United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Paid Family and Medical Leave Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a Family and Medical Insurance Program, with benefits to be administered by each state (or by the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration in any state whose Governor requests this). Entitles eligible employees to Program benefits, including 55% of weekly basic earnings for 12 workweeks of leave during any 12-month period. Requires certification by health care providers of employees or of their eligible family or household members. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a tax on employers to finance a Family and Medical Leave Trust Fund in the Treasury to for Program benefits. Exempts from such tax employers with voluntary plans approved by the Secretary as equivalent or better than the Program. Allows self-employers to elect to pay such tax to receive Program benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Clarification of Federal Employment Protections Act - States that Congress, in order to dispel any public confusion, repudiates any assertion that federal employees are not protected from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Expresses the sense of the Congress that, in the absence of such prohibition, discrimination against federal employees and applicants for federal employment on the basis of sexual orientation is prohibited under current federal law. Amends federal law to prohibit any federal employee who has authority to take, direct others to take, recommend, or approve any personnel action, from discriminating for or against any federal employee or applicant for federal employment on the basis of sexual orientation.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Violence Against Women Act of 2005 - Amends the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994, VAWA of 2000 (VAWA-2000), the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (OCCSSA), the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), the Social Security Act (SSA), the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, the Safe Homes for Women Act of 1994, the United states Housing Act of 1937, the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000, and the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to reauthorize, revise, and establish various programs for prevention and treatment of violence against women, including domestic violence, child abuse, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (violence). Establishes VAWA grant programs: (1) by the Department of Justice (Justice) for assisting children and youth exposed to violence, and for engaging men, women, and youth in preventing violence; and (2) by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for services, education, protection, and justice for young victims of violence, and for research on effective interventions in the healthcare setting. Revises and reauthorizes: (1) grants under the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 to reduce violence against women on campus; (2) safe havens for children under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. Reauthorizes PHSA rape prevention and education programs, including the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Establishes related PHSA grants. Establishes VAWA grant programs to address the housing needs of victims of violence. Supporting Teens through Education and Protection Act of 2005 - STEP Act - Authorizes the Attorney General, through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (Justice), to make grants to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in middle and high schools. Security and Financial Empowerment Act - Sets forth entitlement standards and implementation guidelines for employee use of emergency leave to address domestic or sexual violence. Authorizes state use of funds under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) to provide nonrecurrent short-term emergency benefits for emergency leave precipitated by domestic or sexual violence . Amends the Internal Revenue Code relating to approval of state unemployment compensation laws to prohibit denial of compensation where an individual is separated from employment due to circumstances resulting from the individual's experience of domestic or sexual violence. Victims' Employment Sustainability Act - Prohibits certain discriminatory employer practices relating to terms or conditions of employment in connection with victims of domestic or sexual violence. Victims of Abuse Insurance Protection Act - Prohibits denial or restriction of insurance coverage based on the status of the applicant or insured regarding abuse or abuse-related claims. Authorizes the Attorney General to provide a grant for a clearinghouse and resource center to provide information and assistance to employers, labor organizations, and advocates on behalf of victims of domestic or sexual violence. Immigrant Victims of Violence Protection Act of 2005 - Revises the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000 (under VAWA-2000) with respect to victims of violence, including victims of crimes of human trafficking, VAWA petitioners, and children. Prescribes requirements regarding the safety of Indian women. Best Help for Rape Victims Act - Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to require the Attorney General to include within the national protocol on sexual assault forensic examinations a recommendation that a victim of sexual assault who is at risk of pregnancy from rape should be: (1) offered information about emergency contraception; and (2) provided with such contraception on site at the victim's request. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide various protections for victims of trafficking. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a special unit to investigate trafficking in persons.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Immigrant Victims of Violence Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended by the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 (VAWA), with respect to T-visa (victims of severe form of trafficking in persons) and U-visa (victims of certain crimes) nonimmigrant aliens. Provides a range of immigration protections for abused aliens. Amends: (1) the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998 to provide access to legal services for such aliens; and (2) the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to make such aliens eligible for certain public benefits. Amends INA, as amended by VAWA, to apply that Act's deportation protections for transitional relief to all VAWA petitioners. Amends the the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate the VAWA unit (as defined by this Act) as the administrative unit within the Department of Homeland Security with sole jurisdiction over VAWA case adjudication. Amends INA to waive certain grounds of inadmissibility for VAWA petitioners. Authorizes the Attorney General to award trafficking-related law enforcement training grants to state and local governments.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Children's Safety Act of 2005 - Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act - Requires: (1) each state, territory, and federally recognized Indian tribe to maintain a sex offender registry; and (2) each sex offender to register in the jurisdictions where the offender resides, is an employee, and is a student. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) maintain a National Sex Offender Registry at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); (2) establish a Sex Offender Management Assistance program; and (3) authorize sex offender apprehension grants. DNA Fingerprinting Act of 2005 - Amends: (1) the DNA Identification Act of 1994 to expand the scope of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) samples to be included in the Combined DNA Index System; and (2) the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to authorize the Attorney General to collect DNA samples from individuals who are arrested or detained under U.S. authority. Prevention and Deterrence of Crimes Against Children Act of 2005 - Increases penalties for violent crimes against persons under age 18, including death or life imprisonment if the crime results in the death of a person under that age. Protection Against Sexual Exploitation of Children Act of 2005 - Increases penalties for sexual offenses against children. Foster Child Protection and Child Sexual Predator Sentencing Act of 2005 - Requires background checks and checks of national crime information databases and state child abuse registries before approval of foster or adoptive placements. Establishes: (1) procedures for the civil commitment of sexually dangerous persons; and (2) mandatory minimum penalties for child sex trafficking.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Security and Financial Empowerment Act - Sets forth entitlement standards and implementation guidelines for employee use of emergency leave to address domestic or sexual violence. Permits victims of domestic or sexual violence to substitute existing leave in lieu of emergency leave. Authorizes state use of funds under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) to provide nonrecurrent short-term emergency benefits for emergency leave precipitated by domestic or sexual violence . Amends the Internal Revenue Code relating to approval of state unemployment compensation laws to prohibit denial of compensation where an individual is separated from employment due to circumstances resulting from the individual's experience of domestic or sexual violence. Amends the Social Security Act to include training under this Act for unemployment compensation personnel. Victims' Employment Sustainability Act - Prohibits certain discriminatory employer practices relating to terms or conditions of employment in connection with victims of domestic or sexual violence. Victims of Abuse Insurance Protection Act - Prohibits denial or restriction of insurance coverage based on the status of the applicant or insured regarding abuse or abuse-related claims. Authorizes the Attorney General to provide a grant for a clearinghouse and resource center to provide information and assistance to employers, labor organizations, and advocates on behalf of victims of domestic or sexual violence.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Meat and Poultry Pathogen Reduction and Enforcement Act - Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act, respectively, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to prescribe: (1) surveys to determine foodborne pathogen contamination levels for raw meat and raw poultry, and meat and poultry products processed in establishments inspected under such Acts; (2) public health goals; and (3) initial and final pathogen reduction performance standards to reduce pathogen contamination and achieve public health goals. Directs the Secretary to: (1) identify, and publish a list of, such pathogens; (2) initiate pathogen surveys to determine existing levels of meat and poultry contamination; (3) establish public health goals and objectives to achieve foodborne illness reduction; and (4) report on the scientific feasibility of establishing health-based performance standards for pathogens. Directs the Secretary to establish a National Advisory Committee for Microbiology Criteria for Foods. Directs the Secretary to enforce Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System requirements and other sanitation requirements in any official establishment. Authorizes the Secretary to prohibit non-complying establishments from labeling any meat or meat product, or poultry or poultry product, as "inspected and passed."
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Fair Access to Clinical Trials Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to establish and operate a data bank of registry information on clinical trials for drugs, biological products, and devices. Requires the Secretary to collect, catalog, store, and disseminate such information. Specifies information required for registration of clinical trials, including the purpose and results of the trial. Requires the responsible person to submit clinical trial information to the Secretary. Sets forth provisions regarding periodic updates of data bank information, compliance with requirements, and violations of this Act. Allows the Secretary to identify any false or misleading information in the data bank and include an accurate version of the information. Requires the Secretary to: (1) disseminate data bank information through an Internet site and through other appropriate means; (2) establish procedures to allow voluntary submission of clinical trial information not required by this Act; and (3) enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to study the extent to which data submitted to the data bank has impacted the public health.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Montgomery GI Bill Second Chance Act of 2005 - Authorizes certain members of the Armed Forces to make an irrevocable election during October of any year beginning in 2005 to become entitled to basic educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill. Requires a reduction in basic pay of those members electing such educational assistance or, if the member is discharged or released from active duty prior to such reduction, the collection of specified amounts from the member or an equivalent reduction in retired or retainer pay. States that members who are enrolled in the post-Vietnam era veterans' educational assistance program shall be disenrolled from that program upon electing the educational assistance described in this Act. Requires the Secretary concerned, in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, to provide notice of the opportunity created by this Act to elect educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to remove the exclusion of benzodiazepines from required coverage under the Medicare prescription drug program.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Assistant United States Attorney Retirement Benefit Equity Act of 2005 - Grants an assistant United States attorney the same civil service retirement benefits as a law enforcement officer, except as specified. Includes within the definition of "assistant United States attorney" any other attorney employed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) occupying a position designated by the Attorney General upon finding that the position: (1) involves routine employee responsibilities that are substantially similar to those of assistant U.S. attorneys; and (2) is critical to DOJ's successful accomplishment of an important mission. Sets forth provisions regarding the designation of attorneys as assistant U.S. attorneys. Requires DOJ to take measures reasonably designed to provide notice to incumbent assistant U.S. attorneys on their election rights and on the effects of making or not making a timely election. Allows an incumbent to elect, for all purposes, to be treated in accordance with this Act or to be treated as if this Act had never been enacted. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) time limits for making an election; (2) retroactive effects; and (3) individual contributions for prior service.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Community Restoration and Revitalization Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow an increased rehabilitation tax credit for certain low-income buildings; (2) allow a basis reduction adjustment for property eligible for the credit; (3) increase the credit for certain smaller buildings; (4) allow property eligible for the credit to be used for lodging purposes; (5) modify placed-in-service rules for credit property; (6) modify qualification rules for credit property that is tax-exempt use property; (7) increase the credit for buildings in high cost areas; and (8) exempt certain condominium transactions from rehabilitation tax credit recapture requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Condemns the government of Mexico for issuing a racist series of postage stamps. Calls on Mexican President Vincente Fox to: (1) cease such stamps' printing and distribution and recall those stamps currently in circulation; and (2) apologize to the citizens of Mexico and the United States for the decision to circulate the stamps. Declares that the government of Mexico's decision to issue the stamps is inconsistent with U.S. policy to eliminate vestiges of government sanctioned racial or ethnic discrimination or intolerance.
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
Disapproves the rule submitted by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on March 15, 2005, relating to the removal of coal- and oil-fired electric generating units from the list of major sources of hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
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 · 28 June 2005
Drug Free Sports Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to issue regulations requiring professional sports associations to adopt and enforce policies and procedures for the random testing of athletes (a minimum of five times throughout each year, without advance notification) for the use of performance-enhancing substances. Requires the Secretary to: (1) prescribe the substances for which each athlete is to be tested and include prohibited substances as determined by the World Anti-Doping Agency and substances designed to conceal the presence of performance-enhancing substances in the body; (2) establish criteria for exemptions for documented legitimate medical or therapeutic usage; (3) establish criteria for tests to be administered by an independent party; and (4) establish criteria for suspension reduction for an athlete who has tested positive but who establishes that he or she bears no fault or negligence or no significant fault or negligence. Directs that the penalty for a positive test result is suspension for one-half of the season of play for the first violation, one full season of play for the second violation, and permanent suspension for a third violation. Requires disclosure to the public of the name of any athlete that tests positive. Provides for an opportunity for a prompt hearing and an appeal before an arbiter. Allows the Secretary to fine any such association for failure to adopt and enforce testing policies and procedures consistent with the regulations. Requires the Comptroller General to study the testing policies and practices for the use of performance-enhancing substances by college and secondary school athletes.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2005
Kidney Patient More Frequent Dialysis Quality Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish final regulations for equivalent per treatment prospective payment rates for more frequent hemodialysis treatments furnished to qualified individuals at home and in a facility (commonly known as composite Method I and Method II Cap rates), and prospective payment rates for in-facility training for more frequent hemodialysis.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2005
Clean Money, Clean Elections Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to: (1) prescribe eligibility and qualifying contribution requirements, seed money limits, and benefits of clean money financing of House election campaigns; (2) set forth requirements applicable to clean money candidates; (3) direct the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to certify whether or not a candidate is a clean money candidate; (4) establish in the Treasury a House of Representatives Election Fund for clean money financing; (5) set forth requirements concerning reporting of certain expenditures of private money candidates and reporting of certain independent expenditures; (6) limit expenditures that may be made by political party committees in connection with the general election campaign of a House election in which one or more of the candidates is a clean money candidate; and (7) provide for the treatment of coordinated expenditures as contributions. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to entitle clean money candidates to receive specified free broadcast time and reduced broadcast rates under certain circumstances. Amends federal postal law to prohibit franked mass mailings by Members of Congress (except notices of public meetings) during primary and general election periods, unless they are not candidates for re-election or election to any other federal office. Amends FECA to revise requirements for the composition and terms of FEC Commissioners and mandate electronic filing of FEC reports, among other changes, including those made with respect to audits, authority to seek injunction, and standard for investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2005
WISEWOMAN Expansion Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) remove the limit on the number of states that may receive preventive heath services grants; (2) require a competitive review process; and (3) include among the uses for such grants health education, counseling, and interventions for behavioral risk factors and diseases. Authorizes appropriations.
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 · 24 June 2005
Recognizes the 60th anniversary of the United Nations (UN). Encourages: (1) the UN to commit to structural reforms; and (2) the United States to serve in a leadership role at the UN summit in September 2005. Requests the President to: (1) issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe the 60th anniversary of the UN; and (2) exert U.S. leadership to ensure that substantive UN reforms are adopted at the summit.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2005
Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act - Amends the Lacey Act to add specified species of black, bighead, and silver carp to the list of injurious species that are prohibited from being shipped or imported into the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2005
MediKids Health Insurance Act of 2005 - Amends the Social Security Act to add a new title XXII (Medikids Program) to provide for health insurance coverage for all children born after December 31, 2006, in a program modeled after Medicare that also includes prescription drugs and reduced cost-sharing for low-income children. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, during September of each year, to establish a monthly Medikids premium for the following year. Establishes in the Treasury the Medikids Trust Fund to contain the Medikids premiums collected under the Internal Revenue Code. Amends title XVIII to increase Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) membership to 19. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a Medikids premium for the taxable year on a taxpayer with a dependent enrolled in the MediKids program, with exceptions for very low-income taxpaters. Provides that in the case of a taxpayer who has a MediKid at any time during the taxable year, there shall be allowed as a refundable credit against income taxes an amount equal to the excess of: (1) the amount paid by the taxpayer during the taxable year as cost-sharing; over (2) 5% of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income for the taxable year. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to propose a gradual schedule of progressive tax changes to fund the MediKids program as the number of enrollees grows in the out-years.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should: (1) urge the Russian Federation to ensure full protection of freedoms for all religious communities and end the harassment of unregistered religious groups; (2) continue to raise concerns with the government of the Russian Federation over violations of religious freedom; and (3) urge the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief to raise with Russian Federation officials issues relating to freedom of religion.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2005
Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act of 2005 - Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate programs for the conduct and support of uterine fibroids research. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop and disseminate to the public information regarding uterine fibroids, including information on: (1) the incidence and prevalence of uterine fibroids among women; (2) the elevated risk for minority women; and (3) the availability of a range of treatment options. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to develop and disseminate uterine fibroids information to health care providers.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2005
Health Care Accountability Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require the state Medicaid plan to provide for the annual reporting by the state, using data only from medical assistance applications by individuals, on each employer in the state with 50 or more employees who received Medicaid at any time during the previous year.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the government of Uzbekistan should take immediate steps to comply with calls for an independent international inquiry into the violence in Andijon and the prosecution of those individuals responsible for civilian deaths; (2) the government of Uzbekistan should accelerate democratic reforms and fulfill its human rights obligations; and (3) the President, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense should condition diplomatic engagement with and security assistance to the government of Uzbekistan based on Uzbekistan's compliance with such steps, ensure that assistance does not benefit the security forces of Uzbekistan implicated in human rights violations, and, and support those individuals, nongovernmental organizations, and media outlets in Uzbekistan working to establish a democratic government.
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 · 21 June 2005
Uniting American Families Act or the Permanent Partners Immigration Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include permanent partners (as defined by this Act) within the scope of such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2005
Teacher Tax Relief Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the allowable tax deduction for the expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers to $400; (2) allow the deduction of professional development expenses; and (3) make such deduction permanent.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2005
Dr. James Allen Disabled Veterans Equity Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay special disability compensation due to a veteran's loss of paired organs when the veteran has suffered impairment of vision compensable to a degree of ten percent or more (currently, blindness) in one eye as a result of a service-connected disability and impairment of vision (currently, blindness) in the other eye as a result of a non-service-connected disability not the result of the veteran's own willful misconduct.
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
Prohibits the issuance of any federal or state permit or lease for new oil and gas slant, directional, or offshore drilling in or under one or more of the Great Lakes.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Save Biotechnology Innovative Research Act of 2005 or SABIR Act - Amends provisions of the Small Business Act relating to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (a program under which a portion of a Federal agency's research or research and development funds are reserved for award to small businesses) to require a small business, in order to be SBIR-eligible, to have no more than 500 employees and be one of the following; (1) at least 51 percent owned and controlled by individuals or eligible venture capital companies who are U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens; (2) not more than 49 percent owned and controlled by a single eligible venture capital company; (3) at least 51 percent owned and controlled by another business that is itself at least 51 percent owned and controlled by U.S. Citizens or permanent resident aliens; or (4) a joint venture in which each entity meets one of these ownership requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Prostate Cancer Research and Prevention Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for FY2006-FY2010 for: (1) 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 and local health departments to carry out preventive health measures related to prostate cancer; and (2) the Director of the National Cancer Institute to expand, intensify, and coordinate prostate cancer research activities.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Withdrawal of United States Armed Forces From Iraq Resolution of 2005--Homeward Bound - Declares that it is U.S. policy to: (1) announce, not later than December 31, 2005, a plan for the withdrawal of all U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq; (2) turn over, at the earliest possible date, all military operations in Iraq to the elected government of Iraq and provide for the prompt and orderly withdrawal of all U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq; and (3) initiate such a withdrawal as soon as possible but not later than October 1, 2006. Requires the President to implement that policy by: (1) taking steps to ensure the completion of Iraq's political transition to a constitutionally elected government by December 31, 2005; (2) establishing a plan for the withdrawal of all U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq limited only by steps to ensure the safety of such forces; (3) establishing a plan for a transition of responsibility for internal security activities to the military forces of the Iraqi government and a transition of U.S. military personnel to an advisory and support role; (4) accelerating the training and equipping of the military and security forces of the Iraqi government; and (5) accounting for any missing members of the U.S. Armed Forces or U.S. citizens in Iraq prior to completion of the withdrawal.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) individuals diagnosed with bone marrow failure diseases and their families should have access to a variety of treatment and counseling options; and (2) such families should be linked to support networks and counseling information serviced provided by nonprofit organizations like the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation. Calls for the federal government to: (1) raise awareness about the importance of early detection of and proper treatment for such diseases; (2) provide adequate funding for research on such diseases; (3) engage in such public health initiatives as surveillance, education, and awareness of such diseases; and (4) continue to consider ways to improve health care services for such diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2005
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Pilots Equitable Treatment Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), with regard to both single-employer and multiemployer plan guaranteed benefits, to require the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, in the case of commercial airline pilots required by Federal Aviation Administration regulation to retire before age 65, to compute the actuarial value of monthly benefits in the form of a life annuity commencing at the required retirement age.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2005
Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act - Prohibits any federal funds from being provided to a hospital unless the hospital meets certain conditions related to a woman who is a victim of sexual assault, including that the hospital: (1) provides the woman with accurate and unbiased information about emergency contraception; (2) offers emergency contraception to the woman; (3) provides the woman such contraception at the hospital on her request; and (4) does not deny any such services because of the inability of the woman or her family to pay.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2005
Calls for Congress to support: (1) efforts to promote awareness of cancer in children; (2) increased investment in childhood cancer research; (3) incentives to encourage medical trainees and investigators to enter the field of pediatric oncology; (4) incentives to encourage the development of drugs and biologics designed to treat pediatric cancers; (5) policies that encourage participation in clinical trials; (6) medical education curricula designed to improve pain management for cancer patients; and (7) enhanced education, services, and other resources related to late effects from treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Supply Our Soldiers Act of 2005 - Directs the United States Postal Service (USPS) and the Secretary of Defense to provide a program under which postal benefits are made available for personal correspondence and other mail matter sent from within the United States by designated representatives (next-of-kin) to members of the Armed Forces who are: (1) serving on active duty abroad in support of military operations or against an enemy of the United States or other hostile force; or (2) hospitalized in a U.S. military facility as a result of disease or injury incurred during service overseas. Limits postal benefits to $150 per calendar quarter, and limits the size and weight of allowable parcels. Allows charitable organizations to apply for such benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Detainee Treatment Accountability Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to transmit a copy of any confidential or exclusive report provided to the Department of Defense (DOD) by an entity outside the U.S. government concerning treatment of DOD detainees held at any location in connection with an armed conflict, including the war on terror, within 15 days of receipt to: (1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and (2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution - Calls upon the President: (1) to ensure that U.S. foreign policy reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the U.S. record relating to the Armenian Genocide and the consequences of the failure to realize a just resolution; and (2) in the President's annual message commemorating the Armenian Genocide to characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide, and to recall the proud history of U.S. intervention in opposition to the Armenian Genocide.
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
Youth Worker Protection Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to revise requirements relating to child labor and to set forth new requirements for the employment of minors. Establishes FLSA requirements for employment of minors, including those for: (1) work permits; (2) working-hour restrictions for minors in specified age groups, and in relation to school attendance; (3) notification of serious work-related injuries; (4) data compilation, retention, and reporting by state agencies; (5) prohibition of youth peddling; (6) civil actions for bodily injury, illness, or death; (7) public disclosure of violations; and (8) civil penalties. Revises FLSA child labor requirements to: (1) set the same minimum age for children in agricultural employment as for those in nonagricultural employment; (2) impose a uniform minimum age for employment in all hazardous occupations; (3) eliminate the Secretary of Labor's authority to issue waivers with respect to certain hand harvest labor by children; (4) eliminate an exception for scrap paper balers and paper box compactors; and (5) declare that youth peddling affects commerce (and thus is subject to Federal regulation). Directs the Secretary of Labor to promulgate: (1) a rule relating to particularly hazardous occupations for children between the ages of 16 and 18, based on a specified report and recommendations of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); and (2) a rule prohibiting employment of minors in seafood processing or in jobs requiring them to handle or dispose of oil or other liquids from fryers. Requires the Secretary to review: (1) restricted occupation and hazardous occupation orders at least once every five years; and (2) health and safety data on employment of minors in activities involving certain repetitive motions, or lifting, or working alone or late at night in retail establishments with public contact and cash handling, or entertainment industry work detrimental to them, and report with appropriate rules to Congress.
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
New Apollo Energy Act of 2005 - Establishes the New Apollo Energy Act Performance Goals, which the President shall consider when formulating and enforcing national energy policy. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to coordinate the participation of National Laboratories, universities, commercial industry, and other organizations in implementing this Act. Sets forth technology research programs concerning: (1) clean energy; (2) energy efficiency; (3) fusion energy; and (4) ultra-deepwater and extended reach drilling and carbon sequestration technologies. Creates tax incentives, in the form of tax credits and deductions from grosss income, for new technologies. Sets forth a federal framework for support of diverse energy technology initiatives. Directs the President to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to full capacity and ensure that the fill rate minimizes impacts on petroleum markets. Amends the Commodity Exchange Act to grant the Commodity Futures Trading Commission jurisdiction over energy trading markets and metals trading markets. Sets forth federal assistance programs covering weatherization and energy efficient housing. Sets forth a national net metering requirement for utilities and interconnection standards for distributive energy generation. Sets forth initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases including: (1) federal climate change research; (2) national greenhouse gas database; (3) market-driven greenhouse gas reductions; and (4) emission reduction requirements and allocation and use of tradeable allowances. Establishes the Climate Change Credit Corporation to use the tradeable allowances, and proceeds derived from its trading activities in tradeable allowances, to reduce costs borne by consumers as a result of the greenhouse gas reduction requirements. Amends the Clean Air Act to set forth a renewable fuel program. Sets forth a program of loan guarantees for biorefineries and renewable electricity generation facilities. Balanced Energy Supply Tax Policy Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to: (1) limit tax reductions to revenue raised by tax offsets; and (2) deny treaty benefits for certain deductible payments. Prescribes guidelines governing the: (1) doctrine of economic substance; (2) penalty for understatements attributable to transactions lacking economic substance; and (3) understatement of taxpayer's liability by income tax return preparer.
![Official portrait of Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_il_9_schakowsky_janice_200.jpg)