United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Quality Education for All Act - Extends authorizations of appropriations under: (1) the Head Start Act (HSA); and (2) the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (CCDBGA). Revises HSA provisions for: (1) Indian and migrant and seasonal programs; (2) expanded access to Early Head Start and Head Start; (3) part-day to full-day programs; (4) school readiness standards; (5) staff training, development, and salaries; and (6) tribal college or university partnership. Revises CCDBGA requirements for staff training and child care quality improvement activities. Directs the Secretary of Education to make competitive grants to rural local educational agencies for purchasing new school buses. Expresses the sense of the Senate regarding: (1) fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act by 2011; (2) funding for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA); and (3) increasing the maximum Pell Grant under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). Revises ESEA requirements for: (1) public school choice, supplemental educational services, and teacher quality; (2) adequate yearly progress determinations; (3) technical assistance; (4) assessment and accountability; and (5) prohibiting discrimination. Revises HEA to provide for: (1) extending and increasing authorizations of appropriations for TRIO and GEARUP programs; (2) no reduction of student aid eligibility based on updates to tax tables; (3) demonstration grants to help low-income students enroll in summer courses to complete their college degrees; and (4) tuition-free college for mathematics, science, and special education teachers, through additional amounts of student loan forgiveness. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) expand the deduction for higher education expenses; (2) establish a credit for interest on higher education loans; and (3) make Hope and Lifetime Learning credits refundable.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
National Guard and Reserve Bill of Rights Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of Defense to limit the length of assignment of reservists during U.S. Central Command deployments of not less than one year. Requires the Secretary to submit to specified congressional committees a report on Department of Defense policies and communications regarding the length of deployments for reservists in connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom. Directs the Secretary of the Army to designate a senior level official of the Department of the Army to implement recommendations for executive action to address military pay problems. Expands reenlistment bonus eligibility and the amount of such bonuses for members of the Selected Reserve. Removes conditions on Ready Reserve members' eligibility for TRICARE enrollment. Makes such eligibility permanent. Requires the Secretary concerned to pay applicable premiums to continue qualified health benefit plan coverage for family members of eligible reservists serving on active duty for the benefits coverage continuation period. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to fund child care for members of the Armed Forces on active duty for Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. Requires employers to provide notice of rights and benefits under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). Increases monthly educational assistance benefits for members of the Selected Reserve. Expands eligibility for such benefits to include reservists who have served on active duty for a cumulative period of 24 months during any five-year period. Reduces from 60 to 55 the age at which members of Reserve components may receive military retirement pay. Establishes the position of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (Reserve Affairs). Eliminates the position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. Reduces the number of Assistant Secretaries of Defense.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Montgomery G.I. Bill Enhancement Act of 2005 - Exempts members of the Armed Forces and Selected Reserve on active duty between November 16, 2001, and the termination date of Executive Order 13235 from the mandatory payroll deductions ($100 for the first 12 months of active duty pay) under the veterans' basic educational assistance program. Provides for reimbursement of payroll deductions taken prior to the enactment of this Act. Allows such members to withdraw an election not to receive basic educational assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Fulfilling Our Duty to America's Veterans Act of 2005 - States that, upon enactment, funding for the programs, functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration shall be provided through a combination of discretionary and mandatory funding in order to ensure access to health care for all veterans. Requires: (1) the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the extent to which such funding has achieved its objectives; and (2) congressional consideration of such report via the joint resolution process. Provides for: (1) post-traumatic stress disorder treatment for veterans of service in Afghanistan and Iraq and the Global War on Terrorism; and (2) a review by each military department of the sufficiency of its military health care programs. Authorizes Department of Veterans Affairs pharmacies to dispense medications to Medicare-eligible veterans on prescriptions written by private practitioners. Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2005 - Requires the full concurrent payment of military retired pay and service-connected disability compensation. Requires a joint report from the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs on the development of interoperable electronic records for military personnel and veterans that are utilized by both departments. Expands preseparation physical examination and counseling requirements. Authorizes such Secretaries to carry out epidemiological studies relating to health conditions that develop as a result of occupational exposure during military service. Requires such Secretaries to develop protocols to facilitate the sharing of members' and veterans' duty assignments and medical conditions information. Increased Government Commitment to Veterans' Education Act - Provides for the: (1) exclusion of basic pay contributions for participation in veterans' educational assistance from computations used to determine eligibility for student financial aid; and (2) opportunity to enroll in a basic educational assistance program for certain individuals who participated, or were eligible to participate, in the post-Vietnam era veterans' educational assistance program.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Affordable Health Care Act - 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 from certain countries. Allows the Secretary to require the sponsor of an approved drug to conduct one or more studies that confirms or refutes a credible hypothesis of a significant safety issue. Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of Health Information Technology to improve the quality and efficiency of health care delivery through the use of health information technology. Requires the Secretary, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish uniform health care quality measures and public reporting requirements across all federally supported health delivery programs. Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to give States the option to expand or add coverage of children, pregnant women, and legal immigrants under titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain small business employers a refundable tax credit for a portion of their employee health insurance costs. Amends SSA to set forth provisions (as a new title XXII) addressing health insurance coverage for small businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the maximum Federal Pell Grant for which a student should be eligible during award year 2005-2006 should be $4,500; and (2) the authorized levels for the Federal Pell Grant maximum amount under the Higher Education Act of 1965 should be set high enough to accommodate a Federal Pell Grant amount of $9,000 by award year 2010-2011.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of Howard S. Liebengood, former Sergeant at Arms of the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Expresses: (1) sympathy for the victims and families of the earthquake and tsunami that struck communities throughout Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Eastern Africa on December 26, 2004; and (2) gratitude and respect for the work of all aid and relief personnel, including U.S. military personnel. Supports President George W. Bush's pledge of $350,000,000 in direct financial assistance, and additional indirect assistance, through the dispatch of U.S. military assets and personnel and through substantial voluntary and annual contributions to international organizations and bodies. Commends the ongoing international relief effort. Recognizes that U.S. Government assistance will be greatly supplemented by private U.S. donations and volunteers. Supports the long-term U.S. commitment to provide financial aid and other assistance to the impacted region.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2004
Congratulates: (1) the Boston Red Sox for winning the 2004 Major League Baseball World Series and for their incredible performance during the 2004 Major League Baseball season; and (2) the eight Major League Baseball teams that played in the postseason. Recognizes the achievements of the Boston Red Sox players, manager, coaches, and support staff whose hard work, dedication, and spirit made this all possible. Commends: (1) the St. Louis Cardinals for a valiant performance during the 2004 season and the World Series; (2) the fans and management of the St. Louis Cardinals for allowing the Red Sox fans from Boston and around the Nation to celebrate their first title in 86 years at their home field.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2004
National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award one-year grants to each approved State to establish or improve a State controlled substance monitoring program. Requires the Secretary to develop minimum standards for States to ensure security of information collected and to recommend penalties for the provision or use of information in violation of applicable laws or regulations. Requires each approved State to: (1) require dispensers to report to the State within one week of each dispensing of a controlled substance to an ultimate user or research subject; and (2) establish and maintain an electronic searchable database containing the information reported. Allows a State to provide information from the database in response to certain requests by practitioners, law enforcement, narcotics control, licensure, disciplinary, or program authorities, the controlled substance monitoring program of another State, and agents of the Department of Health and Human Services, State Medicaid programs, State health departments or the Drug Enforcement Administration. Requires the Secretary to: (1) specify a uniform electronic format for the reporting, sharing, and provision of information under this Act; and (2) study and report to Congress on such programs, including on interoperability between programs, the feasibility of a real-time electronic controlled substance monitoring program, privacy protections, and technological alternatives to centralized data storage.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2004
Disabled Veterans Transition Assistance Act of 2004 - Requires the Secretary of Defense to carry out a program to provide a support system for members of the Armed Forces who incur severe disabilities on or after September 11, 2001, including a system of advocacy and follow-up to assist those members to transition from military service to the civilian community. Requires the Secretary to designate an executive agent to carry out the program throughout the Department of Defense and, in cooperation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, for members of the Coast Guard with severe disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2004
Amends the Controlled Substances Act to eliminate the 30-patient limit for medical practitioners in group practices that may dispense specified narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2004
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of tobacco products by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Food and Drug Administration, including through disclosure, annual registration, inspection, recordkeeping, and user fee requirements. Sets forth criteria by which tobacco products are deemed adulterated or misbranded. Allows the Secretary to require prior approval of all label statements. Allows the Secretary to restrict the sale or distribution of tobacco products, including advertising and promotion, if the Secretary determines that such regulation would be appropriate for the protection of the public health. Prohibits such regulations from: (1) limiting product sales or distribution to authorization of a practitioner licensed to prescribe medical products; (2) prohibiting product sales in face-to-face transactions by a specific category of retail outlets; or (3) establishing a minimum age greater than 18 years of age for product purchases. Prohibits cigarettes from containing any artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, cinnamon, or coffee. Requires the Secretary to establish tobacco product standards to protect the public health, but reserves to Congress the power to ban any tobacco products or reduce the nicotine level to zero. Allows the Secretary to take specified actions, including public notification and recall, against unreasonably harmful products. Requires premarket approval of all new tobacco products. Sets forth standards for the sale of modified risk tobacco products. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) judicial review; (2) coordination with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); (3) congressional review of regulations; and (4) state and local authority. Requires the Secretary to establish a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to change cigarette warning label and advertising requirements. Amends the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 to change smokeless tobacco warning label and advertising requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2004
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to nullify the force or effect of any portion of a specified final rule promulgated on April 23, 2004, that exempts any employee from overtime pay provisions who would not otherwise be exempt if regulations in effect on March 31, 2003, remained in effect. Provides for the following to remain in effect: (1) that portion of the regulations in effect on March 31, 2003, that would prevent such an employee from being exempt; and (2) the increased salary level eligibility for overtime pay in the final rule promulgated on April 23, 2004.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2004
Amends the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 to authorize appropriations for: (1) home energy grants; and (2) the incentive program for leveraging non-federal resources.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2004
Emergency Flu Response Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to immediately declare the shortage of the influenza vaccine to be a public health emergency justifying an authorization of the use of unapproved products. Requires the Secretary to: (1) consult with certain foreign countries to assess the availability of excess vaccines; (2) determine whether such vaccines meet the criteria for emergency authorization; (3) purchase, import, and distribute such vaccines; (4) award a grant to each State to develop and implement a plan to respond to the current shortage; and (5) establish a program to purchase and redistribute excess doses for administration to individuals in priority areas. Requires the head of each executive agency and the Attending Physician of the Capitol to ensure that vaccines are administered only to employees in priority groups and to provide the Secretary with any excess doses for redistribution. Allows the Secretary to purchase any approved drug to treat influenza for inclusion in the Strategic National Stockpile. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to conduct clinical trials to determine whether a diluted influenza vaccine is effective in priority groups. Establishes the National Quarantine Compensation Program to pay individuals subject to a State or Federal quarantine order an amount equal to lost wages. Prohibits an employer from discharging or discriminating against such individuals. Allows the Secretary, upon determining that measures taken under this Act have not been effective, to: (1) take additional measures necessary to protect the public health; and (2) require manufacturers or anyone in possession of the vaccine to sell their supply to the Federal Government.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2004
Disabled Veterans Transition Assistance Act of 2004 - Requires the Secretary of Defense to carry out a program to provide a support system for members of the Armed Forces who incur severe disabilities on or after September 11, 2001, including a system of advocacy and follow-up to assist those members to transition from military service to the civilian community. Requires the Secretary to designate an executive agent to carry out the program throughout the Department of Defense and, in cooperation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, for members of the Coast Guard with severe disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2004
Fair Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2004 or the FACT Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to establish and operate a data bank of registry information on clinical trials for drugs, biological products, and devices. Requires the principal investigator or a responsible person to submit clinical trial information to the Secretary. Requires the Secretary to: (1) seek a memorandum of understanding with the heads of other Federal agencies to include in the registry clinical trials sponsored by such agencies; and (2) establish procedures to allow voluntary submission of clinical trial information not involving drugs, biological products, or devices. Allows the Secretary to: (1) require that information from such other clinical trials be submitted to the registry in cases in which it is in the interest of public health; and (2) correct any information included in the registry that is factually and substantively inaccurate, false, or misleading. Extends requirements of this Act to clinical trials conducted outside of the United States under certain circumstances. Requires the responsible person for proposals submitted to the Secretary requesting financial assistance to conduct research to submit registry information to the Secretary. Prohibits a responsible person or a manufacturer from performing any act that prohibits, limits, or imposes unreasonable delays on the ability of an individual to discuss or publish the results of a clinical trial. Requires the Secretary to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to study the extent to which data submitted to the registry has impacted the public health.
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 · 6 October 2004
Information Technology for Health Care Quality Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of Health Information Technology to: (1) improve the quality and efficiency of health care delivery through the use of health information technology; (2) provide national leadership relating to such technology; (3) direct all Federal health information technology activities; (4) facilitate the interaction between the Federal Government and the private sector relating to the development and use of such technology; and (5) develop a national strategy for improving the quality and enhancing the efficiency of health care through the use of such technology and the creation of a National Health Information Infrastructure. Requires the Director of the Office to approve or disapprove the policies of Federal departments or agencies that would significantly affect the use of such technology, and provide for the adoption and dissemination of Government standards that promote the efficient exchange of data between health information technology systems. Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from purchasing any health care information technology system that is not in compliance with such standards. Requires the Director to guarantee payment of the principal and interest on loans made to eligible entities, and award competitive matching grants, to: (1) implement local health information infrastructure to facilitate the development of interoperability across health care settings; or (2) facilitate the purchase and adoption of health information technology. Requires the Secretary, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish uniform health care quality measures and public reporting requirements across all federally supported health delivery programs.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2004
Denounces the confinement of refugees to a camp or segregated settlement or other deprivation of the refugees' basic rights in a situation that has lasted ten years or more as a denial of basic human rights and a squandering of human potential. Urges the Secretary of State to actively pursue models of refugee assistance that permit refugees to enjoy all the rights recognized in the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees. Encourages the international community to denounce such practice. Calls upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to monitor refugee situations more effectively.
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
Youth Service Scholarship Act of 2004 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a Public Service Incentives college scholarship program to reward low-income students who have, during high school, and who continue, during college, to make significant public service contributions to their communities. Requires 300 hours of public service by the student: (1) during each of two academic years of secondary school, to be eligible for a scholarship for the first year of college; and (2) during the preceding postsecondary academic year, to be eligible for a second, third, or fourth year. Requires such students to: (1) have been eligible for a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; and (2) be eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants in the year in which the scholarships are awarded. Sets the scholarship amount at $5,000 for any academic year during a student's first four years of undergraduate education, and provides for adjustments of such amount in the event of insufficient appropriations. Requires program dissemination and promotion.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2004
Prevention of Childhood Obesity Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to ensure that the Federal Government coordinates efforts to develop, implement, and enforce policies to prevent obesity among children and youth. Requires the Secretary to establish within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) a Federal Leadership Commission to Prevent Childhood Obesity. Requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess the effect of Federal nutrition assistance programs and agricultural policies on the prevention of childhood obesity. Sets forth procedures to establish and enforce guidelines for nutritional food and physical activity advertising and marketing to prevent childhood obesity. Requires the Secretary, acting through the CDC Director, to award grants to: (1) implement a State children's obesity prevention and control plan; and (2) disseminate childhood obesity prevention evidence-based practices to individuals, families, schools, organizations and communities. Requires the Secretary to: (1) award grants to develop obesity prevention behavior change curricula for early childhood home visitation programs and afterschool programs; and (2) establish and implement activities to prevent obesity by encouraging healthy nutrition choices and physical activity in schools. Provides for grants to promote good nutrition and physical activity for students in schools and children in communities. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award grants to support the training of early childhood professionals about obesity prevention. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand and intensify research that addresses the prevention of childhood obesity.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2004
Lowell National Historical Park Boundary Adjustment Act - Modifies the boundary of the Lowell National Historical Park to include certain properties in the City of Lowell, Massachusetts.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2004
Amends the Controlled Substances Act to eliminate the 30-patient limit for medical practitioners in group practices that may dispense specified narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2004
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise provisions for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program of campus-based child care. Increases the minimum CCAMPIS grant to an institution of higher education from $10,000 to $30,000. Expands eligibility to participate in CCAMPIS to graduate and professional students, international students, and students from families with certain low-incomes that do not qualify for Federal Pell Grants (as well as, currently, students eligible for Pell Grants). Extends and increases the amount of the authorization of appropriations for CCAMPIS.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2004
Calls for the President to grant a pardon, posthumously, to Jack Johnson, the first African-American professional boxer to hold the title of Heavyweight Champion of the World.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2004
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a community college capacity-building grant program. Directs the Secretary of Education to award such grants, on a competitive basis, to individual community colleges or consortia of community colleges to meet capacity challenges.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2004
American Hospital Preservation Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to revise the indirect medical education adjustment percentage in order to eliminate reductions in payments to hospitals.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2004
Student Loan Abuse Prevention Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reduce certain special allowance payments to holders of student loans. Appropriates, for each fiscal year after enactment of this Act, an additional amount to increase the maximum Pell grant for that fiscal year. Makes such amount equal to the amount by which expenditures for such special allowances are reduced by this Act for that fiscal year, as determined by the Congressional Budget Office.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2004
Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretaries of Education, of State, and of Health and Human Services to award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, Special Olympics for specified education, international, and health activities, including ones promoting Special Olympics and a greater understanding of contributions to society by individuals with intellectual disabilities both within and outside of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2004
Continuing Care for Recovering Families Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to allow an eligible individual to elect continuation coverage for group health benefits as provided for in the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) during the 120-day period that begins on the later of the date of enactment of this Act or the date on which the individual experiences a terrorism-related loss of coverage. Provides that: (1) the maximum period required for such coverage shall not be less than the period during which the individual is an eligible individual; and (2) the period between the loss of coverage and the first day of the election period shall be disregarded for purposes of determining the waiting period for coverage of preexisting conditions. Defines an "eligible individual" as an individual who: (1) is a child or spouse of an individual who suffered physical harm or death as a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; (2) that has experienced a terrorism-related loss of health benefits coverage associated with the death, injury, or loss of employment of such an individual; and (3) is not otherwise covered under a health benefits plan or entitled to Medicare benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2004
National Heritage Area Extension Act of 2004 - Amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to extend to September 30, 2027, the authorization for making grants or providing assistance with respect to the National Coal Heritage Area, Tennessee Civil War Heritage Area, Steel Industry Heritage Project (the Steel Industry American Heritage Area), Essex National Heritage Area, Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor (redesignated by this Act as the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway), and Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. National Aviation Heritage Area Act - Establishes within the States of Ohio and Indiana the National Aviation Heritage Area. Amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996, to: (1) make additions to the National Coal Heritage Area; (2) provide specified assistance to the National Coal Heritage Area Authority; (3) make resources within Lincoln County and Paint Creek and Cabin Creek also eligible for assistance; (4) provide for the Authority to submit a Coal Heritage Management Plan for the Area; and (5) require the Plan to set forth responsibilities of the Authority. Reauthorizes appropriations for the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route. Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Act Amendments of 2004 - Provides for the designation, upon the termination of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Commission, of the Canal Corridor Association to be the management entity for the Corridor. Oil Region National Heritage Area Act - Establishes the Oil Region National Heritage Area in Pennsylvania. Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area Act of 2004 - Establishes the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area in New Jersey. Western Reserve Heritage Areas Study Act - Provides for a study regarding the establishment of the Western Reserve Heritage Area in specified Ohio counties. Provides for updating the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor plan.
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 · 21 September 2004
Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant qualifying alien agricultural workers (and their spouses and minor children) temporary resident status and subsequently lawful permanent resident status upon the fulfillment of specified agricultural work and residency requirements. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) adjustment of status applications, including penalties for false statements; (2) the waiver of numerical limitations and certain grounds for inadmissibility; (3) the temporary stay of removal and work authorization; (4) administrative and judicial review; and (5) dissemination of program information. Amends the Social Security Act to provide for the correction of such aliens' social security records. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to set forth application requirements for H-2A (temporary agricultural worker) employers and employer associations, including assurances: (1) that the job opportunity is temporary or seasonal and is not the result of a labor dispute; (2) that attempts have been made to hire U.S. workers; and (3) respecting required wages and benefits and compliance with labor laws. Sets forth employment requirements with respect to H-2A worker wages, housing, and transportation reimbursement. Establishes the Commission on Agricultural Wage Standards under the H-2A program. Revises provisions respecting the admission and extension of stay of H-2A workers. Provides special rules for alien sheepherders. Sets forth worker protection and labor standards enforcement provisions for such aliens.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2004
Asthmatic Schoolchildren's Treatment and Health Management Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in making certain PHSA grants or any other asthma-related grant to a State, to give preference to States that require public elementary and secondary schools to allow students to self-administer medication to treat that student's asthma or anaphylaxis under specified conditions. Provides that this Act does not create a cause of action or in any other way increase or diminish the liability of any person under any other law. Expresses the sense of Congress: (1) commending the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for identifying and creating strategies for addressing asthma within a coordinated school program; and (2) encouraging all schools to review these strategies and adopt policies that will best meet the needs of their student population.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2004
Congratulates the citizens of Greece, the members of the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the International Olympic Committee, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the members, coaches, and officials of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team, athletes from around the world, and the security personnel and volunteers who ensured that the 2004 Olympic Summer Games in Athens was a great success for a job well done.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2004
No Child Left Behind Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, to subject to school facility capacity requirements the obligation of a local educational agency (LEA) to provide a public school choice option for students to transfer under certain conditions. Authorizes school construction and renovation grants to LEAs experiencing school overcrowding, with priority to LEAs having difficulty in meeting public school choice requirements. Revises requirements for: (1) supplemental educational services personnel qualifications, and nondiscrimination in such services; and (2) State qualifications for teachers and paraprofessionals. Directs the Secretary of Education to require LEAs and State educational agencies (SEAs) to give schools and LEAs, respectively, an opportunity to request a review of a determination that they did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2002-2003 school year. Prohibits the Secretary, an SEA, or an LEA, with respect to subsequent determinations of whether a school is subject to school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring as a result of not making AYP, from taking into account a 2002-2003 non-AYP determination that was revised under this Act, if the school received a final determination of AYP for such school year. Authorizes competitive grants to SEAs for increasing State and local data system capacity for assessment and accountability, including measuring student academic progress, achievement, and graduation rates. Requires competitive grants to SEAs or SEA consortia to collaborate with institutions of higher education and research organizations in designing, improving, and ensuring accurate assessments of academic content and achievement standards for students who are limited English proficient and students with disabilities. Directs the Secretary to collect, from SEAs, LEAs, and schools, annual reports on student enrollment in grades 7 through 12 and graduation rates. Sets forth provisions relating to civil rights and to technical assistance and research.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2004
Expresses the sense of the Senate with respect to recommending expenditures for the construction of an appropriate visitor center at the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2004
Keep the Promise of Medicare Act of 2004 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cap the Medicare part B premium for each month in 2005 at the same rate for each month in 2004, adjusted for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Children's Health Protection and Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise the extended availability through FY 2004 of SCHIP allotments for FY 1998 through 2001. Specifies formulae for amounts to be used in computing redistributions for FY 2003, 2003, and 2004. Provides for reallocation of 70 percent of the expiring FY 1998, 1999, and 2000 funds to States that have fully expended their annual allotments. Extends the availability of the remaining 30 percent of such expiring funds with the States that currently have them. Permits 50 percent of the total amount of a State's unexpended FY 2002 SCHIP allotments to remain available through FY 2006. Permits 50 percent of the total amount of a State's unexpended FY 2003 and 2004 SCHIP allotments to remain available through the end of FY 2007. Requires redistribution of the other 50 percent of such funds to States that have fully spent their allotments during the three-year period they were available. Requires a second redistribution according to the same 70-30 formula of any retained or redistributed funds still unexpended at the end of the two-year extention or redistribution. Provides for continued authority for qualifying States to use certain funds for Medicaid expenditures.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
American History Achievement Act - Amends the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (NAEPAA) to direct the Commissioner for Education Statistics to: (1) give a priority to conducting national assessments of student achievement in history at least once every four years in grades 4, 8, and 12; and (2) conduct trial State academic assessments of student achievement in U.S. history in grades 8 and 12 in not less than ten States representing geographically diverse regions of the United States. Directs the National Assessment of Educational Progress governing board to select the States to participate in, and authorizes appropriations for, such trial State assessments in U.S. history.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Quality of Care for Individuals with Cancer Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for the development of core sets of quality of cancer care measures to be used in Federal programs. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to : (1) award grants to expand the ability of State cancer registries to monitor and evaluate the quality of cancer care; (2) establish the Cancer Surveillance System to monitor State cancer registries; and (2) provide for the development, expansion, and evaluation of such registries. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to: (1) conduct and support research pertaining to the quality of cancer care; and (2) award grants to develop or adopt model systems of cancer care. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to establish a National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program to improve the quality of cancer care. Requires the Secretary to award grants regarding quality of cancer care, including grants to develop: (1) cancer case management programs; (2) model programs for the delivery of palliative care; (3) programs for cancer survivorship; (4) end-of-life programs; and (5) curricula for health care provider training. Requires the Director of the National Cancer Institute to: (1) establish and support programs to assure an adequate and diverse cancer care workforce; and (2) support multidisciplinary, translational cancer research. Sets forth conditions for the waiver of certain requirements for making grants to States for breast cancer and cervical cancer programs. Requires the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine to evaluate State and Federal comprehensive cancer control programs and the quality of care received by Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Captive Exotic Animal Protection Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit knowingly transferring, transporting, or possessing a confined exotic animal for purposes of allowing the killing or injuring of that animal for entertainment or the collection of a trophy. Permits any person authorized by the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to: (1) arrest without warrant any person who violates this Act in the presence or view of the arresting person; (2) execute any warrant or other process issued by an officer or court of competent jurisdiction to enforce this Act; and (3) with a search warrant, search for and seize any animal taken in violation of this Act. Declares that any animal seized shall be held by the Secretary of the Interior or a U.S. marshal and, upon a defendant's conviction, be forfeited to the United States and disposed of by the Secretary. Permits the Director to use by agreement the personnel and services of any other Federal or State agency to enforce this Act.
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 · 21 July 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Supreme Court should act expeditiously to resolve the current confusion and inconsistency in the Federal criminal justice system by promptly considering and ruling on the constitutionality of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
![Official portrait of Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/k000105_200.jpg)