United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2004
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the United States should not legitimize or support the elections in Iran scheduled to take place on February 20, 2004, as such elections stifle the growth of the genuine deomocratic forces in Iran and do not serve the national security interest of the United States; (2) the support provided by the United States to Iran should be provided to the people of Iran, and not to any political figure who supports the preservation of the current regime; and (3) the policy of the United States should be to seek a genuine democratic government in Iran that will restore freedom to the people of Iran, will abandon terrorism, will protect human rights, and will live in peace and security with the international community.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2004
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member entitled to military retired or retainer pay; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member; and (5) a family member. Directs the Secretary to reimburse such eligible persons for pharmacy benefits received from a pharmacy that is not a TRICARE (Department of Defense managed health care plan) network pharmacy in the same manner as the Secretary would reimburse such person for such benefits received from a TRICARE network pharmacy. Requires such persons, in order to receive such reimbursement, to submit a certification from their physician stating that the person does not have access to a TRICARE network pharmacy due to physical or medical constraints. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to waive the monthly part B premium (Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits for the Aged and Disabled) with respect to: (1) an individual who is entitled to military retired or retainer pay based upon service that began before December 7, 1956; and (2) the spouse, widow, or widower of such individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2004
Designates May 2004 as National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. Expresses support for the goals of: (1) increasing the quality of life for individuals with cystic fibrosis by promoting public knowledge and understanding in a manner that will result in earlier diagnoses; (2) encouraging increased resources for research; and (3) increasing levels of support for people who have cystic fibrosis and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2004
Class Action Fairness Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal judicial code to specify the calculation of contingent and other attorney's fees in proposed class action settlements that provide for the award of coupons to class members. Prohibits a Federal district court from approving: (1) a proposed coupon settlement absent a finding that the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate; (2) a proposed settlement involving payments to class counsel that would result in a net monetary loss to class members, absent a finding that the loss is substantially outweighed by nonmonetary benefits; or (3) a proposed settlement that provides greater sums to some class members solely because they are closer geographically to the court. Specifies requirements for notices of proposed settlements. Grants district courts original jurisdiction of any civil action in which the matter in controversy exceeds $5 million, exclusive of interest and costs, and is between citizens of different States, or citizens of a State and a foreign State or its citizens or subjects. Lists those factors pursuant to which a district court may decline to exercise jurisdiction over a class action, and specifies those circumstances in which a district court must decline jurisdiction. Sets forth provisions governing the removal of interstate class actions to Federal district court and the review on appeal of remand orders. Directs the Judicial Conference of the United States to report on class action settlements, incorporating recommendations for best court practices to ensure fairness for class members and appropriate fees for counsel.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2004
Directs the Secretary of Defense to reimburse a member of the armed forces for transportation expenses incurred for one round trip between two locations within the United States in connection with leave under the Central Command Rest and Recuperation Leave Program during the period beginning on September 25, 2003, and ending on December 18, 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2004
Flu Protection Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Act to require: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to conduct annual public influenza awareness campaign and education and outreach (including Medicare outreach) efforts preceding the flu season; (2) the Director to contract with influenza vaccine manufacturers to ensure the availability of additional doses of flu vaccine; (3) the Director to encourage States to develop a contingency immunization plan for high-risk populations in the event of a vaccine delay or shortage; and (4) the Secretary, through the Director, to establish a protocol to attempt to prevent, prepare for, and respond to an influenza epidemic or pandemic. Requires a manufacturer of a vaccine that receives Federal authority to distribute such vaccine to provide the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with advance notice of such manufacturer's intent to stop marketplace distribution of the vaccine. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish a vaccine manufacturing facilities investment tax credit (20 percent of qualifying property per year) for property placed in service by December 31, 2008; and (2) define "vaccine manufacturing facilities property."
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2004
Guard and Reserve Readiness Retention Act of 2004 - Makes eligible for retired pay non-regular service reserve personnel who obtain the following age and years of reserve service: (1) 60 and 20; (2) 59 and 22; (3) 58 and 24; (4) 57 and 26; (5) 56 and 28; (6) 55 and 30; (7) 54 and 32; and (8) 53 and 34. (Currently, only those obtaining 60 years of age with 20 years of such service are eligible.) Removes the requirement that members of the Selected Reserve and the Individual Ready Reserve may be eligible for benefits under TRICARE (a Department of Defense managed health care program) only if such members: (1) are eligible unemployment compensation recipients; or (2) are not eligible for health care benefits under any employer-sponsored health benefits plan. Makes such eligibility permanent (currently terminates December 31, 2004). Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay the applicable premium to continue in force any qualified health plan coverage for a reserve member (and his or her dependents) while the member is serving on active duty pursuant to a call or order issued during a war or national emergency declared by the President or Congress. Requires the continuation of COBRA coverage during such period. Prohibits simultaneous coverage under both the qualified health plan and TRICARE.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2004
Infant Crib Safety Act - Makes it unlawful for any commercial user to: (1) manufacture, sell, or contract to sell any full-size or nonfull-size crib which is unsafe for any infant; or (2) sell, contract to sell or resell, lease, sublet, or otherwise place in the stream of commerce any such crib which is not new and is unsafe for any infant. Makes it unlawful for any lodging facility to offer or provide such an unsafe crib. Presumes as unsafe a crib which does not conform to specified standards in the Code of Federal Regulations and the American Society for Testing Materials Voluntary Standards, unless labeled as dangerous for an infant and not intended to be used for one. Grants the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) enforcement powers as if this Act were a consumer product safety standard promulgated by it under the Consumer Product Safety Act. Declares a violation of this Act shall be considered a prohibited act within the meaning of the CPSA, and subject to its penalties and remedies.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2004
Commends the Southern University and A&M College of Baton Rouge Jaguar football team for winning the Sheridan Broadcasting National Black College Championship.
United States · United States Congress · 25 November 2003
Financial Literacy in Higher Education Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to direct the Secretary of Education, in carrying out HEA activities related to improving financial and economic literacy, education, and counseling, to emphasize, among other elements, basic personal income and household money management and financial planning skills, and basic economic decision making skills, including specified skills. Directs the Secretary to coordinate such financial and economic literacy activities with related efforts of a Federal commission composed of members from specified Federal agencies. Revises various HEA provisions relating to minority-serving institutions and to student assistance to include requirements for: (1) educational or counseling services to improve the financial and economic literacy of students and their parents; and (2) personal finance courses and skills. Directs the Secretary to establish a HEA pilot program to enable institutions of higher education (IHEs) to provide annual personal finance counseling for their students. Requires: (1) award of a total of five grants to five different IHEs located in geographically different parts of the United States; and (2) at least two of such grantees to be minority-serving IHEs. Directs the Comptroller General to evaluate and report to specified congressional committees on the range and effectiveness of financial and economic education and financial aid counseling activities of IHEs, lenders, servicers, and guaranty agencies as emphasized by the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 25 November 2003
Anacostia Watershed Initiative Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the Anacostia Watershed Restoration Initiative. Creates the Anacostia Watershed Council to develop, carry out, and provide assistance and recommendations with respect to the Initiative. Requires the Council to develop a ten-year comprehensive action plan for the Anacostia Watershed in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Requires the EPA Administrator to approve the Council's action plan if it meets the requirements of this Act. Directs the Council to submit annual reports on the Initiative to appropriate committees of Congress. Authorizes the Administrator to provide eligible entities with financial and technical assistance to: (1) conduct research; (2) implement the approved action plan; (3) provide interdisciplinary training; (4) enhance understanding of environmental issues; and (5) develop and disseminate educational resources and opportunities. Limits Federal funds available under this Act or the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 (WRDA) for such assistance to 75 percent of total project costs. Requires specified Federal agencies to assist the Initiative. Amends the WRDA to authorize the Secretary of the Army to provide funding for implementation of a combined sewer overflow control plan in the District of Columbia. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to establish a program to provide environmental assistance to non-Federal interests in the Anacostia River Basin. Limits the Federal share of funds for such cooperation agreements to 75 percent of total project costs, except that the non-Federal share for operation and maintenance costs shall be 100 percent.
United States · United States Congress · 25 November 2003
Congratulates the people and Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the 12th anniversary of the independence of Kazakhstan and the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States. Welcomes and supports political and economic transformations achieved by Kazakhstan. Expresses gratitude for the leadership of Kazakhstan in establishing inter-religious dialogue. Commends Kazakhstan on toughening measures to stop human trafficking. Recognizes the need to provide permanent normal trade relations status to Kazakhstan. Expresses gratitude for the support and assistance of the people of Kazakhstan in the antiterrorist campaign of the United States and the reconstruction of Iraq. Applauds the decision of Kazakhstan's leadership to renounce deployment of its inherited nuclear weapons and calls upon the President to actively popularize Kazakhstan's example in negotiations with other countries that are trying to acquire, develop, or deploy nuclear weapons. Urges further strengthening of strategically important relations between Kazakhstan and the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 24 November 2003
United States Cadet Nurse Corps Equity Act of 2003 - Deems service of a person as a member of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps between July 1, 1943, and December 15, 1945 (qualified service), to be active military service for purposes of all laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Requires: (1) the Secretary of Defense to issue an honorable discharge to each person whose qualified service warrants one; and (2) the discharge to be issued before the end of the one-year period beginning on the enactment of this Act. Prohibits benefits from being paid to persons as a result of such enactment for any period before the enactment date.
United States · United States Congress · 23 November 2003
Intercountry Adoption Reform Act of 2003 or ICARE Act - Establishes an Office of Intercountry Adoptions within the Department of State (DOS). Requires the President to appoint an Ambassador at Large to head the Office. Transfers to the Office all immigration functions with respect to intercountry adoptions currently performed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to grant automatic U.S. citizenship to internationally adopted children upon entry of a full and final adoption decree (thus dispensing with the need for such children to obtain visas). Creates a new W nonimmigrant visa category for children traveling to the United States to be adopted by U.S. citizens. Allows adopted children age 18 or under to claim an exception to immunization requirements for purposes of admissibility (currently limited to those age 10 or under). Redefines the term "adoptable child." Requires U.S. citizen adoptive parents to obtain approval of an adoption petition prior to issuance of a W visa or a full and final adoption decree. Provides that such petitions are subject to the terms applicable to orphan petitions. Directs the Ambassador to issue regulations: (1) establishing an expedited reapproval process for families whose prior approvals to adopt have expired; and (2) governing the appeal of petition denials. Requires the Office to determine whether a child is an adoptable child, pursuant to specified procedures, as a prerequisite to the issuance of a W visa or a full and final adoption decree.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Military Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 2003 - Adjusts the basic Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity amount for surviving spouses, age 62 and older, of former military personnel to: (1) 35 percent of the retired pay of the decedent (current law), for months before October 2005; (2) 40 percent for months beginning after September 2005 and before October 2008; (3) 45 percent for months beginning after September 2008 through September 2014; and (4) 55 percent for months after September 2014. Adjusts similarly percentage amounts with respect to survivors of reserve personnel and survivors of persons who die while on active duty. Provides a corresponding phased elimination of the SBP supplemental annuity authorized to be provided to such surviving spouses. Requires periodic recomputation of: (1) annuity amounts beginning in October 2005; and (2) retired pay reductions for supplemental survivor annuities. Provides a one-year open enrollment period for SBP participation, commencing October 1, 2005, for those currently not participating, those electing to increase current coverage, and those wishing to participate in the supplemental SBP. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to require appropriate premiums for SBP participation.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2003
Employee Free Choice Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board to certify a bargaining representative without directing an election if a majority of the bargaining unit employees have authorized designation of the representative and there is no other individual or labor organization currently certified or recognized as the exclusive representative of any of the employees in the unit. Sets forth special procedural requirements for reaching an initial collective bargaining agreement following certification or recognition. Revises enforcement requirements with respect to unfair labor practices during union organizing drives. Provides, under injunction provisions, for priority to be given to preliminary investigation of charges of violations by employers or other entities. Adds to remedies for such violations: (1) back pay plus liquidated damages; and (2) additional civil penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2003
United States-Africa Partnership Act of 2003 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to repeal the requirement that certain non-apparel articles that are the growth, product, or manufacture of a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country (SSA country) under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) shall receive duty-free treatment only if the President determines that they are not import-sensitive in the context of imports from such countries. Extends duty-free treatment for AGOA articles from FY 2008 through FY 2015. Amends AGOA to revise requirements for textile and apparel products from SSA countries receiving duty-free and other preferential import treatment. Permits certain articles to contain fabric or yarn not originating from an SSA country or the United States (third country fabric), regardless of commercial availability in the United States. Extends through FY 2008 the current special rule for lesser developed SSA countries. Extends duty-free treatment to ethnic printed fabric of an SSA country meeting certain criteria. Amends AGOA to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to develop a comprehensive plan for public policies and incentives for the private sector to: (1) identify SSA products that can be exported to the United States; (2) analyze critical constraints to U.S.-Africa agricultural trade; and (3) develop a strategy for increasing such SSA agricultural exports. Requires the President and the Secretary to direct the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to evaluate methods for training African agricultural producers and for implementing capacity building programs to help the producers meet U.S. food safety standards. Directs the President to assign at least 20 full-time APHIS personnel to at least ten eligible SSA countries with the greatest: (1) potential to increase marketable exports of agricultural products to the United States; and (2) need for technical training and capacity building in meeting phytosanitary standards for such products. Amends AGOA to condition the President's termination of the designation of an SSA country upon Congress' not prohibiting it. Requires the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to focus funding on investments in agribusiness, electronics, textiles, and apparel. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to waive certains prohibitions against OPIC issuance of any contract of insurance or reinsurance, guaranty, or agreement to provide financing for an eligible investor's proposed investment in an SSA country even if such investment is likely to cause a significant reduction in the number of employees in the United States. Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to require the Bank to implement regulations and procedures appropriate to ensure that full consideration is given to the extent to which any credit extension is likely to have a positive effect on industries, including the textile and apparel industry and agricultural production, in SSA countries. Requires the Secretary to direct the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) to work with national African agricultural organizations to identify agricultural equipment and supply needs and implement programs that strengthen the ability of members of African agricultural organizations to fulfill these needs in conjunction with export credit guarantee programs. States the sense of Congress that USAID, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), and the African Development Bank, should continue to provide technical assistance to SSA countries in tax policy and revenue administration. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to seek negotiations with those SSA countries which the Secretary determines will benefit most from an income tax treaty with the United States to avoid double taxation. Directs the USAID Administrator to study the economy of each SSA country, identifying growth sectors and barriers impeding growth, as well as how the U.S. Government and the private sector can provide technical assistance to help dismantle such barriers and promote investment in such sectors. Directs the President to develop and implement policies to encourage, and assist with, investment in transportation, energy, agriculture, and telecommunications infrastructure in SSA countries. Directs the USAID Administrator to foster specified port-to-port and airport-to-airport relationships. Directs the President to assemble an interagency task force to facilitate the goals and objectives of this Act. Authorizes the USTR to provide grants to U.S. nongovernmental organizations and to U.S. representatives of the private sector to host AGAO forums.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2003
Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish a grant program for State stroke care systems; (2) foster the development of stroke care systems through information sharing among agencies and individuals involved in such care; (3) develop a model curriculum for training emergency medical services personnel, including dispatchers, first responders, emergency medical technicians, and paramedics, in stroke prehospital treatment; (4) issue best practices guidelines; and (5) provide public information on recognition of stroke symptoms and appropriate post-stroke actions. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for such purposes. Directs the Secretary to: (1) maintain the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry; and (2) make State grants for the development of stroke care systems. Authorizes the Secretary to make related State planning grants. Provides special grant consideration for States in a geographic area with an elevated incidence of stroke or stoke-caused disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2003
Mammography Quality Standards Reauthorization Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue a temporary renewal certificate (45 day maximum) to a mammography facility seeking reaccreditation if the accreditation body has issued an accreditation extension based upon the fact that the facility has: (1) submitted the required materials but the accreditation body was unable to complete the reaccreditation process before certification expiration; or (2) acquired additional or replacement equipment, or has had significant personnel changes or other unforeseen situations that have caused it to be unable to meet reaccreditation timeframes, but in the opinion of the accreditation body has not compromised mammography quality. Authorizes the Secretary, upon the request of an accreditation body, to issue a limited provisional certificate to an entity to enable it to conduct examinations for educational purposes while an onsite visit from an accreditation body is in progress (72 hour maximum).
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2003
Mourns with the people of Italy on their National Day of Mourning for the 19 Italian citizens killed in Iraq. Recognizes the sacrifices of the Italian people and the significant contributions that Italy continues to make towards stability and democracy around the world.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2003
Deplores the development by Iran of a nuclear weapons program and the failure of the Government of Iran to report material, facilities, and activities to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in contravention of its obligations under Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Concurs with the conclusion of the Department of State that Iran is pursuing a program to develop nuclear weapons. Calls on the President to use all appropriate means to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, with particular attention to the needs of the IAEA for information and access, including information concerning gas centrifuges and the conduct of uranium conversion experiments. Calls on Russia to suspend all nuclear cooperation with Iran until Iran fully complies with a specified IAEA resolution, with particular attention to spent fuel. Calls on the United Nations Security Council to consider immediately the passage of a Security Council resolution or the taking of other actions that may be necessary to impose diplomatic and economic sanctions against Iran if it fails to meet its obligations to the IAEA. Calls on the Government of Iran to cease all efforts to acquire nuclear fuel cycle capabilities and to end the enrichment and processing of uranium until it is able to provide specific, verifiable assurances that it is not engaged in a clandestine nuclear weapons program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2003
Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act - States that the purpose of this Act is to improve minority health and healthcare and to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health and healthcare. FamilyCare Act of 2003 - Amends the Social Security Act respecting: (1) family care; (2) Medicaid coverage for all residents with poverty level incomes; and (3) funding for the territories. Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to provide for optional coverage of legal immigrants under Medicaid and SCHIP (State children's health insurance program). Amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to revise provisions respecting program operations and funding. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a demonstration project to strengthen Medicaid and SCHIP coverage for migrant workers and farmworkers. Establishes the National Commission for Expanded Access to Health Care. Amends the Public Service Health Act to improve limited English speakers' access to health care. Directs the Secretary to establish a Center for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Healthcare. Provides for health workforce diversity, including provisions respecting: (1) career training and support; (2) data collection; (3) cultural training; (4) Hispanic-serving health professions schools; (5) student assistance, including online degree programs; (6) the Louis Stokes public health scholars program; (7) the Patsy Mink health and gender research fellowship program; (8) the Paul David Wellstone international health fellowship program; and (9) the Edward R. Roybal Healthcare scholar program. Environmental Justice Act of 2003 - Establishes: (1) the Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice which shall provide guidance to Federal agencies for identifying disproportionately high and adverse health and environmental effects on minority, low-income, and Native American populations; and (2) the Federal Environmental Justice Advisory Committee which shall advise the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Working Group on areas environmental justice. Border Health Security Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary, through the United States members of the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, to award grants to eligible entities to improve the health of border area residents that are established by: (1) the United States members of the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission; (2) the State border health offices; and (3) the Secretary. Amends the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission Act to make permanent authorizations of appropriations for activities under such Act. Patient Navigator, Outreach, and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to public and nonprofit private health centers (including Indian Health Service Centers, tribal governments, urban Indian organizations, tribal organizations, clinics serving Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Alaska Natives, and rural health clinics) for model programs that provide health disparity populations with: (1) cancer and chronic disease prevention and treatment; (2) patient navigators to manage the care of individuals within such groups; and (3) outreach services. Authorizes similar grant programs through: (1) the National Cancer Institute; and (2) the Indian Health Service. Community Health Workers Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to States or local or tribal units to promote positive health behaviors for women in target populations, especially racial and ethnic minority women in medically underserved communities. Extends funding for breast and cervical cancer preventive health measures. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to qualifying health centers, nonprofit organizations, and public institutions for cancer treatment and prevention programs for underserved minority and other populations, with consideration given to such population's language and cultural context. Provides for grants and activities respecting: (1) health empowerment zone programs in health disparity communities; (2) the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative; (3) infant mortality and sudden infant death syndrome rates in minority communities; (4) fetal alcohol syndrome treatment and diagnosis; (5) diabetes prevention and treatment activities with Indian tribes, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians; (6) diabetes programs, including youth and children's programs; (7) heart disease; (8) a national stroke education campaign; and (9) obesity treatment and prevention in underserved minority populations; (10) tuberculosis control and prevention; (11) asthma; (12) sickle cell disease; (13) autoimmune disease in minority populations; (14) sexually transmitted diseases; (15) children's dental disease coverage under Medicaid or SCHIP, and dental health services in underserved areas; (16) demonstration projects to reduce violence; (17) uterine fibroid research and education; (18) disease screening; (19) community outreach; (20) immunizations; (21) chronic disease management; and (22) racial and ethnic approaches to community health. Requires HHS funded or operated programs to collect race, ethnicity, and language data to detect ethnic and racial health care disparities. Authorizes demonstration program grants for health plan, health center, and hospital data collection. Amends the Social Security Act to require the Social Security Administration to collect similar data. Directs the Secretary to fund epidemiology centers in Indian health areas lacking such centers. Extends funding for the National Center for Health Statistics. Minority Health and Genomics Act of 2003 - Establishes the Minority Health and Genomics Commission, which shall conduct a study of, and develop recommendations on, issues relating to genomic research as applied to minority groups. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) civil rights compliance offices within each HHS agency that administers a health program; and (2) an Office of Minority Health within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Establishes the Indian Health Service as an agency of the Public Health Service. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish an Office of Minority Affairs within the Office of the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary to make grants for demonstration programs to improve minority healthcare access and quality. Directs the Secretary to: (1) designate centers of excellence at hospitals and other health systems serving large numbers of minority patients; (2) provide financial assistance to designated healthcare providers and community health centers for facility and service improvements in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii; and (3) provide grants and loan guarantees from the Health Safety Net Infrastructure Trust Fund (established by this Act) for capital financing assistance to eligible healthcare facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2003
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Health and Human Services has the authority to determine that dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids are dangerous and should be taken off the market.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2003
War Profiteering Prevention Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit profiteering and fraud involving a contract or the provision of goods or services in connection with the war, military action, or relief or reconstruction efforts in Iraq (including making materially false statements or representations or materially overvaluing any good or service with the specific intent to make excessive profit). Sets penalties for violations, including up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of the greater of $1 million or twice the gross profits or other proceeds. Subjects: (1) any property which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to a violation to civil and criminal forfeiture; and (2) transactions involving such property or proceeds to money laundering provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2003
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) Congress should give priority to passing legislation to provide tax relief for U.S. military personnel, including those serving in the National Guard and Reserves, and the employers of active duty members of the National Guard and Reserves; and (2) the cost of such tax relief should be offset by legislation which prevents individuals from avoiding taxes by renouncing United States citizenship.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2003
College Quality, Affordability, and Diversity Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) and Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to set forth provisions relating to: (1) access to college for all; (2) teacher quality enhancement; (3) diversity, retention, and enriched academics for matriculating students; (4) opportunities at Hispanic-serving institutions; (5) historically Black colleges and universities; and (6) recruitment of teachers to teach at tribal colleges or universities. Makes appropriations in a specified amount to carry out the HEA Pell Grant program. Increases the maximum amount of an individual Pell Grant to: $4,500 for academic year 2004-5; $7,600 for 2005-6; $8,600 for 2006-7; $9,600 for 2007-8; $10,600 for 2008-9; and $11,600 for 2009-10. Revises the IRC Hope Scholarship program to: (1) make it a refundable tax credit; (2) increase the maximum amount; and (3) make it available for four years. Eliminates origination fees under HEA student loan programs. Directs the Secretary of Education to adjust fees and terms for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans to equal those for Unsubsidized Stafford Loans for middle-income borrowers. Direct Loan Reward Act - Amends HEA to require the Secretary to carry out a Direct Loan Reward Program to encourage institutions of higher education (IHEs) to participate in the Federal Direct Loan Program for student loans. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive grants under HEA to university consortia to engage in endeavors to reduce college costs. Directs the Secretary to convene a college cost summit with representatives of competing peer IHEs to negotiate voluntarily agreed upon limits on future college tuition and fee increases (which require the Secretary's approval, and to which antitrust laws shall not apply). Requires a certain maintenance of effort by States in supporting public IHEs, upon penalty of lowering of Federal assistance levels for Pell Grant and student loan programs at such IHEs. Requires IHEs that receive Federal funds and are eligible for assistance under HEA title IV (Student Assistance) to include certain truth-in-tuition disclosures in their admissions applications. Directs the Bureau of Labor Statistics to develop a higher education cost index that tracks inflation changes in the necessary costs associated with higher education. Amends IRC to provide a nonrefundable tax credit for interest on higher education loans. Amends HEA to provide refinancing authority for Federal Direct Consolidation Loans. Repeals a HEA provision regarding a rate of special allowance for certain holders of student loans. Sets a quarterly rate of special allowance for holders of loans funded through tax-exempt securities. Requires windfall profit offset payments from eligible lenders of student loans. Exempts from student aid need formula determinations earnings up to: (1) $9,000 by dependent students; (2) $13,000 by independent students with no dependents (other than spouse); and (3) $18,000 by independent students with dependents (other than spouse). Repeals provisions suspending individual eligibility for HEA student assistance on the basis of convictions for drug-related offenses. Increases levels of authorizations of appropriations for FY 2004 through 2009 for the following Federal campus-based aid programs: (1) Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants; (2) Work-Study; and (3) Perkins Loans. Increases and extends through FY 2009 the authorization of appropriations for special programs for students whose families are engaged in migrant and seasonal farmwork. Provides for increased amounts of forgiveness and cancellation under HEA student loan programs for certain teachers. Provides such additional amounts for highly qualified teachers in mathematics, science, special education, or bilingual education. Establishes new programs of forgiveness or cancellation of Federal Family Education Loans or of Direct Loans for early education teachers in Head Start, Early Head Start, or comparable pre-kindergarten programs. Directs the Secretary to revise a certain tax table involved in student aid calculations only after consultation with appropriate congressional committees. Provides student loan forgiveness after certain public sector employees have made 120 payments under an income contingent repayment plan. Allows borrowers to return to a standard repayment plan from an income contingent one. Revises provisions and reauthorizes appropriations for HEA title II (Teacher Quality Enhancement): (1) teacher quality enhancement grants for States and partnerships; and (2) preparing tomorrow's teachers to use technology. Establishes a new program for innovative strategies to recruit, train, and retain high quality teachers and principals. Establishes a HEA program for college admissions test preparation for low-income students. Revises HEA title IV to require IHEs to: (1) include in student aid applications certain information on admissions and retention for prospective students; and (2) provide certain support services to increase student retention. Directs the Secretary to make: (1) competitive grants, to IHEs where at least 40 percent of students are eligible for Pell Grants, to increase student retention and promote articulation agreements; and (2) supplemental grants, to States in partnership with IHEs and other entities, for certain access and persistence activities relating to low-income students. Revises provisions and extends authorizations of appropriations for the following HEA title IV programs of support services for low-income students: (1) Federal Trio; (2) GEAR UP; and (3) LEAP. Revises provisions for Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) under HEA title V (Developing Institutions). Establishes a program of competitive grants to eligible HSIs that offer postbaccalaureate certifications or degrees (part B grants). Limits a part B grant award's duration to five years. Prohibits the Secretary of Education from awarding more than one part B grant to an HSI in any one fiscal year. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2005 through FY 2009 for: (1) the current program of part A grants to HSIs that offer baccalaureate degrees or are junior or community colleges; and (2) the new part B grants to HSIs that offer postbaccalaureate certifications or degrees. Eliminates the requirement that an eligible HSI provide assurances that at least 50 percent of its Hispanic students be low-income students. Includes, among authorized activities under part A grants, articulation agreements and student support programs to help transfers from two-year to four-year institutions. Eliminates the two-year wait-out period between any two five-year part A grants to an HSI. Extends and increases authorization of appropriations for HEA title V part B programs for strengthening historically Black Colleges and universities (HBCUs). Revises HBCU requirements for professional or graduate institutions to: (1) include business administration, computer or information science, and nursing and allied health among types of study; (2) add specified institutions; and (3) revise funding rules. Establishes an HBCU graduate and professional degree development grants program. Establishes the Patsy T. Mink graduate fellowship program for eligible institutions that serve various minorities. Tribal Colleges and Universities Teacher Loan Forgiveness Act - Amends HEA title IV to provide for the cancellation of a specified percentage of the total amount of any Federal Perkins loan, Federal Family Education loan, or direct student loan for each year of employment (up to five) as a full-time teacher at a tribal college or university if the borrower is not in default on such loan. Prohibits a borrower from receiving, for the same service, both a benefit from this Act and a benefit from the National Community Service Act of 1990. Provides that the amount of any loan forgiven under this Act shall not be treated as gross income for Federal tax purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2003
Declares Marcela Silva do Nascimento eligible for issuance of an immigrant visa or for adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident under the Immigration and Nationality Act, upon payment of the required visa fees.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2003
States that the Senate: (1) appreciates the support expressed by the people of Romania for strong and continuous relations between the United States and Romania; (2) recognizes the efforts of the Government of Romania in economic, political, and social reforms, including the rights of minorities; (3) commends Romania for its leadership and commitment in promoting regional peace and security in the Balkan and Black Sea regions; (4) values the participation by the Government of Romania in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom which includes Romanian troop deployments and the use of Romanian airspace and territory; (5) supports further cooperation between the United States and Romania in the process of stabilizing and reconstructing Iraq; and (6) welcomes Romanian President Ion Iliescu to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2003
Coal Industry Retiree Health Benefit Stability and Fairness Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize appropriations from the U.S. Treasury to the Combined Fund to: (1) pay any benefit or administrative costs of unassigned beneficiaries of the Combined Fund remaining after the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund transfers; and (2) eliminate any annual deficit in any premium account of the Combined Fund as certified by the Trustees of the Combined Fund. Requires an annual audit of the Combined Fund by the Comptroller General. Provides for the appointment of two trustees by the Secretary of the Treasury to the board of the Fund. Makes other related revisions, including: (1) modifying premiums; (2) providing for refunds to certain operators; and (3) reductions in annual health benefit premiums to the Fund in the event of a surplus. Redefines a coal wage agreement as: (1) the 1988 agreement, meaning the collective bargaining agreement between the settlors which became effective on February 1, 1988; and (2) the coal wage agreement, meaning the 1988 agreement and any predecessor to the 1988 agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2003
National Women's History Museum Act of 2003 - Requires the Administrator of General Services to enter into an occupancy agreement for up to 99 years to make the Pavilion Annex (the building and specified immediate surroundings, including any land unoccupied as of the enactment of this Act) in Washington, D.C. available to the National Women's History Museum, Inc. for a National Women's History Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2003
Gang Prevention and Effective Deterrence Act of 2003 - Criminal Street Gang Abatement Act - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit various criminal street gang-related offenses, including participating in a criminal street gang by committing two or more predicate gang crimes in furtherance of the activities of such gang to gain entrance to, or to maintain or increase position in, the gang. Amends: (1) the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit murder and other violent crimes committed during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; and (2) the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to authorize the use of grants by the Attorney General to fund programs that enable prosecutors to more effectively address gang violence, to fund technology and training for prosecutors, and to create and expand witness and victim protection programs. Authorizes the Attorney General to designate high intensity interstate gang activity areas. Prohibits travelling in, or causing another to travel in, interstate or foreign commerce with intent that two or more murders be committed in violation of State or Federal law. Expands the scope of predicate crimes for authorization of interception of wire, oral, and electronic communications to cover violations relating to criminal street gangs. Modifies code provisions regarding the treatment of Federal juvenile offenders. Provides that, in any case in which a juvenile is tried as an adult in Federal court, that juvenile's criminal record shall be made available in the same manner as is applicable to the Federal criminal records of adult defendants.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2003
Keeping Families Together Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award competitive grants to States to establish systems of individualized mental health treatment and family support services for children who are in custody or in danger of entering the custody of the state for the purpose of receiving mental health services. Requires eligible States to: (1) have laws or policies in effect that ensure that children receive appropriate mental health services so that parents do not have to relinquish legal custody of such children; (2) provide matching funds; (3) establish infrastructure for interagency cooperation and cross system financing; and (4) expand public health insurance programs to cover these services after the grant expires. Establishes a Federal interagency task force to examine mental health issues in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems and the role of their agencies in promoting access by children and youth to mental health services. Amends the Social Security Act to permit the use of the Medicaid home and community-based services waiver to provide mental health services to children and youths as an alternative to care in inpatient psychiatric hospitals.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2003
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2003 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by covered entities (including employment agencies, labor organizations, and training programs). Prohibits related retaliation and coercion. Declares this Act inapplicable to the provision of employee benefits for the benefit of an employee's domestic partner. Prohibits the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from: (1) collecting statistics on sexual orientation from covered entities; and (2) compelling covered entities to collect such statistics. Prohibits: (1) quotas and preferential treatment; and (2) an order or consent decree for a violation of this Act that includes a quota or preferential treatment. Declares this Act inapplicable to: (1) religious organizations; (2) the relationship between the United States and members of the armed forces; or (3) laws creating special rights or preferences for veterans. Prohibits the imposition of affirmative action for a violation of this Act. Disallows State immunity. Makes the United States or a State liable for remedies to the same extent as under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2003
Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology Act of 2003 - Rape Kits and DNA Evidence Backlog Elimination Act of 2003 - Amends: (1) the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to reauthorize the Act; (2) the DNA Identification Act of 1994 (Identification Act) to expand the scope of DNA samples to be included in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS); and (3) the Violence Against Women Act to authorize grants to increase the availability of legal assistance to victims of dating violence. DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2003 - Amends the Identification Act to require that CODIS include only information on DNA identification records and analyses that are prepared by laboratories that: (1) have been accredited by a nationally recognized nonprofit professional association of forensic scientists within two years; and (2) undergo external audits at least every two years that demonstrate compliance with specified standards. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants for: (1) DNA training and education; (2) sexual assault forensic examination programs; (3) research and development; (4) using DNA technology to identify missing persons; and (5) tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions. Expands and reauthorizes the Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grant Program. Innocence Protection Act of 2003 - Sets forth conditions under which a Federal prisoner may obtain post-conviction DNA testing of specific evidence. Directs the Attorney General to award grants to States to improve the quality of legal representation in State capital cases.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2003
Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to prohibit group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group health insurance coverage, with regard to hospital stays in connection with breast cancer treatment, from: (1) covering less than 48 hours after mastectomies or less than 24 hours after lymph node dissections; or (2) requiring plan or issuer authorization for prescribing any length of stay. Prohibits: (1) denying eligibility, enrollment, or renewal to avoid these requirements; (2) providing payments or rebates to women; or (3) penalizing or providing incentives to providers. Applies the same requirements to issuers in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2003
Adoption Promotion Act of 2003 - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to revise requirements with respect to States eligible to receive adoption incentives payments. Reauthorizes the adoption incentive payments program. Provides additional incentives for adoptions of older children (nine years of age and up). Modifies requirements with respect to determination of numbers of special needs adoptions that are not older children as well as adoptions of older children. Revises the formula for adoption incentive payments to States to provide a payment for: (1) special needs adoptions that are not older child adoptions; and (2) older child adoptions. Repeals the requirement that the Secretary of Health and Human Services provide supplemental grants to incentive-eligible States. Authorizes the Secretary to impose specified penalties against a State for failure to provide necessary data to the Secretary for the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2003
Diabetes Prevention and Treatment Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), to award grants to support comprehensive State diabetes control and prevention programs. Requires the Secretary to promote and coordinate diabetes research, including data collection and the development of best practices, early detection and prevention programs, and a national diabetes laboratory. Gives priority to programs which reduce disparities in diabetes prevention and care for high-risk or underserved populations. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to award competitive grants to apply the best practices identified by the Secretary for diabetes prevention and control. Gives priority to programs to reduce disparities in prevention and control for high-risk or underserved populations. Requires the Director to: (1) develop and update scientifically validated quality measures for assessing and improving clinical services related to diabetes; (2) establish a Diabetes Quality Improvement Program; and (3) incorporate diabetes in the annual quality and disparities reports. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Diabetes Mellitus Interagency Coordinating Committee, to: (1) coordinate a national diabetes education program; and (2) develop and update a strategic research plan for diabetes. Requires the expansion of research programs concerning diabetes in underserved populations and minority groups and in children and youths. Requires the development or enhancement of data collection on the prevalence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children, including the support of long-term epidemiological studies in children. Authorizes a report on diabetes by the Surgeon General.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2003
Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to revise registration and maintenance fee requirements for pesticides. (Fees collected are used to help defray the administrative costs of pesticide regulation.) Modifies certain timing requirements as they concern the submission of product-specific data and other regulatory action. Increases and then decreases the maximum amount of maintenance fees payable by registrants, including small businesses, through FY 2008, with the highest levels of fees occurring during FY 2005 and 2006. Extends the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) authority to collect maintenance, but not tolerance, fees through FY 2008. (Maintenance fees are assessed on already registered or reregistered pesticides; tolerance fees are assessed on pesticides used on food or animal feed which are subject to more stringent regulatory requirements.) Directs the Administrator of the EPA to assess and collect covered pesticide registration service fees for applications submitted from FY 2004 onward. (Registration fees would apply to new pesticide applications only.) Provides transitional requirements for pending applications. Sets forth the Administrator's responsibilities concerning the publication and revision of the schedule of registration service fees, including a mandatory increase by FY 2006. Permits the waiver or reduction of these fees for minor uses or small businesses. Provides for partial fee refunds when an application is withdrawn or at the Administrator's discretion. Establishes the Pesticide Registration Fund in the Treasury to collect registration fees. Limits the use of these funds to associated regulatory costs, except for limited earmarks for worker protection and the review of new inert ingredients. Makes these funds available only to the extent provided in advance through appropriations acts. Prohibits the assessment of registration fees in any year where the amount appropriated for the Office of Pesticide Programs of the EPA is less than the amount appropriated for that Office for FY 2002. Addresses several issues concerning decision time review periods, including the goal of reducing existing periods, schedule publication requirements, determining their start, and how they are impacted by waiver or reduction requests. Provides for judicial review if the Administrator fails to make a determination on an application before the expiration of the applicable decision time review period. Terminates the registration service fee after FY 2010, with a phase out occuring during the final two years.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2003
Declares that the Federal Trade Commission is authorized under the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act to compile and implement a national do-not-call registry. Ratifies the do-not-call registry provision of the Telemarketing Sales Rule promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission, effective March 31, 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2003
Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to award a grant to each State to carry out a program for making available throughout that State the 2-1-1 telephone service for information and referral on human services. Requires a participating State to ensure that at least 50 percent of the resources of the program funded by the grant will be derived from other sources. Requires a State seeking a grant to carry out its activities through a lead entity to be known as a 2-1-1 Collaborative. Requires grant amounts to be used solely to make available to a State 2-1-1 telephone service for community information and referral on human services, including telephone connections between families and individuals seeking services and the service providers. Requires grant recipients to: (1) abide by the Key Standards for 2-1-1 Centers; and (2) collaborate with human service organizations to provide an exhaustive database of services with which to provide information or referral to individuals utilizing the 2-1-1 service.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2003
Exempts from the requirement to pay subsistence charges while hospitalized in a military facility an officer or former officer, or an enlisted member or former enlisted member not entitled to retired or retainer pay or equivalent pay, who is hospitalized in a military facility because of an injury or disease incurred: (1) as a direct result of armed conflict; (2) while engaged in hazardous service; (3) in the performance of duty under conditions simulating war; or (4) through an instrumentality of war.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2003
Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide that ERISA does not preempt State community property law with respect to nonforfeitable accrued retirement benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2003
United States Independent Film and Television Production Incentive Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish an annual tax credit for 25 percent of up to the first $25,000 of qualified wages paid or incurred per qualified U.S. independent film and television production.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2003
Recognizes September 11 as both a day to remember those killed and a day for recommitment to our national purpose. Extends sympathies to the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and their families and friends. Honors the heroic actions of first responders, law enforcement personnel, and others who aided the victims. Extends gratitude to the members of the armed forces who are defending the United States from future attack. Praises the people of the United States for donating time and money to support the victims and their families and friends. Expresses gratitude to the leaders and citizens of all nations who have assisted and continue to stand in solidarity with the United States against terrorism. Reaffirms that the Senate will honor the memory of those who lost their lives as a result of those attacks and will act to defend U.S. citizens in all future challenges.
![Official portrait of Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [D-LA]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000550_200.jpg)