United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2003
War Financing Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to add a new chapter which imposes a tax on each taxable transaction. Defines such transactions as: (1) the sale of property or services in the United States by a taxable person in connection with a business; (2) the import of property or services for use or consumption in the United States; (3) the (a) sale of property or services (not included in (b)) in the United States other than in connection with business for a consideration that exceeds $1,000, or (b) lease of property in the United States other than in connection with a business, if the fair market value of the leased property exceeds $1,000; and (4) the sale of property or services exported from the United States for use or consumption outside the United States. Sets forth further provisions: (1) concerning taxable transactions; (2) taxable amount, rate of tax and exemption from tax for certain transactions and certain entities, and credits; (3) administration; and (4) definitions and special rules. Establishes in the U.S. Treasury the War Financing Trust Fund into which amounts received from the taxes imposed by this Act will be deposited. Requires the Trust Fund to be used to: (1) pay the administrative costs of collecting such taxes or in operating the War Financing Trust Fund; and (2) meet those obligations of the United States incurred with respect to any case in which U.S. Armed Forces are introduced into hostilities or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2003
Truth in Tuna Labeling Act of 2003 - Amends the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act to declare that a tuna product labeled "dolphin safe" violates the Federal Trade Commission Act unless it is accompanied by a certificate stating that no dolphins were intentionally chased or harassed during the particular voyage on which the tuna were caught using purse seine nets. Applies this mandate to tuna products harvested either outside or inside the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2003
Expedited Remedy for Persistent Dumping Act of 2003 - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to revise requirements for monitoring cases of suspected persistent dumping to: (1) provide for an expedited antidumping investigation of merchandise from an additional supplier country if the Department of Commerce discerns imports of merchandise from the additional supplier country have increased by 15 percent or more during a period of 90 days or longer; and (2) establish Department of Commerce and International Trade Commission procedures and deadlines for making determinations as to whether or not dumping and injury have occurred. Adds specific conditions for reducing the price used to establish export price or "constructed export price," meaning the amount at which the merchandise is first sold or agreed to be sold in the United States by or for the producer or exporter.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Declares Jaya Gulab Tolani and Hitesh Gulab Tolani to be considered to have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence under the Immigration and Nationality Act upon payment of the required visa fees.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that if there exists a Federal on-budget deficit income tax rate reductions shall be suspended until it is determined that such a deficit does not exist.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
National Defense Rail Act - Requires studies or assessments of: (1) security risks associated with freight and intercity passenger rail transportation; (2) security priorities; (3) rail crossing delay security issues; (4) existing rail safety regulations; (5) foreign rail transport security programs; and (6) the feasibility of passenger, baggage, and cargo screening. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) establish a national high-speed ground transportation policy; and (2) provide 100 percent financial assistance to develop and implement high-speed rail corridors according to designated priorities, including the elimination of hazards of railway-highway crossings. Requires such projects to comply with Buy American and competitive bidding requirements, and specified labor standards, including the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act. Defines the national rail passenger transportation system. Authorizes Amtrak to operate an intercity rail service or route not included in such system, as specified. Declares that nothing in this Act is intended to preclude Amtrak from restoring, improving, or developing non-high-speed intercity passenger rail service. Repeals the requirement that Amtrak be self-sufficient. Authorizes additional appropriations for Amtrak for retirement of principal and interest on its debt service, and for improving accessibility for the elderly and people with disabilities, including compliance with environmental regulations. Authorizes appropriations for the Northeast Corridor, long and short distance trains, and State-supported routes. Directs the Secretary to re-establish the Northeast Corridor Safety Committee. Revises requirements concerning the Amtrak board of directors. Requires an independent audit of Amtrak operations and the development of a five-year financial plan. Revises requirements of the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 concerning loans and loan guarantees. Directs the Secretary to establish a rail passenger cooperative research program, including an advisory board.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Universal National Service Act of 2003 - Declares that it is the obligation of every U.S. citizen, and every other person residing in the United States, between the ages of 18 and 26 to perform a two-year period of national service, unless exempted, either as a member of an active or reserve component of the armed forces or in a civilian capacity that promotes national defense. Requires induction into national service by the President. Sets forth provisions governing: (1) induction deferments, postponements, and exemptions, including exemption of a conscientious objector from military service that includes combatant training; and (2) discharge following national service. Amends the Military Selective Service Act to authorize the military registration of females.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
National Aviation Capacity Expansion Act of 2003 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement the redesign and reconstruction of Chicago O'Hare International Airport in Cook and Dupage Counties, Illinois, in accordance with a specified runway design plan, and the development of a south suburban airport in the Chicago metropolitan region, by facilitating their funding, construction, and implementation and all agency reviews. Requires the State of Illinois to prepare an implementation plan under the Clean Air Act for regulating emissions associated with activity at commercial service airports. Makes the Administrator's approval of an airport layout plan submitted by Chicago that includes the runway redesign plan conditional on the meeting of specified requirements. Directs the Administrator to give priority consideration to letter of intent applications for the construction of the south suburban airport and for the extension of the main runway at the Gary/Chicago Airport. Requires the withholding of all airport grant funds for O'Hare (other than grants involving national security and safety) until January 1, 2026, unless specified conditions with respect to operations at Merrill C. Meigs Field have been met. Directs the Administrator, in providing funds to implement the runway redesign plans, to receive adequate specified assurances from the City of Chicago regarding competitive access to O'Hare by all air carriers.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Veterans and Military Personnel Fairness Act of 2003 - Removes, for months beginning on or after October 1, 2003, the requirement that qualifying offsetting legislation be enacted before a member or former member of the armed forces may be paid military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation concurrently without deduction. Repeals, as of such date, a special compensation program for certain severely disabled military retirees. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) make available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for programs, functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration for FY 2005 120 percent of the amount obligated during FY 2003; and (2) adjust the amount provided after FY 2005 based on the number of enrolled veterans and the number of others eligible for and provided care and the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index. Armed Forces Tax Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income as a qualified military benefit the amount of the death gratuity payable under chapter 75 of title 10 of the United States Code, effective with respect to deaths occurring after September 10, 2001. Authorizes a member of the uniformed services or the Foreign Service serving on "qualified official extended duty" to extend for ten years the five-year period utilized in determining full exclusion of gain from the sale of a principal residence. Exempts amounts received under the Homeowners Assistance Program from: (1) inclusion as gross income; and (2) consideration as wages for Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax purposes (including Medicare). Extends combat zone filing rules to contingency operations. Provides a deduction for itemizers and non-itemizers for unreimbursed overnight travel, meals, and lodging expenses of National Guard and Reserve members who must travel as part of their official duties. States that all property of a "covered expatriate" shall be treated as sold on the day before the "expatriation date" for its fair market value. Permits an individual to make an irrevocable decision to be taxed as a U.S. citizen with respect to all property otherwise covered by the expatriation provisions. Excludes certain U.S. real property interests from the provisions of this Act. Subjects retirement plans to the provisions of this Act. Includes in a recipient's gross income the value of property received by gift or bequest from a covered expatriate, with exceptions. Establishes IRS service user fee authority through September 30, 2012. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to deny a former citizen reentry into the United States for noncompliance with the provisions of this Act. (Current law denies reentry based upon tax-motivated expatriation.)
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Emergency Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide: (1) emergency financial assistance to agricultural producers (without regard to Federal crop insurance coverage) who have incurred qualifying 2001 and/or 2002 crop losses due to weather or related conditions; and (2) payments to livestock producers who have incurred 2001 and/or 2002 losses in an emergency-designated county, with set-asides for the American Indian livestock program.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2002
Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 to extend the Secretary of Agriculture's authority to allow tobacco-related farm reconstitutions in lieu of lease and transfer of allotments and quotas.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2002
National Institute of Standards and Technology Authorization Act of 2002 - Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Commerce for: (1) Scientific and Technical Research Services activities of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the Measurement Standards Laboratories and the Malcomb Baldrige National Quality Program; and (2) Industrial Technology Services activities of NIST for the Advanced Technology Program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program; and (3) Construction of Research Facilities activities. Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to remove the one percent limit on NIST funds the Director of NIST is authorized to expend for awards of research fellowships and other financial assistance to students. Establishes the Baldrige National Quality Program within NIST to administer the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and to perform research and outreach activities to assist quality and performance improvement efforts. Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to: (1) increase the number of Malcolm awards; and (2) include not-for-profit organizations as qualifying organizations. Modifies NIST Act provisions regarding the Advanced Technology Program, including by authorizing: (1) the Secretary to aid U.S. joint research and development (R&D) ventures led by institutions of higher education or other nonprofit research organizations; and (2) the Secretary, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology, and the Director to enter into contracts with experts to analyze the need for or value of joint ventures in specific technical fields. Authorizes: (1) the Secretary, when entering into procurement contracts or financial assistance agreements to carry out collective R&D initiatives, to limit eligibility to nonprofit organizations; and (2) the Director to retain building use and depreciation surcharge fees for maintenance and repair of NIST facilities. Repeals provisions requiring the Director to establish a non-energy inventions program.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2002
Declares that the Senate: (1) supports the goals and ideals of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund; and (2) salutes and acknowledges the Fund and its efforts in support of equal opportunity in higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2002
Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for Community Building Act - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to award a grant to Neighborhood House of St. Paul, Minnesota, to finance the construction of a new community center in St. Paul, to be known as the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for Community Building.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2002
Southern Campaign of the Revolution Heritage Area Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating specified South Carolina counties, and, possibly, North Carolina sites, as the Southern Campaign of the Revolution Heritage Area.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2002
Tobacco-Dependent Communities Assistance Act of 2002 - Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture, upon making specified determinations, to establish three-year national production poundage permits for Flue-cured and Burley tobacco, unless disapproved in successive referenda by active growers. Directs the Secretary to establish a tobacco equity reduction program for quota owners and growers of Flue-cured and Burley quota tobacco. Expresses the sense of Congress that quota owners and growers of Flue-cured and Burley tobacco should be able to invest tobacco equity payments in investment retirement accounts. Terminates marketing quotas for Flue-cured and Burley tobacco. Revises provisions regarding: (1) lease and transfer of acreage allotments; and (2) national marketing quota deadlines and apportionment; (3) poundage quotas; (4) purchase intention deadlines for cigarette manufacturers; (5) production and marketing information; (6) quota adjustments; (7) eminent domain; and (8) reconstitution of farms. Repeals provisions providing for mandatory sale of Burley and Flue-cured tobacco acreage allotments and marketing quotas. Prohibits Federal promotion of manufactured tobacco products. Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to revise tobacco price support provisions. States that the price support rate for each type of tobacco shall reflect annual production costs. Eliminates references to quota tobacco in the No Net Cost Tobacco Fund and No Net Cost Tobacco Account. Amends the Tobacco Inspection Act to apply the provisions of such Act to nonauction tobacco sales. Amends the Tobacco Adjustment Act of 1983 regarding tobacco inspections. Establishes a tobacco worker transition program under which a group of workers (including workers in any firm, or subdivision, involved in the manufacture, processing, or warehousing of tobacco or tobacco products) may apply for adjustment assistance if the Secretary of Labor determines that a significant number or proportion of the workers have become totally or partially separated, or are threatened to become totally or partially separated, and: (1) sales or production of such firm have decreased; and (2) implementation of the national tobacco settlement contributed importantly to such workers' separation and to the firm's decline in sales or production. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a farmer opportunity grant program of higher education assistance for qualifying members of tobacco farm families. Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 to direct the Secretary to make grants to tobacco-growing States in order to carry out economic development initiatives in tobacco-growing communities. Exempts an active tobacco producer, tobacco-related growers association, or tobacco warehouse owner or employee from Federal or State liability resulting from the failure of any tobacco product manufacturer, distributor, or retailer to comply with national tobacco settlement legislation. Prohibits an officer or employee of the Food and Drug Administration from entering a leaf tobacco farm without the written consent of the producer.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2002
Recognizes the 100th anniversary of the 4-H Youth Development Program, and commends such program for service to the youth of the world. Designates October 6, 2002, through October 12, 2002, as National 4-H Youth Development Program Week.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2002
Quality of Care for Individuals With Cancer Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to grant a contract to a national voluntary consensus organization, whereby the organization shall agree to identify core sets of quality of cancer care measures in consultation with a panel or an advisory group of interested parties. Expands the national program of State cancer registries funded under the Act. Directs the Secretary to establish a Cancer Surveillance System to monitor such registries, and reauthorizes the national program through 2008. Modifies provision dealing with matching funds to require States pay at least one dollar for every five (currently, three) Federal dollars spent on a cancer registry. Requires the Secretary to develop partnerships to speed the pace of improvements in the quality of cancer care. Directs the Secretary to establish a National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program to improve the quality of cancer care. Requires the Secretary to award grants to entities to develop, implement, and evaluate: (1) cancer case management programs; (2) model programs for the delivery of palliative care for cancer sufferers; and (3) end-of-life care programs. Directs the Secretary to conduct and support research regarding cancer survivorship. Requires the Secretary to make grants to support cancer curriculum development for health care provider training. Requires National Cancer Institute cancer control programs to include a plan to assist health professionals in professions facing the most severe shortages. Requires the Director of the National Cancer Institute to cooperate with, and make grants to, public or nonprofit entities to conduct multidisciplinary translational cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2002
Federal Aviation Administration Research, Engineering, and Development Act of 2002 - Amends Federal aviation law to authorize appropriations out of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund for the Federal Aviation Administration for specified aviation research and development (R&D) projects. Requires the submission to specified congressional committees of an updated integrated civil aviation R&D plan that coordinates national aviation safety and security research programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Sets forth requirements calling for: (1) the continuation of a research program to improve airfield pavements; (2) a national initiative that defines and develops an air traffic management system designed to meet national long-term aviation security, safety, and capacity needs; (3) an assessment of the FAA's proposed wake turbulence R&D program; (4) FAA research to promote the development of analytical tools to improve existing certification methods and to reduce the overall costs to manufacturers for the certification of new products; (5) the establishment of a research program to answer questions about cabin air quality of aircraft; and (6) the review and assessment of the specific causes of airport delay at the 31 airports identified in the Airport Benchmarking Study, on an airport-by-airport basis.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2002
Aviation Security Improvement Act - Amends Federal aviation law to require the Under Secretary of Transportation for Security of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to make specified reports to Congress if TSA is unable to deploy explosive detection systems at all airports by December 31, 2002. Requires the screening of cargo that is to be transported in passenger aircraft operated by domestic and foreign air carriers in interstate and intrastate air transportation (currently, only those transported by all-cargo aircraft). Sets forth certain measures to increase the safety and security of air cargo, including the establishment of systems that: (1) provide for the regular inspection of shipping facilities for cargo shipment; (2) provide an industry-wide data base of known shippers of cargo; (3) provide a training program for air cargo handlers to ensure that cargo is properly handled and safe-guarded from security breaches; and (4) require air carriers operating all-cargo aircraft to have an approved security plan for their operations. Directs the Under Secretary to develop protocols to provide guidance for detection of false or fraudulent passenger identification. Authorizes the Under Secretary to establish and carry out a program to require the installation and use at airports of appropriate identification verification technologies to assist in the screening of air passengers. Sets forth both civil and criminal penalties for persons who intentionally circumvent airport security systems and procedures. Provides for the extension for a specified period of time of aviation war risk insurance policies to domestic and foreign air carriers, including a provision to amend such policies to provide coverage for losses or injuries to hull, passengers, and crew, in addition to coverage for injury to third parties. Requires a report to Congress regarding the use of blast-resistant cargo container technology.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2002
Federal Trade Commission Reauthorization Act of 2002 - Amends the Federal Trade Commission Act to: (1) authorize appropriations for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) through FY 2005; and (2) delete the Communications Act of 1934 from the definition of "Acts to regulate commerce" (thereby eliminating the exception of common carriers subject to such Act (telecommunications) from the FTC's regulatory authority). Authorizes the FTC to accept payment or reimbursement from or on behalf of a domestic or foreign law enforcement authority for expenses incurred by the FTC in carrying out any activity pursuant to statute, without regard to any other provision of law. Authorizes the FTC to accept and use unconditional gifts, donations, bequests of property, and voluntary and uncompensated services that would not create a conflict of interest.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2002
National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2002 - Amends Federal transportation law to reauthorize appropriations for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Authorizes appropriations necessary to increase the NTSB emergency fund to, and maintain it at, a level not to exceed a certain amount (such amount available for NTSB expenses for accident investigations). Authorizes appropriations to the NTSB for necessary expenses of the NTSB Academy. Authorizes the Board to impose and collect a fee as an offsetting collection for NTSB Academy services. Requires the NTSB, in cases where it has relinquished investigative priority with respect to an aircraft accident or a railroad accident, to assist, to the maximum extent possible, the agency to which it has relinquished investigative priority in assisting families with respect to the accident. Authorizes the Board, with respect to its duties to investigate transportation-related accidents, to enter into contracts without regard to laws requiring a competitive bid process if it is necessary to expedite an investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2002
Designates the month of September 2002 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Declares that the Federal Government has a responsibility to: (1) raise awareness about the importance of screening methods and treatment of prostate cancer; (2) increase research funding that is commensurate with the burden of the disease so that the causes of, and improved methods for screening, treating, and curing prostate cancer may be discovered; and (3) continue to consider ways for improving access to, and the quality of, health care services for detecting and treating prostate cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2002
Honoring the Passengers and Crew of United Flight 93 Act - Authorizes the President to award posthumously the Congressional Gold Medal to the passengers and crew of United Airlines flight 93 in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the United States on September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2002
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health, should conduct or support research on the effectiveness of medical screening techniques for ovarian cancer, including the use of proteomic patterns in blood serum in combination with other techniques. Requires a report to Congress and the inclusion of such technique in Federal health care programs and group and individual health plans if it proves effective.
United States · United States Congress · 3 September 2002
Declares Jaya Gulab Tolani and Hitesh Gulab Tolani to be considered to have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence under the Immigration and Nationality Act upon payment of the required visa fees.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2002
Firefighting Research and Coordination Act - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to direct the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration (Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency) to: (1) develop new, and utilize existing, measurement techniques and testing methodologies for evaluating new firefighting technologies; (2) evaluate the compatibility of new equipment and technology with existing technology; and (3) support the development of new standards through national voluntary consensus standards organizations for new firefighting technologies based on specified techniques and methodologies. Directs the Administrator to: (1) establish a national training and response plan under which the Administrator shall be the primary contact point for State and local firefighting units in the event of a national emergency; and (2) work with State and local fire service officials to establish, as part of such plan, nationwide and State mutual aid systems for dealing with such emergencies that include threat assessment and equipment deployment strategies, as well as means of collecting asset and resource information to provide accurate and timely data for regional deployment. Authorizes the Superintendent of the National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control to train fire service personnel in: (1) strategies for building collapse rescue; (2) the use of technology in response to fires; (3) response, tactics, and strategies for dealing with terrorist-caused national catastrophes; (4) use of and familiarity with the national plan; (5) leadership and strategic skills, including integrated management systems operations and integrated response; (6) strategies and tactics for fighting forest fires; (7) integration of terrorism response agencies into the national terrorism incident response system; and (8) response tactics and strategies for fighting fires at U.S. ports, including fires on the water and aboard vessels.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2002
Recognizes the significance of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Acknowledges the outstanding contributions of its member agencies to fish and wildlife conservation.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2002
National Science Foundation Doubling Act - Authorizes appropriations to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for FY 2003 through 2007, with specific allocations for: (1) research and related activities; (2) education and human resources; (3) major research equipment and facilities construction; (4) salaries and expenses; and (5) the Office of Inspector General. Requires the NSF Director (Director), using such authorized amounts, to continue specified initiatives concerning: (1) information technology research involving cybersecurity, terascale computing systems, software, networking, scalability, communications, and data management; (2) nanoscale science and engineering; (3) plant genome research; (4) science and technology innovation partnerships; (5) mathematics and science education partnerships; (6) the Robert C. Noyce scholarship program; (7) the science, mathematics, engineering, and technology talent expansion program; (8) the secondary school systemic initiative; (9) the experimental program to stimulate competitive research; and (10) the program to advance the goals of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act. Requires the: (1) Director to assess and report to specified congressional committees on the major research instrumentation program; and (2) Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to assess and report to such committees on a program to establish university-based centers for interdisciplinary research and advanced instrumentation development. Requires the Director to: (1) develop and submit to the National Science Board a priority list of proposed major research equipment and facilities construction projects; (2) update the list; and (3) prepare a plan for the proposed construction of, and repair and upgrades to, national research facilities. Provides for the confidentiality of information supplied to the NSF or its contractor by an individual or academic institution.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2002
Amends the Communications Satellite Act of 1962 to require the initial public offering for INTELSAT to begin on or about December 31, 2003 (currently, October 1, 2001), with an authorized extension until June 30, 2004 (currently, December 31, 2002).
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2002
Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2003 - Makes appropriations for FY 2003 for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the judiciary, and related agencies. Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2003 - Makes appropriations to the Department of Justice for: (1) general administration; (2) the U.S. Parole Commission; (3) legal activities; (4) interagency law enforcement; (5) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; (6) the Drug Enforcement Administration; (7) the Immigration and Naturalization Service; (8) the Federal prison system; (9) Office of Justice programs; and (10) community-oriented policing services. Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2003 - Makes appropriations for: (1) the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; and (2) the International Trade Commission. Makes appropriations to the Department of Commerce for: (1) the International Trade Administration; (2) export administration; (3) the Economic Development Administration; (4) the Minority Business Development Agency; (5) economic and statistical analysis; (6) the Bureau of the Census; (6) the National Telecommunications and Information Administration; (7) the Patent and Trademark Office; (8) the Under Secretary for Technology/Office of Technology Policy; (9) the National Institute of Standards and Technology; (10) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and (11) departmental management. Judiciary Appropriations Act, 2003 - Makes appropriations to the Judiciary for: (1) the U.S. Supreme Court; (2) the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; (3) the U.S. Court of International Trade; (4) the courts of appeals, district courts, and other judicial services; (5) the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts; (6) the Federal Judicial Center; (7) judiciary retirement funds; and (8) the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Department of State and Related Agency Appropriations Act, 2003 - Makes appropriations for the Department of State for: (1) administration of foreign affairs; (2) international organizations and conferences; and (3) the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Makes appropriations for the: (1) Maritime Administration; (2) Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad; (3) Commission on Civil Rights; (4) Commission on International Religious Freedom; (5) Commission on Ocean Policy; (6) Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; (7) Congressional-Executive Commission on the People's Republic of China; (8) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; (9) Federal Communications Commission; (10) Federal Maritime Commission; (11) the Federal Trade Commission; (12) Legal Services Corporation; (13) Marine Mammal Commission; (14) National Veterans Business Development Corporation; (15) Securities and Exchange Commission; (16) Small Business Administration; and (17) State Justice Institute.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2002
Seafood Safety Enforcement Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to refuse admission to seafood that either appears to contain impermissible substances or originates from a country identified as a likely source of articles subject to refusal of admission (because of the likely presence of impermissible substances) Permits entry upon submission of acceptable evidence to the contrary. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance when an exporter or country appears to be a source of articles subject to refused admission based on specified criteria, including the detection of substances by other importing countries. Requires the Secretary to notify the appropriate congressional committees: (1) of all countries and exporters for which guidance was issued; and (2) before issuing a tolerance for any substance considered impermissible (the presence of which is considered grounds for refused admission).
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2002
Small Business Drought Relief Act - Amends the Small Business Act to include drought within its definition of disaster (thus qualifying small businesses suffering economic harm from droughts for assistance under such Act).
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2002
Round II EZ/EC Flexibility Act of 2002 - Authorizes appropriations to: (1) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for specified urban empowerment zones; and (2) the Secretary of Agriculture for specified rural empowerment zones and rural enterprise communities. Permits: (1) use of such funds for zone or community strategic plan implementation; and (2) use of Federal funds to pay matching fund requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2002
Designates the week of November 10-16, 2002, 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 · 26 June 2002
Declares that the Senate strongly disapproves of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Newdow v. U.S. Congress. Authorizes and instructs the Senate Legal Counsel to seek to intervene in the case to defend the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2002
National Beach Recreation Act - Directs the Secretary of the Army, in making recommendations to Congress for shore protection projects, to develop and implement procedures which treat recreation benefits, hurricane and storm damage reduction benefits, and environmental protection and restoration benefits equally.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2002
Medicare Outpatient Prescription Drug Act of 2002 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish: (1) a Medicare Outpatient Prescription Drug Benefit Program under new part D; (2) a Prescription Drug Account in the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund; and (3) a Medicare Prescription Drug Advisory Committee. Provides for: (1) part D benefits under Medicare+Choice plans under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice); and (2) Medicare cost-sharing and other assistance for low-income individuals but only as it relates to benefits provided under new part D. Revises Medicare supplemental insurance policy (Medigap) benefit packages to conform to changes made by this Act, eliminating obsolete policies with no grandfathering. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study and report to Congress on the feasibility and advisability of: (1) establishing a uniform format for pharmacy benefit cards provided to beneficiaries; and (2) developing systems to transfer electronically prescriptions under such program from the prescriber to the pharmacist. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct an ongoing study and analysis of the program established under this Act, especially: (1) the extent to which the competitive bidding process under it fosters maximum competition and efficiency; and (2) the savings to the Medicare program resulting from it, including the reduction in the number or length of hospital visits. Expands the membership and duties of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC).
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2002
Authorizes the President to award on behalf of Congress a gold medal to Joseph De Laine, Jr., to honor posthumously his father, Rev. Joseph Anthony De Laine (civil rights activist), for his contributions to the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2002
Expresses the sense of Congress that there should be established a National Community Health Center Week for the week beginning on August 18, 2002, to raise awareness of health services provided by community, migrant, public housing, and homeless health centers.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2002
Amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to make a grant to an eligible historically black college or university for the preservation and/or restoration of a building or structure listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places if the grantee agrees to provide funds derived from non-Federal sources in an amount equal to 30 percent (currently, a matching amount) of the total cost of the project. Authorizes additional appropriations for such grants.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2002
Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Act - Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to establish a Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Program to protect the environmental integrity of undeveloped coastal and estuarine areas. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make program grants to coastal States for the purpose of acquiring property interests. Prohibits any more than 75 percent of the grant funding from being derived from Federal sources. Authorizes the Secretary to provide $5 million for a regional watershed protection demonstration project that: (1) leverages land acquisition funding from other Federal conservation or acquisition programs; (2) involves partnerships with Federal, State, and non-governmental entities; (3) creates conservation corridors; (4) protects habitats under imminent threat of development or conversion; (5) provides water quality protection for areas under the National Estuarine Research Reserve program; and (6) provides a model for future regional watershed protection projects. Reserves 15 percent of program funds for acquisitions benefitting the National Estuarine Research Reserve. Specifies that when property is acquired under this program: (1) title will be held by the grant recipient; (2) property will be managed consistent with the purpose of the program; and (3) funds will be returned to the Secretary if the property is sold, exchanged, or divested.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2002
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2002 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the Federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.75 an hour beginning 30 days after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.25 an hour during the year beginning on January 1, 2003; and (3) $6.65 an hour beginning January 1, 2004. Makes Federal minimum wage requirements applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sets forth a transition period during which a specified minimum wage there shall be gradually increased to equal the Federal minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2002
Reducing Crime and Terrorism at America's Seaports Act of 2002 - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to: (1) increase civil and criminal financial penalties for noncompliance with manifest requirements; and (2) apply them to owners of vehicles as well as operators. Prescribes criminal penalties for intentional falsification of a certificate of origin for exports. Requires persons in charge of land, air, or vessel carriers, including their agents, who must by law present a manifest to transmit certain specified identification and inventory information pursuant to an electronic data interchange system information before lading of cargo or clearance and loading of cargo. Requires shippers of waterborne cargo loading in a U.S. port (including an ocean transportation intermediary that is a nonvessel-operating common carrier) to submit a complete set of shipping documents within 72 hours before vessel departure. Subjects undocumented goods to search, seizure and forfeiture. Directs the Customs Service to develop a uniform system of securing or sealing at loading all containers originating in or destined for the United States. Prescribes a fine and a prison sentence for endangering safety at a seaport by committing an act of violence against a person at such a location or damaging the facilities. Increases penalties for theft from customs and for theft of funds earmarked for payment of customs duties, taxes, or fees. Amends the Arms Export Control Act to extend its exemption from certain prohibitions against transactions with countries supporting international terrorism to any transaction by a U.S. law enforcement agent determined by the President to be essential to U.S. national security interests or relating to an imminent threat of harm to a U.S. person or property (especially undercover investigations into unlawful arms trafficking). Directs the Attorney General to: (1) issue regulations to require carriers and port owners or operators to report certain information about cargo thefts; and (2) create a database for such reports.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2002
Designates October 13 through 19, 2002, as National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Week. Commits to increasing the quality of life for individuals with cystic fibrosis by promoting public knowledge and understanding in a manner that will result in earlier diagnoses, more fund raising efforts for research, and increased levels of support for cystic fibrosis sufferers and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2002
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the United States: (1) at the 54th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission, should remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling, and take other specified related steps; (2) at the 12th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, should oppose all efforts to reopen international trade in whale meat or to downlist any whale population; and (3) should make full use of all appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, relevant international laws and agreements, and other appropriate mechanisms to implement these goals. Urges the United States to take appropriate steps to convince foreign countries whose nationals are engaging in trade in whale meat or a taking which diminishes the effectiveness of the Convention to cease such trade or taking.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2002
Expresses profound gratitude for the faithful service provided by flight attendants to make air travel safe and honors their courage and dedication. Supports all flight attendants who continue to display heroism on a daily basis, as they had been doing before, during, and after September 11, 2001.
![Official portrait of Sen. Hollings, Ernest F. [D-SC]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h000725_200.jpg)