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United States · Official source
5,795 records where Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
Commends General Eric Shinseki (the U.S. Army's 34th Chief of Staff who retired from active military duty in June 2003 after 37 years of service) for his dedication to service and for his lifetime of commitment to excellence.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2003
Calls for the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend and the U.S. Postal Service to issue a commemorative postage stamp honoring Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone (the first recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor awarded in World War II, and the only enlisted Marine in that war to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, and the Purple Heart).
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2003
Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a deduction (based on years of continuous coverage) for eligible long-term care insurance premiums for a taxpayer, spouse, and dependents, including accelerated deduction percentages for persons who are 55 years old; and (2) long-term care insurance to be offered under cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements. Allows an income-adjusted (limited) credit for eligible individuals with long-term care needs. Sets forth specified requirements for qualifying long-term care insurance contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Downed Animal Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate regulations to provide for the humane treatment, handling, and disposition of nonambulatory livestock by a covered entity, including a requirement that nonambulatory livestock be humanely euthanized. Provides that an entity shall: (1) not move nonambulatory livestock while such livestock is conscious; and (2) humanely euthanize such livestock. Prohibits an establishment covered by the Federal Meat Inspection Act to pass nonambulatory livestock through inspection. Defines "covered entity," and "humanely euthanize."
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Daniel Patrick Moynihan Global Affairs Institute Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award a grant to Syracuse University to establish an endowment fund to support a Daniel Patrick Moynihan Global Affairs Institute. Requires the University, to be eligible for such grant, to designate the global affairs institute within the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs as the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Global Affairs Institute.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2003
Congratulates: (1) the New Jersey Devils for winning the National Hockey League's 2003 Stanley Cup; and (2) the New Jersey Nets for their success during the 2002-2003 National Basketball Association season.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2003
Wrongful Death Accountability Act - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to revise requirements for citations and penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2003
Authorizes the President to present to Dr. Dorothy Height (President of the National Council of Negro Women) a congressional gold medal in recognition of her many contributions to the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2003
Prohibits reducing the amount of Federal student assistance for which a student is eligible in the award year 2004. Declares that the annual updates, published in the Federal Register on May 30, 2003, to the allowance for State and other taxes in the tables used in the Federal Needs Analysis Methodology to determine a student's expected family contribution for the award year 2004-2005 under the Higher Education Act of 1965 shall not apply to a student to the extent such updates will reduce such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2003
Enhanced 911 Emergency Communications Act of 2003 - Amends the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to direct the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information of the Department of Commerce to establish the Emergency Communications Task Force to facilitate coordination between Federal, State, and local emergency communications systems, emergency personnel, and public safety organizations. Directs the Task Force to provide advice and recommendations with respect to methods to improve coordination and communications between agencies and organizations involved in emergency communications, including 911 services to enhance homeland security and public safety. Directs the Assistant Secretary to provide grants to State and local governments and tribal organizations for enhancing emergency communications services through planning, infrastructure improvements, equipment purchases, and personnel training and acquisition. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal Communications Commission to review at least twice a year: (1) the State and local taxes, fees, or other charges appearing on telecommunications customers' bills that are designated for emergency communications improvements; and (2) the use of derived revenues. Requires each State to certify, annually, that no part of derived revenues is being used for a purpose not designated or presented. Authorizes the withholding of grant funds from States that do not comply.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2003
Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2003 - Entitles domestic partners of Federal employees to benefits available to spouses of Federal employees. Specifies certifications required for benefit eligibility, filing requirements regarding partnership dissolution, and confidentiality requirements. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend to domestic partners under this Act the tax exemption for employer contributions to accident and health plans.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2003
Expresses the sense of the Senate that a postage stamp should be issued to commemorate Anne Frank (victim of the Holocaust and author of "The Diary of Anne Frank").
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2003
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) at the 55th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission the United States should remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling, and take other specified related steps; (2) at the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, the United States should oppose all efforts to reopen international trade in whale meat or to downlist any whale population; and (3) the United States should make full use of all appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, relevant international laws and agreements, and other appropriate mechanisms to implement these goals. Urges the United States to take appropriate steps to convince foreign countries whose nationals are engaging in trade in whale meat or a taking which diminishes the effectiveness of the Convention to cease such trade or taking.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2003
National Great Black Americans Commemoration Act of 2003 - Directs the Attorney General, acting through the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice, to make a grant to the Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Inc., to pay up to 25 percent of the costs of expanding its existing facilities to create the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum and Justice Learning Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2003
Oceans and Human Health Act - Provides for coordination and support of Federal interagency ocean science programs, including research and monitoring on the oceans' role in human health. Amends the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 with respect to the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). Directs NSTC to: (1)coordinate and support a national research program on Oceans and Human Health (interagency OHH); and (2) establish a Committee on OHH. Directs the NSTC Chair, through the Committee on OHH, to submit to Congress a program implementation plan containing certain required program activities, including coordination with the National Ocean Research Leadership Council. Directs the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), as part of the interagency OHH, to establish an OHH Program to coordinate and implement NOAA research and activities related to OHH, including an advisory panel. Directs the Secretary to provide financial assistance to: (1) one or more national centers of excellence to strengthen NOAA's OHH programs and activities; and (2) support distinguished scholars from academic institutions, industry, or State governments for collaborative work with NOAA scientists and facilities. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) provide grants for critical research and projects on OHH; and (2) establish an OHH traineeship program for scientists at the beginning of their careers. Directs the Secretary to design and implement a national public information and outreach program on potential ocean-related human health risks, including those associated with seafood. Directs the Secretary to assess health risks related to seafood, with comparisons based on harvesting and processing (domestic or imported; commercial or recreational) and on contamination originating from practices prior to and after sale.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2003
Firearms Safety and Consumer Protection Act of 2003 - Directs the Attorney General to prescribe regulations governing the design, manufacture, and performance of, and commerce in, firearm products in order to reduce or prevent unreasonable risk of injury. Authorizes individuals to petition the Attorney General to issue or revise product regulations or to require the recall, repair, or replacement of, or the provision of refunds regarding, a firearm product. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) take such action; (2) prohibit the manufacture, sale, or transfer of firearm products made, imported, transferred, or distributed in violation of regulations; (3) prohibit the manufacture, importation, transfer, distribution, or export of unreasonably risky firearm products; and (4) conduct inspections. Sets forth prohibitions against a manufacturer: (1) transferring, distributing, or exporting a firearm product that the manufacturer has not tested and certified as conforming to such regulations or that is not appropriately labeled; (2) producing a new type of firearm product without providing notice to the Attorney General; or (3) failing to maintain records and supply information to the Attorney General. Prohibits any person from: (1) importing or exporting a firearm product that has not been so certified; or (2) manufacturing, purchasing, or importing products before regulations take effect at a greater rate than before enactment of this Act. Sets forth provisions regarding civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Authorizes: (1) injunctive enforcement and condemnation and seizure of qualified firearm products; (2) actions to restrain the manufacture or distribution of imminently hazardous products; and (3) private actions by persons aggrieved by violations of this Act or to enforce this Act. Directs the Attorney General: (1) in cooperation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to collect and share with other appropriate agencies circumstances of death and injury associated with firearms and to conduct continuing studies and investigations of economic costs and losses resulting from firearm-related deaths and injuries; (2) maintain firearms production and sales figures for licensed manufacturers; and (3) conduct research on firearm product safety and develop safety testing methods and devices.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2003
Medicare Beneficiary Access to Rehabilitation Facilities Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to prospective payment for inpatient rehabilitation services to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services by regulation to define the terms "rehabilitation hospital" and "rehabilitation unit" in a manner fully consistent with all the rehabilitation impairment categories (except miscellaneous) used to classify patients into case-mix groups. Requires the Secretary to update these regulations periodically to ensure that they remain fully consistent with the rehabilitation impairment categories used to classify patients into case-mix groups. Prohibits the Secretary from seeking to recoup any overpayment, take any enforcement action, or to impose any sanction or penalty, with respect to a rehabilitation hospital, or a converted rehabilitation unit insofar as such overpayment, enforcement action, sanction or penalty, is for failure to satisfy the requirement that 75 percent of the patients of the rehabilitation hospital or converted rehabilitation unit be in one or more of ten listed treatment categories (the 75 Percent Rule).
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2003
Reaffirms support for the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Anticipates the commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987 on November 4, 2003. Encourages the people and Government of the United States to rededicate themselves to ending genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2003
Elder Fall Prevention Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Administration on Aging within the Department of Health and Human Services to: (1) oversee and support a three-year national education campaign by the National Safety Council focusing on ways to reduce the risk of elder falls and prevent repeat falls; and (2) provide grants for State coalitions for local education campaigns addressing reduction and prevention of elder falls. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) conduct and support research concerning various topics, including: high-risk elders, risk and protective factors, fall reduction strategies, fall prevention interventions, diagnosis and treatment of victims, barriers to adopting proven interventions, and the effectiveness of community programs in preventing assisted living and nursing home falls; (2) support the development of ways to reduce falls among very high risk elders; and (3) award grants to enable organizations to provide professional education for physicians and health professionals in elder fall prevention. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to oversee and support demonstration and research projects to be carried out by the Council and other qualified organizations in the following areas: (1) a multi-State demonstration project assessing the utility of targeted fall risk screening and referral programs; (2) programs designed for community-dwelling elderly; (3) programs targeting newly-discharged fall victims at high risk for second falls; and (4) private-public partnerships to develop technologies to prevent falls and prevent or reduce injuries from falls. Requires the Secretary to provide grants to design and implement fall prevention programs in residential and institutional settings and to provide one or more grants for a multi-State demonstration project to implement and evaluate fall prevention programs. Directs the Secretary to review the effects of falls on the costs of the Medicare and Medicaid Programs and the potential for reducing costs by expanding covered services. States that such review shall include a review of reimbursement policies.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2003
Amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to establish in the Forest Service the Suburban and Community Forestry and Open Space Program, which shall provide cost-share grants to preserve private forest land and contain suburban sprawl. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to authorize a requesting State to permit a qualifying organization to acquire one or more conservation easements to carry out the Forest Legacy Program in such State.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2003
Family Caregiver Relief Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise and rename the Child Tax Credit as the Family Care Credit. Includes within such credit (in addition to the child care credit) a $3,000 credit for each qualifying individual for whom an eligible taxpayer is a long-term care provider. Defines "eligible expenses" as: (1) certain medical care; (2) lodging away from home; (3) adult day care; (4) custodial care; (5) respite care; and (6) other specialized children's services, including day care for children with special needs.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2003
Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to include under the definition of "key resources," for purposes of protection by the Directorate for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection of the Department of Homeland Security, National Park Service sites identified by the Secretary of the Interior as being so universally recognized as symbols of the United States and so heavily visited by the American and international public that such sites would likely be identified as targets of terrorist attacks, including: (1) the Statue of Liberty National Monument in New York Harbor; (2) Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; (3) the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri; (4) Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, South Dakota; and (5) memorials and monuments in the District of Columbia.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2003
Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 - Prohibits the importation into the United States of any article that is a product of Burma (Myanmar) until the President determines and certifies to Congress that Burma has taken certain democratic and counternarcotics actions. Authorizes the President to waive such requirements. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to direct any U.S. financial institution holding funds of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) of Burma or the assets of individuals who hold senior positions in the SPDC or its political arm, the Union Solidarity Development Association, to report those assets to the Office of Foreign Assets Control and take such action as may be necessary to secure them. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. executive director to each appropriate international financial institution to oppose any extension of a loan or financial or technical assistance to Burma until the requirements of this Act are met. Authorizes the President to deny visas and entry into the United States to the former and present leadership of the SPDC or the Union Solidarity Development Association. Urges the Secretary of State to use all appropriate fora, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum and Asian Nations Regional Forum, to encourage other states to restrict financial resources to the SPDC and Burmese companies while offering support to Burma's democratic movement, including the National League for Democracy and Burma's ethnic groups. Authorizes the President to assist Burmese democracy activists dedicated to nonviolent opposition to the regime in their efforts to promote freedom, democracy, and human rights in Burma.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2003 - Prohibits road construction and road reconstruction in inventoried roadless areas of the National Forest System. Specifies exceptions, including because: (1) there is threat of a catastrophic event; (2) a natural resource restoration action is necessary; or (3) a Federal-aid highway project is in the public interest or is consistent with the purposes for which the land was reserved or acquired. Forbids timber from being cut, sold, or removed in an inventoried roadless area. Permits various exceptions, including for specified environmental reasons, if the responsible official determines that the cutting, sale, or removal of timber is expected to be infrequent. Declares that this Act does not: (1) revoke, suspend, or modify legal instruments and decisions concerning the use of NFS land made before January 12, 2001; (2) compel the amendment or revision of any land and resource management plan; or (3) apply to specified activities in the Tongass National Forest. States that the prohibitions and restrictions of this Act cannot be reconsidered, modified, or terminated under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Consumer Assurance of Radiologic Excellence Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards to assure the safety and accuracy of medical imaging or radiation therapy. States that such standards shall include licensure or certification, accreditation, and other requirements determined by the Secretary. Exempts the standards from applying to physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Requires individuals prior to performing or preparing such imaging or therapy to have successfully completed a national exam approved by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to certify private nonprofit organizations or State agencies as approved bodies with respect to the accreditation of educational programs or the administration of examinations if such organizations or agencies meet certain standards and give certain assurances. Allows the Secretary to withdraw approval from an approved body. Permits the Secretary to develop alternative standards for rural areas if such action is needed to assure access to quality medical imaging.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 - Prohibits the importation into the United States of any article that is a product of Burma (Myanmar) until the President determines and certifies to Congress that Burma has taken certain democratic and counternarcotics actions. Authorizes the President to waive such requirements. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to direct any U.S. financial institution holding funds of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) of Burma or the assets of individuals who hold senior positions in the SPDC or its political arm, the Union Solidarity Development Association, to report those assets to the Office of Foreign Assets Control and take such action as may be necessary to secure them. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. executive director to each appropriate international financial institution to oppose any extension of a loan or financial or technical assistance to Burma until the requirements of this Act are met. Authorizes the President to deny visas and entry into the United States to the former and present leadership of the SPDC or the Union Solidarity Development Association. Urges the Secretary of State to use all appropriate fora, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum and Asian Nations Regional Forum, to encourage other states to restrict financial resources to the SPDC and Burmese companies while offering support to Burma's democratic movement, including the National League for Democracy and Burma's ethnic groups. Authorizes the President to assist Burmese democracy activists dedicated to nonviolent opposition to the regime in their efforts to promote freedom, democracy, and human rights in Burma.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Holocaust Victims' Assets, Restitution Policy, and Remembrance Act - Establishes the National Foundation for the Study of Holocaust Assets to: (1) serve as a centralized repository for research and information about Holocaust-era assets; (2) create tools to assist individuals and institutions to determine the ownership of Holocaust victims' assets and to enable claimants to obtain the speedy resolution of their personal property claims; and (3) work with private sector institutions to develop and promote common standards and best practices for research and information gathering on Holocaust-era assets.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Youth Financial Education Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to allot grants to State educational agencies to provide funds to local educational agencies and public schools for personal financial literacy education programs for students in kindergarten through grade 12, and for professional development programs to prepare teachers and administrators for such financial education. Directs the Secretary to make a grant to or contract with an entity with substantial financial education experience for a national clearinghouse for instructional materials and information on model financial education programs and best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Designates the week of June 9, 2003, as National Oceans Week.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2003
Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act (or the IMPACT Act) - Amends the Public Health Service Act to address issues of overweight, obesity, and eating disorders. Expands an existing grant program for training for health profession students to include the treatment of overweight, obesity, and eating disorders. Creates a grant program for training for health professionals in such areas. Creates grant programs at the local level to promote increased physical activity and improved nutrition (in place of current law, which provides for grants to promote childhood nutrition and physical activity). Targets partnerships with businesses, schools, senior centers, day care facilities and other institutions. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) to give priority in awarding grants to recipients who provide matching contributions. Permits the Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to provide technical assistance to grantees. Allows the Secretary, acting through the National Center for Health Statistics, to provide for the collection and analysis of certain data, including data collected as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Permits the Secretary to: (1) make grants to States, public entities, and nonprofits to further the collection and analysis of such data; and (2) provide technical assistance to such grantees. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to request that the Institute of Medicine conduct a study or contract for a study on the food and nutrition programs run by the Department of Agriculture. Permits the use of preventive health and health services block grants for community education programs which promote healthy eating and exercise habits. Establishes reporting requirements with regard to: (1) obesity research; and (2) the national campaign to change children's health behaviors and reduce obesity.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2003
Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act or PACT Act - Amends the Jenkins Act to prohibit any person or other legal entity from selling, transferring, or shipping cigarettes into a State that taxes the sale or use of cigarettes (or from advertising or offering cigarettes for such a sale or transfer and shipment) without filing specified information with the tobacco tax administrator of such State within a specified time frame. Requires any person making a "delivery sale" to comply with specified shipping and record-keeping requirements. Grants each State the authority to require any person making a delivery sale of cigarettes into the State to: (1) collect or pay the specified taxes; and (2) provide evidence that the cigarette manufacturer is in compliance with all Federal, State, or local laws generally applicable to the sale or distribution of cigarettes. Sets civil penalties for violations. Authorizes a State to bring an action in U.S. district court to prevent and restrain violations. Prohibits the transmission in the mails of cigarettes for purposes of sale. Designates cigarettes for purposes of sale to be nonmailable matter. Amends the Federal criminal code to lower the threshold quantity of cigarettes qualifying as contraband cigarettes. Grants the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives: (1) authority previously granted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to conduct certain undercover investigative operations; and (2) authority to inspect records and cigarettes of cigarette sellers who ship, sell, distribute, or receive any quantity in excess of 10,000 cigarettes within a single month.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2003
Recycled Roads Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a recycled roads incentive grant program to encourage, and to make grants to States and Indian tribes to employ a coordinator and carry out projects and activities to promote, the expanded use of a diverse range of recyclable material in the construction and maintenance of Federal-aid highways. Directs the Secretary to: (1) encourage cooperation between transportation and environmental programs carried out by the State or Indian tribe; and (2) treat an Indian tribe as a State for the purpose of such grants.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2003
Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act - Prohibits an athlete agent from: (1) recruiting or soliciting a student athlete to enter into an agency contract by giving false or misleading information, making a false promise or representation, or providing anything of value to the athlete or anyone associated with the athlete before entering into such contract, including any consideration in the form of a loan, or acting as guarantor or co-guarantor for any debt; (2) entering into an agency contract with a student athlete without providing the required disclosure document; or (3) predating or postdating an agency contract. Requires an athlete agent to provide to the athlete (or, if the student athlete is under age 18, to such athlete's parent or legal guardian) a separate disclosure document that includes notice that if the athlete agrees orally or in writing to be represented by an agent, he or she may lose eligibility to compete as a student athlete. Requires both the student athlete and the agent, within 72 hours or before the athlete's next athletic event, whichever occurs first, to notify the athletic director of the athlete's educational institution that the athlete has entered into an agency contract. Treats a violation of this Act as an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act. Authorizes civil actions by State attorneys general and educational institutions. Expresses the sense of Congress that States should enact the Uniform Athlete Agents Act of 2000 drafted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2003
Working Taxpayer Fairness Restoration Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the refundability of the child tax credit, to accelerate the increase to the 15 percent rate. Limits, to fair market value immediately following a transaction, the importation of net built-in loss by a corporation. Prohibits an allocation of any decrease in the adjusted basis of partnership property to stock in a corporation which is a partner in the partnership. Repeals part V (Financial Asset Securitization Investment Trusts) of subchapter M (Regulated Investment Companies and Real Estate Investment Trusts). Expands the definition of a disqualified debt instrument with respect to deduction disallowance on certain debt instruments of corporations. Expands the authority to disallow deductions, credits, or other allowances under provisions disallowing such benefits due to acquisitions made to evade or avoid income tax. Amends provisions affecting passive foreign investment companies to state that the term "qualified portion" (of a shareholder's holding period) does not include any period if there is only a remote likelihood of an inclusion in gross income under subpart F (Controlled Foreign Income). Adds to the definition of the term "real estate investment trust" by stating that such term includes a corporation, trust, or association which is not a controlled entity. Directs the Secretary to establish a program requiring the payment of user fees, until September 30, 2013, for: (1) requests to the Internal Revenue Service for ruling letters, opinion letters, and determination letters; and (2) other similar requests.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2003
National Museum of African American History and Culture Act - (Sec. 4) Establishes within the Smithsonian Institution (SI) the National Museum of African American History and Culture, to be operated as a center for scholarship and a location for museum training, public education, exhibits, and collection and study of items and materials relating to the life, art, history, and culture of African Americans that encompass the period of slavery, the era of reconstruction, the Harlem renaissance, the civil rights movement, and other periods of the African American diaspora. (Sec. 5) Establishes the National Museum of African American History and Culture Council to: (1) advise and assist the SI Board of Regents on Museum planning, design, construction, operation, and budgets; and (2) have responsibility and authority with respect to the Museum's collections and work, subject to the Board of Regents' general policies. (Sec. 6) Requires the Secretary of SI to appoint a Director to manage the Museum. (Sec. 7) Establishes the Office of Education and Liaison Programs within the Museum to work with educational institutions and museums throughout the Nation. Requires the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services to establish specified grant, scholarship, internship, and fellowship programs relating to African American museums. (Sec. 8) Directs the Board of Regents to select the Museum's site from one of four specified sites on or adjacent to the national mall. Requires the Board of Regents to pay costs of planning, design, and construction of the Museum on the chosen site as follows: 50 percent from Federal funds and 50 percent from non-Federal sources. (Sec. 9) Provides for Congressional Budget Act compliance by declaring that authority under this Act to enter into contracts or to make payments shall be effective in any fiscal year only to the extent provided in advance in an appropriations Act, except that mounts made available under section 11 of this Act shall remain available until expended. (Sec. 10) Directs the Council and the Board of Regents, in carrying out their duties under this Act, to consider the reports and plans submitted by the National Museum of African American History and Culture Plan for Action Presidential Commission under the National Museum of African American History and Culture Plan for Action Presidential Commission Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-106). (Sec. 11) Authorizes appropriations in a specified amount for FY 2004, and in necessary amounts for subsequent fiscal years.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2003
Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and implement a plan for the prevention, control, and management of hepatitis C virus (HCV), which shall include strategies for education and training, surveillance and early detection, and research. Requires the Secretary to conduct a biennial assessment of the plan. Directs the Secretary to support the development of voluntary State, local, and tribal HCV testing programs and counseling. Provides for the vaccination of individuals infected with HCV against hepatitis A and B and other infectious diseases. Directs the Secretary to support the establishment and maintenance of HCV surveillance databases and to establish and support a Hepatitis C Clinical Research Network. Allows the Secretary to award grants to States, political subdivisions of States, Indian tribes, or non-profit entities that have special expertise relating to HCV, to carry out activities under this Act. Directs the Director of the National Institutes of Health to establish a Liver Disease Research Advisory Board.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2003
Children's Dental Health Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to States to improve dental services to children enrolled in Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary, acting through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to establish a grant program to expand the availability of primary dental care services in medically underserved areas. Authorizes retention bonuses for eligible dental officers of the Indian Health Service. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of HRSA and the Director of the Indian Health Service, to establish demonstration projects to increase access to dental services for children in underserved areas. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) an oral health initiative to reduce disparities in oral health; and (2) Chief Dental Officers for Medicaid and SCHIP, HRSA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Requires the Director of the CDC to collect data on dental, craniofacial, and oral health. Requires the Secretary to identify populations at high risk for early childhood caries (tooth decay) and to develop prevention programs. Revises the eligibility requirements for the school-based dental sealant program to include Indian tribes. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to States and Indian tribes to improve their basic capacity to improve the oral health of children and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2003
Expresses the sense of the Senate that Social Security cost-of-living adjustments should not be reduced.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act of 2003 - Establishes procedures for immigration officers who find an unaccompanied alien child at a U.S. land border or point of entry who is a national or habitual resident of a contiguous country. Establishes that other unaccompanied alien children, including trafficking victims, shall be in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, except that such children who threaten U.S. security or who are charged with or have been convicted of a felony shall be in the care of the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security. Sets forth a family reunification preference order. Prohibits, with an exception for violent children, detention in adult or delinquent children facilities. Directs the Office to develop procedures for detention and prohibited detention practices. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States Government should ensure that it does not repatriate children in its custody into life- and safety-threatening settings. Directs the Secretary of State to include in the annual State Department Country Report on Human Rights an assessment of the degree to which each country protects children from smugglers and traffickers. Directs the Office, with respect to unaccompanied alien children in the custody of the Office or the Department of Homeland Security, to: (1) develop age determination procedures; and (2) provide immigration counsel. Directs the Executive Office for Immigration Review to develop model guidelines for legal representation of children. Authorizes the Office to provide that each unaccompanied child have a guardian ad litem. Requires the Office to implement a pilot program for the appointment of guardians ad litem. Amends special immigrant juvenile provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Expresses congressional commendation of the Immigration and Naturalization Service' s issuance of its "Guidelines for Children's Asylum Claims." Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide immigration officers with related training. Exempts unaccompanied alien children from certain removal and asylum provisions. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to set forth additional responsibilities and authorities of the Office with respect to unaccompanied alien children.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Traffic Safety Law Enforcement Campaign Act - Directs the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to: (1) establish a program to conduct at least three high-visibility traffic safety law enforcement campaigns each year focusing on reducing alcohol-impaired driving and increasing seat belt use; and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of the campaigns at the end of each year.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act - Amends Federal transportation law to prohibit a State from prescribing or enforcing any regulation that allows a restricted property-carrying unit (any trailer, semi-trailer, container, or other property-carrying unit longer than 53 feet, except for a fire-fighting unit) to operate on the National Highway System (including the Interstate System), unless the operation of such unit is authorized by the State on June 1, 2003, and in actual and lawful operation on a regular or periodic basis (including seasonal operations) on or before that date. Prohibits a State from allowing the operation of a commercial motor vehicle combination on the National Highway System (except a vehicle or load that cannot be dismantled or divided easily, and that has been issued a special permit under State law) with more than one property-carrying unit (excluding the truck tractor) whose property-carrying units are more than: (1) the maximum combination trailer, semi-trailer, or other type of length limitation allowed by State law on June 1, 2003; or (2) the length of the property-carrying units of those commercial motor vehicle combinations, by specific configuration, in actual and lawful operation on a regular or periodic basis (including continual seasonal operation) in such State on or before June 1, 2003. Permits a commercial motor vehicle combination authorized in a State to continue to operate on System highways provided it is in compliance with State law, including routing-specific and configuration-specific designations and all other restrictions in force in the State on June 1, 2003. Amends Federal highway law to prohibit a State from allowing the operation of a vehicle or combination (other than a longer combination vehicle) exceeding Interstate weight limits on the Interstate System unless its operation was lawful: (1) on July 1, 1956; (2) in the case of the overall gross weight of any group of two or more consecutive axles, on the date of enactment of the Federal-Aid Highway Amendments of 1974; or (3) under a special permit pursuant to State (grandfather) law. Subjects such vehicles and combinations to all routing-specific, commodity-specific, and weight-specific designations in force in such State on June 1, 2003. Sets forth requirements with respect to: (1) the operation of vehicles and loads which cannot be easily dismantled or divided (nondivisible loads) on the Federal-aid highway system as they relate to Interstate weight limitations; and (2) waiver of weight limitations for vehicles that operate on the Federal-aid highway system during periods of national emergency. Declares that Interstate weight limitations on vehicles and combinations (other than longer combination vehicles) that operate on the Interstate System shall also apply to such vehicles and combinations that operate on non-Interstate segments of the National Highway System, unless: (1) such segments are subject to lower State weight limits; or (2) a State allows the operation of any vehicle or combination on an existing non-Interstate segment of the National Highway System that could be so operated lawfully on June 1, 2003. Requires establishment of a model schedule of fines for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Fair And Impartial Rights (FAIR) for Medicare Act of 2003 - Places within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) any administrative law judge (ALJ) performing functions in the Medicare appeals process. Directs the Secretary of HHS to ensure the independence of such ALJ's according to specified criteria. Requires that they be placed in an administrative office organizationally and functionally separate from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Prohibits any individual who is not a duly appointed ALJ from performing ALJ functions in the Medicare appeals process.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Higher-Risk Impaired Driver Act - Requires the Secretary of Transportation to withhold an increasing percentage (two percent on October 1, 2007; four percent on October 1, 2008; six percent on October 1, 2009; and eight percent on October 1, 2010) of a State's Federal-aid highway funds if the State has not enacted or is not enforcing a higher risk impaired driver law. Defines such a law as one that provides certain minimum penalties for: (1) a second or subsequent offense of driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI) within a minimum of five consecutive years, of DWI or DUI with a blood alcohol concentration of .15 percent or greater, or of driving-while-suspended if the suspension was the result of a DUI conviction; or (2) refusing a blood alcohol concentration test while under arrest or investigation for involvement in a fatal or serious injury crash. Includes among such penalties: (1) driver's license suspension; (2) motor vehicle impoundment or immobilization; (3) assessment by a certified substance abuse official and assignment to treatment; (4) imprisonment, attachment of an electronic monitoring device, or assignment to a DUI/DWI specialty facility; (5) a $1,000 fine; (6) payment of court-mandated restitution; (7) probation; and (8) required attendance of a treatment program and a victim impact panel.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2003 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to: (1) study and describe the current state of science concerning the human health effects of exposure to asbestos and other durable fibers; and (2) make recommendations for uniform systems for asbestos exposure standards and protocols for detecting and measuring asbestos. Directs the Administrator to establish an Asbestos Policies Panel to study asbestos and other durable fibers. Directs the Administrator to study the status of the manufacture, processing, distribution, ownership, importation, and disposal of asbestos-containing products and contaminant-asbestos products. Requires the Administrator to promulgate regulations within one year which prohibit the manufacturing, processing, or distributing of asbestos-containing products, subject to limited exemption upon petition. Requires the disposal of asbestos-containing products within three years, except as specified. Requires the Administrator to establish a public awareness program concerning the dangers posed by these products and vermiculite insulation. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to expand research programs on diseases caused by asbestos exposure, particularly mesothelioma, asbestosis, and pleural injuries. Establishes and funds mesothelioma disease research and treatment centers.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2003
Clean Ocean Preservation Act of 2003 - Establishes a final criterion of 113 parts per billion of polychlorinated biphenyls for remediation material at the Historic Area Remediation Site, New Jersey. Requires any Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule to be at least as protective as this criterion.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2003
National Cancer Act of 2003 - Provides a comprehensive Federal effort relating to treatments for and the prevention of cancer. Amends the Public Health Service Act to fund prevention, detection, and treatment programs of the National Cancer Institute, including translational cancer research (research needed to transform scientific discoveries into approaches and products to treat and cure cancer). Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a research grant program to fund projects that seek to develop cancer treatments that target cancer cells. Addresses issues of cancer care, including: (1) clinical trial participation; (2) workforce needs; (3) cancer survivorship; (4) cancer care guidelines; (5) the supply of researchers; (6) a colorectal cancer screening demonstration program; and (7) an Institute of Medicine study on whether to provide medical coverage under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to certain cancer patients. Directs the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to submit to Congress a plan outlining steps to accelerate the process for reviewing and approving new cancer drugs and treatments. Requires health insurance plans covered by the Public Health Service Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to provide: (1) coverage for clinical trials; (2) coverage of cancer screening, including tobacco and nutrition counseling and genetic testing; and (3) patient access to benefit information. Addresses issues of managing physicians and quality of care for cancer patients covered by such plans, including designating a lead managing physician. 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 make grants for: (1) model programs to provide services for cancer and chronic diseases to individuals of health disparity populations; and (2) patient navigators for managing such care of such individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2003
Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish a program of student loan forgiveness for borrowers who agree to remain employed, for at least three years, as public attorneys who are: (1) State or local criminal prosecutors; or (2) State, local, or Federal public defenders in criminal cases. Directs the Secretary of Education to provide such student loan repayment benefits for such public attorneys on a first-come, first-served basis, and subject to the availability of appropriations. Requires priority to be given to borrowers who received repayment benefits for the preceding fiscal year and have completed less than three years of the first required service period. Allows the borrower and the Secretary to enter into an additional agreement, after the required three-year period, for a successive period of service which may be less than three years. Limits the amount paid under such program on behalf of any borrower to $6,000 per calendar year and $40,000 total. Includes public defenders among those eligible under a current HEA program of cancellation of student loans for certain public service.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2003
Amends rule VII (Morning Business) of the Standing Rules of the Senate to require a Senator who provides notice to party leadership of his or her intention to object to proceeding to a motion or matter to disclose the notice of objection (or hold) in the Congressional Record in a section reserved for such notices within two session days after the date of the notice.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2003
Judicial Use of Discretion to Guarantee Equity in Sentencing Act of 2003 (JUDGES Act) - Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to report to Congress on the incidence of downward departures from the U.S. sentencing guidelines (i.e., imposition of a sentence below the range established by such guidelines). Includes among required report contents: (1) a discussion of the history and purpose of departures in the Federal system; (2) information on rates of departures from the guidelines among different districts and judicial circuits and among different offense and departure types; (3) an analysis of the grounds provided by district court judges when they depart from the guidelines; (4) a comparison of the departure authority in Federal law with that of mandatory State systems; and (5) an assessment of the extent to which departures undermine or promote the purposes of sentencing. Repeals specified nonconforming (sentencing reform) provisions of the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003 (PROTECT Act), including provisions that limit judges' discretion in sentencing, require the Chief Judge of each district court to submit written reports to the Commission within 30 days of entry of judgment in every criminal case, and make changes to the composition of the Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2003
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education Center Act - Authorizes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc., to construct at or near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site an education center for informing and educating the public about the Memorial. Considers the Center a commemorative work, but waives location and final approval requirements. Requires the center size to be limited to the minimum necessary to: (1) provide for appropriate educational and interpretive functions; (2) prevent interference with or encroachment on the Memorial; and (3) protect open space and visual sightlines on the Mall. Requires the center to be operated and maintained by the Secretary of the Interior.