United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2004
Local Control of Broadcast Towers Act - Prohibits the Federal Communications Commission from adopting a final rule or otherwise implementing any portion of a proposed rule regarding the preemption of State and local zoning and land use restrictions on the siting, placement, and construction of broadcast station transmission facilities. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to allow a State or local government to deny an application to place, construct, or modify such facilities on the basis that alternative technologies, systems, or structures are capable of delivering such services in a manner less intrusive to the local community. Places the burden of proving the appropriateness of proposed facilities on applicants. Allows a State or local government to regulate the location, height, or modification of such facilities in order to address the effects of radio frequency interference on local communities and the public. Prohibits the Act from being interpreted to prohibit a State or local government from requiring environmental or other studies, reports, or documentation concerning the placement, construction, or modification of such facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2004
Green Mountain National Forest Land Adjustment Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to sell or exchange any right, title, and interest of the United States in and to five specified parcels of National Forest System land in Vermont. Directs the Secretary to offer to convey such land to Bromley Mountain Ski Resort, Inc. Makes sale proceeds available for: (1) the location and relocation of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and the Long National Recreation Trail in Vermont; (2) the acquisition of land for National Forest System purposes within the boundary of Green Mountain National Forest; (3) the acquisition of wetland within the boundary of the Forest to offset the loss of wetland from the parcels sold or exchanged; and (4) the payment of direct administrative costs incurred in carrying out this Act. Allows the Secretary, using funds made available as described above or otherwise made available for acquisition, to acquire land or an interest in land for National Forest System purposes within the boundary of the Forest.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2004
Local Control of Cellular Towers Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to repeal the prohibition against a State or local government regulating the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities on the basis of the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions to the extent that such facilities comply with emission regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Requires, in any action in which a person is seeking to place, construct, or modify such a facility, that person to bear the burden of proof, regardless of who commences the action. Prohibits the FCC from adopting a final rule or otherwise implementing any portion of a proposed FCC rule regarding relief from State and local regulation of such facilities. Allows a State or local government to deny an application to place, construct, or modify such facilities on the basis that alternative technologies, systems, or structures are capable of delivering such services in a manner less intrusive to the local community. Requires the burden of proving the appropriateness of proposed facilities to be the applicant's. Allows a State or local government to regulate the location, height, or modification of such facilities in order to address the effects of radio frequency interference on local communities and the public. Prohibits the Act from being interpreted to prohibit a State or local government from requiring environmental or other studies, reports, or documentation concerning the placement, construction, or modification of such facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2004
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow combat zone compensation (otherwise excludable from gross income) to be treated as earned income for purposes of the earned income tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2004
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the United States should engage in international dialogue regarding mercury pollution, use, mining, and trade. Calls for the President to: (1) prepare a strategy to advance and enter into international negotiations on an agreement that addresses the reduction of the global use, trade, and releases of mercury; (2) enter into agreements to align global mercury production with reduced global demand and to minimize global mercury releases while negotiating such an agreement; (3) initiate and support a parallel international research effort to collect global data for a comprehensive inventory of mercury use, mining, trade, and releases and to develop less emitting technologies and technologies to reduce the need for, and use of, mercury in commerce; (4) review U.S. monitoring capabilities and data collection efforts for mercury use, trade, and releases; and (5) work through existing international organizations to encourage the development of programs, standards, and trade agreements to reduce the use and trade of mercury, eliminate primary mercury mining, and reduce releases of mercury and other long-range transboundary air pollutants.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2004
American Bald Eagle Recovery and National Emblem Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in celebration of the recovery of the bald eagle, in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the enactment of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the placement of the bald eagle on the endangered species list under such Act, to mint and issue not more than: (1) 100,000 $5 gold coins; (2) 500,000 $1 silver coins; and (3) 750,000 half dollar coins. Directs that the design of the coins be emblematic of the bald eagle and its history, natural biology, and national symbolism. Requires that sales of the coins include a surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin, $10 for the $1 coin, and $3 for the half dollar coin, which shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to the American Eagle Foundation of Tennessee to: (1) establish an interest-bearing endowment called the American Eagle Fund as a permanent source of support for the care, monitoring, maintenance, and recovery of the bald eagle and its habitat in the United States; (2) make annual grants to Federal, State, and private eagle restoration, protection, and enhancement projects; (3) administer the Fund in an annual amount not to exceed the lesser of ten percent of the annual income of the Fund or $250,000; and (4) provide financial support for capital projects and for continuation and expansion of the Foundation's efforts to educate the American people about the bald eagle.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2004
Green Mountain National Forest Land Adjustment Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to sell or exchange any right, title, and interest of the United States in and to five specified parcels of National Forest System land in Vermont. Directs the Secretary to offer to convey such land to Bromley Mountain Ski Resort, Inc. Makes sale proceeds available for: (1) the location and relocation of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and the Long National Recreation Trail in Vermont; (2) the acquisition of land for National Forest System purposes within the boundary of Green Mountain National Forest; (3) the acquisition of wetland within the boundary of the Forest to offset the loss of wetland from the parcels sold or exchanged; and (4) the payment of direct administrative costs incurred in carrying out this Act. Allows the Secretary, using funds made available as described above or otherwise made available for acquisition, to acquire land or an interest in land for National Forest System purposes within the boundary of the Forest.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2004
Authorizes appropriations for the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 through FY 2010, including for research which focuses on water problems of an interstate nature.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2004
Clean Trucks Act of 2004 - Amends Federal transportation law to require motor carriers, as part of registering with the Secretary of Transportation to provide transportation, to comply with the heavy duty vehicle and engine emission performance standards and related regulations established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Directs the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to: (1) collect annually information on the year, make, model, certification level, travel routes, trip duration, fuel quality and consumption, and related activities of long-haul heavy duty trucks operating in the United States; and (2) submit such information to the Adminstrator of the EPA for use in developing and publishing estimates of the total national emissions of all criteria pollutants and hazardous air pollutants associated with long-haul heavy duty trucks.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2004
Recognizes and supports all efforts to promote greater civic awareness among the people of the United States, including civic awareness programs such as candidate forums and voter registration drives. Encourages local communities and elected officials at all levels of government to promote greater awareness among the electorate of civic responsibility and the importance of participating in these elections.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2004
527 Reform Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to revise the definition of political committee to include any committee, club, association, or other group of persons that has as its major purpose the nomination or election of one or more candidates ("Section 527 Organizations" or major purpose organizations). Treats certain expenses by major purpose organizations as expenditures subject to the limitations and reporting requirements of such Act. Provides that any disbursement by separate segregated fund or nonconnected committee shall be allocated between Federal and non-Federal accounts in accordance with this Act and regulations prescribed by the Federal Election Commission. States that disbursements allocated to non-Federal accounts may be paid only from a qualified non-Federal account. Prohibits a separate segregated fund or nonconnected committee from accepting more than $25,000 in funds for its qualified non-Federal account from any one individual in any calendar year.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2004
Patients' Privacy Protection Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal Rules of Evidence to declare that a patient has a privilege with respect to any evidence consisting of a confidential communication or record made in the course of medical treatment by a duly licensed health care provider. Authorizes a court to order the disclosure of such a communication or record to the extent the court determines that the public interest in disclosure significantly outweighs the patient's privacy interests. Requires the court to ensure that personally identifiable information is redacted and that the patient's communications and records remain under seal.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2004
Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2004, Part VI - Extends Federal highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and transit programs for five months, and authorizes appropriations, through March 31, 2005. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) apportion funds made available for Federal-aid highway programs under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) to each State according to the ratio of the State's FY 2004 obligation authority to the FY 2004 obligation authority for all States; and (2) ensure that each State is apportioned funds for the Interstate maintenance program, the National Highway System program, the bridge program, the surface transportation program, the congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program, the recreational trails program, the Appalachian development highway system program, and the minimum guarantee. Sets forth provisions: (1) for reducing future apportionments, and for recovering funds not apportioned, under a multi-year law reauthorizing the Federal-aid highway program that is enacted after enactment of this Act; and (2) prohibiting after March 31, 2005, the obligation of any Federal-aid highway program funds until the date of enactment of a multi-year law reauthorizing such program that is enacted after enactment of this Act. Authorizes appropriations through May 31, 2005, for specified Federal-aid highway programs, highway safety programs, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration program, the Motor Carrier Safety Administration program, and Federal transit programs. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend authorization for the use of the Highway Trust Fund (including the mass transit account) and the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund for obligations under TEA-21.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2004
Health Promotion Funding Integrated Research, Synthesis, and Training Act or Health Promotion FIRST Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a plan for health promotion that includes coordinating the health promotion activities of the Department of Health and Human Services and addressing how best to: (1) develop the basic and applied science of health promotion; (2) disseminate health promotion research; (3) support the health promotion community; and (4) modify or develop policies, structure, and legislation to integrate health promotion into all health professions and sectors of society. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, to: (1) develop a plan on how best to develop the basic science of health promotion through NIH agencies; and (2) conduct or support early research programs and research training regarding health promotion. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop a plan to establish a research agenda regarding health promotion for CDC. Requires the Director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion to award grants to develop Health Promotion Research Centers. Requires the Director of CDC to: (1) make an effort to attract grant applications from groups experienced in providing programs; (2) fund research to develop the applied science of health promotion for specified settings; and (3) develop a research agenda for workplace health promotion. Requires the Secretary to modify the application process for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts awarded under this Act to attract the most qualified individuals and organizations, rather than those most experienced with the application process.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Samuel de Champlain 400th Commemoration Commission Act of 2004 - Establishes the Samuel de Champlain 400th Commemoration Commission to provide technical and financial assistance to the States of Vermont and New York and communities in those States to commemorate: (1) the arrival of Samuel de Champlain into the Champlain Valley in 1609; and (2) the heritage of the greater Lake Champlain Basin.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
Amends the Public Health Service Act to adjust the minimum State allotments for Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness programs to be the greater of the amount otherwise received by the State for FY 2004 or $600,000. (Current law sets forth a minimum allotment of $300,000 per State.) Provides that if the funds appropriated are insufficient for all States to receive the minimum allotment, then States shall receive no less than the amount they received in FY 2004 with additional money spent to give States the minimum of $600,000.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
Affordable Housing Preservation Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make matching grants to States (40 percent) and localities (60 percent) to supplement State and local assistance for the preservation and promotion of low-income housing. States that grants shall be: (1) used for housing project acquisition, rehabilitation, capital expenditures, and related development costs; or (2) to eligible nonprofit entities for operational, working capital, and organizational expenses, and predevelopment activities to acquire housing that will remain affordable for low-income or very low-income families. Sets forth eligibility requirements for: (1) projects with Department of Housing and Urban Development-insured mortgages; (2) projects with section 8 project based assistance; (3) projects purchased by residents; and (4) rural rental assistance projects.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should designate September 11 as an annually recognized day of voluntary service, charity, and compassion.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2004
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1998 to reauthorize and revise its programs.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2004
Direct Broadcast Satellite North Country Access Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to authorize satellite carriers to carry the signal of a commercial television broadcast station that was the only network station in that State on January 1, 1995, for secondary transmission to subscribers in communities in the State that are not within one of the first 50 television markets listed in Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations. Authorizes satellite carriers to carry the signals of any network station in a State in which all network stations and superstations licensed by the FCC as of January 1, 1995, were assigned to the same local market and the local market does not encompass all counties of the State, for secondary transmission to subscribers in the State who reside in one of the first 50 major television markets listed in FCC regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2004
Medicare Rural Home Health Services Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to provide for a two-year extension of the temporary Medicare payment increase for home health services furnished in a rural area.
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 · 9 July 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) at the 56th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission the United States should remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling, and take other specified related steps; and (2) the United States should make full use of all appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, relevant international laws and agreements, and other appropriate mechanisms to implement these goals.
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
High-Performance Green Buildings Act - Directs the Administrator of General Services to create, within the General Services Administration (GSA), and appoint an individual to, a position to establish and oversee the Office of High-Performance Green Buildings within GSA. Directs the Office to establish an interagency steering committee. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide grants to State and local educational agencies for use in: (1) providing technical assistance for and assisting implementation of the EPA's Tools for Schools Program; and (2) the development of State-level school environmental quality plans. Requires the EPA Administrator to develop school site acquisition guidelines that: (1) take into account the special vulnerability of children to chemical exposure where the potential for site contamination is assessed; (2) include an analysis of means for maximizing transportation choices. Requires the EPA Administrator, in partnership with the Secretary of Education, to carry out an education research program in support of the education-related provisions of this Act. Directs the Comptroller General to review the budget process and develop and submit to Congress an implementation plan for life-cycle costing that identifies and incorporates cost savings that accrue from high-performance green buildings. Requires the Office to establish guidelines for, and carry out, specified demonstration projects at Federal buildings and universities to contribute to the research goals of the Office.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2004
Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 with respect to national dairy market loss payments to: (1) extend, by two years, program sign-up and contract periods; and (2) double single dairy operation payment quantities.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Improving Access to Assistive Technology for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to States for programs for: (1) assistive technology (AT), with required uses of funds for State financing systems to increase access to and funding for AT devices and services, and for device demonstrations, loans, reutilization, training, and technical assistance; and (2) AT-related protection and advocacy services. Authorizes competitive grants for AT-related: (1) supplementary activities; (2) national projects, including research and public awareness; (3) State training, technical assistance, data collection, and reporting; and (4) updating of the National Public Internet Site. Authorizes an assessment of the AT industry. Directs the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration to administer this Act. Repeals the Assistive Technology Act of 1998.
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 · 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
Water Resources Development Act of 2004 - Sets forth provisions providing authorizations for, modifications to, deauthorizations of, and study requirements for inland waterway, port and harbor, flood damage reduction, coastal storm damage reduction, ecosystem restoration, environmental remediation, water storage, water quality, and watershed planning projects or programs throughout the country. Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to: (1) engage in activities in support of foreign governments; and (2) include individuals from the private sector in Corps of Engineers training classes. Establishes the Corps of Engineers River Stewardship Commission. Directs: (1) the Secretary to establish within the civil works function a Water Resource Planning Council; and (2) the Inspector General of the Army to convene an independent peer review panel. Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out ecosystem restoration projects regarding the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois River; (2) develop a system to rank proposed projects; and (3) carry out (over at least a ten-year period) a pilot program to restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat in the middle Mississippi River. Establishes: (1) the Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Protection and Restoration Task Force; and (2) a Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Science and Technology Program. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop a general management plan for ecosystem restoration of the Upper Connecticut River ecosystem; and (2) complete work on the San Pablo Bay watershed, California. Modifies provisions regarding the Mississippi River Headwaters Reservoir. Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance to the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out the Conservation Corridor Demonstration Program, Delaware and Maryland. Designates the Division Engineer, North Atlantic Division, of the Corps the ex officio U.S. member under the Susquehanna River Basin Compact and the Delaware River Basin Compact.
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
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 · 16 June 2004
National Dairy Equity Act of 2004 - Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to give producers in a State participating in the national dairy market loss payment program 60 days to decide whether to continue participating in such program or to participate in the program established under this Act. Establishes the following five regional dairy marketing areas: (1) Northeast region - Northeast Dairy Marketing Area (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont); (2) Southern region - Southern Dairy Marketing Area (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia); (3) Upper midwest region - Upper Midwest Dairy Marketing Area (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin); (4) Intermountain region - Intermountain Dairy Marketing Area (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) and (5) Pacific region - Pacific Dairy Marketing Area (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington). Administers each region by a Regional Dairy Board. Sets forth Board powers, including authority to establish: (1) over-order price (a price higher than the marketing order or non-marketing area price) for Class I milk; (2) equalization pools to equalize over-order prices to producers throughout a regulated area; and (3) processor administrative fees. Requires producer referendum to approve of a proposed over-order price establishment, amendment, or termination. States that each covered processor that purchases Class I milk during a month that will be sold in the regulated area of a Region shall pay to the Secretary an amount equal to the product of the over-order premium and the quantity of purchased Class I milk. Establishes in the Treasury the National Dairy Producers Fund. Directs the Secretary to make monthly payments from the Fund to the Boards which shall make payments to eligible producers of all milk classes. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to extend the national dairy market loss payment program.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2004
Assault Weapons Ban Reauthorization Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act to provide for a ten-year extension of the assault weapons ban.
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 · 17 May 2004
Critical Access to Clinical Lab Services Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide that clinical diagnostic laboratory services furnished by a critical access hospital shall be treated as being furnished as part of outpatient critical access services without regard to whether: (1) the individual for whom the services are furnished is physically present in the critical access hospital at the time the specimen is collected; (2) such individual is registered as an outpatient on the records of, and receives such services directly from, the critical access hospital; or (3) payment is available for such services under the fee schedule established for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2004
Expresses the grateful thanks of the Nation to the more than 16 million individuals who served in the Army, Army Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine in World War II and to the millions of Americans on the home front who contributed to the war effort. Recognizes the dedication of the National World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2004, as an occasion to acknowledge and pay tribute to those members of the Armed Forces who served in World War II, who are known collectively as the Greatest Generation.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
Expresses the sense of the Senate that legislation should be enacted by December 31, 2006, to provide every individual in the United States with the opportunity to purchase health insurance coverage that is the same as, or better than, the health insurance coverage available to members of Congress, at the same or lower rates.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2004
Assistance to Firefighters Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal Fire Protection and Control Act of 1974 to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security (currently, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)) to make grants to State fire departments for the purpose of protecting the health and safety of the public and fire-fighting personnel against fire and fire-related hazards, and to provide assistance for fire prevention programs. Authorizes grants to: (1) volunteer emergency medical service (EMS) organizations; and (2) obtain automated external defibrillator devices. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish specific criteria for the preliminary review of applications; (2) review such criteria at least annually; (3) award grants based on the review of grant applications by a panel of fire service personnel appointed by a national organization recognized for expertise in the operation and administration of fire services; (4) provide for the administration of the review panel and ensure that an individual appointed to such panel is a recognized expert in fire-fighting, medical services provided by fire services, fire prevention, or research on firefighter safety; and (5) provide assistance with the preparation of grant applications. Expands program eligibility. Reduces limitations regarding matching funds. Increases the amount a grant recipient may receive. Earmarks funds for volunteer EMS organizations. Directs: (1) the Secretary to study and report to Congress on firefighter assistance; and (2) the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the administration of assistance and on the Secretary's success in administering FEMA.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2004
Theodore Roosevelt Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than: (1) 500,000 $1 coins with the image of Theodore Roosevelt as a Rough Rider on one side and an eagle design on the other side; and (2) 500,000 $1 coins with the image of Roosevelt on horseback on one side and a flaming sword of righteousness on the other side. Calls for the coins to be struck at the U.S. Mint at West Point, New York. Authorizes the Secretary to issue such minted coins beginning on January 1, 2006, and to initiate coin sales before such date (2006 will mark the 100th anniversary of Roosevelt receiving the Nobel Peace Prize). Requires surcharges from the sale of the coins minted under this Act to be paid to: (1) the Theodore Roosevelt Association to be used exclusively for educational programs at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, including for construction and maintenance of a visitor's center and setting up a curatorial chair and purchase fund for the Theodore Roosevelt Collection at Harvard University Library; and (2) the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation to be used exclusively for educational programs at and around Theodore Roosevelt National Park, including construction of the Theodore Roosevelt Badlands Institute in the badlands of North Dakota. Distributes specified surcharge amounts to the Association and Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2004
Commends all Americans serving nobly abroad. Condemns the despicable acts at Abu Ghraib prison and joins with the President in expressing apology for the humiliation suffered by the prisoners in Iraq and their families. Urges: (1) the Government of the United States to take appropriate measures to ensure that such acts do not occur in the future; and (2) that all individuals responsible for such acts be held accountable. Expresses the belief that the appropriate Senate committees and the President should conduct a full investigation of the abuses alleged to have occurred at Abu Ghraib.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Lead-Free Drinking Water Act of 2004 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to revise the national primary drinking water regulation for lead to provide adequate protection for individuals affected by lead contamination, particularly vulnerable populations. Requires the revised regulation to establish a maximum contaminant level or a drinking water treatment technique that meets specified criteria. Directs community water systems or nontransient noncommunity water systems to: (1) annually replace a percentage of non-lead free service lines until all such lines are replaced; (2) provide notice to individuals and entities that may be exposed to lead contamination; (3) provide water lead test results to tested residences; (4) establish a public education program on lead in drinking water; and (5) provide water filters to each residence, school, and day care facility in the service area that reasonably could experience lead contamination. Requires the General Services Administration to conduct water supply testing in Federal buildings and to take related action. Directs each water system to test drinking water for lead contamination within one year. Requires the Administrator to revise monitoring requirements under the national primary drinking water regulation to incorporate specified criteria. Redefines "lead free" to reduce acceptable lead levels in specified drinking water hardware. Requires new plumbing parts and components to be lead free by January 1, 2005. Requires the Administrator to establish a grant program to address lead contamination in school drinking water.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2004
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2004 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the Federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.45 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (3) $7.00 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day. 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 · 29 April 2004
Community Options for Rural Elders Act of 2004 or the CORE Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for the Administrator of Health Resources and Services to work with the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to establish Programs for All-Inclusive Care for Elderly (PACE) providers in rural areas. Directs the Secretary to permit a rural PACE provider applicant to adapt its PACE program to the unique requirements of eligible participants residing in rural areas and the challenges of providing services to them. Directs the Secretary to utilize the authority provided for flexibility in exercising waiver authority under the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000, and the regulations issued to carry it out with respect to the operations of rural PACE providers. Requires the Secretary to waive certain requirements of titles XI, XVIII (Medicare), and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act as necessary for purposes of supporting the delivery of PACE services in rural areas. Directs the Secretary to waive the requirement that a rural PACE provider, in at least its first three years of operation, be at full financial risk, and authorizes the Secretary, upon the provider's request, to waive such requirement for subsequent years of operation if the provider is operating properly and has demonstrated a reasonable basis for not assuming full risk. Directs the Secretary to award site development grants to rural PACE providers. Directs the Secretary, through the Office of Rural Health Policy, to make awards to tax-exempt organizations for the purpose of establishing a technical assistance program to provide: (1) outreach and education to State agencies and provider organizations interested in establishing PACE programs in rural areas; and (2) technical assistance necessary to support providers awarded site development grants. Requires the Secretary to establish a fund to reimburse rural PACE providers awarded a site development grant for outlier costs incurred with respect to eligible enrollees who reside in, or receive services in, a rural area. Directs the Secretary to establish an advisory group that will review and comment on progress related to providing PACE program services in rural areas, including prospective PACE provider applications.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2004
Amends the District of Columbia Access Act of 1999 to permanently authorize the public school and private school tuition assistance programs established under the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2004
Putting Prevention First Act - Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2004 - Authorizes appropriations for family planning services grants and contracts under the Public Health Services Act. Family Planning State Empowerment Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow States to provide family planning services and supplies to certain individuals not otherwise eligible for Medicaid. Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to prohibit a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer providing group coverage, from excluding or restricting benefits in any way for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, and outpatient services if the plan provides benefits for other outpatient prescription drugs, devices, or outpatient services. Amends the PHSA to apply those prohibitions to coverage offered in the individual market. Emergency Contraception Education Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and disseminate information on emergency contraception to the public and to health care providers. Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act - Requires hospitals, as a condition of receiving Federal funds, to offer and to provide, upon request, emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault. Family Life Education Act - Requires the Secretary to make grants to States for family life education, including education on abstinence and contraception to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Preventing Teen Pregnancy Act - Amends the PHSA to authorize the Secretary to award grants to public and private entities to establish or expand teenage pregnancy prevention programs.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2004
Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise provisions governing the importation of prescription drugs. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations allowing the importation of prescription drugs by registered exporters or registered importers from Canada within 90 days of passage of this Act and from Australia, European Union countries, Japan, New Zealand, or Switzerland within one year. Provides for inspection, tracking of drugs, and registration and inspection fees for registered importers and exporters. Requires manufacturers to: (1) submit a statement to the Secretary explaining each difference between a drug approved and distributed in the United States and a related drug distributed in a foreign country; and (2) submit an application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of a related drug that is distributed in a foreign country if there is no comparable drug already approved in at least half of the permitted countries that can be imported to the United States. Allows for the immediate importation of prescription drugs for personal use from licensed Canadian pharmacies. Amends the Clayton Act to prohibit drug manufacturers from preventing importation by engaging in behavior such as charging higher prices or limiting supplies to registered exporters and importers or changing the form of the drug for such purpose. States that the resale in the United States of prescription drugs that were properly sold abroad is not patent infringement. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to refuse admission of drugs that violate importation provisions. Allows the destruction of certain violative shipments. Amends the Controlled Substances Act to repeal the exemption that permitted individuals to import controlled substances for personal medical use.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2004
Restore Elector Confidence in Our Representative Democracy Act of 2004 or the RECORD Act of 2004 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require each voting system used in an election for Federal office to: (1) produce an individual voter-verifiable paper record of the vote that shall be made available for inspection and verification by the voter at the time the vote is cast; and (2) provide the voter with an opportunity to correct any error made by the system in the voter-verifiable paper record before the permanent voter-verified paper record is preserved. Requires the permanent voter verified paper record to be preserved within the polling place for later use in any manual audit. Makes such paper record the official record used for any recount. Requires the voting system accessible for individuals with disabilities, including nonvisual accessibility for the blind and visually impaired, to meet the requirements of this Act by using a mechanism that separates the function of vote generation from the function of vote casting without requiring the voter to view or handle paper. Requires each State to ensure that election officials are instructed on the right of any individual who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, other disability, or inability to read or write to be given assistance by a person chosen by that individual under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Prohibits any voting system from: (1) containing or using any software that does not disclose any source code, object code, and executable representation; or (2) using any wireless communication device. Requires any electronic voting system to: (1) use only software and hardware certified by laboratories accredited by the Election Assistance Commission (EAC); and (2) meet specified security standards. Requires each State and jurisdiction to: (1) meet the requirements of this Act in time for the November 2004 Federal general election; or (2) use a paper ballot voting system in such election. Directs the EAC, beginning with the November 2004 Federal general election, and immediately following the election, to conduct random unannounced manual mandatory recounts of the voter-verified records in two percent of the jurisdictions in each State and with respect to two percent of the ballots cast by uniformed and overseas voters. Directs the EAC to study, test, and develop best practices to enhance accessibility and voter-verification mechanisms for individuals with disabilities. Requires the EAC to make certain payments to assist States in paying for implementation of the voter-verification and audit capacity requirements of this Act. Requires the EAC to report to Congress on: (1) a proposed security review and certification process for all voting systems used in Federal elections; and (2) operational and management systems applicable to such elections. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to provide security consultation services to States and local jurisdictions on the administration of Federal elections.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2004
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 to reauthorize for a period of five years the "Conrad State 30" program, which annually allows each State to request up to 30 waivers of the home residency requirement applicable to J-1 foreign medical graduates for medical service by those graduates in health professional shortage areas. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow State departments of public health to designate health professional shortage areas for purposes of the Conrad State 30 program (currently designated only by the Secretary of Health and Human Services). Exempts Conrad State 30 physicians from the numerical limitation on H-1B visas.
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