United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2003
Medicare Ambulance Payment Reform Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to payment for ambulance services to revise requirements for the establishment of a fee schedule. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a system for the coding of claims for ambulance services, including a code set specifying the medical condition of the individual transported by an ambulance and the appropriate level of transportation service.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2003
DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2003 - Directs the Attorney General to: (1) survey Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement jurisdictions to assess the amount of DNA evidence from sexual assault crimes that has not been subjected to testing and analysis; (2) review national, State, local, and tribal government protocols on the collection and processing of DNA evidence at crime scenes; and (3) make grants for sexual assault examiner programs, examiner training and certification, acquisition or improvement of forensic equipment, and other training. Amends the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to: (1) ensure that DNA testing and analysis of samples from rape kits and non-suspect cases are carried out in a timely manner; (2) reauthorize grants; (3) make local governments eligible for grants; (4) direct the Attorney General to give priority to a State or local governmental unit that has a significant rape kit or non-suspect case backlog; and (5) expand the scope of DNA samples subject to privacy protections. Amends: (1) the Federal criminal code and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to authorize "John Doe" DNA indictments for sexual abuse (allows describing a person as an unknown individual who has a particular DNA profile if the identity of the accused or defendant is unknown); and (2) the DNA Identification Act of 1994 to authorize appropriations to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to carry out a redesign of the Combined DNA Index System.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2003
Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act - Amends the Federal criminal code to establish penalties for aggravated identity theft. Prescribes sentences of two years' imprisonment for knowingly transferring, possessing, or using, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person during and in relation to specified felony violations (including felonies relating to theft from employee benefit plans and various fraud and immigration offenses), and five years' imprisonment for knowingly taking such action during and in relation to specified felony violations pertaining to terrorist acts, in addition to the punishments provided for such felonies. Prohibits a court from: (1) placing any person convicted of such a violation on probation; (2) reducing any sentence for the related felony to take into account the sentence imposed for such a violation; or (3) providing for concurrent terms of imprisonment for a violation of this Act and any other violation, except, in the court's discretion, an additional violation of this section. Expands the existing identify theft prohibition to: (1) cover possession of a means of identification of another with intent to commit specified unlawful activity; (2) increase penalties for violations; and (3) include acts of domestic terrorism within the scope of a prohibition against facilitating an act of international terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) permit any qualified broadband expenditure which is paid or incurred by the taxpayer to be treated as an expense which is not chargeable to capital account; and (2) any expenditure so treated to be allowed as a deduction. Defines terms and sets forth rules.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2003
Chemical Security Act of 2003 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations to: (1) designate certain combinations of chemical sources and substances of concern as high priority categories based on the severity of the threat posed by an unauthorized release from chemical sources; and (2) require each owner and operator of a high priority category chemical source to conduct an assessment of the vulnerability of the source to a terrorist attack or other unauthorized release, identify hazards that may result from such release, and prepare a prevention, preparedness, and response plan. Sets forth: (1) certification requirements regarding assessments, and completion and review of response plans, by owners and operators of high priority chemical sources; and (2) protocols for protecting information disclosed in such certifications. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) certification by the Administrator of source assessment and plan compliance with requirements; (2) compliance assistance; and (3) compliance orders. Provides that if the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that: (1) a threat of a terrorist attack exists that is beyond the scope of a submitted plan, or that plan implementation is insufficient, the Secretary shall notify each source of the elevated threat; and (2) a source has not taken appropriate action in response to the notification, the Secretary shall notify the source, the Administrator, and the Attorney General. Authorizes the Administrator or the Attorney General to then secure such relief as necessary to abate a threat. Sets forth: (1) source record-keeping requirements; (2) entry and access rights of the Administrator; and (3) civil, criminal, and administrative penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2003
Prosecutorial Remedies and Tools Against the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003 (PROTECT Act) - Amends Federal criminal code provisions regarding child pornography to prohibit: (1) advertising, promoting, distributing, or soliciting in interstate or foreign commerce any material in a manner that conveys the impression that it contains an obscene visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; or (2) knowingly offering or providing to a minor any such visual depiction to induce such minor to participate in any illegal activity. Makes certain information identifying minors depicted in child pornography inadmissible and subject to redaction from any otherwise admissible evidence in any prosecution of such an act. Modifies the definition of: (1) "minor" to provide that it shall not be construed to require proof of the actual identity of the person under age 18; (2) "child pornography" to include any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct that is of a minor engaging in bestiality, sadistic or masochistic abuse, or sexual intercourse; that lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value; or the production of which involves the use of an identifiable minor; (3) "identifiable minor" to include a computer generated image that is virtually indistinguishable from an actual minor; and (4) "produces" to cover computer generated images. Increases penalties for violating prohibitions against sexual exploitation of children. Amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to authorize disclosure of child pornography by an electronic communication service provider to State officials and to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Sets penalties for using or inducing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct outside of the United States to produce any visual depiction of such conduct for transportation to the United States. Authorizes civil remedies for child pornography offenses. Makes persons previously convicted of obscenity eligible for enhanced recidivist penalties for sexual child exploitation. Directs the Attorney General to appoint 25 additional trial attorneys for investigation and prosecution of Federal child pornography laws.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2003
Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to extend the meaning of "foreign power" to any person, other than a U.S. person, engaged in international terrorism or activities in preparation for them, for purposes of securing FISA warrants authorizing the electronic surveillance of communications between and among foreign powers.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2003
Declares that, if the Federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) for a State for FY 2003 is less than the FMAP for FY 2002, the FY 2002 FMAP shall be substituted for the State's FMAP for the third and fourth calendar quarters of FY 2003. Declares similarly that if a State's FY 2004 FMAP is less than the FY 2003 FMAP, the FY 2003 FMAP shall be substituted for each calendar quarter of FY 2004. Requires each eligible State for the third and fourth calendar quarters of FY 2003 and each calendar quarter of FY 2004 to have its FMAP increased by 2.45 percentage points. Mandates a specified Medicaid payment cap increase for territories. Prohibits application of the FMAP increases for a State under this Act with respect to: (1) disproportionate share hospital payments under Medicaid; and (2) payments under SSA titles IV and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP). Amends SSA title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services), for the purpose of providing State fiscal relief allotments to States and territories in accordance with a specified table, to make appropriations to be available for obligation by the State through June 30, 2005, and for expenditure by the State through September 30, 2005. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to the Congress on the most appropriate data and methodology to use to determine the Federal medical assistance percentage for purposes of programs authorized under the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2003
National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2003 - Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to extend through 2003: (1) the authority under which the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency may issue notes and other obligations to the Secretary of the Treasury for the purpose of carrying out the national flood insurance program; (2) the authority to enter into new flood insurance contracts; (3) requirements for carrying out emergency implementation of the flood insurance program; and (4) the authorization of appropriations for carrying out studies under the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2003
National AMBER Alert Network Act of 2003 - Requires the Attorney General to assign an AMBER Alert Coordinator of the Department of Justice to act as the national Coordinator of the AMBER Alert communications network regarding abducted children. Requires the coordinator to: (1) seek to eliminate gaps in the network; (2) work with States to encourage the development of additional network elements and to ensure regional coordination; and (3) act as the nationwide point of contact for network development and for regional coordination of alerts on abducted children through the network. Directs the Coordinator to: (1) notify and consult with the Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning each child abduction for which an AMBER Alert is issued; and (2) establish minimum standards for the issuance of alerts and for the extent of their dissemination (limited to the geographic areas most likely to facilitate the recovery of the abducted child). Requires the Secretary of Transportation to provide grants to States for the development or enhancement of notification or communications systems along highways for alerts and other information for the recovery of abducted children. Includes among permissible activities the development or enhancement of electronic message boards, and the placement of additional signage, along highways. Directs the Attorney General to provide grants to States for the development or enhancement of programs and activities for the support of AMBER Alert communications plans.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Filipino Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 2003 - Authorizes: (1) payment of the full rate of compensation (currently, 50%) for the service-connected disability of members of the New Philippine Scouts (and their survivors) who served with U.S. armed forces during World War II and who now are U.S. citizens or lawfully reside in the United States; (2) full dependency and indemnity compensation for the surviving spouses of Filipino veterans who became U.S. citizens or lawfully resided in the United States; and (3) hospital and nursing home care and medical services for such veterans and new Philippine Scouts in the same manner as U.S. veterans. Limits the disability pension to $100 per month for such veterans who reside in the Philippines. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish care and services to veterans of World War II, Commonwealth Army veterans, and new Philippine Scouts for the treatment of service-connected disabilities and non-service connected disabilities of such veterans and scouts residing in the Philippines on an outpatient basis at the Manila VA Outpatient Clinic. Limits to $500,000 the amount to be expended during a fiscal year for such services.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
National Defense Rail Act - Requires studies or assessments of: (1) security risks associated with freight and intercity passenger rail transportation; (2) security priorities; (3) rail crossing delay security issues; (4) existing rail safety regulations; (5) foreign rail transport security programs; and (6) the feasibility of passenger, baggage, and cargo screening. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) establish a national high-speed ground transportation policy; and (2) provide 100 percent financial assistance to develop and implement high-speed rail corridors according to designated priorities, including the elimination of hazards of railway-highway crossings. Requires such projects to comply with Buy American and competitive bidding requirements, and specified labor standards, including the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act. Defines the national rail passenger transportation system. Authorizes Amtrak to operate an intercity rail service or route not included in such system, as specified. Declares that nothing in this Act is intended to preclude Amtrak from restoring, improving, or developing non-high-speed intercity passenger rail service. Repeals the requirement that Amtrak be self-sufficient. Authorizes additional appropriations for Amtrak for retirement of principal and interest on its debt service, and for improving accessibility for the elderly and people with disabilities, including compliance with environmental regulations. Authorizes appropriations for the Northeast Corridor, long and short distance trains, and State-supported routes. Directs the Secretary to re-establish the Northeast Corridor Safety Committee. Revises requirements concerning the Amtrak board of directors. Requires an independent audit of Amtrak operations and the development of a five-year financial plan. Revises requirements of the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 concerning loans and loan guarantees. Directs the Secretary to establish a rail passenger cooperative research program, including an advisory board.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
National Aviation Capacity Expansion Act of 2003 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement the redesign and reconstruction of Chicago O'Hare International Airport in Cook and Dupage Counties, Illinois, in accordance with a specified runway design plan, and the development of a south suburban airport in the Chicago metropolitan region, by facilitating their funding, construction, and implementation and all agency reviews. Requires the State of Illinois to prepare an implementation plan under the Clean Air Act for regulating emissions associated with activity at commercial service airports. Makes the Administrator's approval of an airport layout plan submitted by Chicago that includes the runway redesign plan conditional on the meeting of specified requirements. Directs the Administrator to give priority consideration to letter of intent applications for the construction of the south suburban airport and for the extension of the main runway at the Gary/Chicago Airport. Requires the withholding of all airport grant funds for O'Hare (other than grants involving national security and safety) until January 1, 2026, unless specified conditions with respect to operations at Merrill C. Meigs Field have been met. Directs the Administrator, in providing funds to implement the runway redesign plans, to receive adequate specified assurances from the City of Chicago regarding competitive access to O'Hare by all air carriers.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Right Start Act of 2003 - Extends and increases authorizations of appropriations for: (1) the Head Start Act; (2) State entitlements to funding for child care, under Social Security Act (SSA) provisions for block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families (TANF); and (3) services to low-income families through the social services block grant under SSA. Increases set-aside portion of funds for child care quality under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990. Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act - IMPACT Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to address issues of overweight and obesity. Expands certain existing grant programs for health professional training to include the treatment of overweight and obesity. Creates grant programs at the local level to promote increased physical activity and improved nutrition. Expands an existing coordinated school health program to include grants for the development of programs which focus on healthy lifestyle, including balanced diet and physical activity. Authorizes the collection and analysis of data concerning the fitness levels of children and youth. Requires a study of the food and nutrition assistance programs run by the Department of Agriculture to determine how they can be improved or altered to help prevent obesity and overweight. Requires an evidence report study on the effectiveness of weight reduction programs. Permits the use of preventive health and health services block grants for community education programs which promote healthy eating and exercise habits. Creates a Medicare demonstration project to reduce obesity and other chronic disease risks in older Americans. Makes grants available to local healthcare delivery systems for overweight and obesity treatment and prevention demonstration programs. Provides grants and contracts for a national youth media campaign to change children's health behaviors. Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act - Family Income to Respond to Significant Transitions Insurance Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make grants to a State or local government to pay for the Federal share of the cost of carrying out projects that assist families by providing wage replacement for eligible individuals responding to caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a son or daughter or other family caregiving needs. Family and Medical Leave Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to extend coverage to employees at worksites where the employer employs at least 25 (currently 50) employees at the worksite and within 75 miles of that worksite. Amends FMLA and Federal civil service law to entitle to leave those employees who must address the effects of domestic violence. Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2003 - Permits the Office of Personnel Management to contract with one or more employing agencies to conduct a demonstration project that provides paid leave for eligible individuals who are responding to caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a son or daughter or other family caregiving needs. Requires the leave to last for at least six weeks during a 12-month period. Time for Schools Act of 2003 - Amends FMLA to allow employees covered by such Act to take up to 24 hours, during any 12-month period, of school involvement leave to participate in: (1) an academic activity of their child's school, such as a parent-teacher conference or an interview for a school; or (2) literacy training under a family literacy program. Amends Federal civil service law to provide the same school involvement leave allowance for Federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Educational Excellence for All Learners Act of 2003 - Expresses the sense of the Senate that the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 should be fully funded. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to extend the authorization of appropriations for: (1) title I (improving academic achievement of the disadvantaged) part A (grants for basic programs of local educational agencies, LEAs); (2) education of migratory children; and (3) advanced placement incentive program grants. Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to extend the authorization of appropriations for assistance for education of all children with disabilities. Directs the Secretary of Education to make annual determinations as to whether each State's public school system provides all its students with educational resources to succeed academically and in life. Requires such education to enable students to: (1) acquire knowledge and skills necessary for responsible citizenship; (2) meet challenging academic achievement standards; and (3) compete and succeed in a global economy. Specifies what each system must provide. America's Better Classrooms Act of 2001 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a limited tax credit for qualified public school modernization bonds (construction and zone academy bonds) and tribal school modernization bonds. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to provide for employment and training activities related to the construction or reconstruction of public school facilities. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to extend the authorization of appropriations for: (1) Gear Up programs, Federal TRIO programs, and programs for students whose families are engaged in migrant or seasonal farmwork; and (2) Indian tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, historically Black colleges and universities, challenge grants to eligible institutions, the minority science and engineering improvement program, and Hispanic-serving institutions. Amends the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Organization Act to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish within NTIA's Technology Opportunities Program a digital network technologies program to award educational instruction grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to: (1) historically Black colleges or universities; (2) Hispanic-, Alaska Native-, or Native Hawaiian-serving institutions; (3) tribally controlled colleges or universities; or (4) institutions with a substantial number of minority, low-income students who received assistance under HEA. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act of 1996 to eliminate the prohibition against provision of postsecondary education benefits based on State residency to an illegal alien unless a U.S. citizen or national is eligible for similar benefits without regard to such residency. Expresses the sense of the Senate that an individual Pell Grant's maximum amount should be: (1) increased to $4,500; and (2) the amount eligible students receive. Makes appropriations for an emergency additional amount for FY 2003, available through FY 2004, for the Pell Grant program. Amends HEA title IV to provide for a phase-out of student loan origination fees. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make the Hope and Lifetime Learning credits refundable.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Veterans Health Care Funding Guarantee Act of 2003 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) make available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for programs, functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration for FY 2005 120 percent of the amount obligated during FY 2002; and (2) adjust the amount provided after FY 2005 based on the number of enrolled veterans and the number of others eligible for and provided care and the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index. Repeals provisions which: (1) prohibit the appropriation, obligation, or use of funds for any Department of Veterans Affairs major medical facility project or lease unless such funds have been specifically authorized by law; (2) require the Secretary to submit to specified congressional committees a prospectus of a proposed medical facility involving an expenditure of more than $4 million or facility lease with an average annual rental of more than $600,000; and (3) require the Secretary to give Congress notice before obligating an amount of funds for a major medical facility project that would cause the total amount obligated to exceed the amount specified in the law for that project by more than 10 percent, and when proposing that funds be used for a purpose other than the purpose for which such funds were appropriated.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Amends the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (which is title II of the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002, PL107-147) to extend the temporary extended unemployment compensation (TEUC) program for five months, through weeks of unemployment ending before June 1, 2003 (currently January 1, 2003). Provides for a transition period of continuing payments to individuals with amounts remaining in their TEUC account after May 31, 2003, for weeks beginning before August 30, 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise provisions concerning the timing of generic drug availability. Requires applicants (pharmaceutical companies) to register their patents with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within 30 days of approval (or issuance for subsequently issued patents). Makes failure to timely register a bar to civil actions for patent infringement. Requires applications for new drugs (NDA) or abbreviated new drug applications (ANDA) which rely upon investigations not conducted by or for the applicant and which concern a patent that claims both the drug and a method of use or more than one method of use to include a certification on a claim-by-claim basis that the patent is invalid or will not be infringed (known as a Paragraph IV filing/certification) by the new drug's (generic) manufacture and a statement regarding the method(s) of use claim. Prohibits (for subsequently issued patents) an extension of the 30 month stay of FDA approval for any new drug where an ANDA or NDA contains a Paragraph IV filing/certification and the patent holder indicates an intention to bring a patent infringement suit against the new (generic) drug's manufacturer. Makes failure to timely file a civil action for infringement a bar to later action. Requires the first generic applicant with a Paragraph IV filing to forfeit the 180 day marketing exclusivity period to a subsequent generic applicant if the first generic applicant engages in certain behaviors (forfeiture events) which delay or prevent the marketing of the generic drug. Revises notice requirements for Paragraph IV filings to include and protect certain proposed formulation, composition, or method of use information. Excludes an applicants's ability to pay damages from a court's consideration of whether or not to provide injunctive relief before the expiration of the 30 month stay of approval period.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Justice Enhancement and Domestic Security Act of 2003 - Incorporates provisions entitled as follows: (1) the First Responders Partnership Grant Act of 2003 (authorizes grants to support public safety officers in efforts to protect homeland security and prevent and respond to acts of terrorism); (2) the Safe Borders Act of 2003 (authorizes appropriations for hiring additional Immigration and Naturalization Service personnel and for border security protection technology); (3) the Military Tribunal Authorization Act of 2003 (authorizes the President to establish tribunals for the trial of suspected terrorists and individuals who aid or abet terrorists); (4) the Anti-Terrorist Hoax and False Report Act of 2003; (5) the National AMBER Alert Network Act of 2003 (requires the Attorney General to assign an AMBER Alert Coordinator of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to act as a national coordinator of the AMBER Alert communications network); (6) the Prosecutorial Remedies and Tools Against the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003; (7) the Protecting Our Children Comes First Act of 2003 (reauthorizes and increases funding for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children); (8) the National Child Protection and Volunteers for Children Improvement Act of 2003; (9) the Seniors Safety Act of 2003 (includes provisions regarding crimes against seniors, health care and pension fraud, telemarketing fraud, violations of nursing home rules and regulations, and restitution of elderly crime victims); (10) the Identity Theft Victims Assistance Act of 2003; (11) the Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2003; (12) the Social Security Number Misuse Prevention Act of 2003; (13) the Crime Victims Assistance Act of 2003 (requires a responsible official to arrange reasonable protection of a victim from a suspected offender and sets forth consultation and participatory rights of a victim at detention hearings, trials, and sentencing proceedings); (14) the Providing Reliable Officers, Technology, Education, Community Prosecutors, and Training in Our Neighborhoods Act of 2003 (PROTECTION Act); (15) the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act of 2003; (16) the Federal Prosecutors Retirement Benefit Equity Act of 2003; (17) the Federal Bureau of Investigation Reform Act of 2003 (revises whistle blower protections); (18) the DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2003 (provides for a recommended national protocol on collecting and processing DNA evidence at crime scenes); (19) the Say No to Drugs Community Centers Act of 2003; (20) the Our Lady of Peace Act of 2003 (revises requirements and provides grants for firearms eligibility determination information and technology); (21) the Ballistics, Law Assistance, and Safety Technology Act of 2003 (BLAST Act) (sets forth firearms ballistics testing and record keeping requirements); (22) the Innocence Protection Act of 2003 (sets forth procedures governing DNA testing of a person convicted of a Federal crime and provides grants for legal representation provided to indigent defendants in State capital cases); and (23) the Anti-Atrocity Alien Deportation Act of 2003 (provides for the inadmissibility and deportability of aliens who have committed acts of torture or extrajudicial killings abroad). Provides for establishment of: (1) a Rural Policing Institute; (2) a protective function privilege with respect to testimony by Secret Service personnel; (3) the Office of Special Investigations within DOJ to investigate and take legal action to denaturalize certain aliens; and (4) the Advisory Committee on Cargo Theft.. Provides for grants for: (1) treatment facilities in rural States and economically depressed communities, residential treatment centers for drug-addicted women with minor children, and residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment programs for juveniles; (2) drug treatment alternative to prison programs; and (3) community-based justice programs for the prosecution of firearm-related crimes (Project Exile).
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Veterans and Military Personnel Fairness Act of 2003 - Removes, for months beginning on or after October 1, 2003, the requirement that qualifying offsetting legislation be enacted before a member or former member of the armed forces may be paid military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation concurrently without deduction. Repeals, as of such date, a special compensation program for certain severely disabled military retirees. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) make available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for programs, functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration for FY 2005 120 percent of the amount obligated during FY 2003; and (2) adjust the amount provided after FY 2005 based on the number of enrolled veterans and the number of others eligible for and provided care and the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index. Armed Forces Tax Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income as a qualified military benefit the amount of the death gratuity payable under chapter 75 of title 10 of the United States Code, effective with respect to deaths occurring after September 10, 2001. Authorizes a member of the uniformed services or the Foreign Service serving on "qualified official extended duty" to extend for ten years the five-year period utilized in determining full exclusion of gain from the sale of a principal residence. Exempts amounts received under the Homeowners Assistance Program from: (1) inclusion as gross income; and (2) consideration as wages for Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax purposes (including Medicare). Extends combat zone filing rules to contingency operations. Provides a deduction for itemizers and non-itemizers for unreimbursed overnight travel, meals, and lodging expenses of National Guard and Reserve members who must travel as part of their official duties. States that all property of a "covered expatriate" shall be treated as sold on the day before the "expatriation date" for its fair market value. Permits an individual to make an irrevocable decision to be taxed as a U.S. citizen with respect to all property otherwise covered by the expatriation provisions. Excludes certain U.S. real property interests from the provisions of this Act. Subjects retirement plans to the provisions of this Act. Includes in a recipient's gross income the value of property received by gift or bequest from a covered expatriate, with exceptions. Establishes IRS service user fee authority through September 30, 2012. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to deny a former citizen reentry into the United States for noncompliance with the provisions of this Act. (Current law denies reentry based upon tax-motivated expatriation.)
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Homeland Security Block Grant Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to make homeland security block grants to States, local governments, and Indian tribes. Requires grantees to: (1) prepare a statement of homeland security objectives and projected fund use; (2) provide the Secretary with specified certifications regarding a homeland security plan, activities, and identified needs; and (3) submit to the Secretary a performance and evaluation report concerning the use of funds and the relationship of such use to objectives. Directs the Secretary to: (1) encourage and assist national associations of eligible grantees, States, and local governments in non-qualifying areas to develop and recommend uniform record-keeping, performance reporting, evaluation reporting, and auditing requirements; (2) establish uniform reporting requirements; and (3) conduct reviews and audits of grantee performance and transactions at least annually. Includes as activities eligible for assistance: (1) funding additional law enforcement, fire, and emergency resources and purchasing equipment; (2) improving cyber and infrastructure security; (3) assisting Local Emergency Planning Committees in improving disaster response systems; (4) assisting communities in coordinating responses to terrorist attacks; (5) establishing timely notification systems between communities; (6) improving public communication systems; and (7) devising, evaluating progress on, and implementing a homeland security plan. Provides that grants may be used to cover costs incurred for eligible activities on or after September 11, 2001. Sets forth provisions regarding allocation and distribution of funds and matching requirements. Earmarks specified sums for Indian tribes, metropolitan cities and urban counties, States, regional cooperation, and local communities. Mandates nondiscrimination in programs and activities. Sets forth remedies for noncompliance with Act requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Pension Protection and Expansion Act of 2003 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to set forth requirements under defined contribution plans that are individual account plans (IAPs) (401(k) and similar plans) for: (1) diversification of plan assets, including employee freedom to invest plan assets and to divest employer securities or real property; (2) protection of plan participants and beneficiaries, through notice of blackout period, prohibition of relief from fiduciary liability during such periods of suspension of participants' and beneficiaries' ability to direct investments, liability for breach of fiduciary duty, increased maximum bond amount and insurance, and inclusion of participants in trusteeship of IAPs; and (3) information to assist and protect participants, including requirements for periodic pension benefit statements, investment education, provisions relating to whistleblower actions involving pension plans, and increased penalties for coercive interference. Retirement Security for All Americans Act - Amends IRC to permit a tax credit for an applicable percentage of up to $2,000 in retirement savings contributions of an individual. Repeals the nonrefundable credit for elective deferrals and individual retirement account contributions. Imposes a tax on any failure by an employer (except for certain small employers) that does not have a qualified plan or arrangement for a calendar year to permit its employees access to salary reduction contributions to individual retirement plans. Permits a tax credit for small employers that maintain salary reduction arrangements. Allows a tax credit for a duration of three years for pension plan contributions of small employers. Women's Pension Protection Act of 2003 - Amends ERISA and IRC to require the spouse's consent for distributions from defined contribution plans (DCPs, which include individual account plans such as 401(k) plans). (Current law only requires such consent in the case of defined benefit plans). Applies joint and survivor annuity rules to DCPs. Provides for division of pension benefits upon divorce, including rules for treating: (1) subsequent qualified domestic relations orders; and (2) former spouses as surviving spouses in certain cases. Revises requirements for joint and survivor annuities. Requires pension plans to offer participants the option of a qualified joint and 3/4 survivor annuity. Amends Federal law relating to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to provide for a survivor annuity to widows, widowers, and certain former spouses of Federal employees who die after having separated from the service with title to a deferred annuity under CSRS, but before attaining the age for such annuity under it. Revises CSRS and Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) requirements for court orders relating to Federal employee retirement benefits for former spouses. Amends the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 to: (1) entitle divorced spouses to railroad retirement annuities independent of the actual entitlement of the employees; and (2) extend the payment of any portion of Tier II railroad retirement benefits to surviving former spouses pursuant to divorce agreements. Sets forth provisions relating to: (1) an employee plans compliance resolution system; (2) extension to all governmental plans of a moratorium on application of certain nondiscrimination rules applicable to State and local plans; (3) missing participants; (4) a reduced Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) premium for new plans of small employers; (5) substantial owner benefits in terminated plans; (6) voluntary early retirement incentive and employment retention plans maintained by local educational agencies and other entities; (7) automatic rollovers of certain mandatory distributions; (8) no reduction in unemployment compensation as a result of pension rollovers; (9) tax withholding on distributions from certain governmental plans; (10) transfer of pension plan liabilities upon dissolution of joint venture; and (11) plan amendments. Amends IRC to provide revenue offsets through: (1) reversal of the expatriation of certain profits offshore, including setting rules for tax treatment of inverted corporate entities, imposing an excise tax on stock compensation of insiders in inverted corporations, and reinsuring U.S. risks in foreign jurisdictions; (2) revisions and penalties relating to tax shelters; and (3) executive compensation. Includes in gross income funded deferred compensation of corporate insiders.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Quality Cheese Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration from using Federal funds to amend specified regulations to include dry ultra-filtered milk or casein in the definition of "milk" or "nonfat milk" as specified in the domestic natural standards for cheese and cheese products.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2003 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the Federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.90 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; and (2) $6.65 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day. Makes Federal minimum wage requirements applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sets forth a transition period during which a specified minimum wage there shall be gradually increased to equal the Federal minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Health Care Coverage Expansion and Quality Improvement Act of 2003 - Requires a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer that provides health insurance coverage, to conduct utilization review activities in connection with the provision of benefits under such plan or coverage only in accordance with a utilization review program, as specified. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Health Care Consumer Assistance Fund, to be used to award grants to eligible States to carry out consumer assistance activities designed to provide information, assistance, and referrals to consumers of health insurance products. Requires access to care, including non-network providers, timely access to specialty care, direct access to specialists in obstetrics and gynecology, investigational drug and device coverage, coverage for patients in clinical trials, and the inpatient period for breast cancer patients. Prohibits restricting a health care professional's communications with a patient, discrimination against a provider solely because of the provider's license or certification, improper incentives, and retaliation for patient advocacy, including by providers. Requires prompt claims payment. Delays the required submission date of a letter of credit by carriers administering Supplementary Medical Insurance. Sets forth patient safety improvement provisions. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to prohibit certain employee group health plans or related insurances providing both medical-surgical and mental health benefits from imposing mental health treatment limitations or financial requirements unless comparable limitations and requirements are imposed upon medical-surgical benefits. Provides for the automatic enrollment in Title XXI (currently, the State Children's Health Insurance Program - renamed the FamilyCare Program under this Act) of the Social Security Act of children born to title XXI parents. Provides expanded Medicaid benefits for disabled children and for psychiatric care for individuals under age 21. Amends Social Security Act provisions with respect to the welfare-to-work transition under the Medicaid program. Authorizes the Secretary to award demonstration grants to a limited number of States to conduct innovative programs designed to improve outreach to homeless individuals and families under specified programs for the homeless (including Medicaid and FamilyCare) with respect to enrollment of such individuals and families and the provision of services under such programs. Amends the Indian Health Care Act to guarantee specified amounts of funding for Indian health care.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Global Climate Security Act of 2003 - Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President and Congress should make reducing and preparing for the risks of global climate change a higher priority. Delineates measures that should be taken, including requiring reductions in carbon dioxide and other pollutants from electric power plants and developing an early warning system of biological and ecological indicators. National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Registry Act of 2003 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish and administer: (1) a national greenhouse gas emissions information system to collect annual lists required to be submitted under this Act of an entity's greenhouse gas emissions and their sources; and (2) a national greenhouse gas registry to collect voluntarily reported information on emissions reductions. Directs the Administrator and the Secretaries of Commerce, Agriculture, and Energy to develop greenhouse gas emissions quantification and verification protocols, electronic reporting methods, and accounting and reporting standards. Requires the Administrator to publish an annual national greenhouse gas emissions inventory. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should demonstrate international leadership and responsibility concerning the risks posed by climate change through meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and participation in international efforts, including treaties. Rio Agreement Commission Establishment Act - Establishes the Commission to Implement the Rio Agreement (concerning greenhouse gas emission reductions). Addresses greenhouse gas emissions issues through: (1) a national assessment of climate change impacts; (2) a review of emission reduction policies and measures; (3) environmental impact statements; (4) an emissions goal; (5) corporate environmental disclosure; (6) methodology for measuring emissions from imports; (7) a review of trade and innovation effects; (8) emissions reduction grants; and (9) modifications to revenue statutes.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Emergency Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide: (1) emergency financial assistance to agricultural producers (without regard to Federal crop insurance coverage) who have incurred qualifying 2001 and/or 2002 crop losses due to weather or related conditions; and (2) payments to livestock producers who have incurred 2001 and/or 2002 losses in an emergency-designated county, with set-asides for the American Indian livestock program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Prescription Drug Benefit and Cost Containment Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish: (1) a Medicare Outpatient Prescription Drug Benefit Program under new part D; (2) a Prescription Drug Account in the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund; and (3) a Medicare Prescription Drug Advisory Committee. Provides for: (1) part D benefits under Medicare+Choice plans under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice); and (2) Medicare cost-sharing and other assistance for low-income individuals. Revises requirements for Medicare supplemental insurance policy (Medigap) benefit packages to conform to changes made by this Act. Provides for coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for all Medicare beneficiaries under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study and report to Congress on the feasibility and advisability of establishing a uniform format for pharmacy benefit cards provided to beneficiaries. Expands the membership and duties of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC). Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise provisions concerning the timing of generic drug availability. Requires applicants (pharmaceutical companies) to register their patents with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within 30 days of approval (or issuance for subsequently issued patents). Makes failure to timely register a bar to civil actions for patent infringement. Requires applications for new drugs (NDA) or abbreviated new drug applications (ANDA) which rely upon investigations not conducted by or for the applicant and which concern a patent that claims both the drug and a method of use or more than one method of use to include a certification on a claim-by-claim basis that the patent is invalid or will not be infringed (known as a Paragraph IV filing/certification) by the new drug's (generic) manufacture and a statement regarding the method(s) of use claim. Prohibits (for subsequently issued patents) an extension of the 30-month stay of FDA approval for any new drug where an ANDA or NDA contains a Paragraph IV filing/certification and the patent holder indicates an intention to bring a patent infringement suit against the new (generic) drug's manufacturer. Makes failure to timely file a civil action for infringement a bar to later action. Requires the first generic applicant with a Paragraph IV filing to forfeit the 180 day marketing exclusivity period to a subsequent generic applicant if the first generic applicant engages in certain behaviors (forfeiture events) which delay or prevent the marketing of the generic drug. Adds provisions on importation of prescription drugs and pediatric labeling of drugs and biological products.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to revise remedies for and enforcement of prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages (such FLSA provisions are also known as the Equal Pay Act) to: (1) add nonretaliation requirements; (2) increase penalties; and (3) authorize the Secretary of Labor to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Directs the Secretary to provide for certain studies, information, national summit, and guidelines, awards, and assistance for employer evaluations of job categories based on objective criteria. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect certain pay information.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to set forth a special rule allowing a charitable deduction for contributions of food inventory.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Equal Rights and Equal Dignity for Americans Act of 2003 - Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Attorney General (AG), upon request, to provide assistance with the investigation or prosecution of any crime that constitutes: (1) a Federal crime of violence; (2) a felony under State or Indian tribal law; and (3) is motivated by prejudice based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability, or is a violation of State or Indian tribe hate crime laws. Amends the Federal criminal code to provide criminal penalties for certain hate crimes. Authorizes funding for enforcing civil rights laws and for indigent defense. Indian Trust Asset and Trust Fund Management and Reform Act of 2003 - Amends the American Indian Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 to expand the annual audit responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior. Prescribes guidelines for development and implementation of an Indian Trust Fund and Trust Asset Management and Monitoring Plan. Establishes the position of Deputy Secretary for Trust Management and Reform to oversee all trust fund and trust asset matters of the Department of the Interior. Establishes the Office of Trust Reform Implementation and Oversight, headed by the Deputy Secretary, to supervise activities of specified senior officials who administer Indian trust assets or funds. Instructs the Deputy Secretary to establish a Tribal Task Force on Trust Reform. Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should enact legislation: (1) to ban the practice of racial profiling; and (2) to require law enforcement agencies to take steps to prevent the practice. Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to revamp proscriptions against sex discrimination in wages. Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2003 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by covered entities. Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance and Employment Act - Amends the following Acts to prohibit specified discriminatory practices concerning genetic information: (1) the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974; (2) the Public Health Service Act; (3) the Internal Revenue Code; and (4) title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act . Protecting Americans' Medical Privacy Act - States that specified modifications made by the August 2002 medical privacy rule to the December 2000 medical privacy rule governing consent for uses or disclosures for treatment, payment, or health care operations shall have no force or effect. Prohibits the collection of information on U.S. citizens inside the United States for intelligence or law enforcement purposes by any member of the Armed Forces or civilian employee of the Department of Defense. Help America Vote Act of 2002 (sic) - Authorizes appropriations to implement the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and the Help America Vote Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Comprehensive Homeland Security Act of 2003 - First Responders Partnership Grant Act of 2003 - Sets forth a grants program to support homeland security activities of States, local governments, and Indian tribes public safety officers, including terrorism prevention and response. Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Act of 2003, or the "SAFER Act of 2003" - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the Secretary of Labor to make grants to eligible entities to pay for the Federal share of hiring career firefighters. Nuclear Security Act of 2003 - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to establish a Task Force on Nuclear Infrastructure Security (Task Force) to examine the protection of sensitive nuclear facilities from potential terrorist threats. Instructs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to promulgate regulations based upon task force recommendations. Directs the President to establish the Nuclear Infrastructure Antiterrorism Team to protect the perimeter of sensitive nuclear facilities against threats . Amends the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 to established in the (NRC) the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. Establishes within such Office the Security Response Unit. Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to authorize employees of NRC licensees to carry weapons. Instructs the Task Force to: (1) evaluate the security of sensitive radioactive material against security threats; and (2) recommend actions for the maximum practicable security against security threats. Rail Security Act of 2003 - Authorizes appropriations for Amtrak, conditioned upon Secretary of Transportation approval of an Amtrak plan that targets security, rehabilitation and upgrades, and engineering and financial considerations. Sets forth criteria governing a mandatory assessment of rail transportation security risks. Wastewater Treatment Works Security and Safety Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to mandate that vulnerability assessments and attendant emergency response plans be submitted to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to address immediate and urgent security needs. Amends the Public Health Service Act to instruct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to implement the National Smallpox Vaccination Program. Establishes in the Treasury an Information Technology Fund to provide expenditures for information technology and related services for Federal agencies. Prescribes guidelines under which a record pertaining to the vulnerability of and threats to critical infrastructure that is furnished voluntarily to the Department of Homeland Security shall not be made available either to the public or to other Federal agencies under the Freedom of Information Act. Prescribes responsibilities of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for the interoperability of information systems. Instructs the Secretary of State to implement a program to secure, consolidate, or eliminate, radiological and nuclear materials and waste located outside the United States that are determined to present a potential threat. Instructs the President to implement a program to improve border security and strengthen export controls in Russia and other designated areas in order to decrease the potential for the spread of weapons of mass destruction and related materiel. Intelligence Community Leadership Act of 2003 - Amends the National Security Act of 1947 to establish an Office of the Director of National Intelligence to assist the Director of National Intelligence. Confers responsibility upon the Directorate for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection (Department of Homeland Security) for consolidating law enforcement information with assessments and warnings relating to foreign intelligence from the Director of Central Intelligence's Counterterrorist Center. Chemical Security Act of 2003 - Instructs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations designating certain combinations of chemical sources and substances of concern as high priority categories based on the severity of the threat posed by an unauthorized release from the chemical sources. Subjects violations of such regulations to civil and criminal penalties. Providing Reliable Officers, Technology, Education, Community Prosecutors, and Training in Our Neighborhoods Act of 2003, or "PROTECTION Act" - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize financial and technical assistance to designated law enforcement programs, including religiously-affiliated organizations and rural law enforcement programs.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2002
Condemns any publication or program that lends legitimacy to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Expresses the belief that such heinous propaganda, especially in the Arab world, incites popular sentiment against Jews and the State of Israel, rather than promoting religious tolerance and preparing Arab populations for peace with Israel. Commends the Department of State for denouncing the "Horseman Without a Horse" television series. Urges the Government of Egypt and other Arab governments: (1) not to permit their government-controlled television stations to broadcast this program or other racist and untrue material; and (2) to vigorously and publicly condemn anti-Semitism as a form of bigotry.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2002
Declares that the Senate: (1) supports the goals and ideals of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund; and (2) salutes and acknowledges the Fund and its efforts in support of equal opportunity in higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2002
Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for Community Building Act - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to award a grant to Neighborhood House of St. Paul, Minnesota, to finance the construction of a new community center in St. Paul, to be known as the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for Community Building.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2002
Nuclear and Radiological Terrorism Threat Reduction Act of 2002 - Authorizes the Secretary of State to propose that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conclude agreements with up to five countries under which each country would provide temporary secured storage for orphaned, unused, surplus, or other radioactive material sources other than special nuclear material, nuclear fuel, or spent nuclear fuel. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) make U.S. voluntary contributions to the IAEA for a program to provide radioactive source discovery, inventory, and recovery; (2) assist the Government of the Russian Federation to substitute solar power sources to replace radioisotope thermal generator powered units operated by the Federation and other independent states of the former Soviet Union in applications such as lighthouses, remote weather stations, unattended sensors, and remote electricity; and (3) conclude an agreement under which a foreign country would train first responders in the detection and characterization of radioactive material and contaminated areas. Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to establish a Special Representative for Inspections of Nuclear and Radiological Materials for negotiating international agreements that ensure inspection of cargoes of nuclear and radiological materials destined for the United States. Establishes a program of research and development grants concerning the detection and identification of fissile and radioactive materials. Requires a study of the use of radioactive sources in industry and of potential substitutes for those sources.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2002
Ballistics, Law Assistance, and Safety Technology Act (BLAST Act) - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to require a licensed manufacturer or importer of firearms to: (1) test fire manufactured or imported firearms as specified by the Secretary of the Treasury; (2) prepare ballistics images of the fired bullet and cartridge casings; (3) make the records available to the Secretary for entry into a computerized database; and (4) store the fired bullet and cartridge casings. Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary to assist firearm manufacturers and importers in complying with these requirements through: (1) the acquisition, disposition, and upgrades of ballistics equipment and bullet and cartridge casing recovery equipment; (2) the hiring or designation of personnel necessary to develop and maintain a ballistics database; (3) providing education about the role of ballistics; and (4) providing for the coordination among law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and the firearm industry to curb firearm-related crime and illegal firearm trafficking. Requires the Attorney General and the Secretary to: (1) establish a computer system through which State and local law enforcement agencies can promptly access ballistics records; (2) encourage training for ballistics examiners; (3) report to Congress on the impact of this Act on criminal investigations, arrests, indictments, and prosecutions; and (4) conduct mandatory ballistics testing of all firearms obtained by or in the possession of their respective agencies. Prohibits the use of ballistics information of individual guns for prosecutorial purposes unless officials have a reasonable belief that a crime has been committed and that ballistics information would assist in the investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2002
Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2002 - Makes appointments to the office of bankruptcy judge for judicial districts in the following States: California, Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Maryland; Michigan; Mississippi; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina, Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico; Tennessee; Virginia, South Carolina and Nevada. Grants extensions to the temporary office of bankruptcy judges authorized for the northern district of Alabama, the district of Delaware, the district of Puerto Rico, and the eastern district of Tennessee.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2002
States that: (1) empowerment zones in Pulaski County, Arkansas, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Yonkers, New York, shall not include any portion of a central business district (as such term is used for purposes of the most recent Census of Retail Trade) unless the poverty rate for each population census tract in such district is not less than 25 percent; and (2) such exemption shall be considered to have taken affect when the area was designated as an empowerment zone by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2002
No Taxation Without Representation Act of 2002 - Provides for full voting representation in Congress for the residents of the District of Columbia, including two Senators and as many Representatives as a similarly populous State would be entitled to under the law.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2002
Finger Lakes Initiative Act of 2002 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish the Finger Lakes Initiative to protect the environmental integrity and cultural and economic benefits of the region. Establishes the Finger Lakes Management Conference to carry out the Initiative through the development of a comprehensive plan. Includes a technical advisory committee as part of the Conference. Requires the comprehensive plan to address issues of water quality and level, native habitats, and recreational and economic activities. Subjects the plan to approval by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Directs the Conference to establish a Finger Lakes Institute as an interdisciplinary environmental research and education program at an academic institution within the region. Limits the Federal share of costs to 75 percent, permitting the non-Federal share to be made up of in-kind contributions. Requires coordination with the relevant Federal programs of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2002
Community Disaster Loan Equity Act of 2002 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to: (1) authorize the President to make community disaster loans to State governments; (2) eliminate the $5 million limit on the amount of any such loan; and (3) prohibit the President from requiring the payment of any interest or principal on such a loan made to a State or local government which suffers a substantial loss of tax and other revenues as a result of a major disaster caused by a terrorist attack. Provides that this Act shall apply to any major disaster occurring on or after October 30, 2000.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2002
Beneficiary Access to Care and Medicare Equity Act of 2002 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to make a variety of changes with regard to rural health care and such matters as: (1) urban and rural standardized payment amounts under the Medicare inpatient hospital prospective payment system (PPS); (2) disproportionate share hospital (DSH) treatment for rural hospitals and urban hospitals with under 100 beds; (3) a temporary increase in payments for certain services furnished by small rural hospitals and for hospice care furnished in a frontier area; (4) the critical access hospital program; (5) the physician fee schedule geographic adjustment factor; (6) the Medicare incentive payment program; and (7) exclusion of certain rural health clinic and federally qualified health center services from the Medicare PPS for skilled nursing facilities. Amends the Public Health Service Act to give the Secretary the authority to make and guarantee loans from the loan fund to any rural entity for projects for capital improvements. Amends SSA title XVIII with respect to revising updates and restoring payments under: (1) Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) relating to inpatient hospital services, skilled nursing facility services, and hospice services; (2) Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) relating to physicians' and other services; and (3) both parts A and B relating to home health services, eliminating the 15 percent reduction in PPS payment rates. Amends SSA title XVIII part C (Medicare+Choice) with respect to: (1) the minimum percentage increase for 2003 and 2004; (2) authority regarding disapproval of unreasonable beneficiary cost-sharing; (3) specialized Medicare+Choice plans for special needs beneficiaries; and (4) extension of new entry bonus. Revises requirements for Medicare appeals, regulatory procedures, contracting, education and outreach, prepayment review, overpayment recovery, and enforcement. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) with respect to: (1) Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments; (2) extension of Medicare cost-sharing for part B premiums for certain additional low-income Medicare beneficiaries; and (3) inpatient drug prices in the best price exemptions for the Medicaid drug rebate program. Amends SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) with respect to SCHIP allotments. Amends SSA title XI on the process for the development and implementation of Medicaid and SCHIP waivers. Amends SSA title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services) to provide for additional temporary grants for State fiscal relief. Establishes the Safety Net Organizations and Patient Advisory Commission to review health care safety net programs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2002
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 - Amends the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (TEUCA, which is title II of the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002, PL107-147) to extend the TEUCA program through weeks of unemployment ending before July 1, 2003 (currently January 1, 2003). Entitles eligible individuals in all States to a total of 26 weeks of TEUCA compensation (13 weeks beyond the current 13 weeks). Provides an additional seven weeks of TEUCA benefits for workers in high unemployment States (entitling them to a total of 33, which is 20 weeks beyond the current 13). Applies a revised adjusted insured unemployment rate State trigger. Sets an additional TEUCA benefit period State trigger based on total unemployment rate.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2002
Supports the goals and ideas of a day of tribute to all firefighters who have died in the line of duty. Recognizes the important mission of the Fallen Firefighters Foundation in assisting family members to overcome the loss of their fallen heroes.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2002
Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lake Champlain Basin Program Act of 2002 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish the Lake Champlain Basin Program in place of the Lake Champlain Management Conference. Requires the program to protect the Lake Champlain basin and implement the plan entitled "Opportunities for Action: An Evolving Plan for the Future of the Lake Champlain Basin," approved by the Lake Champlain Steering Committee. Sets forth the environmental goals of the plan, including: (1) reducing phosphorous inputs and toxic contamination; (2) controlling nonnative nuisance species; (3) protecting sources of drinking water; (4) restoring wildlife and habitat; (5) shoreline protection; and (6) protecting and promoting recreational and economic activity. Directs the Committee to implement the program and review the plan at least every five years. Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to implement plan management strategies. Requires the Secretaries of Agriculture, Interior, and Commerce to support the implementation of the program with assistance from existing Federal programs concerning: (1) agricultural nonpoint source pollution; (2) watersheds; (3) habitat protection and restoration; (4) management of fisheries and marine resources, including nuisance aquatic species; and (5) cultural and natural resources. States that existing authorities remain unaffected by this program. Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 to include Hamilton County in the Lake Champlain watershed.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2002
Designates the month of September 2002 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 methods for screening, treating, and curing 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.
![Official portrait of Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000148_200.jpg)