. 10) Directs the Council and the Board of Regents, in carrying out their duties under this Act, to consider the reports and plans submitted by the National Museum of African American History and Culture Plan for Action Presidential Commission under the National Museum of African American History and Culture Plan for Action Presidential Commission Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-106). (Sec. 11) Authorizes appropriations in a specified amount for FY 2004, and in necessary amounts for subsequent fiscal years.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2003
Hispanic Health Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends the Social Security Act to provide incentives for States to grant title XIX (Medicaid) and title XXI (SCHIP) coverage to parents and pregnant women. Grants automatic enrollment of children in State child health assistance who are born to title XXI parents. Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to permit States and localities to provide certain health care benefits to aliens that current law prohibits States and localities from granting. Amends Title XIX of the Social Security Act (Medicaid) to make children enrolled in SCHIP eligible for the pediatric vaccine distribution program. Latina Adolescent Suicide Prevention Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program for the prevention of Latina adolescent suicides. Patient Navigator, Outreach, and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration; (2) the Director of the National Cancer Institute; and (3) the Director of the Indian Health Service to make grants for model programs to provide services for cancer and chronic diseases to individuals of health disparity populations. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to make grants to Hispanic-serving health professions schools to carry out programs to recruit Hispanic individuals to enroll in and graduate from the schools. Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend the programs of the Office of Minority Health. Directs the heads of certain agencies within the public health service to establish individual offices of minority health. Establishes in the Department of Health and Human Services an Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act of 2003 - Establishes procedures for immigration officers who find an unaccompanied alien child at a U.S. land border or point of entry who is a national or habitual resident of a contiguous country. Establishes that other unaccompanied alien children, including trafficking victims, shall be in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, except that such children who threaten U.S. security or who are charged with or have been convicted of a felony shall be in the care of the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security. Sets forth a family reunification preference order. Prohibits, with an exception for violent children, detention in adult or delinquent children facilities. Directs the Office to develop procedures for detention and prohibited detention practices. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States Government should ensure that it does not repatriate children in its custody into life- and safety-threatening settings. Directs the Secretary of State to include in the annual State Department Country Report on Human Rights an assessment of the degree to which each country protects children from smugglers and traffickers. Directs the Office, with respect to unaccompanied alien children in the custody of the Office or the Department of Homeland Security, to: (1) develop age determination procedures; and (2) provide immigration counsel. Directs the Executive Office for Immigration Review to develop model guidelines for legal representation of children. Authorizes the Office to provide that each unaccompanied child have a guardian ad litem. Requires the Office to implement a pilot program for the appointment of guardians ad litem. Amends special immigrant juvenile provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Expresses congressional commendation of the Immigration and Naturalization Service' s issuance of its "Guidelines for Children's Asylum Claims." Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide immigration officers with related training. Exempts unaccompanied alien children from certain removal and asylum provisions. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to set forth additional responsibilities and authorities of the Office with respect to unaccompanied alien children.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include associated development costs in the basis of any building which is part of a low-income housing project when calculating the low-income housing credit.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2003
Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2003 - Authorizes appointment of additional bankruptcy judgeships for specified States, including additional temporary bankruptcy judgeships for Puerto Rico, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Mississippi, and Georgia. Extends certain existing temporary bankruptcy judgeships in Alabama and. Tennessee. Converts the bankruptcy judgeship presently shared by the southern district and the middle district of Georgia to a bankruptcy judgeship for the middle district of Georgia. Converts to a permanent bankruptcy judgeship existing temporary bankruptcy judgeships for the districts of Delaware and Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2003
Preservation of Localism, Program Diversity, and Competition in Television Broadcast Service Act of 2003 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from permitting any license for a commercial television broadcast station to be granted, transferred, or assigned to any party if such action would result in that party owning, operating, controlling, or having a cognizable interest in stations which have an aggregate national audience reach exceeding 35 percent. Requires any party currently having licenses in excess of such limit to divest as necessary to comply with such limit within one year.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2003
Transit in Parks Act (or the TRIP Act) - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to develop cooperative relationships with the Secretary of the Interior providing for: (1) technical assistance in alternative transportation; (2) interagency and multidisciplinary teams to develop Federal land management agency (the National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, or the Bureau of Land Management) alternative transportation policy, procedures, and coordination; and (3) the development of procedures and criteria relating to the planning, selection, and funding of qualified planning or capital projects carried out in or in the vicinity of any federally owned or managed park, refuge, or recreational area that is open to the general public and implementation and oversight of the program of projects in accordance with this Act. Sets forth requirements with respect to departmental cost sharing, financing, and selection of qualified projects. Requires projects of more than $25 million to be carried out through a full funding agreement. Requires the qualified participants of such projects to prepare a project management plan.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2003
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act - Permits the Director of the National Institutes of Health (the "Director" of NIH), acting through the Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, to expand and coordinate the activities of NIH with respect to research on paralysis. Allows the Director to award grants to public or nonprofit entities to fund Christopher Reeve Paralysis Research Consortia for paralysis research. Permits the Director to solicit public input regarding paralysis research programs. Allows the Director, acting through the Director of the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development and the National Center for Rehabilitation Research and in collaboration with other agencies, to expand and coordinate the activities of NIH with respect to research with implications for enhancing daily function for persons with paralysis. Permits the Director to make grants to multicenter networks of clinical sites that will collaborate on rehabilitation intervention protocols. Permits the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to study the unique health challenges associated with paralysis and other physical disabilities to improve the quality of life and long-term health status of individuals with such conditions. Allows the Secretary to undertake direct research and to make grants. Provides for the formation of a national paralysis and physical disability quality of life plan and a hospital-based paralysis registry. Permits the Secretary to award grants to: (1) State and local health and disability agencies, including for the purpose of establishing paralysis registries; and (2) nonprofit private health and disability organizations, including for the purpose of disseminating information to the public. Allows the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) establish within the Department of Veterans Affairs centers for paralysis research, education, and clinical activities; and (2) carry out initiatives, through the award of grants, for quality enhancement of research on paralysis.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2003
Syria Accountability Act of 2003 - Declares the sense of Congress that: (1) Syria should halt support for terrorism, withdraw armed forces from Lebanon, stop develpment of ballistic missiles and biological and chemical weapons, and halt imports and transshipments of Iraqi oil; (2) Lebanon and Syria should enter into bilateral negotiations for peace with Israel; and (3) the United States should continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Lebanon only through private and international organizations until the Government of Lebanon asserts sovereignty over its borders. Declares U.S. policy that Syria: (1) will be listed as a state sponsor of terrorism until it stops supporting terrorism; (2) is in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 520 through its continued occupation of Lebanese territory; and (3) has violated Resolution 661 by purchasing oil from Iraq. Declares that restoration of Lebanon's sovereignty is in the U.S. national interest. Requires the President, unless the President certifies that Syria does not support international terrorist groups or allow them to maintain facilities in Syria, has withdrawn all security personnel from Lebanon, has ceased the development of ballistic missiles and biological and chemical weapons, and is no longer violating Resolution 661, to: (1) prohibit the export to Syria of specified defense articles or services and items on the Commerce Control List; and (2) impose two or more of specified sanctions (including prohibiting U.S. exports to, or U.S. businesses investments or operations in, Syria). Authorizes the President to provide development assistance to Syria and Lebanon if the President: (1) makes that certification; (2) determines that progress has been made toward negotiating peace agreements between Israel, Syria, and Lebanon; and (3) determines that Syria is strictly respecting Lebanon's sovereignty.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2003
Job Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the foreign sales corporation/extraterritorial income (FSC/ETI) exclusion, with an exemption for certain binding contracts in effect before the date of enactment of this Act. Permits a foreign corporation that elected to be treated as a domestic corporation to revoke such election and be treated as a domestic corporation transferring its property to a foreign corporation with no gain recognized on such transfer. Provides: (1) a transitional 2004 through 2008 sliding-scale deduction for an FSC/ETI beneficiary based on the corporation's 2001 FSC/ETI benefit; and (2) special rules for 2003 and for fiscal year taxpayers. Defines "FSC/ETI benefit." Allows a deduction for income attributable to U.S. production activities equal to ten percent of qualified production activities. Provides a 2006 through 2009 phase-in period. Defines "qualified production activities" as: (1) the portion of the modified taxable income attributable to domestic activities; and (2) the domestic/foreign fraction. Sets forth related provisions with respect to: (1) determination of income attributable to domestic production activities; (2) domestic production gross receipts; (3) qualifying production property; (4) domestic/foreign fraction; and (5) special rules.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2003
Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Attorney General to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that: (1) constitutes a crime of violence under Federal law or a felony under State or Indian tribal law; and (2) is motivated by prejudice based on the race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability of the victim or is a violation of the hate crime laws of the State or tribe. Directs the Attorney General to give priority for assistance to crimes committed by offenders who have committed crimes in more than one State and to rural jurisdictions that have difficulty covering the extraordinary investigation or prosecution expenses. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to assist State, local, and Indian law enforcement officials with such extraordinary expenses. Directs the Office of Justice Programs to: (1) work closely with funded jurisdictions to ensure that the concerns and needs of all affected parties are addressed; and (2) award grants to State and local programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles. Prohibits specified offenses involving actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to study and provide sentencing enhancements for adult recruitment of juveniles to commit hate crimes. Amends the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to require the crime data to be collected and published by the Attorney General to include data about crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on gender.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2003
Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 500,000 one dollar coins which shall be emblematic of the warrior ethos of the United States Marine Corps. Requires all surcharges from the sale of the coins to be paid to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation for construction of the Marine Corps Heritage Center.
![Official portrait of Sen. Graham, Bob [D-FL]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/g000352_200.jpg)