United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2005
Employee Participation Incentive Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) cap at 30 percent the maximum income tax rate for corporations that have a 20 percent or greater employee ownership rate; (2) exclude from employee gross income up to 20 percent of wages paid in stock; and (3) allow such corporations a tax deduction for certain stock options granted to employees.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to expand, intensify, and coordinate the Institute's research activities on inflammatory bowel disease, with an emphasis on: (1) genetic research on susceptibility for inflammatory bowel disease; (2) research targeted to increase knowledge about the causes and complications of inflammatory bowel disease in children; (3) animal model research; (4) clinical research; (5) expansion of the Institute's Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centers program with a focus on pediatric research; and (6) other research initiatives identified in specified documents. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prepare a National Inflammatory Bowel Disease Action Plan to: (1) address the burden of inflammatory bowel disease in both adult and pediatric populations; (2) address strategies for determining the prevalence of the disease in the United States and the unique demographic characteristics of the patient community; (3) focus on strategies for increasing awareness about the disease within the general public and the health care community; and (4) address mechanisms designed to prevent the progression of the disease and the development of complications.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Amends the Federal criminal code to increase from one year to five years after leaving office the period during which former Members of Congress may not engage in certain lobbying activities.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Life Insurance Fairness for Travelers Act of 2005 - Amends the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 to make it unlawful for any insurer to: (1) deny any person life insurance, or to otherwise discriminate in the issuance, cancellation, amount of coverage, or conditions of life insurance, based upon the person's intent to engage in future lawful foreign travel; and (2) charge rates for life insurance which are excessive or unfairly discriminatory in relation to the actuarial risk associated with future lawful foreign travel of such person. Provides for administrative enforcement of this Act by either: (1) the chief law enforcement officer of a state, or an official or agency designated by a state; or (2) the Secretary of the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
National Health Museum Act of 2005 - Directs the Administrator of General Services to convey specified property in the District of Columbia as a site for a national health museum, under an agreement with the National Health Museum, Inc., including certain terms and conditions. Sets forth related requirements regarding environmental matters, incidental costs, and land use approvals.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Technical Workers Fairness Act of 2005 - Amends the Revenue Act of 1978, as amended by the Tax Reform Act of 1986, to repeal the prohibition on treating certain technical service providers as independent contractors.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Medicare Home Health Telehealth Access Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the current requirements for Medicare coverage of telehealth services under the prospective payment system. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to treat as a home health visit any telehealth services furnished by a home health agency via a telecommunication system to an individual receiving home health services, if the telehealth services: (1) are ordered as part of a plan of care certified by a physician; (2) (as under current law) do not substitute for in-person home health services ordered as part of a plan of care certified by a physician; and (3) are considered the equivalent of a visit under criteria developed by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to initiate and carry out projects in a variety of geographic locations that provide incentives to home health agencies to utilize home monitoring and communications technologies that will: (1) enhance health outcomes for individuals enrolled under Medicare parts A and B; and (2) reduce part A and B program expenditures for institutional and other providers, practitioners, and suppliers of health care items and services. Authorizes the Secretary to pay incentive payments to each home health agency participating in a pilot project. Provides that, if the Secretary determines that any of the pilot projects results in decreased federal Medicare expenditures, and maintains or enhances health outcomes for the participating beneficiaries, the Secretary may initiate or extend comparable projects in additional areas.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Amends the federal judicial code to establish two judicial districts in New Jersey (currently, one), the Northern and Southern Districts of New Jersey. Sets forth provisions regarding the allocation of judgeships, including bankruptcy judgeships, among those districts. Provides for the transfer of district judges, bankruptcy judges, and magistrate judges to the Northern and Southern Districts of New Jersey. Transfers U.S. attorneys, U.S. marshals, and federal public defenders for the District of New Jersey to the Northern District of New Jersey. Directs the President to appoint, by and with the advice of the Senate, a U.S. attorney and a U.S. marshal for the Southern District of New Jersey. Specifies that neither pending cases nor juries shall be affected.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Superfund Polluter Pays Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code by reinstating until January 1, 2016, the Hazardous Substance Superfund financing rate and the corporate environmental income tax.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Prekindergarten Access Act of 2005 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish prekindergarten programs. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to provide grants to applicant states to establish or expand prekindergarten early learning programs by eligible prekindergarten providers and local educational agencies in partnership with early childhood programs, organizations, or agencies that serve three-, four-, and five-year old children.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Truth in Automobile Insurance Rates Act of 2005 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require that certain information relating to automobile insurance coverage be submitted to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by persons: (1) who are plan administrators of employee pension benefit plans or provide administrative services to such plans; and (2) who also provide automobile insurance coverage or provide persons offering such coverage identifying information relating to plan participants or beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act - Identifies roadless areas within the National Forest System set forth in specified maps as National Forest Inventoried Roadless Areas, and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to manage such Areas to maintain their roadless character. Authorizes the Forest Service to modify such maps for the sole purpose of improving their accuracy or inclusiveness. Requires any substantial modification of those maps to be made through the national forest management planning process and documented in an environmental impact statement.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Medicare Durable Medical Equipment Access Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from awarding any contracts under the competitive durable medical equipment items and services acquisition program unless: (1) the quality standards have been implemented; and (2) the Secretary has received advice from the program oversight committee. Requires the Secretary (who currently is authorized), in carrying out competitive acquisition programs, to exempt: (1) rural areas and areas with low population density within urban areas that are not competitive, unless there is a significant national market through mail order for a particular item or service; and (2) items and services for which the application of competitive acquisition is not likely to result in significant savings. Adds to such exemptions smaller metropolitan statistical areas. Modifies requirements for the protection of small suppliers in bidding and contracting. Requires the Secretary to permit suppliers classified as small businesses to continue to participate as suppliers at the selected award price so long as they submit bids at less than the fee schedule amount otherwise applicable to the items and they otherwise comply with applicable program requirements. Provides for appeal rights (currently denied). Requires the Secretary to exempt from competitive acquisition requirements items and services for which the application of competitive acquisition is not likely to result in significant savings of at least 10%. Prohibits the Secretary from implementing a program with respect to an item or service unless the Secretary demonstrates a probability of achieving significant savings of at least 10%, compared to the fee schedule in effect on January 1, 2006, by including the item or service in the program. Prohibits the Secretary from implementing certain requirements for the payment basis for covered items furnished after January 1, 2009, with respect to the application of rates in an area that is not a competitive acquisition area, unless the Secretary has completed and published in the Federal Register a comparability analysis to ensure the application is appropriate. Requires application of the comparability analysis requirement to certain other part B items and services.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Greater Access to E-Governance Act - GATE Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to make grants to state and local governments to assist them in deploying broadband computer networks for the conduct of electronic governance transactions by citizens in local schools and libraries. Allows such grants to be used to: (1) hire contractors or nonprofit organizations to deploy and manage such networks; (2) acquire broadband infrastructure, computers, and other equipment for such networks; and (3) acquire related software and services to support such networks. Sets forth grant allocation criteria.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Substance Abuse Group Homes Amendments of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require states receiving substance abuse grants for the establishment of group homes for recovering substance abusers to ensure that state or local officials: (1) provide the public with an opportunity to consult with officials on policies for the location of such housing; (2) notify community members that the community is under consideration as a proposed site for such a home and allow them to consult with officials on the proposal before a decision is made; (3) monitor the group home to determine residents' compliance with the conditions upon which the permission to establish the home was granted; and (4) provide community members and the home's residents with opportunities to consult with officials on the group home's effects on the community.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Airport Emergency Reimbursement Act of 2005 - Amends federal aviation law to provide a credit to an owner or operator of an airport that allows the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or the head of a state or local agency to utilize the airport to respond to a disaster or emergency. Allows application of such credit toward the non-federal share of allowable costs for projects under the airport improvement program. Requires such credit to equal the revenues the airport lost, including operational costs incurred by the owner or operator, during the period of such utilization.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Condemns the imprisonment of Mr. Ali Akbar Ganji, a prisoner of conscience, by the government of Iran, calls for his immediate release, and denounces the Iranian regime's consistent pattern of human rights violations. Calls upon U.S. allies, the United Nations, and the international community to condemn Iran for the continuing imprisonment of Ali Akbar Ganji and other violations of internationally recognized human rights. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the government of Iran should end all acts of harassment and detention against peaceful Iranian dissidents and human rights defenders and conform with related international agreements and obligations; and (2) it should be U.S. policy to support human rights dissidents and pro-democracy advocates in Iran and promote the emergence of a peaceful democratic form of government in Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicaid coverage of disabled children, and individuals who became disabled as children, without regard to income or assets.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Seniors' Family Business Enhancement Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to grant an individual a one-time exclusion from gross income of the gain from the sale or exchange of a qualified interest in a closely held business if: (1) the individual has attained the age of 62 before the date of the sale or exchange; (2) the adjusted gross income of the individual for the tax year in which such sale or exchange occurs does not exceed $1 million (determined without regard to such sale or exchange); and (3) the individual so elects.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Internet Safety and Child Protection Act of 2005 - Requires: (1) an operator of a regulated pornographic website to verify (using Federal Trade Commission (FTC)-certified software) that any user attempting to access its site is age 18 or older; (2) a bank, credit card company, third-party merchant, Internet payment service provider, or business that performs financial transactions for such a website to only process age-verified Internet pornography credit card transactions; (3) the FTC to require use of appropriate age-screening software and maintain a list of websites that do not comply; and (4) violations of the age verification requirement to be treated as a Federal Trade Commission Act violation. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose upon the operator of a regulated pornographic website for any Internet pornography display or distribution a tax equal to 25 percent of the amounts charged. Establishes in the Treasury the Internet Safety and Child Protection Trust Fund into which such taxes shall be deposited. Requires Fund amounts to be allocated (in order of priority) for: (1) federal agencies to enforce this Act; (2) the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to ensure that the cyber tip line is fully operational and staffed 24 hours a day; (3) states to support Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces; (4) companies to support research and development into new filtering technologies; (5) state agencies to support educational training; and (6) specified federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and nonprofits to support child Internet safety activities, including combating sex trafficking and sex crimes against children.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Homeowners' Escrow Payments Assurance Act - Amends the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to make mortgage escrow servicers liable for treble damages in individual borrower or class actions for failure to make timely payments from an escrow account for taxes, insurance premiums, and other charges as they become due. Establishes, in addition, a civil penalty of $1,000 for each day of insurance coverage lapse that results from such a failure. Earmarks the fines thus collected for assistance to: (1) low-income families for the acquisition of a principal residence; and (2) nonprofit organizations that engage in legal advocacy relating to consumer rights' protection.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Consumer Credit Card Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit a creditor from using adverse information concerning a consumer as the basis for increasing any annual percentage rate of interest applicable to a credit card account of the consumer under an open end consumer credit plan, or to remove or increase any introductory annual percentage rate of interest applicable to such account, for reasons other than actions or omissions of the consumer that are directly related to such account (universal default). Expands mandatory disclosures governing an open end consumer credit plan to include clear and conspicuous minimum payment terms with respect to the outstanding balance on the account, including prescribed details expressed in tabular format and in close proximity. Requires a creditor to furnish advance notice as a prerequisite to increasing rates or imposing fees on a consumer credit card account.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Consumer Overdraft Protection Fair Practices Act - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to set forth restrictions on: (1) overdraft protection programs or services for consumers; and (2) representations or statements with respect to such a program or service in any advertisement or promotion. Amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and the Expedited Funds Availability Act to set forth restrictions on overdraft protection programs or services for consumers.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Amends the federal judicial code to require the public or private employer of a federal grand or petit juror to pay to that juror his or her regular pay (or average daily wage) for each day such individual performs jury duty, less the aggregate amount of any fees and allowances paid. Allows a person summoned for jury service to be excused upon a showing by his or her employer that payment during such service would result in significant hardship to the employer.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish hospital care and medical services, and authorizes the Secretary to furnish nursing home care, to any veteran of World War II. (Currently, the Secretary is required or authorized to provide such services only to veterans of the Mexican border period or World War I.)
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to continue an individual's entitlement to benefits through the month of his or her death, without affecting any other person's entitlement to benefits for that month. Disregards monthly benefits received for the month in which the individual dies for purposes of the maximum benefit cap.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Mortgage Cancellation Relief Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income amounts attributable to the discharge of certain residential mortgage obligations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit certain married individuals who are legally separated and living apart and who file separate tax returns to exclude from gross income the income from U.S. savings bonds used for higher education tuition and fees.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) grave concerns exist concerning the People's Republic of China's (PRC) deployment of ballistic missiles directed toward Taiwan; (2) the President should direct U.S. officials to raise these concerns with PRC officials, and should seek a public and unequivocal PRC renunciation of any threat or use of force against Taiwan; (3) the President should abolish all restrictions on visits by U.S. military officials to Taiwan; (4) the President should authorize the Aegis system sale to Taiwan; and (5) Taiwan's future should be determined free from PRC coercion and with the consent of the people of Taiwan through a democratic mechanism such as a referendum.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2005
Presumes to be service-connected, and therefore compensable through veterans' disability compensation, hepatitis C becoming manifest to a degree of ten percent or more after active-duty military service with respect to veterans who, during a period of such service: (1) received a transfusion of blood or blood products before December 31, 1992; (2) were exposed to blood on or through the skin or a mucous membrane; (3) underwent hemodyalisis; (4) experienced a needle-stick accident or medical event involving a needle, not due to the veteran's willful misconduct; (5) were diagnosed with or experienced unexplained liver disease or dysfunction; or (6) served in a health-care position or specialty under circumstances to be prescribed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2005
Parent-Child Privilege Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Rules of Evidence to provide that, in a civil or criminal proceeding, a parent shall not be compelled to testify against his or her child, and a child shall not be compelled to testify against his or her parent, unless the parent or child who is the witness voluntarily and knowingly waives the privilege to refrain from giving such adverse testimony. Provides that a parent shall not be compelled to divulge any confidential communication with his or her child during the course of their parent-child relationship, and a child shall not be compelled to divulge any confidential communication with his or her parent during the course of such relationship, unless both the child and the parent or parents who are privy to the confidential communication voluntarily and knowingly waive the privilege against the disclosure of the communication. Sets forth exceptions to the privilege, such as in civil actions by the child against the parent, or by the parent against the child, or in any action in which the custody, abuse, or neglect of the child, or the termination of parental rights with respect to the child, is at issue. Authorizes the court to appoint a guardian, attorney, or other legal representative to represent the child's interests with respect to the privilege when a child who appears to be the subject of the privilege is below the age of majority at the time of the proceeding.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2005
Domestic Consumer Safety Act of 2005 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission to promulgate rules to assure that businesses in commerce that send employees into people's homes perform adequate and appropriate background checks on those employees. Subjects violators of such rule to a maximum civil penalty of $1 million.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2005
Lyme and Tick-borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee. Requires the Committee to advise the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for Health regarding how officials can: (1) ensure interagency coordination and communication and minimize overlap regarding efforts to address tick-borne diseases; (2) identify opportunities to coordinate efforts with other federal agencies and private organizations addressing such diseases; (3) ensure interagency coordination and communication with constituency groups; (4) ensure that a broad spectrum of scientific viewpoints is represented in public heath policy decisions and that information disseminated to the public and physicians is balanced; and (5) advise relevant federal agencies on priorities related to Lyme and tick-borne diseases. Requires the Secretary, acting through the appropriate federal officials, to provide for the coordination of all federal programs and activities related to Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, including: (1) developing sensitive and accurate diagnostic tools and tests, (2) improving the efficient utilization of diagnostic testing currently available; (3) accurately determining the prevalence of such diseases; (4) evaluating the feasibility of creating a national uniform reporting system; (5) providing and promoting access to a clearinghouse of information on such diseases; (6) increasing public education related to such diseases; (7) creating a physician education program; (8) establishing epidemiological research objectives to determine the long term course of illness for Lyme disease; and (9) determining the effectiveness of different treatment modalities by establishing treatment outcome objectives
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2005
National Forest Protection and Restoration Act - Prohibits commercial logging and timber sales (with specified exceptions) on Federal public lands, with a two-year phase-out for existing contracts. Provides for payment of relinquished contracts. Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to each: (1) establish a National Heritage Restoration Corps to restore (and monitor) such lands to their natural pre-logging condition; and (2) develop National Heritage Restoration Plans and related standards for regional ecological restoration and monitoring. Sets forth provisions respecting forest fire and hazardous fuel reduction. Provides for worker retraining of eligible persons whose jobs have been lost due to terminated timber and logging contracts. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to make training grants, including grants for job search and relocation. Sets forth fund allocation provisions, including amounts for an Environmental Protection Agency investigation of non-wood paper and construction alternatives. Amends the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 to make permanent certain education, transportation, and public purpose payments to States and counties containing Federal land. Authorizes a private right of action for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2005
DNA Database Completion Act of 2005 - Amends the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to authorize appropriations for each of FY2005-FY2009 for grants to eligible states for DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) analysis.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2005
Jessica Lunsford and Sarah Lunde Act - Directs the Attorney General to award grants to assist state and local governments in: (1) carrying out programs to outfit sexual offenders (i.e., offenders age 18 or older who commit sexual offenses against minors) with electronic monitoring units; and (2) employing law enforcement officials necessary to carry out such programs. Limits grant awards to a three-year period. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) ensure that different approaches to monitoring are funded; and (2) report to Congress on program effectiveness.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
Preserving Patient Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals Act of 2005 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services, during the period between July 1, 2005, and the date two years after the enactment of this Act, from: (1) requiring a compliance rate, pursuant to the criterion (commonly known as the "75 percent rule") used to determine whether a hospital or hospital unit is an inpatient rehabilitation facility, that is greater than the 50 percent compliance threshold that became effective on July 1, 2004; (2) changing the designation of any inpatient rehabilitation facility in compliance with the 50 percent threshold; or (3) conducting medical necessity review of inpatient rehabilitation facilities using any guidelines other than the national criteria established in the Medicare Benefits Policy Manual. Directs the Secretary to establish procedures for: (1) making any necessary retroactive adjustment to restore the status of a facility as an inpatient rehabilitation facility as a result of this Act; (2) making any necessary payments to inpatient rehabilitation facilities based on such adjustment for discharges occurring on or after July 1, 2005, and before enactment of this Act; and (3) developing and implementing an appeals process that provides for expedited review of any adjustment to the status of a facility as an inpatient rehabilitation facility made during such period Directs the Secretary to establish the National Advisory Council on Medical Rehabilitation to provide advice and recommendations to: (1) Congress and the Secretary concerning the coverage of rehabilitation services under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act; and (2) appropriate federal agencies on how best to utilize available research funds and authorities focused on medical rehabilitation research.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
Requests the President and directs the Secretary of State, not later than 14 days after the date of adoption of this resolution, to transmit to the House of Representatives all documents, including telephone and electronic mail records, logs, calendars, minutes, and memos, in the possession of the President and the Secretary relating to communications with officials of the United Kingdom from January 1, 2002 to October 16, 2002, relating to U.S. policy with respect to Iraq, including any discussions or communications between the President or other Administration officials, or the Secretary or other officials of the Department of State, and officials of the United Kingdom that occurred before the July 23, 2002 meeting in London, England, between Prime Minister Tony Blair, United Kingdom intelligence officer Richard Dearlove, and other national security officials of the Blair Administration.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2005
South Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act of 2005 - Prohibits U.S. assistance to develop or promote rail connections or railway-related connections that do not traverse or connect with Armenia, and do traverse or connect Baku, Azerbaijan; Tbilisi, Georgia; and Kars, Turkey.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2005
Small Business Trade Dispute Protection Act - Exempts small businesses from increased tariffs and other retaliatory actions taken by the United States during certain trade disputes if: (1) the importer had fewer than 100 full-time employees (or their equivalents) during the preceding two calendar quarters; but (2) only for that quantity of the imported goods which does not exceed 125% of the quantity of the same goods that are products of another country or countries in a trade dispute with the United States, and were imported by that importer in the preceding calendar year.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2005
Teach for America Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award a grant to Teach For America, Inc. to implement and expand its program of recruiting, selecting, training, and supporting new teachers.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2005
Calls for government leaders and law enforcement personnel to ensure that the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans, including Iranian-Americans, are fully protected. Condemns bigotry and acts of violence or discrimination against any American. Encourages Iranian-Americans to share their experiences with their elected officials and their community to end stereotypes, correct misconceptions, and convey instances of abuse. Calls upon law enforcement authorities to investigate and vigorously prosecute crimes that are based on actual or perceived, race, color, religion, national origin, or ethnicity.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2005
Free Flow of Information Act of 2005 - Prohibits a federal entity from compelling a "covered person" (i.e., a newspaper, television broadcast station, wire service, or other media outlet, and specified employees and contractors) to testify or produce any document unless a court determines that: (1) the party seeking to compel has unsuccessfully attempted to obtain such testimony or document from all other non-covered persons; (2) in a criminal matter, there are reasonable grounds to believe a crime has occurred and the testimony or document sought is essential to the investigation, prosecution, or defense of the crime; (3) in a non-criminal matter, the testimony or document is essential to a dispositive issue of substantial importance; and (4) in any matter in which testimony or a document could reveal the source's identity, disclosure is necessary to prevent imminent and actual harm to national security and such harm outweighs the public interest in protecting the free flow of information. Requires the content of compelled testimony or documents to be limited and narrowly tailored. Exempts certain commercial or financial information. Makes this Act applicable to testimony or documents that a third party or federal entity seeks from a communications service provider relating to business transactions with a covered person. Sets forth notice requirements. Permits a court to delay notice to a covered person upon determining that such notice would pose a substantial threat to the integrity of a criminal investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2005
Higher Education Sustainability Act of 2005 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to establish sustainability programs at institutions of higher education. Requires such programs to develop and implement: (1) sustainability practices, including in the areas of energy management, green building, waste management, purchasing, transportation, and toxics management; and (2) other aspects of sustainability that integrate campus operations with multidisciplinary educational programs and are applicable to the private and government sectors.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2005
Honor Our Commitment to Veterans Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to administer the health care enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs so as to enroll any eligible veteran who applies. (This directive in effect terminates an administrative freeze on the enrollment of veterans in the lowest priority enrollment category.)
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2005
Lupus Research, Education, Awareness, Communication, and Healthcare Amendments of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to expand research on lupus to include: (1) basic research to discover the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of the disease; and (2) research to validate lupus biomarkers. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to work with a consortium of academic health institutions to undertake an epidemiological study to determine the prevalence and incidence of lupus in the United States. Requires the Director of CDC to: (1) enter into a cooperative agreement with such consortium to develop, implement, and manage a system for lupus data collection and analysis; and (2) ensure that such consortium represents different geographic areas and includes individuals of racial and ethnic backgrounds disproportionately affected by lupus. Requires the Secretary to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to study and make recommendations related to lupus, to include: (1) evaluating federal and state activities related to lupus and recommending ways to expand such activities; (2) identifying gaps in federal research; and (3) recommending ways to improve the quality of life for people with lupus. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office on Women's Health, to conduct and support a national lupus public awareness and health professional education campaign, with an emphasis on reaching populations at highest risk for the disease.
![Official portrait of Rep. Andrews, Robert E. [D-NJ-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/a000210_200.jpg)