United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2002
Emergency Communications and Competition Act of 2002 - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to assign licenses in the 12.2 -12.7 gigahertz band for the provision of fixed terrestrial communications services. Prohibits: (1) granting such a license if operations would interfere with direct broadcast satellite service; or (2) such licenses from being used for the provision of personal communications or terrestrial telephony service. Requires licensees to begin providing services within five years after the license is granted. Requires each licensee to: (1) disseminate Federal, State, and local Emergency Alert System warnings to all subscribers; (2) provide immediate access of its services for national security and emergency preparedness personnel; and (3) adhere to all FCC-established access requirements, including the carriage of local television station signals, access for political candidates, and public interest programming and services. Directs the FCC to: (1) establish boundaries for license recipients that conform to existing television markets; and (2) redesignate the Multichannel Video Distribution and Data Service as the Terrestrial Direct Broadcast Service.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2002
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health, should conduct or support research on the effectiveness of medical screening techniques for ovarian cancer, including the use of proteomic patterns in blood serum in combination with other techniques. Requires a report to Congress and the inclusion of such technique in Federal health care programs and group and individual health plans if it proves effective.
United States · United States Congress · 5 September 2002
Designates the U.S. Postal Service facility (Brentwood Processing and Distribution Center) located at 900 Brentwood Road, N.E., in Washington, D.C., as the Joseph Curseen, Jr., and Thomas Morris, Jr. Processing and Distribution Center.
United States · United States Congress · 5 September 2002
Student Bill of Rights - Directs the Secretary of Education to make annual determinations as to whether each State's public school system (system) provides all its students with educational resources to succeed academically and in life. Requires such education to enable students to: (1) acquire knowledge and skills necessary for responsible citizenship; (2) meet challenging academic achievement standards; and (3) compete and succeed in a global economy. Requires each system to do so through: (1) providing specified fundamentals of educational opportunity to students at each public elementary and secondary school; (2) providing educational services in school districts that receive funds for disadvantaged students that are, taken as a whole, at least comparable to educational services provided in school districts not receiving such funds; and (3) complying with any final Federal or State court order in any matter concerning the adequacy or equitableness of the system. Requires withholding of specified portions of its Federal funding for administrative expenses if a system: (1) fails to meet a yearly interim goal; (2) does not remedy, after two school years, a failure to provide comparable educational services to schools that receive funds for disadvantaged children; or (3) does not comply with a court order. Allows students or parents aggrieved by violations of this Act to bring civil actions for enforcement in Federal district courts.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2002
Economic Security Act 2002 - Amends the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-147) (TEUCA) to: (1) establish a program of temporary enhanced unemployment compensation benefits; (2) require States to modify their compensation laws to include recently earned wages in base periods, allow compensation for those seeking part-time work, and increase benefits levels by the greater of 15 percent or $25 a week; (3) reimburse States for administrative expenses; (4) extend the TEUCA program; (5) entitle individuals to 26 weeks of TEUCA compensation; (6) apply a revised rate of insured unemployment; (7) set an additional TEUCA benefit period trigger; (8) provide an additional seven weeks of benefits for workers in high unemployment States; (9) repeal a requirement for 20 weeks of work; (10) provide that individual is not ineligible for emergency compensation because of a subsequent entitlement to regular benefits for which the individual does not file; and (11) provide an additional extension of TEUCA assistance. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for no reduction in unemployment compensation as a result of pension rollovers. Amends the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (FSEUCA) to: (1) repeal certain State law extended benefit requirements; (2) revise the definition of rate of insured unemployment; (3) entitle individuals to 13 weeks of unemployment compensation; (4) lower the extended benefit on-indicator; and (5) require a study and report on unemployment insurance benefits provided to individuals who have received assistance under the temporary assistance for needy families program.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2002
Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), within 15 days after the enactment of this Act, to return to the winning bidders of spectrum auction 35 the full amount of all deposits and down payments made for licenses that the FCC has not delivered by such date. Frees each winning bidder that elects within such period to relinquish a license not yet delivered of all license obligations such bidder would otherwise have had, including the obligation to pay the full amount of its winning bid upon license delivery.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2002
Children's Health Improvement and Protection Act of 2002 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to: (1) revise the rules for redistribution and extended availability of FY 2000 and subsequent fiscal year allotments under SCHIP; (2) direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a caseload stabilization pool and make an additional redistribution of allotments to stabilize caseloads; and (3) restore SCHIP funding for FY 2003 and 2004.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2002
Building Secure and Healthy Families Act of 2002 - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to revise the TANF program, with changes: (1) replacing grants for States to reward a decrease in illegitimacy with grants to States to promote and support secure families; (2) adding nondiscrimination requirements pertaining to marital status and family structure and participation in activities or services funded under the new grant; (3) authorizing a State to assist a teenage parent who does not attend high school or another equivalent training program to come into compliance with TANF work and education requirements, and deeming teenage heads of household who maintain satisfactory school attendance to meet work participation requirements; (5) requiring certain certifications regarding domestic or sexual violence in State TANF plans, and prohibiting a State from penalizing an individual for TANF requirement noncompliance where domestic or sexual violence is a significant contributing factor in the noncompliance; (6) deeming a TANF recipient who provides appropriate care to a child or other relative who has a serious health condition or a disability as engaged in work for work participation rate purposes; and (7) eliminating the termination of TANF assistance for an entire family where an individual in the family has refused to engage in required work.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2002
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to set a specified limit on single sum deferred compensation payments received by survivors of terrorist attack victims.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2002
Amends Federal bankruptcy law to increase from $4,650 to $13,500 the maximum amount of a claim to recover employee wages and benefits that has priority ranking among unsecured creditor claims. Authorizes the bankruptcy court to avoid any transfer of compensation paid to an employee, officer, or member of the board of directors of a debtor in the 90 days preceding the bankruptcy petition date if the court finds that the compensation is either out of the ordinary course of business, or that it constitutes unjust enrichment.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2002
Our Lady of Peace Act - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to require the head of each U.S. department or agency to ascertain whether it has such information on persons for whom receipt of a firearm would violate specified Federal provisions regarding excluded individuals or State law as is necessary to enable the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to operate. Directs that any such record that the department or agency has be made available to the Attorney General for inclusion in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System or transmission of a certification identifying the record for removal from the System. Directs the head of such department or agency, at the Attorney General's request, to furnish such information to the System electronically. Makes a State eligible to receive a waiver of the ten percent matching requirement for National Criminal History Improvement Grants if the State provides at least 95 percent of the information described in this Act, including the name of and other relevant identifying information related to each person disqualified from acquiring a firearm. Requires the Attorney General to make grants to each State: (1) to establish or upgrade information and identification technologies for firearms eligibility determinations; and (2) for use by the State's chief judicial officer to improve the handling of proceedings related to criminal history dispositions and restraining orders. Requires the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics to study and evaluate the operations of the System and to report on grants and on best practices of States.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2002
National Science Foundation Doubling Act - Authorizes appropriations to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for FY 2003 through 2007, with specific allocations for: (1) research and related activities; (2) education and human resources; (3) major research equipment and facilities construction; (4) salaries and expenses; and (5) the Office of Inspector General. Requires the NSF Director (Director), using such authorized amounts, to continue specified initiatives concerning: (1) information technology research involving cybersecurity, terascale computing systems, software, networking, scalability, communications, and data management; (2) nanoscale science and engineering; (3) plant genome research; (4) science and technology innovation partnerships; (5) mathematics and science education partnerships; (6) the Robert C. Noyce scholarship program; (7) the science, mathematics, engineering, and technology talent expansion program; (8) the secondary school systemic initiative; (9) the experimental program to stimulate competitive research; and (10) the program to advance the goals of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act. Requires the: (1) Director to assess and report to specified congressional committees on the major research instrumentation program; and (2) Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to assess and report to such committees on a program to establish university-based centers for interdisciplinary research and advanced instrumentation development. Requires the Director to: (1) develop and submit to the National Science Board a priority list of proposed major research equipment and facilities construction projects; (2) update the list; and (3) prepare a plan for the proposed construction of, and repair and upgrades to, national research facilities. Provides for the confidentiality of information supplied to the NSF or its contractor by an individual or academic institution.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2002
Amends the National Maritime Heritage Act of 1994 to: (1) revise the designation of museums composing the America's National Maritime Museum; and (2) designate specified new museums to be museums of the America's National Maritime Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2002
Reaffirms support of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Commemorates the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987 (the Proxmire Act) on November 4, 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2002
Recognizes Justin W. Dart, Jr., as one of the true champions of the rights of individuals with disabilities, and for his many contributions to the Nation throughout his lifetime. Honors him for his tireless efforts to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities. Recognizes that the achievements of Justin Dart, Jr., have inspired and encouraged millions of Americans with disabilities to overcome obstacles and barriers so they can lead more independent and successful lives.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2002
Employee Abuse Prevention Act of 2002 - Amends the Federal bankruptcy code to authorize the bankruptcy trustee to avoid fraudulent transfers and obligations of the debtor: (1) made within four years (currently one year) before the bankruptcy filing date; and (2) if the debtor was insolvent on the date or became insolvent as a result of an excess benefit transfer or an excess benefit obligation incurred to an insider, general partner, or other affiliate. Authorizes the court to recharacterize a transaction as a secured loan if its material characteristics are substantially similar to those of a secured loan. Permits the bankruptcy trustee to avoid transfers of property or obligations of the debtor that are voidable by a good faith purchaser that gave value in reliance on incorrect information contained in any public registry of security interests or liens. Prohibits retention bonuses and severance pay made for the benefit of an insider of the debtor unless certain requirements are met. Allows as a fourth priority any unsecured claim with respect to a right or interest in equity securities of the debtor, or an affiliate of the debtor, that are held in an employee pension plan, without regard to when services were rendered or limitation in amount, and measured by the market value of the stock at the time the stock was contributed to, or purchased by, the plan. Increases from $4,000 to $13,500 the maximum aggregate claim amount to recover employee wages and benefits that have priority ranking among unsecured creditor claims. Includes as an administrative expense with first priority status any claim arising out of the breach of any fiduciary duty regarding an employee pension plan maintained by the debtor. Directs the court to order reinstatement of retiree benefits if it finds that they were modified in contemplation of bankruptcy and were not essential to the viability of debtor's business.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2002
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for Medicare pass-through payment under the prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department (OPD) services for certain new drugs or biologicals beginning on the first date on which such a drug or biological is furnished as an OPD service after its approval by the Secretary of Health and Human Services for marketing.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2002
Commends Sail Boston for its excellence in the promotion of tall ship and maritime events in Boston and in ports throughout the United States, and its work with the American Sail Training Association for the promotion and encouragement of young cadets through training programs, seamanship, and education at sea. Urges all Americans and citizens of nations throughout the world to join in the international friendship and support Sail Boston and the American Sail Training Association during Sail Boston 2004.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2002
Amends the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (which is title II of the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002, PL107-147) to extend temporary extended unemployment compensation (TEUC) program agreements through weeks of unemployment ending before June 30, 2003 (currently January 1, 2003). Revises the formula for determining the amount in an eligible individual's TEUC account. Sets such amount at the lesser of: (1) the total (currently half of the total) amount of regular compensation, including dependents' allowances, payable to the individual during the individual's benefit year; or (2) 26 (currently 13) times the individual's average weekly benefit amount for the benefit year. Increases an individual's account by half (currently all) of the amount originally established in that account if it is exhausted at the time a State is in an extended benefit period.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2002
Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to extend from 39 to 52 the number of weeks of unemployment assistance to be made available to eligible individuals (after the President's declaration of the major disaster resulting from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001).
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2002
Honors the achievements of Ted Williams and expresses the deepest sympathies and condolences of the Senate to the family of Ted Williams on his passing.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2002
Women's Pension Protection Act of 2002 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to require the spouse's consent for distributions from defined contribution plans (DCPs, which include individual account plans such as 401(k) plans). (Current law only requires such consent in the case of defined benefit plans). Applies joint and survivor annuity rules to DCPs. Provides for division of pension benefits upon divorce, including rules for treating: (1) subsequent qualified domestic relations orders; and (2) former spouses as surviving spouses in certain cases. Revises requirements for joint and survivor annuities. Requires pension plans to offer participants the option of a qualified joint and 3/4 survivor annuity (as an alternative to the current qualified joint and survivor annuity). Amends Federal law relating to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to provide for a survivor annuity to widows, widowers, and certain former spouses of Federal employees who die after having separated from the service with title to a deferred annuity under CSRS, but before attaining the age for such annuity under it (on the same basis as is currently provided to certain survivors of former Members of Congress). Revises CSRS and Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) requirements for court orders relating to Federal employee retirement benefits for former spouses. Amends the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 to: (1) entitle divorced spouses to railroad retirement annuities independent of the actual entitlement of the employees; and (2) extend the payment of any portion of Tier II railroad retirement benefits to surviving former spouses pursuant to divorce agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2002
Amends rule XLII (employment practices) of the Standing Rules of the Senate to prohibit employment discrimination in the Senate based on sexual orientation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2002
Declares that the Senate strongly disapproves of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Newdow v. U.S. Congress. Authorizes and instructs the Senate Legal Counsel to seek to intervene in the case to defend the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2002
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase the fiscal year number of foreign residence waivers that a State may request for foreign medical graduate aliens working in U.S. health shortage areas. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 to make such program permanent.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2002
Nurturing Special Kids Act of 2002 - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (CCDBGA) to require States to reserve certain funds for activities to improve the quality of child care for children with disabilities or other special needs (special children). Requires States that receive CCDBGA allotments in excess of a covered amount to reserve and use the excess to: (1) support child care programs that accept special children, provide higher reimbursements to providers who serve special children, and support training for providers in the care of special children; (2) fund consultations by professionals to improve providers' abilities to identify and care for special children; (3) provide a comprehensive system of ongoing training and technical assistance with respect to providers and others involved in care of special children; and (4) provide grants for recruitment and retention of qualified staff for care of special children.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2002
Peace Corps Charter for the 21st Century Act - Amends the Peace Corps Act to require all recruiting of volunteers to be undertaken solely by the Peace Corps. Conditions the President's authority to detail or assign Peace Corps volunteers to certain Federal and State agencies and other entities upon a determination that such a detail or assignment does not contradict the standing of such volunteers as being independent from foreign policy-making and intelligence collection. Requires the Director of the Peace Corps, before implementing any new initiative, to consult with the Peace Corps National Advisory Council and to report to Congress on: (1) the initiative's objectives and costs, and any impact it may have on existing programs and the safety of volunteers; (2) the status of security procedures in any country in which the Peace Corps operates programs or is considering doing so; (3) student loan forgiveness programs currently available to Peace Corps volunteers; and (4) initiatives the Peace Corps intends to pursue in order to solicit requests from eligible countries where the presence of volunteers would facilitate a greater understanding of the world and of diverse cultures and systems of government, including peoples from countries with substantial Muslim populations. Requires the Director to develop a training program for all Peace Corps volunteers in the education, prevention, and treatment of infectious diseases. Increases Peace Corps volunteer readjustment allowances to $275 a month. Establishes a program to award grants to private nonprofit corporations in the District of Columbia to serve as incubators for returned Peace Corps volunteers seeking to use their knowledge and expertise to undertake community-based projects.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2002
International AIDS Treatment and Prevention Act of 2002 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID), to carry out HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and related activities in countries with or at risk for severe HIV epidemic. Requires particular attention to resource constrained countries and the use of indigenous capacity to the degree practicable. Authorizes support and assistance relating to: (1) HIV prevention services, including post exposure prophylaxis and a safe blood supply; (2) HIV/AIDS care and treatment services, linked to prevention services; (3) infrastructure and training, including the availability of health care facilities; and (4) HIV/AIDS treatment protocols. Creates grant programs for: (1) clinical education and training in the delivery of HIV/AIDS care and treatment services; (2) activities to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV; and (3) research on innovative microbicide concepts. Requires the coordination of Department of Health and Human Services programs by the Director of the Office of International Affairs. Extends the tuberculosis prevention program, to be coordinated with the activities under this Act. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Administrator of AID, to carry out workplace-based HIV/AIDS prevention and education programs in at-risk, constrained countries, with emphasis on protections against discrimination and creating supportive environments for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2002
Efficiency in Health Care (eHealth) Act of 2002 - Establishes a timetable for the implementation of certain electronic systems for billing, consumer information and services, and physician orders by health care facilities and group health plans and health insurance issuers offering health insurance that are covered by the Public Health Service Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to certain health care facilities for electronic billing systems and for computerized physician order entry systems. Requires, as a condition of their continuing eligibility to receive payments from Federal health plans, that all health care facilities have an electronic billing system and a computerized physician order entry system. Requires that group health plans and health insurance issuers have: (1) an automated, integrated system for efficient adjudication of claims and detection of fraud in real time; (2) a system using the Internet or a toll-free number which can provide certain information and capabilities to the consumer, including statements of account, Internet enrollment, explanation of benefits, referrals and authorizations, prescriptions, patient claim history, and statements to health care providers; and (3) a system to provide financial transaction services such as electronic transfer of payments and automatic payments. Requires the Secretary to establish technical standards for computerized physician order entry systems with an emphasis on interoperability with existing systems and the protection of health record confidentiality.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2002
Health Care for Working Families Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to establish a new title II, Health Benefits for Employees and Their Families. Requires employers with 100 or more employees (large employers) to: (1) offer employees the opportunity to enroll in a qualifying health benefit plan that provides family coverage; (2) contribute at least 75 percent of the plan premium; and (3) withhold the employee's share from wages. Applies such requirements to smaller employers that perform a majority of their services for a single large employer. Considers contract, leased, and temporary workers as employees. Provides a formula for determining an alternative minimum employer contribution for plan coverage of part-time workers (who work less than 30 but no less than ten hours per week). Requires such qualifying health plans to provide benefits that are actuarially equivalent or greater in value than those under the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Standard Plan under the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program as of January 1, 2002. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require health insurance issuers to ensure that any employee health insurance coverage they offer to employers complies with requirements of title II of FLSA.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2002
TANF Financial Education Promotion Act of 2002 - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to require a State to specify in its State plan how it intends to establish goals and take action to promote financial education among parents and caretakers receiving assistance under TANF through collaboration with community-based organizations, financial institutions and the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service of the Department of Agriculture. Defines "financial education" as education that promotes an understanding of consumer, economic, and personal finance concepts, including the basic principles involved with earning, budgeting, spending, saving, investing, and taxation. Defines "financial education" as a work activity for TANF purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2002
Medicare Outpatient Prescription Drug Act of 2002 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish: (1) a Medicare Outpatient Prescription Drug Benefit Program under new part D; (2) a Prescription Drug Account in the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund; and (3) a Medicare Prescription Drug Advisory Committee. Provides for: (1) part D benefits under Medicare+Choice plans under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice); and (2) Medicare cost-sharing and other assistance for low-income individuals but only as it relates to benefits provided under new part D. Revises Medicare supplemental insurance policy (Medigap) benefit packages to conform to changes made by this Act, eliminating obsolete policies with no grandfathering. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study and report to Congress on the feasibility and advisability of: (1) establishing a uniform format for pharmacy benefit cards provided to beneficiaries; and (2) developing systems to transfer electronically prescriptions under such program from the prescriber to the pharmacist. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct an ongoing study and analysis of the program established under this Act, especially: (1) the extent to which the competitive bidding process under it fosters maximum competition and efficiency; and (2) the savings to the Medicare program resulting from it, including the reduction in the number or length of hospital visits. Expands the membership and duties of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC).
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2002
Youth Smoking Prevention and Public Health Protection Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to give the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Food and Drug Administration, regulatory authority over tobacco products. Sets forth criteria by which tobacco products will be deemed adulterated and/or misbranded. Sets forth health information submission and annual registration requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to adopt performance standards. Provides for notification and other remedial measures, including recalls. Requires manufacturers and importers of such products to keep records as specified. Requires premarket review of new tobacco products, as specified. Provides a right of judicial review concerning the promulgation of regulations and the denial of premarket approval. Authorizes postmarket surveillance as necessary. Authorizes the Secretary to designate reduced risk tobacco products, as specified. Requires all retail outlets for tobacco products to be treated equally with regard to advertising restrictions. Requires coordination with the Federal Trade Commission, specifically retaining to the Commission the authority to enforce certain laws concerning the advertising, sale, or distribution of tobacco products. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) congressional review; (2) regulations; (3) preservation of State and local authority; (4) construction of current regulations; and (5) conforming amendments. Establishes a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to revise tobacco and smokeless tobacco label and advertising warning requirements. Amends the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 to revise smokeless tobacco warning label and advertising requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2002
Prison Rape Reduction Act of 2002 - Directs the Bureau of Justice Statistics to carry out an annual, comprehensive statistical review and analysis of the incidence and effects of prison rape. Establishes within the Bureau the Review Panel on Prison Rape. Directs the Panel to request the public testimony of Federal, State, and local officials who bear responsibility for the prevention, detection, and punishment of prison rape at specified entities. Provides for a reduction in Federal funds for entities whose officials refuse to testify. Requires the Bureau to submit an annual report to Congress, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on its activities regarding prison rape, including: (1) statistical, sociological, and psychological data regarding the effects of prison rape; and (2) statistical data regarding the incidence of prison rape. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) carry out a program to collect complaints of prison rape from inmates, transmit complaints to the appropriate authorities, and provide for periodic reviews of responses; and (2) establish a national information clearinghouse, conduct periodic training and education programs, and make grants with respect to prison rape prevention, investigation, and prosecution. Establishes the National Prison Rape Reduction Commission to: (1) study the impact of prison rape on Federal, State, and local governments and communities and social institution; and (2) report recommended national standards for reducing prison rape and protocols for preserving evidence and treating victims. Directs: (1) the Attorney General to publish a notice of proposed rule-making for the adoption of national standards; and (2) the Secretary to complete a review of model programs and protocols for the response to and treatment of acute trauma for rape victims within prisons and jails.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2002
Congratulates: (1) the Government and people of Colombia for the successful completion of democratic elections held on May 26, 2002; (2) President-elect Alvaro Uribe Velez and Vice President-elect Francisco Santos Calderon; and (3) Colombian President Andres Pastrana for his commitment to democracy. Commends all Colombian citizens and political parties for working together to take risks for democracy, to pursue national reconciliation, and to strengthen democratic traditions. Supports Colombian attempts to: (1) ensure democracy, national reconciliation, and economic prosperity; (2) support human rights and the rule of law; and (3) abide by all the essential elements of representative democracy. Encourages such Government and people to continue: (1) their struggle against narcotics and terrorism; and (2) to promote the professionalism of the Colombian Armed Forces and National Police and judicial and legal reforms. Reaffirms the U.S. commitment to encouraging and supporting democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and peaceful development throughout the Americas.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2002
Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Act - Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to establish a Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Program to protect the environmental integrity of undeveloped coastal and estuarine areas. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make program grants to coastal States for the purpose of acquiring property interests. Prohibits any more than 75 percent of the grant funding from being derived from Federal sources. Authorizes the Secretary to provide $5 million for a regional watershed protection demonstration project that: (1) leverages land acquisition funding from other Federal conservation or acquisition programs; (2) involves partnerships with Federal, State, and non-governmental entities; (3) creates conservation corridors; (4) protects habitats under imminent threat of development or conversion; (5) provides water quality protection for areas under the National Estuarine Research Reserve program; and (6) provides a model for future regional watershed protection projects. Reserves 15 percent of program funds for acquisitions benefitting the National Estuarine Research Reserve. Specifies that when property is acquired under this program: (1) title will be held by the grant recipient; (2) property will be managed consistent with the purpose of the program; and (3) funds will be returned to the Secretary if the property is sold, exchanged, or divested.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2002
Museum and Library Services Act of 2002 - Amends the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) and the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) 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 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. Amends LSTA to provide for: (1) an increased portion for administrative costs; (2) an increased alternative minimum allotment to States under certain conditions; (3) competitive grants to specified U.S. Territories; (4) State plans once every five years, as determined by the IMLS Director; (5) additional uses of grants to States for library programs; and (6) recruitment of library and information science personnel under the program of national leadership grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. Includes specified entities under the term museum, for MLSA purposes. Revises museum services activities. Repeals requirements under the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science Act 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. Revises Commission membership requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2002
Chance to Succeed Act of 2002 - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) to include as a work activity satisfactory participation in services to address barriers designed to improve future employment opportunities, including substance abuse treatment, domestic violence counseling, and physical rehabilitation, mental health, and mental retardation and developmental disabilities services. Requires the assessment for each assistance recipient to determine whether the recipient has any barriers to employment or program compliance. Prohibits a State to which a TANF grant is made from imposing a sanction against an individual or family on the basis of noncompliance with a program requirement: (1) unless the State satisfies specified notice and review requirements; or (2) if the individual whose conduct is the basis of the sanction is in the uncompleted process of being screened or assessed for a mental health problem, disability, substance abuse problem, or sexual or domestic violence situation, or if the services outlined in the service plan developed for the individual or family were not offered, available, and accessible to the individual or family at the time of the noncompliance. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed as prohibiting a State in compliance with the requirements of this Act from imposing a sanction for noncompliance with work requirements against an individual or family who opts to not take full advantage of the opportunity for assessment or the services and supports made available to ensure that the individual or family can comply with program requirements if such an individual or family is not complying with the State's work requirements. Requires each State receiving a State family assistance grant to establish an advisory panel to review the efficacy of each TANF-funded program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2002
Toxic Clean-up Polluter Pays Renewal Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code by reinstating the Hazardous Substance Superfund financing rate until January 1, 2013, and reinstating the Corporate Environmental Income Tax until January 1, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2002
Mammography Quality Standards Reauthorization Act of 2002 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend funding for the mammography facilities certification program through FY 2007. Permits the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue a temporary certificate to facilities seeking reaccreditation and awarded an accreditation extension for specified reasons, including inability of accrediting body to complete the process in time and unforeseen situations which cause the facility to be unable to meet the reaccreditation timeframes, but do not compromise the quality of mammography. Requires the Comptroller General to evaluate the Mammography Quality Standards Act, including the demonstration program's frequency of inspections, accessibility of services, and the role of States as both accreditation and certification bodies. Directs the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine to study health professional training in the area of mammography.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2002
Medicare Improvements for Special Needs Beneficiaries Act of 2002 - Amends part C (Medicare+Choice) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for specialized Medicare+Choice plans for special needs beneficiaries and the treatment of such plans as coordinated care plans under Medicare part C. Permits restriction on the enrollment of individuals in a specialized Medicare+Choice plan to special needs beneficiaries. Establishes additional requirements for specialized Medicare+choice plans for special needs beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2002
Early Care and Education Act - Directs the Secretaries of Education and of Health and Human Services to: (1) allot incentive grants to States to develop or enhance high-quality systems of early child care and early education; (2) award bonus grants to States for demonstrated improvement in such care and education; and (3) establish an information clearinghouse on such care and education.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2002
Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make certain technical corrections to the enrollment of H.R. 3448 (biological or chemical attack and bioterrorism preparedness).
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2002
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit minors from being employed in door-to-door sales or related support work requiring them to remain away from their permanent residences for more than 24 hours.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2002
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2002 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the Federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.75 an hour beginning 30 days after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.25 an hour during the year beginning on January 1, 2003; and (3) $6.65 an hour beginning January 1, 2004. Makes Federal minimum wage requirements applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sets forth a transition period during which a specified minimum wage there shall be gradually increased to equal the Federal minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2002
Expresses the sense of the Congress that all workers deserve fair treatment and safe working conditions. Honors Dolores Huerta for her commitment to the improvement of working conditions for children, women, and farm worker families.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2002
Declares that Congress encourages the Government of China to honor its obligations under the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951 by: (1) identifying and protecting the refugees among the North Korean migrants encountered by Chinese authorities; (2) allowing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to have access to all North Korean asylum seekers and refugees in China; (3) halting the forced repatriation of North Korean refugees seeking asylum; and (4) cooperating with the High Commissioner in efforts to resettle such refugees to other countries. Encourages: (1) the Chinese Government to permit access to the High Commissioner in order to evaluate the asylum claims and facilitate resettlement; and (2) the U.S. Government to consider asylum and refugee claims of North Koreans arising from a well-founded fear of persecution.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2002
Training for Realtime Writers Act of 2002 - Directs the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to make grants to up to 20 eligible entities to promote training and placement of individuals, including individuals who have completed a court reporting training program, as realtime writers providing closed captioning in video programming. Limits grants to a two-year period and a maximum amount of $1 million.
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