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Resolution· HRESH.Res. 754 (108th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2004
Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5006) making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005.
Bill· SS. 2741 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Advancing FASD Research, Prevention, and Services Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a research agenda for the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and facilitate surveillance and prevention of such disorders. Requires the Secretary to award grants for individuals with FASD, including to: (1) establish programs of surveillance, prevention, and treatment for such individuals; (2) identify best practices for educating affected children, educating officials in the criminal justice system on coping with such individuals, and educating adoption or foster care agency officials about services for children with FASD; and (3) provide for transitional services for such individuals and for respite care for their caretakers. Requires the Secretary to issue public service announcements to raise awareness of the risks associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Requires the National Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders to identify and describe the ten most important actions that must be taken to reduce prenatal alcohol exposure and all its adverse outcomes. Requires the Secretary of Education to direct the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to take certain actions with regard to individuals with FASD, including implementing screening procedures and introducing curricula on how to educate children with such disorders. Requires the Attorney General to direct the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to take certain actions with regard to individuals with FASD, including educating officials on how to treat such individuals, studying the inadequacies of the current system for dealing with such individuals, and developing transition programs for such individuals who are released from incarceration.
Bill· SS. 2721 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
American History Achievement Act - Amends the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (NAEPAA) to direct the Commissioner for Education Statistics to: (1) give a priority to conducting national assessments of student achievement in history at least once every four years in grades 4, 8, and 12; and (2) conduct trial State academic assessments of student achievement in U.S. history in grades 8 and 12 in not less than ten States representing geographically diverse regions of the United States. Directs the National Assessment of Educational Progress governing board to select the States to participate in, and authorizes appropriations for, such trial State assessments in U.S. history.
Bill· SS. 2718 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act or STOP Underage Drinking Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish an interagency coordinating committee to guide policy and program development across the Federal Government on underage drinking; (2) issue an annual report card to rate the performance of each State in enacting, enforcing, and creating laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce underage drinking; (3) develop a set of outcome measures to prepare report cards, including the strictness of the minimum drinking age laws and the number of compliance checks conducted; (4) fund and oversee the Ad Council's national adult-oriented media public service campaign; (5) award grants to reduce the rate of underage alcohol use and binge drinking among students at institutions of higher education; and (6) collect data on, and conduct or support research on, underage drinking, including the impact alcohol use and abuse has upon adolescent brain development, the scope of the underage drinking problem, and progress in preventing and treating underage drinking. Requires the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to award grants to design, test, evaluate, and disseminate strategies to maximize the effectiveness of community-wide approaches to preventing and reducing underage drinking. Requires the Secretary to carry out activities toward the objectives of: (1) testing every unnatural death of persons ages 12 to 20 for alcohol involvement; (2) obtaining new epidemiological data that identifies alcohol use and attitudes about alcohol use during pre- and early adolescence; and (3) developing or identifying successful clinical treatment for youth with alcohol problems.
Bill· SS. 2732 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Bus Utility and Safety in School Transportation Opportunity and Purchasing Act of 2004 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide grants, on a competitive basis, to rural local educational agencies (LEAs) to pay the Federal share (75 percent) of costs of purchasing new school buses. Requires the Administrator in providing such grants to give priority to rural LEAs that: (1) are transporting students in a bus manufactured before 1977; (2) have a grossly depleted fleet of school buses; or (3) serve a school that is required by law to provide transportation to students to enable them to transfer to another public school served by the rural LEA.
Bill· SS. 2739 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Investing in America's Future Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop public service announcements to promote the allied health professions. Requires the Secretary to award grants to promote the allied health professions, including by: (1) increasing education opportunities; (2) expanding enrollment into allied health programs; and (3) developing retention strategies. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to provide for faculty loan funds to increase the number of qualified allied health faculty. Requires the Secretary to: (1) provide scholarships to individuals seeking allied health education who agree to provide service in rural and other medically underserved areas with personnel shortages; (2) develop a system for collecting and analyzing workforce data to determine practitioner shortages and project future needs; and (3) include allied health schools among the schools eligible to receive grants to support Centers of Excellence in health professions education for underrepresented minority individuals. Directs the Comptroller General to establish a Health Workforce Advisory Commission to review the impact Federal workforce policies have on the health care system, analyze the implications of an internationally trained workforce, and make recommendations concerning health workforce policy issues. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a Rural States Physician Recruitment and Retention Demonstration Program for ameliorating physician shortage, recruitment, and retention problems in rural States; and (2) a State-specific health professions database to track the licensing and training of health professionals in each demonstration State.
Bill· SS. 2729 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Getting Results for Advanced Degrees Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise and reauthorize provisions relating to graduate student assistance. Extends and increases the authorization of appropriations for: (1) Jacob K. Javits Fellowships (Javits Fellows); and (2) graduate assistance in areas of national need. Sets the amount of a stipend under both such programs at the same level as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, without regard to financial need. Revises Board membership requirements under the Javits Fellows program. Establishes, and authorizes appropriations for, the Patsy T. Mink Fellowship program of awards to assist highly qualified minorities and women to acquire the doctoral degree, or highest possible degree available, in academic areas in which such individuals are underrepresented, to enable them to enter the higher education professoriate. Revises family contribution calculations for independent students with, and those without, dependents other than spouses. Allows a greater income protection allowance for such students. Revises cost of attendance calculations for students with one or more dependents to include actual living expenses incurred for dependents, which includes their room, board and health insurance as well as dependent care. Increases unsubsidized Stafford loan limits for graduate and professional students. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat reasonable room, board, and special needs services allowances as part of permitted higher education expenses, in cases of qualified scholarships or of tuition reduction programs for teaching and research assistants.
Bill· SS. 2719 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Safety Advancement for Employees Act of 2004 - SAFE Act - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to direct the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to establish: (1) a program that qualifies individuals to provide consultation services to help employers identify and correct workplace safety and health hazards; and (2) an advisory committee regarding such program. Exempts from civil penalties for one year (with a possible one-year renewal) employers who receive certificates of compliance from qualified consultants. Requires Federal personnel responsible for enforcing OSHA to: (1) meet specified eligibility requirements; and (2) if they carry out inspections or investigations, receive professional education and training at least every five years. Revises inspection methods. Directs the Secretary to provide for: (1) State cooperative agreements for State consultation services for employers; (2) a three-State pilot program for expedited consultation services for small businesses; (3) employer cooperative agreements for comprehensive safety and health management systems; and (4) an employer voluntary program, with increased small business participation, for excellence in technical and managerial protection of employees from occupational hazards. Authorizes employers to establish alcohol and substance abuse testing programs in accordance with Federal guidelines. Authorizes the Secretary's representatives to: (1) provide technical or compliance assistance to employers in correcting a violation discovered during an inspection or investigation, without issuing citations; and (2) issue warnings in lieu of citations if violations have no significant relationship to employee safety or health or if employers act promptly in good faith to abate violations that are not willful or repeated. Directs the Secretary to develop model material safety data sheets for a specified list of highly hazardous chemicals. Establishes the Global Harmonization Commission to consider implementation of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for hazardous communication demonstration projects. Increases criminal penalties for willful violations of OSHA that cause a employee's death.
Bill· SS. 2740 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Dental Health Provider Shortage Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to award grants to: (1) health centers to increase the number of dental providers and to increase dental health care capabilities by constructing or renovating building space; and (2) eligible individuals in dental health professional shortage areas to increase dental health care capabilities by constructing or renovating building space in exchange for an agreement to practice for five years in such an area and to provide care for certain patients receiving assistance or unable to pay. Allows the Secretary to award grants to health centers to establish accredited dental residency training programs. Requires the Secretary to award grants to: (1) simplify and automate the procedures applicable to Medicaid providers to encourage providers to participate in the dental component of the program; and (2) develop, disseminate, and assist with the implementation of a model contract for States to use to enroll dentists as Medicaid providers. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, to carry out a program to repay any outstanding student loans of full-time faculty members of a school of dentistry or an accredited dental education program. Allows the Director of the Indian Health Service to authorize a retention bonus for an eligible dental officer of the Indian Health Service. Sets forth provisions regarding dentists and dental hygienists in the National Health Service Corps.
Bill· SS. 2751 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
America Saving for Personal Investment, Retirement, and Education Act of 2004, or the ASPIRE Act of 2004 - Establishes a KIDS Account Fund (KIDS) in the Treasury. Establishes within the KIDS Account Fund a Kids Investment and Development Savings Account (KIDS Account). Provides that a U.S. citizen born after December 31, 2005, and under 18 years of age, whose modified adjusted gross income is below the applicable national median adjusted gross income amount, is eligible to contribute to such account and to receive a matching Federal contribution. Establishes the KIDS Account Fund Board to establish a default investment program under which, in a manner similar to a lifecycle investment program, sums in each KIDS Account are allocated to investment funds in the KIDS Account Fund based on the amount of time before the account holder attains the age of 18. Subjects the Board to the same statutory composition requirements, duties, and responsibilities as the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the Financial Literacy and Education Commission, to develop programs to promote the financial literacy of account holders of KIDS Accounts.
Bill· SS. 2727 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
International and Foreign Language Studies Act of 2004 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise provisions for international and foreign language studies (part A of title VI, international education). Includes support for instructors of less commonly taught languages among activities of national language and area centers and programs. Makes undergraduate students eligible for fellowships for foreign language and area or international studies (in addition to graduate students under current law). Allows a portion of funds for undergraduate international studies and foreign language programs to be used for subgrants to undergraduate students for educational programs abroad that promote foreign language literacy and cultural knowledge and are closely linked to grant program goals. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to support data collection, analysis, and dissemination that helps achieve part A purposes. Extends and increases the authorization of appropriations for part A.
Bill· SS. 2717 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Rural Community Arsenic Relief Act - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require States exercising primary enforcement responsibility for public water systems to exempt any nonprofit small public water system (serving 10,000 or fewer persons) that so requests in accordance with this Act from the requirements of any national primary drinking water regulation for naturally occurring contaminants, including arsenic, radon, radium, and uranium. Requires exemption requests to demonstrate that the system's compliance with applicable national primary drinking water regulations: (1) is not economically feasible; (2) has a disproportionate and adverse impact on low-income families; (3) is substantially impeded by limited access to innovative and affordable technology; or (4) is not necessary because the drinking water provided by the system does not pose an unreasonable health risk. Sets forth alternative arsenic standards for those systems receiving arsenic exemptions. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a university-based arsenic research consortium comprised of specified institutions of higher education. Authorizes the Administrator to provide grants to the consortium to carry out its duties.
Resolution· SCONRESS.Con.Res. 131 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Calls on the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to: (1) to stop funding religious activities that promote hatred, violence, and human rights violations; (2) stop providing diplomatic status to Islamic clerics and educators teaching outside of Saudi Arabia who are not legally entitled to such status; (3) close any Islamic affairs section of a Saudi embassy that has been responsible for propagating intolerance; (4) uphold the international commitments made by Saudi Arabia by respecting and protecting the human rights of citizens and foreigners of both sexes in Saudi Arabia; (5) ratify and comply with international human rights instruments and cooperate with United Nations human rights mechanisms; (6) implement promised judicial, political, economic, and educational reforms; (7) cease messages of hatred, intolerance, or incitement to violence against non-Wahhabi Muslims and non-Muslim religious groups in the educational curricula and textbooks, mosques, and media controlled by the Government of Saudi Arabia; (8) permit the establishment of independent organizations to advance human rights and to promote tolerance in Saudi Arabia; (9) safeguard the freedom of private worship for non-Muslims and for Muslims who do not follow the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam; (10) permit non-Wahhabi places of worship, such as churches, to function openly in special compounds or zones for foreigners or in unadorned buildings; and (11) permit the broadcasting of Radio Sawa throughout Saudi Arabia. Urges the President to: (1) raise public and private concerns with the Government of Saudi Arabia regarding the ongoing violations of human rights, including the right to freedom of religion; (2) designate Saudi Arabia a country of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for the ongoing violations of religious freedom in Saudi Arabia; (3) encourage the Government of Saudi Arabia to implement judicial, political, economic, and educational reforms; (4) encourage the Government of Saudi Arabia to cease funding to propagate outside of Saudi Arabia any religious ideology that explicitly promotes hate, intolerance, and other human rights violations, including violence; (5) request that the Government of Saudi Arabia identify and provide an accounting of what kinds of support go to religious schools, mosques, centers of learning, and other religious organizations globally, including in the United States; (6) develop initiatives and programs in Saudi Arabia to advance human rights, including religious freedom, the rights of women, and the rule of law; and (7) report to Congress on U.S. efforts to raise concerns regarding human rights, including religious freedom, with the Government of Saudi Arabia, and the results of such efforts.
Bill· HRH.R. 4994 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
High School Athletics Accountability Act of 2004 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct coeducational elementary and secondary schools, if they participate in any ESEA program, to: (1) report certain information on equality in their school athletic programs to the Commissioner for Educational Statistics; and (2) make such information available to their students and potential students, upon request, and to the public.
Bill· HRH.R. 4948 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Indian Country Educational Empowerment Zone Act -Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a program of repaying the student loans for any borrower who obtains employment in Indian country.
Bill· HRH.R. 4973 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Graduation Really Achieves Dreams Act - GRAD Act - Authorizes a grant to Project GRAD USA, a nonprofit educational organization for improving high school graduation and college-going rates for disadvantaged students, to provide technical assistance and support through subgrants to existing and new programs that implement a set of integrated education reform services. Requires the grantee to select only subgrantees that serve a substantial number or percentage of low-income students. Requires the programs to identify one or more groups of public schools at which services will be provided through a feeder pattern through which elementary and secondary schools channel students having participated in program services into an identified high school. Requires program services to include: (1) research-based programs in reading, mathematics, and classroom management; (2) campus-based social services programs, including increasing family and community involvement in schools; (3) a college access program, including providing college scholarships for students who meet established criteria, increasing student and family college awareness, and assisting students to apply for college financial aid; and (4) other services the grantee identifies as necessary.
Bill· HRH.R. 4909 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Tools for Community Initiatives Act - Establishes the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (the Office) in the Executive Office of the President. Requires the Director of the Office to encourage faith-based and community initiatives and work to eliminate improper Federal barriers so as to allow faith-based and community entities to compete for Federal funding to the fullest opportunity permitted by law, including by: (1) developing, leading, and coordinating policies with respect to such initiatives; (2) coordinating public education activities designed to mobilize public support for such initiatives; (3) advising the President on options and ideas to assist, strengthen, and replicate successful initiatives; (4) developing and implementing strategic initiatives in keeping with policies that will strengthen families, communities, and the institutions of civil society; and (5) working to eliminate unnecessary legislative and regulatory barriers which impede the efforts of such initiatives to solve social problems. Requires the heads of the Departments of Education, Labor, Justice, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Commerce, and Veteran Affairs, the Agency for International Development, and the Small Business Administration to designate a liaison to coordinate the activities of the department or agency with the Office.
Bill· HRH.R. 4979 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Women's Pelvic Floor Health Education and Awareness Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to educate health professionals and the public on bladder and bowel dysfunction (including incontinence), pelvic organ prolapse, and other pelvic floor disorders. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Director should establish a national registry for surgical treatment of such disorders. Requires the Directors of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to: (1) expand and intensify the activities of such Institutes with respect to women's pelvic floor disorders, including developing proposals for research on such disorders; and (2) provide for the continuing operation of the Urinary Incontinence Treatment Network and the Clinical Trials Network for Female Pelvic Disorders. Commends such Institutes for their support of such Networks and such Networks for their research toward improving women's pelvic health. Expresses the sense of Congress as to efforts that such Institutes should undertake, including increasing their research, recruiting established scientists, and developing a national data registry and tissue bank of people suffering from incontinence.
Bill· HRH.R. 4939 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
America Saving for Personal Investment, Retirement, and Education Act of 2004, or the ASPIRE Act of 2004 - Establishes a KIDS Account Fund (KIDS) in the Treasury. Establishes within the KIDS Account Fund a Kids Investment and Development Savings Account (KIDS Account). Provides that a U.S. citizen born after December 31, 2005, and under 18 years of age, whose modified adjusted gross income is below the applicable national median adjusted gross income amount, is eligible to contribute to such account and to receive a matching Federal contribution. Establishes the KIDS Account Fund Board to establish a default investment program under which, in a manner similar to a lifecycle investment program, sums in each KIDS Account are allocated to investment funds in the KIDS Account Fund based on the amount of time before the account holder attains the age of 18. Subjects the Board to the same statutory composition requirements, duties, and responsibilities as the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the Financial Literacy and Education Commission, to develop programs to promote the financial literacy of account holders of KIDS Accounts.
Bill· HRH.R. 4912 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Affordable College Tuition Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit to allow a credit for 50 percent of higher education expenses without dollar limitation. Eliminates: (1) the two-year limitation on the credit; (2) the denial of the credit for students convicted of a felony drug offense; and (3) the modified adjusted gross income limitation on the credit.
Bill· HRH.R. 4957 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Keeping Our Education Promise to America's Children Act of 2004 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to defer certain Federal mandates under ESEA amendments made by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA) if the Federal Government fails to make specified minimum appropriations for provisions related to such mandates. Prohibits any school or local educational agency (LEA) from being identified for or subject to certain requirements of school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring for any year for which appropriations are less than 97 percent of specified amounts in each of FY 2005 through 2007 to carry out ESEA title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) part A (Improving Basic Programs Operated by LEAs). Authorizes any State educational agency (SEA) to defer commencing, suspend implementing, or modify (but not cease developing) certain SEA and LEA requirements for teachers and paraprofessionals, for one year for each year for which appropriations are less than 97 percent of specified amounts in each of FY 2005 through 2007 to carry out ESEA title II (Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals) part A (Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund) subparts 1 through 4 (Grants to States; Subgrants to LEAs; Subgrants to Eligible Partnerships; Accountability).
Bill· HRH.R. 4941 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Childhood Obesity Reduction Act - Establishes a Congressional Council on Childhood Obesity to engage in the following activities to encourage every U.S. elementary and middle school to develop and implement a plan to reduce and prevent obesity, promote improved nutritional choices, and promote increased physical activity: (1) work with outside experts to develop the Congressional Challenge to Reduce and Prevent Childhood Obesity; (2) develop and maintain a website on best practices for reducing and preventing childhood obesity; (3) assist schools in establishing goals for the healthy reduction and prevention of childhood obesity; (4) consult and coordinate with the President's Council on Physical Fitness and other Federal initiatives that are conducting activities to reduce and prevent childhood obesity; (5) reward elementary schools, middle schools, and local educational agencies promoting innovative, successful strategies; (6) provide information to secondary schools; and (7) designate model plans for reducing and preventing childhood obesity that are submitted by schools as Congressional Challenge winners. Establishes the National Foundation for the Prevention and Reduction of Childhood Obesity as a nonprofit private corporation to support and carry out activities to prevent and reduce childhood obesity, including by: (1) establishing a fund to provide endowments for positions within the Council and the Department of Health and Human Services associated with reducing childhood obesity; (2) evaluating model plans used by schools; and (3) making Challenge awards to schools and local agencies for developing and implementing such plans. Requires creation of a committee to incorporate the Foundation under State laws, establish its policies and bylaws, provide for its initial operation, and appoint members of its board of directors.
Bill· HRH.R. 4900 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Oceans Conservation, Education, and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act - Specifies a national oceans policy. Establishes national standards to require any Federal agency or federally funded activities that affect U.S. ocean waters or ocean resources to be conducted in a manner that protects and maintains healthy marine ecosystems and, where appropriate, restores degraded marine ecosystems. Re-establishes in the Department of Commerce (what already exists under Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), administered by the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. Directs the President to submit to Congress recommendations for reorganizing functions of existing Federal agencies to establish a Department of Natural Resources having authority for Federal programs relating to land, air, and water resources, including freshwater and ocean resources. Establishes: (1) a National Oceans Advisor; (2) a National Oceans Council; and (3) the Council of Advisors on Oceans Policy. Designates certain ocean regions for ecosystem-based management. Establishes a NOAA Regional Office and a Regional Ocean Council for each ocean region. Requires each Regional Ocean Council to prepare a Regional Ocean Ecosystem Plan for each ocean region. Establishes a Committee on Ocean Science, Education, and Operations (OSEO Committee). Directs the Chair of the National Oceans Council to develop a National Strategy for Ocean and Coastal Science. Establishes: (1) a Subcommittee on Ocean Education within the OSEO Committee; (2) an interagency ocean and coastal education program; (3) a National Ocean Science and Technology Scholarship Program; and (4) a NOAA Office of Education. Directs the Administrator to conduct a national media campaign to increase public awareness and interest in the oceans, through mass media advertising. Establishes: (1) an Office of Ocean Exploration within the Ocean and Atmospheric Research and Data Services Office; and (2) a Subcommittee on Ocean Exploration within the OSEO Committee. Establishes in the Treasury the Ocean and Great Lakes Conservation Trust Fund.
Bill· HRH.R. 4927 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
ESRD Modernization Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to provide for an annual update mechanism under the Medicare end stage renal disease (ESRD) program to adjust the payment rates for changes in input prices and inflation. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish demonstration projects to: (1) increase public awareness about the factors that lead to chronic kidney disease, and how to prevent and treat it; and (2) enhance chronic kidney disease surveillance systems and research. Requires the Secretary to establish demonstration projects to enable individuals with ESRD to develop self-management skills. Provides for Medicare coverage of kidney disease patient education services. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish demonstration projects to evaluate how blood flow monitoring affects care for Medicare beneficiaries with ESRD; (2) provide appropriate incentives to improve the home dialysis benefit; (3) arrange with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate the barriers to increasing the number of individuals with ESRD who elect to receive home dialysis services under Medicare; (4) cover surgical procedures the full range of dialysis access procedures for Medicare-entitled individuals with ESRD; and (5) establish demonstration projects evaluating methods that improve the quality of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries with ESRD. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the impact of the temporary codes for nephrologists' services applicable under the fee schedule for physicians' services.
Bill· HRH.R. 4896 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Protecting Railroad Operators, Travelers, Employees, and Communities with Transportation Security Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to complete a vulnerability assessment of railroad transportation that includes identification of vulnerabilities specific to the transportation of hazardous materials by railroads and of security weaknesses in passenger and cargo security. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to develop prioritized recommendations for improving rail security. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to specified congressional committees on the rail passenger transportation security programs carried out for rail transportation systems in Japan, member nations of the European Union, and other foreign countries. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to railroad carriers, nonprofit employee organizations that represent railroad workers or emergency responders, hazardous materials shippers, owners of rail cars used in the transportation of hazardous materials, universities, colleges, and research centers, and State and local governments for reimbursement of costs incurred to prevent or respond to acts of terrorism, sabotage, or other railroad security threats. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to Amtrak for: (1) fire and life-safety improvements to the tunnels on the Northeast Corridor in New York, New York, Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.; and (2) certain systemwide Amtrak security upgrades. Establishes a research and development (R&D) program to improve railroad security. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to develop and issue detailed guidance for a rail worker security training program to prepare front-line workers for potential threat conditions. Sets forth certain railroad employee whistleblower protection requirements. Amends Federal transportation law to require the Secretary of Transportation to develop and update a curriculum necessary to train public sector emergency response and preparedness teams, including standards for the training of persons responsible for responding to emergency situations during the removal and transportation of hazardous materials and high hazard materials. Prohibits a rail tank car containing hazardous materials from being transported or stored on rail tracks unless information identifying the tank car, the hazardous materials within such tank car, and response guidance is immediately available through Operation Respond Institute's technology or similar technology to local first responders in each location where the tank car may be located.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 480 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Recognizes the health risks associated with childhood obesity and the spirit of Jacob Mock Doub and his contribution to encouraging youth of all ages to be physically active and fit, especially through bicycling. Expresses the sense of Congress that "National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day" should be established in honor of Jacob Mock Doub. Encourages parents, schools, civic organizations, and students to promote increased physical activity among youth in the United States.
Bill· SS. 2709 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
National Reforestation Act of 2004 - Increases, from $30 to $90 million, the amount that can be transferred to the Reforestation Trust Fund by the Secretary of the Treasury in any fiscal year. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to obligate sums in the Trust Fund for reforestation treatment to restore appropriate forest cover on forest land derived from the public domain that is capable of growing trees and that is a moderate fire intensity area or high fire intensity area or that has been severely affected by a nonfire natural disturbance event if the need for the treatment is identified in a specified report on herbicides and pesticides and the treatment occurs within five years of: (1) if there is no harvest activity following the wildfire or the nonfire natural disturbance event, a wildfire or a nonfire natural disturbance event; (2) if a regeneration harvest is the final cut in a stand in a disturbed area, the regeneration harvest; or (3) if a salvage harvest is the final cut in a stand in a disturbed area, the salvage harvest. Allows the Secretary of Agriculture, in addition to amounts authorized from the Trust Fund, to obligate up to ten percent of the sums the Secretary expends annually from the Trust Fund to supplement expenditures of the Forest Service to enter into cooperative agreements with colleges and universities to conduct research to promote or enhance reforestation.
Bill· HRH.R. 4888 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act or STOP Underage Drinking Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish an interagency coordinating committee to guide policy and program development across the Federal Government on underage drinking; (2) issue an annual report card to rate the performance of each State in enacting, enforcing, and creating laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce underage drinking; (3) develop a set of outcome measures to prepare report cards, including the strictness of the minimum drinking age laws and the number of compliance checks conducted; (4) fund and oversee the Ad Council's national adult-oriented media public service campaign; (5) award grants to reduce the rate of underage alcohol use and binge drinking among students at institutions of higher education; and (6) collect data on, and conduct or support research on, underage drinking, including the impact alcohol use and abuse has upon adolescent brain development, the scope of the underage drinking problem, and progress in preventing and treating underage drinking. Requires the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to award grants to design, test, evaluate, and disseminate strategies to maximize the effectiveness of community-wide approaches to preventing and reducing underage drinking. Requires the Secretary to carry out activities toward the objectives of: (1) testing every unnatural death of persons ages 12 to 20 for alcohol involvement; (2) obtaining new epidemiological data that identifies alcohol use and attitudes about alcohol use during pre- and early adolescence; and (3) developing or identifying successful clinical treatment for youth with alcohol problems.
Bill· SS. 2690 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
Prohibits section 8 assistance under the United States Housing Act of 1937 to be provided to an individual who: (1) is a student at an institution of higher education; (2) is under 24 years of age; (3) is not a veteran; (4) is unmarried; (5) does not have a dependent child; and (6) is not otherwise individually eligible, or has parents who, individually or jointly, are not eligible, to receive such assistance. Considers as income for purposes of section 8 assistance eligibility any financial assistance in excess of tuition amounts under the Higher Education Act of 1965 from private sources or an institution of higher education.
Resolution· SCONRESS.Con.Res. 128 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
Recognizes and supports the goals and ideals of Life Insurance Awareness Month. Requests the President to issue a proclamation calling on the Federal Government, States, localities, schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, other entities, and the people of the United States to appropriately observe Life Insurance Awareness Month.
Bill· SS. 2686 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2004
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1998 to reauthorize and revise its programs.
Law· HRH.R. 4850 (108th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2004
District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 2005 - Makes appropriations to the District of Columbia for FY 2005, including amounts for the Federal payments: (1) for District of Columbia Resident Tuition Support; (2) for emergency planning and security costs in the District; (3) to District of Columbia Courts; (4) for Defender Services in District of Columbia Courts; (5) to the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia (including transfer of funds); (6) to the DC Water and Sewer Authority; (7) to the Department of Transportation in the District for the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative; (8) to the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council; (9) for capital development in the District; (10) for a DC Public School library enhancement program; (11) for the Family Literacy Program; (12) for foster care improvements in the District; (13) to the Chief Financial Officer of the District; and (14) for a DC Public School improvement program. Appropriates specified sums out of the District's general fund and/or other funds for the current fiscal year for: (1) operating expenses (with limitations); (2) governmental direction and support; (3) economic development and regulation; (4) public safety and justice; (5) the public education system (including transfer of funds); (6) human support services (including transfer of funds); (7) public works; (8) the Cash Reserve; (9) repayment of certain loans and interest; (10) payment of interest on short-term borrowing; (11) principal and interest payments on the District's Certificates of Participation, issued to finance the ground lease underlying the building located at One Judiciary Square; (12) refunds and the payment of legal settlements or judgments that have been entered against the District government; (13) the John A. Wilson Building; (14) workforce investments; (15) certain non-departmental agency costs; (16) the Emergency Planning and Security Fund; (17) a Tax Increment Financing Program; (18) equipment lease operating; (19) the Emergency and Contingency Reserve Fund; (20) the Family Literacy Program; (21) the Pay-As-You-Go Capital funds in lieu of capital financing; (22) the Pay-As-You-Go Contingency Fund; (23) revised revenue estimate contingency priority; (24) the Water and Sewer Authority; (25) the Washington Aqueduct; (26) the Stormwater Permit Compliance Enterprise Fund; (27) the Lottery and Charitable Games Enterprise Fund; (28) the Sports and Entertainment Commission; (29) the District of Columbia Retirement Board; (30) the Washington Convention Center Enterprise Fund; (31) the National Capital Revitalization Corporation; (32) the University of the District of Columbia; (33) the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund; (34) the Other Post Employee Benefits Trust Fund; (35) the DC Public Library Trust Fund; and (36) capital outlay (including rescissions).
Bill· HRH.R. 4852 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2004
Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 - Authorizes appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for FY 2005. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish an interagency Homeland Security Information Requirements Board to oversee the process for establishing homeland security requirements and collection management for homeland security information. Establishes within the Directorate for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection a National Cybersecurity Office. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) submit annual budget request information for the Directorate of Science and Technology; (2) conduct an assessment of the development of national capabilities in homeland security science and technology to address basic scientific research needs; and (3) establish a program to award grants to institutions of higher education for professional development programs in cybersecurity. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements or partnerships with U.S. allies in the war on terrorism that have extensive experience in counterterrorism activities. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to enhance public safety interoperable communications at all levels of government. Provides for the establishment of a homeland security technology and equipment transfer program. Establishes the Liberty Shield Award for Innovation and Excellence in Critical Infrastructure Protection. Urges the DHS Homeland Security Operations Center to increase on-site participation of representatives from private sector critical infrastructure sectors. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and distribute critical infrastructure protection awareness and education materials for emergency response providers; (2) ensure that DHS terrorism preparedness exercises and related information and training meet specified requirements; (3) establish a program supporting the development of mutual aid systems for terrorism and emergency preparedness and response; (4) develop a domestic emergency national preparedness goal, a comprehensive national biodefense strategy, a comprehensive national strategy to mitigate the radiological and nuclear threat, and a plan to ensure enhanced cooperation and interoperability of maritime and airborne homeland security assets; (5) initiate a pilot program of expedited inspection at designated ports of entry away from U.S. ports; (6) submit budget request information for DHS's information technology-related spending organized by directorate and critical mission area; and (7) keep each appropriate congressional committee informed of DHS activities. Establishes the Director of the U.S. Secret Service as an officer of DHS.
Bill· SS. 2676 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2004
Amends Federal law to require the Postal Service to establish a special rate of postage (a special postage stamp) for first class mail that is up to 25 percent higher than the regular rate as a voluntary alternative that the public may use to contribute to funding for childhood drinking prevention and education. Requires collected amounts to be paid to the Department of Health and Human Services. Expresses the sense of Congress that nothing in this Act should: (1) cause a net decrease in total Federal funding for childhood drinking prevention and education below the level that would otherwise have been received but for this Act's enactment; or (2) affect first class or other regular postage rates. Requires the special postage stamps to be made available to the public.
Bill· HRH.R. 4844 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2004
Federal Employee Dental and Vision Benefits Enhancement Act of 2004 - Sets forth provisions for the establishment of programs through which current and retired Federal employees and their family members and dependents may obtain enhanced dental and vision benefits to supplement those available under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB). Urges Congress to evaluate such supplemental plans to determine the options for, and feasibility of, providing an employer contribution. Directs the Office of Personnel Management to submit a report to Congress describing and evaluating options whereby health insurance coverage under FEHB could be made available to unmarried dependent children under twenty five years of age who are enrolled as full-time students at institutions of higher education.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 721 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2004
Encourages each State to establish a program, similar to Operation Recognition, to award high school diplomas to veterans who left high school in order to serve in the Armed Forces during a time of war but never received a diploma.
Law· SS. 2657 (108th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2004
Federal Employee Dental and Vision Benefits Enhancement Act of 2004 - Sets forth provisions for the establishment of programs through which current and retired Federal employees and their family members and dependents may obtain enhanced dental and vision benefits to supplement those available under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB). Urges Congress to evaluate such supplemental plans to determine the options for, and feasibility of, providing an employer contribution. Directs the Office of Personnel Management to submit a report to Congress describing and evaluating options whereby health insurance coverage under FEHB could be made available to unmarried dependent children under twenty five years of age who are enrolled as full-time students at institutions of higher education.
Bill· SS. 2658 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2004
Department of Energy National Laboratories Water Technology Research and Development Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a National Laboratories water technology research and development program for research, development, and commercialization of water supply technologies, with Sandia National Laboratory as the lead laboratory. Instructs Secretary to establish the National Water Supply Technology Advisory Panel to advise the Program Coordinator. Requires establishment of Regional Centers comprising certain universities and National Laboratories acting in partnership to conduct specified water commercialization research. Provides for: (1) block grants to such Regional Centers; and (2) competitive grants to eligible collaborative institutions for water supply technology research, development, and demonstration projects. Designates the Utton Center at the University of New Mexico Law School as the National Water Supply Law and Policy Institute, which shall: (1) establish a database of existing water laws, regulations, and policy; (2) furnish legal, regulatory, and policy alternatives to increase national and international water supplies; (3) consult with the Regional Centers and other interested persons on water law and policy; and (4) conduct an annual water law and policy seminar on research carried out or funded by the Institute.
Bill· SS. 2654 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2004
Kindergarten Plus Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) to provide Kindergarten Plus (K+) programs of voluntary full days of kindergarten during the summer before and the summer after the traditional kindergarten school year determined by the State. Directs the Secretary to ensure, to the extent possible, that each such grant is of sufficient size to enable the SEA to provide K+ to all eligible students served by the local educational agencies (LEAs) within the State with the highest concentrations of eligible students. Makes eligible students those children who are: (1) five-years old, or who will be eligible to attend kindergarten at the beginning of the next school year; (2) from a family with an income at or below 185 percent of the poverty line; and (3) not already served by a high-quality program in the summer before or the summer after the child enters kindergarten. Requires SEAs, in awarding subgrants, to give priority to LEAs that: (1) serve the greatest number or percentage of eligible students; and (2) propose to reduce class size and student-to-teacher ratios in K+ significantly below the average ratios in regular kindergarten classes served by the LEA. Provides for direct grants to LEAs in States that do not apply for grants. Sets forth K+ teacher and personnel quality standards.
Bill· HRH.R. 4833 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2004
Rural Education Equity Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Education to extend to all rural local educational agencies (LEAs) the same level of increased flexibility or facilitated compliance that the Secretary authorizes for any category of rural LEAs with respect to part A basic LEA programs of title I provisions for improving the academic achievement of the disadvantaged under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
Bill· SS. 2648 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
Ocean Research Coordination and Advancement Act - Establishes: (1) a National Ocean Science Committee (Committee); (2) a Subcommittee on Ocean Education; and (3) an Ocean Research and Education Advisory Panel. Directs the Chair of the National Science and Technology Council to develop a National Strategy for Ocean Science, Education, and Technology. Establishes a National Ocean Partners Program that identifies and carries out ocean science partnerships among Federal agencies, States, private industries, and other members of the ocean science community. Establishes an interagency ocean and coastal education program to improve public awareness, understanding and appreciation of the role of the oceans in meeting our Nation's economic, social and environmental needs. Establishes a National Ocean Science and Technology Scholarship Program to recruit and prepare students for careers with Federal agencies represented on the Committee. Directs the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to: (1) develop an integrated research plan for NOAA; (2) establish and maintain an interagency marine ecosystem research program; and (3) develop support and coordinate education activities that meet certain program goals and that enhance public awareness of the science, service, and stewardship missions of NOAA.
Bill· SS. 2649 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
Workforce Investment for Next-Generation Technologies Act - WING Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out up to twenty pilot projects to establish a system of industry-validated national certifications of skills in: (1) up to sixteen high-technology industries; and (2) up to four cross-disciplinary national certification of skills in homeland security technology. Includes among the high-technology industries: biotechnology, telecommunications, highly automated manufacturing (including semiconductors), advanced materials technology, nanotechnology, and energy technology (including technology relating to next-generation lighting). Directs the Secretary to make three-to-four year grants for such projects to eligible entities with one or more of the following as a primary participant: (1) an institution of higher education; (2) an advanced technology education center; (3) a local workforce investment board; (4) a representative of a business in a target industry for the certification involved; or (5) a representative of an industry association, labor organization, or community development organization. Requires each certification program to be: (1) offered at the completion of, and in addition to, a training and education program which is related to the industry competencies involved and which is offered in a flexible manner that meets the needs of those seeking certification; and (2) consistent with the requirements for a two-year associate degree.
Bill· SS. 2650 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
Preparing Students for a High-Tech World Act of 2004 - Amends the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1998 to reauthorize and revise its programs, including: (1) career and technical assistance to the States; and (2) Tech-Prep education programs.
Bill· SS. 2646 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2004
John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Sustainability Report Act - Requires the Director of the National Park Service (NPS) to prepare a report on the sustainability of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Requires the report to: (1) document progress made in accomplishing the purpose of the law establishing the Corridor and the strategies and goals set forth in the Cultural Heritage and Land Management Plan for the Corridor, including historic preservation, interpretation and education, environmental recovery, recreational development, and economic improvement; (2) identify further actions and commitments needed to protect, enhance, and interpret the Corridor; (3) determine the extent of Federal funding and determine how such funds have leveraged additional Federal, State, local, and private funding for the Corridor since its establishment; and (4) evaluate the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Commission's form of authority and management structure for the Corridor, and identify and evaluate options for a permanent NPS designation or a State park or regional entity as a sustainable framework to achieve the national interest of the Blackstone Valley. Directs that: (1) the Director prepare the report in coordination with the NPS Advisory Board; and (2) funding to prepare the report be made available from annual appropriations for the Commission.
Bill· HRH.R. 4800 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2004
Specialty Crop and Value-Added Agriculture Promotion Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to make annual State grants (based upon value of production) to enhance specialty crop competitiveness. Stipulates that such grants shall supplement and not replace State funds. Defines "specialty crop" as any crop other than wheat, feed grains, oilseeds, cotton, rice, peanuts, sugar, and tobacco. Amends the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 to replace the agricultural marketing resource center pilot project with a State block grant program for value-added agricultural product market development. Directs the Secretary to establish a quality standardization program for certification of farmers and processors under quality assurance systems, which shall include 50 percent reimbursement of participant certification costs. Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to direct the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out the adjusted gross revenue insurance pilot program as a permanent program. Authorizes the Corporation to: (1) expand the program to cover any county in which crops are produced; and (2) grant temporary policy subsidies for producers located in a county that has a high level of specialty crop production and has not had a high level of crop insurance coverage coverage. Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to direct the Secretary to: (1) make available to students in not more than 100 schools in each State, and in elementary and secondary schools on one Indian reservation, free fresh and dried fruits and vegetables throughout the school day in one or more school-designated areas; and (2) give priority to States that produce large quantities of specialty crops.
Bill· HRH.R. 4793 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2004
Justice and Understanding By International Loan Elimination and Equity (JUBILEE) Act of 2004 - Amends the International Financial Institutions Act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to commence immediate efforts, within the Paris Club of Official Creditors, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), and other international financial institutions (multilateral development institutions (MDI's)) to accomplish: (1) the cancellation of all debts owed to each institution by specified eligible poor countries, and the financing of such debt cancellation from the institution's ongoing operations, procedures, and accounts; (2) the limitation of any waiting period before receipt of debt cancellation to one month from the date of an eligible poor country's application for it; and (3) encouragement of the government of each eligible poor country to allocate at least 20 percent of its national budget, including the savings from such debt cancellation, for the provision of basic health care services, education services, and clean water services to individuals in the country. Sets forth requirements for: (1) establishment of a framework to ensure transparency regarding each international financial institution's activities; and (2) availability on the Treasury Department's website of U.S. Executive Directors' remarks at meetings of international financial institutions' Boards of Directors. Requires the Secretary to commence immediate efforts, within the Paris Club, the IMF, and other appropriate MDI's, to ensure that the provision of debt cancellation to such countries is not conditioned on any agreement by such a country to implement or comply with specified policies that deepen poverty or degrade the environment.
Bill· HRH.R. 4792 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2004
New United States Global HIV Prevention Strategy to Address the Needs of Women and Girls Act of 2004 - States that it shall be U.S. policy to: (1) pursue an HIV prevention strategy for each country for which the United States provides assistance to combat HIV/AIDS that emphasizes the needs of women and girls; and (2) support a variety of culturally appropriate HIV prevention programs for each country for which the United States provides HIV/AIDS assistance, and to ensure that unnecessary requirements on fund use are not imposed. Directs the President to establish a comprehensive and culturally appropriate HIV prevention strategy for each country for which the United States provides assistance to combat HIV/AIDS. Requires each strategy to encompass health and HIV prevention education beyond the ABC model "Abstain, Be faithful, use Condoms" as a means to reduce HIV infections, particularly among women and girls. Amends the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 to eliminate the "abstinence-until-marriage" reference with respect to the sense of Congress' HIV/AIDS funding allocation.
Bill· HRH.R. 4799 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2004
Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise provisions regarding Federal assistance for programs to reduce suicide among children and adolescents. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to award grants or cooperative agreements to: (1) develop and implement State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies in schools, educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, substance abuse programs, mental health programs, foster care systems, and other child and youth support organizations; (2) support public organizations actively involved in State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies and in the development and continuation of such intervention and prevention strategies; (3) collect and analyze data on State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention services that can be used to monitor the effectiveness of such services and for research, technical assistance, and policy development; and (4) assist eligible entities in achieving their targets for youth suicide reductions. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, to award a grant or contract to establish the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Requires the Secretary to award grants to institutions of higher education to expand mental and behavior health services to students, to provide such services, and to develop best practices for the delivery of such services.
Bill· HRH.R. 4805 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2004
Ensuring Medication Safety for Seniors Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a demonstration program under which grants for computer hardware and software, as well as other communications capabilities, education, and training, are made available, upon request and on a voluntary basis, to Medicare health care providers to assist them in offsetting the costs of electronic prescribing systems.
Bill· HRH.R. 4796 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2004
Employee Stock Ownership Plan Promotion and Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) treat certain distributions by S corporations to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) as deductible dividends; (2) exempt deductions for ESOP dividends from corporate alternative minimum tax adjustments based on adjusted earnings and profits; (3) allow deferral of the recognition of gain for certain sales to ESOP's sponsored by any domestic corporation, including S corporations; (4) allow reinvestment of ESOP stock proceeds eligible for nonrecognition of gain in certain mutual funds; (5) modify certain ESOP stock ownership rules; and (6) allow early distributions from an ESOP for higher education expenses and first-time homebuyer purchases without penalty.