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 · 19 July 2005
Congratulates Ambassador Dan Gillerman, Israel's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and the government and people of Israel on Israel's election as Vice-President of the 60th General Assembly of the United Nations. Supports continued expansion of Israel's U.N. role. Notes that Israel: (1) remains the object of vilification by many U.N. members; and (2) remains excluded from the U.N. Asian regional grouping. Calls upon U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to work to end Israel's vilification at the United Nations and to use his good offices to support Israel's bid to join the Asian regional grouping.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2005
Emergency Contraception Education Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop and disseminate to the public information on emergency contraception, including, at a minimum, a description of emergency contraception and an explanation of the use, safety, efficacy, and availability of such contraception. Requires that the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to develop and disseminate to health care providers information on emergency contraception. Requires that the information disseminated to health care providers include, at a minimum: (1) information describing the use, safety, efficacy, and availability of emergency contraception; (2) a recommendation regarding its use in appropriate cases; and (3) information explaining how to obtain copies of information from the CDC.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2005
Fishing Quota Standards Act of 2005 - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (the Act) to require the Regional Fishery Management Councils and the Secretary of Commerce, when developing a limited access system for fisheries to achieve optimum yield (fishing quota system), to take into account, among other factors: (1) the conservation requirements of the Act with respect to fisheries; (2) the breadth of the present and historic participation in the fisheries; and (3) the fair and equitable distribution of the fisheries as a public resource. Authorizes the establishment of a fishing quota system in a fishery management plan or amendment prepared by any Regional Fishery Management Council or the Secretary. Directs the Councils and Secretary to ensure that any such proposed system comply with certain requirements. Prohibits approval or implementation by the Secretary of any plan or amendment establishing such a system unless it has been approved by more than two-thirds of those voting in a referendum among eligible permit holders or crewmembers who derive a certain percentage of their annual income from the fishery. Sets forth requirements for review committees established by each Council. Establishes fees to be collected from persons that hold or transfer a quota share issued under a limited access system or an individual fishing quota program. Directs the Secretary to issue regulations which establish certain requirements for fishing quota systems.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2005
Requests the President to transmit to the House of Representatives (House), within 14 days of the adoption of this resolution, all documents in the possession of the President relating to the disclosure of the identity of Ms. Valerie Plame as an employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the period beginning on May 6, 2003, and ending on July 31, 2003. Directs: (1) the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, CIA Director, and Attorney General to each transmit to the House, within such 14 days, all documents in possession of such officials relating to such disclosure during such period; and (2) the CIA Director to transmit to the House, within such 14 days, the results of any internal investigation by the CIA into such disclosure, whether such results (or reports) are in draft or final form.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2005
Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act - Entitles domestic partners of federal employees to benefits available to spouses of federal employees. Specifies certifications required for benefit eligibility, filing requirements regarding partnership dissolution, and confidentiality requirements. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the tax exemption for employer contributions to accident and health plans to domestic partners under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should temporarily suspend restrictions on remittances, gift parcels, and family travel to Cuba to allow Cuban-Americans to assist their relatives in Cuba in the aftermath of Hurricane Dennis.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2005 - Sets forth the sense of Congress with respect to the situation in Darfur, Sudan, including the sense of Congress that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur are genocide. Amends the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act of 2004 to direct the President, with waiver authority upon congressional notification, to block the assets and deny visas and entry to any individual (and family member) responsible for acts of genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity in Sudan. Authorizes the President to provide assistance to reinforce the deployment and operations of an expanded African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). Directs the President to instruct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to advocate NATO reinforcement of AMIS, upon request of the African Union. Amends the Sudan Peace Act to include entry denial at U.S. ports to certain cargo ships or oil tankers among the measures available to the President if the government of Sudan fails to take specified peace measures in Darfur. Prohibits, with waiver authority, U.S. assistance to a country in violation of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1556 and 1591(embargo on military assistance to Sudan). Directs the President to instruct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations to urge the adoption of a Security Council resolution supporting AMIS' expansion.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Violence Against Women Act of 2005 - Amends the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994, VAWA of 2000 (VAWA-2000), the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (OCCSSA), the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), the Social Security Act (SSA), the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, the Safe Homes for Women Act of 1994, the United states Housing Act of 1937, the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000, and the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to reauthorize, revise, and establish various programs for prevention and treatment of violence against women, including domestic violence, child abuse, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (violence). Establishes VAWA grant programs: (1) by the Department of Justice (Justice) for assisting children and youth exposed to violence, and for engaging men, women, and youth in preventing violence; and (2) by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for services, education, protection, and justice for young victims of violence, and for research on effective interventions in the healthcare setting. Revises and reauthorizes: (1) grants under the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 to reduce violence against women on campus; (2) safe havens for children under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. Reauthorizes PHSA rape prevention and education programs, including the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Establishes related PHSA grants. Establishes VAWA grant programs to address the housing needs of victims of violence. Supporting Teens through Education and Protection Act of 2005 - STEP Act - Authorizes the Attorney General, through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (Justice), to make grants to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in middle and high schools. Security and Financial Empowerment Act - Sets forth entitlement standards and implementation guidelines for employee use of emergency leave to address domestic or sexual violence. Authorizes state use of funds under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) to provide nonrecurrent short-term emergency benefits for emergency leave precipitated by domestic or sexual violence . Amends the Internal Revenue Code relating to approval of state unemployment compensation laws to prohibit denial of compensation where an individual is separated from employment due to circumstances resulting from the individual's experience of domestic or sexual violence. Victims' Employment Sustainability Act - Prohibits certain discriminatory employer practices relating to terms or conditions of employment in connection with victims of domestic or sexual violence. Victims of Abuse Insurance Protection Act - Prohibits denial or restriction of insurance coverage based on the status of the applicant or insured regarding abuse or abuse-related claims. Authorizes the Attorney General to provide a grant for a clearinghouse and resource center to provide information and assistance to employers, labor organizations, and advocates on behalf of victims of domestic or sexual violence. Immigrant Victims of Violence Protection Act of 2005 - Revises the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000 (under VAWA-2000) with respect to victims of violence, including victims of crimes of human trafficking, VAWA petitioners, and children. Prescribes requirements regarding the safety of Indian women. Best Help for Rape Victims Act - Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to require the Attorney General to include within the national protocol on sexual assault forensic examinations a recommendation that a victim of sexual assault who is at risk of pregnancy from rape should be: (1) offered information about emergency contraception; and (2) provided with such contraception on site at the victim's request. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide various protections for victims of trafficking. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a special unit to investigate trafficking in persons.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Fair Access to Clinical Trials Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to establish and operate a data bank of registry information on clinical trials for drugs, biological products, and devices. Requires the Secretary to collect, catalog, store, and disseminate such information. Specifies information required for registration of clinical trials, including the purpose and results of the trial. Requires the responsible person to submit clinical trial information to the Secretary. Sets forth provisions regarding periodic updates of data bank information, compliance with requirements, and violations of this Act. Allows the Secretary to identify any false or misleading information in the data bank and include an accurate version of the information. Requires the Secretary to: (1) disseminate data bank information through an Internet site and through other appropriate means; (2) establish procedures to allow voluntary submission of clinical trial information not required by this Act; and (3) enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to study the extent to which data submitted to the data bank has impacted the public health.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Iraq Sovereignty Promotion Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States supports: (1) the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, the people of Iraq, and the leaders of Iraq's elected government; and (2) the Iraqi people's desire to rebuild Iraq as a fully sovereign, stable, and peaceful democratic country. States as U.S. policy not to maintain a long-term or permanent military presence in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Declares that it is U.S. policy not to enter into any base agreement with the government of Iraq that would lead to a permanent U.S. military presence in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2005
Commemorates the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. Calls upon: (1) the President to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide; and (2) the government of the Republic of Turkey to acknowledge the culpability of its predecessor state, the Ottoman Empire, for the Armenian Genocide, and to promote rapprochement with the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people. Supports the Republic of Turkey's accession to the European Union (EU) if Turkey acknowledges culpability, pursues rapprochement, and meets other EU accession criteria, and calls upon the EU to look with favor upon such actions by the government of the Republic of Turkey. Calls upon the President, the Secretary of State, the EU, and others to assist the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people in this process.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2005
Clean Money, Clean Elections Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to: (1) prescribe eligibility and qualifying contribution requirements, seed money limits, and benefits of clean money financing of House election campaigns; (2) set forth requirements applicable to clean money candidates; (3) direct the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to certify whether or not a candidate is a clean money candidate; (4) establish in the Treasury a House of Representatives Election Fund for clean money financing; (5) set forth requirements concerning reporting of certain expenditures of private money candidates and reporting of certain independent expenditures; (6) limit expenditures that may be made by political party committees in connection with the general election campaign of a House election in which one or more of the candidates is a clean money candidate; and (7) provide for the treatment of coordinated expenditures as contributions. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to entitle clean money candidates to receive specified free broadcast time and reduced broadcast rates under certain circumstances. Amends federal postal law to prohibit franked mass mailings by Members of Congress (except notices of public meetings) during primary and general election periods, unless they are not candidates for re-election or election to any other federal office. Amends FECA to revise requirements for the composition and terms of FEC Commissioners and mandate electronic filing of FEC reports, among other changes, including those made with respect to audits, authority to seek injunction, and standard for investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2005
Establishes in the legislative branch the Independent Commission on the Investigation of Detainee Abuses to conduct a full, complete, independent, and impartial investigation of the abuses of detainees in connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, or any operation within the Global War on Terrorism, including, but not limited to: (1) the extent of the abuses; (2) why the abuses occurred; and (3) who is responsible. Directs the Commission, in connection with the investigation, to assess, analyze, and evaluate relevant persons, policies, procedures, reports, and events. Authorizes the Commission to report interim findings, conclusions, and recommendations to Congress and the President. Requires a final report containing recommendations for corrective measures. Terminates the Commission 60 days after its final report.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2005
Pulmonary Hypertension Research Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to expand, intensify, and coordinate the activities of the Institute with respect to research on pulmonary hypertension and to coordinate the Director's activities with related activities of other national research institutes and National Institutes of Health (NIH) agencies. Requires the Director to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of centers to conduct research and programs on pulmonary hypertension, including: (1) basic and clinical research into the cause, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, control, and treatment of the disease; (2) training programs for scientists and health professionals; (3) programs to provide information and continuing education to health professionals; and (4) programs for the dissemination of information to the public. Requires the Director to establish: (1) a data system for the collection, storage, analysis, retrieval, and dissemination of data derived from patient populations with pulmonary hypertension; and (2) an information clearinghouse to facilitate and enhance knowledge and understanding of pulmonary hypertension by health professionals, patients, industry, and the public.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2005
Uniting American Families Act or the Permanent Partners Immigration Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include permanent partners (as defined by this Act) within the scope of such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2005
Dave Thomas Adoption Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow for penalty-free withdrawals from individual retirement plans if used to pay adoption expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Withdrawal of United States Armed Forces From Iraq Resolution of 2005--Homeward Bound - Declares that it is U.S. policy to: (1) announce, not later than December 31, 2005, a plan for the withdrawal of all U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq; (2) turn over, at the earliest possible date, all military operations in Iraq to the elected government of Iraq and provide for the prompt and orderly withdrawal of all U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq; and (3) initiate such a withdrawal as soon as possible but not later than October 1, 2006. Requires the President to implement that policy by: (1) taking steps to ensure the completion of Iraq's political transition to a constitutionally elected government by December 31, 2005; (2) establishing a plan for the withdrawal of all U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq limited only by steps to ensure the safety of such forces; (3) establishing a plan for a transition of responsibility for internal security activities to the military forces of the Iraqi government and a transition of U.S. military personnel to an advisory and support role; (4) accelerating the training and equipping of the military and security forces of the Iraqi government; and (5) accounting for any missing members of the U.S. Armed Forces or U.S. citizens in Iraq prior to completion of the withdrawal.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2005
Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act - Prohibits any federal funds from being provided to a hospital unless the hospital meets certain conditions related to a woman who is a victim of sexual assault, including that the hospital: (1) provides the woman with accurate and unbiased information about emergency contraception; (2) offers emergency contraception to the woman; (3) provides the woman such contraception at the hospital on her request; and (4) does not deny any such services because of the inability of the woman or her family to pay.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Act for Lyme Education and Research and Tick-Borne Diseases or the ALERT Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a five-year plan that provides for activities to be carried out to meet goals related to Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, including to: (1) develop a sensitive and definitive test for the diagnosis of Lyme disease capable of distinguishing active infection from past infection; (2) accurately determine the prevalence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne disorders in the United States; (3) provide and promote access to a comprehensive, up-to-date clearinghouse of peer-reviewed information on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); and (4) establish epidemiological research goals to determine the long term course of illnesses for Lyme disease. Directs the Secretary to request that the Institute of Medicine study chronic Lyme disease. Authorizes additional appropriations for research and educational activities and prevention efforts for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Requires the Secretary to establish the Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Detainee Treatment Accountability Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to transmit a copy of any confidential or exclusive report provided to the Department of Defense (DOD) by an entity outside the U.S. government concerning treatment of DOD detainees held at any location in connection with an armed conflict, including the war on terror, within 15 days of receipt to: (1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and (2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution - Calls upon the President: (1) to ensure that U.S. foreign policy reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the U.S. record relating to the Armenian Genocide and the consequences of the failure to realize a just resolution; and (2) in the President's annual message commemorating the Armenian Genocide to characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide, and to recall the proud history of U.S. intervention in opposition to the Armenian Genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2005
Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2005 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) phase out the waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare benefits under SSA title XVIII (Medicare); and (2) eliminate the waiting period for individuals with life-threatening conditions to become eligible for such benefits. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to request the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to study the range of disability conditions that can be delayed or prevented if individuals receive access to health care services and coverage before a condition reaches disability levels.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
Federal Agency Protection of Privacy Act of 2005 - Requires Federal agencies: (1) when publishing a general notice of proposed rulemaking for any proposed rule or a notice of proposed rulemaking for an interpretative rule involving the internal revenue laws, and such rulemaking pertains to the collection, maintenance, use, or disclosure of personally identifiable information from ten or more individuals, other than agencies, instrumentalities, or Federal employees, to prepare an initial assessment describing the rule's impact on individual privacy; and (2) when promulgating the final rule, to prepare a final privacy impact assessment. Allows the head of an agency to waive or delay the completion of some or all of: (1) these requirements to the same extent as for waiving or delaying the completion of requirements for regulatory flexibility analyses; and (2) certain of the preceding requirements under this Act for national security reasons, or to protect from disclosure classified information, confidential commercial information, or information the disclosures of which may adversely affect a law enforcement effort. Requires the head of an agency promulgating a rule that may have a significant privacy impact to assure that individuals have been given an opportunity to participate in the rulemaking. Requires each agency to: (1) carry out a periodic review of promulgated rules that have a significant privacy impact to determine whether each such rule can be amended or rescinded to minimize such impact while remaining in accordance with applicable statutes; (2) carry out such review according to a plan providing for the review of each rule every ten years; and (3) annually publish a list of the rules to be reviewed. Sets forth provisions governing judicial review of agency compliance with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
New Apollo Energy Act of 2005 - Establishes the New Apollo Energy Act Performance Goals, which the President shall consider when formulating and enforcing national energy policy. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to coordinate the participation of National Laboratories, universities, commercial industry, and other organizations in implementing this Act. Sets forth technology research programs concerning: (1) clean energy; (2) energy efficiency; (3) fusion energy; and (4) ultra-deepwater and extended reach drilling and carbon sequestration technologies. Creates tax incentives, in the form of tax credits and deductions from grosss income, for new technologies. Sets forth a federal framework for support of diverse energy technology initiatives. Directs the President to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to full capacity and ensure that the fill rate minimizes impacts on petroleum markets. Amends the Commodity Exchange Act to grant the Commodity Futures Trading Commission jurisdiction over energy trading markets and metals trading markets. Sets forth federal assistance programs covering weatherization and energy efficient housing. Sets forth a national net metering requirement for utilities and interconnection standards for distributive energy generation. Sets forth initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases including: (1) federal climate change research; (2) national greenhouse gas database; (3) market-driven greenhouse gas reductions; and (4) emission reduction requirements and allocation and use of tradeable allowances. Establishes the Climate Change Credit Corporation to use the tradeable allowances, and proceeds derived from its trading activities in tradeable allowances, to reduce costs borne by consumers as a result of the greenhouse gas reduction requirements. Amends the Clean Air Act to set forth a renewable fuel program. Sets forth a program of loan guarantees for biorefineries and renewable electricity generation facilities. Balanced Energy Supply Tax Policy Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to: (1) limit tax reductions to revenue raised by tax offsets; and (2) deny treaty benefits for certain deductible payments. Prescribes guidelines governing the: (1) doctrine of economic substance; (2) penalty for understatements attributable to transactions lacking economic substance; and (3) understatement of taxpayer's liability by income tax return preparer.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
Teacher Excellence for All Children Act of 2005 - Revises and establishes programs relating to recruitment, preparation, distribution, and retention of public elementary and secondary school teachers and principals. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish: (1) teacher education assistance for college and higher education (TEACH ) grants for undergraduate and graduate students who agree to serve as teachers in high-need schools or fields; and (2) grants to recruit teachers with mathematics, science, or language majors. Extends the authorization of appropriations for HEA teacher quality enhancement grants for states and partnerships. Revises HEA student loan forgiveness requirements to: (1) extend permanently additional amounts for teachers in mathematics, science, or special education provided by the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act of 2004; (2) increase other amounts, making reading specialists eligible for such forgiveness; and (3) apply forgiveness in annual increments rather than in a lump sum at end of service. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, to establish grant programs to improve teaching at high-need schools. Requires states to provide assurances of their reasonable progress toward equitable access to teacher quality as a condition of assistance under ESEA. Amends the Education Sciences Reform Act to direct the Statistics Commissioner to publish results of certain schools and staffing surveys. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) exclude from gross income up to $15,000 for compensation of teachers and principals in certain high-need schools or teaching certain high-need subjects; and (2) increase to a maximum of $500 and make permanent the above-the-line deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary schoolteachers.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins emblematic of the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln in commemoration of the bicentennial of his birth. Permits issuance of such coins only during 2009. Subjects the coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
Recognizes: (1) African descendants for their contributions to the economic, social, and cultural fabric of the countries in the Americas, particularly in Latin American and Caribbean societies; and (2) that as a result of their skin color and ancestry such descendants have experienced economic, social, and political injustices. Urges the President to encourage the remembrance of the achievements of African descendants in the Americas and a resolution of such injustices. Urges the United States and the international community to work to ensure that poverty is eradicated, universal education is achieved, quality healthcare is made available, environmental resources are provided, and equal access to justice is granted in Afro-descendant communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Attorney General to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that: (1) constitutes a crime of violence under federal law or a felony under state or Indian tribal law; and (2) is motivated by prejudice based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of the victim or is a violation of the hate crime laws of the state or tribe. Directs the Attorney General to give priority for assistance to crimes committed by offenders who have committed crimes in more than one state and to rural jurisdictions that have difficulty covering the extraordinary investigation or prosecution expenses. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to assist state, local, and Indian law enforcement officials with such extraordinary expenses. Directs the Office of Justice Programs to: (1) work closely with funded jurisdictions to ensure that the concerns and needs of all affected parties are addressed; and (2) award grants to state and local programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles. Prohibits specified offenses involving actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Amends the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to require the crime data to be collected and published by the Attorney General to include data about crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on gender and gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Amerasian Naturalization Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to confer automatic citizenship on aliens residing in the United States in lawful permanent resident status: (1) pursuant to a classification petition approved under a provision that gives preferential treatment to persons born in Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea, or Thailand after 1950 and before October 22, 1982, and fathered by a U.S. citizen; or (2) who were born in Vietnam after January 1, 1962, and before January 1, 1976, and fathered by a U.S. citizen.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Clean Water Protection Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to define "fill material" to mean any pollutant that replaces portions of waters of the United States with dry land or that changes the bottom elevation of a water body for any purpose and to exclude any pollutant discharged into the water primarily to dispose of waste.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2005
Directs the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission, in conducting its review and analysis of the list of military installations recommended for closure or realignment that the Secretary of Defense submitted to Congress on May 13, 2005, to consider the homeland security contributions and value of each installation included. Provides that if the Commission completes its review and analysis before the date of enactment of this Act, any closures or realignments already undertaken shall have no further force and effect, and such actions may resume only after the Commission complies with the above requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2005
Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish in the Treasury the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund for the deposit of income, gift, and estate taxes paid by or on behalf of taxpayers: (1) who are designated conscientious objectors opposed to participation in war in any form based upon the taxpayer's deeply held moral, ethical, or religious beliefs or training (within the meaning of the Military Selective Service Act); and (2) who have certified these beliefs in writing. Requires that funds in the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund be allocated annually to any appropriation not for a military purpose. Expresses the sense of Congress that any revenue increase resulting from the creation of the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund shall be allocated in a manner consistent with the purposes of the Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
Haitian Compassion Act - Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate Haiti as a country whose qualifying nationals may be eligible for temporary protected status. Provides for: (1) an initial 18-month designation period; and (2) authorization for temporary travel abroad.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Responsible Education About Life Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to States for family life education, including education on abstinence and contraception, to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Expresses the sense of Congress that States are encouraged but not required to provide matching funds. Requires the Secretary to provide for a national evaluation of a representative sample of such programs for effectiveness in changing adolescent sexual behavior, including delaying sexual and high-risk activity, preventing pregnancy and disease (including HIV/AIDS), and increasing contraceptive knowledge. Requires States receiving such grants to provide for an individual evaluation of the State's program by an external, independent entity.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Tick Borne-Disorders Advisory Committee Act of 2005 - Establishes the Tick-Borne Disorders Advisory Committee in the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Directs the Committee to advise the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for Health regarding how to: (1) assure interagency coordination and communication in efforts to address tick-borne disorders; (2) identify opportunities to coordinate efforts with other federal agencies and private organizations; and (3) develop informed responses to constituency groups regarding HHS efforts and progress. Authorizes appropriations for FY2006-FY2007 to fund the Committee in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Authorizes appropriations for FY2006-FY2010 for: (1) research and educational activities concerning Lyme disease and other tick-borne disorders; and (2) efforts to prevent such illnesses. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should consider carrying out a five-year plan to: (1) develop a diagnostic test for Lyme disease and other tick-borne disorders for use in clinical testing; (2) determine the prevalence of such illnesses in the United States; and (3) develop the capabilities at HHS to design and implement improved strategies for the prevention and control of such illnesses.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) at the 57th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission the United States should remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling (including any linking of a Revised Management Scheme (RMS) to the lifting of the commercial whaling moratorium), and take other specified related steps; and (2) the United States should make full use of all appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, federal law, relevant international laws and agreements, and other appropriate mechanisms to implement these goals.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Combating Autism Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish: (1) a program to provide information and education on autism and its risk factors to health professionals and the general public; and (2) the Autism Coordinating Committee to coordinate autism related activities within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award grants or cooperative agreements to develop statewide autism screening, diagnosis, and intervention programs and systems. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants or cooperative agreements to provide technical assistance to state agencies to conduct applied autism research.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2005 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (3) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day. Makes federal minimum wage requirements applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sets forth a transition period during which a specified minimum wage there shall be gradually increased to equal the federal minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Authorizes the presiding judge of a U.S. appellate court or U.S. district court to permit the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising to the public of court proceedings over which that judge presides. Directs: (1) a district court, upon the request of any witness in a trial proceeding other than a party, to order the face and voice of the witness to be disguised or otherwise obscured to render the witness unrecognizable to the broadcast audience of the trial proceeding; and (2) the presiding judge in a trial proceeding to inform each witness who is not a party of his or her right to make such request. Authorizes the Judicial Conference of the United States to promulgate advisory guidelines to which a presiding judge may refer in making decisions regarding the management and administration of photographing, recording, broadcasting, or televising described in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Amends the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 to postpone the 2005 round of defense base closures and realignments, as currently required under such Act, until the last of the following occurs: (1) the complete analysis, consideration, and implementation by the Secretary of Defense (Secretary) of the recommendations of the Commission on Review of Overseas Military Facility Structure of the United States; (2) the return from deployment in Iraq of substantially all major U.S. combat units and assets; (3) the receipt by the congressional defense committees of the report on the quadrennial defense review to be submitted by the Secretary in 2006; (4) the complete development and implementation by the Secretary and the Secretary of Homeland Security of the National Maritime Security Strategy; (5) the complete development and implementation by the Secretary of the Homeland Defense and Civil Support directive; and (6) the receipt by the defense committees of a report from the Secretary assessing military installation needs. States that, effective May 13, 2005, the list of recommendations for 2005 base closures and realignments submitted by the Secretary pursuant to such Act shall have no further force and effect.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2005
Honor Our Fallen Prisoners of War Act - Requires the Secretary concerned to award the Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces who die in captivity under circumstances not otherwise establishing eligibility for the Purple Heart. Makes this Act effective as to members of the Armed Forces who die on or after December 7, 1941, including those who die prior to enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Imposes a six-month moratorium on terminations of certain pension plans, instituted under specified provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), in cases in which reorganization of contributing sponsors is sought in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Redesignates the Federal building located at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest in the District of Columbia, commonly known as the J. Edgar Hoover Federal Building, as the Federal Bureau of Investigation Building.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2005
21st Century Health Information Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to regional health information organizations to develop and implement regional health information technology plans. Requires the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to establish and maintain a national technical assistance center to provide assistance to physicians to facilitate adoption of health information technologies and participation in such regional plans. Requires the Secretary to establish a program of accrediting health information networks. Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the progress of regional health information organizations in realizing the purposes of this Act. Prohibits federal funds available under this Act from being used for the purchase of a health information technology product unless such product has been certified as incorporating interoperability data standards and compliance criteria. Allows the Secretary to make loans to any accredited regional health information organization to finance investments in network infrastructure and technology acquisition, training, and workflow engineering for physicians. Amends the Social Security Act to exclude the provision of equipment or services for the development of such a regional plan from illegal remuneration provisions and limitations on physician compensation arrangements. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish a methodology for making adjustments in Medicare payments to providers participating in an accredited network; and (2) make matching Medicaid payments to states for the development and implementation of a regional plan under certain circumstances.
![Official portrait of Rep. Delahunt, William D. [D-MA-10]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000210_200.jpg)