United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2004
American Bald Eagle Recovery and National Emblem Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in celebration of the recovery of the bald eagle, in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the enactment of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the placement of the bald eagle on the endangered species list under such Act, to mint and issue not more than: (1) 100,000 $5 gold coins; (2) 500,000 $1 silver coins; and (3) 750,000 half dollar coins. Directs that the design of the coins be emblematic of the bald eagle and its history, natural biology, and national symbolism. Requires that sales of the coins include a surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin, $10 for the $1 coin, and $3 for the half dollar coin, which shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to the American Eagle Foundation of Tennessee to: (1) establish an interest-bearing endowment called the American Eagle Fund as a permanent source of support for the care, monitoring, maintenance, and recovery of the bald eagle and its habitat in the United States; (2) make annual grants to Federal, State, and private eagle restoration, protection, and enhancement projects; (3) administer the Fund in an annual amount not to exceed the lesser of ten percent of the annual income of the Fund or $250,000; and (4) provide financial support for capital projects and for continuation and expansion of the Foundation's efforts to educate the American people about the bald eagle.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2004
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise provisions for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program of campus-based child care. Increases the minimum CCAMPIS grant to an institution of higher education from $10,000 to $30,000. Expands eligibility to participate in CCAMPIS to graduate and professional students, international students, and students from families with certain low-incomes that do not qualify for Federal Pell Grants (as well as, currently, students eligible for Pell Grants). Extends and increases the amount of the authorization of appropriations for CCAMPIS.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2004
Public Transportation Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to define and clarify the respective public transportation security roles and responsibilities of the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Requires DOT's Federal Transit Administration to submit all public transportation security assessments to DHS and the Secretary to review and augment such assessments. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish security improvement priorities and to update them annually; (2) conduct assessments of all transit agencies considered to be at greatest risk of a terrorist attack, of local bus-only public transportation systems, and of selected rural transportation systems; and (3) use information collected to establish the process for developing security guidelines. Directs the Secretary to award grants directly to public transportation agencies for allowable capital security improvements (including tunnel and perimeter protection systems and surveillance and communications equipment); and (2) operational security improvements (including security training for transit employees, drills, public awareness campaigns, and canine patrols for chemical, biological, or explosives detection). Directs the Secretary to: (1) ensure that DOT receives appropriate and timely notification of all credible terrorist threats against U.S. public transportation assets; and (2) award grants for research, development, and demonstration of technologies and methods to reduce and deter terrorist threats or mitigate damages resulting from such attacks. Requires DHS to fund the reasonable costs of an Information Sharing and Analysis Center for Public Transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2004
Requires the Architect of the Capitol to display in the rotunda of the Capitol an exhibit to honor the memory of members of the U.S. armed forces who have lost their lives in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2004
Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretaries of Education, of State, and of Health and Human Services to award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, Special Olympics for specified education, international, and health activities, including ones promoting Special Olympics and a greater understanding of contributions to society by individuals with intellectual disabilities both within and outside of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2004
Supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the United States and its devastating impact on families.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2004
Continuing Care for Recovering Families Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to allow an eligible individual to elect continuation coverage for group health benefits as provided for in the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) during the 120-day period that begins on the later of the date of enactment of this Act or the date on which the individual experiences a terrorism-related loss of coverage. Provides that: (1) the maximum period required for such coverage shall not be less than the period during which the individual is an eligible individual; and (2) the period between the loss of coverage and the first day of the election period shall be disregarded for purposes of determining the waiting period for coverage of preexisting conditions. Defines an "eligible individual" as an individual who: (1) is a child or spouse of an individual who suffered physical harm or death as a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; (2) that has experienced a terrorism-related loss of health benefits coverage associated with the death, injury, or loss of employment of such an individual; and (3) is not otherwise covered under a health benefits plan or entitled to Medicare benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2004
National Heritage Area Extension Act of 2004 - Amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to extend to September 30, 2027, the authorization for making grants or providing assistance with respect to the National Coal Heritage Area, Tennessee Civil War Heritage Area, Steel Industry Heritage Project (the Steel Industry American Heritage Area), Essex National Heritage Area, Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor (redesignated by this Act as the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway), and Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. National Aviation Heritage Area Act - Establishes within the States of Ohio and Indiana the National Aviation Heritage Area. Amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996, to: (1) make additions to the National Coal Heritage Area; (2) provide specified assistance to the National Coal Heritage Area Authority; (3) make resources within Lincoln County and Paint Creek and Cabin Creek also eligible for assistance; (4) provide for the Authority to submit a Coal Heritage Management Plan for the Area; and (5) require the Plan to set forth responsibilities of the Authority. Reauthorizes appropriations for the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route. Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Act Amendments of 2004 - Provides for the designation, upon the termination of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Commission, of the Canal Corridor Association to be the management entity for the Corridor. Oil Region National Heritage Area Act - Establishes the Oil Region National Heritage Area in Pennsylvania. Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area Act of 2004 - Establishes the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area in New Jersey. Western Reserve Heritage Areas Study Act - Provides for a study regarding the establishment of the Western Reserve Heritage Area in specified Ohio counties. Provides for updating the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor plan.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2004
Commemorates the 215th anniversary of the U.S. Marshals Service. Recognizes the U.S. Marshals Service as one of the most versatile and effective law enforcement agencies in the world. Honors the men and women who have served the U.S. Marshals Service and our Nation so well with their dedication to justice, integrity, and service.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2004
Recognizes and supports all efforts to promote greater civic awareness among the people of the United States, including civic awareness programs such as candidate forums and voter registration drives. Encourages local communities and elected officials at all levels of government to promote greater awareness among the electorate of civic responsibility and the importance of participating in these elections.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2004
Patients' Privacy Protection Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal Rules of Evidence to declare that a patient has a privilege with respect to any evidence consisting of a confidential communication or record made in the course of medical treatment by a duly licensed health care provider. Authorizes a court to order the disclosure of such a communication or record to the extent the court determines that the public interest in disclosure significantly outweighs the patient's privacy interests. Requires the court to ensure that personally identifiable information is redacted and that the patient's communications and records remain under seal.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2004
Asthmatic Schoolchildren's Treatment and Health Management Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in making certain PHSA grants or any other asthma-related grant to a State, to give preference to States that require public elementary and secondary schools to allow students to self-administer medication to treat that student's asthma or anaphylaxis under specified conditions. Provides that this Act does not create a cause of action or in any other way increase or diminish the liability of any person under any other law. Expresses the sense of Congress: (1) commending the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for identifying and creating strategies for addressing asthma within a coordinated school program; and (2) encouraging all schools to review these strategies and adopt policies that will best meet the needs of their student population.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2004
Congratulates the citizens of Greece, the members of the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the International Olympic Committee, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the members, coaches, and officials of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team, athletes from around the world, and the security personnel and volunteers who ensured that the 2004 Olympic Summer Games in Athens was a great success for a job well done.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2004
Establishes the Special Committee on War and Reconstruction Contracting in the Senate to: (1) investigate the awarding and performance of contracts for military, security, and reconstruction activities in Afghanistan and Iraq; and (2) support the prosecution of the war on terrorism. Requires the Committee to examine such contracting actions and report on them regarding: (1) bidding, contracting, accounting, and auditing standards for Federal Government contracts; (2) methods of contracting, including sole-source contracts and limited competition or noncompetitive ones; (3) subcontracting under large, comprehensive contracts; (4) oversight procedures; (5) consequences of cost-plus and fixed price contracting; (6) allegations of wasteful and fraudulent practices; (7) accountability of contractors and Government officials involved in procurement and contracting; (8) penalties for violations of law and abuses in the awarding and performance of Government contracts; and (9) lessons learned from the contracting process used in Iraq and Afghanistan and in connection with the war on terrorism with respect to the structure, coordination, management policies, and Federal procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2004
No Child Left Behind Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, to subject to school facility capacity requirements the obligation of a local educational agency (LEA) to provide a public school choice option for students to transfer under certain conditions. Authorizes school construction and renovation grants to LEAs experiencing school overcrowding, with priority to LEAs having difficulty in meeting public school choice requirements. Revises requirements for: (1) supplemental educational services personnel qualifications, and nondiscrimination in such services; and (2) State qualifications for teachers and paraprofessionals. Directs the Secretary of Education to require LEAs and State educational agencies (SEAs) to give schools and LEAs, respectively, an opportunity to request a review of a determination that they did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2002-2003 school year. Prohibits the Secretary, an SEA, or an LEA, with respect to subsequent determinations of whether a school is subject to school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring as a result of not making AYP, from taking into account a 2002-2003 non-AYP determination that was revised under this Act, if the school received a final determination of AYP for such school year. Authorizes competitive grants to SEAs for increasing State and local data system capacity for assessment and accountability, including measuring student academic progress, achievement, and graduation rates. Requires competitive grants to SEAs or SEA consortia to collaborate with institutions of higher education and research organizations in designing, improving, and ensuring accurate assessments of academic content and achievement standards for students who are limited English proficient and students with disabilities. Directs the Secretary to collect, from SEAs, LEAs, and schools, annual reports on student enrollment in grades 7 through 12 and graduation rates. Sets forth provisions relating to civil rights and to technical assistance and research.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2004
Expresses the sense of the Senate with respect to recommending expenditures for the construction of an appropriate visitor center at the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2004
Keep the Promise of Medicare Act of 2004 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cap the Medicare part B premium for each month in 2005 at the same rate for each month in 2004, adjusted for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Children's Health Protection and Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise the extended availability through FY 2004 of SCHIP allotments for FY 1998 through 2001. Specifies formulae for amounts to be used in computing redistributions for FY 2003, 2003, and 2004. Provides for reallocation of 70 percent of the expiring FY 1998, 1999, and 2000 funds to States that have fully expended their annual allotments. Extends the availability of the remaining 30 percent of such expiring funds with the States that currently have them. Permits 50 percent of the total amount of a State's unexpended FY 2002 SCHIP allotments to remain available through FY 2006. Permits 50 percent of the total amount of a State's unexpended FY 2003 and 2004 SCHIP allotments to remain available through the end of FY 2007. Requires redistribution of the other 50 percent of such funds to States that have fully spent their allotments during the three-year period they were available. Requires a second redistribution according to the same 70-30 formula of any retained or redistributed funds still unexpended at the end of the two-year extention or redistribution. Provides for continued authority for qualifying States to use certain funds for Medicaid expenditures.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Terrorism Insurance Extension Act of 2004 - Amends the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA) to extend the terrorism risk insurance program from 2005 through 2007. Repeals the condition on the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to pay or adjust compensation for insured losses after termination of the program that limits such losses to those arising from an act of terrorism occurring only during the period in which the program was in effect. Defines "Program Year 4" as calendar 2006 and "Program Year 5" as calendar 2007. Increases the insurance marketplace aggregate retention amount for Program Years 4 and 5. Directs the Secretary to apply TRIA to providers of group life insurance. Instructs the Presidential Working Group on Financial Markets to report to Congress its recommendations for legislation to address the long-term availability and affordability of insurance for terrorism risk.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act or STOP Underage Drinking Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish an interagency coordinating committee to guide policy and program development across the Federal Government on underage drinking; (2) issue an annual report card to rate the performance of each State in enacting, enforcing, and creating laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce underage drinking; (3) develop a set of outcome measures to prepare report cards, including the strictness of the minimum drinking age laws and the number of compliance checks conducted; (4) fund and oversee the Ad Council's national adult-oriented media public service campaign; (5) award grants to reduce the rate of underage alcohol use and binge drinking among students at institutions of higher education; and (6) collect data on, and conduct or support research on, underage drinking, including the impact alcohol use and abuse has upon adolescent brain development, the scope of the underage drinking problem, and progress in preventing and treating underage drinking. Requires the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to award grants to design, test, evaluate, and disseminate strategies to maximize the effectiveness of community-wide approaches to preventing and reducing underage drinking. Requires the Secretary to carry out activities toward the objectives of: (1) testing every unnatural death of persons ages 12 to 20 for alcohol involvement; (2) obtaining new epidemiological data that identifies alcohol use and attitudes about alcohol use during pre- and early adolescence; and (3) developing or identifying successful clinical treatment for youth with alcohol problems.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Getting Results for Advanced Degrees Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise and reauthorize provisions relating to graduate student assistance. Extends and increases the authorization of appropriations for: (1) Jacob K. Javits Fellowships (Javits Fellows); and (2) graduate assistance in areas of national need. Sets the amount of a stipend under both such programs at the same level as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, without regard to financial need. Revises Board membership requirements under the Javits Fellows program. Establishes, and authorizes appropriations for, the Patsy T. Mink Fellowship program of awards to assist highly qualified minorities and women to acquire the doctoral degree, or highest possible degree available, in academic areas in which such individuals are underrepresented, to enable them to enter the higher education professoriate. Revises family contribution calculations for independent students with, and those without, dependents other than spouses. Allows a greater income protection allowance for such students. Revises cost of attendance calculations for students with one or more dependents to include actual living expenses incurred for dependents, which includes their room, board and health insurance as well as dependent care. Increases unsubsidized Stafford loan limits for graduate and professional students. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat reasonable room, board, and special needs services allowances as part of permitted higher education expenses, in cases of qualified scholarships or of tuition reduction programs for teaching and research assistants.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Dental Health Provider Shortage Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to award grants to: (1) health centers to increase the number of dental providers and to increase dental health care capabilities by constructing or renovating building space; and (2) eligible individuals in dental health professional shortage areas to increase dental health care capabilities by constructing or renovating building space in exchange for an agreement to practice for five years in such an area and to provide care for certain patients receiving assistance or unable to pay. Allows the Secretary to award grants to health centers to establish accredited dental residency training programs. Requires the Secretary to award grants to: (1) simplify and automate the procedures applicable to Medicaid providers to encourage providers to participate in the dental component of the program; and (2) develop, disseminate, and assist with the implementation of a model contract for States to use to enroll dentists as Medicaid providers. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, to carry out a program to repay any outstanding student loans of full-time faculty members of a school of dentistry or an accredited dental education program. Allows the Director of the Indian Health Service to authorize a retention bonus for an eligible dental officer of the Indian Health Service. Sets forth provisions regarding dentists and dental hygienists in the National Health Service Corps.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Captive Exotic Animal Protection Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit knowingly transferring, transporting, or possessing a confined exotic animal for purposes of allowing the killing or injuring of that animal for entertainment or the collection of a trophy. Permits any person authorized by the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to: (1) arrest without warrant any person who violates this Act in the presence or view of the arresting person; (2) execute any warrant or other process issued by an officer or court of competent jurisdiction to enforce this Act; and (3) with a search warrant, search for and seize any animal taken in violation of this Act. Declares that any animal seized shall be held by the Secretary of the Interior or a U.S. marshal and, upon a defendant's conviction, be forfeited to the United States and disposed of by the Secretary. Permits the Director to use by agreement the personnel and services of any other Federal or State agency to enforce this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Closing the Coverage Gap Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to eliminate: (1) the initial standard prescription drug coverage limit of $2,250 (adjusted for inflation); and (2) the MedicareAdvantage regional plan stabilization fund. Repeals the Premium Support Demonstration Program. Eliminates Health Savings Accounts under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Designates the month of September 2004 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Declares that the Federal Government has a responsibility to: (1) raise awareness about the importance of screening methods and treatment of prostate cancer; (2) increase research funding that is commensurate with the burden of the disease so that the causes of, and improved screening, treatments, and a cure for, prostate cancer may be discovered; and (3) continue to consider ways for improving access to, and the quality of, health care services for detecting and treating prostate cancer. Requests the President to call upon Americans, interested groups, and affected persons to promote awareness of prostate cancer, to take an active role in ending the devastating effects of prostate cancer on individuals, their families, and the economy, and to observe the month of September 2004 with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
States that Congress declares that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide. Reminds the Contracting Parties to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, particularly the Government of Sudan, of their legal obligations under the Convention. Declares that the Government of Sudan has violated such Convention. Deplores the United Nations Human Rights Commission's failure to take appropriate action with respect to the crisis in Darfur, particularly the Commission's failure to support U.S.-sponsored efforts to strongly condemn gross human rights violations committed in Darfur. Calls upon the United Nations (UN) and the UN Secretary General to assert leadership by calling the atrocities being committed in Darfur genocide. Calls on UN member states, particularly member states from the African Union, the Arab League, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to undertake measures to prevent the genocide in Darfur from escalating further, including the imposition of targeted sanctions against those responsible for the atrocities. Commends the Administration's leadership in seeking a peaceful resolution to the Darfur conflict and in addressing the ensuing humanitarian crisis, including the visit of Secretary of State Colin Powell to Darfur in June 2004, to engage directly in efforts to end the genocide, and the provision of nearly $140 million in bilateral humanitarian assistance through the United States Agency for International Development (AID). Commends the President for appointing former Senator John Danforth as Envoy for Peace in Sudan, and further commends the appointment of Senator Danforth as U.S. Ambassador to the UN. Calls on the Administration to: (1) continue to lead an international effort to stop genocide in Darfur; and (2) impose targeted means, including visa bans and the freezing of assets, against officials of the Government of Sudan and Janjaweed militia commanders who are responsible for the war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Calls on AID to establish a Darfur Resettlement, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Declares that Congress affirms its support for preserving Alexander Hamilton's image on the face of $10 Federal reserve notes because of his standing as one of the United States' most influential founding fathers.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
States that the Senate recognizes Israel's right of self-defense against Palestinian terrorist attacks, and supports the construction of a security fence, the route of which, with the support of the Government of Israel, takes into account the need to minimize Palestinian land confiscation and the imposition of hardships on the Palestinian people. Condemns the decision of the International Court of Justice on the legality of the security fence. Urges the United States to vote against any further United Nations action that could delay or prevent the construction of the security fence and to engage in a diplomatic campaign to persuade other countries to do the same.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should designate September 11 as an annually recognized day of voluntary service, charity, and compassion.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
National Ocean Policy and Leadership Act - Specifies a national ocean policy. Re-establishes (what already exists under Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), administered by the Administrator, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Directs the Administrator to report biennially to Congress on the status and condition of the Nation's ocean and atmospheric environments, including current and foreseeable trends in the quality, management and utilization of such environments and their effects on the social, economic, ecological, and other requirements of the Nation. Establishes in the Executive Office of the President a Council on Ocean Stewardship, which shall coordinate ocean and atmospheric activities among the Federal agencies. Establishes a Presidential Panel of Advisers on Oceans and Climate. Directs the President to submit to Congress recommendations for the transfer of relevant oceanic or atmospheric programs, functions, and associated resources to NOAA from other Federal agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
States that Congress: (1) declares that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide; (2) reminds the President and the international community of their international legal obligations, as affirmed in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; (3) commends the President's leadership in seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Darfur and in addressing the humanitarian crisis caused by that conflict, including the provision of assistance in Darfur and Eastern Chad; (4) urges the President to seek a United Nations Security Council resolution that directs the member states of the United Nations to impose sanctions against those responsible for the atrocities committed in Darfur, authorizes a multinational force to guarantee humanitarian access and security for foreign aid workers and internally displaced persons, urges a halt to violence committed by militias and by the armed forces of Sudan, creates a Commission of Inquiry, and calls for the establishment of a formal peace process between Darfurians and the Government of Sudan; (5) calls on the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to establish a Darfur Resettlement, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Fund; and (6) urges the President to provide political and financial support to the African Union to promote its effective intervention in Darfur.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2004
Honors the great importance of the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton to the United States of America on the bicentennial of his death on July 12, 1804, because of his standing as one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States and recognizes the tremendous significance of his contributions to the United States as a soldier, citizen, and statesman.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise provisions regarding Federal assistance for programs to reduce suicide among children and adolescents. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to award grants or cooperative agreements to: (1) develop and implement State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies in schools, educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, substance abuse programs, mental health programs, foster care systems, and other child and youth support organizations; (2) support public organizations actively involved in State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies and in the development and continuation of such intervention and prevention strategies; (3) collect and analyze data on State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention services that can be used to monitor the effectiveness of such services and for research, technical assistance, and policy development; and (4) assist eligible entities in achieving their targets for youth suicide reductions. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, to award a grant or contract to establish the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Requires the Secretary to award grants to institutions of higher education to expand mental and behavior health services to students, to provide such services, and to develop best practices for the delivery of such services.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
Federal Employee Protection of Disclosures Act - Includes as a protected disclosure by a Federal employee: (1) any lawful disclosure an employee or applicant reasonably believes is credible evidence of waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure; and (2) the disclosure of information required to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or the conduct of foreign affairs that the employee or applicant reasonably believes is direct evidence of waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement if such disclosure is made to a Member or employee of Congress who is authorized to receive information of the type disclosed. Sets forth provisions concerning review and appeal of actions concerning such disclosures. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide that, for purposes of provisions regarding the protection of voluntarily shared critical infrastructure information, a permissible use of independently obtained critical infrastructure information includes any lawful disclosure an employee or applicant reasonably believes is credible evidence of waste, fraud, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure. Requires agencies to inform employees on how to make a lawful disclosure of information.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act - Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to provide a two-year extension of supplemental security income (SSI) from FY 2005 through 2007 for qualified aliens (including asylees and certain Cuban and Haitian entrants).
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
Requires the President to initiate consultations with Indonesia, Kuwait, Nigeria, Qatar, The United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela to seek their elimination of any action that limits the production or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any other petroleum product, sets or maintains the price of any such product, or otherwise is an action in restraint of trade with respect to such products when such action constitutes an act, policy, or practice that is unjustifiable and burdens and restricts U.S. commerce. Requires the U.S. Trade Representative to: (1) initiate World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute proceedings if the consultation is not successful with respect to any such country; and (2) take appropriate action regarding the country under U.S. trade remedy laws.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
High-Performance Green Buildings Act - Directs the Administrator of General Services to create, within the General Services Administration (GSA), and appoint an individual to, a position to establish and oversee the Office of High-Performance Green Buildings within GSA. Directs the Office to establish an interagency steering committee. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide grants to State and local educational agencies for use in: (1) providing technical assistance for and assisting implementation of the EPA's Tools for Schools Program; and (2) the development of State-level school environmental quality plans. Requires the EPA Administrator to develop school site acquisition guidelines that: (1) take into account the special vulnerability of children to chemical exposure where the potential for site contamination is assessed; (2) include an analysis of means for maximizing transportation choices. Requires the EPA Administrator, in partnership with the Secretary of Education, to carry out an education research program in support of the education-related provisions of this Act. Directs the Comptroller General to review the budget process and develop and submit to Congress an implementation plan for life-cycle costing that identifies and incorporates cost savings that accrue from high-performance green buildings. Requires the Office to establish guidelines for, and carry out, specified demonstration projects at Federal buildings and universities to contribute to the research goals of the Office.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
Security and Fair Enforcement in Arms Trafficking Act of 2004 - Declares U.S. policy with respect to adherence by the United States to certain standards in the transfer of small arms and light weapons. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should enter into international agreements to regulate the trade in small arms and light weapons. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should: (1) enter into negotiations with foreign parties beginning with the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states for an international agreement not to export to commercial end-users semiautomatic assault weapons or related equipment, the manufacture, transfer, or possession of which is unlawful under U.S. law; (2) enter into agreements for the marking of small arms and light weapons; (3) enter into negotiations at the United Nations (UN) level to improve UN arms embargoes as they relate to such arms and weapons; (4) enter into negotiations for a comprehensive international agreement with foreign parties beginning with the EU that calls for marking and tracing small arms and light weapons, regulating arms brokers activities, prohibiting transferring such weapons to recipients engaged in gross violations of human rights, and destroying surplus weaponry; (5) make best efforts to advance international negotiations to implement the Program of Action of the 2001 United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects; and (6) propose the establishment among NATO members of a program on stockpile management, security, and destruction of small arms and light weapons, and the establishment of cooperative programs on stockpile management, security, and destruction of small arms and light weapons with non-NATO states of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should encourage countries to sign and ratify the Inter-American Convention Against Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunitions, Explosives, and Other Related Materials. Directs the Secretary to report annually on countries that have not cooperated in small arms programs. Amends the Arms Export Control Act to require the President to notify Congress before issuing a license for the export of a defense article that is a firearm controlled under category I of the U.S. Munitions List and valued at $1 million or more (including any lethal defense article or defense service of $1 million or less that is exported to country where there is a risk such items may be used in an act of international aggression).
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to include within the responsibilities of the Office for Domestic Preparedness establishing a program to identify, develop, or modify existing or near term homeland security information, equipment, capabilities, technologies, and services (information) to further the homeland security of the United States and to address the homeland security needs of Federal, State, and local governments. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, in developing such program (acting through the Director of the Office for Domestic Preparedness), to: (1) assess the homeland security needs of Federal, State, and local governments and first responders and areas where specific homeland security information could address those needs; (2) survey near-term and existing homeland security information developed within the United States and developed within other countries that are highly focused on homeland security issues and that have demonstrated the capability for cooperation with the United States on counterterrorism; and (3) provide grants (directly or through a nonprofit, non-governmental organization) to eligible applicants to develop new, or modify existing, homeland security information to address such needs. Sets forth applicant eligibility, matching, and grant repayment requirements. Directs the Secretary to give priority to those applicants who propose to provide information to Federal, State, and local governments and first responders. Directs the Under Secretary for Science and Technology to assist the Director by reviewing, testing, and evaluating applications or proposals.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2004
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to extend Medicare cost-sharing for the Medicare part B premium for certain qualifying low-income individuals through September 2005. Prescribes allocation amounts for specified periods between January 1, 2004, and September 30, 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2004
Public Health Preparedness Workforce Development Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Public Health Workforce Scholarship Program to assure an adequate supply of public health professionals to eliminate critical public health preparedness workforce shortages in Federal, State, and local public health agencies by offering four-year scholarships in return for employment at such agencies. Requires the Secretary to establish the Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program to provide for the repayment of loans incurred by individuals in the pursuit of the relevant public health preparedness workforce educational degree or certificate in exchange for working at such agencies for at least three years. Requires the Secretary to award grants to public health agencies that receive public health preparedness cooperative agreements from the Department of Health and Human Services to operate State and local public health workforce loan repayment programs
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2004
Recognizes the important and unique contribution of Native Americans to the cultural legacy of the United States. Honors the cultural achievements of all Native Americans. Celebrates the official opening of the National Museum of the American Indian. Encourages all Americans to take advantage of the resources of the Museum to learn about the history and culture of Native Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2004
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should: (1) mobilize necessary economic and scientific support to establish a Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise (a virtual consortium to accelerate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine development by enhancing coordination, information sharing, and collaboration globally); (2) urge members of the Group of Eight (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) to garner support from their own communities for the development of an HIV vaccine; and (3) establish a second vaccine research and development center in the United States. Expresses the sense of the Senate that such countries should: (1) leverage financial contributions from the international philanthropic community to provide funding to promote the development of an HIV vaccine; (2) include the scientific and political leadership of the countries most affected by HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic; and (3) develop a plan for furthering such efforts at their June 2005 meeting. Urges the President to generate global support for the establishment of a Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise by carrying out an initiative that includes: (1) coordinating and partnering with member countries, the private sector, and other countries; (2) encouraging Group of Eight countries to act swiftly to mobilize resources; (3) following a strategic plan to prioritize the challenges to be addressed, to coordinate research and product development, and to encourage greater use of information-sharing networks and technologies; and (4) encouraging the establishment of coordinated global HIV vaccine development centers.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2004 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit a person from using any telephone facsimile (fax) machine, computer, or other device to send, to another fax machine, an unsolicited advertisement to a person who has requested that such sender not send such advertisements, or to any other person unless: (1) the sender has an established business relationship with the person; and (2) the advertisement contains a conspicuous notice on its first page that the recipient may request not to be sent any further unsolicited advertisements, and includes a domestic telephone and fax number (neither of which can be a pay-per-call number) for sending such a request. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide that a request not to send unsolicited advertisements complies with FCC requirements if: (1) the request identifies the recipient fax number to which the request relates; (2) the request is made to the telephone or fax number of the sender; and (3) the person making the request has not subsequently provided express invitation or permission to have such advertisements sent. Authorizes the FCC to allow professional tax-exempt trade associations to send unsolicited advertisements to their members in furtherance of association purposes. Requires the: (1) FCC to report annually to Congress on the enforcement of the above requirements; and (2) Comptroller General to study, and report to specified congressional committees on, complaints received by the FCC concerning unsolicited advertisements sent to fax machines.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
Public Land Protection and Conservation Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide grants to: (1) States to carry out assessment projects consistent with relevant State invasive species management plans to identify invasive species that occur in the State, including methods to control or detect incipient infestations, or control or assess established populations, of invasive species in the State; and (2) appropriate public or private entities and Indian tribes to carry out, in partnership with a Federal agency, control projects for the management or eradication of invasive species on public land. Authorizes the Secretary to provide financial assistance to States, local governments, nongovernmental entities, and Indian tribes to rapidly respond to outbreaks of invasive species that are at a stage at which rapid eradication or control is possible. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to submit to Congress a budget analysis of Federal programs relating to invasive species, including a list of general priorities of Federal efforts and programs in prevention, detection, eradication, and control of such species. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2004
District of Columbia and United States Territories Circulating Quarter Dollar Program Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to issue during 2009 redesigned quarter dollars commemorating the District of Columbia and the U.S. Territories.
![Official portrait of Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000123_200.jpg)