United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Commends the millions of fathers who serve as wonderful, caring parents for their children. Calls on fathers across the nation to use Father’s Day to reconnect and rededicate themselves to their children’s lives, to spend Father’s Day with their children, and to express their love and support for their children. Urges men to understand the level of responsibility fathering a child requires, especially in the encouragement of the moral, academic, and spiritual development of children. Encourages active involvement of fathers in the rearing and development of their children, including the devotion of time, energy, and resources.
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
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend until 2015 the tax deduction from gross income for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers and to include the expenses of preschool teachers, instructors, counselors, or aides as deductible expenses. Changes the amount of such deduction to allow $250 for a preschool, elementary, or secondary school teacher, instructor, counselor, principal, or aide working in a school for at least 450 hours during a school year and $500 for such school employees working at least 900 hours.
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
Police Security Protection Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain law enforcement or private security officers a nonrefundable tax credit for the cost of an armor vest, up to $1,200 for each officer.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Public Expression of Religion Act of 2005 - Amends the Revised Statutes of the United States to limit the remedy to injunctive relief and deny attorneys' fees in a civil action against a state or local official for deprivation of rights where the deprivation consists of a violation of a prohibition in the Constitution against the establishment of religion.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Directs the Secretary of Defense to make a grant to the National D-Day Museum Foundation for facilities and programs of America's National World War II Museum in New Orleans, LA.
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
Recognizes and commends employers of members of the National Guard and other reserve components who have been mobilized during the Global War on Terrorism. Urges the Department of Defense to continue to develop long-term strategies to maintain a high level of support between such employers through: (1) the Civilian Employment Information Program database; (2) a more predictable system for the mobilization and demobilization of such members; and (3) opportunities to address employer groups on future mobilization plans and future roles of the reserve components.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Recognizes the importance of veterans to the United States. Expresses support for the goals of Veterans Educate Today's Students Day (programs that educate children about the service of veterans and the sacrifices made by them and their families).
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2005
Offshore Fairness Act of 2005 - Amends the Submerged Lands Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to convey the interest of the United States in the expanded submerged land of the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, if the state involved demonstrates that specified conditions will be met. Numbers among such conditions the requirement that the state enact, and keep updated, laws or promulgate regulations equivalent to federal law or regulations regarding: (1) the environmental protection, safety, and operations of any operation pipeline in existence on the date of conveyance; and (2) valuation of oil, gas, or other mineral production from existing interests for royalty purposes. Provides that, if any existing federal oil and gas or other mineral lease or unit would be divided by the expanded seaward boundary of a state, the federal interest in the leased minerals underlying the portion of the lease or unit that lies within the expanded submerged boundary shall not be considered to be conveyed to the state until the date on which the lease or unit expires or is relinquished by the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
Supports the establishment of September as Campus Fire Safety Month. Encourages administrators and municipalities across the country to: (1) provide educational programs to all students during September and throughout the school year; (2) evaluate the level of fire safety being provided in both on- and off-campus student housing; and (3) take the necessary steps to ensure fire-safe living environments through fire safety education, installation of fire suppression and detection systems, and the development and enforcement of applicable codes relating to fire safety.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
Expresses support for the goals of : (1) Acadian Heritage Week (third week in September); and (2) A Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval (July 28) as established by Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Proclamation in which the sufferings of the Acadian people were acknowledged.
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
Jacob Wetterling, Megan Nicole Kanka, and Pam Lychner Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act or the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act - Repeals existing provisions governing state registration programs for persons convicted of a criminal offense against a minor or of a sexually violent offense. Directs the Attorney General to carry out a Jacob Wetterling, Megan Nicole Kanka, and Pam Lychner Sex Offender Registration and Notification program under which a "covered individual" (an individual convicted of a listed offense against a minor) shall, for that individual's life, provide to the Attorney General specified information, including any change of address and employer. Lists exceptions. Sets penalties for violations. Requires the Attorney General to prescribe regulations to ensure that every covered individual wears and maintains a device that transmits information about that person's whereabouts to the domicile state, subject to specified requirements. Sets penalties for violations. Lists the responsibilities of the Attorney General and State or tribal actors. Provides for specified community notification by law enforcement. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) maintain a National Sex Offender Registry database to track the whereabouts and movements of covered individuals; (2) develop a software application that can be used by state and tribal actors; (3) establish and maintain a database to manage DNA information regarding covered individuals; and (4) carry out a Sex Offender Management Assistance program for awarding grants to states or tribal actors to offset costs associated with implementing this Act. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to subject to deportation any alien who is a covered individual and who fails to provide registration information under this Act.
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
Commends orchestras for their artistic and educational contribution to U.S. communities. Congratulates the American Symphony Orchestra League on the occasion of its 60th national conference.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Pledge Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal judicial code to deny jurisdiction to any Federal court, and appellate jurisdiction to the Supreme Court, to hear or decide any question pertaining to the interpretation of the Pledge of Allegiance or its validity under the Constitution. Makes this limitation inapplicable to: (1) any court established by Congress under its power to make needful rules and regulations respecting the territory of the United States; or (2) the Superior Court of the District of Columbia or the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2005
Peace Officer Justice Act - Amends the federal criminal code to establish as a federal crime intentionally killing a peace officer engaged in, or on account of the performance of, such officer's official duties and moving or traveling in foreign commerce to avoid prosecution or confinement after conviction of that crime.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2005
Honor Our Fallen Prisoners of War Act - Requires the Secretary concerned to award the Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces who die in captivity under circumstances not otherwise establishing eligibility for the Purple Heart. Makes this Act effective as to members of the Armed Forces who die on or after December 7, 1941, including those who die prior to enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Drug Dealer Liability Act of 2005 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to provide that any person who manufactures or distributes a controlled substance in a felony violation of such Act shall be liable in a civil action to any party harmed, directly or indirectly, by the use of that substance. Prohibits an individual user of a controlled substance from bringing or maintaining such an action unless the individual personally discloses to narcotics enforcement authorities all of the information known to that individual regarding all of his or her sources of illegal controlled substances.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Meth-Endangered Children Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out demonstration projects to provide comprehensive services for children who have been removed from environments in which methamphetamine is unlawfully manufactured, distributed, or dispensed.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 105 NW Railroad Avenue in Hammond, Louisiana, as the "John J. Hainkel Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Credit Union Regulatory Improvements Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Credit Union Act to reduce the minimum net worth ratio requirements of well-capitalized, adequately capitalized, under capitalized, and significantly undercapitalized credit unions. Sets the minimum risk-based net ratio at 8%. Revises the requirement that the National Credit Union Administration Board design the risk-based net worth standard to take account of any material risks to insured credit unions. Requires the standard to be designed in relation to risk assets, and to be based on comparable standards for taking into account material risks to insured depository institutions under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act that are applicable to credit unions. Revises definitions relating to net worth of credit unions. Cites circumstances in which the Board may waive the requirement that an undercapitalized credit union submit an acceptable net worth restoration plan. Revamps guidelines governing limits and restrictions on member business loans. Authorizes credit unions to lease to any business enterprise separate and clearly distinct space in buildings in credit union offices in underserved areas. Permits a credit union to invest securities for its own account. Increases from 12 to 15 years the term of credit union loans. Increases from 1% to 3% the investment limit in credit union service organizations. Permits credit unions to offer check cashing and money transfer services to persons within the field of membership (instead of, as currently, to members only). Extends to voluntary mergers on or after August 7, 1998, involving multiple common-bond credit unions the exemption from the numerical limit (only a group with fewer than 3,000 members) for eligibility for inclusion in the field of membership category of such a credit union. Requires the Board to prescribe criteria for continued membership of certain member groups in the case of conversions of certain credit unions to a community charter. Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to treat credit unions as banks which shall not be considered brokers or dealers because the credit unions engage in certain broker- or dealer-related activities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2005
COLI Best Practices Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to limit the tax exclusion for benefits paid by employer-owned life insurance contracts upon the death of an insured employee, with certain exceptions for directors and highly compensated employees and for proceeds paid to the heirs of an insured employee. Requires employers to provide written notice to employees of intent to insure their lives and obtain written consent from such employees to being insured under a company-owned life insurance contract. Imposes certain reporting and recordkeeping requirements for employer-owned life insurance contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2005
Children's Vision Improvement and Learning Readiness Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants to states for providing: (1) comprehensive eye examinations for children, with priority given to children under nine years old; (2) subsequent vision treatment or services to correct vision problems; and (3) educational materials to parents, teachers, and health care practitioners on recognizing signs of visual impairment in children. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop criteria to collect data related to vision assessment and the utilization of follow-up services; and (2) coordinate the grant program with appropriate federal and state child services programs. Requires states to annually submit to the Secretary a program evaluation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2005
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to report annually on the number of required permanent and temporary non-Federal employees for Farm Service Agency (FSA) local offices and the funding levels necessary to support such workforce. Limits temporary workers to not more than ten percent of all such non-Federal workers in any fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2005
War Memorial Preservation Act of 2005 - Permits religious symbols recognizing the religious background of members of the U.S. Armed Forces to be included as part of: (1) a military memorial that is established or acquired by the U.S. Government; or (2) a military memorial that is not established by the Government, but for which the American Battle Monuments Commission cooperated in establishing.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2005
Veterinary Workforce Expansion Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities to improve public health preparedness through increasing the number of veterinarians in the workforce. Defines "eligible entities" as accredited public or nonprofit schools of veterinary medicine, departments of comparative medicine, departments of veterinary science, schools of public health, or schools of medicine that offer training for veterinarians in a public health practice area. Requires the Secretary to give preference to applicants that demonstrate a comprehensive approach by involving more than one eligible entity. Allows grantees to use funds to: (1) pay the costs associated with construction, the acquisition of equipment, and other capital costs relating to the expansion of existing schools or departments; and (2) pay the capital costs associated with the expansion of academic programs that offer postgraduate training for veterinarians or concurrent training for veterinary students in specific areas of specialization
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the federal criminal code to provide additional penalties for assaulting or killing (or attempting or conspiring to kill) a federal law enforcement officer or a federally funded state or local law enforcement officer. Modifies provisions regarding influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threatening or injuring a family member to provide additional penalties where the victim of the offense is an immediate family member of a federal law enforcement officer or federally funded law enforcement officer.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
United States Cadet Nurse Corps Equity Act - Deems service of a person as a member of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps between July 1, 1943, and December 15, 1945 (qualified service), to be active military service for purposes of all laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Requires: (1) the Secretary of Defense to issue an honorable discharge to each person whose qualified service warrants one; and (2) the discharge to be issued before the end of the one-year period beginning on the enactment of this Act. Prohibits benefits from being paid to persons as a result of such enactment for any period before the enactment date.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century Act - Revises, expands, or provides new rights and benefits for members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their dependents and survivors, including, among others: (1) an FY 2006 increase in funding for veterans' medical care; (2) a prohibition until the end of FY2006 on medication copayments and on the imposition of a health care system enrollment fee; (3) an extension until 2010 of Vietnam veterans' eligibility for readjustment counseling services; (4) the collection of data from pre- and post-deployment health assessments, and preventive maintenance post-deployment intervention; (5) the prevention, early detection, and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for returning troops; (6) a Department of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs Council on Post-Deployment Mental Health; (7) survivors' and dependents' eligibility for family and bereavement counseling; (8) certain educational initiatives; (9) a National Steering Committee on PTSD Education and a PTSD public awareness program; (10) certain benefits and outreach services for disabled veterans; (11) an increase in survivors' dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC); (12) certain pay increases and bonuses for active-duty members; (13) an expansion of benefits under under both the active-duty and reserve Montgomery GI Bill programs; (14) employment assistance for homeless veterans; (15) expanded reserve member eligibility under the TRICARE program (a Department of Defense managed health care program); (16) certain recruitment and retention incentives for Selected Reserve members; and (17) certain pay matters with respect to Federal employees performing active-duty reserve service. Repeals the: (1) DIC offset from Survivor Benefit Plan surviving spouse annuities; (2) pay reduction and high school graduation requirement for participation in the Montgomery GI Bill educational assistance program; (3) delimiting date for entitlement to basic educational assistance under such program; (4) time limitation on the exclusion of combat zone compensation by reason of hospitalization; (5) tax cut (implemented in 2001) for high-income taxpayers; (6) scheduled termination of the phaseout of personal exemptions; and (6) scheduled phaseout of the overall limitation on itemized deductions.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
Healthcare Enhancement for Local Public Safety Retirees Act of 2005 or the HELPS Retirees Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow retired public safety officers to elect an annual exclusion from gross income up to $5,000 for distributions from governmental retirement plans for the payment of accident or health insurance or long-term care insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2005
Veterans' Heritage Firearms Act of 2005 - Provides a 90-day amnesty period during which veterans and their family members can register in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record any firearm acquired before October 31, 1968, by a veteran while a member of the armed forces stationed outside the continental United States. Grants such an individual limited immunity under the Federal criminal code and the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the acquisition, possession, transportation, or alteration of such firearm before or concurrent with such registration. Extends such immunity to a veteran who attempts to register a qualifying firearm outside of the amnesty period if the veteran surrenders the firearm within 30 days after being notified of potential criminal liability for continued possession. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) transfer each firearm qualifying as a curio or relic which has been forfeited to the United States to the first qualified museum that requests it; and (2) publish information identifying each such firearm which is available to be transferred to a museum. Prohibits the Attorney General from destroying any such firearm which has been forfeited until five years after the forfeiture. Requires that any firearm transferred to a qualified museum be registered to the transferee. Makes a prohibition against transfer or possession of a machine-gun inapplicable to a transfer to or by, or possession by, a museum which is open to the public and incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation under applicable State law.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2005
Designates the U.S. exclusive economic zone (as established by Presidential Proclamation Numbered 5030, dated March 10, 1983) as the "Ronald Wilson Reagan Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States".
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2005
Coastal Restoration Tax Credit Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for expenditures related to any project approved by the Natural Resources Conservation Service to restore or protect coastal lands in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2005
Urges the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to extend through at least 2006 the Medicare demonstration project that assesses the quality of care for patients undergoing chemotherapy by collecting data on the impact of chemotherapy on cancer patients' quality of life. Calls for the continuation of payments to physicians for participation in the demonstration project to ensure that Medicare patients with cancer have access to chemotherapy treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2005
Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act of 2005 - Requires a manufacturer of a motor vehicle sold or introduced into commerce in the United States to disclose to the vehicle owner or to a repair facility of the motor vehicle owner's choosing the information necessary to diagnose, service, or repair the vehicle. Sets forth protections for trade secrets. Instructs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prescribe a uniform methodology for manufacturer disclosure in writing and on the Internet. Prohibits the FTC from prescribing rules that interfere with the authority of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding motor vehicle emissions control diagnostics systems. States that manufacturer noncompliance with this Act constitutes an unfair method of competition and an unfair or deceptive act or practice affecting commerce within the purview of the Federal Trade Commission Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2005
Community Banks Serving Their Communities First Act, or the Communities First Act - Sets forth regulatory relief measures for community banks, including amendments to: (1) the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act to increase from $10 million to $250 million the asset levels of depository institution and home mortgage lenders that are exempt from disclosure requirements; (2) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to permit certain insured depository institutions to submit a short form report of condition; and (3) the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to exempt certain small-sized depository institutions from management assessment of internal controls requirements. Directs the Federal Reserve Board to publish proposed revisions to the Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement on Assessment of Financial and Managerial Factors that provide that: (1) the policy shall apply to a bank holding company with pro forma consolidated assets of less than $1 billion that meets specified criteria; and (2) the debt-to-equity ratio allowable for a small bank holding company to remain eligible to pay a corporate dividend and for expedited processing procedures would increase from 1:1 to 3:1. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to increase from $250 million to $1 billion the asset size of institutions eligible for Federal banking examinations conducted at intervals subject to discretion of the appropriate Federal banking agency. Amends the Federal Reserve Act to increase from $1 million to $1 billion of total assets the size of small banks exempt from the limitation placed on extensions of credit to executive officers, director and principal shareholders. Amends the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 to increase from $250 million to $1 billion the size of financial institutions eligible for a less frequent examination schedule. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to direct the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to prescribe regulations authorizing a consumer to waive the statutory three-day right of rescission in connection with a consumer credit transaction when the creditor is an insured depository institution. Amends the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act to exempt from its recordkeeping and public disclosure requirements a depository institution that makes fewer than 100 reportable loans annually. Amends the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to exempt specified financial institutions from the requisite annual disclosure of privacy policy. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to direct the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to review reports of condition periodically and reduce filings of related information or schedules pursuant to specified determinations. Amends the Federal Reserve Act to prohibit the aggregate amount of credit extensions that a member bank may make to an executive officer of the bank from exceeding $250,000. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide reduced tax rates and deferral of income recognition on long-term certificates of deposit; (2) exclude from gross income interest received by a qualified lender on any qualified real estate loan; (3) increase from $10 million to $30 million the cap on qualified small issue bonds; (4) provide limited liability company tax treatment for FDIC-insured limited liability companies; (5) provide a tax reduction on a C corporation which is a community bank; and (6) exempt community banks from the alternative minimum tax..
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2005
Federal Contractor Security Act - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to require the following Federal service contractors to participate in a pilot program for employment eligibility confirmation: (1) those contractors required to pay at least minimum wage; and (2) those contractors exempted from the requirements of the Service Contract Act of 1965.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2005
Railroad Competition Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 - Amends federal transportation law to specify the primary objectives of U.S. rail transportation policy. Requires a rail carrier, upon shipper request, to establish a rate for transportation and provide requested service between any two points on the carrier's system where traffic originates, terminates, or may reasonably be interchanged. Prohibits the Surface Transportation Board (STB) from issuing a certificate authorizing construction and operation of railroad lines, or exempting a person, class of persons, or a transaction or service from the certificate requirement, if such an activity involves a transfer of interest in a line of railroad from a Class I rail carrier to a Class II or III rail carrier, and the activity directly or indirectly would restrict: (1) the ability of the Class II or Class III rail carrier to interchange traffic with other carriers; or (2) competition of rail carriers in the region affected by the activity in a manner that would violate federal antitrust laws. Prescribes a procedure for shipper petition and STB review of any activity alleged to have resulted in a restriction of competition for at least ten years. Changes from discretionary to mandatory the STB's authority to require: (1) a rail carrier's terminal facilities to be used by another rail carrier subject to certain conditions; and (2) rail carriers to enter into reciprocal switching agreements. Prohibits the STB, in either instance, from requiring evidence of anticompetitive conduct by a rail carrier from which such access is sought. Requires the STB to designate any state or substantial part of a state as an area of inadequate rail competition after finding that: (1) it encompasses rail shipping origins and destinations served exclusively by one Class I railroad; and (2) persons that ship by rail or receive rail shipments in it pay rates exceeding a certain mark, or have experienced competitive disadvantage in the marketplace or other economic adversity because of high cost or poor rail service quality. Specifies actions the STB may take to resolve such anti-competitive conditions. Requires submission to arbitration of rail rate disputes. Requires the STB to adopt new methods for determining the reasonableness of rail rates. Establishes within the Department of Transportation (DOT) the Office of Rail Customer Advocacy. Requires the STB, in a proceeding involving the merger or control of at least two Class I railroads, to consider among other things the safety and environmental effect of the proposed transaction on local communities and rail passenger transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
American Veterans Disabled for Life Commemorative Coin - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 silver coins emblematic of the design selected by the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, in commemoration of disabled American veterans. Expresses the sense of Congress that, to the greatest extent possible, the coins should be struck at the United States Mint at West Point, New York, Limits the period for coin issuance to the calendar year beginning on January 1, 2010. Imposes a $10 surcharge per coin, to be distributed to the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation for the purpose of establishing an endowment to support the construction of American Veterans' Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, D.C.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Medicare Ambulance Payment Reform and Rural Equity Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) revise ambulance payment rates; and (2) provide additional payments for providers furnishing ambulance services in rural areas. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review the system for adjusting payments for rural ambulance services to determine their adequacy and appropriateness. Amends SSA title XVIII with respect to a Secretary-specified uniform coding system identifying furnished ambulance services for purposes of a fee schedule. Directs the Secretary to establish a system or systems for the coding of claims for ambulance services for which payment is made, including a code set specifying the medical condition of the individual who is transported and the level of service that is appropriate for the transportation of an individual with that medical condition. Requires the code set to take into account the list of medical conditions developed in the course of the negotiated rulemaking process. (Current law authorizes the Secretary to require the claim for any ambulance services to include a code (or codes) under a uniform coding system specified by the Secretary, but does not require the establishment of such a coding system.)
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Hunger Relief Trucking Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for the cost of transporting food to assist hunger relief efforts of certain charitable organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
San Francisco Old Mint Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 100,000 $5 gold coins and 500,000 $1 silver coins emblematic of the San Francisco Old Mint Building, its importance to California and U.S. history, and its role in rebuilding San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire. Requires that all surcharges received by the Secretary from such coin sales be promptly paid to the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society for purposes of rehabilitating the Historic Old Mint in San Francisco as a city museum and an American Coin and Gold Rush Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Authorizes the Secretary of Defense, upon request of the Secretary of Homeland Security, to assign members of the Armed Forces to assist: (1) the Bureau of Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security in preventing the entry of terrorists, drug traffickers, and illegal aliens into the United States; and (2) the U.S. Customs Service in the inspection of cargo, vehicles, and aircraft at U.S. points of entry to prevent the entry of weapons of mass destruction and their components, prohibited narcotics or drugs, or other terrorist or drug trafficking items. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to certify that such request is necessary to respond to a threat to national security. Requires the Secretaries to establish a training program that must be completed by military personnel serving in such capacity. Requires any member so serving to be accompanied by a civilian law enforcement officer from the agency concerned. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish ongoing joint task forces to respond to threats to national security posed by the entry of terrorists, drug traffickers, or illegal aliens. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to notify the governor and local governments of the State involved of the deployment of such members and the types of tasks to be performed. Prohibits any such assignment after September 30, 2007.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Constitutional Amendment - States that a person born to a mother and father, neither of whom is a citizen of the United States nor a person who owes permanent allegiance to the United States, shall not be a citizen of the United States or of any State solely by reason of U.S. birth.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2005
Volunteer Pilot Organization Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 to exempt from liability a nonprofit volunteer pilot organization that flies for public benefit, its staff members, and its volunteers for harm caused by a volunteer while flying, in furtherance of the purpose of the organization, an aircraft for which the volunteer was properly licensed and insured. Directs the Attorney General to study and report to Congress on the availability of insurance to nonprofit volunteer pilot organizations that fly for public benefit.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2005
Telephone Excise Tax Repeal Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the excise tax on communication services (i.e., local telephone service, toll telephone service, and teletypewriter exchange service).
![Official portrait of Rep. Alexander, Rodney [R-LA-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/a000361_200.jpg)