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301 records in US in 2004
United States · United States Senate · 13 May 2004
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2004
Health Care Modernization, Cost Reduction, and Quality Improvement Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for the use of clinical informatics systems that include the ability to access and share patients' medical records. Amends the Public Health Service Act and the the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to require a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer providing group health insurance coverage, to: (1) have an automated, integrated system that allows for adjudication of claims and the detection of fraud and abuse by December 31, 2008; and (2) provide coverage for preventive health care items and services specified by the Secretary. Requires the Secretary to support: (1) comprehensive diabetes and arthritis control and prevention programs; (2) stroke care systems that provide high-quality prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation; (3) programs that improve the rate of immunization of adults and adolescents; and (4) programs that improve oral health, especially for adults with intellectual or chronic diseases. Requires Federal agencies that carry out health care-related activities or provide health care-related financial assistance to develop and implement a plan to improve access to such activities and assistance to limited English proficient individuals. Establishes the National Quality Advisory Council to identify national aims and objectives for health care quality improvement, track progress in meeting such aims, and make recommendations to Congress and the public concerning health care quality policies and programs for improvement. Requires the Secretary to establish and implement activities to encourage healthy dietary choice and increase physical activity in schools, work sites, and communities.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2004
Resuming Education After Defense Service Act of 2004 - Makes eligible for basic educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill a member of the Selected Reserve who (among other qualifications), during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, and ending on December 31, 2006, serves on active duty in the Armed Forces for one or more periods aggregating not less than two years. Entitles such individuals to one month of educational assistance for each month served on active duty. Makes the amount of such assistance equivalent to that provided for active-duty personnel who have served a minimum of two years of active duty. Requires the Secretaries of the military departments concerned to inform eligible Selected Reserve personnel of such entitlement.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2004
Safe Transit and Rail Awareness and Investments for National Security Act of 2004 (Safe TRAINS Act) - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to improve the security of public transportation systems (including passenger, commuter, and light rail) against acts of terrorism. Sets forth grant uses and requirements. Directs grant recipients to submit to the Secretary their emergency response plan as well as a plan for conducting exercises for emergency response and public transportation employee training pursuant to guidelines published by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and disseminate to appropriate owners, operators, and providers of public transportation systems (including public transportation employees), and Federal, State, and local officials, a report containing best practices for the security of public transportation systems; (2) develop a national plan for public outreach and awareness of measures the public can take to increase public transportation system security; (3) develop a strategic plan for the security of the Nation's public transportation systems; (4) execute in conjunction with the Secretary of Transportation, a Memorandum of Agreement governing the responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation, respectively, in addressing security matters for public transportation systems; and (5) establish National Transportation Security Centers at institutions of higher education to assist in carrying out this Act, to conduct research and education, and to develop or provide professional training of public transportation employees. Sets forth certain whistleblower protections for employees or other persons who have commenced, testified at, or participated in, a proceeding to enhance public transportation security, or who have refused to violate or assist in the violation of any regulation related to public transportation security.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2004
States that Congress: (1) expresses its grave concern about the continuing problem of hunger and the need to feed hungry and malnourished children around the world; (2) recognizes that the global distribution of food in schools increases attendance, particularly for girls, and improves literacy rates and increases job opportunities; (3) recognizes that education of children addresses several of the root causes of international terrorism; (4) expresses its gratitude to former Senators George McGovern and Robert Dole for supporting the distribution of food in schools around the world and for working to eradicate hunger and poverty around the world; (5) commends the Department of Agriculture, the Agency for International Development, the Department of State, the United Nations World Food Program, private voluntary organizations, non-governmental organizations, and cooperatives for facilitating the distribution of food in schools around the world; (6) expresses its continued support for the distribution of food in schools around the world; (7) supports expansion of the George McGovern-Robert Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program; and (8) requests the President to work with the United Nations and its member states to expand international contributions for the distribution of food in schools around the world.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the U.S. Government and Congress should condemn acts of anti-Semitism and intolerance; (2) officials and elected leaders of all Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) participating states, including all OSCE Mediterranean Partner for Cooperation countries, should also condemn acts of anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, and discrimination; (3) the participating OSCE states should be commended for supporting the Berlin Declaration and for bringing increased attention to incidents of anti-Semitism and intolerance; (4) the U.S. Government should work with other OSCE participating states to encourage compliance with OSCE commitments and, if necessary, urge the creation of legal mechanisms to combat and track acts of anti-Semitism and intolerance; (5) all participating states should forward their respective laws and data on incidents of anti-Semitism and other hate crimes to the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights; (6) the United States should encourage appointment of a high level "personal envoy" to ensure sustained attention to OSCE commitments on the reporting of anti-Semitic crimes; (7) the United States should urge OSCE participating states that have not already done so to join the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research; and (8) all OSCE participating states should renew efforts to implement their existing commitments to fight anti-Semitism and intolerance.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
Education Begins at Home Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Secretary of Education, to: (1) allot grants to States for Parents as Teachers programs, or other programs of early childhood home visitation; and (2) make competitive grants to local educational agencies and other eligible applicants for early home visitation for families with English language learners and for military families. Amends the Head Start Act to direct the Secretary of HHS to establish standards for home visitor staff in Early Head Start programs with respect to their training, qualifications, and conduct of home visits. Revises Early Head Start programs to include provisions for: (1) training in parenting skills and child development; (2) certain home-based and family support services; (3) procedures for transition into Head Start or other local early childhood education programs; (4) staff communication and program coordination; and (5) professional development and personnel enhancement.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
Designates the week of April 11 through April 17, 2004, as Free Enterprise Education Week.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2004
International Assistance to Missing and Exploited Children Act of 2004 - Amends the International Child Abduction Remedies Act (ICARA) to make Federal Tort Claims Act provisions applicable to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (Center) and other entities to which responsibilities are delegated under ICARA by the U.S. Central Authority under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Amends the Federal judicial code to authorize actions in U.S. district court to resolve conflicting child custody determinations. Directs the Attorney General to establish a registry of custody and visitation orders and proceedings. Provides guidelines for disclosing registry information. Authorizes law enforcement officials to detain children listed as missing or accompanying an adult arrested for suspected child abduction in violation of a custody order. Requires officials to surrender such children to the appropriate State agency as soon as practicable. Requires the Central Authority to: (1) fund legal services to persons seeking remedies in parental kidnapping cases; (2) provide related training and technical assistance; and (3) encourage the designation of courts to hear Convention-related cases. Requires the Federal Judicial Center to provide continuing education on the Convention and related laws. Requires annual reports to Congress on: (1) progress in negotiating international child abduction agreements with countries that are not parties to the Convention; and (2) cases involving extradition requests of individuals alleged to have violated international parental kidnapping provisions. Requires the Attorney General to support State adoption and implementation of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to include children at risk of parental kidnapping in the Safe Havens for Children Pilot Program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to authorize disclosure of taxpayer identity information to the Center. Calls for increasing the U.S. contribution to the Permanent Bureau at The Hague.
United States · United States Senate · 11 May 2004
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2004
Department of Energy National Security Act for Fiscal Year 2005 - Authorizes appropriations to the Department of Energy (DOE) for FY 2005 for: (1) activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration in carrying out programs necessary for national security, with specified allocations for weapons activities, defense nuclear nonproliferation, naval reactors, and the Office of the Administrator for Nuclear Security; and (2) environmental restoration and waste management activities in carrying out national security programs, with specified allocations for defense environmental management, other defense activities, and defense nuclear waste disposal. Makes certain environmental restoration and waste management funds available for the treatment of disposition waste from reprocessed low-level or transuranic waste. Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) establish a local stakeholder organization for each DOE Environmental Management 2006 closure site; (2) provide certain support for public education in the vicinity of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico; and (3) conduct a review of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, New Mexico. Establishes the Pajarito Plateau Homesteaders Compensation Fund for payments with respect to lands acquired by the United States during World War II for the Manhattan Project. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2005 for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. Authorizes the disposal of up to 50,000 tons of ferromanganese from the National Defense Stockpile during FY 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2004
Restoring Authority to Schools Act of 2004 - Requires prospective relief in any civil action for violations of Federal law in public schools to be narrowly drawn, to extend no further than necessary, and to reflect the least intrusive means necessary to correct the violation. Requires the court to give substantial weight to any adverse impact on other students or the school community caused by such relief. Prohibits the court from ordering prospective relief that requires or permits government officials to exceed their authority under State or local law or otherwise violates such law unless Federal law so requires, the relief is necessary, and no other relief will correct the violation. Authorizes the court to enter a temporary restraining order or an order for preliminary injunctive relief with respect to violations of Federal law in public schools to the extent otherwise authorized by law if the order complies with the limitations on prospective relief set forth in this Act. Requires the termination of prospective relief upon the motion of any party or intervener at specified times. Entitles defendants or interveners to the immediate termination of such relief if it was approved or granted in the absence of a finding that the limitations set forth in this Act were met. Prohibits the court from entering or approving a consent decree absent compliance with such limitations. Sets forth procedures for motions affecting prospective relief. Authorizes the court to appoint a special master in those civil actions addressed by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2004
Suzanne Lyall Campus Safety Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education to adopt and implement plans providing for prompt and coordinated investigations with local law enforcement agencies of: (1) serious violent felonies occurring at the institutions or on their grounds; and (2) reports of missing students.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2004
Teague Ryan Sudden Child Cardiac Arrhythmia Syndromes Screening and Education Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to award grants or contracts to carry out programs to: (1) screen children for sudden cardiac arrhythmia syndromes; (2) provide referrals for medical services regarding such syndromes; and (3) provide education on such syndromes to health professionals and the general public. Requires the Secretary to give priority to: (1) screenings and referrals for children under the age of six and children who participate in organized sports; and (2) educational activities directed toward parents of such children and health professionals who commonly provide medical care for such children.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2004
Healthy Lifestyles Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish and implement activities to increase physical activity in schools, work sites, and communities. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): (1) to support physical education programs in schools and training for school personnel; (2) with the Secretary of Labor, to develop work sites that encourage employee participation in physical activity; and (3) with the Secretaries of Transportation and Interior, to implement projects to design pedestrian zones, cycling paths, and open space areas linking parks with residential communities. Amends the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990 to require the Secretary to: (1) enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to develop and publish Dietary Guidelines for Americans; (2) ensure that such guidelines serve as the basis of any Federal food, nutrition, or health program; and (3) revise the food guide pyramid. Requires the Secretary to: (1) enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to make recommendations on disseminating dietary information and nutrition guidelines; and (2) publish a plan to implement such recommendations. Requires the Secretary to award grants to improve the consumption of nutritional foods, including by: (1) promoting the intake of nutritional foods; and (2) conducting outreach to grocery stores to increase the availability of healthy foods and beverages. Requires the Secretary to coordinate research on obesity and award grants to: (1) support State comprehensive obesity prevention and control programs; (2) enable States to provide public health surveillance, prevention and control activities; and (3) assist in implementing a national strategy for obesity prevention and control.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2004
Federal Courts Improvement Act of 2004 - Sets forth or amends various judicial, criminal, and bankruptcy code provisions to address the Federal judicial process, including: (1) bankruptcy administrator authority to appoint and serve as bankruptcy trustees; (2) places of holding court in, and changes in the composition of, specified districts; (3) jury matters; (4) conditions of probation and supervised release; (5) the scope of diversity citizenship for resident aliens and corporations with foreign contacts; (6) wiretap order reporting requirements; (7) emergency authority to conduct court proceedings outside a court's territorial jurisdiction; and (8) certain privacy concerns in bankruptcy cases. Amends various Federal judicial code, Higher Education Act, Organic Act of Guam, Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands, civil service, and other provisions to address Federal judicial personnel matters, including: (1) annuities for territorial judges; (2) compensation for Federal Judicial Center employees; (3) annual leave limits for judicial branch executives; (4) supplemental benefits for judicial branch employees; (5) student loan forgiveness for Federal defenders and student loan deferment for law clerks; (6) inclusion of judicial branch personnel in the organ donor leave program; (7) transportation and subsistence expenses for Criminal Justice Act defendants; (8) compensation in excess of the statutory maximum for defense counsel and for services other than counsel; (9) judicial branch security requirements; (10) life insurance for bankruptcy, magistrate, and territorial judges; and (11) health insurance for surviving family and spouses of judges. Prohibits knowingly recording fictitious liens against the property of Federal judges.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2004
Declares the sense of Congress that: (1) Kids Love a Mystery is a program that helps promote literacy and reading and should be supported and encouraged; and (2) the President should issue a proclamation encouraging the people of the United States and interested groups to promote Kids Love a Mystery with appropriate programs and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2004
American Schools Abroad Support Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that additional funds should be made available to American-sponsored schools in Arab and other predominantly Muslim countries to provide full or partial merit-based scholarships to students from lower- and middle-income families of such countries to attend such schools. Authorizes the Secretary of State, acting through the Director of the Office of Overseas Schools of the Department of State, to make grants to such schools to provide scholarships to such students.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2004
Sexual Harassment Reporting and Posting Act of 2004 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to require institutions of higher education that participate in any HEA student aid program to disseminate to prospective and enrolled students information describing procedures for receiving and responding to complaints of sexual harassment.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2004
Requires the total amount of funds awarded to a State under part A (Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies) of title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 for FY 2004 to be not less than the total amount of funds awarded to the State under such part for FY 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2004
Antibullying Campaign Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Education to make matching grants to applicant States for antiharassment programs that prohibit harassment in public schools and on public school grounds for any reason. Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on harassment in public schools.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2004
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that there is a critical need to increase awareness and education about hepatitis C.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2004
College Access and Opportunity Act of 2004 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise and reauthorize various programs. Revises the definition of institution of higher education to repeal: (1) a requirement that for-profit institutions of higher education derive at least ten percent of their revenue from funds that do not come from HEA title IV student assistance programs (the 90/10 rule); and (2) a restriction on distance education in terms of relative number of courses an institution may offer by telecommunications, and relative number of students enrolled in such courses, for purposes of student assistance program eligibility (the 50 percent rule). Allows for-profit institutions to compete with traditional institutions in applying for campus-based aid. Revises HEA title IV (Student Assistance) to: (1) require a variable rather than a fixed interest rate for consolidation loans; (2) reduce loan origination fees; (3) increase subsidized loan limits; and (4) modify need analysis requirements. Establishes: (1) Pell Grants Plus grants for State scholar students; (2) policies for institutions' transfer of credits; (3) a college access initiative; (4) an expanded distance education demonstration; and (5) a college affordability demonstration. Cancels student loan indebtedness for families of 9/11 victims. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that HEA titles II, VI, and VII should be amended as provided in specified bills passed by the House. Extends authorizations of appropriations for: (1) HEA title III grants for American Indian tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and historically Black colleges and universities; (2) HEA title IV Pell grants, TRIO, GEAR UP, supplemental educational opportunity grants, LEAP, HEP/CAMP, Byrd scholarships, child care access, Federal Family Education Loans, work-study, Direct Loans, and Perkins Loans; (3) HEA title V Developing Institutions grants for Hispanic-serving institutions; and (4) programs under the Education of the Deaf Act of 1986, Higher Education Amendments of 1998, Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978, Navajo Community College Act, and Education Amendments of 1992.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2004
21st Century CAMPIS Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reauthorize and revise the Child Care Access Means Parents in School program which provides grants to institutions of higher education for campus-based child care services for low-income students. Revises program provisions relating to minimum grants, eligible institutions, and low-income students. Extends the authorization of appropriations for such program.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2004
Rural Safety and Law Enforcement Improvement Act - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) authorize the Attorney General to make grants to rural local and tribal governments for the retention for one additional year of police officers funded through the cops on the beat (or COPS) program; (2) authorize the use of COPS grants on a matching funds basis to assist the police departments of such units in improving police communications, and in developing and improving access to crime-solving technologies; and (3) hire personnel and purchase equipment for rural areas to assist in the enforcement and prosecution of methamphetamine offenses and the environmental cleanup of methamphetamine-affected areas. Directs the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice to make grants to such units to establish or improve 911 service in those communities. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, to make grants to establish in rural areas substance abuse (particularly methamphetamine) prevention and treatment pilot programs and methamphetamine prevention education programs. Directs the Attorney General to provide for the cleanup of methamphetamine laboratories and related hazardous waste, and for the improvement of contract-related response time for cleanup of methamphetamine laboratories and related hazardous waste by providing additional contract personnel, equipment, and facilities, in rural areas. Makes funding available from the Department of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund for payment for the costs of experts and consultants needed to clean up areas formerly used as methamphetamine laboratories. Establishes a Rural Policing Institute as part of the Small Town and Rural Training Program.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Native American Connectivity Act - Establishes within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration a Native American telecommunications block grant program to provide grants on a competitive basis to an Indian tribe or organization, tribal college or university, or institution of higher education acting jointly with an Indian tribe to carry out activities for the development of telecommunications capacities in Indian country. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to provide training and technical assistance grants to: (1) develop a training program for telecommunications employees; or (2) provide assistance to students who participate in telecommunications or information technology work study programs and are enrolled in a full-time program in telecommunications-related education, development, planning, or management. Outlines provisions concerning: (1) fiscal year block grant set-asides for the training and technical assistance grants; (2) audits of grant fund uses; (3) environmental compliance in the development of telecommunications facilities; (4) remedies for noncompliance with block grant requirements; and (5) reporting requirements of the Secretary and grant recipients.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Lead-Free Drinking Water Act of 2004 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to revise the national primary drinking water regulation for lead to provide adequate protection for individuals affected by lead contamination, particularly vulnerable populations. Requires the revised regulation to establish a maximum contaminant level or a drinking water treatment technique that meets specified criteria. Directs community water systems or nontransient noncommunity water systems to: (1) annually replace a percentage of non-lead free service lines until all such lines are replaced; (2) provide notice to individuals and entities that may be exposed to lead contamination; (3) provide water lead test results to tested residences; (4) establish a public education program on lead in drinking water; and (5) provide water filters to each residence, school, and day care facility in the service area that reasonably could experience lead contamination. Requires the General Services Administration to conduct water supply testing in Federal buildings and to take related action. Directs each water system to test drinking water for lead contamination within one year. Requires the Administrator to revise monitoring requirements under the national primary drinking water regulation to incorporate specified criteria. Redefines "lead free" to reduce acceptable lead levels in specified drinking water hardware. Requires new plumbing parts and components to be lead free by January 1, 2005. Requires the Administrator to establish a grant program to address lead contamination in school drinking water.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Recognizes and honors May 17, 2004, as the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Encourages all people of the United States to recognize the importance of the decision. Acknowledges the need for the Nation to recommit to the goals and purposes of this landmark decision to finally realize the dream of equal educational opportunity for all children of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Acknowledges and commends charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education and improving and strengthening our public school system. Supports the fifth annual National Charter Schools Week. Declares the sense of the Senate that the President should issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to conduct appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to demonstrate support for charter schools during this week long celebration in communities throughout the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Lead-Free Drinking Water Act of 2004 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to revise the national primary drinking water regulation for lead to provide adequate protection for individuals affected by lead contamination, particularly vulnerable populations. Requires the revised regulation to establish a maximum contaminant level or a drinking water treatment technique that meets specified criteria. Directs community water systems or nontransient noncommunity water systems to: (1) annually replace a percentage of non-lead free service lines until all such lines are replaced; (2) provide notice to individuals and entities that may be exposed to lead contamination; (3) provide water lead test results to tested residences; (4) establish a public education program on lead in drinking water; and (5) provide water filters to each residence, school, and day care facility in the service area that reasonably could experience lead contamination. Requires the General Services Administration to conduct water supply testing in Federal buildings and to take related action. Directs each water system to test drinking water for lead contamination within one year. Requires the Administrator to revise monitoring requirements under the national primary drinking water regulation to incorporate specified criteria. Redefines "lead free" to reduce acceptable lead levels in specified drinking water hardware. Requires new plumbing parts and components to be lead free by January 1, 2005. Requires the Administrator to establish a grant program to address lead contamination in school drinking water.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Safe Communities and Safe Schools Mercury Reduction Act of 2004 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program for projects to: (1) reduce free-flowing elemental mercury and mercury-added products from the environment; (2) safely dispose of or recycle mercury; (3) educate communities and citizens about mercury's harmful effects; (4) develop and carry out a plan for eliminating free-flowing mercury and instruments containing mercury from K-12 public and private schools; or (5) carry out a mercury thermometer exchange program. Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to: (1) prohibit the sale or supplying of mercury fever thermometers to consumers except by prescription; and (2) require manufacturers of such prescribed thermometers to provide instructions on careful handling to avoid breakage and proper cleanup in the event of breakage. Requires contractors who replace building thermostats in residential or commercial buildings to dispose of replaced thermometers through recycling programs established or participated in by building thermostat manufacturers as required by this Act. Requires the Administrator to publish guidance to assist State and local governments in removing elemental free-flowing mercury and mercury-added instruments from public and private schools. Directs the Administrator to issue regulations requiring dentists to install a device that captures 90 percent or more of mercury-laden amalgam on every chair or office structure in which mercury amalgam is administered to patients.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Reading Failure Prevention Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to States to establish statewide programs for screening children between the ages of five and seven for the prevention of reading failure. Requires a State to agree to use the grant to: (1) develop and implement a program that screens such children for traits that indicate dyslexia or that they are otherwise at risk of reading failure; and (2) provide adequate professional development for personnel who administer screening programs under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Commemorates the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education. Encourages all Americans to consider the importance of the victory for equality under law achieved because of such Supreme Court decision. Recognizes that the struggle for equality under law continues in the United States and around the world. Affirms the Declaration of Independence, including that all persons are created equal and "are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Pledges to diligently defend and advance equality under law for all persons.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Declares that the House of Representatives: (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Transparency Day, which promotes the financial transparency of charitable organizations; (2) recognizes that financial transparency is relevant to a great number of entities in the United States, including ministries, nonprofit and other organizations, corporations, and schools; (3) pledges to make bipartisan efforts to enact laws to protect donors from charitable organizations that are not financially transparent; and (4) acknowledges that the people of the United States are an exceedingly generous people and that National Transparency Day will encourage even greater generosity.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2004
Declares that the Congress: (1) recognizes and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision; (2) encourages all Americans to recognize and celebrate the anniversary; and (3) renews its commitment to continuing and building on the legacy of Brown with a pledge to acknowledge and address the modern day disparities that remain.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2004
Expresses the sense of the Congress honoring the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Encourages all people of the United States to recognize the importance of that decision. Declares that, by celebrating the anniversary, the Nation will be able to refresh and renew the importance of equality in society.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2004
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to establish a new title X, School Facilities Infrastructure Improvement program of grants for repair, renovation, alteration, and construction of public elementary and secondary school facilities. Directs the Secretary of Education to allocate such grant funds as follows: (1) one-third among States; (2) one-third among largest local educational agencies (LEAs); and (3) one-third among high-growth LEAs. Makes any public charter school that constitutes an LEA under State law eligible for such assistance under the same terms and conditions as any other LEA. Provides for prompt payment of contractors performing federally-assisted work under this new title IX of ESEA.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2004
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) all countries should recognize the seriousness of anti-Semitic acts and should take action against those individuals and entities that incite hatred and perpetrate criminal acts against Jewish populations; (2) member countries of the European Union (EU) should continue to officially and publicly repudiate those individuals and entities that carry out such acts and should undertake tougher and more unified measures to combat the growth of anti-Semitic violence and intimidation throughout the European continent; (3) the EU should protect the safety of their Jewish communities through the establishment of the position of a director to monitor and combat anti-Semitism within the EU through education, media analysis, and coordination with responsible partners in each EU member country; (4) the delegates from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Conference on Anti-Semitism should call on their governments to make anti-Semitism a criminal offense and should establish within the OSCE a framework to monitor anti-Semitic activities, to monitor legislation to combat anti-Semitism, to coordinate between law enforcement organizations in such countries, and to implement relevant educational programs for the next generation of Europeans; (5) the President should direct the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations to work with EU member countries to secure passage of a resolution condemning anti-Semitism at the upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly; and (6) combating acts of anti-Semitism worldwide through diplomatic efforts should be a U.S. foreign policy priority.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2004
Expresses the sense of the Congress honoring the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Encourages all people of the United States to recognize the importance of that decision. Declares that, by celebrating the anniversary, the Nation will be able to refresh and renew the importance of equality in society.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2004
Military Family Morale and Welfare Protection Act of 2004 - Prohibits the Secretary of Defense from closing any commissary store, MWR retail facility (a morale, welfare, and recreation retail facility), or Department of Defense (DOD) dependent elementary or secondary school without the specific authorization of Congress by law. Directs the Comptroller General to report to the congressional defense committees on DOD policy and criteria with respect to the closure of such stores, facilities, and schools, including whether such policy and criteria are consistent with DOD policies and procedures on the preservation of the quality of life of members of the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2004
Community Options for Rural Elders Act of 2004 or the CORE Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for the Administrator of Health Resources and Services to work with the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to establish Programs for All-Inclusive Care for Elderly (PACE) providers in rural areas. Directs the Secretary to permit a rural PACE provider applicant to adapt its PACE program to the unique requirements of eligible participants residing in rural areas and the challenges of providing services to them. Directs the Secretary to utilize the authority provided for flexibility in exercising waiver authority under the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000, and the regulations issued to carry it out with respect to the operations of rural PACE providers. Requires the Secretary to waive certain requirements of titles XI, XVIII (Medicare), and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act as necessary for purposes of supporting the delivery of PACE services in rural areas. Directs the Secretary to waive the requirement that a rural PACE provider, in at least its first three years of operation, be at full financial risk, and authorizes the Secretary, upon the provider's request, to waive such requirement for subsequent years of operation if the provider is operating properly and has demonstrated a reasonable basis for not assuming full risk. Directs the Secretary to award site development grants to rural PACE providers. Directs the Secretary, through the Office of Rural Health Policy, to make awards to tax-exempt organizations for the purpose of establishing a technical assistance program to provide: (1) outreach and education to State agencies and provider organizations interested in establishing PACE programs in rural areas; and (2) technical assistance necessary to support providers awarded site development grants. Requires the Secretary to establish a fund to reimburse rural PACE providers awarded a site development grant for outlier costs incurred with respect to eligible enrollees who reside in, or receive services in, a rural area. Directs the Secretary to establish an advisory group that will review and comment on progress related to providing PACE program services in rural areas, including prospective PACE provider applications.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2004
Nontraditional Student Success Act - Authorizes and appropriates specified funds for Federal Pell grants under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), including increasing maximum grant amounts for academic years 2005-2006 through 2009-2010, after a specified reduction from the academic year 2003-2004 level for academic year 2004-2005. Amends the HEA to revise the requirements for the allowance of two Pell grants during a single award year to allow the student to be enrolled full-time in a certificate (or, as currently, a degree) program. Requires the Secretary to publish in the Federal Register each academic year a revised table of income protection allowances. Excludes the earned income tax credit (EITC) from financial aid determinations. Authorizes the Secretary to select institutionsof higher education, or systems or consortia of such institutions, for voluntary participation in a Nontraditional Students Demonstration Program, strictly monitored by the Department of Education, to test the effectiveness of providing expanded financial assistance to: (1) less than half-time students for not more than three terms over the duration of the students' course of study; and (2) students in compressed, modular, or other alternative schedules. Directs the Secretary to award competitive grants to eligible institutions for the purposes of improving remedial education. Increases minimum grant amounts for the Federal TRIO programs. Permits student support services and educational opportunity centers to include career and academic (as well as personal) counseling provided by assigned counselors. Makes awards under the Early Intervention and College Awareness Program for six years. Requires services under the Program provided in a cohort approach to be provided through the first year of attendance at a postsecondary education institution to students in the participating grade level. Requires the continuing system of mentoring and advising under an early intervention program to be provided to eligible students through the first year of attendance at a postsecondary education institution. Authorizes appropriations for the Program through FY 2010. Authorizes FY 2005 appropriations for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program of campus-based child care services for low-income parents in postsecondary education. Directs the Secretary to establish a website and brochures for providing outreach about financial aid and education tax credits that targets employers, one-stop centers, Head Start centers, and other appropriate locations. Includes among the activities for which grants to Hispanic-serving institutions, as well as grants from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, may be used the introduction of reforms to customize remedial education, including English language instruction, to help students move rapidly from remedial courses into core courses and through program completion. Revises requirements for Special Programs for Students Whose Families Are Engaged in Migrant and Seasonal Farmwork to: (1) specify childcare and transportation among the essential supportive services which may be provided by the high school equivalency program; and (2) authorize appropriations through FY 2010 for both the high school equivalency program and the college assistance migrant program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase from 20 to 50 percent the Lifetime Learning income tax credit, specify that it is for qualified higher education expenses, but reduce the credit limit from $10,000 to $4,000 per year. Makes a portion of the credit refundable. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a program for making advance payments to eligible educational institutions of such credits on behalf of certified individuals in an amount equal to such a credit for the year.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2004
Requires the total amount of funds awarded to a State under part A (Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies) of title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 for FY 2004 to be not less than the total amount of funds awarded to the State under such part for FY 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2004
National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 2004 - Amends the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 to extend deadlines for development of a five-year strategic plan for the geologic mapping program and for appointment of the advisory committee. Removes from program objectives the development of a geophysical- and geochemical- map database. Directs that mapping priorities be based in part on the needs of the Department of the Interior land management agencies. Modifies the composition of the advisory committee. Directs that the national geologic database include information on how to obtain specified maps, databases, and data, including all maps developed with funding provided under the national cooperative geologic mapping program. Authorizes appropriations for each of FY 2006 through 2010. Increases the percentages allocated for the State and education components.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2004
Expresses the sense of the Congress honoring the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Encourages all people of the United States to recognize the importance of that decision. Declares that, by celebrating the anniversary, the Nation will be able to refresh and renew the importance of equality in society.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2004
Global Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2004 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should continue to support efforts to combat anti-Semitism worldwide through bilateral relationships and interaction with international organizations such as the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE); (2) the U.S. delegation to the OSCE conference in Berlin should advocate for the appointment of a High Commissioner on anti-Semitism; and (3) the President should direct the United States Ambassador to the United Nations to introduce in the United Nations a measure condemning anti-Semitism. Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to authorize and encourage the Secretary of State to establish within the Department of State an Office to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to include in the Department of State annual reports information on: (1) acts of anti-Semitism in foreign countries; and (2) governmental responses to such acts, including efforts to promote anti-bias education. Makes similar amendments to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2004
Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services: (1) to develop and implement a National Arthritis Action Plan; and (2) acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct, support, and promote the coordination of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases research. Requires the Secretary to award grants to: (1) support arthritis-specific research projects at the Centers for Prevention Research by the CDC; (2) support State comprehensive arthritis control and prevention programs and public health surveillance, prevention, and control activities; and (3) assist in the implementation of a national strategy for arthritis control and prevention. Requires the Secretary to coordinate a national education and outreach program on arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Requires the Secretary to establish an Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee to: (1) improve coordination of Federal research activities related to arthritis and rheumatic diseases; and (2) convene a summit to provide a detailed overview of such current Federal research. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health to expand and intensify juvenile arthritis research and related programs, including by awarding grants to establish new research programs. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to support the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on juvenile arthritis. Requires the Secretary to promote and support pediatric rheumatology training, including by allowing the Secretary to establish a loan repayment program. Requires the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on the economic impact of arthritis in the workplace.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2004
Capacity to Learn for All Students and Schools Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to reauthorize and revise title II provisions for teacher quality enhancement, including: (1) part A, teacher quality enhancement grants for States and partnerships; and (2) part B, preparing tomorrow's teachers to use technology. Establishes a title II part C program of centers of excellence for teachers. Revises II-A State grant, partnership grant, and recruitment grant requirements to include provisions relating to: (1) exemplary teachers and highly qualified teachers as these are defined under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; (2) professional development; (3) parental involvement; (4) high-need schools and local educational agencies; and (5) scientifically-based research. Revises accountability and evaluation. Revises II-B to require equitable distribution of grant and contract awards. Includes among permissible uses of funds teacher preparation in: (1) use and application of universally designed technologies and of assistive technology devices and services; and (2) maximizing access for students with disabilities to participate in the general education curriculum through use of such technology. Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to eligible institutions to establish centers for excellence, under II-C, to ensure that current and future teachers are highly qualified.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2004
Putting Prevention First Act - Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2004 - Authorizes appropriations for family planning services grants and contracts under the Public Health Services Act. Family Planning State Empowerment Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow States to provide family planning services and supplies to certain individuals not otherwise eligible for Medicaid. Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to prohibit a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer providing group coverage, from excluding or restricting benefits in any way for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, and outpatient services if the plan provides benefits for other outpatient prescription drugs, devices, or outpatient services. Amends the PHSA to apply those prohibitions to coverage offered in the individual market. Emergency Contraception Education Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and disseminate information on emergency contraception to the public and to health care providers. Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act - Requires hospitals, as a condition of receiving Federal funds, to offer and to provide, upon request, emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault. Family Life Education Act - Requires the Secretary to make grants to States for family life education, including education on abstinence and contraception to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Preventing Teen Pregnancy Act - Amends the PHSA to authorize the Secretary to award grants to public and private entities to establish or expand teenage pregnancy prevention programs.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2004
No Child Left Behind Reform Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to revise certain requirements which were added by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, including ones relating to: (1) adequate yearly progress (AYP); (2) academic assessment and local educational agency and school improvement; (3) school choice and supplemental services options; and (4) teacher qualifications. Allows schools to be given credit for performing well on measures other than test scores when calculating student achievement. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to State educational agencies to: (1) develop or increase the capacity of data systems for accountability purposes; and (2) subgrants to increase the capacity of local educational agencies to upgrade, create, or manage information databases for the purpose of measuring AYP. Allows schools to target school choice and supplemental services to the students who are members of specified types of groups that fail to make AYP. Requires placement and service in the least restrictive environment for students who receive services under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act who use an option to transfer under ESEA. Revises the definition of highly qualified teacher to authorize States to: (1) use a generalist exam for middle school teachers; and (2) issue certificates that qualify teachers to teach a number of subjects in social studies or in science.