United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Expresses support for the goals of World Intellectual Property Day (April 26, 2005) to promote, inform, and teach the importance of intellectual property as a tool for economic, social, and cultural development. Congratulates the World Intellectual Property Organization for building awareness of the value of intellectual property and developing the necessary infrastructure to help citizens take full advantage of their own creativity.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that the government of the Russian Federation should issue an unambiguous admission and condemnation of the illegal occupation and annexation by the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1991 of the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that national and community organizations and health care providers should be applauded for promoting awareness about viral hepatitis. Calls on the Federal Government to: (1) raise awareness about the importance of viral hepatitis prevention education, prevention measures, counseling, and treatment; (2) increase funding for prevention education, prevention measures, and research; (3) increase efforts to find more effective treatments and cures; and (4) consider ways to improve access to high-quality health care services for early detection and treatment. Calls on the Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to expand basic, clinical, and genetic research regarding viral hepatitis. Urges the Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to give priority consideration to establishing a national viral hepatitis roundtable to provide leadership, support, and organization.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to make grants and create a program within the National Park Service to support and work in partnership with citizens, governmental and tribal organizations, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of identifying, protecting, and acquiring historic confinement sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II in order to gain inspiration from these sites and to demonstrate the Nation's commitment to equal justice. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the Japanese American National Heritage Coalition, to make grants to citizens, States, local, and tribal governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofit organizations to assist in carrying out the actions described above. Provides for the Secretary to require a 25 percent non-Federal match for funds provided under this Act. Terminates the force and effect of this Act two years after the disbursement to grantees of the total amount of funds authorized to be appropriated under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Jessica Lunsford Act - Amends the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act to direct that State procedures include a process under which the State mails a nonforwardable verification form at least twice a year to the last known address of the person required to register as a sexually violent offender, to be returned within ten days after receipt, with failure to return the form within the period allowed punishable in the same manner as a failure to register. Requires a State prison officer, the court, or another responsible officer or official, if a person required to register is released from prison or placed on parole, supervised release, or probation, to: (1) notify the agency responsible for supervising the person that such person is required to register; and (2) provide that agency with the registration information relating to that person. Provides that a person required to register who has two or more convictions for failing to register or failing to keep such registration current shall, upon release from imprisonment, be required to wear a location-transmitting device (such as an anklet) at all times for not less than five years (ten years if the person is a sexually violent predator). Requires the State to frequently monitor the information transmitted. Sets forth provisions regarding compliance dates and loss of Federal funding for failure to implement this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to provide assistance, including through nongovernmental or international organizations, for basic care for orphans and other vulnerable children in developing countries, including assistance for: (1) community-based care; (2) school food programs; (3) education and employment training; (4) psychosocial support; (5) protection of inheritance rights; and (6) HIV/AIDS care. Directs the Secretary of State to appoint a Special Advisor for Assistance to Vulnerable Populations. Directs the President to: (1) establish a system to evaluate such assistance's effectiveness; and (2) develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a coordinating strategy for such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Consumer Assurance of Radiologic Excellence Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to prohibit certain payments to States for expenditures for medical imaging procedures or radiation therapy procedures, unless the State meets specified requirements for State medical radiation licenses, including minimum licensing standards the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Directs the Administrator of General Services to convey, without consideration, to a non-profit, nonpartisan educational institution for the purpose of establishing a women's history museum all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to a parcel of Federal real property known as the "Pavilion Annex" that is adjacent to the Old Post Office Building in Washington, D.C. Prohibits the use of such property for commercial purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Recognizes the importance of sun safety and the need for school-based safety education programs. Congratulates the Sun Safety Alliance for its efforts to promote sun safety and prevent skin cancer. Expresses support for the goals and ideas of National Sun Safety Week (June 5 to June 11, 2005).
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2005
Captive Primate Safety Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to add non-human primates to the definition of "prohibited wildlife species" to which such Act's requirements (e.g., prohibition against sale or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce) apply.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2005
Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) grant full coverage of dialysis access procedures in the ambulatory surgical center setting for individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who are entitled to benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) and enrolled under Medicare part B (Hospital Insurance); and (2) structure the relative value units applicable to physicians' services for vascular access procedures to encourage clinically appropriate placement of natural vascular access for dialysis patients. Directs the Secretary to establish demonstration projects for an outcomes-based ESRD financial incentives reimbursement system to evaluate methods that improve the quality of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease. Sets forth required training for patient care dialysis technicians. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for the: (1) establishment of annual update framework for the Medicare end stage renal disease composite rate; and (2) extension of Medicare as secondary payer. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the impact of the temporary codes (G-codes) for nephrologists' services applicable under the Medicare fee schedule for physician's services. Requires the Secretary to establish demonstration projects to: (1) increase public awareness about chronic kidney disease; (2) enhance surveillance systems and expand chronic kidney disease research; and (3) enable individuals with ESRD to develop self-management skills. Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for Medicare coverage of kidney disease patient education services. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish blood flow monitoring demonstration projects; (2) provide for appropriate incentives to improve the Medicare home dialysis benefit; (3) arrange with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate the barriers to increasing the number of individuals with ESRD who elect to receive home dialysis services under Medicare; and (4) establish an independent, multidisciplinary, nonpartisan End-Stage Renal Disease Advisory Committee.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2005
Community Health Center Volunteer Physician Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to deem volunteer practitioners at health centers as employees of the Public Health Service for purposes of any civil action that may arise due to providing services to patients at such health centers. Defines "volunteer practitioner" as a licensed physician who: (1) at the request of the entity, provides services to patients of a public or nonprofit entity receiving Federal funds for serving medically underserved areas; (2) provides such service at a site at which the entity operates or at a site designated by the entity; and (3) does not receive any compensation for the provision of services.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act of 2005 or Johanna's Law - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national campaign to increase the awareness and knowledge of women with respect to gynecologic cancers, which shall include: (1) maintaining a supply of written materials to provide information to the public on gynecologic cancers; and (2) developing and placing public service announcements to encourage women to discuss their risks of gynecologic cancers with their physicians. Requires the Secretary to award grants to nonprofit private entities to test different outreach and education strategies for increasing such awareness among women and health professionals.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal collectively to the Tuskegee Airmen in recognition of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2005 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Public Health Service Act to expand the prohibition against discrimination by group health plans and health insurance issuers in the group and individual markets on the basis of genetic information or services to prohibit: (1) enrollment and premium discrimination based on information about a request for or receipt of genetic services; and (2) requiring genetic testing. Sets forth penalties for violations. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit issuers of Medicare supplemental policies from discriminating on the basis of genetic information. Extends medical privacy and confidentiality rules to the disclosure of genetic information. Makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or training program to discriminate against an individual or deprive such individual of employment opportunities because of genetic information. Prohibits the collection and disclosure of genetic information, with certain exceptions. Establishes a Genetic Nondiscrimination Study Commission to review the developing science of genetics and advise Congress on the advisability of providing for a disparate impact cause of action under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Amends the Clean Air Act to establish critical use exemptions for methyl bromide for 2006 and 2007, incorporating critical use exemptions approved by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol and submitted by the U.S. State Department at the first Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Children's Hospitals Education Equity and Research (CHEER) Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make payments through FY 2010 (currently, through FY 2005) to children's hospitals for expenses associated with operating approved graduate medical residency training programs. Excludes reductions for unused resident positions when calculating the number of full-time residents in a children's hospital's approved training program for purposes of reimbursing direct expenses. Requires the Secretary to adjust the proportion of such a hospital's costs attributable to wages for differences in hospital wage levels by geographic area. Authorizes appropriations through FY 2010 for direct and indirect expenses associated with operating such programs. Requires that funds appropriated for such programs for a fiscal year remain available for obligation through the end of the succeeding fiscal year. Limits the ability to recoup funds unless a demand for recoupment is made by the end of the fiscal year. Sets forth an appeals procedure and limitations on retroactivity for decisions affecting the amount of payments to a hospital for such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2005
Lebanon and Syria Liberation Act - States that U.S. sanctions, controls, and regulations relating to Syria shall remain in effect until the President certifies that: (1) Syria has ceased support for terrorism, has dismantled biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons programs and has committed to combat their proliferation, has withdrawn from Lebanon and respects the boundaries and sovereignty of all neighboring countries, and upholds human rights and civil liberties; and (2) sovereignty has been restored to Lebanon. Imposes specified trade, assistance, and military sanctions, as appropriate, on persons or countries that transfer goods or technology so as to contribute to Syria's biological, chemical, nuclear, or advanced conventional weapons programs. Sets forth diplomatic measures intended to achieve such nonproliferation. Directs the President to provide assistance to support a democratic transition in Syria and the restoration of sovereign, democratic rule in Lebanon. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2005
Wireless 411 Privacy Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit a provider of commercial mobile services, or any affiliate or agent of such provider (provider), from including the wireless telephone number of any current subscriber in any wireless directory assistance service (WDAS) database unless the provider: (1) provides a conspicuous, separate notice to the subscriber of the right not be listed in any WDAS; and (2) obtains express prior listing authorization from such subscriber, and that authorization has not been withdrawn. Allows a provider to include the wireless telephone information of any new subscriber in a WDAS only if the provider provides: (1) a conspicuous, separate notice to the subscriber, at the time of entering into a service agreement and at least once a year thereafter, of the right not to be listed in any WDAS; and (2) the subscriber with convenient mechanisms to decline or refuse to participate in any WDAS. Allows a provider to connect a calling party from a WDAS to a commercial mobile service subscriber only if: (1) the subscriber is provided prior notice of the calling party's identity and is permitted to accept or reject each call; (2) the subscriber's wireless telephone number information is not disclosed to the calling party; and (3) the subscriber is not an unlisted commercial mobile service subscriber. Prohibits a provider from charging a subscriber for the exercise of any rights under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award one-year grants to each approved State to establish or improve a State controlled substance monitoring program. Requires the Secretary to develop minimum standards for States to ensure security of information collected and to recommend penalties for the provision or use of information in violation of applicable laws or regulations. Requires each approved State to: (1) require dispensers to report to the State within one week of each dispensing of a controlled substance to an ultimate user or research subject; and (2) establish and maintain an electronic searchable database containing the information reported. Allows a State to provide information from the database in response to certain requests by practitioners, law enforcement, narcotics control, licensure, disciplinary, or program authorities, the controlled substance monitoring program of another State, and agents of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), State Medicaid programs, State health departments, or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Requires the Secretary to: (1) specify a uniform electronic format for the reporting, sharing, and provision of information under this Act; (2) give preference to approved States in awarding any grants related to drug abuse; and (3) study and report to Congress on such programs, including on interoperability between programs, the feasibility of a real-time electronic controlled substance monitoring program, privacy protections, and technological alternatives to centralized data storage.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
Artists' Contribution to American Heritage Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers who create literary, musical, artistic, or scholarly compositions or similar property a fair market value (determined at the time of contribution) tax deduction for contributions of such properties, the copyrights thereon, or both, to certain tax-exempt organizations, if such properties are properly appraised and are donated no sooner than 18 months after their creation. Limits the amount of such deduction based upon the donor's artistic adjusted gross income, as defined by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2005
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit: (1) Federal civilian and military retirees to pay Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and TRICARE supplemental premiums on a pretax basis (i.e., exclude premiums from gross income); and (2) a tax deduction (available to itemizers and nonitemizers) for TRICARE supplemental premiums or enrollment fees. Directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Secretary of Defense to ensure that the option of paying FEHBP and TRICARE supplemental premiums on a pretax basis is available to Federal civilian and military retirees for the first open enrollment period beginning not less than 90 days after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2005
English Language Unity Act of 2005 - Declares English to be the official language of the United States. Establishes the affirmative obligation of the representatives of the Federal Government to preserve and enhance the role of the English language as the Government's official language. Requires the official functions of the Government to be conducted in English. Requires: (1) a uniform English language testing standard for U.S. naturalization; and (2) all naturalization ceremonies to be conducted in English. Sets forth exceptions to, and rules of construction for, such requirements. Authorizes persons injured by violations of this Act to obtain appropriate relief in civil actions. Declares, as a general rule of construction, that English language requirements and workplace policies, whether in the public or private sector, shall be presumptively consistent with the laws of the United States. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue for public notice and comment a proposed rule for uniform testing of the English language ability of candidates for naturalization based upon the principles that: (1) all citizens should be able to read and understand generally the English language text of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Laws of the United States; and (2) any exceptions to this standard should be limited to extraordinary circumstances, such as asylum.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005
Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national education campaign to promote stroke prevention and increase the number of stroke patients who seek immediate treatment. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), to maintain the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry and Clearinghouse by collecting specific data points and benchmarks for stroke care analysis and by compiling and disseminating information on State, local, and private care system achievements and problems. Defines "stroke" as an attack in which blood flow to the brain is interrupted or in which a blood vessel or aneurysm in the brain breaks or ruptures. Includes stroke and traumatic injury prevention, diagnosis, and treatment within the grant program for emergency medicine residency training. Authorizes the Secretary, through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to make grants to qualified entities for education programs for health care professionals in the use of diagnostic approaches, technologies, and therapies for stroke and traumatic injury prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Gives preference to qualified entities that will train professionals that serve areas with a significant incidence of stroke or traumatic injuries. Authorizes the Secretary, through the Director of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, to make up to seven grants to States and to consortia of public and private entities in any non-grantee State to conduct a five-year pilot project to improve stroke patient outcomes by coordinating health care through telehealth networks.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005
Gang Prevention and Effective Deterrence Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit various criminal street gang-related offenses, including participating in a criminal street gang by committing a predicate crime in furtherance of the activities of such gang, to gain entrance to or to maintain or increase position in the gang, or for the gang's benefit. Amends: (1) the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit murder and other violent crimes committed during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; and (2) the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to authorize the use of grants by the Attorney General to fund technology and training for prosecutors and to create and expand witness and victim protection programs. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) designate high intensity interstate gang activity areas; and (2) expand the Project Safe Neighborhoods program. Prohibits traveling in, or causing another to travel in, interstate or foreign commerce with intent that one or more murders be committed in violation of State or Federal law. Expands the scope of predicate crimes for authorization of interception of wire, oral, and electronic communications to cover violations relating to criminal street gangs. Modifies code provisions regarding the treatment of Federal juvenile offenders. Amends the Federal judicial code to direct the U.S. Sentencing Commission to promulgate and distribute guidelines for use by a court in determining the sentence to be imposed in a criminal case if the defendant committed the offense as a juvenile, and is tried as an adult.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005
Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant qualifying alien agricultural workers (and their spouses and minor children) temporary resident status and subsequently lawful permanent resident status upon the fulfillment of specified agricultural work and residency requirements. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) adjustment of status applications, including penalties for false statements; (2) the waiver of numerical limitations and certain grounds for inadmissibility; (3) the temporary stay of removal and work authorization; (4) administrative and judicial review; and (5) dissemination of program information. Amends the Social Security Act to provide for the correction of such aliens' social security records. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to set forth application requirements for H-2A (temporary agricultural worker) employers and employer associations, including assurances: (1) that the job opportunity is temporary or seasonal and is not the result of a labor dispute; (2) that attempts have been made to hire U.S. workers; and (3) respecting required wages and benefits and compliance with labor laws. Sets forth employment requirements with respect to H-2A worker wages, housing, and transportation reimbursement. Establishes the Commission on Agricultural Wage Standards under the H-2A program. Revises provisions respecting the admission and extension of stay of H-2A workers. Provides special rules for alien sheepherders. Sets forth worker protection and labor standards enforcement provisions for such aliens.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005
Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award a grant to each State to carry out a program for making available throughout that State the 2-1-1 telephone service for information and referral on health and human services, including volunteer services. Requires a participating State to ensure that at least 50 percent of the resources of the program funded by the grant will be derived from other sources. Requires a State seeking a grant to carry out its activities through a lead entity to be known as a 2-1-1 Collaborative. Requires grant amounts to be used solely to make available to a State 2-1-1 telephone service for community information and referral on human services to all citizens of that State with phone access, including telephone connections between families and individuals seeking services and the service providers. Requires grant recipients to: (1) abide by the Key Standards for 2-1-1 Centers; and (2) collaborate with human service organizations to provide an exhaustive database of services with which to provide information or referral to individuals utilizing the 2-1-1 service.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005
Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the classification, for depreciation purposes, of any motorsports entertainment complex as seven year property.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005
Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005 - Declares that the sunset provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, which terminate its application to estates of decedents dying, gifts made, or generation skipping transfers, after December 31, 2010, shall not in fact apply to title V of such Act, which repeals estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes. (Thus makes the repeal of such taxes permanent.)
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2005
Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act or STOP Underage Drinking Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish an interagency coordinating committee to guide policy and program development across the Federal Government on underage drinking; (2) issue an annual report card to rate the performance of each State in enacting, enforcing, and creating laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce underage drinking; (3) develop a set of outcome measures to prepare report cards, including the strictness of the minimum drinking age laws and the number of compliance checks conducted; (4) fund and oversee the Ad Council's national adult-oriented media public service campaign; (5) award grants to reduce the rate of underage alcohol use and binge drinking among students at institutions of higher education; and (6) collect data on, and conduct or support research on, underage drinking, including the impact alcohol use and abuse has upon adolescent brain development, the scope of the underage drinking problem, and progress in preventing and treating underage drinking. Requires the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to award grants to design, test, evaluate, and disseminate strategies to maximize the effectiveness of community-wide approaches to preventing and reducing underage drinking. Requires the Secretary to carry out activities toward the objectives of: (1) testing every unnatural death of persons ages 12 to 20 for alcohol involvement; (2) obtaining new epidemiological data that identifies alcohol use and attitudes about alcohol use during pre- and early adolescence; and (3) developing or identifying successful clinical treatment for youth with alcohol problems.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2005
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells, regardless of the date on which the stem cells were derived from a human embryo. Limits such research to stem cells that meet the following ethical requirements: (1) the stem cells were derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics for the purpose of fertility treatment and were in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking such treatment; (2) the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and (3) such individuals donate the embryos with written informed consent and receive no financial or other inducements.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2005
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act - Prohibits a qualified civil liability action from being brought in any state or federal court against a manufacturer or seller of a firearm, ammunition, or a component of a firearm that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce (or against a trade association of such manufacturers or sellers) for damages, punitive damages, injunctive or declaratory relief, abatement, restitution, fines, or penalties, or other relief, resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm. Requires pending actions to be dismissed. Excludes actions: (1) brought against a person who has been convicted of transferring a firearm knowing that it would be used to commit a crime of violence or a drug trafficking crime, by a party directly harmed by such crime; (2) brought against a seller for negligent entrustment or negligence per se; (3) in which a manufacturer or seller of a firearm knowingly violated a state or federal statute applicable to the sale or marketing of the firearm, if the violation was a proximate cause of the harm for which relief is sought; (4) for breach of contract or warranty in connection with the purchase of the firearm; or (5) for death, physical injuries, or property damage resulting directly from a defect in design or manufacture of the firearm when used as intended or in a reasonably foreseeable manner, except that if the discharge was caused by a volitional act that constituted a criminal offense, such act shall be considered the sole proximate cause of any resulting death, personal injury, or property damage.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2005
Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act - Repeals, as of the later of October 1, 2005, or the date of enactment of this Act, certain provisions which require the offset of amounts paid in dependency and indemnity compensation from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities for the surviving spouses of former military personnel who are entitled to military pay or who would be entitled to retired pay except for being under 60 years of age. Provides for the recoupment of certain amounts previously paid to SBP recipients in the form of a retired pay refund.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2005
Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) sponsoring or exhibiting a bird in a fighting venture in a State where it would not otherwise be in violation of the law, only if the person knew that any bird in the venture was knowingly bought, sold, delivered, transported, or received in interstate or foreign commerce for such purpose; or (2) knowingly sponsoring or exhibiting in an animal fighting venture any other animal that was moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Prohibits knowingly: (1) selling, buying, transporting, delivering, or receiving, for purposes of transportation in interstate or foreign commerce, any dog or other animal to participate in an animal fighting venture; (2) using interstate mail service for commercial speech promoting an animal fighting venture except as performed outside the limits of the States (with an exception for bird fights in States whose laws allow them); or (3) selling, buying, transporting, or delivering in interstate or foreign commerce a knife, gaff, or other sharp instrument to be attached to the leg of a bird for use in an animal fighting venture. Increases the penalties to a fine and up to two years' imprisonment for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2005
Screening Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Very Efficiently (SAAAVE) Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national education and information campaign to promote awareness among health care practitioners and the general public with respect to the importance of early detection and treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2005
Designates the segment of Interstate Route 86 between its interchange with New York State Route 15 in the vicinity of Painted Post, New York, and its interchange with New York State Route 352 in the vicinity of Corning, New York, as the "Amo Houghton Bypass."
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2005
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to include podiatrists as physicians in order to cover their services under the Medicaid program.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2005
Renewable Energy Production Incentive Reform Act - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to modify renewable energy production incentive payment guidelines to provide that if there are insufficient appropriations to make full payments for electric production from all qualified renewable energy facilities in any given year, the Secretary of Energy shall assign 60 percent of appropriated funds for that year to facilities that use solar, wind, geothermal, or closed-loop (dedicated energy crops) biomass technologies to generate electricity, and assign the remaining 40 percent to other projects. Redefines a qualified renewable energy facility as one: (1) owned by certain tax-exempt electricity-generating cooperatives, certain public utilities, a State, territorial, or local governments or an Indian tribal government; and (2) which may involve electricity generation by landfill gas. Extends through FY 2015 the deadline for first use of a facility eligible for incentive payments.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2005
Notch Fairness Act of 2005 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act with respect to the benefit computation formula for individuals affected by the changes in benefit computation rules enacted in the Social Security Amendments of 1977 who reached age 65 after 1979 and before 1989. Sets forth a schedule of additional benefit increases for such beneficiaries (and related beneficiaries), with percentages declining from 55 percent to five percent keyed to the year an individual became eligible for such benefits between 1979 and 1989. Provides for an election to receive such payments in a lump sum.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2005 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 with respect to: (1) voter verification and mandatory paper record audit capacity; and (2) accessibility and voter verification of results for individuals with disabilities. Requires the Election Assistance Commission to study, test, and develop best practices to enhance the accessibility of voter-verification mechanisms for individuals with disabilities and for voters whose primary language is not English, including best practices for the mechanisms themselves and the process through which the mechanisms are used. Outlines additional voting system requirements. Requires laboratories to meet standards prohibiting conflicts of interest as a condition of accreditation for the testing of voting system hardware and software. Provides for the filing of complaints by aggrieved persons with the Attorney General. Extends the authorization of Election Assistance Commission permanently. Makes available additional funding to enable States to meet the costs of the requirements imposed by this Act. Directs the Election Assistance Commission to conduct random, unannounced, hand counts of the voter-verified records for each Federal general election in at least two percent of the precincts in each State. Requires Federal certification of the technological security of voter registration lists.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member of the Armed Forces entitled to military retired or retainer pay; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member; and (5) a family member. Directs the Secretary to reimburse such eligible persons for pharmacy benefits received from a pharmacy that is not a TRICARE (Department of Defense managed health care plan) network pharmacy in the same manner as the Secretary would reimburse such person for such benefits received from a TRICARE network pharmacy. Requires such persons, in order to receive such reimbursement, to submit a certification from their physician stating that the person does not have access to a TRICARE network pharmacy due to physical or medical constraints. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to waive the monthly part B premium (Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits for the Aged and Disabled) with respect to: (1) an individual who is entitled to military retired or retainer pay based upon service that began before December 7, 1956; and (2) the spouse, widow, or widower of such individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for establishment and governance of association health plans (AHPs), which are group health plans whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations, and which meet certain ERISA certification requirements. (Thus, through ERISA preemption of State laws, certified AHPs are exempted from State regulation of health insurance providers, including State consumer protection laws and State requirements for health care benefits to be offered by such entities, with certain exceptions.)
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2005 - Amends the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 to extend the Act through FY2013. Revises requirements regarding the merchantable material contracting pilot program. Requires counties participating in county projects to submit a specified notification for each project for which the participating county obligated county funds. Provides for the review of such notifications.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services: (1) to develop and implement a National Arthritis Action Plan; and (2) acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct, support, and promote the coordination of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases research. Requires the Secretary to award grants to: (1) support arthritis-specific research projects at the Centers for Prevention Research by the CDC; (2) support State comprehensive arthritis control and prevention programs and public health surveillance, prevention, and control activities; and (3) assist in the implementation of a national strategy for arthritis control and prevention. Requires the Secretary to coordinate a national education and outreach program on arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Requires the Secretary to establish an Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee to: (1) improve coordination of Federal research activities related to arthritis and rheumatic diseases; and (2) convene a summit to provide a detailed overview of such current Federal research. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand and intensify juvenile arthritis research. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to support juvenile arthritis data collection. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to support the development of a National Juvenile Arthritis Patient Registry. Requires the Secretary to promote and support pediatric rheumatology training, including by allowing the Secretary to establish a loan repayment program. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on the economic impact of arthritis in the workplace.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Designates the U.S. Postal Service facility (the Southeastern Post Office) located at 2777 Logan Avenue in San Diego, California, as the "Cesar E. Chavez Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2005
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4960 West Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, as the "Ray Charles Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2005
Hybrid Vehicle HOV Access Act - Amends Federal highway law to authorize a State to permit a hybrid vehicle with fewer than two occupants to operate in high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Defines "hybrid vehicle" as a motor vehicle: (1) that draws propulsion energy from onboard sources of stored energy which are both an internal combustion or heat engine using combustible fuel and a rechargeable energy storage system; and (2) which (in the case of a passenger automobile or light truck) for 2002 and later models meets certain clean air requirements.
![Official portrait of Rep. Bono, Mary [R-CA-44]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001228_200.jpg)