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Resolution· HRESH.Res. 146 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2003
Makes amounts available for expenses, including staff salaries, of the following committees of the House of Representatives in the 108th Congress: (1) Agriculture; (2) Armed Services; (3) Budget; (4) Education and the Workforce; (5) Energy and Commerce; (6) Financial Services; (7) Government Reform; (8) Homeland Security; (9) House Administration; (10) Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; (11) International Relations; (12) Judiciary; (13) Resources; (14) Rules; (15) Science; (16) Small Business; (17) Standards of Official Conduct; (18) Transportation and Infrastructure; (19) Veterans' Affairs; and (20s) Ways and Means. Sets forth first and second session limitations on such amounts. Grants the Committee on House Administration authority to make adjustments in such amounts if necessary to comply with a presidential sequestration order issued under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) or to conform to any reduction in appropriations.
Bill· SS. 620 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2003
College Fire Prevention Act - Amends title VII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to add a new part E, College Fire Prevention Assistance. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make competitive grants to States, private or public colleges or universities, fraternities, or sororities for up to half the cost of providing fire sprinkler systems in student housing and dormitories. Directs the Comptroller General to gather, and report to Congress, data on the number of college and university housing facilities and dormitories that have and do not have fire sprinkler systems and other forms of built-in fire protection mechanisms. Provides that any application for assistance under this Act, any negative determination on the part of the Secretary with respect to such application, or any statement of reasons for the determination, shall not be admissible as evidence in any proceeding of any court, agency, board, or other entity.
Bill· SS. 626 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2003
Teacher Paperwork Reduction Act of 2003 - Directs the Comptroller General to study the causes of the paperwork burden of special education teachers and report to Congress with recommendations for reducing it. Requires the Department of Education, along with State and local educational agencies, to reduce such burden by at least 50 percent within 18 months. Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to make mediation mandatory (currently voluntary) for all legal disputes related to Individual Education Programs. Directs the Department to use certain appropriations under IDEA part D to award grants to: (1) conduct research to determine best practices for successful mediation; and (2) provide mediation training support services.
Bill· HRH.R. 1292 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2003
Remote Sensing Applications Act of 2003 - Directs the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to: (1) establish a program of grants for pilot projects to explore the integrated use of sources of remote sensing and other geospatial information to address State, local, regional, and tribal agency needs; (2) establish an advisory committee to monitor the program; (3) transmit to Congress an independent evaluation of program effectiveness; and (4) ensure that project results are retrievable through an Internet-accessible database. Requires the Administrator to seek opportunities to assist: (1) in the development of commercial applications potentially available from the remote sensing industry; and (2) State, local, regional, and tribal agencies in applying remote sensing and geospatial information technologies for growth management. Requires the Administrator to establish an educational outreach program to increase awareness at institutions of higher education and such agencies of the potential applications of remote sensing and geospatial information. Requires the Administrator to study the effect of remote sensing imagery costs on potential State, local, regional, and tribal agency applications.
Bill· HRH.R. 1258 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2003
Latin America Military Training Review Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of the Army to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (Institute). Repeals statutory authority for the Institute. Prohibits any training or education facility from being established in the Department of Defense (DOD) for Latin American military personnel for ten months. Establishes a joint congressional task force to assess appropriate education and training for DOD to provide to military personnel of Latin American nations.
Bill· HRH.R. 1268 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2003
United States Toxic Mold Safety and Protection Act of 2003 or the Melina Bill - Directs: (1) the Centers for Disease Control, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to jointly study the health effects of indoor mold growth and toxic mold; (2) EPA to promulgate standards for preventing, detecting, and remediating indoor mold growth; and (3) EPA, NIH, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to sponsor related public education programs. Directs: (1) rental property lessors to conduct annual indoor mold inspections and notify the occupants of such results; and (2) the Secretary of HUD and the Administrator of EPA to promulgate mold hazard disclosure regulations with respect to housing offered for sale or lease. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish, with respect to indoor mold in public housing, inspection requirements for existing housing and construction standards for new housing; and (2) establish model construction standards and techniques for mold prevention in new buildings. Establishes an indoor/toxic mold inspection requirement with respect to federally made or insured mortgages. Amends the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993 to provide for industry standards development with respect to building products that are designed to retard mold development. Directs the Administrator of EPA to make grants to States and local governments for mold growth remediation efforts in buildings owned or leased by such governments, including schools and multifamily dwellings. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an annual tax credit for 60 percent of non-reimbursed mold inspection and remediation expenses ($50,000 annual maximum) paid or incurred by a taxpayer. Requires the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to: (1) establish and carry out a toxic mold insurance program, with priority for one-to-four-family residential properties; and (2) establish in the Treasury a National Toxic Mold Hazard Insurance Fund. Authorizes the Director to assist qualifying insurers to form a federally-assisted toxic mold hazard insurance pool. Provides for Federal operation of such program under specified circumstances. Authorizes State waiver of income, resource, and other Medicaid requirements for an individual whose health has been adversely affected by toxic mold exposure, and who lacks adequate medical insurance coverage.
Bill· HRH.R. 1269 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2003
Coal Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 2003 - Instructs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) perform an assessment that identifies cost and performance goals of technologies permitting continued cost-competitive use of coal for electricity generation, as chemical feedstocks, and as transportation fuel in 2007, 2015, and the years after 2020; and (2) implement a technology research, development, and demonstration program to facilitate production and generation of coal-based power through methods and equipment under specified Federal law. Prescribes technical criteria for a clean coal power initiative under which the Secretary shall fund coal energy generation projects that advance efficiency, environmental performance, and cost competitiveness well beyond the level of technologies that on a full scale are in operation or have been demonstrated to date. Instructs the Secretary to award competitive, merit-based grants to universities for the establishment of Centers of Excellence for Energy Systems of the Future.
Bill· HRH.R. 1267 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2003
Domestic Violence Screening, Treatment, and Prevention Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish, under specified conditions, family violence research and education centers to conduct research and disseminate information concerning family violence; and (2) establish an advisory board to recommend the research agenda for such centers. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to and enter into contracts with public and nonprofit private entities capable of conducting such research. Requires the Secretary to award grants to entities that currently work in the field of family violence and health care to enable them to develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate family violence education and training curricula, programs, and strategies. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families, to award grants for up to four years to State and local governmental and nonprofit entities that currently work in the field of family violence and health care to be used to develop strategies to improve the response of State and local health care systems to domestic violence and to promote education and awareness. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to declare that State health benefits provided may cover domestic violence identification and treatment services. Amends Federal civil service law to require the Office of Personnel Management to require all contracted carriers of health coverage for Federal employees to include coverage for domestic violence identification and treatment services. Amends SSA title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) to require: (1) the Secretary, with respect to maternal and child health services block grant funds, to provide preference to State applicants who include training of providers in how to identify and treat the effects of family violence; and (2) States to set aside a reasonable portion of such funds to provide for domestic violence identification and treatment. Requires the Secretary to allot funds to States to provide for a separate program for domestic violence identification and treatment. Amends the PHSA to authorize the Secretary to award grants to federally-qualified health centers to improve the identification and treatment of domestic violence.
Bill· HRH.R. 1261 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2003
Workforce Reinvestment and Adult Education Act of 2003 - Revises and reauthorizes appropriations for: (1) Workforce Investment Systems for job training and employment services under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA); (2) Adult Basic Skills Education, including adult education and family literacy programs; and (3) vocational rehabilitation services under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Amends WIA to revise Workforce Investment Systems requirements for State and local planning, allocation, work force investment board membership, and performance accountability. Requires State certification of one-stop centers for allocation of infrastructure funds. Consolidates, under a formula grant for a comprehensive program for adult activities, funding for adult job training, dislocated worker retraining, the employment service system, and reemployment grants. Requires youth training programs to spend a greater portion of their funds on out-of-school youth. Reauthorizes various national job training programs, including the Job Corps and programs for Native Americans, migrant and seasonal farmworkers, and veterans. Replaces the Youth Opportunity Grants program with a Youth Challenge Grants program for in-school and out-of-school youth. Directs the Secretary of Labor to allot grants to States to allocate funds to local areas to establish personal reemployment accounts for individuals likely to exhaust their unemployment compensation. Exempts religious organizations, with respect to their employment of individuals of a particular religion, from WIA nondiscrimination requirements. Adult Basic Skills Education Act - Revises, reauthorizes, and renames WIA title II as Adult Basic Skills Education (currently the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act). Requires focus on, and State demonstration of progress in, basic skills, such as English language acquisition, reading, writing, and mathematics. Directs the Secretary of Education to carry out a program of national leadership activities. Repeals Wagner-Peyser Act provisions relating to the U.S. Employment Service. Amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to revise and reauthorize vocational rehabilitation programs. Places the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) in the Department of Education (currently Office of the Secretary), with an RSA Director (currently Commissioner) appointed by the Secretary of Education (currently President). Revises transitional services for special education students moving from school to post-school activities, and coordination of such services with those under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 1296 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2003
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the current dollar limitation on the deduction for interest on educational loans. Modifies the dollar amounts used in calculating the modified adjusted gross income limitation on the deduction for interest on educational loans.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 144 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2003
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the maximum Pell Grant, under student aid provisions of the Higher Education Act of 1965, should be increased to$5,800.
Bill· SS. 602 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2003
New Homestead Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Education to repay a specified percentage (up to $2,000 per year) of certain education loans to an individual who completes a degree and both resides and is employed in a qualifying county outside a metropolitan statistical area which for 20 years has a net out-migration of inhabitants of at least ten percent of the county population. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for a specified portion of the purchase price of a qualified residence in such a rural county. Allows a capital loss deduction with respect to sale or exchange of principal residence in certain rural areas. Provides for the creation of tax-exempt individual homestead accounts, which shall receive matching Federal contributions according to a specified formula, whose tax-free distributions after five years are used for qualified higher education or medical expenses, first-time homebuyer or business capitalization costs, or rollovers. Establishes a rural investment tax credit of 70 percent of the present value of new buildings (including rehabilitation projects) or 30 percent of the present value of existing buildings. Establishes a qualified rural investment small business investment credit of 30 percent of qualified expenditures. Provides for accelerated depreciation of property in rural investment projects. New Homestead Venture Capital Fund Act - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to provide for establishment of new homestead venture capital funds, owned by private investors, which shall generate and provide equity capital to rural businesses.
Bill· SS. 608 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2003
Personnel Excellence for Children with Disabilities Act of 2003 - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to reauthorize and revise provisions for personnel preparation and professional development of special education teachers (SEs) and other educators. Revises and renames provisions for State program improvement grants as State Personnel and Professional Development Grants. Directs the Secretary of Education to allot such grants to State educational agencies to assist them, and their local educational agencies (LEAs) and their partners (including institutions of higher education and other entities), to support and improve their systems of personnel preparation and professional development for SEs in order to improve results for children with disabilities. Authorizes the Secretary to make competitive grant and contract awards to eligible entities (partnerships of LEAs and institutions of higher education with State-approved SE personnel programs, and additional entities) to develop professional development partnerships (PDPs) between such entities and elementary or secondary schools. Requires PDPs to use such grants to: (1) develop preservice teacher education for SEs; or (2) create or support professional development schools that provide specified services. Authorizes the Secretary to make competitive grant and contract awards to eligible entities (partnerships of LEAs and State-approved SE personnel preparation programs, and additional entities) to provide professional development, leadership training, and collaborative opportunities for general educators to ensure they have skills and knowledge to meet the needs of, and improve results for, children with disabilities. Revises requirements: (1) for personnel preparation to improve services and results for children with disabilities; and (2) to benefit children with high-incidence disabilities to include those with emotional or behavioral disorders.
Bill· SS. 603 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2003
Pathways to Self-Sufficiency Act of 2003 - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to give States that receive a TANF grant the option to: (1) use the grant to establish a program, including an undergraduate post-secondary or vocational education program, under which an eligible participant may be provided certain support services although the State may not use Federal TANF grant funds to pay the participant's tuition; and (2) credit months of program participation for disregard in calculation of the five-year TANF assistance limitation.
Bill· HRH.R. 1237 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2003
Early Intervention Improvement Act - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to revise provisions for early intervention programs for children under age three (infants and toddlers with disabilities, part C). Directs the Secretary of Education to reserve certain funds for incentive grants to reward States meeting performance objectives under part C, as follows: (1) 75 percent of such grants for high-quality programs in general; and (2) 25 percent for high-quality programs that make at-risk infants and toddlers eligible and that provide such services to at least three and one-half percent of children under age three in the State. Revises provisions for transition from part C to part B (Assistance for Education of All Children with Disabilities). Makes permanent the authorization of appropriations for part C. Revises part C eligibility conditions to include those in families where there is diagnosed serious maternal depression, confirmed parental substance abuse, or documented family violence (including child abuse). Requires all abused or neglected children under age three to be referred to the State's child find system for evaluation and, if appropriate, receipt of early intervention services. Includes parent-child and family therapy among part C services. Includes early intervention personnel training and professional development among State and national activities. Directs the Secretary to make grants for such pre- and in-service training and development. Directs the Secretary to commission the National Academy of Sciences to: (1) develop a model meaning for developmental delay for States to use in establishing early intervention services under part C; and (2) estimate the percentage of each State's population who would receive such services if the model were adopted. Requires the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council under IDEA to study and report on mechanisms for providing service coordination from birth through age five for infants, toddlers, and children served under part C and preschool grant provisions.
Bill· HRH.R. 1252 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2003
E-Rate Termination Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to repeal provisions requiring: (1) telecommunications carriers to provide universal telecommunications and information services to elementary and secondary schools and libraries at rates less than those charged for similar services to other parties; and (2) the Federal Communications Commission to enhance the access of such schools and libraries to advanced telecommunications and information services.
Bill· HRH.R. 1246 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2003
Native Act to Transform Imagery in Various Environments - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make: (1) grants to schools that have made formal decisions to discontinue use of a derogatory or discriminatory name or depiction as a team name, mascot, or nickname, to assist them in replacing uniforms or other materials and in altering facilities, including walls, floors, and signs; and (2) school construction or renovation grants to Indian schools and to schools that received discontinuation grants. Establishes within the Department of Education a Committee on Indian Relations. Includes among Committee duties providing cultural proficiency training at schools receiving discontinuation grants to effect positive and long-term change regarding any derogatory or discriminatory name or depiction. Declares a name or depiction to be derogatory or discriminatory if: (1) the name is Indians, Redskins, Braves, or Chiefs; or (2) the Committee determines, after notice and comment, that the name or depiction is derogatory or discriminatory on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, or Indian or Native Alaskan tribal affiliation.
Bill· HRH.R. 1240 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2003
Investment in Quality School Leadership Act - Establishes a program of grants to consortia for professional development of superintendents, principals, and prospective superintendents and principals. Directs the Secretary of Education to award such competitive grants to consortia to establish programs that serve a State or region and provide superintendents, principals, and prospective superintendents and principals, particularly those serving, or intending to serve, in high-poverty, low-performing school districts and schools, with ongoing, intensive professional development opportunities to improve their capacity to serve as effective leaders and successfully implement standards-based reforms. Requires a consortium, to be eligible to apply for such a grant, to include at least: (1) one local educational agency (LEA) serving a high concentration of children living in poverty; (2) one institution of higher education; and (3) one organization that does not usually provide educational services, but has the necessary expertise to provide professional development to school administrators. Allows such consortia also to include: (1) one or more additional LEAs; (2) State educational agencies; (3) for-profit organizations with expertise; and (4) public or private nonprofit organizations with expertise. Gives priority for awards to those consortia in which the participating LEA serves the highest concentration of children living in poverty. Sets forth required program activities and additional uses of grant funds. Requires grantees to provide 50 percent of the project's annual costs, in cash or in kind. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) waive such matching requirement for applicants that serve low-income areas; and (2) reserve certain funds for technical assistance, evaluation, dissemination of information on effective programs, activities to encourage the spread and adoption of successful leadership development centers, and other national activities that support the programs.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 91 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2003
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Nation should strive to prevent teen pregnancy by encouraging teens to view adolescence as a time for education and growing-up and by educating teens about the negative consequences of early sexual activity.
Bill· SS. 589 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2003
Homeland Security Federal Workforce Act - Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to: (1) establish a pilot program under which specified Federal agencies may agree to repay the student loans of their employees in national security positions; and (2) coordinate the program with such agencies to recruit employees for those positions. Requires the Director to establish a program for awarding National Security Fellowships to eligible graduate students who agree to employment with the Government in national security positions. Establishes a National Security Service Board to: (1) develop criteria for awarding such Fellowships; (2) provide for the wide dissemination of information regarding assisted activities; (3) work with the Director in hiring and placing fellows in national security positions; and (4) develop and provide to Congress a strategic plan that identifies the skills needed by the Federal national security workforce. Requires 20 percent of such Fellowships to be set-aside for Federal employees who are working in such positions to enhance their education and training in areas important to national security. Creates a National Security Service Corps, under the direction of the Board, to provide rotational opportunities for mid-level employees in national security positions within and between specified agencies. Requires agencies' annual strategic and performance plans and program performance reports to evaluate the role of specific skills in accomplishing or failing to accomplish such agencies' goals.
Bill· SS. 594 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2003
Indian School Construction Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a pilot program under which eligible Indian tribes have the authority to issue tribal school modernization bonds to provide funding for the construction, rehabilitation, or repair of tribal schools, including advance planning and design. Permits a tribe to use amounts received through a bond issue to enter contracts: (1) for the design and engineering of the school; and (2) with financial advisors, underwriters, attorneys, trustees, and other professionals who would be able to provide assistance to the tribe in issuing bonds. Makes any tribal school modernization bond issued by a tribe subject to a trust agreement. Authorizes the Secretary to deposit not more than $30 million each fiscal year into a tribal school modernization escrow account beginning in FY 2004 from amounts made available for school replacement under the construction account of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Requires the Secretary to use any amounts deposited to make payments to trustees or for advance planning and design. Declares that no bond shall be an obligation of, nor shall payment of the principal be guaranteed by, the United States, the tribes, or their schools. Exempts from Federal income tax any earnings through the investment of funds under the control of a trustee. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit to individuals who hold such bonds.
Bill· SS. 591 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2003
Moment of Quiet Reflection in Schools Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require each local educational agency (LEA), if it receives ESEA funds, to ensure that the teacher in charge of each classroom in each school served by the LEA conducts a brief period of quiet reflection for not more than 60 seconds with the participation of all the students assembled in the classroom, at the opening of school on every school day. Prohibits such period from being conducted as a religious service or exercise. Requires such period to be considered as an opportunity for a moment of silent reflection on the anticipated activities of the day. Declares that this Act shall not be construed as prohibiting or restricting constitutionally protected prayer. Requires LEAs, as a condition of receiving ESEA funds, to certify in writing to their State that they are in compliance with this Act.
Resolution· SCONRESS.Con.Res. 18 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2003
Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should strive to prevent teen pregnancy by encouraging teens to view adolescence as a time for education and maturing and by educating teens about the negative consequences of early sexual activity. Calls on the President to designate May 7, 2003, as "National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy."
Bill· HRH.R. 1212 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2003
Veterans' Education Affordability Act - Increases for months occurring during FY 2005 the amounts authorized for veterans' basic educational assistance. Repeals provisions which require basic pay reductions for eligibility for such assistance.
Bill· HRH.R. 1202 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2003
Moment of Quiet Reflection in Schools Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require each local educational agency (LEA), if it receives ESEA funds, to ensure that the teacher in charge of each classroom in each school served by the LEA conducts a brief period of quiet reflection for not more than 60 seconds with the participation of all the students assembled in the classroom, at the opening of school on every school day. Prohibits such period from being conducted as a religious service or exercise. Requires such period to be considered as an opportunity for a moment of silent reflection on the anticipated activities of the day. Declares that this Act shall not be construed as prohibiting or restricting constitutionally protected prayer. Requires LEAs, as a condition of receiving ESEA funds, to certify in writing to their State that they are in compliance with this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 1213 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2003
Clean Coal Power Act of 2003 - Instructs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) perform an assessment that identifies cost and performance goals of technologies permitting continued cost-competitive use of coal for electricity generation, as chemical feedstocks, and as transportation fuel in 2007, 2015, and the years after 2020; and (2) implement a technology research, development, and demonstration program to facilitate production and generation of coal-based power through methods and equipment under designated statutes. Prescribes conditions and criteria for the authorization of appropriations for a clean coal power initiative program. Instructs the Secretary to: (1) fund coal energy generation projects that advance efficiency, environmental performance, and cost competitiveness well beyond the level of technologies in operation as of the date of enactment of this Act; and (2) award competitive, merit-based grants to universities for the establishment of Centers of Excellence for Energy Systems of the Future. Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish income tax credits for investment in and for production from a qualifying advanced clean coal technology facility. Prescribes guidelines for the treatment of persons not able to use the entire credit relating to clean coal technology.
Bill· HRH.R. 1170 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2003
Child Medication Safety Act of 2003 - Requires States, as a condition of receiving funds under any program or activity administered by the Secretary of Education, to develop and implement policies and procedures prohibiting school personnel from requiring a child, as a condition of attending school or receiving services, to obtain a prescription for a controlled substance in schedule II under specified provisions of the Controlled Substances Act. (Thus prohibits school personnel from coercing children to receive, or their parents to administer, psychotropic medication.)
Bill· HRH.R. 1207 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2003
Hazing Prohibition Act of 2003 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to suspend the Federal student financial aid eligibility of any student who has been subjected to an official sanction for hazing, or for being an accessory to hazing. Includes hazing among those campus crimes required to be reported to students and employees by institutions of higher education participating in HEA student aid programs.
Bill· HRH.R. 1191 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2003
Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 2003 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a grants program for gifted and talented students. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award such grants to State educational agencies to make subgrants to local educational agencies to develop or expand gifted and talented education programs, and provide direct educational services and materials. Requires such grants to be made on a competitive basis if appropriations are within certain minimum and maximum amounts, and on a formula basis if appropriations exceed such specified maximum. Sets forth authorized State and local uses of grant funds and authorized activities. Prohibits use of such funds for purchase or upgrading of technological hardware. Directs the Secretary to ensure, where appropriate, that provision is made for the equitable participation of students and teachers in private nonprofit elementary schools and secondary schools, including the participation of teachers and other personnel in professional development programs serving such children.
Bill· HRH.R. 1211 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2003
State and Local Aid and Economic Stimulus Act of 2003 - Amends Federal law to make appropriations for FY 2003 for a one-time revenue grant to States and local governments to carry out programs related to education, substance abuse treatment, and jobs to prevent crime. Specifies amounts to be allotted to each of the States based upon population and changes in unemployment rates. Declares the sense of Congress that priority for using funds allotted under this Act should be given to homeland security, medicaid, public health, highway construction, childcare, elementary, secondary, and higher education, and the prevention of additional property tax increases.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 137 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2003
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) proposed changes to Title IX athletics policies contradict the spirit of athletic equality and gender equity; (2) current Title IX athletics policies, the Department of Education's 1979 Policy Interpretation as clarified in the 1996 Clarification of Intercollegiate Athletics Policy Guidance, should remain unchanged and be enforced vigorously to eliminate the continuing discrimination against women and girls in athletics; and (3) if the Department of Education changes Title IX athletics policies, Congress should restore the intent of Title IX through policies that preserve the right to equal opportunities in athletics.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 86 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2003
Supports the goals and ideals of the Day of Silence (during which students vow to remain silent to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in schools). Requests that the President issue a proclamation calling for observation of April 9, 2003, as such Day. Encourages each city and State to adopt laws, and each school district to adopt policies, to prohibit such discrimination and harassment.
Bill· SS. 582 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2003
Coal Energy Research Development and Demonstration Act of 2003 - Instructs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) perform an assessment that identifies cost and performance goals of technologies permitting continued cost-competitive use of coal for electricity generation, as chemical feedstocks, and as transportation fuel in 2007, 2015, and the years after 2020; and (2) implement a technology research, development, and demonstration program to facilitate production and generation of coal-based power through methods and equipment under designated statutes. Prescribes conditions and criteria for the authorization of appropriations for a clean coal power initiative program. Instructs the Secretary to award competitive, merit-based grants to universities for the establishment of Centers of Excellence for Energy Systems of the Future. Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish income tax credits for investment in and for production from a qualifying advanced clean coal technology facility. Prescribes guidelines for the treatment of persons not able to use the entire credit relating to clean coal technology.
Bill· HRH.R. 1168 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2003
Active Reservists and National Guard Student Loan Relief Act of 2003 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for deferments of repayments and for Federal interest subsidy payments on student loans for borrowers who are called to active duty. Provides such deferments and interest payments for up to three years under the Federal Family Education Loan, direct subsidized loan, and Perkins loan programs.
Bill· SS. 575 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2003
Native American Languages Act Amendments Act of 2003 - Amends the Native American Languages Act to authorize the Secretary of Education to provide funds to Native American Language Educational Organizations (Organizations), Native American Language Colleges, Indian tribal governments, organizations that demonstrate potential to become Organizations, or a consortia of such organizations, colleges, or tribal governments to establish Native American Language Nest programs (site-based education programs conducted through a Native American language) for students below the age of seven and their families. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to or enter into contracts with such Organizations, colleges, or governments to operate, expand, and increase Native American Language Survival Schools throughout the United States and its territories for Native American children and Native American language-speaking children. Requires the Secretary to make grants or enter into contracts to establish three specified demonstration programs that will provide assistance to Schools and Nests at: (1) Ka Haka 'Ula O Ke'elikolani College of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, in consortium with the 'Aha Punana Leo, Inc., and with other entities if deemed appropriate by such college; (2) Piegan Institute of Browning, Montana; and (3) the Alaska Native Language Center of the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, in consortium with other entities deemed appropriate by such center. Authorizes such programs to: (1) establish endowments for furthering their activities relative to the study and preservation of Native American languages; and (2) use funds to provide for the rental, purchase, construction, maintenance, and repair of facilities.
Bill· SS. 573 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2003
Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish an interagency task force on organ donation and research; (2) award grants to carry out studies and demonstration projects to increase organ donation and recovery rates; (3) establish a public education program; and (4) support model curricula to train health care and other professionals in issues surrounding organ donation. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants: (1) to qualified organ procurement organizations to establish programs to coordinate their efforts with hospitals; and (2) for reimbursement of travel and subsistence expenses incurred by individuals toward making living organ donations. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to: (1) develop scientific evidence supporting increased donation and improved recovery, preservation, and transportation of donated organs ; and (2) support efforts to develop a uniform clinical vocabulary and technology and to enhance the skills of the organ procurement workforce. Directs the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine to evaluate: (1) existing organ donation practices; and (2) living donation practices and procedures. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) an advisory committee to study and report to Congress on existing organ donor registries; and (2) and maintain a registry of living organ donors.
Bill· SS. 548 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2003
Amends Federal law relating to the provision of mental health services to veterans to: (1) make permanent (currently ends December 31, 2004) a program under which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs provides counseling and treatment for sexual trauma; (2) increase from five to 15 the number of authorized Department of Veterans Affairs centers for mental illness research, education, and clinical activities; (3) increase funding for each of FY 2004 through 2006 for the provision of specialized mental health services to veterans; and (4) provide a specified allocation of such funding, including for programs on post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse disorder.
Law· SS. 570 (108th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2003
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise requirements for the qualification of foreign medical or veterinary schools to participate in title IV part B Federal Family Education Loan Program. Exempts graduate medical schools or veterinary schools located outside the United States from a requirement that they be a public or other nonprofit institution in order to qualify. Retains certain requirements for foreign medical schools, but no longer applies these to foreign veterinary schools. Requires the students of a foreign veterinary institution that is neither public nor nonprofit to complete their clinical training at an approved veterinary school located in the United States. (Current law applies the latter requirement to all foreign veterinary schools.)
Bill· SS. 555 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2003
Native American Health and Wellness Foundation Act of 2003 - Amends the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Native American Health and Wellness Foundation. Specifies the purpose of the Foundation as to: (1) encourage, accept, and administer private gifts of real and personal property and any income from or interest in such gifts, for the benefit of, or in support of, the mission of the Indian Health Services of the Department of Health and Human Services; and (2) participate with and assist Federal, State, and tribal governments, agencies, entities, and individuals in undertaking and conducting activities that will further the health and wellness activities and opportunities of Native Americans.
Bill· HRH.R. 1149 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2003
Asthma Awareness, Education and Treatment Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to public and nonprofit private entities for projects for specified asthma-related activities for low-income communities, including screening and referrals, information and education, and workshops for parents and other individuals who supervise children. Authorizes the Secretary also to award contracts to provide for a national media campaign to inform the public and health care providers on asthma, allergies, and related respiratory problems, especially in children. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a taxpayer licensed and engaged in the trade or business of providing pest control services or heating, ventilation, and air conditioning services, an income tax credit for the aggregate cost of providing such services without charge to: (1) public housing; or (2) any multifamily residential rental property at least 75 percent of whose occupants are reasonably expected to have incomes below 200 percent of the official poverty line. Requires the Secretary to disseminate information about such credit. Directs the Secretary to provide for research into whether and to what extent there is a causal relationship between air pollutants and the occurrence of asthma, allergies, and related respiratory problems. Requires the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, through the National Asthma Education Prevention Program Coordinating Committee, to: (1) identify all Federal programs that carry out asthma-related activities; and (2) develop and submit to Congress a Federal plan for responding to asthma.
Bill· HRH.R. 1147 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2003
Child Safety Lock Act of 2003 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to define a firearm "locking device." Makes it unlawful for a licensed manufacturer, importer, or dealer to sell, deliver, or transfer a handgun without a locking device and specified warnings to any person other than a licensed manufacturer, importer, or dealer, with exceptions for law enforcement officers and governmental entities. Sets forth civil penalties, including suspension or loss of license, for related violations. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) prescribe such regulations governing the design, manufacture, and performance of trigger lock devices as are necessary to reduce or prevent the unintentional discharge of handguns, including setting a minimum safety standard to prevent children who have not attained age 18 from operating a handgun; and (2) in developing the standard, to consider such devices that are not detachable. Authorizes the Attorney General to issue an order prohibiting the manufacture, sale, transfer, or delivery of a trigger lock device which the Attorney General finds has been designed, manufactured, transferred, or distributed in violation of this Act. Grants the Attorney General specified authority regarding: (1) recall, repair, replacement, or refund with respect to such devices; and (2) inspections. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) assess a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation; and (2) revoke a Federal firearms license for a violation of this Act. Imposes criminal penalties for knowingly violating this Act. Directs that a portion of firearms tax revenue be used for public education programs on the safe storage and use of firearms.
Bill· SS. 527 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2003
Southern Regional Commission Act of 2003 - Establishes a Southern Regional Commission to: (1) develop plans and programs to establish priorities and approve grants aimed at breaking the cycle of persistent poverty in the area consisting of specified counties in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia (the region) by increasing the capacity of individuals to participate in the economy and build wealth; (2) establish priorities in a targeted strategy for the region (regional development plan); (3) use the findings of Phase I of the Study on Persistent Poverty in the South, prepared by the University of Georgia, and assess any needs and capital assets of the region that are not addressed by the study based on available research, demonstration projects, assessments, and evaluations; (4) enhance the capacity of and provide support for local development districts in the region; (5) support and enhance State resources and activities designed to address persistent poverty; (6) promote multi jurisdictional efforts at the local level intended to maximize local resources; (7) support community-based efforts designed to address persistent poverty; (8) encourage private investment in industrial, commercial, and other economic development projects in the region; and (9) engage land-grant colleges and universities to provide research support for each State included in the region. Authorizes the Commission to: (1) approve grants to States and public and nonprofit entities for economic development projects; and (2) make grants to local development districts to pay administrative expenses. Requires: (1) State members to submit development plans to the Commission; and (2) the Governor of each member State to submit annually a strategy statement describing the State's program for achieving identified goals and objectives. Sets forth criteria for ranking projects to receive assistance. Requires the Commission to review State and regional and multi state subregional development plans.
Bill· SS. 525 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2003
National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2003 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to establish aquatic invasive species prevention requirements for vessels (including towed vessels) operating in U.S. waters. Requires the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to promulgate regulations for ballast water management standards and certification procedures. Directs the Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force to establish a priority pathway management program that identifies those pathways that pose the highest risk for the introduction of aquatic invasive species unless further managed. Prohibits the importation of live aquatic organisms not in trade without specified screening and approval. Requires the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to construct and maintain a national dispersal barrier program to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species in U.S. waterways. Provides for expansion of the Brown Tree Snake Control Program and Aquatic Nuisance Species Program information, education, and outreach activities. Requires the Task Force to establish a national subcommittee on nutria for its control. Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and the U.S. Geological Survey (Administering Agencies) to develop and conduct a marine and freshwater research program to assess rates of, patterns of, and conditions surrounding introductions of nonnative aquatic species in aquatic ecosystems and efforts to prevent the introduction of, and detect and eradicate, such species. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a grant program to fund research, development, demonstration and verification of environmentally sound cost-effective technologies and methods to control and eradicate aquatic invasive species. Requires the Coast Guard and the EPA to develop a research program to support implementation of vessel pathway standards to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species by vessels. Requires the National Science Foundation to establish a grant program for researchers at institutions of higher education and museums to carry out research in systematic and taxonomy. Requires the Invasive Species Council to coordinate with the Task Force to combat aquatic invasive species. Requires the Task Force to recommend to appropriate Federal agencies additions to the list of aquatic invasive species. Requires the Task Force, the Council, and the Secretary of State to ensure that international efforts to prevent, detect, monitor, assess, and control aquatic invasive species are coordinated with U.S. policies.
Resolution· SCONRESS.Con.Res. 14 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2003
Expresses support for the review by the Government of Saudi Arabia of its education curriculum. Calls on such Government to: (1) ensure that such review is thorough, objective, and public; and (2) reform such curriculum in a manner that promotes tolerance, develops civil society, and encourages functionality in the global economy. Requests the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to address the issue of the educational curriculum reform at the 2003 session of the UNESCO General Conference and to urge UNESCO to examine Saudi Arabia's educational system and monitor the progress of the efforts to reform the curriculum.
Bill· HRH.R. 1081 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2003
Aquatic Invasive Species Research Act - Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and the U.S. Geological Survey (Administering Agencies) to: (1) enter into a memorandum of understanding regarding the implementation of this Act; and (2) develop and conduct a marine and fresh-water research program to support efforts to assess rates and patterns of the introduction of invasive nonnative species into the Aquatic Ecosystem and efforts to detect, prevent, and eradicate them. Requires the Administering Agencies to: (1) develop standardized protocols for conducting ecological and pathway surveys of nonnative aquatic species; (2) document baseline ecological information of the aquatic ecosystem and pathways; (3) acting through NOAA, administer a program to award grants to academic institutions and other appropriate groups to develop standardized protocols and conduct marine and fresh-water research experiments; and (4) conduct laboratory and field-based marine and fresh-water research experiments on a range of taxonomic groups to identify the relationship between the introduction and establishment of nonnative aquatic species. Requires the United States Geological Survey to develop, maintain, and update a central, national database of the information and make the database widely available to the public. Requires the Administering Agencies to analyze the data collected. Makes the Invasive Species Council responsible for disseminating such information and develop a national strategy for how it will be shared with Federal, State, and local entities. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), acting through the Office of Research and Development, to develop a grant program to fund research, development, demonstration and verification of environmentally sound, cost-effective technologies and methods to control and eradicate aquatic invasive species. Reauthorizes the ship pathway technology demonstration program. Requires the Coast Guard and the EPA to develop a research program to support implementation of ship pathway standards to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species by ships into the Aquatic Ecosystem. Requires the National Science Foundation to establish a grant program for researchers at institutions of higher education and museums to carry our research programs in systematics and taxonomy.
Bill· HRH.R. 1092 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2003
Nevada National Forest Land Disposal Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to sell any right, title, or interest of the United States in and to certain parcels of National Forest System lands in Carson City and Douglas County, Nevada. Declares that the Secretary and the relevant unit of local government shall jointly decide whether land is to be offered for sale under this Act. Sets forth percentages of the gross proceeds from sales under this Act that shall be earmarked for: (1) the State of Nevada general education program; (2) the Carson Water Subconservancy in Nevada; (3) the fund established in the Sisk Act, to be used for land sales costs and for the development and maintenance of parks, trails, and natural areas in specified Nevada counties; and (4) wildland fire management in Nevada. Directs the Secretary to manage any land acquired under this Act in accordance with the Weeks Law. Declares that the lands authorized to be sold under this Act shall not be subject to specified Federal law pertaining to property management.
Bill· HRH.R. 1094 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2003
Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to authorize funding to reach the Federal Government's goal of providing 40 percent of the national average per pupil expenditure to assist States and local educational agencies with the excess costs of educating children with disabilities. Authorizes appropriations for IDEA part B programs of assistance for education of all children with disabilities, in specified amounts for FY 2004 through 2007, and as necessary thereafter.
Bill· HRH.R. 1089 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2003
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a program to offer federally-financed, interest-free loans to local educational agencies, public institutions of higher education, municipalities, and local governments for the purchase of hybrid electric vehicles (with a fuel-efficient gasoline engine assisted by an electric motor) or high-efficiency vehicles (that use a fuel other than gasoline or diesel fuel).
Bill· HRH.R. 1080 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2003
National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2003 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to establish aquatic invasive species prevention requirements for all vessels operating in U.S. waters. Requires the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to promulgate regulations for ballast water management standards and certification procedures. Directs the Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force to establish a priority pathway management program that identifies those pathways that pose the highest risk for the introduction of aquatic invasive species unless further managed. Prohibits the importation of live aquatic organisms not in trade without specified screening and approval. Requires the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to construct and maintain a national dispersal barrier program to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species in U.S. waterways. Provides for expansion of the Brown Tree Snake Control Program and Aquatic Nuisance Species Program information, education, and outreach activities. Requires the Task Force to establish a national subcommittee on nutria for its control. Requires the Invasive Species Council to coordinate with the Task Force to combat aquatic invasive species. Requires the Task Force to recommend to appropriate Federal agencies additions to the list of aquatic invasive species. Requires the Task Force, the Council, and the Secretary of State to coordinate activities to ensure that international efforts to prevent and manage aquatic invasive species are coordinated with U.S. policies.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 127 (108th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2003
Calls for designation of a Financial Literacy for Youth Month to raise public awareness about the need for increased financial literacy in our schools and the serious problems that may be associated with a lack of understanding about personal finances.
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