United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2003
Recognizes the bicentennial of Ohio's founding and its residents for their important contributions to the economic, social, and cultural development of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2003
Municipal Solid Waste Interstate Transportation and Local Authority Act of 2003 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to prohibit a facility that received municipal solid waste (MSW) before this Acts's enactment from receiving out-of-State MSW for disposal unless the waste is received pursuant to a new or existing host community agreement or certain other State authorization. Sets forth requirements regarding the effect of host community agreements and receipt of waste by other facilities. Bars the receipt of such waste at any time the State determines that a facility is not in compliance with specified laws and regulations. Authorizes States in which facilities received more than 650,000 tons of out-of-State MSW in 1993 to establish limits on the quantity of such waste authorized to be received by facilities receiving such waste in 1993 in declining percentages of the 1993 quantity. Requires notification of such limits by a State to each State from which MSW was received in 1993. Prohibits a State from exercising the authority for general MSW limits if it exercises the authority for limits provided under this paragraph. Allows States to impose cost recovery surcharges on the processing of out-of-State MSW in the State. Imposes requirements regarding temporary waste storage. States conditions for: (1) permit denial; (2) State-imposed annual limitations, including on construction and demolition waste; and (3) the exercise of State or local flow control authority (directing materials to particular facilities). Prohibits a State or political subdivision from requiring any person to transport such waste or materials to any active portion of an MSW landfill if its contamination is a basis for listing on the National Priorities List established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, unless the person has been indemnified by the government or the owner-operator against all liability with respect to such materials. Provides for the enforceability of certain legally binding interim contracts that obligate the delivery of a minimum quantity of MSW or recyclables to a designated facility and obligate the government to pay or be liable for such materials.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2003
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit any physician or other individual from knowingly performing a partial-birth abortion, except when necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury. Defines a "partial-birth abortion" as an abortion in which the person performing the abortion: (1) deliberately and intentionally vaginally delivers a living fetus until, in the case of a head-first presentation, the entire fetal head is outside the mother's body, or, in the case of a breech presentation, any part of the fetal trunk past the navel is outside the mother's body; and (2) performs the overt act, other than completion of delivery, that kills the partially delivered living fetus. Authorizes the father, if married to the mother at the time of the abortion, and the maternal grandparents of the fetus, if the mother is under 18 years of age, to obtain specified relief in a civil action, unless the pregnancy resulted from the plaintiff's criminal conduct or the plaintiff consented to the abortion. Authorizes a defendant accused of an offense under this Act to seek a hearing before the State Medical Board on whether the physician's conduct was necessary to save the life of the mother. Prohibits the prosecution of a woman upon whom a partial-birth abortion is performed for conspiracy to violate this Act or under provisions regarding punishment as a principal or an accessory or for concealment of a felony.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2003
Fuels Security Act of 2003 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require that gasoline contain a specified volume of renewable fuel. Provides for annual increases in the applicable volume through 2012. Establishes a ratio for determining the volume required from 2013 onward. Defines renewable fuel to include motor vehicle fuel produced from biomass (e.g. grain) or natural gas produced from a biogas (e.g. landfill) source. Establishes a system of credits for gasoline which contains more renewable fuel than required. Requires studies concerning these renewable fuel requirements, specifically: (1) seasonal variations in renewable fuel availability; (2) the impact on consumers; and (3) the impact on small refineries. Establishes a system of waivers for States claiming and proving economic or environmental hardship. Establishes a Federal agency ethanol-blended gasoline and biodiesel purchasing requirement. Establishes a commercial byproducts from municipal solid waste loan guarantee program. Requires data collection concerning the monthly consumption of renewable fuels. Federal Reformulated Fuels Act of 2002 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to permit the use of the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund for methyl tertiary butyl ether (MBTE) remediation purposes. Amends the Clean Air Act to revise guidelines pertaining to: (1) water quality protection from fuels; (2) oxygen content requirements for reformulated gasoline; (3) public health and environmental impacts of fuels and fuel additives; (4) analyses of motor vehicle fuel changes; (5) additional opt-in areas under the reformulated gasoline program; and (6) Federal enforcement of State fuels requirements. Requires a joint study of Federal, State and local requirements concerning motor vehicle fuels. Requires a review of Federal procurement initiatives relating to use of recycled products and fleet and transportation efficiency.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2003
Calls on executive branch officials and Members of Congress to raise the issue of anti-Semitism in their bilateral contacts with other countries and at multilateral fora, including meetings of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the July 2003 Twelfth Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Calls on participating OSCE States to: (1) condemn anti-Semitism, racial and ethnic hatred, xenophobia, and discrimination, as well as persecution on religious grounds whenever it occurs; (2) ensure effective local and national law enforcement to prevent and counter criminal acts stemming from anti-Semitism, xenophobia, or racial or ethnic hatred, including maintaining mechanisms for the thorough investigation and prosecution of such acts; (3) promote the creation of educational efforts throughout the region to counter anti-Semitic stereotypes and attitudes among younger people, increase Holocaust awareness programs, and help identify the necessary resources to accomplish this goal; (4) play a leading role in combating anti-Semitism and ensure that the resolution adopted at the 2002 meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Berlin is followed up by a series of concrete actions at the national level; and (5) organize a separately designated human dimension event on anti-Semitism as early as possible in 2003, consistent with the Porto Ministerial Declaration adopted by the OSCE at the Tenth Meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in December 2002.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2003
Postal Civil Service Retirement System Funding Reform Act of 2003 - Amends Federal civil service law to revise the formula for funding benefits under the Civil Service Retirement System for U.S. Postal Service employees, including Postal supplemental liability under the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund. Mandates that savings accruing to the Postal Service as a result of this Act be used to reduce the postal debt as the Secretary of the Treasury shall specify. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the savings accruing to the Postal Service as a result of this Act will be sufficient to allow the Postal Service to fulfill its commitment to hold postage rates unchanged until at least 2006; (2) because the Postal Service still faces substantial obligations related to postretirement health benefits for its current and former employees, some portion of those savings should be used to address the unfunded obligations; and (3) none of the savings should be used to pay bonuses to Postal Service executives.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2003
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Commemorative Coin Act of 2003 - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 silver coins emblematic of the human rights legacy and leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Requires that: (1) all sales of such coins include a surcharge of $10 per coin; and (2) all surcharges from coin sales be promptly paid by the Secretary to the Library of Congress for purchasing and maintaining materials associated with the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2003
Government Pension Offset Reform Act - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to modify the formula for determining the amount of reduced monthly OASDI benefits payable to a spouse, surviving spouse, or parent receiving monthly payments from a Federal or State pension plan. Declares that such benefit reductions shall be equal to the amount by which two-thirds of the total amount of the combined monthly benefit (before reduction) and monthly pension exceeds $1,200, adjusted for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2003
Elder Justice Act - Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new title XXII (Elder Justice) to establish: (1) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Office of Elder Justice; (2) within HHS an Intra-Agency Elder Justice Steering Committee to coordinate HHS elder justice programs and policy; (3) the Elder Justice Coordinating Council to make recommendations for the coordination of activities to HHS, the Department of Justice, and other relevant Federal, State, local, and private agencies and entities; and (4) the Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation. Outlines provisions with respect to uniform collection, maintenance, and dissemination of national data relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Authorizes the HHS Secretary to award various grants, including grants for: (1) prevention of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (2) five Centers of Excellence nationwide that shall specialize in research, clinical practice, and training relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (3) six diverse communities to examine various types of elder shelters and to test various models for establishing safe havens; (4) nonprofit organizations and faith-based organizations to encourage such organizations to establish or continue volunteer programs that focus on the issues of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, or that provide related services; and (5) various multidisciplinary elder justice activities. Provides for: (1) reporting to law enforcement of crimes occurring in Federally-funded long-term care facilities; (2) revising the quality of long-term care; and (3) increasing consumer information about long-term care. Amends: (1) SSA titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) to establish programs to prevent abuse of skilled nursing facility and nursing facility residents; (2) the Public Health Service Act to increase the number of health care professionals with geriatric training; (3) the Older Americans Act of 1965 with respect to the long-term care ombudsman program; (4) part A (General Provisions) of SSA title XI to establish in HHS the Office of Adult Protective Services; and (5) SSA titles XVIII and XIX to assure safety of residents when nursing facilities close. Establishes in the Department of Justice an Office of Elder Justice. Amends the: (1) Federal criminal code to provide for a cause of action for elder abuse and neglect; and (2) Internal Revenue Code to provide for a long-term care facility worker employment tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2003
Veterans' Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act of 2003 - Establishes criminal penalties for willfully injuring or destroying or attempting to injure or destroy any structure, plaque, statue, or other monument on public property commemorating the service of any person(s) in the U.S. armed forces. Requires that veterans' cemeteries be treated as sites permitting supplemental guide signs on Federal-aid highways.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2003
Designates the Federal building and U.S. courthouse located at 200 West 2nd Street, in Dayton, Ohio, as the Tony Hall Federal Building and United States Courthouse.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2003
Declares that the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy shall not dissuade or discourage this Nation from venturing ever farther into space. Restates the commitment to exploring the planets and celestial bodies of our solar system and beyond. Expresses condolences to the families of the seven astronauts and to friends and allies in Israel over the loss of Colonel Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli in space.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2003
Class Action Fairness Act of 2003 - Establishes a consumer class action bill of rights, including provision for: (1) judicial review and approval of noncash settlements; (2) protection against loss by class members because of payments to class counsel; (3) a prohibition against court approval of a proposed settlement providing for greater payments to class members because they are located in closer geographic proximity to the court; (4) a prohibition against court approval of a proposed settlement providing for payment of a greater share of the award to a class representative serving on behalf of a class; (5) standardized settlement notification information; and (6) specific requirements regarding proposed settlement notifications to Federal and State officials. Grants the district courts original jurisdiction of any civil action in which the matter in controversy exceeds $2 million, exclusive of interest and costs, and is a class action in which any member of a class of plaintiffs is: (1) a citizen of a State different from any defendant; (2) a foreign state or a citizen or subject of a foreign state and any defendant is a citizen of a State; or (3) a citizen of a State and any defendant is a foreign state or a citizen or subject of a foreign state. Lists exceptions, such as where a class action brought by shareholders solely involves a claim concerning a covered security or relating to the internal governance of a corporation. Sets forth procedures for removal of interstate class actions to U.S. district court and for review of orders remanding class actions to State courts. Directs the Judicial Conference of the United States to report to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees on class action settlements.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2003
Authorizes the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation to establish a memorial in the District of Columbia or its environs to honor members of the armed forces who have lost their lives during peacekeeping operations, humanitarian efforts, training, terrorist attacks, or covert operations. Prohibits use of Federal funds for such memorial, except as provided by the Commemorative Works Act.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2003
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex Expansion and Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act - Expands the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex to include specified land and water in Ohio. Permits the Secretary to acquire by donation, purchase, or exchange the land and water and interests in land and water within the boundaries of the Complex. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to study and report to Congress on fish and wildlife habitat and aquatic and terrestrial communities in and around two specified dredge spoil disposal sites in Toledo Harbor. Expands the southern boundary of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge to include additional land and water located in the State of Michigan east of Interstate Route 75. Prescribes requirements for administration of the Complex. Directs the Secretary to ensure that hunting, trapping, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation shall be the priority public uses of the Complex. Requires the Secretary to encourage the State of Ohio to use authority under the Federal recreational trails program to provide funding for the acquisition and development of trails within the boundaries of the Complex.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2003
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Amendments Act of 2003 - Amends the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 to repeal the President's authority to disestablish the Interagency Task Force. Requires the President, in conjunction with the chief executive officers of the States, to develop and submit to Congress a Prediction and Response Plan to protect environmental and public health from impacts of harmful algal blooms. Specifies plan, publication and Federal assistance requirements. Requires the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Task Force, to provide for local and regional assessments of hypoxia and harmful algal blooms, as requested by coastal States, Indian tribes, and local governments. Provides guidelines for local and regional assessments.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2003
Authorizes the Secretary of State to: (1) initiate a U.S. plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual week-long summit of the World Health Assembly (of the World Health Organization) in May 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland; and (2) instruct the U.S. delegation to Geneva to implement such plan.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2003
Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit any person or entity, in or affecting interstate commerce, from knowingly: (1) performing or attempting to perform human cloning; (2) participating in such an attempt; (3) shipping or receiving an embryo produced by human cloning or any product derived from such an embryo; or (4) importing such an embryo. Sets forth criminal and civil penalties. Provides that nothing in this Act restricts areas of scientific research not specifically prohibited above, including research in the use of nuclear transfer or other cloning techniques to produce molecules, DNA, cells other than human embryos, tissues, organs, plants, or animals other than humans. Directs the General Accounting Office to assess the need for amendment of such prohibition, including through: (1) a discussion of new developments, the need for somatic cell transfer to produce medical advances, current public attitudes and prevailing ethical views concerning its use, and potential legal implications of somatic cell transfer research; and (2) a review of any technological developments that may require technical changes to such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2003
Reserve Component Tax Assistance Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow as a business or trade deduction the expenses of a member of the reserve component of the U.S. armed forces in connection with such service. Makes such deduction available to itemizers and non-itemizers. Establishes related reserve component business-related employment and self-employment credits.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2003
National Aviation Heritage Area Act - Establishes within the States of Ohio and Indiana the National Aviation Heritage Area (the Area). Directs the Area's management entity, the Aviation Heritage Foundation, Incorporated (the AHFI, an Ohio nonprofit) to develop and submit to the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) a Management Plan (the Plan) for the Area and to assist government and nonprofits in developing the Area in specified ways. Requires the Plan to provide for the protection, enhancement, and interpretation of the natural, cultural, historic, scenic, and recreational resources of the Area. Directs the Secretary to approve the Plan or to disapprove it, and to provide recommendations in the latter instance. Prohibits appropriated funds from being expended to implement any changes made by a substantial amendment to the Plan until the Secretary approves of such amendment. Authorizes the Secretary to provide financial or technical assistance to the Area to develop and implement the Plan upon request by the AHFI. Requires any Federal agency involved with activities affecting the Area to consult with the AHFI and the Secretary and, to the maximum extent practicable, act in ways the AHFI determines will not adversely affect the Area. Provides for the coordination of decisions with regard to the Area by the Secretary, the Secretary of Defense, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Specifies the sunset of grants and assistance from the Secretary for the Area 15 years after the enactment of this Act. Requires an updated study and report concerning incorporating the Wright Company factory as a unit of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Park.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2003
Clean Water Infrastructure Financing Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to remove certain requirements for States with respect to construction of treatment works under capitalization grant agreements. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to assist States in establishing simplified procedures for small water systems to obtain assistance under the Act. Requires revolving funds to be used only for providing assistance for activities that have as a principal benefit the improvement or protection of water quality of navigable waters. Provides for an extended repayment period and additional subsidization with respect to loans made to financially distressed communities from revolving funds. Reauthorizes appropriations for FY 2003 through 2007 for the revolving fund program.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2003
Price-Anderson Amendments Act of 2003 - Amends the Price-Anderson Act provisions of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to reauthorize: (1) until August 1, 2012, mandatory indemnification of certain licensees with respect to nuclear incidents; and (2) until August 1, 2008, the mandate for certain reports to Congress by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Secretary of Energy with respect to the need to continue or modify the Price-Anderson Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2003
Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2003 - Provides that: (1) any person who engages in conduct that violates specified provisions of the Federal criminal code, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, or the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, or specified articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (conduct constituting certain Federal violent crimes), and thereby causes the death of, or bodily injury to, a child who is in utero, shall be guilty of a separate offense (but prohibits imposition of the death penalty for such offense); and (2) the punishment for that separate offense shall be the same as that provided under Federal law for that conduct had that injury or death occurred to the unborn child's mother. Directs that if the person engaging in the conduct thereby intentionally kills or attempts to kill the unborn child, that person shall be punished as provided under the Federal criminal code for intentionally killing or attempting to kill a human being. Bars prosecution under this Act: (1) for conduct relating to an abortion for which the consent of the pregnant woman has been obtained or for which such consent is implied by law in a medical emergency; (2) for conduct relating to any medical treatment of the pregnant woman or her unborn child; or (3) of any woman with respect to her unborn child.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2003
Loan Forgiveness for Head Start Teachers Act of 2003 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend to certain Head Start teachers student loan forgiveness under both the Federal Family Education Loan program and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2003
Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 2003 - Amends Federal employment law to: (1) strike a provision excepting as a Federal agency position any position in the Drug Enforcement Administration which is excluded from competitive service requirements; (2) authorize the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to modify employee demonstration projects; (3) remove the requirement that OPM develop a plan for each project; and (4) terminate projects after ten (currently five) years, while requiring OPM to recommend, during the project's first five years, whether it should be made permanent. Amends Federal employee recruitment and retention provisions to: (1) provide a four-year maximum on the years required of an employee provided a recruitment bonus; (2) authorize a recruitment or retention bonus of up to 50 percent of an employee's annual salary in the case of a critical agency need; (3) require OPM to establish a plan for paying such bonuses; and (4) rename the retention allowance the retention bonus and make such bonus contingent upon the completion of a period of service to be determined. Empowers OPM (currently, only at the request of an agency) to fix the rates of critical pay. Requires part-time service performed before April 7, 1986, to be credited as full-time service for annuity determination purposes. Empowers OPM (currently the President) to provide special locality pay rates. Requires an agency head to notify OPM of any categories of employees that would not be covered under such rates. Requires a pay rate conversion for employees moving to a different locality. Considers the locality pay rate as basic pay for purposes of Federal benefits. Determines the rates of pay for employees entitled to pay retention. Requires each agency head to evaluate its agency training with respect to success in accomplishing performance plans and strategic goals, appoint a training officer, and establish a comprehensive management succession program. Authorizes annual leave for qualified non-Federal service of newly hired Federal employees.
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
Community Choice in Real Estate Act of 2003 - Amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, and the Revised Statutes of the United States, to prohibit the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Secretary of the Treasury, respectively, from determining that real estate brokerage activity or real estate management activity is financial in nature, is incidental to any financial activity, or is complementary to a financial activity. (In effect, prohibits financial holding companies and national banks from engaging, directly or indirectly, in real estate brokerage or real estate management activities.) Exempts from such prohibition activities of a bank holding company (or any affiliate) that directly relate to managing any real property owned by national banks or their affiliates.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Designates the Federal building and U.S. courthouse located at 10 East Commerce Street in Youngstown, Ohio, as the Nathaniel R. Jones Federal Building and United States Courthouse.
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 · 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 · 13 November 2002
Honors and recognizes the 350th anniversary of the American Jewish community and the Commission for Commemorating 350 Years of American Jewish History. Expresses support for the designation of American Jewish History Month.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2002
Truth in Budgeting and Social Security Protection Act of 2002 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to extend discretionary spending caps and pay-as-you-go requirements. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA) to require: (1) proposed legislation to contain a projection by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) of the cost of debt servicing for measures; (2) conference reports to contain amounts allocated to the Committee on Appropriations subcommittees; and (3) the CBO to report on proposed legislation or conference reports by any committee that contain cost riders that are likely to increase the cost path of a measure. Requires the President to report to specified congressional committees in January of each year on the fiscal exposures of the Federal Government and their implications for long-term financial health. Amends the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act to exempt Medicare from sequestration. Amends CBA to make it out of order to consider any legislation that would violate or amend the requirements of the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990 regarding Social Security. Federal Insurance Budgeting Act of 2002 - Requires that, starting FY 2008, the President's budget submitted to Congress be based upon the risk-assumed cost of Federal insurance programs for accrual budgeting purposes. Amends cost requirements of Federal insurance programs. Requires agencies that are responsible for Federal insurance programs to develop models to estimate their risk-assumed cost by year. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to manage insurance financing accounts as may be appropriate. Amends CBA to revise the Federal and congressional budget processes by establishing a two-year budgeting and appropriations cycle and timetable. Defines the budget biennium as the two consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1 of any odd-numbered year. Establishes and defines the duties of the Commission on Federal Budget Concepts.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2002
Authorizes the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation to establish a memorial in the District of Columbia or its environs to honor members of the armed forces who have lost their lives during peacekeeping operations, humanitarian efforts, training, terrorist attacks, or covert operations. Prohibits use of Federal funds for such memorial, except as provided by the Commemorative Works Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2002
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) should enter into mediation to resolve their dispute, adopt 24-hour extensions of the expired collective bargaining agreement, and end the current lockout; and (2) if the PMA and the ILWU do not reach a settlement or reopen the ports through that mediation during a reasonable period, as determined by the President, the President should appoint a board of inquiry, to begin the emergency dispute-settling procedure under the Labor-Management Relations Act, 1947.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2002
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency Interstate Supervision Act of 2002 - Amends the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997 to require the Director of the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia to arrange for the supervision of: (1) District of Columbia (DC) offenders on parole (current law), probation, and supervised release who seek to reside in jurisdictions outside DC; and (2) offenders on parole, probation, and supervised release from jurisdictions outside DC who seek to reside in DC. Authorizes the Director to enter into offender supervision agreements, including the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision, with any State or group of States.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2002
Designates the Federal building and U.S. courthouse located at 200 West 2d Street in Dayton, Ohio, as the Tony Hall Federal Building and United States Courthouse.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2002
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex Expansion and Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act - Establishes a national wildlife refuge complex in Ohio, consisting of the Ottawa, West Sister Island, and Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuges. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to expand the Ottawa Refuge to include specified land and water in Ohio. Permits the Secretary to acquire by donation, purchase, or exchange the land and water and interests in land and water within the boundaries of the Complex. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to study and report to Congress on fish and wildlife habitat and aquatic and terrestrial communities in and around two specified dredge spoil disposal sites in Toledo Harbor. Requires the Secretary to expand the southern boundary of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (the Refuge) to include additional land and water located in the State of Michigan east of Interstate Route 75. Prescribes requirements for administration of the Complex. Directs the Secretary to ensure that hunting, trapping, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation shall be the priority public uses of the Complex. Requires the Secretary to encourage the State of Ohio to use authority under the Federal recreational trails program to provide funding for the acquisition and development of trails within the boundaries of the Complex.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2002
Excludes specified wire rods from the scope of any antidumping or countervailing duty issued as a result of certain investigations relating to carbon and certain alloy steel rods.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2002
National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2002 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to require the Invasive Species Council (Council) to coordinate with the Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force (Task Force) to combat aquatic invasive species (AIS's). Requires the Task Force to recommend to appropriate Federal agencies additions to the list of AIS's. Requires the Task Force, the Council, and the Secretary of State to coordinate activities to ensure that international efforts to prevent and manage AIS's are coordinated with U.S. policies. Establishes minimum invasive species prevention requirements for all vessels entering U.S. ports. Directs the Task Force to publish a priority pathway management program. Prohibits the importation of live aquatic organisms not in trade without specified screening and approval. Directs the Task Force to develop a national system of ecological surveys to rapidly detect recently-established AIS's in U.S. waters. Requires the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works to construct and maintain a national dispersal barrier program to contain and control aquatic nuisances. Makes any State with a rapid response contingency strategy eligible to receive emergency funding to implement rapid response measures for AIS's. Requires the Task Force to encourage development of regional rapid response contingency strategies and develop a State model for such. Requires the Council, in coordination with the Task Force and the heads of the appropriate Federal agencies, to establish a Federal rapid response team for the ten regions of the Standard Federal Regional Boundary System. Requires the Task Force to establish a national subcommittee on nutria. Provides for expansion of the Brown Tree Snake Control Program and Aquatic Nuisance Species Program information, education and outreach activities. Requires specified agencies and research centers to develop and conduct marine research and demonstration programs to assess rates of, patterns of, and conditions surrounding introductions of nonnative aquatic species into aquatic ecosystems. Requires the Secretary to develop a central national database of information on ballast water management and treatment. Requires specified agencies to develop a vessel pathway standards research program. Requires the National Science Foundation to establish a program of grants to institutions of higher education for research in systematics and taxonomy.
United States · United States Congress · 3 September 2002
Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2002 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to use amounts in the Multinational Species Conservation Fund to finance projects for the conservation of marine turtles. Gives preference to projects which: (1) will help recover and sustain viable populations of marine turtles in the wild by assisting foreign conservation efforts; (2) are designed for long-term conservation of the turtles and their nesting habitats; and (3) have matching funds. Establishes the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund as a separate account in the Multinational Species Conservation Fund. Permits the acceptance and use of donations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 September 2002
National AMBER Alert Network Act of 2002 - 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.