Right Start Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-18
Sponsor: Sen. Daschle, Thomas A. [D-SD]
Introduced: 2003-01-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Adoption
Adult education
Agriculture and Food
Aid to dependent children
Alcoholism
Authorization
Beverages
Bikeways
Block grants
Cardiovascular diseases
Caregivers
Cash welfare block grants
Child health
Child nutrition
Chronically ill
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Clinics
Commerce
Community health services
Commuting
Conferences
Confidential communications
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Continuing education
Cost effectiveness
Court records
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal justice information
Curricula
Day care
Department of Health and Human Services
Depressed areas
Diabetes
Diet
Dietary supplements
Disability insurance
Disciplining of employees
Discrimination
Discrimination in employment
Dismissal of employees
Distance education
Drug abuse
Drug therapy
Eating disorders
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Educational accountability
Electronic government information
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Employee health benefits
Employment subsidies
Evaluation research (Social action programs)
Evidence (Law)
Exercise
Families
Family leave
Family violence
Federal aid to Indians
Federal aid to education
Federal aid to health facilities
Federal employees
Food relief
Food stamps
Geriatrics
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Grocery trade
Health counseling
Health education
Health surveys
Higher education
Income tax
Indian medical care
Infants
Internet
Labor and Employment
Law
Leave of absence
Lifestyle
Literacy programs
Maternal health services
Medical education
Medical research
Medical screening
Medical statistics
Medical tests
Medicare
Mental illness
Minorities
Minority health
Nonprofit organizations
Nursing homes
Nutrition
Obesity
Older workers
Parent-school relationships
Physical education and training
Pregnant women
Prejudice
Preschool education
Preventive medicine
Public service advertising
Public-private partnerships
Puerto Rico
Quality of life
Recreation
Restaurants
School health programs
School lunch program
Science, Technology, Communications
Secondary education
Senior centers
Sick leave
Small business
Smoking
Social Welfare
Sports and Recreation
Tax incentives
Taxation
Teacher education
Teleconferencing
Trails
Transportation and Public Works
Unemployment insurance
Volunteer workers
Walking
Web sites
Weight loss
Whistle blowing
Wife abuse
Women

Summary:
action_date: 2003-01-07
text: Right Start Act of 2003 - Extends and increases authorizations of appropriations for: (1) the Head Start Act; (2) State entitlements to funding for child care, under Social Security Act (SSA) provisions for block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families (TANF); and (3) services to low-income families through the social services block grant under SSA. Increases set-aside portion of funds for child care quality under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990.
Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act - IMPACT Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to address issues of overweight and obesity. Expands certain existing grant programs for health professional training to include the treatment of overweight and obesity. Creates grant programs at the local level to promote increased physical activity and improved nutrition. Expands an existing coordinated school health program to include grants for the development of programs which focus on healthy lifestyle, including balanced diet and physical activity. Authorizes the collection and analysis of data concerning the fitness levels of children and youth. Requires a study of the food and nutrition assistance programs run by the Department of Agriculture to determine how they can be improved or altered to help prevent obesity and overweight. Requires an evidence report study on the effectiveness of weight reduction programs. Permits the use of preventive health and health services block grants for community education programs which promote healthy eating and exercise habits. Creates a Medicare demonstration project to reduce obesity and other chronic disease risks in older Americans. Makes grants available to local healthcare delivery systems for overweight and obesity treatment and prevention demonstration programs. Provides grants and contracts for a national youth media campaign to change children's health behaviors.
Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act - Family Income to Respond to Significant Transitions Insurance Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make grants to a State or local government to pay for the Federal share of the cost of carrying out projects that assist families by providing wage replacement for eligible individuals responding to caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a son or daughter or other family caregiving needs.
Family and Medical Leave Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to extend coverage to employees at worksites where the employer employs at least 25 (currently 50) employees at the worksite and within 75 miles of that worksite.
Amends FMLA and Federal civil service law to entitle to leave those employees who must address the effects of domestic violence.
Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2003 - Permits the Office of Personnel Management to contract with one or more employing agencies to conduct a demonstration project that provides paid leave for eligible individuals who are responding to caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a son or daughter or other family caregiving needs. Requires the leave to last for at least six weeks during a 12-month period.
 Time for Schools Act of 2003 - Amends FMLA to allow employees covered by such Act to take up to 24 hours, during any 12-month period, of school involvement leave to participate in: (1) an academic activity of their child's school, such as a parent-teacher conference or an interview for a school; or (2) literacy training under a family literacy program. Amends Federal civil service law to provide the same school involvement leave allowance for Federal employees.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-01-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2003-01-07
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR 1/9/2003 S134)
action_date: 2003-01-07
text: Introduced in Senate