The world's political record
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351 records in 2003
Austria · National Council · 22 September 2003
Schriftliche Anfrage der Abgeordneten Mag. Brigid Weinzinger, Kolleginnen und Kollegen an den Bundesminister für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft betreffend eklatante Missstände in österreichischen Legebatterie-Betrieben
Austria · National Council · 22 September 2003
Schriftliche Anfrage der Abgeordneten Mag. Brigid Weinzinger, Kolleginnen und Kollegen an die Bundesministerin für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur betreffend Alternativen zum Tierversuch
European Union · Council of the European Union · 18 September 2003
France · Senate · 17 September 2003
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2003
Freedom to Establish State High Air Quality (FrESH AIR Quality) Act - Retains to States, Indian tribes, municipalities, and air pollution control agencies the right to decide whether or not to implement the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) August 27, 2003 new source review revisions.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2003
Great Lakes Water Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to issue, within 30 days after enactment of this Act, a regulation that prohibits any vessel with a ballast water tank from entering the Great Lakes if more than five percent of the capacity of the tank contains ballast water. Requires the master of such a vessel to certify compliance with such prohibition to the Secretary or the Secretary's designee before the vessel's departure from the first lock in the St. Lawrence Seaway.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2003
National Highway Borders and Trade Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish and implement a coordinated border infrastructure program under which the Secretary shall make allocations to border States (i.e., States with a common boundary with Canada or Mexico) for projects within a border region (the portion of a border State located within 100 kilometers of a land border crossing with Canada or Mexico) to improve the efficient and safe movement of people and goods at or across the U.S.-Canadian and U.S.-Mexican borders. Permits allocations to States to be used in a border region only for specified: (1) improvements to transportation and supporting infrastructure that facilitate cross-border vehicle and cargo movement; (2) construction of highways and related safety and safety enforcement facilities; (3) operational improvements; (4) international coordination of planning, programming, and border operation; (5) projects in Canada or Mexico proposed by border States that directly and predominantly facilitate cross-border vehicle and commercial cargo movements; and (6) planning and environmental studies. Directs the Secretary to allocate among border States funds based on a formula which takes into consideration the average annual weight of cargo entering a border State by commercial vehicles across the international borders and the average trade value of all cargo imported and exported. Sets the Federal cost share of projects under this Act at 80 percent. Directs the Secretary to carry out a program to allocate funds to States for coordinated planning, design, and construction of corridors of national significance.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2003
Urges any trade and investment agreement that is negotiated by the executive branch with other foreign countries to comply with certain minimum standards regarding: (1) investor and investment policy; (2) certain services; (3) policies to support American workers and small, minority, and women-owned businesses; (4) environmental, labor, and other public interests; (5) U.S. trade laws; (6) food safety; (7) agriculture and food security; (8) transparency; (9) governmental authority; (10) access to medicines and seeds; and (11) special treatment for developing countries.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2003
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into cooperative agreements with New Mexico State University, the University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University to: (1) conduct certain studies required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; (2) perform related activities in connection with the ten year plan of the National Forest Service grazing allotments for National Forest System lands in New Mexico and Arizona; and (3) perform all range and continuing range analysis for National Forest System lands in New Mexico and Arizona.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2003
Clean Air Planning Act of 2003 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require integrated air quality planning for the electric generating sector. Establishes national pollutant tonnage limitations for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, and carbon dioxide. Provides for review and revision of annual tonnage limitations. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish trading programs for nitrogen oxide and mercury allowances. Directs the Administrator to establish reserves of nitrogen oxide and mercury allowances as set asides for new units. Establishes a nitrogen oxide and mercury allowance transfer system. Directs the Administrator to establish a carbon dioxide allowance trading program. Makes allowances available to projects certified by a newly established independent review board. Permits the trading of allowances under any U.S. or internationally recognized carbon dioxide reduction program. Establishes a carbon dioxide allowance transfer system. Revises the new source review program to cover unit changes after 2008 and to permit the lowest achievable emission rate standard to take cost into account. Revises the sulfur dioxide allowance program to establish an allowance reserve for new units and to establish maximum emissions for states in the Western Regional Air Partnership.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2003
Strengthening Science at the Environmental Protection Agency Act - States that conducting, sponsoring, and evaluating environmental science and technology research shall be a central mission of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Requires the President to appoint a Deputy Administrator for Science and Technology of the EPA to coordinate and oversee the agency's science and technology activities and ensure that its decisions are informed by the results of appropriate and relevant research. Requires appointment of an Assistant Administrator for Research and Development, who shall be a person with an outstanding science and technology background.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2003
Upper White Salmon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act - Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate specified portions of the White Salmon River, Washington, as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop and administer the comprehensive management plan required by the Act for the designated sections of the River in accordance with that portion of the preferred alternative of the Forest Service Wild and Scenic River Study Report and Final Legislative Environmental Impact Statement for the Upper White Salmon River dated July 7, 1997, addressing only those sections.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2003
Urges any trade and investment agreement that is negotiated by the executive branch with other foreign countries to comply with certain minimum standards regarding: (1) investor and investment policy; (2) certain services; (3) policies to support American workers and small, minority, and women-owned businesses; (4) environmental, labor, and other public interests; (5) U.S. trade laws; (6) food safety; (7) agriculture and food security; (8) transparency; (9) governmental authority; (10) access to medicines and seeds; and (11) special treatment for developing countries.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2003
Transportation, Treasury, and General Government Appropriations Act, 2004 - Makes appropriations for FY 2004 to the Department of Transportation for: (1) the Office of the Secretary; (2) the Federal Aviation Administration; (3) the Federal Highway Administration; (4) the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; (5) the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; (6) the Federal Railroad Administration; (7) the Federal Transit Administration; (8) the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation; (9) the Maritime Administration; (10) the Research and Special Programs Administration; (11) the Office of Inspector General; and (12) the Surface Transportation Board. Makes appropriations for FY 2004 to the Department of the Treasury for: (1) Departmental Offices; (2) the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; (3) the Financial Management Service; (4) the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau; (5) the U.S. Mint; (6) the Bureau of the Public Debt; and (7) the Internal Revenue Service. Makes appropriations for FY 2004 to the Executive Office of the President and to the President for: (1) compensation of the President and the White House Office; (2) the Executive Residence at the White House; (3) Special Assistance to the President and the Official Residence of the Vice President; (4) the Council of Economic Advisers; (5) the Office of Policy Development; (6) the National Security Council; (7) the Homeland Security Council; (8) the Office of Administration; (9) the Office of Management and Budget; (10) the Office of National Drug Control Policy; (11) Federal Drug Control Programs; and (12) unanticipated needs. Makes appropriations for FY 2004 to: (1) the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board; (2) the Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled; (3) the Election Assistance Commission; (4) the Federal Election Commission; (5) the Federal Labor Relations Authority; (6) the Federal Maritime Commission; (7) the General Services Administration; (8) the Merit Systems Protection Board; (9) the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation; (10) the National Archives and Records Administration; (11) the National Historical Publications and Records Commission; (12) the National Transportation Safety Board; (13) the Office of Government Ethics; (14) Office of Personnel Management; (15) the Office of Special Counsel; (16) the United States Postal Service; (17) the United States Tax Court; and (18) the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance. Sets forth general provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 5 September 2003
Environmental Health Research Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants for the development and operation of not more than six centers to conduct multidisciplinary research on environmental factors that may be related to the development of women's health conditions. Requires each center to conduct basic and clinical research, develop training protocols, conduct training, develop model continuing education programs, and disseminate information to professionals and the public, with priority to prevention activities. Requires each center to: (1) collaborate with community organizations; and (2) use the facilities of a single institution or be formed from a consortium of institutions. Limits support to five years but allows extensions under specified circumstances. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to establish a comprehensive research program on the impact and occurrence of hormone disrupting chemicals as they affect human, ecological, and wildlife health. Requires the program to: (1) compile scientifically valid information, with an emphasis on the effect of low doses during critical life stages and the extent of human and wildlife exposure; (2) research the mechanisms by which such chemicals interact with biological systems as well as their screening and tracking; and (3) include the participation of the U.S. Geological Survey. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Hormone Disruption Research Interagency Commission. Establishes a Hormone Disruption Research Panel within the Institute.
United States · United States Congress · 5 September 2003
Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 - Makes appropriations for FY 2004 for: (1) the Department of Veterans Affairs; (2) the Department of Housing and Urban Development; (3) the American Battle Monuments Commission; (4) the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board; (5) the Department of the Treasury, Community Development Financial Institutions Fund Program Account; (6) the Consumer Product Safety Commission; (7) the Corporation for National and Community Service; (8) the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; (9) the Department of Defense-Civil; (10) the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health; (11) the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; (12) the Environmental Protection Agency; (13) the Hazardous Substance Superfund, including transfers of funds; (14) the Executive Office of the President; (15) the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; (16) the General Services Administration; (17) the Interagency Council on the Homeless; (18) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; (19) the National Credit Union Administration; (20) the National Science Foundation; (21) the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation; and (22) the Selective Service System. Specifies certain uses and limits on or prohibitions against the use of funds appropriated by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 September 2003
Reducing Crime and Terrorism at America's Seaports Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) entry by false pretenses to a secure area of a seaport; (2) knowingly failing to obey an order to heave to by an authorized Federal officer; (3) forcibly interfering with an authorized law enforcement action or providing false information during a boarding; (4) willfully disabling a passenger vehicle; and (5) unlawfully and intentionally destroying any aid to maritime navigation maintained by the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation that endangers safe navigation. Sets penalties for knowingly and intentionally: (1) placing in U.S. waters a device or substance likely to destroy or damage a vessel or its cargo or likely to interfere with safe navigation or maritime commerce; (2) discharging or releasing into U.S. navigable water or adjoining shoreline any substance that would endanger human life, health, or welfare or the marine environment; (3) transporting aboard any vessel explosive, biological, chemical, or radioactive or nuclear material to be used to commit a Federal crime of terrorism. Sets penalties for: (1) transporting aboard any vessel a terrorist or terror suspect; (2) willfully causing destruction of a vessel or maritime facility; (3) imparting or conveying false information concerning an attempt made to commit certain criminal acts; and (4) knowingly carrying a weapon, explosive, incendiary device, or loaded firearm on a vessel or at a seaport. Requires the Attorney General to issue regulations to require the reporting of cargo theft. Expands the scope of a prohibition against theft of interstate or foreign shipments. Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to increase penalties for noncompliance with manifest requirements.
European Union · European Parliament · 4 September 2003
United States · United States Congress · 4 September 2003
Honors the Water Environment Federation for its 75 years of service toward the preservation and enhancement of the global water environment.
Austria · National Council · 2 September 2003
Antrag der Abgeordneten Dr. Eva Glawischnig, Kolleginnen und Kollegen betreffend Klima-Konjunkturpaket 200 Mio. Euro für Umweltschutz und Beschäftigung
European Union · European Parliament · 1 September 2003
European Union · European Parliament · 1 September 2003
France · Senate · 28 August 2003
France · Senate · 27 August 2003
Germany · German Bundestag · 15 August 2003
Austria · National Council · 12 August 2003
Schriftliche Anfrage der Abgeordneten DDr. Erwin Niederwieser, Kolleginnen und Kollegen an den Bundesminister für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft betreffend Zusammenlegung Lebensmitteluntersuchung Innsbruck und VMIBK/Veterinärmedizinische Untersuchungen Innsbruck
Austria · National Council · 12 August 2003
Schriftliche Anfrage der Abgeordneten Mag. Johann Maier, Kolleginnen und Kollegen an den Bundesminister für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft betreffend Umsetzung der EU-Richtlinie 2002/70/EG - Innerstaatlicher Handlungsbedarf?
Austria · National Council · 12 August 2003
Schriftliche Anfrage der Abgeordneten Mag. Johann Maier, Kolleginnen und Kollegen an den Bundesminister für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft betreffend Umsetzung der EU-Richtlinie 2002/62/EG - Innerstaatlicher Handlungsbedarf?
Austria · National Council · 12 August 2003
Schriftliche Anfrage der Abgeordneten Mag. Johann Maier, Kolleginnen und Kollegen an den Bundesminister für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft betreffend Umsetzung der EU-Richtlinie 2002/32/EG - Innerstaatlicher Handlungsbedarf?
Austria · National Council · 12 August 2003
Schriftliche Anfrage der Abgeordneten Mag. Ulrike Sima, Kolleginnen und Kollegen an den Bundesminister für Wirtschaft und Arbeit betreffend Österreichs Position zur EU-Binnenmarktstrategie 2003-2006: Der Griff nach unserem Wasser droht!
Austria · National Council · 12 August 2003
Schriftliche Anfrage der Abgeordneten Dr. Helene Partik-Pablé, Kolleginnen und Kollegen an den Bundesminister für Inneres betreffend Lärmbelästigung durch Musikveranstaltungen am "Vienna" Fußballplatz
Austria · National Council · 12 August 2003
Schriftliche Anfrage der Abgeordneten Erika Scharer, Kolleginnen und Kollegen an den Bundesminister für Verkehr, Innovation und Technologie betreffend Verkauf des ÖBB-eigenen Kraftwerks Uttendorf
Austria · National Council · 12 August 2003
Schriftliche Anfrage der Abgeordneten Mag. Johann Maier, Kolleginnen und Kollegen an die Bundesministerin für Gesundheit und Frauen betreffend Wild- und Wildfleischuntersuchungen 2002
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2003
National Clean and Safe Water Fund Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a National Clean and Sage Water Fund to carry out water quality projects. Grants priority to projects located in a watershed in a State where there has been a violation of that Act or the Safe Drinking Water Act. Permits the use of civil penalties assessed under that Act or the Safe Drinking Water Act to be used for these remedial projects.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2003
National Highway Borders and Trade Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish and implement a coordinated border infrastructure program under which the Secretary shall make allocations to border States (i.e., States with a common boundary with Canada or Mexico) for projects within a border region (the portion of a border State located within 100 kilometers of a land border crossing with Canada or Mexico) to improve the safe movement of people and goods at or across the U.S.-Canadian and U.S.-Mexican borders. Permits allocations to States to be used in a border region only for specified: (1) improvements to transportation and supporting infrastructure that facilitate cross-border vehicle and cargo movement; (2) construction of highways and related safety and safety enforcement facilities; (3) operational improvements; (4) international coordination of planning, programming, and border operation; (5) projects in Canada or Mexico proposed by border States that directly and predominantly facilitate cross-border vehicle and commercial cargo movements; and (6) planning and environmental studies. Directs the Secretary to allocate among border States funds based on a formula which takes into consideration the average annual weight of cargo entering a border State by commercial vehicles across the international borders and the average trade value of all cargo imported and exported. Sets the Federal cost share of projects under this Act at 80 percent. Directs the Secretary to carry out a program to allocate funds to States for coordinated planning, design, and construction of corridors of national significance.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2003
Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 - Makes appropriations for FY 2004 for: (1) the Office of the Secretary of Transportation; (2) the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); (3) the Federal Highway Administration (FHA); (4) the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; (5) the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); (6) the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), earmarking a specified amount for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak); (7) the Federal Transit Administration (8) the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation; (9) the Maritime Administration; (10) the Research and Special Programs Administration; (11) the Office of Inspector General; (12) the Surface Transportation Board; (13) the Department of the Treasury; (14) the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; (15) the Financial Management Service; (16) the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau; (17) the United States Mint; (18) the Bureau of the Public Debt; (19) the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); (20) the Postal Service; (21) the Executive Office of the President; (22) the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board; (23) the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB); (24) the Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled; (25) the Federal Election Commission (FEC); (26) the Election Assistance Commission; (27) the Federal Labor Relations Authority; (28) the Federal Maritime Commission; (29) the General Services Administration (GSA); (30) the Merit Systems Protection Board; (31) the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation; (32) the National Archives and Records Administration; (33) the Office of Government Ethics; (34) the Office of Personnel Management (OPM); (35) the Office of Special Counsel; (36) the United States Tax Court; and (37) the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance. Sets forth specified prohibitions, limitations, permissions, and mandates with respect to the use of appropriations under this Act. Bars the use of funds appropriated by this Act to: (1) pay for an abortion, or the administrative expenses in connection with any health plan under the Federal employees health benefits program which provides any benefits or coverage for abortions (except where the life of the woman would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term or the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest); (2) implement a proposed rule declaring real estate brokerage to be an activity that is financial in nature or incidental to a financial activity, thereby permitting banks to enter the real estate business as agents and brokers; (3) collect, review, or create a list by any means of any personally identifiable information relating to an individual's access to or use of any Federal Government Internet site; or (4) enter into or renew a contract for a federal employee health plan which includes a provision providing prescription drug coverage, except where the contract also includes a provision for contraceptive coverage. (Prohibits such a health plan, however, from covering abortions or abortion-related services, and from discriminating against an individual on the basis that the individual refuses to prescribe contraceptives because such activities would be contrary to his or her religious beliefs or moral convictions). Provides a 4.1 percent pay raise for all Federal employees. Requires each Federal agency to report annually to Congress on the competitive sourcing (privatizing) activities performed by it during the previous fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2003
POPS, LRTAP POPs, and PIC Implementation Act of 2003 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to prohibit (subject to certain exemptions and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS Convention)) the manufacture, processing, distribution in commerce, use, or disposal of a Pops chemical substance or mixture. Defines "Pops chemical substance or mixture" as the following: (1) aldrin; (2) chlordane; (3) DDT; (4) dieldrin; (5) endrin; (6) heptachlor; (7) hexachlorobenzene; (8) mirex; (9) PCBs; (10) toxaphene; and (11) any other chemical substance or mixture listed in Annexes A or B to the Convention and with respect to which an amendment adding the substance or mixture to one of the Annexes has entered into force with respect to the United States. Provides for the implementation of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (PIC Convention). Prohibits (subject to certain exemptions and the Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants to the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP)) the manufacture, processing, distribution in commerce, or use of certain LRTAP POPS chemical substances or mixtures. Establishes procedures for: (1) a citizen to petition the Administrator to commence a rulemaking for any chemical added to the Convention or Protocol; and (2) the inclusion of additional chemicals at a future date, with opportunities for public involvement. Requires international cooperative efforts by EPA. Subjects exports of PIC Convention-listed chemicals to specified restrictions and requirements. Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to provide for the regulation of POPS pesticides (the substances listed in the first paragraph, above) and LRTAP POPS pesticides, including through registration and exemptions, controls on imports and exports, international cooperative efforts, certification statements, and notice and recording by the Administrator.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Environmental Terrorism Reduction Act - Directs the Attorney General to establish and maintain a national clearinghouse for information on incidents of crime and terrorism committed or directed against any commercial activity (or connected person) because of its perceived effect on the environment. Establishes in the Department of Justice the Environmental Terrorism Reduction Program. Authorizes the Attorney General to designate high intensity environmental terrorism areas qualifying for Federal assistance. Sets forth criteria for such designation, including the extent to which: (1) the area is a center of crimes committed in the name of the environment; and (2) a significant increase in Federal resources is necessary to respond adequately to environmental terrorism activities in the area.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Genetically Engineered Organism Liability Act of 2003 - States that a biotech company shall be liable, and that the liability may not be waived or avoided, to any party injured by the release of a genetically engineered organism into the environment if the injury results from such genetic engineering. Defines "biotech company" and "injury" for purposes of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Genetically Engineered Crop and Animal Farmer Protection Act of 2003 - Requires a biotech company that sells any genetically engineered animal, plant, or seed that will be used in the United States to: (1) provide the purchaser with written notice of possible legal and environmental risks of such article's use (such disclosure shall neither relieve the company from liability, nor be construed to create purchaser liability); and (2) disclose any technology fees to the Secretary of Agriculture, and not charge fees that are higher than those outside the United States. Sets forth related contract prohibitions and limitations. Directs the Secretary to: (1) identify which plants are outcrossed pollinators and make such information available to affected sellers and purchasers; and (2) issue rules to require mitigationtrategies for predominately outcrossed crops. Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to: (1) establish the best achievable resistance plan for plant-incorporated pesticides engineered to include toxins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt); (2) revoke Bt registrations not in plan compliance; and (3) reduce a pesticide's use if it is determined to be facilitating Bt-toxin resistance in pests. Prohibits: (1) labeling seeds as non-genetically engineered if the Secretary determines such seeds contains genetically engineered material; (2) manufacture, sale, or planting of genetically engineered or chemically induced non-fertile seeds; and (3) loan discrimination against a producer who refuses to use genetically engineered plants or animals. Authorizes, with respect to violations under this Act,: (1) the Secretary to assess civil penalties; and (2) citizen civil actions against the Secretary, a Federal agency, or an individual.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Right-to-Ride Livestock on Federal Lands Act of 2003 - Amends Public Law 91-383 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to preserve and facilitate the continued use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on parts of National Park System lands where there is a historical tradition of such use. Directs that as a general rule, all trails, routes, and areas used by such animals shall remain open and accessible for such use. Allows the Secretary of the Interior to implement a proposed reduction in the use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on such lands only after complying with the full review process required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Makes the same amendments to other laws regarding other public lands as follows: (1) the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, with respect to Bureau of Land Management lands; (2) the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, with respect to National Wildlife Refuge System lands; and (3) the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, with respect to National Forest System lands (with the Secretary directed to act in this case being the Secretary of Agriculture). Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to issue final rules to define the meaning of a historical tradition of use of pack and saddle stock animals on Federal lands for purposes of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Nuclear Waste Terrorist Threat Assessment and Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to coordinate the development and implementation of an interagency plan to prepare for and defend against terrorist crimes targeting the Yucca Mountain Project (high-level nuclear waste repository being studied at Yucca Mountain, Nevada). Requires that the plan: (1) include a comprehensive analysis of the safety and vulnerability of the Project to terrorism; (2) address specified types of attacks; (3) give special emphasis to addressing the use of nuclear waste as a radiological weapon, the use of specified technologies, and sabotage or theft of high-level nuclear waste; and (4) include a comprehensive strategy for defending against terrorism and an analysis of the economic, public health, and environmental costs and impacts of implementing the interagency plan. Directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate the development and implementation of a comprehensive interagency plan to ensure that Federal, State, and local government response plans and programs can respond adequately to the consequences of terrorism against the Project. Requires the Secretary and FEMA to enter into appropriate arrangements with the National Research Council for technical review of the plans. Prohibits the Secretary of Energy from submitting a license application regarding, and prohibits the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from issuing a license for, a Yucca Mountain repository unless: (1) such plans are completed and included in the final environmental impact statement for Yucca Mountain; (2) public hearings have been held for affected populations; (3) the Secretary has certified that the Project is not vulnerable to terrorism; and (4) the Secretary has prepared and transmitted to Congress a report on the potential liability costs and damages resulting from a wide range of Federal terrorism crimes against the Project.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Chemical Facility Security Act of 2003 - Requires owners or operators of selected chemical storage facilities to develop and implement a site security plan that addresses the facility's vulnerability to a terrorist release. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to promulgate regulations specifying: (1) which facilities should be selected based on the likelihood of terrorist attack, the nature of the substances stored, the potential harm if released, cost, and technical feasibility; (2) a timetable for the completion of a vulnerability assessment and site security plan; (3) the contents of the plan; (4) plan certification and availability requirements; and (5) limits on the disclosure of sensitive information. Requires the Secretary to provide owners or operators with relevant threat information to the extent practicable. Grants the Secretary access to the premises, security plans, and other records, as necessary, for any selected facility. Permits chemical sources required to prepare a facility vulnerability assessment and a facility security plan or an emergency response plan under other acts to be excluded from the requirements of this Act. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide the Secretary, upon request, with any vulnerability assessment or emergency response plan received by the Administrator under the terrorist and other intentional acts provision of the Safe Drinking Water Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Genetically Engineered Pharmaceutical and Industrial Crop Safety Act of 2003 - Prohibits: (1) a pharmaceutical crop or industrial crop to be grown, raised, or otherwise cultivated until the final regulations and tracking system required by this Act are in effect; and (2) cultivation of a pharmaceutical crop or industrial crop in an open air environment, or in a food commonly used for human food or domestic animal feed. Directs: (1) the United States Department of Agriculture to establish a tracking system to regulate the growing, handling, transportation, and disposal of all pharmaceutical and industrial crops and their byproducts to prevent contamination; and (2) the Secretary of Agriculture to issue related regulations. Authorizes the Secretary to assess civil penalties for violations of such provisions. Directs the National Academy of Sciences to report on alternative methods to produce pharmaceuticals or industrial chemicals that may be conducted in controlled production facilities without the risk of contamination. Defines: (1) genetically engineered plant; (2) genetically engineered material; (3) genetically engineered seed; (4) pharmaceutical crop; and (5) industrial crop.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2003
Orphan Highway Restoration Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to make grants and provide technical assistance to States and local governments to: (1) perform preventive maintenance on or carry out projects for resurfacing, restoration, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of orphan highways; and (2) rehabilitate, repair, or construct sidewalks, medians, bike lanes, traffic-calming devices, signaling, or signage to enhance community livability on or adjacent to such highways. Defines "orphan highway" as one that: (1) is or was formerly a United States numbered highway; (2) is located within the boundaries of a local government (which includes an Indian Tribe); (3) is no longer a principal route for traffic passing through the State after construction of a bypass or Interstate; (4) currently functions as a county, parish, or city arterial or collector route or provides access to or within Federal or tribal lands; and (5) because of decreased importance to statewide transportation has received only routine maintenance, but needs significant resurfacing, restoration, reconstruction, or rehabilitation. Specifies projects to receive funding priority, such as those that include rehabilitation measures that focus on pedestrian safety, that are coordinated with State and local adopted preservation plans, that promote cost-effective and strategic investments in transportation infrastructure that minimizes adverse environmental impacts, or that foster public-private partnerships. Sets forth provisions regarding fund distribution and the Federal cost share.
France · Senate · 24 July 2003
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2003
Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 - Makes appropriations for FY 2004 for: (1) the Department of Veterans Affairs; (2) the Department of Housing and Urban Development; (3) the American Battle Monuments Commission; (4) the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board; (5) the Department of the Treasury, Community Development Financial Institutions Fund Program Account; (6) the Consumer Product Safety Commission; (7) the Corporation for National and Community Service; (8) the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; (9) the Department of Defense-Civil; (10) the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health; (11) the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; (12) the Environmental Protection Agency; (13) the Hazardous Substance Superfund, including transfers of funds; (14) the Executive Office of the President; (15) the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; (16) the General Services Administration; (17) the Interagency Council on the Homeless; (18) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; (19) the National Credit Union Administration; (20) the National Science Foundation; (21) the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation; and (22) the Selective Service System. Specifies certain uses and limits on or prohibitions against the use of funds appropriated by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2003
Reforming, Accelerating, and Protecting Interstate Design (RAPID) Act - Authorizes a State transportation department or local transportation agency to award a multimodal transportation project that is located within the boundaries of a donor State (a State that receives a percentage of Highway Trust Fund apportionments and allocations that is less than the percentage attributable to tax payments from highway users in that State), that is within a network of interconnected corridors, that is privately financed, and that contains multiple transportation modes (including highway and rail and utility corridors), using any procurement process permitted by applicable State and local law. Allows a donor State to authorize a consultant under a contract for such a project to prepare an environmental impact assessment relating to a segment of the project of less than independent utility and without logical termini. Increases the Federal cost share of certain activities carried out within a donor State. Makes a limitation on the use of toll revenues inapplicable to a donor State. Allows the total amount of funds paid from the Highway Account to a State for construction of a highway, bridge, or tunnel within the boundaries of that State to be repaid to the Secretary of Transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2003
Hawaii Agriculture/Livestock Shipping Open Market Act of 2003 - Amends the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, to make the requirement that all cargo shipping between U.S. ports occur exclusively on U.S. flagged vessels inapplicable with respect to transportation in Hawaii noncontiguous trade of merchandise that is a forest product, agricultural product, or livestock on a foreign qualified freight vessel for which the Secretary of Transportation has issued a certificate of documentation. Amends the Shipping Act, 1916, to repeal certain requirements regarding: (1) the percentage of ownership of a corporation operating in coastwise trade owned by U.S. citizens; and (2) seizure and forfeiture of documented vessels. Requires jurisdiction for an action brought for recovery for injury to or death of a seaman against a defendant employer that does not reside or maintain an office in the United States and that engages in any enterprise that makes use of one or more ports in the United States to be under the district court most proximate to the place of the occurrence of the personal injury or death that is the subject of the action. Authorizes the employer of a master or member of the crew of a vessel, at the employer's election, to participate in an authorized compensation plan under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. Subjects all vessels operating in the U.S. coastwise trade to minimum international labor and environmental standards. Sets requirements for non-citizens irregularly engaging in the U.S. domestic coastwise trade.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2003
Hawaii Shipping Open Market Act of 2003 - Amends the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, to make the requirement that all cargo shipping between U.S. ports occur exclusively on U.S. flagged vessels inapplicable with respect to transportation in Hawaii noncontiguous trade of merchandise on a foreign qualified freight vessel for which the Secretary of Transportation has issued a certificate of documentation. Amends the Shipping Act, 1916, to repeal certain requirements regarding: (1) the percentage of ownership of a corporation operating in coastwise trade owned by U.S. citizens; and (2) seizure and forfeiture of documented vessels. Requires jurisdiction for an action brought for recovery for injury to or death of a seaman against a defendant employer that does not reside or maintain an office in the United States and that engages in any enterprise that makes use of one or more ports in the United States to be under the district court most proximate to the place of the occurrence of the personal injury or death that is the subject of the action. Authorizes the employer of a master or member of the crew of a vessel, at the employer's election, to participate in an authorized compensation plan under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. Subjects all vessels operating in the U.S. coastwise trade to minimum international labor and environmental standards. Sets requirements for non-citizens irregularly engaging in the U.S. domestic coastwise trade.