Education

TRAUMA Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2004

Trauma Research and Access to Urgent Medical Attention Act of 2004 or TRAUMA Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, with respect to trauma care, to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) conduct and support research, training, evaluations, and demonstration projects; (2) foster the development of appropriate, modern systems of care through the sharing of information among agencies and individuals involved in the study and provision of trauma care; (3) provide State and local agencies technical assistance, including the development of a model plan for triage, transfer, and transportation policies and for the designation of trauma centers; and (4) sponsor workshops and conferences. Allows the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to: (1) establish and provide for the operation of information systems; and (2) collect, coordinate, and exchange information related to trauma system development or operation. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to make matching grants to each State that submits an application and agrees to comply with specified requirements to improve access to and enhance the development of its trauma care systems. Allows additional grants to be made to States, political subdivisions, consortia of States or political subdivisions, and accredited schools of medicine for the same purposes. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health, to establish a comprehensive program of research on trauma, including the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of trauma-related injuries.

District of Columbia National Guard College Access Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2004

District of Columbia National Guard College Access Act - Amends Federal armed forces provisions to authorize the Secretary of the military department concerned to provide financial assistance to an eligible member of the District of Columbia National Guard for expenses while enrolled in an approved institution of higher education in a degree, certificate, or other program leading to a recognized educational credential at such institution. Requires such members, in order to be eligible, to: (1) be such a member for at least 12 consecutive months preceding commencement of the assistance; (2) be enrolled or accepted for enrollment at such an institution; and (3) if already enrolled, maintain satisfactory progress in a course of study in accordance with requirements of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Prohibits assistance amounts from exceeding $2,500 per academic year and $12,500 altogether.

GEAR UP & GO Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2004

GEAR UP & GO Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise specified requirements for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) to facilitate the transition of low-income high school students into postsecondary education. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to carry out a GEAR UP & GO grants program to provide low-income high school students participating in GEAR UP partnerships or State programs opportunities for dual/concurrent enrollment in college courses while still enrolled in high school. Provides that students in such program: (1) shall not be required to apply for admission to the institution of higher education; and (2) may receive college credit. Requires up to 25 percent of GEAR UP & GO program funds to be reserved for grants to early/middle college high schools designed to provide 9th through 12th grade low-income and first-generation college students with a coherent course of study enabling them to earn simultaneously a high school diploma and college credit toward a postsecondary degree.

Helping the People of Haiti Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2004

Helping the People of Haiti Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to direct the United States Executive Director at the Inter-American Development Bank to use the voice and vote of the United States to urge the Bank to release the four social sector and development loans for health, education, water and sanitation, and transportation, that have been approved by the Board of Executive Directors of the Bank and ratified by the Parliament of Haiti. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of State, respectively, to: (1) appeal to international financial institutions and foreign governments to strengthen their assistance efforts to Haiti; and (2) urge such institutions and governments to take immediate steps to provide Haiti with the full range of loans and other financial assistance.

Congratulating the American Dental Association for sponsoring the second annual "Give Kids a Smile" program which emphasizes the need to improve access to dental care for children, and thanking dentists for volunteering their time to help provide needed dental care.

United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2004

Congratulates the American Dental Association for establishing and continuing its sponsorship of the Give Kids a Smile program. Emphasizes the need to improve access to dental care for children. Thanks the thousands of dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and others who volunteered their time to provide dental education, screening, and care to an estimated one million children during this year's Give Kids a Smile program. Thanks Crest Healthy Smiles 2010, Sullivan-Schein Dental, DEXIS Digital X-ray Systems, and Ivoclar Vivadent Inc. for their support of the program.

Green Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2004

Green Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2004 - Directs the President to establish a Green Chemistry Research and Development Program to promote and coordinate Federal research, development, demonstration, education, and technology transfer activities related to green chemistry and chemical engineering to design chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. Requires the President to establish an Interagency Working Group to oversee the planning, management, and coordination of the Program.

ROLE Model Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2004

Respecting Our Leaders in Education Model Act of 2004 - ROLE Model Act of 2004 - Authorizes States, in the event of inadequate Federal funding under part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to waive certain requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

Closing the Health Care Gap Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2004

Closing the Health Care Gap Act of 2004 - Requires specified agencies to: (1) standardize health care quality measures across all Federal government programs; (2) standardize public reporting requirements; and (3) support data collection and reporting efforts in Federal and State agencies. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to improve access to health care for health care disparity populations and to support efforts to increase the enrollment and participation of eligible children in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Provides for refundable tax credits to offset the cost of health insurance. Changes the name of the Office of Minority Health to the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities and changes the duties of the Office and its associated advisory committee to include health disparities as a problem to study and address. Provides grants to support: (1) health professions education for racial or ethnic minorities or health disparity populations; and (2) curricula development for cultural competency training. Requires the Director of the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities to: (1) develop and maintain an Internet clearinghouse to improve health care quality for individuals with specific cultural needs, limited English proficiency, or low functional health literacy; and (2) reduce or eliminate the duplication of efforts to translate materials. Authorizes grants or assistance for and establishes programs and projects to address: (1) the analysis of the causes and sources of health care disparities and strategies to reduce disparities; (2) disease management; (3) the effective measurement of disparities; (4) the analysis and collection of health disparity data; and (5) the recruitment of minority scientists or research professionals to the health disparity field.

Campus Care and Counseling Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2004

Campus Care and Counseling Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to make competitive grants to institutions of higher education for providing and expanding campus mental and behavioral health services for students.

Part-time Student Assistance Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2004

Part-time Student Assistance Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide access and assistance to increase college attendance and completion by part-time students. Exempts from student aid need formula determinations earnings up to: (1) $9,000 by dependent students; (2) $12,000 by independent students with no dependents (other than spouse); and (3) $12,000 by independent students with dependents (other than spouse). Provides for a formula for a revised table of income protection allowances. Exempts earned income credits from the calculation of income. Revises and expands a program (child care access means parents in school) which provides grants to institutions of higher education for child care assistance for low-income students. Directs the Secretary of Education to establish a year-round Pell grant pilot program. Authorizes a demonstration program to create a holistic approach to addressing the needs of part-time students. Allows such program to: (1) be at up to 150 associates and bachelors degree-granting institutions; and (2) include grants, leveraging funds from non-Federal sources, comprehensive child care, and better tailored remedial course programs.

ROTC and Military Recruiter Equal Access to Campus Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2004

ROTC and Military Recruiter Equal Access to Campus Act of 2004 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to prohibit funds made available for the Department of Homeland Security from being provided by contract or grant to an institution of higher education determined by the Secretary of Defense to be ineligible due to a policy or practice of prohibiting or limiting its access to students for purposes of recruitment for the Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. Amends Federal armed forces provisions to direct the Secretary to annually request, from each institution of higher education that has students participating at that institution in a Senior ROTC program during that academic year, a certification that the institution will, during the next academic year: (1) permit the Secretary of each military department to maintain a unit of the Senior ROTC at that institution, should the department Secretary elect to maintain such a unit; and (2) if the department Secretary elects not to maintain such a unit, permit a student of that institution to enroll in a Senior ROTC unit at another institution. Denies the provision of funds made available for certain Federal departments and agencies to institutions of higher education unless military recruiters are provided access to campuses at such institutions that is at least equal in quality and scope to the access to campuses and students that is provided to any other employer. Adds the Department of Homeland Security, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and the Central Intelligence Agency to the list of Federal departments and agencies whose funds will be denied to post-secondary schools that prevent ROTC access or military recruiting. Codifies under Federal armed forces law a provision of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2000 which excludes from such funding prohibition any amounts provided solely for student financial assistance, related administrative costs, or costs associated with attendance.

Consolidated Student Loan Reduction Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2004

Consolidated Student Loan Reduction Act of 2004 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow borrowers to refinance Federal consolidation loans and Federal direct consolidation loans at the same interest rate as Federal Stafford loans, whenever the interest rate of the respective consolidation loan exceeds one percent of the Stafford loan rate. Prohibits charging a fee to any student for such refinancing.

Bring Our Children Home Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2004

Bring Our Children Home Act - Amends the Federal judicial code to provide that a contestant may bring an action in U.S. district court to resolve conflicting child custody determinations. Directs the Attorney General to establish a registry of child custody and visitation orders and proceedings. Authorizes State and local law enforcement officers to hold any child listed as missing for a proper custody disposition. Amends the International Child Abduction Remedies Act to require the U.S. Central Authority under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction to establish a funding program for the provision of legal services to persons seeking remedies in interstate or international parental kidnapping cases. Authorizes the Legal Services Corporation to provide Convention-related legal assistance to qualified aliens. Requires the Central Authority to encourage the designation of courts to hear Convention-related cases. Amends the Federal judicial code to require the Federal Judicial Center to include in its continuing education programs information on the Convention and related laws. Requires various reports relating to international child abduction. Requires the Attorney General to support, through specified activities, the adoption and implementation in the States of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to expand the Safe Havens for Children Pilot Program to include children at risk of parental kidnapping.

Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2004

Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 - Amends the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 to modify the definition of "anabolic steroid" to include tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), androstenedione, and specified related chemicals. Authorizes the Attorney General, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to exempt from regulation any compound, mixture, or preparation that contains any anabolic steroid, that is intended for administration to a human being or an animal, and that does not present any significant potential for abuse because of its concentration, preparation, formulation, or delivery system. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review the Federal sentencing guidelines with respect to offenses involving anabolic steroids and consider amending such guidelines to provide for increased penalties. Directs the Secretary to: (1) award grants to enable public and nonprofit private entities to carry out science-based education programs in elementary and secondary schools to highlight the harmful effects of anabolic steroids; and (2) ensure that the National Survey on Drug Use and Health includes questions concerning the use of anabolic steroids.

Pell Grants Plus Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2004

Pell Grants Plus Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to direct the Secretary of Education to establish a program to award Pell Grants Plus grants to students who: (1) have completed a rigorous secondary school program for State Scholars; (2) are enrolled full-time in their first year of undergraduate education; and (3) are eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants for that year. Sets such Plus grant award at $1,000. Provides for a continuation award for the second year of undergraduate education if the student maintains compliance with certain eligibility requirements and obtains a grade point average of at least 3.0 for the first year. Repeals HEA provisions for Academic Achievement Incentive Scholarships.

GEAR UP & GO Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2004

GEAR UP & GO Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise specified requirements for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) to facilitate the transition of low-income high school students into postsecondary education. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to carry out a GEAR UP & GO program to provide low-income high school students participating in GEAR UP partnerships or State programs opportunities for dual/concurrent enrollment in college courses while still enrolled in high school. Provides that students in such program: (1) shall not be required to apply for admission to the institution of higher education; and (2) may receive college credit.

Expanding Housing Opportunities Through Education and Counseling Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2004

Expanding Housing Opportunities Through Education and Counseling Act - Amends the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act to establish, in the Office of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Office of Housing Counseling. Directs the Office to carry out HUD homeownership and rental counseling functions, including related research, grant administration, public outreach, and development of policy and performance measures. Amends the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 to direct the Secretary to: (1) establish homeownership (including mortgage loan) and rental counseling procedures, and a related a toll-free telephone number and World Wide Web site; (2) certify computer software programs for consumer evaluation of residential mortgage loans; (3) establish a housing counseling multimedia outreach program aimed at elderly persons, persons with language barriers, low-income persons, and other potentially vulnerable consumers; (4) assist States, local government, and non-profit organizations with consumer education programs about mortgage, refinancing, home equity, or home repair loans; and (5) make grants for State, local government, and non-profit organization housing counseling assistance. Directs the Secretary to conduct a home loan default and foreclosure study. Requires organizations to use HUD-certified counselors in order to qualify for specified HUD assistance. Amends the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to revise the mortgage information booklet.

Bring Our Children Home Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2004

Bring Our Children Home Act - Amends the Federal judicial code to provide that a contestant may bring an action in U.S. district court to resolve conflicting child custody determinations. Directs the Attorney General to establish a registry of child custody and visitation orders and proceedings. Authorizes State and local law enforcement officers to hold any child listed as missing for a proper custody disposition. Amends the International Child Abduction Remedies Act to require the U.S. Central Authority under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction to establish a funding program for the provision of legal services to persons seeking remedies in interstate or international parental kidnapping cases. Authorizes the Legal Services Corporation to provide Convention-related legal assistance to qualified aliens. Requires the Central Authority to encourage the designation of courts to hear Convention-related cases. Amends the Federal judicial code to require the Federal Judicial Center to include in its continuing education programs information on the Convention and related laws. Requires various reports relating to international child abduction. Requires the Attorney General to support, through specified activities, the adoption and implementation in the States of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to expand the Safe Havens for Children Pilot Program to include children at risk of parental kidnapping. Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to authorize the disclosure of taxpayer identity information to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

A resolution recognizing the importance of increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders, supporting programs for increased research and improved treatment of autism, and improving training and support for individuals with autism and those who care for individuals with autism.

United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2004

Supports the establishment of April as National Autism Awareness Month. Recognizes and commends the parents and relatives of children with autism for their sacrifice and dedication in providing for the special needs of such children. Supports the goal of increasing Federal funding for aggressive research to: (1) learn the root causes of autism; (2) identify the best methods of early intervention and treatment; (3) expand programs for individuals with autism; and (4) promote understanding of the special needs of people with autism. Commends the Department of Health and Human Services for swift implementation of the Children's Health Act of 2000, particularly for establishing Centers of Excellence for autism-related research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. Stresses the need for early intervention services after a child has been diagnosed with autism. Supports the Federal Government's commitment to provide States with 40 percent of the costs needed to educate children with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Recognizes the shortage of appropriately trained teachers to teach special needs students, including those with autism. Recognizes the importance of worker training programs tailored to the needs of developmentally disabled persons, including those with autism. Notes that people with autism can be productive members of the workforce with appropriate support, training, and early intervention services.

To amend title 10, United States Code, to allow nationals of the United States to attend military service academies and receive Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) scholarships on the condition that the individual naturalize before graduation.

United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2004

Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned, as a condition to admitting a person who is a U.S. national but not a citizen into a military precommissioning program (a pre-officer program provided through a military service academy or the Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program), to require such person to enter into a written agreement under which the person shall agree: (1) to apply for and complete naturalization under requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act before completion of the precommissioning program; and (2) that if failing to apply for and complete such naturalization, to be subject to the same penalties placed on individuals for failing to complete the requirements for advanced education assistance.

Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2004

Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award: (1) grants for reimbursement of travel and subsistence expenses and incidental nonmedical expenses incurred by individuals toward making living organ donations; (2) peer reviewed grants, or enter into contracts, for studies and demonstration projects to increase organ donation and recovery rates; (3) grants to States for organ donor awareness, public education and outreach activities, and programs designed to increase the number of organ donors within the State; and (4) matching grants to qualified organ procurement organizations and hospitals to establish programs coordinating organ donation activities to increase the rate of organ donations for such hospitals. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish a public education program to increase awareness about organ donation and the need to provide for an adequate rate of donation; (2) support the development and dissemination of educational materials to inform health care professionals about organ, tissue, and eye donation issues; and (3) report on the ethical implications of proposals to increase cadaveric donation. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to: (1) develop scientific evidence supporting increased donation and improved recovery, preservation, and transportation of donated organs; and (2) support research and dissemination of findings to develop a uniform clinical vocabulary, apply technology to support organ procurement organizations, enhance the skills of the organ procurement workforce, and assess specific organ recovery, preservation, and transportation technologies. Authorizes the Secretary to establish mechanisms to evaluate the long-term effects associated with living organ donations.

Recognizing the benefits and importance of school-based music education.

United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2004

Declares the sense of the Congress that music education grounded in rigorous instruction is an important component of a well-rounded academic curriculum and should be available to every student in every school. Recognizes the International Music Products Association for its efforts to designate a Music Education Month in order to highlight the important role that school music programs play in the academic and social development of children.

Early Attention to Nutrition (EATN) Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2004

Early Attention to Nutrition (EATN) Act of 2004 - Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to establish multidisciplinary team nutrition networks, through grants to State education agencies and national activities, to promote the nutritional health of school children.

A bill to posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Reverend Oliver L. Brown.

United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2004

Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal in commemoration of the Reverend Oliver L. Brown (the lead plaintiff in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education) in recognition of his and his fellow plaintiffs' enduring contributions to civil rights and American society.

A resolution designating April 2004 as "Financial Literacy Month."

United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2004

States that the Senate designates April 2004 as Financial Literacy Month to raise public awareness about the importance of financial education in the United States and the serious consequences that may be associated with a lack of understanding about personal finances.

Safety for Americans from Nuclear Weapons Testing Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2004

Safety for Americans from Nuclear Weapons Testing Act - Deems each of the following actions undertaken by a Federal agency to be a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment for which a detailed environmental impact statement is required in conformance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969: (1) any action having as a purpose the resumption of nuclear weapon or nuclear explosive device tests at the Nevada Test Site; or (2) use of any other location for such testing. Outlines information required to be included in such statement, including: (1) the possibility of radiation containment failure and the effects of such failure; (2) possible long-term effects on the water table from underground radiation leakage; and (3) information with respect to certain kiloton categories of weapons. Prohibits the United States from resuming any such testing unless authorized by a law enacted after the enactment of this Act. Requires: (1) advance public notice of each test; and (2) prompt notice of each release of radiation beyond the boundaries of the Nevada Test Site. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to institutions of higher education to acquire and operate for ten years radiation detection equipment and sensors. Directs the Secretary of Energy, through the Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency, to monitor the nature and extent of any radiation released into the atmosphere as a result of such testing. Requires: (1) DOE radiation containment assessment; and (2) public notice of monitoring data. Requires the: (1) Director of the National Institutes of Health to make a grant to establish the National Center for the Study of Radiation and Human Health; and (2) Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study of individuals exposed to nuclear weapons tests.

Tribal Contract Support Cost Technical Amendments of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2004

Tribal Contract Support Cost Technical Amendments of 2004 - Amends the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to entitle Indian tribes or tribal organizations to receive, and use at their own discretion, Federal payments for certain contract support costs. Applies such contract support cost entitlement requirements to tribal agreements with: (1) the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Indian Health Service.

Youth Suicide Early Intervention and Prevention Expansion Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2004

Youth Suicide Early Intervention and Prevention Expansion Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants or cooperative agreements to eligible entities that: (1) develop and implement statewide 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) collect and analyze data on statewide youth suicide early intervention and prevention services to monitor the effectiveness of such services and for research, technical assistance, and policy development; and (3) assist States in achieving their targets for youth suicide reductions. Provides for preferential treatment in the award of grants for entities that engage in certain specified activities. Requires the Secretary to: (1) award technical assistance grants and cooperative agreements to State agencies to conduct assessments of the development of such intervention and prevention strategies; (2) conduct research and development on the efficacy of new and existing youth suicide early intervention techniques and technology; (3) promote the sharing of this research and development with relevant Federal and State agencies and statewide entities for the purpose of applying and integrating new techniques and technology into existing intervention systems; (4) collaborate with specified agencies, organizations, and individuals to carry out this Act; and (5) conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of the activities conducted under this Act.

An original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2005 and including the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2006 through 2009.

United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2004

Sets forth the congressional budget for the Federal Government for FY 2005, including the appropriate budgetary levels for FY 2006 through 2009. Lists recommended budgetary levels and amounts, for FY 2005 through 2009, with respect to: (1) Federal revenues; (2) new budget authority; (3) budget outlays; (4) deficits; (5) debt subject to limit; and (6) debt held by the public. Lists the appropriate levels of new budget authority, outlays, and administrative expenses for Social Security and specified major functional categories for FY 2005 through 2009. Sets forth reconciliation instructions for the Senate Committee on Finance. Provides for certain reserve funds for health insurance for the uninsured, higher education, and energy legislation. Provides for adjustments with respect to discretionary spending for: (1) surface transportation; (2) supplemental appropriations for Iraq and related activities; and (3) wildland fire suppression Prohibits Senate legislation that would require advanced appropriations, with a specified exception. Amends H.Con.Res. 95 (108th Congress, 1st Session) to provide that, in the absence of an extension of the discretionary spending limits and PAYGO requirements under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act), any new budget authority, outlays, and receipts resulting from any provision designated as an emergency requirement shall count (currently, shall not count) for purposes of Senate discretionary spending limits and PAYGO requirements of H.Con.Res. 95. Declares that new budget authority, outlays, and receipts resulting from any provision designated as an emergency requirement shall not count for the purposes of any concurrent resolution on the budget. Establishes specified discretionary spending limits in the Senate. Adopts scoring rules for Pell Grant Awards and the Project Bioshield. Declares the sense of the Senate on: (1) budget process reform; (2) budget process reform with regard to the creation of bipartisan commissions to combat waste, fraud, and abuse and to promote spending efficiency; (3) the relationship between annual deficit spending and increases in debt service costs; (4) the costs of the medicare prescription drug program; (5) pay parity; (6) returning stability to payments under medicare physician fee schedule; (7) the use of Federal funds to support American companies and American workers; (8) closing the "tax gap"; and (9) drug comparativeness studies.

Small Employers Health Benefits Program Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2004

Small Employers Health Benefits Program Act of 2004 - Directs the Office of Personnel Management to administer a separate health insurance program for non-Federal employees who are either self-employed or employees of a small business with fewer than 100 employees. Allows the Office to contract with carriers to provide health insurance under this Act. Requires rates charged to reasonably and equitably reflect the costs of the benefits provided. Permits rates and premiums to vary based on age but not on health status factors. Permits the Office to reimburse a carrier for costs that exceed premiums received by a specified percentage. Requires a carrier to make payments to a contingency reserve fund established by the Office if the carrier's costs are lower than expected by a specified percentage. Allows the Office to use such funds to provide assistance to carriers that experience unanticipated financial hardships. Requires the Office to establish a reinsurance fund to provide payments to carriers that experience a catastrophic claim (a claim over $50,000) for benefits provided to an individual enrolled under this Act. Authorizes the Office to contract with entities to administer this health program regionally. Allows certain benefits to be offered to Medicare beneficiaries. Requires the Office to implement a public education campaign regarding this health insurance program. Allows a refundable tax credit for health insurance expenses of small employers who pay a specific percentage of employee expenses under such a health plan.

Equity in Law Enforcement Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2004

Equity in Law Enforcement Act - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to include within the definition of "public safety officer" (thus qualifying for line-of-duty death and disability benefits) individuals serving private institutions of higher education in an official capacity as law enforcement officers, or employed by a rail carrier as police officers, who are sworn, licensed, or certified under State law for purposes of law enforcement and trained to meet training standards for law enforcement officers established by the relevant governmental appointing authority. Qualifies such officers serving private institutions of higher education and rail carriers under that Act's programs of matching grants for law enforcement armor vests and technical assistance to States and local governments.

Assisting America's Rural Schools Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2004

Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to permit rural local educational agencies to defer the application of certain requirements relating to the employment of highly qualified teachers. Allows such deferral for a one-year period beginning with: (1) their employment as middle or secondary school teachers, for teachers new to the profession; or (2) their teaching an academic subject they have not previously taught, for middle or secondary school not new to the profession.

Educational Grants for Great Starts Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2004

Educational Grants for Great Starts Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish a pilot program to: (1) support before-school activities that advance student academic achievement and that encourage establishing of, or increasing participation in, school breakfast programs; and (2) evaluate the effect before-school activities have on school breakfast program participation. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, to make such program grants to seven State agencies to conduct pilot projects in 17 elementary schools in each such State through subgrants to local educational agencies.

Pell Grants Plus Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2004

Pell Grants Plus Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to direct the Secretary of Education to establish a program to award Pell Grants Plus grants to students who: (1) have completed a rigorous secondary school program for State Scholars; (2) are enrolled full-time in their first year of undergraduate education; and (3) are eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants for that year. Sets such Plus grant award at $1,000. Provides for a continuation award for the second year of undergraduate education if the student maintains compliance with certain eligibility requirements and obtains a grade point average of at least 3.0 for the first year. Repeals HEA provisions for Academic Achievement Incentive Scholarships.

Welfare Extension and Marriage Promotion Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2004

Welfare Extension and Marriage Promotion Act of 2004 - Extends through June 30, 2004, the activities authorized by part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) (except with respect to the bonus to reward decrease in illegitimacy ratio), and related activities with respect to the separate abstinence education program under SSA title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) and other matters, to be continued in the manner authorized for FY 2002. Makes necessary appropriations. Extends through June 30, 2004, the national random sample study of child welfare under SSA title IV part A and child welfare waiver authority, to be continued in the manner authorized for FY 2002. Amends part A of SSA title IV to replace provisions for bonus to reward decrease in illegitimacy ratio with provisions for healthy marriage promotion grants. Makes appropriations. Provides funding for research, demonstrations, and technical assistance.

Trade Adjustment Assistance Equity For Service Workers Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2004

Trade Adjustment Assistance Equity for Service Workers Act of 2004 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend trade adjustment assistance (TAA) to workers in a service sector firm or its subdivision or public agency. Revises group eligibility requirements for TAA to include: (1) a shift, by a public agency to a foreign country, of production of articles, or in provision of services, like or directly competitive with articles produced or services provided by the workers' firm, subdivision, or public agency; and (2) the situation where such workers' firm, subdivision, or public agency obtains or is likely to obtain such services from a foreign country. Repeals group eligibility requirements that: (1) the country to which the workers' firm has shifted production of the articles be a party to a free trade agreement with the United States; (2) such country be a beneficiary country under the Andean Trade Preference Act, African Growth and Opportunity Act, or the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act; or (3) there has been or is likely to be an increase in imports of articles that are like or directly competitive with articles which are or were produced by such firm or subdivision. Requires the Secretary of Labor to certify as eligible to apply for TAA any adversely affected secondary workers in a service sector firm or its subdivision or public agency. Specifies criteria for determination of the existence of increased imports of like or directly competitive articles or services. Increases from $220 million to $440 million the amount of fiscal year payments for training of adversely affected workers under the Act. Authorizes the Secretary to waive training requirements for an individual receiving a trade readjustment allowance if he or she has an advanced degree or postgraduate certification in a specialized field and there is a reasonable expectation of employment at equivalent wages in the foreseeable future. Permits as a training program for an adversely affected worker to continue enrollment at an institution of higher education for purposes of obtaining a degree for a maximum 104-week period, and there is a reasonable expectation of employment at equivalent wages in the foreseeable future. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to provide technical assistance for the establishment of industrywide programs for new service development. Modifies the trade monitoring system to include imports of services. Amends the Internal Revenue Code relating to tax credits for health insurance costs of certain TAA and Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC) pension recipients with respect to: (1) redefining "eligible individual" to include any individual who is covered by a TAA petition, under certain conditions; (2) allowing a 100 percent tax credit for the first month of such costs; (3) modifying the cost requirements and the period of creditable coverage; (4) adding a special rule for eligible PBGC pension recipients; (5) continued qualification of family members after an eligible individual becomes Medicare eligible; and (6) offering by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Secretary of the Treasury jointly of Federal fallback coverage in States not offering State qualified health insurance.

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives relating to the extraordinary contributions resulting from the Hubble Space Telescope to scientific research and education, and to the need to reconsider future service missions to the Hubble Space Telescope.

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2004

Recognizes the extraordinary contributions resulting from the Hubble Space Telescope to scientific research and education. Recommends that the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) appoint an independent panel of expert scientists and engineers inside and outside of NASA to examine all possible options for safely carrying out the planned servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Expresses the strong sentiment of the House of Representatives that NASA should continue all planning, preparation, and astronaut training activities for the SM-4 servicing mission without interruption until: (1) the expert panel issues its report; and (2) NASA provides a timetable of compliance with a recommendation of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board report which calls for a fully autonomous capability for all missions, since such compliance will allow both a Hubble servicing mission and missions to the International Space Station to be carried out safely.

Community College Teacher Preparation Enhancement Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2004

Community College Teacher Preparation Enhancement Act of 2004 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a teacher training enhancement program. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to eligible entities for teacher training or preparation. Includes among eligible entities: (1) statewide boards with jurisdiction over community colleges and four-year institutions of higher education (IHEs); (2) partnerships between statewide boards with jurisdiction over community colleges and statewide boards with jurisdiction over four-year IHEs; (3) partnerships between community colleges and four-year IHEs; or (4) community colleges offering teacher preparation programs that provide all, or a significant portion of, teacher training, postbaccalaureate certification, and professional development. Gives priority to proposals for using grants for: (1) teacher preparation in geographic areas with shortages of highly qualified teachers; (2) preparing teachers in kindergarten through grade 12 subject content areas that have a shortage of highly qualified teachers; (3) innovative programs to address teacher training or teacher preparation; (4) outreach into secondary schools; or (5) plans to disseminate information. Requires grantees to use grant funds for at least one of specified mandatory uses. Sets forth permissive uses of grants.

Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act

United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2004

Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) to reauthorize various programs, including the national school lunch and breakfast, child and adult care food, after-school snack, summer food service, and special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC). Revises requirements relating to eligibility for and access to such programs. Reauthorizes, without any termination date, the exclusion of military housing allowances from consideration as income in determining eligibility for free or reduced price lunches. Includes as automatically eligible for free lunches and breakfasts: (1) children or youth defined as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; and (2) youth served under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. Makes eligible also for such special payments any new schools which draw attendance from schools receiving severe need assistance. Extends through FY 2009 the summer food pilot projects and the summer food service program for children. Allows nonprofit organizations to participate in such programs. Revises the child and adult care food program. Extends indefinitely the period during which private day care providers with at least 25 percent of served children eligible for free and reduced price lunch are eligible to participate. Extends, from three years to five years, the period of a tier classification of a family or group day care home. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretary) to issue regulations requiring States to develop and use a standard form of agreement between each family or group home day care sponsoring organization and their homes participating in the program. Extends through FY 2006 the period during which the Secretary is required to reserve funds for providing training and technical assistance to States to improve program management and oversight. Authorizes the Secretary or a State agency to disregard any overpayment to an institution if the total overpayment does not exceed a collection cost amount consistent with other disregards, except where there is evidence of a violation of criminal law or civil fraud law. Allows children up to age 18 (currently 12) to be served program meals while residing at homeless or domestic violence shelters. Directs the Secretary, in conjunction with States and participating institutions, to examine the feasibility of reducing paperwork under the program. Revises eligibility and certification requirements for free and reduced price lunches. Directs the Secretary to base income eligibility guidelines on nonfarm income poverty guidelines issued by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires applications and related descriptive materials for free and reduced price lunches to be distributed at least annually to parents and guardians in clear and understandable format and language. Requires descriptive material to contain: (1) only the income levels for reduced price lunches, and an explanation that lower income levels may mean eligibility for free lunches; and (2) notice that WIC participants in the program are eligible for free or reduced price lunches. Allows applications to be submitted by an adult of the household: (1) as a single application for all children in the household; and (2) electronically if the filing system meets confidentiality standards. Directs local education agencies (LEAs) to verify information in a sample of approved applications, with variations in such samples according to specified formulae based non-response rates. Provides for direct certification of children as eligible for free meals, without further application, based on their being in households receiving assistance under the food stamp program or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program under title IV part A of the Social Security Act. Sets forth privacy protections. Prohibits requiring LEAs to submit free and reduced price meal policy statements to State agencies after the initial submission unless there is a substantive change in such policy. Requires, with certain exceptions, a child's eligibility for free and reduced price lunches to remain in effect from the date of approval for the current school year until the beginning of school in a subsequent school year, or as otherwise specified by the Secretary. Transfers responsibility for local administration of school lunch and breakfast programs from local school food authorities (LSFAs) to LEAs (including appropriate entities determined by the Secretary in cases of private nonprofit school food authorities). Makes LEAs, as well as LSFAs, responsible for program compliance and accountability. Directs the Secretary to give priority consideration to States that will use reallocated funds for technology and information management improvements. Requires States to describe how they will use technology and information management systems to improve program integrity in certain ways. Raises the amount of the minimum State administrative expense grant, and guarantees that such a grant shall not be less than the one received in a previous fiscal year. Permits eligibility for special assistance to be determined district-wide, as an alternative to determining it on an individual school basis. Directs the Secretary to develop and distribute training and technical assistance materials relating to administration of school meals programs. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) provide training and technical assistance related to administrative practices to improve program integrity and administrative accuracy to State educational agencies (SEAs), LSFAs, and LEAs; and (2) assist SEAs in reviewing administrative practices of LSFAs. Establishes additional administrative and performance review requirements for selected LSFAs and LEAs that have demonstrated high levels of or high risks for administrative errors. Directs SEAs, where such a selected LSFA or LEA fails to meet performance criteria established by the Secretary, to: (1) require such entity to develop and carry out a plan of corrective action; (2) provide technical assistance; and (3) conduct a follow-up review. Authorizes the Secretary require the SEA to recover funds that were expended in error and use them to improve program integrity and administrative accuracy. Requires States to provide annual training and technical in administrative practices, emphasizing requirements established under this Act. Requires the Secretary to assist the State or provide such training and technical assistance or directly. Authorizes the Secretary or the State to contract with a third party conducting such activities. Requires each LSFA or LEA to insure that an individual conducting or overseeing such administrative procedures receives such training at least annually. Authorizes the Secretary to assist States in carrying out State training and administrative reviews of selected LSFAs and LEAs with excessive error rates. Requires LEAs participating in school meals programs to establish local school wellness policies with: (1) goals for nutrition education, physical activity, and other school-based activities; (2) nutrition guidelines for all foods sold on school campus during the school day in order to promote health and reduce obesity; (3) a plan to ensure policy implementation, including designating persons with operational responsibility; and (4) involvement of parents, students, and representatives of the LSFA, school board, school administrators, and the public. Revises the system of nutrition education grants to SEAs to provide assistance to State agencies, schools, and nonprofit entities for the Team Nutrition Network (TNN) program and other nutrition education projects that improve student understanding of healthful eating patterns, the quality of school meals, and access to local foods in schools and institutions operating programs under NSLA and CNA. Establishes TNN to: (1) promote the Nation's schoolchildren's health through nutrition education, physical fitness, and other activities supporting healthy lifestyles; (2) provide grants to States to develop Statewide, comprehensive, and integrated nutrition education and physical fitness programs; and (3) provide training and technical assistance to States, school and community nutrition programs, and child nutrition food service professionals. Requires State TNN Coordinators to: (1) administer and coordinate a comprehensive integrated statewide nutrition education program; and (2) coordinate efforts with the Food and Nutrition Service and State agencies responsible for children's health programs. Directs the Secretary to provide assistance for the following types of three-year pilot projects: (1) to States on a competitive basis for State TNN Coordinators to create model nutrition education and physical fitness programs for school students; and (2) to not more than 100 LEAs, at least one per State, to promote healthy eating habits and increase physical fitness among school students. Authorizes the Secretary to provide: (1) technical assistance to SEAs to improve school meal quality; and (2) technical assistance and competitive matching grants to schools and nonprofit entities to improve access to local foods in schools and institutions. Includes fruits and vegetables among the foods to be emphasized in commodity distribution. Revises fruit and vegetable pilot program requirements to direct the Secretary to make available fresh and dried fruits and fresh vegetables to 25 schools in each of four additional States and one Indian reservation, with an emphasis on low-income schools. Requires schools to serve milk in a variety of fat contents. Permits substitute nutritionally-equivalent nondairy beverages to be reimbursable, if a note is provided from a medical authority or the child's parent or guardian. Extends the period during which weighted averages are not required to be used in nutrient analysis of foods under the school lunch program, if school food authority has an equivalent nutrient analysis system. Directs the Secretary to: (1) promulgate rules, based on Federal nutrition guidelines, to increase the presence of whole grains in foods offered in school nutrition programs; and (2) enter into an agreement with a science-based organization to study, determine, and report on appropriate nutritional standards for foods available to students in school, considering total daily dietary intake of students participating in the school foods program. Revises WIC program (under CNA) definitions of: (1) nutrition education to include child development and physical activity; and (2) supplemental foods to provide for consideration of the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Revises certification requirements for WIC program participation to allow: (1) a State to certify breastfeeding women for up to one year or until they stop breastfeeding, whichever is earlier; (2) a local agency to waive the physical presence requirement for infants under eight weeks of age; and (3) applicants or participants to reschedule appointments to apply or be recertified. Directs the Secretary to: (1) promulgate a rule updating the prescribed supplemental foods available through the WIC program, within six months of receiving the review of the WIC food package undertaken by the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine in September 2003; and (2) beginning in 2013, and at least every ten years thereafter, conduct scientific reviews of supplemental foods available in the WIC program and recommend changes to reflect nutrition science, current public health concerns, and cultural eating patterns. Requires State agencies to notify vendors in writing of violations, unless the notification would compromise an investigation. Authorizes State agencies to round up to the next whole can of infant formula to ensure all infants receive the full-authorized nutritional benefit. Revises WIC program competitive bidding provisions to require infant formula: (1) rebate invoices to provide reasonable estimates or actual counts of numbers of units sold to program participants; and (2) bid solicitations amounts to be adjusted on a cent-by-cent basis according to changes in the lowest national wholesale truckload price. Authorizes demonstration projects, in up to ten local sites, to evaluate inclusion of fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables, to be made available through private funds, as an addition to supplemental food provided under the WIC program. Revises WIC program provisions for management information systems to require: (1) States to comply with certain standards for electronic benefit systems; and (2) the Secretary to implement a national Universal Product Code Database for use by all State agencies. Requires participating vendors in the WIC program to purchase infant formula from a State-maintained list of approved manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers. Prohibits State alliances from exceeding 200,000 infant participants (except alliances with such numbers as of October 2003). Allows any State agency serving under 5,000 participants, or any Indian Tribal Organization, to request to join any State alliance. Increases from one to three percent the maximum portion of nutrition services and administration funds a State may expend during the subsequent fiscal year for allowable expenses incurred during a fiscal year. Extends through FY 2009 the authorization of appropriations for: (1) the WIC program; (2) WIC nutrition services and administrative funds; and (3) WIC farmers' market nutrition program. Revises requirements relating to training and technical assistance under NSLA, CNA, and other federally-assisted feeding programs. Directs the Secretary to develop policy and establish procedures regarding the purchase, distribution, notice of consumption, and provision of information regarding irradiated foods in Federal school meals programs. Extends through FY 2009 the authorization of appropriations for: (1) State administrative expenses (CNA); (2) the commodity distribution program (NSLA and the Commodity Distribution Reform Act and WIC Amendments of 1987); (3) purchases of locally produced foods (NSLA); (4) training, technical assistance, and food service management institute (NSLA); and (5) compliance and accountability (NSLA).

Pride in the Lunch Line Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2004

Pride in the Lunch Line Act of 2004 - Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 and the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to provide for the expanded use of technology and information management systems in the administration of the school lunch and breakfast programs, including providing for methods to ensure that there shall not be any overt identification of children receiving free or reduced price meals.

Recognizing the importance of Western civilization.

United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2004

Recognizes that teaching young people to have an appreciation of Western civilization is central to the development and maintenance of a vibrant, united, and enduring U.S. polity, culture, and society. Encourages local school boards and State departments of education to ensure that these concepts and ideals are effectively taught, and that all young people who graduate from high schools do so with an understanding and appreciation of the values, contributions, and accomplishments of Western civilization.

A bill to promote better health for young people through Federal matching awards for physical education programs of excellence, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2004

Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to provide matching awards to maintain eligible schools' high quality physical education programs. Requires the Secretary and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study and report to Congress on the effectiveness of school-based physical education programs in promoting health and well-being, and in preventing obesity, in children. Requires State report cards to include the numbers and percentages of elementary schools, middle schools, and secondary schools in the State that provide physical education programs.

Remote Sensing Applications Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2004

Remote Sensing Applications Act of 2004 - Requires the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey to: (1) establish a program of grants for pilot projects to explore the integrated use of sources of remote sensing and other geospatial information to address State, local, regional, and tribal agency needs; (2) establish an advisory committee to monitor the program; (3) transmit to Congress an independent evaluation of program effectiveness; and (4) ensure that project results are retrievable through an Internet-accessible database. Requires the Director to seek opportunities to assist: (1) in the development of commercial applications potentially available from the remote sensing industry; and (2) State, local, regional, and tribal agencies in applying remote sensing and geospatial information technologies for growth management. Requires the Director to: (1) establish an educational outreach program to increase awareness at institutions of higher education and such agencies of the potential applications of remote sensing and geospatial information; and (2) study the effect of remote sensing imagery costs on potential State, local, regional, and tribal agency applications.

Foreign Affairs Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2005

United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2004

Foreign Affairs Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2005 - Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2005 - Authorizes FY 2005 appropriations for the Department of State for: (1) administration of foreign affairs; (2) educational, cultural, and public diplomacy programs; (3) international organizations and conferences; and (4) international commissions. Authorizes FY 2005 appropriations for: (1) migration and refugee assistance; and (2) U.S. international broadcasting activities. Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) interference with protective functions; (2) administrative subpoena authority; (3) Department of State authority for uniformed security officers; (4) prohibition on transfer of certain visa processing fees; (5) reimbursement from the United States Olympic Committee; (6) biotechnology promotion authority; and (7) the United States Diplomacy Center. Authorizes the establishment of the Latin America Civilian Government Security Program. Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to authorize establishment of the Fellowship of Hope Program. Revises provisions of such Act respecting: (1) reemployed Foreign Service annuitants; (2) home leave; (3) suspension of Foreign Service members without pay; and (4) repeal of the recertification requirement for Senior Foreign Service members. Amends the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 respecting the provision of living quarters and allowances to the United States representatives to the United Nations. Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 to place a 40 percent limit on the United States' share of assessments for UN peacekeeping operations after FY 2004. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise foreign terrorist organization-designation provisions. Provides for the strengthening of United States educational and cultural exchange programs with countries having a significant Muslim population. Edward R. Murrow Fellowship Act - Establishes the Edward R. Murrow Fellowship program pursuant to which the Broadcasting Board of Governors shall provide fellowships to foreign national journalists in positions at the Voice of America, RFE/RL, Incorporated, or Radio Free Asia. International Parental Child Abduction Prevention Act of 2004 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act revise provisions respecting the inadmissibility of aliens supporting international child abductors and relatives of such abductors. Authorizes fellowships for multidisciplinary training on nonproliferation issues. Limits fund use for any diplomatic facility in Jerusalem that is not under the supervision of the United States Ambassador to Israel. Reaffirms congressional policy regarding the criteria for recognition of a Palestinian state. Amends the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 to authorize grants for a Middle East Broadcasting Network. Peace Corps Charter for the 21st Century Act - Amends the Peace Corps Act to revise Peace Corps provisions, including increasing the size of the Peace Corps. Authorizes appropriations. Foreign Assistance Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2005 - Authorizes FY 2005 appropriations for assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and other Acts for: (1) agricultural, educational, and environmental sectors, and the Development Fund for Africa; (2) child survival and health programs fund; (3) development credit authority; (4) technical assistance to foreign governments and foreign central banks of developing or transitional countries; (5) international programs and organizations; (6) international disaster assistance; (7) transition and development assistance; (8) assistance for the independent states of the former Soviet Union; (9) assistance for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States; (10) operating expenses and capital investment funds of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); (11) millenium challenge assistance; (12) international narcotics control and law enforcement; (13) economic support fund; (14) assistance for Israel; (15) assistance for Egypt; (16) international military education and training; (17) peacekeeping operations; (18) nonproliferation, anti-terrorism, demining, and related assistance; (19) foreign military financing program, including assistance for Israel and Egypt; (20) Inter-American Foundation; and (21) African Development Foundation. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 respecting: (1) assistance for nongovernmental organizations; (2) fund use for unanticipated contingencies; (3) lethal excess property; (4) reconstruction assistance under international disaster assistance authority; (5) assistance for the independent states of the former Soviet Union; (6) waiver of net proceeds resulting from disposal of U.S. defense articles provided to a foreign country on a grant basis; (7) transfer of certain obsolete or surplus defense articles in the war reserve stockpiles for allies to Israel; (8) additions to war reserve stockpiles for allies for FY 2004 and 2005; (9) restrictions on economic support funds for Lebanon; (10) administration of justice; (11) demining programs; (12) special waiver authority, including certain provisions respecting Germany; (13) prohibition of assistance for countries in default or to a government resulting from a military coup; (14) exceptions to the requirement for congressional notification of program changes; (15) alternative dispute resolution; (16) assistance for law enforcement forces; (17) special debt relief for the poorest countries; (18) Congo Basin Forest Partnership; (19) landmine clearance programs; and (20) designation of a Middle East Foundation. Amends the Arms Control Act respecting: (1) advance notice to Congress of sales or upgrades of defense articles and comprehensive export authorizations; (2) bilateral agreement requirement exceptions for defense item transfers to the United Kingdom and Australia; and (3) cataloging data and services to non-NATO countries. Makes certain waiver authority under the Freedom Support Act for assistance to independent States formerly under the Soviet Union permanent. Amends Federal law to extend Pakistan foreign assistance waivers. Authorizes Haitian Coast Guard defense purchases. Exempts NATO members, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand from certain license requirements for the transfer of commercial communications satellite information. Authorizes the transfer of certain missile frigate vessels to Portugal and Bahrain. Radiological Terrorism Security Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of State to report on embassy preparations to detect and mitigate radiological attacks. Authorizes the Secretary to assist foreign countries develop radiological response plans. Global Pathogen Surveillance Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretary to award fellowships to eligible nationals to pursue in the United States master of public health degrees with a concentration in epidemiology or advanced public health training in epidemiology. Directs the Secretary to support overseas pathogen identification training for laboratory technicians and other public health personnel. Authorizes: (1) assistance to eligible developing countries for public health laboratory and communications equipment to identify pathogens which may cause disease outbreaks or be used as a biological weapon; (2) assignment of U.S. public health officers or employees to enhance disease and pathogen surveillance efforts in developing countries; and (3) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish new country or regional foreign epidemiology training programs in eligible developing countries. Directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) and the Department of Defense to expand their respective laboratories in eligible developing countries that conduct infectious disease research. Amends specified reporting provisions respecting: (1) territorial integrity; (2) Columbia; (3) foreign military training; (4) human rights in Haiti; and (5) arms and chemical weapons control compliance. Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 respecting certain claims for expropriation by the Government of Nicaragua. Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to: (1) Sierra Leone; (2) Ethiopia; (3) Somalia; and (4) the central African region and the central African countries of Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Authorizes the use of specified funds for the African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program. Conditions the provision of certain funds to Indonesia upon the Government of Indonesia's investigation of the 2002 attack on U.S. citizens in West Papua. Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to make specified Caribbean countries eligible for assistance to combat HIV/AIDS.

Edward R. McPherson, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of Education, vice Eugene Hickok.

United States · United States Senate · 26 February 2004

Work Promotion and Independence Act of 2004

United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2004

Work Promotion and Independence Act of 2004 - Extends through June 30, 2004, activities authorized by part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA), and related activities with respect to the separate abstinence education program under SSA title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) and other matters, to be continued in the manner authorized for FY 2003. Extends through June 30, 2004, the national random sample study of child welfare under SSA title IV part A and child welfare waiver authority, to be continued in the manner authorized for FY 2003. Amends part A of SSA title IV to recalibrate the current credit for caseload reduction (thus reducing the effective State work participation rate target for States with falling caseloads).

Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Creation of the League of United Latin American Citizens.

United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2004

States that the House of Representatives: (1) commemorates the 75th Anniversary of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and its work to improve the education, health care, and overall welfare of Hispanic Americans; (2) recognizes the history and spirit of this great and well respected civil rights organization; and (3) acknowledges the many achievements that this organization has accomplished and wishes LULAC continued success in its endeavors.

Expressing the sense of Congress that Kids Love a Mystery is a program that promotes literacy and should be encouraged.

United States · United States Congress · 26 February 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.

UNITE Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2004

Uniting Neighborhoods and Individuals To Eliminate Racial Profiling Act (UNITE Act) - Prohibits any Federal, State, or local law enforcement agent or agency from engaging in racial profiling. Requires Federal law enforcement agencies to: (1) cease practices that encourage racial profiling; and (2) maintain policies and procedures designed to eliminate racial profiling, including educational training on racial profiling as part of Federal law enforcement training, procedures for responding meaningfully to complaints alleging racial profiling, and procedures to discipline Federal agents who engage in racial profiling. Establishes within the Department of Justice (DOJ) the National Task Force on Racial Profiling to oversee State-based administrative complaint procedures and to establish an education and awareness program. Requires: (1) each State and local law enforcement agency that desires funds under any DOJ-administered grant program to certify that it is developing and implementing a plan to to eliminate racial profiling that meets specified requirements; and (2) each State that desires funding to establish and maintain specified State-based administrative complaint procedures. Authorizes the Attorney General, through the Bureau of Justice Assistance, to make grants to State and local law enforcement agencies to assist them in developing programs to eliminate racial profiling.

Department of Energy University Nuclear Science, Engineering, and Health Physics Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2004

Department of Energy University Nuclear Science, Engineering, and Health Physics Act - Instructs the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology, to support a program to invest in human resources and infrastructure in the nuclear sciences, engineering, and health physics fields. Directs the Secretary to: (1) promote interactions between university and Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories; and (2) provide student fellowships at DOE nuclear science laboratories. Authorizes appropriations through FY 2008 that target: (1) graduate and undergraduate fellowships; (2) junior faculty research initiation grant programs; (3) nuclear engineering and education research programs; (4) communication and outreach related to nuclear science, engineering, and health physics; (5) refueling research reactors and instrumentation upgrades; (6) relicensing assistance; (7) reactor improvements through the innovations in the Nuclear Infrastructure and Education Program; and (8) university-DOE laboratory interactions.