United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2003
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) conduct a research and development program relating to the production, storage, distribution, and use of hydrogen energy, including fueling infrastructure; and (2) establish a cost shared program to purchase, operate, and evaluate fuel cell vehicles in integrated service in Federal, tribal, State, local, or private fleets to demonstrate the viability of fuel cell vehicles. Directs the Secretary to establish a cooperative agreements program with the private sector to demonstrate fuel cell-powered buses, trucks, and other heavy duty vehicles. Instructs the Secretary, in cooperation with Indian Tribes, to develop and transmit to Congress a commercial application strategy for development of hybrid distributed power systems on tribal lands. Mandates a Federal purchase and procurement program for fuel cell vehicles, including an agency fleet transition plan for vehicles powered by fuel cell technology. Instructs the Secretary to establish and fund a stationary fuel cell power purchase program for federally-owned or -operated facilities, Federal residences, and Federal portable applications. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish Federal standards governing: (1) distributed generation; (2) distribution interconnections; (3) minimum fuel and technology diversity; (4) prohibited rates and charges; and (5) net metering. Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow as a credit against tax: (1) a qualified hydrogen fuel cell motor vehicle credit; (2) 50 percent of the amount paid or incurred for the installation of hydrogen fuel cell motor vehicle refueling property; and (3) 30 percent of residential fuel cell property expenditures. Directs the Secretary to transmit to Congress a plan identifying critical technologies, enabling strategies and applications, technical targets, and associated time frames that support the commercialization of hydrogen-fueled fuel cell vehicles.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2003
Military Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 2003 - Adjusts the basic Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity amount for surviving spouses, age 62 and older, of former military personnel to: (1) 35 percent of the retired pay of the decedent (current law), for months before October 2004; (2) 40 percent for months during FY 2005; (3) 45 percent for months during FY 2006; (4) 50 percent for months during FY 2007; and (5) 55 percent for months after FY 2007. Adjusts similarly percentage amounts with respect to survivors of reserve personnel and survivors of persons who die while on active duty. Provides a corresponding phased elimination of the SBP supplemental annuity authorized to be provided to such surviving spouses. Requires periodic recomputation of: (1) annuity amounts beginning in October 2004; and (2) retired pay reductions for supplemental survivor annuities. Provides a one-year open enrollment period for SBP participation, commencing October 1, 2004, for those currently not participating, those electing to increase current coverage, and those wishing to participate in the supplemental SBP. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to require appropriate premiums for SBP participation.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2003
Caring for Children Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect and disseminate directly or through competitive award of contracts: (1) information concerning health and safety in various child care settings; and (2) relevant findings in the field of early childhood learning and development. Directs the Secretary to award grants to eligible entities to develop: (1) distance learning child care training technology infrastructures; and (2) model technology-based training courses for child care providers and child care workers, to be provided through distance learning programs made available through the infrastructure. Requires, to the maximum extent possible, that such grants be awarded in those regions of the United States with the fewest training opportunities for child care providers. Directs the Secretary to establish a demonstration program of competitive grants to States to help them provide funds to encourage the establishment and operation of small business employer-operated child care programs. Requires a State to give priority for such assistance to applicants that desire to form a consortium to provide child care in a geographic area within the State where such care is not generally available or accessible, and allows such consortia to include businesses, nonprofit agencies or organizations, local governments, or other appropriate entities.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2003
A Boost for Child Care Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the child care credit to: (1) expand the credit by revising the definition of the applicable percentage; and (2) accelerate the increase to a $1,000 credit. Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a program promote awareness of the use of dependent care assistance programs.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2003
Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2003 - Permits retired members of the armed forces with service-connected disabilities to be paid both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation. Repeals provisions providing for special compensation for certain severely disabled military retirees and certain combat-related disabled uniformed services retirees.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2003
United States-Cuba Trade Act of 2003 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (including other specified laws) to repeal the embargo placed upon all trade with Cuba. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to declare the denial of foreign tax credit inapplicable to Cuba (except that such requirement shall apply to countries that have been determined to repeatedly provide support for acts of international terrorism). Permits: (1) installation and maintenance of telecommunications equipment and facilities in Cuba, including telecommunications services between the United States and Cuba; and (2) travel to and from Cuba by U.S. citizens or residents. Requires the U.S. Postal Service to provide direct mail service to and from Cuba. Urges the President to take all necessary steps to conduct negotiations with the Government of Cuba to: (1) settle claims of U.S. nationals against Cuba for the taking of property; and (2) secure protection of internationally recognized human rights. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should promote democratic change and economic reform by normalizing trade relations with Cuba; and (2) upon the enactment of this Act, it will no longer be necessary for the United States to continue to use Article XXI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 with respect to Cuba, understanding that the President retains full authority to invoke Article XXI and comparable provisions in other Uruguay Round Agreements in the future in all appropriate circumstances. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to extend nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations) to the products of Cuba. Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from limiting the amount of remittances to Cuba that any U.S. person may make. Declares that this prohibition does not prohibit the prosecution or conviction of any person committing a criminal offense relating to the laundering of money or engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2003
Postal Civil Service Retirement System Funding Reform Act of 2003 - Amends Federal civil service law to revise the formula for funding benefits under the Civil Service Retirement System for U.S. Postal Service employees, including Postal supplemental liability under the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund. Mandates that savings accruing to the Postal Service as a result of this Act be used to reduce the postal debt as the Secretary of the Treasury shall specify. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the savings accruing to the Postal Service as a result of this Act will be sufficient to allow the Postal Service to fulfill its commitment to hold postage rates unchanged until at least 2006; (2) because the Postal Service still faces substantial obligations related to postretirement health benefits for its current and former employees, some portion of those savings should be used to address the unfunded obligations; and (3) none of the savings should be used to pay bonuses to Postal Service executives.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2003
Clean Power Act of 2003 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate regulations to achieve specified reductions in emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and mercury from certain electric generation facilities by January 1, 2009 (January 1, 2008, for mercury emissions). Directs the Administrator to establish an emission allowance tracking and transfer system. Makes a special rule for mercury emissions. Directs the Administrator to study the impact of emission allowance trading. Limits the trading of allowances with facilities other than electricity generating facilities to certain carbon dioxide emission control programs. Provides an allocation to: (1) dislocated workers; (2) disproportionately adversely impacted communities; (3) electricity generating facilities; (4) renewable electricity generating units; (5) efficiency projects; (6) cleaner energy sources; and (7) biological carbon sequestration activities. Directs the Administrator to establish and annually review emission limitations for mercury. Requires that captured or recovered emissions not be re-released into the environment. Requires the Administrator to request information from owners/operators about hazardous air pollutants other than mercury. Directs the Administrator to then propose and promulgate emission standards. Requires facilities to achieve specified emission standards should the regulations not be promulgated. Requires an assessment and identification of sensitive ecosystems and the objectives necessary for their protection, including the Adirondack, the mid-Appalachian, Rocky, and southern Blue Ridge Mountains. Includes as well the Great Lakes, Lake Champlain, Long Island Sound, and the Chesapeake Bay.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2003
Government Pension Offset Reform Act - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to modify the formula for determining the amount of reduced monthly OASDI benefits payable to a spouse, surviving spouse, or parent receiving monthly payments from a Federal or State pension plan. Declares that such benefit reductions shall be equal to the amount by which two-thirds of the total amount of the combined monthly benefit (before reduction) and monthly pension exceeds $1,200, adjusted for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2003
Social Security Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal: (1) pension offset provisions applicable to husband's and wife's insurance benefits, widow's and widower's insurance benefits, and mother's and father's insurance benefits with respect to Old-Age and Survivors insurance benefit payments; and (2) windfall elimination provisions with respect to computation of the primary insurance amount of an individual.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2003
Elder Justice Act - Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new title XXII (Elder Justice) to establish: (1) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Office of Elder Justice; (2) within HHS an Intra-Agency Elder Justice Steering Committee to coordinate HHS elder justice programs and policy; (3) the Elder Justice Coordinating Council to make recommendations for the coordination of activities to HHS, the Department of Justice, and other relevant Federal, State, local, and private agencies and entities; and (4) the Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation. Outlines provisions with respect to uniform collection, maintenance, and dissemination of national data relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Authorizes the HHS Secretary to award various grants, including grants for: (1) prevention of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (2) five Centers of Excellence nationwide that shall specialize in research, clinical practice, and training relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (3) six diverse communities to examine various types of elder shelters and to test various models for establishing safe havens; (4) nonprofit organizations and faith-based organizations to encourage such organizations to establish or continue volunteer programs that focus on the issues of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, or that provide related services; and (5) various multidisciplinary elder justice activities. Provides for: (1) reporting to law enforcement of crimes occurring in Federally-funded long-term care facilities; (2) revising the quality of long-term care; and (3) increasing consumer information about long-term care. Amends: (1) SSA titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) to establish programs to prevent abuse of skilled nursing facility and nursing facility residents; (2) the Public Health Service Act to increase the number of health care professionals with geriatric training; (3) the Older Americans Act of 1965 with respect to the long-term care ombudsman program; (4) part A (General Provisions) of SSA title XI to establish in HHS the Office of Adult Protective Services; and (5) SSA titles XVIII and XIX to assure safety of residents when nursing facilities close. Establishes in the Department of Justice an Office of Elder Justice. Amends the: (1) Federal criminal code to provide for a cause of action for elder abuse and neglect; and (2) Internal Revenue Code to provide for a long-term care facility worker employment tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2003
Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to double from 12 to 24 the number of months allowed for vocational educational training that are counted as a work activity under TANF.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2003
Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise the special rule for the redistribution and availability of unexpended FY1998 and 1999 SCHIP allotments, including to: (1) extend the availability of FY 1998 and 1999 reallocated funds through FY 2004; and (2) permit 50 percent of the total amount of unexpended FY 2000 and 2001 SCHIP allotments that remain available to a State through the end of FY 2002 and 2003 to remain available for expenditure by the State through the end of FY 2004 and 2005, respectively. Makes this amendment effective as though it had been enacted on September 30, 2002. Grants authority to qualifying States, with respect to FY 1998 through 2001 SCHIP allotments, for fiscal years in which such allotments are available, to elect to use not more than 20 percent of them (instead of for expenditures under SCHIP) for Medicaid medical assistance payments with respect to certain children under SSA title XIX.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2003
Human Cloning Ban and Stem Cell Research Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) conducting or attempting to conduct human cloning; (2) shipping the product of nuclear transplantation for the purpose of human cloning in the United States or elsewhere; or (3) exporting to a foreign country an unfertilized blastocyst if such country does not prohibit human cloning. Requires the Comptroller General to report to the congressional judiciary committees on: (1) actions taken to enforce such prohibitions; (2) actions of State attorneys general to enforce similar State laws; (3) the Federal-State-local government coordination of enforcement actions; and (4) international laws relating to human cloning. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require research involving nuclear transplantation to be conducted in accordance with applicable Federal standards for the protection of human subjects. Prohibits: (1) a somatic cell nucleus from being transplanted into a human oocyte (egg) that has undergone or will undergo fertilization; (2) an unfertilized blastocyst from being maintained after more than 14 days from its first cell division, not counting storage times at temperatures less than zero degrees centigrade; (3) an oocyte from being used in nuclear transplantation research unless donated voluntarily with the donor's informed consent; (4) an oocyte or unfertilized blastocyst from being acquired, received, or transferred for valuable consideration in interstate commerce; or (5) the conduct in a laboratory of nuclear transplantation in which human oocytes are subject to assisted reproductive technology treatments or procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2003
Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Includes coverage of: (1) certain mental health services provided in rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers; and (2) certain marriage and family therapist services provided in hospices.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2003
Declares that the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy shall not dissuade or discourage this Nation from venturing ever farther into space. Restates the commitment to exploring the planets and celestial bodies of our solar system and beyond. Expresses condolences to the families of the seven astronauts and to friends and allies in Israel over the loss of Colonel Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli in space.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2003
Artist-Museum Partnership Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a fair market value (determined at time of contribution) deduction for charitable contributions of literary, musical, artistic, scholarly compositions, or the copyright created by a qualifying donor. Exempts certain non-personal letters and memoranda from such treatment. Limits such increased deduction to the donor's artistic adjusted income (as defined by this Act).
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2003
Captive Wildlife Safety Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to define "prohibited wildlife species" as any live lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar. Declares it a prohibited act for any person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any prohibited wildlife species. Exempts from this prohibition licensed zoos, circuses, accredited sanctuaries, federally-licensed breeders, State entities (universities, wildlife rehabilitators or veterinarians), any incorporated humane society, animal shelter, or society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, persons transporting prohibited wildlife species to any such facility, and specified related organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2003
Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to authorize qualified law enforcement officers (including certain qualified retired officers) carrying the photographic identification issued by their governmental agency, notwithstanding State or local laws, to carry a concealed firearm. Provides that such authorization shall not supersede State laws that: (1) permit private entities to prohibit the possession of concealed firearms on their property; or (2) prohibit the possession of firearms on State or local government property. Excludes from the definition of "firearm" any machine gun, firearm silencer, or destructive device.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2003
Automobile Fuel Economy Act of 2003 - Sets forth certain increased average fuel economy standards for certain light trucks, automobiles (up to 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight), and certain classes of vehicles in the Federal fleet that are manufactured or purchased after specified dates.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2003
Museum and Library Services Act of 2003 - Amends the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) and the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA, which is subchapter B of MLSA) to extend authorizations of appropriations and revise programs under such Acts. Amends MLSA to establish the National Museum and Library Services Board within the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). (Eliminates a National Museum Services Board.) Requires the IMLS Director to: (1) ensure coordination with certain activities under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110), and other Federal activities; and (2) conduct and publish analyses of museum and library services impact. Revises requirements for annual national awards to outstanding libraries and museums that have made significant contributions in service to their communities. Includes specified entities under the term museum, for MLSA purposes. Revises museum services activities. Entitles subchapter C of MLSA as the Museum Services Act. Amends LSTA to provide for: (1) an increased portion for administrative costs; (2) an increased alternative minimum allotment to States under certain conditions; (3) State plans once every five years, as determined by the IMLS Director; (4) additional uses of grants to States for library programs; and (5) recruitment of library and information science personnel under the program of national leadership grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. Amends the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science Act with respect to contributions and membership. Repeals requirements relating to Commission responsibilities to: (1) advise the IMLS Director; and (2) meet with the National Museum Services Board, which is eliminated by this Act. Amends the Arts and Artifacts Indemnity Act to increase maximum limits on liability amounts. Designates the Capital Children's Museum in Washington, D.C., as the National Children's Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2003
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) United Nations (UN) weapons inspectors should be given sufficient time to carry out the inspections that are necessary for an assessment of the level of compliance by the Government of Iraq with UN Security Council Resolution 1441 (2002); (2) the United States and other member nations of the UN Security Council should work together to exhaust all peaceful and diplomatic means for disarming Iraq before launching an invasion of Iraq; (3) international emissaries (including European and Arab leaders) should be given time to persuade Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq voluntarily and avert war; (4) before initiating any offensive military operations in Iraq to enforce Resolution 1441, the United States should seek authorization for the use of force from the UN Security Council; (5) the United States should re-engage in the Middle East peace process in an effort to end the violence between Israel and the Palestinians; and (6) the United States should redouble its efforts to secure the U.S. homeland in light of the growing number of intelligence assessments highlighting U.S. vulnerability for further terrorist attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2003
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2003 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the Federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.90 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; and (2) $6.65 an hour, beginning 12 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 · 23 January 2003
Guaranteeing a United and Resolute Defense Act of 2003 or GUARD Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to provide funds to the governor of a State who submits, and receives approval of, a plan for the use of personnel and equipment of the State's National Guard in homeland security activities. Provides authorizes uses of such funding, including: (1) pay, allowances, and clothing; (2) equipment and facilities operation and maintenance; and (3) procurement of related services.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2003
National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Registry Act of 2003 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish and administer: (1) a national greenhouse gas emissions information system to collect annual lists required to be submitted under this Act of an entity's greenhouse gas emissions and their sources; and (2) a national greenhouse gas registry to collect voluntarily reported information on emissions reductions. Specifies factors for adjustment of emissions records by a reporting entity. Directs the Administrator and the Secretaries of Commerce, Agriculture, and Energy to develop greenhouse gas emissions quantification and verification protocols, electronic reporting methods, and accounting and reporting standards. Requires verification of reported emissions information. Requires the Administrator to publish an annual national greenhouse gas emissions inventory.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2003
Underground Storage Tank Compliance Act of 2003 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to distribute to States at least 80 percent of the funds authorized to be appropriated under this Act from the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund to pay the reasonable costs incurred under cooperative agreements of: (1) certain corrective actions and compensation programs; (2) directly related administrative expenses; or (3) enforcement of State or local requirements regulating underground storage tanks (USTs). Allows undistributed funds to be used for enforcing UST regulations. Requires the Administrator or a State with an approved program to require compliance inspections of USTs at least once every two years. Directs the Administrator to publish operator training guidelines and States to develop and implement a training strategy consistent with stated requirements. Authorizes the use of funds made available for the petroleum response program to carry out corrective actions with respect to methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) releases. Permits the consideration of an owner or operator's violation history when a State or the Administrator enforces compliance. Authorizes a State or the Administrator to prohibit the delivery of regulated substances (motor fuels) to non-compliant tanks. Provides temporary relief for certain tanks in remote locations. Requires implementation reports by any Federal or State agency responsible for USTs. Requires the Administrator and Indian Tribes to correct UST releases on Indian lands. Permits States to establish requirements more stringent than the Federal requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2003
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 with respect to maximum individual amounts of Federal Pell Grant for academic years 2004-05 through 2009-10. (Current law provides $5,800 for 2003-04.) Increases such amount to $6,700 for 2004-05, and by increments in each of specified subsequent academic years, up to $11,600 for 2009-10. Requires a further increase in any such maximum Federal Pell Grant amount, by an amount sufficient to achieve a five percent increase in students' purchasing power relative to the cost of attendance at an institution of higher education, if the Secretary of Education determines that the amount authorized does not increase such purchasing power by at least five percent from one academic year to the next.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2003
Environmental Policy and Conflict Resolution Advancement Act of 2003 - Amends the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental and Native American Public Policy Act of 1992 to authorize appropriations for FY 2004 through 2008 for the Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund. Requires a specified amount to be used for grants or other arrangements to pay for services provided in a neutral manner relating to, and to support the participation of non-Federal entities in, environmental conflict resolution proceedings involving Federal agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2003
Toxic Clean-up Polluter Pays Renewal Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code by reinstating the Hazardous Substance Superfund financing rate until January 1, 2014, and reinstating the Corporate Environmental Income Tax until January 1, 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2003
Medicare Ambulance Payment Reform Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to payment for ambulance services to revise requirements for the establishment of a fee schedule. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a system for the coding of claims for ambulance services, including a code set specifying the medical condition of the individual transported by an ambulance and the appropriate level of transportation service.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2003
DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2003 - Directs the Attorney General to: (1) survey Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement jurisdictions to assess the amount of DNA evidence from sexual assault crimes that has not been subjected to testing and analysis; (2) review national, State, local, and tribal government protocols on the collection and processing of DNA evidence at crime scenes; and (3) make grants for sexual assault examiner programs, examiner training and certification, acquisition or improvement of forensic equipment, and other training. Amends the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to: (1) ensure that DNA testing and analysis of samples from rape kits and non-suspect cases are carried out in a timely manner; (2) reauthorize grants; (3) make local governments eligible for grants; (4) direct the Attorney General to give priority to a State or local governmental unit that has a significant rape kit or non-suspect case backlog; and (5) expand the scope of DNA samples subject to privacy protections. Amends: (1) the Federal criminal code and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to authorize "John Doe" DNA indictments for sexual abuse (allows describing a person as an unknown individual who has a particular DNA profile if the identity of the accused or defendant is unknown); and (2) the DNA Identification Act of 1994 to authorize appropriations to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to carry out a redesign of the Combined DNA Index System.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2003
Chemical Security Act of 2003 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations to: (1) designate certain combinations of chemical sources and substances of concern as high priority categories based on the severity of the threat posed by an unauthorized release from chemical sources; and (2) require each owner and operator of a high priority category chemical source to conduct an assessment of the vulnerability of the source to a terrorist attack or other unauthorized release, identify hazards that may result from such release, and prepare a prevention, preparedness, and response plan. Sets forth: (1) certification requirements regarding assessments, and completion and review of response plans, by owners and operators of high priority chemical sources; and (2) protocols for protecting information disclosed in such certifications. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) certification by the Administrator of source assessment and plan compliance with requirements; (2) compliance assistance; and (3) compliance orders. Provides that if the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that: (1) a threat of a terrorist attack exists that is beyond the scope of a submitted plan, or that plan implementation is insufficient, the Secretary shall notify each source of the elevated threat; and (2) a source has not taken appropriate action in response to the notification, the Secretary shall notify the source, the Administrator, and the Attorney General. Authorizes the Administrator or the Attorney General to then secure such relief as necessary to abate a threat. Sets forth: (1) source record-keeping requirements; (2) entry and access rights of the Administrator; and (3) civil, criminal, and administrative penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2003
Declares that, if the Federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) for a State for FY 2003 is less than the FMAP for FY 2002, the FY 2002 FMAP shall be substituted for the State's FMAP for the third and fourth calendar quarters of FY 2003. Declares similarly that if a State's FY 2004 FMAP is less than the FY 2003 FMAP, the FY 2003 FMAP shall be substituted for each calendar quarter of FY 2004. Requires each eligible State for the third and fourth calendar quarters of FY 2003 and each calendar quarter of FY 2004 to have its FMAP increased by 2.45 percentage points. Mandates a specified Medicaid payment cap increase for territories. Prohibits application of the FMAP increases for a State under this Act with respect to: (1) disproportionate share hospital payments under Medicaid; and (2) payments under SSA titles IV and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP). Amends SSA title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services), for the purpose of providing State fiscal relief allotments to States and territories in accordance with a specified table, to make appropriations to be available for obligation by the State through June 30, 2005, and for expenditure by the State through September 30, 2005. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to the Congress on the most appropriate data and methodology to use to determine the Federal medical assistance percentage for purposes of programs authorized under the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2003
Rural Communities Hospice Care Access Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to create an exception to the Medicare 20 percent inpatient care limitation for certain rural hospice programs with 20 beds or fewer.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2003
Nuclear Security Act of 2003 - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to establish a task force on nuclear infrastructure security to protect sensitive nuclear facilities from potential terrorist threats. Instructs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to promulgate regulations that: (1) identify the threats that sensitive nuclear facilities must protect against to prevent radiological sabotage and theft of special nuclear material; and (2) establish a system to determine multiple threat levels in order to describe threat conditions. Prescribes guidelines for mandatory NRC review of security plans and emergency response plans. Directs the President to: (1) promulgate regulations establishing the Nuclear Infrastructure Antiterrorism Team to protect sensitive nuclear facility perimeters; and (2) establish a training program for National Guard, State and local law enforcement agency response to threats against a sensitive nuclear facility. Amends the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 to establish: (1) the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response; and (2) a Security Response Unit, including a mock terrorist team. Instructs the NRC to: (1) establish a security response evaluation program for sensitive nuclear facilities; and (2) conduct emergency response exercises to evaluate emergency personnel response to a radiological emergency at those facilities. Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to authorize trained security guards and employees of NRC certificate holders to carry firearms, other weapons, devices, or ammunition at NRC facilities. Prescribes guidelines for such personnel to detain or arrest without a warrant. Subjects to a criminal penalty: (1) any attempt or conspiracy to commit sabotage of nuclear facilities or fuel (the current standard is intentional or willful attempt); and (2) sabotage committed during construction of certain NRC facilities if the sabotage could adversely affect public health and safety during facility operation. Amends the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 to extend whistleblower protections to an employee of an NRC contractor or subcontractor.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
The Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Chief of the Forest Service, to: (1) establish three Institutes (one each in Arizona at Northern Arizona University, New Mexico, and Colorado) to promote the use of adaptive ecosystem management to reduce the risk of wildfires, and improve the health of forest and woodland ecosystems in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah; and (2) assist the Institutes to promote such management. Defines adaptive ecosystem management as a natural resource management process under which planning, implementation, monitoring, research, evaluation, and incorporation of new knowledge are combined into a management approach that is: (1) based on scientific findings and the needs of society; and (2) used to modify future management methods and policy. Prescribes requirements for cooperation among the Institutes and Federal programs relating to ecological restoration, wildfire risk reduction, and wildfire management technologies.
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
Veterans Health Care Funding Guarantee Act of 2003 - 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 2002; 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. Repeals provisions which: (1) prohibit the appropriation, obligation, or use of funds for any Department of Veterans Affairs major medical facility project or lease unless such funds have been specifically authorized by law; (2) require the Secretary to submit to specified congressional committees a prospectus of a proposed medical facility involving an expenditure of more than $4 million or facility lease with an average annual rental of more than $600,000; and (3) require the Secretary to give Congress notice before obligating an amount of funds for a major medical facility project that would cause the total amount obligated to exceed the amount specified in the law for that project by more than 10 percent, and when proposing that funds be used for a purpose other than the purpose for which such funds were appropriated.
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
Quality Cheese Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration from using Federal funds to amend specified regulations to include dry ultra-filtered milk or casein in the definition of "milk" or "nonfat milk" as specified in the domestic natural standards for cheese and cheese products.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Global Climate Security Act of 2003 - Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President and Congress should make reducing and preparing for the risks of global climate change a higher priority. Delineates measures that should be taken, including requiring reductions in carbon dioxide and other pollutants from electric power plants and developing an early warning system of biological and ecological indicators. National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Registry Act of 2003 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish and administer: (1) a national greenhouse gas emissions information system to collect annual lists required to be submitted under this Act of an entity's greenhouse gas emissions and their sources; and (2) a national greenhouse gas registry to collect voluntarily reported information on emissions reductions. Directs the Administrator and the Secretaries of Commerce, Agriculture, and Energy to develop greenhouse gas emissions quantification and verification protocols, electronic reporting methods, and accounting and reporting standards. Requires the Administrator to publish an annual national greenhouse gas emissions inventory. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should demonstrate international leadership and responsibility concerning the risks posed by climate change through meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and participation in international efforts, including treaties. Rio Agreement Commission Establishment Act - Establishes the Commission to Implement the Rio Agreement (concerning greenhouse gas emission reductions). Addresses greenhouse gas emissions issues through: (1) a national assessment of climate change impacts; (2) a review of emission reduction policies and measures; (3) environmental impact statements; (4) an emissions goal; (5) corporate environmental disclosure; (6) methodology for measuring emissions from imports; (7) a review of trade and innovation effects; (8) emissions reduction grants; and (9) modifications to revenue statutes.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Comprehensive Homeland Security Act of 2003 - First Responders Partnership Grant Act of 2003 - Sets forth a grants program to support homeland security activities of States, local governments, and Indian tribes public safety officers, including terrorism prevention and response. Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Act of 2003, or the "SAFER Act of 2003" - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the Secretary of Labor to make grants to eligible entities to pay for the Federal share of hiring career firefighters. Nuclear Security Act of 2003 - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to establish a Task Force on Nuclear Infrastructure Security (Task Force) to examine the protection of sensitive nuclear facilities from potential terrorist threats. Instructs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to promulgate regulations based upon task force recommendations. Directs the President to establish the Nuclear Infrastructure Antiterrorism Team to protect the perimeter of sensitive nuclear facilities against threats . Amends the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 to established in the (NRC) the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. Establishes within such Office the Security Response Unit. Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to authorize employees of NRC licensees to carry weapons. Instructs the Task Force to: (1) evaluate the security of sensitive radioactive material against security threats; and (2) recommend actions for the maximum practicable security against security threats. Rail Security Act of 2003 - Authorizes appropriations for Amtrak, conditioned upon Secretary of Transportation approval of an Amtrak plan that targets security, rehabilitation and upgrades, and engineering and financial considerations. Sets forth criteria governing a mandatory assessment of rail transportation security risks. Wastewater Treatment Works Security and Safety Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to mandate that vulnerability assessments and attendant emergency response plans be submitted to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to address immediate and urgent security needs. Amends the Public Health Service Act to instruct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to implement the National Smallpox Vaccination Program. Establishes in the Treasury an Information Technology Fund to provide expenditures for information technology and related services for Federal agencies. Prescribes guidelines under which a record pertaining to the vulnerability of and threats to critical infrastructure that is furnished voluntarily to the Department of Homeland Security shall not be made available either to the public or to other Federal agencies under the Freedom of Information Act. Prescribes responsibilities of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for the interoperability of information systems. Instructs the Secretary of State to implement a program to secure, consolidate, or eliminate, radiological and nuclear materials and waste located outside the United States that are determined to present a potential threat. Instructs the President to implement a program to improve border security and strengthen export controls in Russia and other designated areas in order to decrease the potential for the spread of weapons of mass destruction and related materiel. Intelligence Community Leadership Act of 2003 - Amends the National Security Act of 1947 to establish an Office of the Director of National Intelligence to assist the Director of National Intelligence. Confers responsibility upon the Directorate for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection (Department of Homeland Security) for consolidating law enforcement information with assessments and warnings relating to foreign intelligence from the Director of Central Intelligence's Counterterrorist Center. Chemical Security Act of 2003 - Instructs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations designating certain combinations of chemical sources and substances of concern as high priority categories based on the severity of the threat posed by an unauthorized release from the chemical sources. Subjects violations of such regulations to civil and criminal penalties. Providing Reliable Officers, Technology, Education, Community Prosecutors, and Training in Our Neighborhoods Act of 2003, or "PROTECTION Act" - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize financial and technical assistance to designated law enforcement programs, including religiously-affiliated organizations and rural law enforcement programs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2002
Settlement Encouragement and Fairness Act - Defines "prevailing party" for any Act of Congress, any agency ruling, regulation, or interpretation, or any judicial or administrative rule that provides for the recovery of attorney's fees, to include, in addition to a party who substantially prevails through a judicial or administrative judgement or order or an enforceable written agreement, a party whose pursuit of a non-frivolous claim or defense was a catalyst for a voluntary or unilateral change in position by the opposing party that provides any significant part of the relief sought.
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.
![Official portrait of Sen. Jeffords, James M. [I-VT]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/j000072_200.jpg)