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
Respecting Our Leaders in Education Model Act of 2005 - ROLE Model Act of 2005 - Authorizes States, in the event of inadequate Federal funding under part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to waive certain requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for programs, functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration for FY 2007 130 percent of the amount obligated during FY 2005. Adjusts the amount provided for fiscal years after FY 2007 based on the number of enrolled veterans and the number of other persons eligible but not enrolled who are provided care, multiplied by the per capital baseline amount for FY 2005, as increased by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index. Prohibits the availability of such funds for: (1) construction, acquisition, or alteration of veterans' medical facilities (other than for repairs provided for before the date of enactment of this Act); or (2) grants for the construction of State home facilities for the furnishing of veterans' domiciliary, nursing home, and hospital care.
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
Remember 9/11 Health Act - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to deem certain emergency service, rescue and recovery, and law enforcement personnel and transit and cleanup workers who responded to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City, residents of the declared disaster area, and persons employed or attending school, child care, or adult day care in the declared disaster area between September 11, 2001, and August 31, 2002 (eligible recipients) to be civil employees under provisions relating to: (1) compensation to federal employees for work injuries; and (2) claims relating to damage to, or loss of, personal property incident to federal service, except that such an eligible recipient shall not be responsible for the payment of any health care expenses that result from exposure to the adverse conditions after such attack. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants or cooperative agreements to specified programs, including one established by the New York City Fire Department, to carry out screening and clinical examinations and long-term health monitoring and analysis for eligible recipients. Limits such monitoring to 20 years and 40,000 individuals. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a similar program for those affected by the September 11, 2001, Pentagon attack. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct or support diagnostic or treatment research for adverse health conditions considered to be associated with the terrorist attacks. Requires the Secretary to convene a 9/11 Health Emergency Coordinating Council to examine and formulate recommendations on the adequacy of the: (1) responses by the Federal, State, and local governments and the private sector to the attacks; (2) care and compensation for the victims; (3) Federal tracking of the monitoring and treatment of individuals suffering health effects from the attacks; and (4) coordination among the Council members to the attacks. Allows the Council, upon request, to issue advisory opinions on the relative obligation of the Federal Government and any insurance company resulting from the attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2005 - Makes it unlawful for any person to engage in unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting voting in Federal elections. Directs the Attorney General to prevent persons, partnerships, or corporations from using unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting voting in Federal elections. Directs the Attorney General to carry out certain activities and prescribe rules regarding complaints alleging such acts or practices. Provides for civil actions for violations of rules and cease and desist orders respecting unfair or deceptive acts or practices. Amends the Federal criminal code to establish criminal penalties for such acts or practices, including conspiracy. Requires the Attorney General to direct the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division and the Chief of the Voting Section to: (1) develop and implement procedures to ensure that the Voting Section has a reliable method of tracking and documenting allegations of voting irregularities and actions taken to address them; and (2) implement a method to track and report on election monitoring program activities in the Interactive Case Management System. Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 with respect to: (1) use of national Federal write-in absentee ballot; (2) verified ballots; (3) preservation of records; (4) requirements for counting provisional ballots; (5) minimum required voting systems and poll workers in polling places; (6) standards for establishing the minimum required voting systems and poll workers; (7) election day registration; (8) removal from voter registration list; (9) early voting; (10) acceleration of study on election day as a public holiday; (11) voting systems and voter registration; (12) Internet registration; (13) establishing voter identification; (14) Election Administration requirements; (15) standards and training for election officials working at polling places; (16) requiring use of publicly available open source software in voting machines; (17) standards for conducting recounts; and (18) prohibiting agreements with entities failing to meet anti-conflict of interest standards for entities involved with voting machines.
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.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2005
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2000 Allston Way in Berkeley, California, as the "Maudelle Shirek Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2005
Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act of 2005 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to cover employees at worksites that employ fewer than 50 employees, but not fewer than 25 employees. Continues to exempt from FMLA coverage employees at worksites that employ fewer than 25 employees (currently 50), if the total number of employees employed by that employer within 75 miles of that worksite is fewer than 25 (currently 50). Allows all employees covered by FMLA to take up to 4 hours during any 30-day period, and up to 24 hours during any 12-month period, of parental involvement leave to participate in or attend their children's or grandchildren's educational and extracurricular activities. Amends Federal civil service law to apply such parental involvement leave allowance to Federal employees. Includes under FMLA entitlement leave for transporting children and grandchildren to medical and dental appointments and for visiting elderly relatives in nursing or group homes.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2005
Marine One Made in America Act - Prohibits the Secretary of the Navy from entering into a contract for the procurement of a helicopter under the VH-3D presidential helicopter replacement program unless the contract requires the helicopter to be wholly manufactured in the United States from parts wholly manufactured in the United States. Provides that if a contract entered into after December 31, 2004, and before the date of enactment of this Act does not meet such requirements, the Secretary shall terminate such contract.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2005
Same Day Voter Registration Act of 2005 - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require States to permit individuals to register to vote in an election for Federal office on the date of the election.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $500 for the purchase of a qualified hearing aid for an individual who is either: (1) age 55 or older; or (2) is claimed as a dependent of the taxpayer.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
No Taxation Without Representation Act of 2005 - Provides for full voting representation in Congress for the residents of the District of Columbia, including two Senators and as many Representatives as a similarly populous State would be entitled to under the law. Treats the District of Columbia as a State. Prescribes a procedure for the first elections under this Act. Entitles the District to one Representative until the taking effect of the next reapportionment.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Medicare's Equitable Drugs for Seniors Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal provisions prohibiting the Secretary of Health and Human Services from: (1) interfering with the negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors; and (2) requiring a particular formulary to institute a price structure for the reimbursement of covered Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drugs. Grants the Secretary instead, in order to ensure that beneficiaries enrolled under prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans pay the lowest possible price, authority similar to that of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other Federal agencies and departments that purchase prescription drugs in bulk to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered Medicare part D drugs, consistent with the requirements and in furtherance of the goals of providing quality care and containing costs under such part.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income hazard mitigation payments received under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act or the National Flood Insurance Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Federal Propaganda Prohibition Act of 2005 - Requires an Executive agency, not later than 30 days after entering into a contract for public relations, media relations, advertising, or public opinion research services, to submit in writing to specified congressional committees the contractor's name, the amount and the purpose of the contract, a summary of the contract, other relevant information, and, upon request: (1) a copy of the covered contract; (2) any contract modifications; and (3) any materials produced under the contract. Prohibits an officer or employee of the U.S. Government from making or authorizing an expenditure or obligation of funds for publicity or propaganda within the United States unless authorized by law. Imposes penalties. Requires each advertisement or other communication paid for by an Executive agency to include a prominent notice that the advertisement or other communication is paid for by that agency.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Encourages: (1) Americans to demonstrate their support for veterans on Veterans Day by treating that day as a special day of reflection; (2) houses of worship and other institutions to ring bells at 11:00 AM on such Day; and (3) people to then observe a moment of reflection in recognition of veterans. Authorizes and requests the President to issue a proclamation each year in connection with the observance of Veterans Day calling on Americans to observe it with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Honors Cesar E. Chavez for his commitment to improving the plight of farm workers and the poor and for inspiring Americans to work nonviolently for justice. Encourages all Americans to commit to working for justice through nonviolence and to remind themselves of the work of the people who put food on the tables of America.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (February 7). Encourages: (1) State and local governments to recognize such day, publicize its importance among their communities, and encourage individuals to undergo HIV testing; (2) media organizations to carry messages in support of such day; and (3) the President to emphasize the importance of addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic among the African American community.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Little Rock Central High School Desegregation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue coins commemorating the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Requires the design of such coins to be emblematic of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School and its contribution to civil rights in America. Specifies the sale price of such coins and applicable surcharges. Requires surcharges collected from sales to be used equally for: (1) the Jefferson National Parks Association for support of the activities and mission of Little Rock Central High National Historic Site; and (2) site improvements.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations permitting pharmacists, pharmacies, wholesalers, and individuals to import qualifying drugs from certain countries into the United States. Sets forth registration requirements for exporters. Requires the Secretary to: (1) educate consumers with regard to the availability of qualifying drugs for import for personal use; (2) inspect the facilities and records of importers and registered exporters to ensure compliance with this Act; and (3) establish a registration fee program to collect an annual fee from registered exporters. Deems a prescription drug to be misbranded unless the packaging of such drug complies with the requirements for counterfeit-resistant technologies. Prohibits: (1) failing to register in accordance with this Act; and (2) importing or offering to import a prescription drug in violation of a suspension order. Declares that selling or importing a patented drug in the United States that was first sold abroad by or under authority of the owner or licensee of the patent is not patent infringement. Prohibits drug manufacturers from discriminating against a person that engages in the importation of a prescription drug, including by charging higher prices or denying supplies of the drug. Allows the Secretary to suspend or terminate the registration of an exporter for failing to maintain substantial compliance with all registration conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Alice Paul Congressional Gold Medal Act - Requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the posthumous presentation of a congressional gold medal in commemoration of Alice Paul, to recognize her role in the women's suffrage movement and in advancing equal rights for women. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of such medal. Requires proceeds from the sale of such medals to be deposited into the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
State and Local Law Enforcement Discipline, Accountability, and Due Process Act of 2005 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to set forth the due process rights, including procedures, that shall be afforded a law enforcement officer (officer) who is the subject of an investigation or disciplinary hearing. Declares that an officer shall not be: (1) prohibited from engaging in political activity or be denied the right to refrain from engaging in such activity, except when on duty or acting in an official capacity; and (2) prohibited from being a candidate for an elective office or from serving in such elective office solely because of the officer's status as an officer, with exceptions. Requires that: (1) each agency adopt and thereafter comply with a written complaint procedure that meets specified requirements; and (2) an investigation based on a complaint from outside the agency commence not later than 15 days after receipt of the complaint by the agency employing the officer against whom the complaint has been made, or any other agency charged with investigating such complaint. Directs that any officer who is the subject of an investigation be notified of the investigation 24 hours before the commencement of questioning. Establishes rights of officers before and during questioning, including the right to counsel. Requires questioning to be conducted at reasonable hours. Prohibits an officer from being compelled to submit to the use of a lie detector.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to grant lawful permanent resident status to certain nationals of Montserrat previously granted temporary protected status in the United States (and specified family members). Authorizes aliens previously ordered excluded, deported, or removed, or ordered to depart voluntarily, to apply for adjustment of status under this Act. Requires the Secretary to provide work authorization and related documentation to principal aliens seeking the benefits of this Act. Directs the Secretary to provide specified administrative review procedures for such aliens and their qualifying family members. States that the granting of adjustment of status for principal aliens under this Act shall not reduce the number of available immigrant visas.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress that military retired pay should not be reduced because a military retiree is also eligible for veterans' disability compensation awarded for a service-connected disability. Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability (currently, only a disability rated at 50 percent or more). Repeals provisions phasing in the full concurrent receipt of such pay through December 31, 2013. Makes eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay those individuals who were retired or separated from military service due to a service-connected disability.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that a National Tartan Day should be established to recognize Scottish-Americans' outstanding achievements and their contributions to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Declares the sense of Congress that the U.S. Air Force should continue to honor and learn from the example provided by the Tuskegee Airmen as it faces the challenges of the 21st century and the war on terror.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Calls for the President to grant a pardon, posthumously, to Jack Johnson, the first African-American professional boxer to hold the title of Heavyweight Champion of the World.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Recognizes the contributions of Jibreel Khazan (Ezell Blair, Jr.), David Richmond, Joseph McNeil, and Franklin McCain, known as the Greensboro Four, to the civil rights movement (through their lunch counter sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1960).
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2005
Military Death Benefit Improvement Act of 2005 - Increases from $12,000 to $100,000 the death gratuity payable to the survivors of members of the Armed Forces who die: (1) while on active duty or inactive duty training; or (2) within 120 days after discharge or release from such duty or training, if the death resulted from an injury or disease incurred or aggravated during such duty or training.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2005
Iran Freedom Support Act - States that: (1) U.S. sanctions, controls, and regulations relating to weapons of mass destruction with respect to Iran shall remain in effect until the President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that Iran has permanently and verifiably dismantled its weapons of mass destruction programs and has committed to combating such weapons' proliferation; and (2) such certification shall have no effect on other sanctions relating to Iranian support of international terrorism. Amends the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996 to: (1) eliminate mandatory sanction provisions respecting Libya; (2) impose mandatory sanctions on a person or entity that aids Iran acquire or develop weapons of mass destruction or destabilizing types and numbers of conventional weapons; (3) revise multilateral regime reporting requirements, including provisions respecting sanctions on individuals aiding Iranian petroleum development; (4) enlarge the scope of sanctionable entities; and (5) eliminate the sunset provision. Authorizes the President to provide financial and political assistance to eligible foreign and domestic individuals and groups that support democracy in Iran and that are opposed to the Government of Iran. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should appoint a special assistant on Iranian matters; (2) contacts should be expanded with democratic Iranian opposition groups; and (3) the President should designate at least one such eligible group within 90 days of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Redesignates the: (1) Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps; and (2) Secretary of the Navy as the Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps. Makes similar redesignations with respect to Department Assistant Secretaries and the General Counsel.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Twenty-First Century Water Commission Act of 2005 - Establishes the Twenty-First Century Water Commission to: (1) project future water supply and demand; (2) study current water management programs of Federal, Interstate, State, and local agencies and private sector entities directed at increasing water supplies and improving the availability, reliability, and quality of freshwater resources; and (3) consult with representatives of such agencies and entities to develop recommendations for a comprehensive water strategy. Requires that such strategy: (1) identify incentives intended to ensure an adequate and dependable water supply to meet U.S. needs for the next 50 years; (2) suggest strategies that avoid increased mandates on State and local governments, considering all available technologies; and (3) suggest financing options.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2005 - Directs the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security to complete a vulnerability assessment of freight and passenger rail transportation, and develop specific prioritized recommendations for improving rail security. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to review existing Department of Transportation (DOT) rail regulations to identify areas for revision to improve rail security. Directs the Comptroller General to study the rail passenger transportation security programs in Japan, the European Union (EU), and other foreign countries in order to identify effective rail transportation security measures. Directs the Under Secretary to: (1) analyze the cost and feasibility of requiring security screening for passengers, baggage, and mail on passenger trains; and (2) conduct a pilot program of random security screening at five Amtrak passenger rail stations. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to Amtrak for fire and life-safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades to tunnels on the Northeast Corridor. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that DOT receives timely notification, through the Information Sharing and Analysis Center for Public Transportation, of all credible terrorist threats against public transportation assets. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to award research, development, and demonstration grants to reduce and deter terrorist threats against public transportation systems. Amends Federal transportation law to direct Amtrak to submit to the National Transportation Safety Board a plan to address the needs of families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents. Authorizes the Under Secretary to make grants for certain system-wide Amtrak, freight, hazardous materials transportation, and passenger rail security upgrades. Directs the Federal Railroad Administration to set forth certain standards for welded rail and tank car safety improvements. Requires the Under Secretary to assess the current system for preclearance and screening of rail and airline passengers and baggage, as well as freight railroad traffic, between the United States and Canada, including progress on a rail passenger preclearance protocol. Authorizes the Under Secretary to make operating grants and capital grants for mass transportation system security improvements.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Community Choice in Real Estate Act - Amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, and the Revised Statutes of the United States, to prohibit the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Secretary of the Treasury, respectively, from determining that real estate brokerage activity or real estate management activity is financial in nature, is incidental to any financial activity, or is complementary to a financial activity. (In effect, prohibits financial holding companies and national banks from engaging, directly or indirectly, in real estate brokerage or real estate management activities.) Exempts from such prohibition: (1) activities of a bank holding company (or any affiliate) that directly relate to managing any real property owned by national banks or their affiliates; and (2) the right, power, or ability of any financial holding company to engage in any activity, or acquire or retain the shares of any company engaged in an activity authorized for financial holding companies on December 6, 2001 ("grandfather clause").
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
SouthEast Crescent Authority Act of 2005 - Establishes a SouthEast Crescent Authority for all parts of the following southeastern states not eligible for assistance from the Appalachian Regional Commission or the Delta Regional Authority: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Directs the Authority to perform various functions, including: (1) formulating plans and programs to spur economic development, and approving grants to States and public and nonprofit entities toward that end; (2) establishing priorities in a development plan for the region; (3) supporting local development districts, and creating them where they do not exist; and (4) encouraging private investment in the region. Permits the Authority to request and receive Federal, State and local government personnel as employees. Stipulates that Authority grants for infrastructure development may be made only to State or local governments. Permits other Authority grants for job training, employment-related education, business development, assisting severely distressed and poor areas, or for other purposes in accordance with the Act. Allows the Authority to designate annually: (1) distressed counties; and (2) isolated areas of distress in nondistressed counties. Directs the Authority to garner public participation in the development, revision, and implementation of its plans and programs.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
College Fire Prevention Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to make competitive demonstration grants to private or public colleges or universities, fraternities, or sororities for up to half the cost of installing fire sprinkler systems, or other fire suppression or prevention technologies, in student housing and dormitories owned or controlled by such entities. Requires grant priority to be given eligible entities that demonstrate the greatest financial need. Reserves the following portions of grant funds made available for each fiscal year: (1) at least ten percent for eligible entities that are historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and tribally controlled colleges and universities; and (2) at least ten percent for eligible entities that are social fraternities and sororities. Provides that any application for assistance under this Act, any negative determination on the part of the Secretary with respect to such application, or any statement of reasons for the determination, shall not be admissible as evidence in any proceeding of any court, agency, board, or other entity (except a proceeding to enforce an agreement entered into between the Secretary and an eligible entity under this Act).
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Higher Education Science and Technology Competitiveness Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award grants for articulation agreements between institutions of higher education that specifies the acceptability of courses in transfer toward meeting specific degree requirements, especially in mathematics, science, engineering, and technology. Allows the use of grant funds to establish articulation agreements: (1) statewide, among public two-year and four-year institutions of higher education, to provide a seamless transition for the transfer of students through a common core curricula that reflects the workforce needs of private industry; and (2) within community colleges, between occupational competency or certification programs and associate degree programs, to increase the proportion of students who enroll to complete their associate degree. Allows such grants also to be used to: (1) collect data on transfers from two-year to four-year institutions, for monitoring purposes; (2) develop a statewide articulation guide in consultation with public colleges and universities to provide students with descriptions of articulation requirements; and (3) develop a plan for professional development of two-year college faculty.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Cure and Understanding through Research for Alzheimer's Act of 2005 or La Cura Act of 2005 - Authorizes appropriations for conducting and supporting research on Alzheimer's disease at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Requires the Director of NIH to ensure sufficient resources for activities relating to Alzheimer's disease and Hispanic communities, including by: (1) increasing efforts in epidemiological work in Hispanic subgroups; (2) allocating resources to the National Institute on Aging Alzheimer's disease research centers and other academic centers involved in such research to increase participation of Hispanics in research and clinical trials in sufficient numbers to draw valid conclusions; and (3) conduct social, behavioral, and health services research to understand the underlying reasons why Hispanic individuals delay diagnosis and underutilize services and to identify culturally and linguistically appropriate approaches to address such delays and underutilization. Requires the Director to expand and intensify NIH efforts to educate communities about the importance of research relating to Alzheimer's disease and to respond effectively to cultural concerns about participation in such research. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for a program of grants to States to carry out demonstration programs related to Alzheimer's disease. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct an aggressive, evidence-based education and outreach program to promote public awareness and risk reduction with respect to Alzheimer's disease, particularly to Hispanic populations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Medicare Rural Home Health Services Improvement Act of 2005 - Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to provide for a two-year extension of the temporary Medicare payment increase for home health services furnished in a rural area.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Social Security Fairness Act of 2005 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal: (1) pension offset provisions applicable to husband's and wife's insurance benefits, widow's and widower's insurance benefits, and mother's and father's insurance benefits with respect to OASDI payments; and (2) windfall elimination provisions with respect to computation of the primary insurance amount of an individual.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay a monthly benefit of $1,000 to certain honorably-discharged veterans of the U.S. Merchant Marine who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946 (or to their survivors). Includes service in the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service. Exempts benefits paid under this Act from taxation. Provides for benefits for World War II Merchant Mariners under title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass Act or SPY ACT - Makes it unlawful for any person who is not the owner or authorized user (user) of a protected computer (a computer exclusively for the use of a financial institution or the U.S. Government, or a computer used in interstate or foreign commerce or communication) to engage in deceptive acts or practices in connection with specified conduct, including: (1) taking unsolicited control of the computer; (2) modifying computer settings; (3) collecting personally identifiable information; (4) inducing the unsolicited installation of computer software; and (5) removing or disabling a security, anti-spyware, or anti-virus technology. Makes it unlawful for a person to: (1) transmit to a protected computer any information collection program (a program that collects personally identifiable information and uses the information to send advertising), unless such program provides notice required by this Act before execution of any of the program's collection functions; or (2) execute any collection information program installed on a protected computer unless, before execution, the user has consented to such execution under notice requirements of this Act. Provides for enforcement of violations as unfair or deceptive acts or practices. Makes this Act inapplicable with respect to: (1) law enforcement actions; (2) monitoring undertaken for network security; and (3) Good Samaritan actions (actions taken in good faith, and with the user's consent, by a computer software or service provider to remove or disable a program which violates this Act). Directs the Federal Trade Commission to report to Congress regarding the use of computer tracking cookies in the delivery or display of advertising to computer owners and users.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Clean, Learn, Educate, Abolish, Neutralize, and Undermine Production (CLEAN-UP) of Methamphetamines Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to carry out environmental cleanup and remediation programs involving specified lands that are contaminated with hazardous substances associated with illegal methamphetamine manufacture. Directs: (1) the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate as hazardous certain byproducts of the methamphetamine production process and expand penalties against laboratory operators; (2) the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration to list byproducts likely to cause long-term environmental harm; (3) the Secretary of Labor, acting through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, to provide grants to State and local law enforcement for specified training and equipment acquisition; (4) the EPA Administrator to study the impact of methamphetamine laboratory operation on the environment; and (5) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study contamination issues. Amends: (1) the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize grants for educational programs; (2) the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to provide treatment; and (3) the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to include among permissible grant projects under the "cops on the beat" program hiring personnel and purchasing equipment. Urges the President to seek commitments from the Canadian Government regarding the availability of pseudoephedrine.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Democracy Day Act of 2005 - Requires the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in 2008 and in each even-number year thereafter (Election Day) to be treated in the same manner as November 11 (Veterans Day) for purposes of any laws relating to Federal employment. Urges private employers to give their employees that day off to enable them to vote. Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study of the impact of such requirement on voter participation.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that there should be established a "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day" to honor those members of the U.S. Armed Forces who served in Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Expresses the sense of the Congress that schools in the United States should honor the contributions of individuals from Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands by including such contributions in the teaching of U.S. history.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2004
Honors members of the U.S. Armed Forces who served in the Vietnam War and expresses appreciation for such service. Calls upon the people of the United States to recognize and remember that the Nation owes a debt of gratitude to all veterans of the Armed Forces who have served honorably in the defense of freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2004
States that the House of Representatives: (1) condemns in the strongest terms all efforts to suppress and intimidate voters in the United States; (2) reaffirms that voting is a fundamental right of all eligible U.S. citizens; (3) urges States to replace decades-old election machinery with less error-prone equipment before the November 2004 national elections; (4) calls upon all States to institute a moratorium on the erection of roadblocks or identity checkpoints designed to racially profile or intimidate voters on Election Day; and (5) calls upon the Attorney General to monitor vigorously and investigate all credible allegations of voter intimidation and suppression, and to prosecute expeditiously all offenders to the full extent of the law.
![Official portrait of Rep. Butterfield, G. K. [D-NC-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001251_200.jpg)