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 · 9 June 2005
Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act or PREEMIE Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand and coordinate NIH research on preterm labor and delivery, infant mortality, and low birthweight infants. Establishes the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network and the Neonatal Research Units Network within NIH. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to: (1) expand and coordinate CDC activities on preterm labor and delivery and infant mortality; (2) conduct a study on the relationship between prematurity, birth defects, and developmental disabilities; and (3) review the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Survey. Requires the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's national longitudinal study of environmental influences on children's health and development to consider the impact of assisted reproduction technologies. Requires the Director of NIH to contract with the Institute of Medicine to study the health and economic consequences of preterm birth. Directs the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to assess certain core performance and outcome measures utilized under the Social Security Act for purposes of expanding such measures to include known risk factors of low birthweight and prematurity. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) conduct a demonstration project to improve the provision of information on prematurity to health professionals and the public; (2) conduct projects to support the informational and emotional needs of families during the stay of an infant in a neonatal intensive care unit, during the transition of the infant to the home, and in the event of a newborn death; and (3) establish an Interagency Coordinating Council on Prematurity and Low Birthweight.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
Recognizes the importance of the Supreme Court decision in Griswold v. Connecticut , which held that married couples have a constitutional right to use contraceptives. Calls for Congress to take steps to ensure that all women have universal access to affordable contraception.
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
Repairing Young Women's Lives Around the World Act - Authorizes appropriations to be used only for U.S. voluntary contributions to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for prevention and repair of obstetric fistula.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
HIPAA Recreational Injury Technical Correction Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit a group health plan or health insurance issuer offering group health coverage from denying benefits or coverage otherwise provided under the plan for the treatment of an injury solely because it was sustained while a person was engaged in any particular mode of transportation specified in the plan, consisting of the use of a motorcycle, snowmobile, all-terrain vehicle, or other similar recreational vehicle or horseback riding, unless such mode of transportation or its use was illegal.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
Rachel Granger Act of 2005 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to authorize waivers by the Commissioner of Social Security of the five-month waiting period for entitlement to benefits based on disability in cases in which the Commissioner determines that such waiting period would cause undue hardship to terminally ill beneficiaries.
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 · 7 June 2005
Commercial Airline Missile DefenseAct - Directs the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Administration to: (1) issue regulations that require all turbojet aircraft used by an air carrier for scheduled air services to be equipped with a missile defense system; and (2) purchase and make available to an air carrier such missile defense systems as may be necessary for it to comply with such regulations. Makes an air carrier responsible for installing and operating a missile defense system purchased and made available by the Assistant Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2005
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) World Refugee Day is dedicated to recognize and honor refugees throughout the world; (2) within the framework of international solidarity, there should be better refugee protection; and (3) all refugees should be treated with respect for their human rights and dignity.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD), or the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), to establish a grant program for joint ventures, composed of both Israeli and U.S. private business entities or of U.S. and Israeli academic persons, to implement projects to encourage cooperation between the United States and Israel on research, development, or commercialization of alternative energy, improved energy efficiency, or renewable energy sources. Establishes in the Department of Energy an International Energy Advisory Board to advise the Secretary on the grant program and grant recipients.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Safe Housing Identity Exception for the Lives of Domestic Violence Victims Act - SHIELD Act - Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to prohibit disclosure of the personally identifying information of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
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
College Affordability and Accountability Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to require state maintenance of effort in providing funding to public institutions of higher education (IHEs). Requires all IHEs to plan, engage in, and report on cost containment strategies. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to conduct research on such strategies. Directs the Secretary to publish an annual report on college affordability and to disseminate certain data, including the net price tuition index (NTPI) for each IHE through a college price calculator on an enhanced college opportunities on line (COOL) website. Establishes a Pell Plus program to provide an increased award to each Pell Grant recipient at IHEs that maintain specified types of: (1) low tuition; (2) guaranteed tuition; or (3) affordable tuition. Establishes a program of grants for cooperative education for IHEs that restrain tuition increases. Authorizes grants and contracts for cooperative education demonstration and innovation projects, training and resource centers, and research. Directs the Secretary to commission the National Research Council to study the viability of developing and implementing standards in environmental, health, and safety areas to provide for differential regulation of: (1) industrial laboratories and facilities; and (2) research and teaching laboratories. Authorizes the Secretary to select IHEs, IHE systems, or IHE consortia for voluntary participation in an articulation agreement demonstration program to specify the acceptability of courses in transfer toward meeting specific degree requirements, as a means to lower tuition prices for students. Directs the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance to convene a task force of experts to: (1) determine the best methods to finance higher education in the long-term; (2) help public institutions utilize long-term budgeting; (3) review the trends of financing of higher education; and (4) define the role played by the states, the federal government, families, and outside entities in financing higher education, and determine the best methods to strengthen this partnership.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Vision Preservation Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to expand and intensify programs to increase awareness of vision problems, including: (1) activities to establish a solid scientific base of knowledge on the prevention and control of vision problems and related disabilities; (2) research within CDC on the prevention and management of vision loss; and (3) programs targeted to prevent vision loss, treat eye and vision conditions, and rehabilitate people of all ages who are blind or partially sighted in underserved and minority communities. Amends the Social Security Act to include within the maternal and child health service block grant program the introduction of core performance measures on eye health by incorporating vision screening standards into state programs. Requires the Director of NIH to expand, intensify, and coordinate programs for the conduct and support of research with respect to vision loss prevention and vision rehabilitation. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for vision rehabilitation services. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study on barriers faced by medically underserved populations to vision services that are covered under the medicare program, including vision rehabilitation and other vision-related services; and (2) enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine to study the cost benefit of providing a universal dilated eye exam under the medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Clinical Social Work Medicare Equity Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to exclude clinical social worker services from coverage under the Medicare skilled nursing facility prospective payment system (thus permitting direct payment under the Medicare program for clinical social worker services provided to residents of skilled nursing facilities).
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Office of Correctional Public Health Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of Correctional Public Health (OCPH) within the Office of Public Health and Science. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of OCPH, to carry out public health activities for individuals who are employees in federal, state, or local penal or correctional institutions or who are incarcerated in such institutions. Includes among such activities disease prevention, health promotion, service delivery, research, and health professions education activities. Authorizes the Secretary to make matching grants to states to provide for correctional populations screenings, immunizations, and treatment for hepatitis A, B, and C. Requires a portion of each grant to be expended to carry out such activities at penal or correctional facilities that are not facilities in which individuals serve terms of imprisonment, including remand facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Quality of Life for Women Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to educate health professionals and the public on bladder and bowel dysfunction (including incontinence), pelvic organ prolapse, and other pelvic floor disorders. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Director should establish a national registry for surgical treatment of such disorders. Requires the Directors of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to: (1) expand and intensify the activities of such Institutes with respect to women's pelvic floor disorders, including developing proposals for research on such disorders; and (2) provide for the continuing operation of the Urinary Incontinence Treatment Network and the Clinical Trials Network for Female Pelvic Disorders. Commends such Institutes for their support of such Networks and such Networks for their research toward improving women's pelvic health. Expresses the sense of Congress as to efforts that such Institutes should undertake, including increasing their research, recruiting established scientists, and developing a national data registry and tissue bank of people suffering from incontinence.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Medicaid Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants Access Act of 2005 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the state option to include nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and physician assistants as primary care case managers. Specifies as primary care case managers any nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant that provides primary care case management services under a primary care case management contract. Revises the coverage of certain nurse practitioner services under the Medicaid fee-for-service program to remove the specification of certified pediatric nurse practitioner and certified family nurse practitioner in order to extend such coverage to services furnished by a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist. Includes nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, and certified registered nurse anesthetists in the mix of service providers which Medicaid managed care organizations are required to maintain.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Community Economic Development Expertise Enhancement Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make grants to increase the capacity and expertise of qualifying community-based economic development organizations. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct an assessment of such organizations' capability needs; and (2) establish the Advisory Council on Community Economic Development. Directs the President to include with each annual budget request a report regarding Federal financial support for community economic development. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a limited housing infrastructure business credit for qualified housing infrastructure property placed in service. Defines such property as property located in an empowerment zone, enterprise community, or renewal community, when substantially all of the use of which is to provide water, sewer, electricity, or natural gas service to residents. Doubles, and extends through 2009 (currently 2005), for employment beginning after the enactment of this Act, the: (1) work opportunity credit; (2) welfare-to-work credit; (3) empowerment zone employment credit; and (4) renewal community employment. Increases, through 2009, the Indian employment credit. Increases and extends, through 2009, deductions for expensing the cost of certain depreciable business assets, commercial revitalization, and environmental remediation. Extends, through 2009, the special deduction for property used on Indian reservations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) Congress is committed to achieving domestic hunger goals and ending hunger by 2015; (2) federal food and nutrition programs should receive adequate funding; and (3) the entitlement nature of the child and adult care food program, the food stamp program, the school breakfast and lunch programs, and the summer food service program should be preserved. Directs: (1) the American Communities Survey to collect and submit food security information to the Secretary of Agriculture; and (2) the Secretary to conduct an annual study of hunger in the United States and develop recommendations on reducing domestic hunger. Directs the Secretary to make: (1) hunger-free communities collaborative grants to eligible public food program service providers or nonprofit organizations; (2) hunger-free communities infrastructure grants to eligible emergency feeding organizations; and (3) hunger-free communities training and technical assistance grants to eligible national or regional nonprofit organizations. (States that such grants' federal share shall not exceed 80 %.) Sets forth grant priorities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Pet Animal Welfare Statute of 2005 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to revise the definition of dealer (in animals) to include: (1) sellers of dogs imported from outside the United States; and (2) persons who sell more than 25 dogs or cats or who whelp for sale more than six litters of dogs or cats annually. Defines "retail pet store" for purposes of the Act as a public retail establishment that sells animals commonly kept as pets in U.S. households (e.g., dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and hamsters). Excludes from such definition: (1) a person breeding animals to sell to the public as pets; (2) a person selling hunting, security, or breeding dogs; or (3) a person selling wild animals. Requires dealers and retail pet stores to provide the Secretary of Agriculture with source records relating to the purchase or acquisition of dogs and cats. Authorizes the Secretary to extend the period for the temporary suspension of a dealer license for a violation of the Act from 21 to 60 days, if the Secretary believes that such violation will continue past the initial 21-day period and will jeopardize the health of any animal. Authorizes the Secretary to apply directly to a U.S. district court for a temporary restraining order or injunction to address violations of the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Medicare for the Terminally Ill Act of 2005 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to permit a waiver by the Secretary of Health and Human Services of the 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage of disabled individuals who are terminally ill.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Clean Water Protection Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to define "fill material" to mean any pollutant that replaces portions of waters of the United States with dry land or that changes the bottom elevation of a water body for any purpose and to exclude any pollutant discharged into the water primarily to dispose of waste.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should communicate directly to the members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) that the United States: (1) believes that restricting supply in the growing market for crude oil does serious damage to the efforts that OPEC members have made to demonstrate that they represent a reliable source of crude oil supply; (2) believes that stable crude oil prices and supplies are essential for strong economic growth throughout the world; and (3) seeks an immediate increase in OPEC crude oil production quotas. Directs the President to suspend temporarily further acquisitions of crude oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). Suspends immediately further purchases of oil to the SPR. Declares that the existing statutory cap of 700 million barrels of crude oil in the SPR should not be increased while crude oil prices remain at current high levels. Instructs the President to direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Attorney General to exercise vigorous oversight over the oil markets to protect the American people from price gouging and unfair practices at the gas pump. Directs the FTC to issue regulations requiring full disclosure by refiners and distributors of their wholesale motor fuel pricing policies, with a separate listing of each component contributing to prices, including the cost of crude oil, refining, marketing, transportation, equipment, overhead, and profit, along with portions of any rebates, incentives, and market enhancement allowances.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Condemns the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for the abduction and continued captivity of citizens of the Republic of Korea and Japan as acts of terrorism and violations of human rights. Calls upon the U.S. government not to remove the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from the Department of State's list of State Sponsors of Terrorism until North Korea renounces state-sponsored kidnapping and provides a full accounting of all abduction cases. Admonishes the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the forced repatriation to North Korea of Han Man-taek, a South Korean prisoner-of-war and comrade-in-arms of the United States, and for its failure to exercise sovereign control over North Korean agents operating freely within its borders.
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 · 25 May 2005
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1927 Sangamon Avenue in Springfield, Illinois, as the "J.M. Dietrich Northeast Annex."
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2005
Innocent Check Depositor Protection Act - Amends the Expedited Funds Availability Act to provide that, in the case of a check drawn on an account at an originating institution which is dishonored by that institution due to lack of sufficient funds, a receiving depository institution may not impose any fee on the depositor, in connection with such check, due to such dishonorment. States that this Act shall not be construed as affecting any intervening depository institution or the costs of services it provides.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2005
Housing Preservation Matching Grant Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make matching grants to States (including the District of Columbia and U.S. commonwealths, territories, and possessions) for low-income housing preservation. Sets forth requirements for projects: (1) with Department of Housing and Urban Development-insured mortgages; (2) with section 8 assistance; or (3) purchased by the residents.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2005
Abusive Tax Shelter Shutdown and Taxpayer Accountability Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise or add provisions relating to tax shelter activity, including provisions to: (1) define "economic substance" for purposes of evaluating tax shelter transactions; (2) increase penalties for large entities and high net-worth individuals for failure to disclose certain tax shelter transactions; (3) impose penalties for understatements of tax due to transactions lacking economic substance; (4) deny material tax advisors a claim of privilege as to the identity of a client; (5) revise standards for the penalty for understatement of tax liability by income tax return preparers and increase the penalties for such understatements; (6) revise and increase the penalties for frivolous tax submissions; (7) deny a tax deduction for interest on underpayments of tax due to nondisclosed reportable transactions and transactions lacking economic substance; (8) expand the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to disallow certain tax benefits arising from the acquisition of corporate stock; (9) modify certain passive loss rules for controlled foreign corporations; and (10) provide a rule for the reduction in basis of corporate stock for which certain extraordinary dividends are received.
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
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 title III part A (Strengthening Institutions) to direct the Secretary of Education to provide grants and related assistance to certain institutions of higher education for activities to improve their capacity to serve students who are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Gives priority to eligible institutions with a significant percentage of enrollment made up of such students who are low-income individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
Elaine Sullivan Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require emergency departments to contact family members, a specified healthcare agent, or a surrogate decisionmaker of an incapacitated patient within 24 hours of arrival at the emergency department. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to qualified not-for-profit organizations for the purpose of assisting them to establish and operate voluntary next of kin registries.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
Antifreeze Bittering Act of 2005 - Requires engine coolant or antifreeze that is manufactured six months after the enactment of this Act, and that contains more than 10 percent ethylene glycol, to include denatonium benzoate at a minimum of 30 parts per million and a maximum of 50 parts per million as a bittering agent so as to render the coolant or antifreeze unpalatable. Requires a coolant or antifreeze manufacturer to maintain records of compliance with this Act. Limits the liability of manufacturers, distributors, recyclers, or sellers of engine coolant or antifreeze who are in compliance with the requirements of this Act for personal and property loss or damage to the environment that results from the inclusion of denatonium benzoate in any coolant or antifreeze. Declares this Act inapplicable to: (1) the sale of a motor vehicle that contains engine coolant or antifreeze; or (2) wholesale containers of engine coolant or antifreeze containing 55 gallons or more of engine coolant or antifreeze.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to deny an application for a new animal drug that is a critical antimicrobial animal drug unless the applicant demonstrates that there is a reasonably certainty of no harm to human health due to the development of antimicrobial resistance attributable to the nontherapeutic use of the drug. Defines "critical antimicrobial animal drug" as a drug intended for use in food-producing animals that contains specified antibiotics or other drugs used in humans to treat or prevent disease or infection caused by microorganisms. Requires the Secretary to withdraw approval of a nontherapeutic use of such drugs in food-producing animals two years after the date of enactment of this Act unless certain safety requirements are met. Requires the manufacturer of such a drug or an animal feed for food-producing animals containing such a drug to report sales information to the Secretary.
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
National Amusement Park Ride Safety Act of 2005 - Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to expand the definition of consumer product to include amusement rides permanently fixed to a site (thereby granting the Consumer Product Safety Commission jurisdiction over such rides).
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2005
Condemns bigotry, violence, and intolerance against any religious group, including persons of Islamic faith. Declares that the civil rights and liberties of all individuals should be protected. Recognizes that the Quran should be treated with dignity and respect. Calls upon local, state, and federal authorities to work to prevent bias-motivated crimes and acts against all individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Combating Autism Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish: (1) a program to provide information and education on autism and its risk factors to health professionals and the general public; and (2) the Autism Coordinating Committee to coordinate autism related activities within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award grants or cooperative agreements to develop statewide autism screening, diagnosis, and intervention programs and systems. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants or cooperative agreements to provide technical assistance to state agencies to conduct applied autism research.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2005 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (3) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day. Makes federal minimum wage requirements applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sets forth a transition period during which a specified minimum wage there shall be gradually increased to equal the federal minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Amends the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 to postpone the 2005 round of defense base closures and realignments, as currently required under such Act, until the last of the following occurs: (1) the complete analysis, consideration, and implementation by the Secretary of Defense (Secretary) of the recommendations of the Commission on Review of Overseas Military Facility Structure of the United States; (2) the return from deployment in Iraq of substantially all major U.S. combat units and assets; (3) the receipt by the congressional defense committees of the report on the quadrennial defense review to be submitted by the Secretary in 2006; (4) the complete development and implementation by the Secretary and the Secretary of Homeland Security of the National Maritime Security Strategy; (5) the complete development and implementation by the Secretary of the Homeland Defense and Civil Support directive; and (6) the receipt by the defense committees of a report from the Secretary assessing military installation needs. States that, effective May 13, 2005, the list of recommendations for 2005 base closures and realignments submitted by the Secretary pursuant to such Act shall have no further force and effect.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act of 2005 - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prescribe regulations to establish a set of requirements or obligations on providers of IP-enabled voice service (Internet protocol-enabled service for real-time two-way or multidirectional voice communications) to ensure that 911 (emergency) services and E-911 services (services that automatically delivers a 911 call to the appropriate public safety answering point) are available to customers of IP-enabled voice service. Requires: (1) nondiscriminatory IP provider access to 911 and E-911 services; (2) IP providers to provide to customers a clear and conspicuous notice of the unavailability of 911 and E-911 services; and (3) IP provider and user immunity in the provision and use of 911 and E-911 services to the same extent as local exchange companies and other persons, respectively. Amends the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to require the E-911 Implementation Coordination Office to develop and report to Congress on a national plan for migrating to a national IP-enabled emergency network capable of receiving and responding to all citizen activated emergency communications.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Employee Ownership Opportunity Act - Amends the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 regarding the requirement that, in connection with its examination of a financial institution, the appropriate federal financial supervisory agency assess the institution's record of meeting the credit needs of its entire community. Requires the agency, in making such assessment, to consider as a factor capital investments, loans, loan participation, technical assistance, and grants by the institution to support or enable employees to establish employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) or eligible worker owned cooperatives (EWOCs) that are at least 51 percent employee-owned plans or cooperatives and employ low- to moderate-income workers.
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 · 17 May 2005
Depleted Uranium Munitions Study Act - Requires the Director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to study and report jointly to Congress on: (1) the health effects of exposure to depleted uranium munitions upon veterans and their children born after such exposure; and (2) a public health assessment of persons thought to have an epidemiological link to any U.S. military installation or production facility at which depleted uranium munitions have either been, or currently are being, used or produced. Instructs the Secretary of Defense to provide to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency a list of all sites in the United States where depleted uranium munitions have been used or produced, and a site-specific map of each site. Directs the Administrator to report to the Secretary and to certain congressional committees on the results of a comprehensive environmental evaluation of possible contamination of the soil, air, water, and vegetation by depleted uranium at the listed sites. Requires the Secretary to develop and implement a plan for the mitigation and cleanup of depleted uranium at the pertinent sites.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Special Interest Lobbying and Ethics Accountability Act of 2005 - Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require: (1) quarterly instead of semiannual filing of lobbying disclosures reports; (2) electronic filing; (3) maintenance of certain lobbying disclosure information in an electronic data base, available to the public free of charge over the Internet; (4) identification of each executive official and Member of Congress with whom lobbying contacts are made; (5) disclosure by registered lobbyists of all past executive and congressional employment; and (6) disclosure of grassroots lobbying communications by paid lobbyists. Extends from one to two years the ban on lobbying contacts by former senior and very senior executive personnel, former Members of Congress, and officers and employees of the legislative branch with any officer or employee of the entity in which such person served before his or her tenure terminated. Requires public disclosure by Members of Congress of employment negotiations. Subjects to fines and penalties a Member of Congress or an employee of the House who wrongfully influences, on a partisan basis, an entity's employment decisions or practices. Amends the Code of Official Conduct in the House to prohibit favoritism. Requires certification that congressional travel meets certain conditions, and establishes civil fines for false certifications. Requires the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to develop and revise guidelines on reasonable expenses or expenditures for official government travel. Calls for reviews and semiannual reports by the Comptroller General on activities carried out by the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate under the Act, subject to congressional committee hearings. Increases the penalty for failure to comply with lobbying disclosure requirements. Requires appointment of a bipartisan ethics task force to make recommendations on: (1) strengthening ethics oversight and enforcement in the House; and (2) providing the resources necessary to accomplish this goal.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2005
In Memory Medal For Forgotten Veterans Act - Establishes the "Jesus (Chuchi) Salgado Medal" to be issued by the Secretary of Defense to a qualifying veteran who: (1) died after serving in the Vietnam War but whose death is determined to be a direct result of such service; (2) was exposed to herbicide agents while serving in the Republic of Vietnam and is eligible for health care; (3) was exposed to ionizing radiation and is eligible for health care; or (4) served in Southwest Asia during the Persian Gulf War and is entitled (or was at the time of death entitled) to disability benefits for illnesses associated with Gulf War service.
![Official portrait of Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_il_9_schakowsky_janice_200.jpg)