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Bill· SS. 104 (108th)referred
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.
Bill· SS. 84 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Authorizes and requests the President to advance the late Admiral Raymond Ames Spruance to the grade of fleet admiral on the Navy retired list. Prohibits any increase in compensation or benefits due to such promotion.
Bill· SS. 89 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Universal National Service Act of 2003 - Declares that it is the obligation of every U.S. citizen, and every other person residing in the United States, between the ages of 18 and 26 to perform a two-year period of national service, unless exempted, either as a member of an active or reserve component of the armed forces or in a civilian capacity that promotes national defense. Requires induction into national service by the President. Sets forth provisions governing: (1) induction deferments, postponements, and exemptions, including exemption of a conscientious objector from military service that includes combatant training; and (2) discharge following national service. Amends the Military Selective Service Act to authorize the military registration of females.
Bill· SS. 28 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to: (1) replace specific criteria that the Secretary of Homeland Security must consider in the selection of one or more university-based centers for homeland security with discretion to establish such selection criteria as is necessary to meet the evolving needs of homeland security; and (2) eliminate the requirement that the Secretary report to Congress on establishment of such a center.
Bill· SS. 69 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Directs the Secretary of the Army to issue a certificate of service to Filipino nationals who the Secretary determines have performed any military service in the Philippine Islands during World War II which qualifies such a person or a survivor to receive any military, veterans', or other benefits under U.S. laws.
Bill· SS. 50 (108th)open
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.
Bill· SS. 59 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Directs the Secretary of Defense to permit any former member of the armed forces who is entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability rated total by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to travel on military aircraft to the same extent as retired members of the armed forces.
Bill· SS. 22 (108th)referred
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).
Bill· SS. 49 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Deficit Reduction Act of 2003 - Irrigation Subsidy Reduction Act of 2001 (sic) - Amends the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 to direct the Secretary of the Interior, for each parcel of land to which irrigation water is delivered or proposed to be delivered, to identify a single individual or legal entity as the owner, lessee, or operator. Allows irrigation water to be delivered at less than the normal per-acre cost to either: (1) a qualified recipient that reports gross farm income from a single farm operation in excess of $500,000 per taxable year; or (2) a limited recipient that received such water on or before October 1, 1981, and that reports gross farm income in excess of such amount. Requires lessees (currently, only owners and operators) of an irrigation district to furnish such district a certification of compliance with the Act. Allows the Secretary to require a lessee or operator to submit for examination a copy of a tax return for any taxable year in which the single farm operation of the lessee or operator received irrigation water at less than full cost. Repeals a provision exempting from Federal reclamation ownership and cost pricing limitations district lands held in trust for a beneficiary or beneficiaries whose interests in the lands served do not exceed such limitations. Directs the Secretaries of the Interior, the Treasury, and Agriculture to enter into a memorandum of understanding to permit the Secretary of the Interior to have access to and use available information collected or maintained by either the Department of the Treasury or Agriculture that would aid in enforcement of the ownership and pricing limitations of Federal reclamation law. Terminates the Uniformed Services University of Health Science. Requires the Secretary of Defense to terminate production of D5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles under the D5 submarine-launched ballistic missile program.
Bill· SS. 19 (108th)referred
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.)
Bill· SS. 60 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Authorizes use of Department of Defense commissary and exchange stores by former prisoners of war who have been honorably separated from service and have a service-connected disability rated at 30 percent or more.
Bill· SS. 67 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Deems Jim K. Yoshida to be a veteran for purposes of all laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Deems his service as a volunteer member of the U.S. Army during a specified period to be active military service from which he was discharged under honorable conditions.
Bill· SJRESS.J.Res. 2 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a three-fifths rollcall vote of each House, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts. Provides that any surplus of receipts over outlays of the Social Security trust funds shall not be counted, and any deficit of receipts relative to outlays of the Social Security trust funds shall be counted, and must be completely offset by a surplus of all other receipts over all other outlays. Requires a three-fifths rollcall vote of each House to increase the public debt limit. Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually. Prohibits any bill to increase revenue from becoming law unless approved by a majority of each House by rollcall vote. Authorizes waivers of these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect or under other specified circumstances involving military conflict.
Bill· SS. 47 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Directs the Secretary of the Navy to terminate operation of the Extremely Low Frequency Communication System while maintaining the infrastructure necessary for its resumption.
Bill· SS. 41 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to: (1) narrow the criteria that the Secretary of Homeland Security must consider in selecting one or more university-based centers for homeland security to demonstrated expertise in interdisciplinary public policy research and communication outreach regarding science, technology, and public policy; (2) repeal the exemption of the Homeland Security Science and Technology Advisory Committee from the Federal Advisory Committee Act requirement that an advisory committee terminate two years after being established; (3) repeal the Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002; (4) repeal provisions authorizing the Secretary to appoint and use advisory committees as necessary; (5) repeal provisions amending the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act, with respect to the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001, to limit "agents" of an air carrier engaged in the business of providing air transportation security to persons that have contracted directly with the Federal Aviation Administration on or after February 17, 2002, to provide security and that have not been or are not debarred within six months of that date; (6) repeal provisions amending the Aviation and Transportation Security Act to limit the effective period of any Transportation Security Administration regulation or directive issued for the protection of transportation security to 90 days unless disapproved or ratified by the Transportation Security Oversight Board; (7) repeal amendments made to the Public Health Service Act to define "vaccine" to mean any preparation or suspension, including one containing an attenuated or inactive microorganism or toxin, developed or administered to produce or enhance the body's immune response to a disease and to include all components and ingredients listed in the vaccine's product license application and product label; (8) repeal provisions exempting Office of Science and Technology advisory groups established to assess law enforcement technology needs from the Federal Advisory Committee Act; and (9) repeal a provision requiring the Secretary to waive the prohibition against entering a Federal contract with a foreign incorporated entity treated as an inverted domestic corporation when necessary to prevent the loss of any jobs or to prevent the Government from incurring any additional costs that otherwise would not occur.
Bill· SS. 56 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Includes as an employee, for purposes of Federal provisions authorizing enrollment under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: (1) a member of the armed forces who began service before June 7, 1956, and retired after a minimum of 20 years of such service or by reason of a service-connected disability; and (2) the surviving widow or widower of such member. Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide FEHB coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member entitled to military retired or retainer pay; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member; and (5) a family member.
Bill· SS. 55 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Veterans' Higher Education Opportunities Act of 2003 - Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to change the amount of monthly veterans' educational assistance allowance under the Montgomery GI Bill from a fixed amount adjusted for inflation to an amount equal to the average monthly costs of tuition and expenses for commuter students at public institutions of higher education that award baccalaureate degrees (75 percent of such amount for veterans whose initial obligated period of active duty is two years). Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to determine such average monthly costs each year and to publish such amounts in the Federal Register.
Bill· SS. 45 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to: (1) provide for the Office for State and Local Government Coordination to be headed by a director; and (2) require such Office to prepare annual reports on State and local priorities based on first responder needs, a needs assessment that identifies duplicative Federal and State or local homeland security functions, recommendations regarding program creation, expansion, or elimination to assist State and local entities in carrying out functions under the Department of Homeland Security, and proposals to increase the coordination of Department priorities within and between States. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate at least one employee in each State and the District of Columbia to serve as a Homeland Security Liaison Officer to provide homeland security information, research, technical support, coordination, training, and resources. Establishes: (1) an Interagency Committee on First Responders and State, Local, and Cross-jurisdictional Issues that shall ensure coordination, with respect to homeland security functions, among the Federal agencies involved with State, local and regional governments, State, local, and community-based law enforcement, fire and rescue operations, and medical and emergency relief services; and (2) an Advisory Council for such Committee.
Bill· SS. 16 (108th)referred
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.
Bill· SS. 6 (108th)referred
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.
Bill· HRH.R. 184 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Fairness to Immigrant Veterans Act of 2003 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (transitional rules) to make certain aliens who are on active armed forces duty or honorably discharged veterans eligible for: (1) release from (criminal alien) detention; (2) cancellation of removal; and (3) judicial review of certain orders of removal.
Bill· HRH.R. 174 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Directs the Administrator of General Services to convey by sale to the City of Key West, Florida, or the Monroe County Land Authority in Monroe County, Florida, the Poinciana Plaza Housing property, located in Key West. Directs the Administrator to deposit the net proceeds received as payment for the sale into the Department of Defense Base Closure Account 1990. Authorizes the property only to be used for the purpose of providing housing and housing assistance for low- and moderate-income individuals and families for at least the first 30 years after the conveyance.
Bill· HRH.R. 180 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Budget Fraud Elimination Act of 2003 - Redefines the public debt to exclude intragovernment obligations and reduces the public debt ceiling. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to establish biennial budgeting. Makes conforming amendments, including requirements for government strategic and performance plans. Creates a special transition period for the 109th Congress. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to state that certain emergency legislation shall not be extended in the baseline. Establishes emergency criteria. Spending Accountability Reserve Act of 2003 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to establish a spending accountability reserve ledger to credit any reductions in new budget authority in an appropriation bill. Adjusts the respective appropriation allocation and discretionary spending limits downward accordingly. Enhanced Rescissions Act of 2003 - Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to authorize the President to propose at any time the rescission of any budget authority he identifies as wasteful spending. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to extend the budget enforcement mechanisms of discretionary spending limits (caps) and pay-as-you-go (Paygo). Provides for treatment of extraneous appropriations in omnibus appropriation measures. Amends the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund to provide for accrual funding of pensions and retirement pay for Federal employees and Uniformed Services Personnel. Provides accrual funding of retirement benefits for Federal employees covered by the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System, the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Retirement System, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Retirement System, and the Coast Guard Military Retirement Fund. Provides for the accrual funding of post-retirement health benefits costs.
Bill· HRH.R. 163 (108th)failed
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Universal National Service Act of 2003 - Declares that it is the obligation of every U.S. citizen, and every other person residing in the United States, between the ages of 18 and 26 to perform a two-year period of national service, unless exempted, either as a member of an active or reserve component of the armed forces or in a civilian capacity that promotes national defense. Requires induction into national service by the President. Sets forth provisions governing: (1) induction deferments, postponements, and exemptions, including exemption of a conscientious objector from military service that includes combatant training; and (2) discharge following national service. Amends the Military Selective Service Act to authorize the military registration of females.
Law· HRH.R. 100 (108th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Amends the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940 to rename the Act as the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act and to revise provisions with respect to certain civil protections and rights afforded to servicemembers while on active-duty assignment. Authorizes any servicemember to waive any of such rights and protections, pursuant to written agreement. Provides certain protections of servicemembers against default judgments, including a minimum 90-day stay of proceedings, with respect to the payment of any tax, fine, penalty, insurance premium, or other civil obligation or liability. Prohibits an eviction or distress from being made against a servicemember or his or her dependents during a period of military service for a premise for which rent does not exceed $1,700 (currently $1,200), except by court order. Prohibits: (1) rescinding or terminating for breach of contract during a period of military service a contract for the purchase or lease of real or personal property entered into prior to such service; and (2) a person holding a lien on property or effects of a servicemember from foreclosing or otherwise enforcing such lien (with penalties and protection for materially affected dependents) during a period of service and 90 days thereafter. Increases the total amount of life insurance coverage protection provided under the Act to $250,000, or an amount equal to the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance maximum limit, whichever is greater. Allows findings of fact and conclusions of law made by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in administering the life insurance provisions of the Act to be reviewed by the Board of Veterans Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (not reviewable under current law).
Bill· HRH.R. 116 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Veterans' New Fitzsimons Health Care Facilities Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out major medical facility projects at the site of the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado, including inpatient and outpatient facilities providing acute, sub-acute, primary, and long-term care services.
Bill· HRH.R. 58 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Includes as an employee, for purposes of Federal provisions authorizing enrollment under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: (1) a member of the armed forces who began service before June 7, 1956, and retired after a minimum of 20 years of such service or by reason of a service-connected disability; and (2) the surviving widow or widower of such member. Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide FEHB coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member entitled to military retired or retainer pay; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member; and (5) a family member.
Bill· HRH.R. 169 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, for purposes of eligibility for veterans' disability compensation and benefits, to accept the sworn affidavit of a veteran who served on or before July 27, 1953, as proof of a service connection of a disease or injury alleged to have been incurred in or aggravated by such service, if there is no clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.
Bill· HRH.R. 197 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in the Jacksonville, Florida, metropolitan area.
Bill· HRH.R. 73 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Veterans Comprehensive Hepatitis C Health Care Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, during the first year after the enactment of this Act, to provide a blood test for the Hepatitis C virus to: (1) each veteran who served on active military duty during the Vietnam era, or who is considered to be "at risk," and who is enrolled to receive veterans' medical care and requests such care or is otherwise receiving a physical examination or any other care or treatment from the Secretary; and (2) any other veteran who requests such test. Requires the Secretary, after such period, to provide such test to any veteran who requests it. Requires the Secretary to provide followup tests and appropriate treatment for any veteran who tests positive. Prohibits a copayment from being charged for such treatment. Provides funding for Department Hepatitis C detection and treatment programs, beginning with FY 2004. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and implement a standardized Department policy with respect to such virus; and (2) annually take appropriate outreach actions to notify untested veterans. Directs the Secretary to establish at least one and no more than three additional Hepatitis C centers of excellence within the Department health care network. Provides funding.
Bill· HRH.R. 216 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Moccasin Bend National Archeological District Act - Establishes the Moccasin Bend National Archeological District as a unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in Tennessee. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) acquire lands within the District's boundaries, and easements between noncontiguous areas of the District, from willing sellers; (2) enter into cooperative agreements with Indian tribes, governmental entities, and interested persons for the restoration, preservation, development, interpretation, and use of the District; and (3) establish and administer a visitor's center in the District. Requires the Secretary to develop a general management plan for the District which shall describe protection and preservation of resources of, visitor use of, and facility development within the District. Repeals provisions authorizing the Secretary to accept donations to the Park of specified lands situated generally within the Moccasin Bend of the Tennessee River lying west of the city of Chattanooga.
Bill· HRH.R. 62 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Military Retiree Health Care Task Force Act of 2003 - Establishes the Medicare Eligible Military Retiree Health Care Consensus Task Force to study and report to the Congress on matters relating to health care coverage of retired military personnel and their families, Federal sharing agreements relating to such care, and proposals to provide a full continuum of such coverage to Medicare-eligible military retirees and their dependents.
Bill· HRH.R. 117 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to certain Department of Defense civilian employees serving in combat zones, to: (1) exclude from gross income certain combat zone compensation; (2) make the additional estate tax inapplicable; and (3) exclude the toll tax on telephone service from such zones.
Bill· HRH.R. 36 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Provides that the remarriage of the surviving spouse of a veteran after age 55 shall not bar the payment of veterans' dependency and indemnity compensation to which such spouse was previously entitled.
Bill· HRH.R. 65 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Military Retiree Health Care Relief Act - Amends: (1) the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable credit for premiums paid by military retirees for Medicare (title XVIII of the Social Security Act) part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) coverage; and (2) part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate, as specified, the ten percent part B premium penalty.
Bill· HRH.R. 55 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Export Administration Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a Commerce Control List. Specifies the kinds of export licenses the Secretary may require with respect to the export of an item on the Control List or otherwise subject to control under this Act. Provides, under specified circumstances, that a license shall not be required for the export of after-market service or replacement parts. Authorizes the President to prohibit, curtail, or require a license, or other authorization for the export of an item subject to the national security export control regimes under this Act. Sets forth the purposes of such controls, including restriction on the export of items (including weapons of mass destruction) that would contribute to the military potential of countries so as to be detrimental to the national security of the United States. Requires the Secretary to establish a National Security Control List as part of the Control List. Requires the Secretary (on a continuing basis, upon a request from the Office of Technology Evaluation, or upon receipt of a petition filed by an interested party) to review and determine the foreign availability and the mass-market status of any item for export control under this Act. Authorizes the President, subject to specified exceptions, to prohibit, curtail, or require a license, other authorization, recordkeeping, or reporting for the export of an item subject to the foreign policy export control regimes under this Act. Requires a license for the export to a terrorist-supporting country of any item that could make a significant contribution to the country's military potential, or could enhance its ability to support acts of international terrorism. Requires a license for the export of crime control and detection instruments and equipment, with specified exceptions. Sets forth procedures for the processing of export license applications, including their screening, referral, approval or denial, and review. Declares it is U.S. policy to seek multilateral arrangements, and to continue to participate in existing and additional multilateral export control regimes, that: (1) support U.S. national security interests; and (2) establish fairer and more predictable competitive opportunities for U.S. exporters. Directs the President to issue regulations that, with specified exceptions, prohibit U.S. persons from supporting any boycott imposed by a foreign country against a country friendly to the United States that is not itself the object of a U.S. boycott. Sets forth both civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Provides, with specified exceptions, for the imposition of certain sanctions against U.S. and foreign persons who violate a missile proliferation control regime, or contribute to the efforts of a country to develop or acquire chemical and biological weapons.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 7 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Expresses the sense of Congress that Harriet Tubman should have been paid a pension at the rate of $25 each month for her service as a nurse and scout in the U.S. Army during the Civil War.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 2 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2003
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 should be repealed.