United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
Requests the President and directs the Secretary of State, not later than 14 days after the date of adoption of this resolution, to transmit to the House of Representatives all documents, including telephone and electronic mail records, logs, calendars, minutes, and memos, in the possession of the President and the Secretary relating to communications with officials of the United Kingdom from January 1, 2002 to October 16, 2002, relating to U.S. policy with respect to Iraq, including any discussions or communications between the President or other Administration officials, or the Secretary or other officials of the Department of State, and officials of the United Kingdom that occurred before the July 23, 2002 meeting in London, England, between Prime Minister Tony Blair, United Kingdom intelligence officer Richard Dearlove, and other national security officials of the Blair Administration.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2005
Teach for America Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award a grant to Teach For America, Inc. to implement and expand its program of recruiting, selecting, training, and supporting new teachers.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2005
Lupus Research, Education, Awareness, Communication, and Healthcare Amendments of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to expand research on lupus to include: (1) basic research to discover the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of the disease; and (2) research to validate lupus biomarkers. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to work with a consortium of academic health institutions to undertake an epidemiological study to determine the prevalence and incidence of lupus in the United States. Requires the Director of CDC to: (1) enter into a cooperative agreement with such consortium to develop, implement, and manage a system for lupus data collection and analysis; and (2) ensure that such consortium represents different geographic areas and includes individuals of racial and ethnic backgrounds disproportionately affected by lupus. Requires the Secretary to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to study and make recommendations related to lupus, to include: (1) evaluating federal and state activities related to lupus and recommending ways to expand such activities; (2) identifying gaps in federal research; and (3) recommending ways to improve the quality of life for people with lupus. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office on Women's Health, to conduct and support a national lupus public awareness and health professional education campaign, with an emphasis on reaching populations at highest risk for the disease.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2005
Commends: (1) the Philadelphia Coalition's commitment to active integration and inclusion of all races, genders, and ethnicities in the face of a crime that arose from intolerance and exclusion (the 1964 murder of three civil rights workers by Edgar Ray Killen and other Ku Klux Klansmen); (2) the Coalition for proving that it is never too late for justice to be served; and (3) the commitment and determination of Coalition members to come together for the common aims of justice, dialogue, and progress in the face of adversity.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that Congress should raise awareness of domestic violence in the nation by supporting the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2005
Secure Transit and Rail Across America and Invest in National Security Act of 2005, or the Secure Trains Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) submit to Congress the National Strategy for Transportation Security within 30 days after enactment of this Act; and (2) develop certain supplemental requirements, including prioritized recommendations for improving public transportation and railroad security. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to improve the security of public transportation systems against acts of terrorism. Directs the Secretary to: (1) report to owners, operators, and providers of public transportation systems and specified others on best practices for the security of public transportation systems; (2) develop a national plan for public outreach and awareness of measures the public can take to increase such security; and (3) establish National Transportation Security Centers at institutions of higher education. Sets forth certain whistleblower protections for Department of Homeland Security employees and federal contractors or subcontractors who provided information or otherwise assisted in an investigation of violations of any law or regulation related to national or homeland security, filed or participated in a proceeding related to such violation, or refused to violate or assist in the violation. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of such protections. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for freight and passenger rail (including hazardous materials transportation) security upgrades. Authorizes appropriations for Amtrak for certain fire and life-safety improvements to specified tunnels along the Northeast Corridor. Establishes a research and development (R&D) program to improve railroad security. Requires the Secretary to issue guidelines for a rail worker security training program. Sets forth certain whistleblower protections for rail employees or other persons providing information about perceived security threats. Directs the Secretary to: (1) analyze the cost and feasibility of requiring security screening for passengers, baggage, and cargo on passenger trains; (2) issue certain emergency responder training standards; and (3) provide grants to the Operation Respond Institute.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2005
Fostering Adoption to Further Student Achievement Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include, under the definition of independent student for financial need analysis purposes, individuals who were adopted from the foster care system when they were 13 years of age or older.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should temporarily suspend restrictions on remittances, gift parcels, and family travel to Cuba to allow Cuban-Americans to assist their relatives in Cuba in the aftermath of Hurricane Dennis.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to regulate the handling and purchase of ammonium nitrate to prevent its misappropriation or use in an act of terrorism. Authorizes the Secretary to promulgate regulations that require: (1) handlers to register facilities, to sell or distribute ammonium nitrate only to registered handlers and purchasers, and maintain records of sale or distribution that include the name, address, telephone number, and registration number of the immediate subsequent purchaser of ammonium nitrate; and (2) registration of purchasers. Authorizes the Secretary to make warrantless inspections during business hours of any place that may handle ammonium nitrate to determine whether such handling accords with this Act. Makes it unlawful for any person to: (1) fail to perform any duty required by this Act and related regulations; (2) violate the terms of registration under this Act; (3) fail to keep any record, make any report, or allow any inspection required by this Act; or (4) violate any sale or distribution order issued under this Act. Establishes civil penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Video Choice Act of 2005 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit a competitive video services provider (CVSP) from being required to obtain a franchise in order to provide any video programming, interactive on-demand services, other programming services, or any other video services in an area in which the CVSP has any right or authority to establish lines in or across public rights-of-way and such right or authority does not rely on, and is independent of, any cable franchise obtained by the CVSP. Allows the CVSP to be subject to the payment of fees (with limits) to a local franchising authority based on the gross revenue of the CVSP in that area. Provides for the regulatory treatment of CVSPs.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Consumer Data Security and Notification Act of 2005 - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to cover communication of personally identifiable information by certain unregulated information brokers who, for compensation, regularly assemble or evaluate personally identifiable information for the purpose of furnishing reports to third parties (thereby bringing them within the scope of FCRA coverage). Imposes an affirmative, continuing obligation upon each consumer reporting agency to respect the privacy of consumers and to protect the security and confidentiality of their nonpublic personal information. Instructs the Federal Trade Commission to promulgate safeguards for the protection of nonpublic consumer information. Amends the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to direct federal oversight agencies to include certain data security notification requirements within the regulations governing financial institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Declares that it is U.S. policy not to enter into any base agreement with the government of Iraq that would lead to a permanent U.S. military presence in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2005
Cybersecurity Education Enhancement Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Cybersecurity, to establish, in conjunction with the National Science Foundation, a program to award grants to institutions of higher education for: (1) cybersecurity professional development programs; (2) associate degree programs in cybersecurity; and (3) the purchase of equipment to provide training in cybersecurity for either professional development or degree programs. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation to operate the program. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary to establish an e-security fellowship program to bring state, local, tribal, and private sector officials to participate in the work of the National Cybersecurity Division in order to become familar with Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity missions and capabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2005
Commemorates the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. Calls upon: (1) the President to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide; and (2) the government of the Republic of Turkey to acknowledge the culpability of its predecessor state, the Ottoman Empire, for the Armenian Genocide, and to promote rapprochement with the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people. Supports the Republic of Turkey's accession to the European Union (EU) if Turkey acknowledges culpability, pursues rapprochement, and meets other EU accession criteria, and calls upon the EU to look with favor upon such actions by the government of the Republic of Turkey. Calls upon the President, the Secretary of State, the EU, and others to assist the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people in this process.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2005
Amends the federal criminal code to reestablish the United States Parole Commission as an independent agency in the Department of Justice. Sets forth the Commission's powers, including the powers to grant or deny an application or recommendation to parole, and to modify or revoke an order paroling, an eligible prisoner. Makes a prisoner serving a definite term or terms of more than one year eligible for release on parole after serving one-third of such terms, or after serving ten years of a sentence of over 25 years (or life). Subjects a prisoner convicted under District of Columbia (DC) law to the guidelines used by the former DC parole board. Grants courts the authority to: (1) designate a minimum term at the expiration of which the prisoner shall become eligible for parole, which may be less than, but not more than, 10 years; or (2) fix the maximum sentence to be served. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) parole determination criteria; (2) conditions of parole; (3) jurisdiction of the Commission; (4) early termination of parole; (5) aliens subject to deportation after parole; (6) summonses to appear and warrants for retaking parolees; (7) revocation of parole for violators; (8) appeals of disputes over the time of eligibility for release, parole denials, conditions, and revocations; (9) good time credits; and (10) compassionate release requirements. Grants the Commission jurisdiction over the parole of persons whose parole was governed by the Parole Commission Phase-Out Act of 1996 or by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2005
Privacy Officer With Enhanced Rights Act of 2005 or POWER Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 with respect to the authorities of the privacy officer of the Department of Homeland Security. Specifies the privacy officer's investigative authority to: (1) have access to all records and other materials available to the Department relating to programs and operations for which the privacy officer has responsibilities; (2) make necessary or desirable investigations and reports on the administration of Department programs and operations; (3) require by subpoena the production, by persons other than Federal agencies, of all information and other data and documentary evidence necessary to performance of the privacy officer's functions; (4) administer oaths, affirmations, or take affidavits; and (5) take any other action that may be taken by the Inspector General of the Department, as necessary to require Department employees to produce documents and answer questions relevant to performance of the privacy officer' s functions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2005
Establishes in the legislative branch the Independent Commission on the Investigation of Detainee Abuses to conduct a full, complete, independent, and impartial investigation of the abuses of detainees in connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, or any operation within the Global War on Terrorism, including, but not limited to: (1) the extent of the abuses; (2) why the abuses occurred; and (3) who is responsible. Directs the Commission, in connection with the investigation, to assess, analyze, and evaluate relevant persons, policies, procedures, reports, and events. Authorizes the Commission to report interim findings, conclusions, and recommendations to Congress and the President. Requires a final report containing recommendations for corrective measures. Terminates the Commission 60 days after its final report.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2005
Pulmonary Hypertension Research Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to expand, intensify, and coordinate the activities of the Institute with respect to research on pulmonary hypertension and to coordinate the Director's activities with related activities of other national research institutes and National Institutes of Health (NIH) agencies. Requires the Director to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of centers to conduct research and programs on pulmonary hypertension, including: (1) basic and clinical research into the cause, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, control, and treatment of the disease; (2) training programs for scientists and health professionals; (3) programs to provide information and continuing education to health professionals; and (4) programs for the dissemination of information to the public. Requires the Director to establish: (1) a data system for the collection, storage, analysis, retrieval, and dissemination of data derived from patient populations with pulmonary hypertension; and (2) an information clearinghouse to facilitate and enhance knowledge and understanding of pulmonary hypertension by health professionals, patients, industry, and the public.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Teen Dating Violence Education Act of 2005 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide that authorized domestic violence education programs include state-specific information on the legal rights of teenage victims of dating violence.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Supports: (1) initiatives developed by the Firefighter Life Safety Summit and the mission of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the United States Fire Administration to reduce firefighter fatalities and injuries; and (2) the goals of the national "stand down" called by fire organizations beginning on June 21, 2005, and encourages all fire departments to participate in this effort. Encourages implementation of the new "Everyone Goes Home" campaign to make firefighter safety a national priority.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2005
Gas Price Spike Relief Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a 4.3 cents per gallon reduction in the rate of excise tax for gasoline, diesel fuel, special fuels, and certain methanol or ethanol fuels during any period of months in which the motor fuel price index is 10 percent greater than such index for the immediately preceding month (temporary rate reduction period). Allows dealers in such fuels to apply for tax refunds during a temporary rate reduction period.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Servitude and Emancipation Archival Research ClearingHouse Act of 2005 or the SEARCH Act of 2005 - Directs the Archivist of the United States to establish, as part of the National Archives, a national database consisting of historic records of servitude and emancipation in the United States to assist African Americans in researching their genealogy. Requires the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to maintain the database.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2005
Louis Braille Bicentennial--Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins emblematic of the life and legacy of Louis Braille, whose design: (1) on the obverse shall bear a representation of the image of Louis Braille; and (2) on the reverse shall emphasize Braille literacy and include the word for Braille in Braille code. Authorizes the Secretary to issue such coins only during 2009. Subjects all coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin. Requires all surcharges to be promptly paid by the Secretary to the the National Federation of the Blind to further its programs to promote Braille literacy.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2005
Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2005 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) phase out the waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare benefits under SSA title XVIII (Medicare); and (2) eliminate the waiting period for individuals with life-threatening conditions to become eligible for such benefits. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to request the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to study the range of disability conditions that can be delayed or prevented if individuals receive access to health care services and coverage before a condition reaches disability levels.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
Teacher Excellence for All Children Act of 2005 - Revises and establishes programs relating to recruitment, preparation, distribution, and retention of public elementary and secondary school teachers and principals. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish: (1) teacher education assistance for college and higher education (TEACH ) grants for undergraduate and graduate students who agree to serve as teachers in high-need schools or fields; and (2) grants to recruit teachers with mathematics, science, or language majors. Extends the authorization of appropriations for HEA teacher quality enhancement grants for states and partnerships. Revises HEA student loan forgiveness requirements to: (1) extend permanently additional amounts for teachers in mathematics, science, or special education provided by the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act of 2004; (2) increase other amounts, making reading specialists eligible for such forgiveness; and (3) apply forgiveness in annual increments rather than in a lump sum at end of service. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, to establish grant programs to improve teaching at high-need schools. Requires states to provide assurances of their reasonable progress toward equitable access to teacher quality as a condition of assistance under ESEA. Amends the Education Sciences Reform Act to direct the Statistics Commissioner to publish results of certain schools and staffing surveys. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) exclude from gross income up to $15,000 for compensation of teachers and principals in certain high-need schools or teaching certain high-need subjects; and (2) increase to a maximum of $500 and make permanent the above-the-line deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary schoolteachers.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins emblematic of the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln in commemoration of the bicentennial of his birth. Permits issuance of such coins only during 2009. Subjects the coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
Recognizes: (1) African descendants for their contributions to the economic, social, and cultural fabric of the countries in the Americas, particularly in Latin American and Caribbean societies; and (2) that as a result of their skin color and ancestry such descendants have experienced economic, social, and political injustices. Urges the President to encourage the remembrance of the achievements of African descendants in the Americas and a resolution of such injustices. Urges the United States and the international community to work to ensure that poverty is eradicated, universal education is achieved, quality healthcare is made available, environmental resources are provided, and equal access to justice is granted in Afro-descendant communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Keeping Our Promises to America's Children Act of 2005 - Provides a moratorium on compliance with certain requirements for adequate yearly progress under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (ESEA), for any fiscal year in which amounts appropriated are less than those authorized for the applicable program, project, or activity under ESEA title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) part A (Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies) (I-A). Authorizes state or local educational agencies receiving I-A funds to observe such moratorium. Directs the Secretary of Education to ensure that otherwise applicable negative consequences shall not apply to such recipients because of such action.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Affordable Housing Tax Credit Enhancement Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase to $3.70 the per capita amount for determining the state housing credit ceiling; and (2) rename the low-income housing credit as the affordable housing credit.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Attorney General to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that: (1) constitutes a crime of violence under federal law or a felony under state or Indian tribal law; and (2) is motivated by prejudice based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of the victim or is a violation of the hate crime laws of the state or tribe. Directs the Attorney General to give priority for assistance to crimes committed by offenders who have committed crimes in more than one state and to rural jurisdictions that have difficulty covering the extraordinary investigation or prosecution expenses. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to assist state, local, and Indian law enforcement officials with such extraordinary expenses. Directs the Office of Justice Programs to: (1) work closely with funded jurisdictions to ensure that the concerns and needs of all affected parties are addressed; and (2) award grants to state and local programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles. Prohibits specified offenses involving actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Amends the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to require the crime data to be collected and published by the Attorney General to include data about crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on gender and gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Guaranteeing Airport Physical Screening Standards Act of 2005 - Amends federal transportation law to set a deadline of 120 days after enactment of this Act for the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security of the Department of Homeland Security to require screening (at a minimum, screening for metal objects) or inspection of all individuals, goods, property, vehicles, and other equipment before entry into a secured area of a U.S. airport. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to require random screenings and inspections until such deadline is met. Authorizes the Secretary to hire additional passenger and baggage screeners to ensure aviation security. Directs the Secretary to require airport personnel accessing airport sterile areas from unrestricted areas to undergo security screening. Requires the Secretary to ensure that all unescorted airport personnel accessing airport sterile and secured areas have undergone a background check. Directs the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) to report to Congress on ongoing efforts and projected timelines for: (1) developing and implementing uniform screening standards for airport personnel with access to sterile areas; (2) completing, and making available to airport operators, an assessment of available technologies applicable to securing airport perimeters; and (3) developing and implementing a standardized approach to conducting airport vulnerability assessments and compliance inspections.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Right to Fly Act - Amends the International Air Transportation Competition Act of 1979 to repeal the restriction to certain charter, commuter, and flights to contiguous states of air transportation for compensation or hire between Love Field, Texas, and one or more points outside the State of Texas.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Reaffirms President Bush's support for the United Nations (UN) Millennium Declaration and supports a sustained U.S. commitment to work with other nations to advance the policy reforms, leadership, and resources necessary to reduce extreme poverty and promote human dignity. Urges the President, the Secretary of State, and other executive branch officials to use every opportunity, including at the forthcoming G-8 Summit in Scotland and the UN Summit on the Millennium Declaration in New York, to provide U.S. leadership and resources to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Expresses gratitude for the compassion and generosity of the American people and their desire to promote global security and prosperity while striving to eliminate poverty and human suffering.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
Haitian Compassion Act - Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate Haiti as a country whose qualifying nationals may be eligible for temporary protected status. Provides for: (1) an initial 18-month designation period; and (2) authorization for temporary travel abroad.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
Supports the establishment of September as Campus Fire Safety Month. Encourages administrators and municipalities across the country to: (1) provide educational programs to all students during September and throughout the school year; (2) evaluate the level of fire safety being provided in both on- and off-campus student housing; and (3) take the necessary steps to ensure fire-safe living environments through fire safety education, installation of fire suppression and detection systems, and the development and enforcement of applicable codes relating to fire safety.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Martin Luther King, Jr., Records Collection Act of 2005 - Directs the National Archives to commence establishment of a collection of records to be known as the "Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Records Collection" at the National Archives. Requires the Archivist of the United States to enter into an agreement with an entity outside the National Archives for the establishment of a secondary location for copies of such part of the Collection as considered appropriate. Instructs the National Archives to ensure the security of the records in the Collection that qualify for postponement of public disclosure pursuant to this Act. Sets forth provisions for the: (1) review, identification, transmission to the National Archives, and public disclosure of records related to the life and assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by Government offices; and (2) postponement of public disclosure of related records or particular information in such records. Establishes the Martin Luther King Records Review Board. Provides for the appointment of an Executive Director to such Board. Sets forth requirements for the review of all assassination and related records for public disclosure or postponement of public disclosure by the Review Board. Grants Presidential authority over such disclosure or postponement of executive branch related records or information, or of any information in a related record obtained or developed solely within the executive branch.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to make federal provisions which prohibit the obligation or expenditure of funds either in excess of appropriated amounts or in violation of sequestration orders under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1986 inapplicable to: (1) any amount collected or received as federal universal service contributions; or (2) the expenditure or obligation of amounts attributable to such contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Responsible Education About Life Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to States for family life education, including education on abstinence and contraception, to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Expresses the sense of Congress that States are encouraged but not required to provide matching funds. Requires the Secretary to provide for a national evaluation of a representative sample of such programs for effectiveness in changing adolescent sexual behavior, including delaying sexual and high-risk activity, preventing pregnancy and disease (including HIV/AIDS), and increasing contraceptive knowledge. Requires States receiving such grants to provide for an individual evaluation of the State's program by an external, independent entity.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2005
Recognizes the historical significance to the Nation, and supports the continued celebration, of Juneteenth Independence Day (June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved African Americans were free). Declares the sense of Congress that: (1) history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and solving the challenges of the future; and (2) the celebration of the end of slavery is an important and enriching part of the history and heritage of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Calls for the adoption of a Sensible, Multilateral American Response to Terrorism (SMART) security platform for the 21st century that: (1) prevents future acts of terrorism by strengthening international institutions and respect for the rule of law; (2) reduces the threat and stops the spread of weapons of mass destruction and reduces the proliferation of conventional weapons; (3) addresses root causes of terrorism and violent conflict; (4) shifts U.S. budget priorities to more effectively meet U.S. security needs; and (5) pursues to the fullest extent alternatives to war.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2005
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from tax interest on federally-guaranteed bonds for the financing of water, wastewater, and essential community facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2005
Honor Our Fallen Prisoners of War Act - Requires the Secretary concerned to award the Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces who die in captivity under circumstances not otherwise establishing eligibility for the Purple Heart. Makes this Act effective as to members of the Armed Forces who die on or after December 7, 1941, including those who die prior to enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2005
Public Safety Act - Prohibits funds provided by the federal government to a state or local government for the purpose of providing core correctional services from being used to contract with private contractors or vendors to provide such activities. Defines "core correctional services" as the housing, safeguarding, protecting, and disciplining of persons charged or convicted of an offense. Amends the federal criminal code to require the Bureau of Prisons to provide that: (1) any penal or correctional facility or institution, except a facility for nonprofit community correctional confinement (such as halfway houses), confining any person convicted of offenses against the United States shall be under the direction of the Director of the Bureau and shall be managed and maintained by federal, state, or local government employees; and (2) the housing, safeguarding, protection, and disciplining of any person charged with or convicted of any offense against the United States (with that exception) shall be conducted and carried out by federal, state, or local government employees.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2005
Children's Vision Improvement and Learning Readiness Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants to states for providing: (1) comprehensive eye examinations for children, with priority given to children under nine years old; (2) subsequent vision treatment or services to correct vision problems; and (3) educational materials to parents, teachers, and health care practitioners on recognizing signs of visual impairment in children. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop criteria to collect data related to vision assessment and the utilization of follow-up services; and (2) coordinate the grant program with appropriate federal and state child services programs. Requires states to annually submit to the Secretary a program evaluation.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community Act of 2005 - Establishes the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community to develop a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of the American Latino Community in Washington, D.C.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century Act - Revises, expands, or provides new rights and benefits for members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their dependents and survivors, including, among others: (1) an FY 2006 increase in funding for veterans' medical care; (2) a prohibition until the end of FY2006 on medication copayments and on the imposition of a health care system enrollment fee; (3) an extension until 2010 of Vietnam veterans' eligibility for readjustment counseling services; (4) the collection of data from pre- and post-deployment health assessments, and preventive maintenance post-deployment intervention; (5) the prevention, early detection, and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for returning troops; (6) a Department of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs Council on Post-Deployment Mental Health; (7) survivors' and dependents' eligibility for family and bereavement counseling; (8) certain educational initiatives; (9) a National Steering Committee on PTSD Education and a PTSD public awareness program; (10) certain benefits and outreach services for disabled veterans; (11) an increase in survivors' dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC); (12) certain pay increases and bonuses for active-duty members; (13) an expansion of benefits under under both the active-duty and reserve Montgomery GI Bill programs; (14) employment assistance for homeless veterans; (15) expanded reserve member eligibility under the TRICARE program (a Department of Defense managed health care program); (16) certain recruitment and retention incentives for Selected Reserve members; and (17) certain pay matters with respect to Federal employees performing active-duty reserve service. Repeals the: (1) DIC offset from Survivor Benefit Plan surviving spouse annuities; (2) pay reduction and high school graduation requirement for participation in the Montgomery GI Bill educational assistance program; (3) delimiting date for entitlement to basic educational assistance under such program; (4) time limitation on the exclusion of combat zone compensation by reason of hospitalization; (5) tax cut (implemented in 2001) for high-income taxpayers; (6) scheduled termination of the phaseout of personal exemptions; and (6) scheduled phaseout of the overall limitation on itemized deductions.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
Student Bill of Rights - Directs the Secretary of Education to make annual determinations as to whether each state's public school system provides all its students with educational resources to succeed academically and in life. Requires such education to enable students to: (1) acquire knowledge and skills necessary for responsible citizenship; (2) meet challenging academic achievement standards; and (3) compete and succeed in a global economy. Requires each system to do so through: (1) providing specified fundamentals of educational opportunity to students at each public elementary and secondary school; (2) providing educational services in school districts that receive funds for disadvantaged students that are, taken as a whole, at least comparable to educational services provided in school districts not receiving such funds; and (3) complying with any final federal or state court order in any matter concerning the adequacy or equitableness of the system. Requires withholding of specified portions of its federal funding for administrative expenses if a system: (1) fails to meet a yearly interim goal; (2) does not remedy, after two school years, a failure to provide comparable educational services to schools that receive funds for disadvantaged children; or (3) does not comply with a court order. Allows students or parents aggrieved by violations of this Act to bring civil actions for enforcement in federal district courts. Directs the Commissioner of Education Statistics to study the effects of educational disparities on economic growth and on national defense.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2005
Meat Promotion Act of 2005 - Amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to replace current mandatory country of origin labeling requirements with a voluntary country of origin labeling program for meat and meat products. Sets forth: (1) limitations on use of United States country of origin labels; and (2) civil penalties for program violations.
![Official portrait of Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/t000193_200.jpg)