For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 16, 2003

Statement on H.R. 2195

On Friday, August 15, 2003, the President signed into law:

H.R. 2195, the "Smithsonian Facilities Authorization Act", which authorizes the Smithsonian Institution to make separation incentive payments to employees, make improvements to the Patent Office Building, expand the Museum Support Center, and enter into certain multi-year contracts;

H.R. 2465, the "Family Farmer Bankruptcy Relief Act of 2003", which retroactively reenacts the provisions of the Family Farmer Bankruptcy Act as of July 1, 2003, and extends the Act for six months, until January 1, 2004;

H.R. 2854, which extends the availability of State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) allotments for FYs 1998 - 2001, and allows certain States to spend a portion of these allotments on children enrolled in Medicaid; and

S. 1015, the "Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act", which authorizes grants to assist States and local governments in operating mosquito control programs.