United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2006
Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2006 - Directs the Puerto Rico State Elections Commission to conduct a plebiscite in Puerto Rico during the 110th Congress, giving voters the option to vote for continued U.S. territorial status or for a path toward a constitutionally viable permanent nonterritorial status. Provides for subsequent procedures, depending on ballot results. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to allocate certain funds for the self-determination process.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 777 Corporation Street in Beaver, Pennsylvania, as the "Robert Linn Memorial Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Civil Rights Act of 1964 Commemorative Coin Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue, during 2014, no more than 350,000 one-dollar coins designed to be emblematic of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its contribution to civil rights in America. Requires sales to include a $10 surcharge per coin, which shall be paid to the United Negro College Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Child Support Protection Act of 2006 - Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to repeal a provision that prohibited federal matching funds to a state for expenditures from federal amounts paid to the state for child support and establishment of paternity to carry out an agreement for services of the Federal Parent Locator Service.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 535 Wood Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, as the "H. Gordon Payrow Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Preparing Excellent Teachers Act of 2006 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to states and local educational agencies to establish and support teacher mentoring programs to attract and train teachers of exceptional ability who are mid-career professionals or recent college graduates. Places limits on the amount, number, and distribution of such grants.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Prescription Drug Abuse Elimination Act of 2006 -Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require Internet pharmacies to meet specified criteria, including: (1) providing individuals who access the pharmacy with certain information; (2) obtaining verification of a valid prescription in some circumstances; and (3) providing contact information of the individual dispensing prescription drugs on the site to each state that licenses or authorizes the person to dispense drugs. Prohibits the sale of a prescription drug, or the ownership or operation of an illegal Internet pharmacy, in violation of the requirements of this Act. Allows district courts to order Internet providers to remove access or links to sites that violate this Act. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate chain-of-custody requirements to track prescription drugs from the manufacturer through each importer, distributor, and retailer. Deems a drug misbranded if such requirements are not met. Amends the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to restrict the importation of a schedule II, III, or IV drug by a U.S. resident without a valid prescription to once during any 30-day period. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to: (1) convene a working group to study and report on pharmaceutical counterfeiting; and (2) study the best methods to ensure that controlled substances are not diverted for unlawful use. Requires the Secretary to conduct research and report on issues related to prescription drug abuse. Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to maintain a comprehensive, national database on deaths occurring as a result of substance abuse.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2006
Federal Aviation Administration Fair Labor Management Dispute Resolution Act of 2006 - Amends federal transportation law to revise certain federal aviation administration personnel management system requirements to prohibit the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from implementing any proposed change to the FAA personnel management system in cases where the services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service do not lead to an agreement between the Administrator and FAA employees unless a bill is enacted into law by Congress that authorizes the change during the 60-day period beginning from the time Congress received the proposed change. (Current law does not require congressional action.) Requires the Administrator and FAA employee bargaining representatives to submit the proposed change to binding arbitration if Congress does not enact a bill into law within the 60-day period.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2006
Heart Disease Education, Analysis, and Research, and Treatment for Women Act or the HEART for Women Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Service Act to require an application for approval or for investigation of a drug, device, or biological product to include information stratified by gender, race, and ethnicity, including any differences in safety and effectiveness. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) withhold approval of such an application or place a clinical hold on an investigation if such information is not included; and (2) report to the scientific community and make information available to the public on such stratified data upon approval of an application. Requires the Comptroller General to study the drug approval process to ensure compliance with this Act. Requires the Secretary to require that all nonidentifiable patient safety work product reported to a patient safety database be stratified by gender. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) the Social Security Act (SSA) to require the Secretary to make hospital quality data relating to the quality of care in inpatient settings available to the public stratified by gender. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to report to Congress concerning the quality of and access to care for women with heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. Requires utilization and quality control peer review organizations to offer quality improvement assistance aimed at eliminating gender disparities. Amends title IX (employment security provisions) of SSA to require that data be stratified by gender when collected and used in surveys evaluating whether Medicare providers meet applicable conditions of participation or coverage. Provides for an educational campaign relating to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular diseases in women.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2006
Disapproves of the Arab League's decision to hold its 2006 summit in Khartoum, Sudan. Calls on the Arab League, the government of Sudan, the Sudanese rebels, and the world community to do all they can to end the acts of genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2006
Recognizes and commends the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR), the NASCAR Universal Technical Institute, and a collaboration of Historically Black Colleges and Universities for their creation of a strategic alliance to increase the number and quality of job opportunities for African-American students in key racing and other related automotive business activities. Encourages the Departments of Education and Labor and other appropriate federal agencies to support this effort.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2006
Makes additional appropriations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for state health insurance counseling programs on Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) and Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug plan enrollment.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2006
Honors and praises the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People on the occasion of its 97th anniversary for its work to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all persons.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2006
Emergency Preparedness and Response for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2006 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to appoint a Disability Coordinator to ensure that the needs of individuals with disabilities are properly addressed in emergency preparedness and disaster relief efforts in the event of a major disaster. Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act with respect to: (1) temporary housing for use by individuals with disabilities; and (2) the right of individuals with disabilities to live independently. Provides for increased accessibility for such individuals of replacement housing built with federal funds following major disasters.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2006
Mathematics and Science Teaching Corps Act of 2006 - Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to create a Math and Science Teaching Corps to significantly improve mathematics and science achievement among secondary school students in the United States. Requires the Director of the Corps to carry out a program that awards: (1) Math and Science Teaching Corps Fellowships for Prospective Teachers (MSTC Fellowships) who possess comprehensive subject area knowledge; (2) grants to partner institutions to pay the tuition, fees, and overhead costs of the fellows; and (3) grants to participating local educational agencies to pay the expenses associated with facilitating the induction and professional development services for the fellows. Requires MSTC Fellowship recipients to: (1) receive specified pedagogical training; and (2) teach mathematics or science in a secondary school, for which they shall receive a stipend, and participate in induction programs of participating local educational agencies, for four years. Requires the Director to carry out a program that awards Math and Science Teaching Corps Fellowships for Experienced Teachers (MSTC Master Fellowships). Requires an MSTC Master Fellowship recipient to: (1) continue to teach mathematics or science in a secondary school of a participating agency for at least five of the seven years after receiving such fellowship, for which he or she shall receive a stipend; (2) serve as a leader within the individual's department and school; (3) mentor other recipients; and (4) attend subject or pedagogy workshops offered by the participating local educational agency.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2006
Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006 - States that it shall be U.S. policy to promote the emergence of a democratic Palestinian governing authority that denounces and combats terrorism, upholds human rights for all people, and has agreed to recognize Israel as an independent Jewish state. Amends the the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide assistance under such Act or any other provision of law to the Palestinian Authority (PA) only during a period for which a presidential certification has determined: (1) that no PA ministry, agency, or instrumentality is controlled by a foreign terrorist organization and no member of a foreign terrorist organization serves in a PA ministry, agency, or instrumentality; (2) that the PA has publicly acknowledged Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, and is adhering to all previous agreements and understandings with the government of the United States, the government of Israel, and the international community; and (3) that the PA has made demonstrable progress toward purging from its security services individuals with ties to terrorism, dismantling all terrorist infrastructure and cooperating with Israel's security services, halting anti-Israel incitement, and ensuring democracy and financial transparency. Directs the President to make and transmit such certifications to Congress every six months. Prohibits during a period in which a certification is is not in effect with respect to the PA.: (1) assistance to nongovernmental organizations for the West Bank and Gaza (exempts assistance for basic human health needs from such limitation.); (2) U.S. contributions to the United Nations intended for U.N. agencies providing assistance directly to the PA; (3) visa issuance to any PA official or affiliated person (with a case-by-case exemption for U.S. security needs); (4) travel outside of a 25-mile radius of the U.N. headquarters building for officials and representatives of the PA and of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) who are stationed at the United Nations in New York City; and (5) establishment of an office, headquarters, premises, or other facilities within U.S. jurisdiction at the direction of, or with funds provided by, the PA or the PLO. Requires the President to direct the executive director at each international financial institution to use U.S. influence to prohibit assistance to the PA during any such period. Directs the Secretary of State to audit and report respecting duplicative entities and functions of: (1) the United Nations Division for Palestinian Rights; (2) the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People; (3) the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority; (4) the NGO Network on the Question of Palestine; (5) the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories; and (6) any other entity the Secretary determines results in duplicative efforts or funding or fails to ensure balance in the approach to Israeli-Palestinian issues. Withholds specified U.S. contributions to the United Nations for such entities until the report's recommendations are implemented. Expresses the sense of Congress that during any such period the territory controlled by the PA should be deemed to be in use as a terrorist sanctuary for purposes of the Export Administration Act of 1979, and of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989. Prohibits funds to be used by any U.S. officer or employee to negotiate, attend official meetings, or have official contacts with members or official representatives of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, or any other Palestinian terrorist organization, until such organization: (1) recognizes Israel's right to exist; (2) renounces terrorism; (3) dismantles the terrorist infrastructure; and (4) recognizes all previous agreements and understandings between Israel and the PA.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2006
Medicare Prescription Drug Emergency Guarantee Act of 2006 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to assure uninterrupted access to medicines under the Medicare prescription drug program. Requires each prescription drug plan sponsor offering a prescription drug plan, and each Medicare Advantage organization offering an Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug Plan (MA-PD plan), to: (1) provide minimum standard transition coverage; (2) furnish each enrollee with annual notices of any changes in formulary or other restrictions or drug coverage limitations; and (3) require application of intermediate sanctions to protect against fraud and abuse. Amends SSA: (1) title XVIII part C (Medicare+Choice) to allow changes of enrollment in prescription drug plans and MA-PD plans to be made once each year outside the annual coordinated election period, or twice a year; and (2) title XIX (Medicaid) to prohibit conditioning Medicaid eligibility on enrollment in Medicare part D or any other creditable coverage. Directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) to study and report to Congress on the extent to which full-benefit dual eligible individuals were enrolled (by assignment or otherwise) in the most appropriate part D prescription drug plans. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to reimburse covered third parties during 2006 for 100% of covered part D drugs which a prescription drug plan or MA-PD plan enrollee reasonably expected would have been covered but were not because the enrollee was unable to access on a timely basis prescription drug benefits to which he or she was entitled. Directs the Secretary to establish a process for recovering such reimbursed costs from prescription drug plans and MA-PD plans if they should have incurred them.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2006
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2006 - Extends from one to two years the lobbying ban for former senior executive personnel, former Members of Congress, and legislative branch officers and employees. Denies floor privileges to any former Members and House officers if he or she is a registered lobbyist or agent of a foreign principal. Requires public disclosure by Members of Congress and senior congressional staff of employment negotiations. Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) to revise requirements for lobbying disclosures reports. Amends the Rules of the House of Representatives to: (1) exclude gifts from lobbyists from the gift ban exceptions; and (2) prohibit privately funded travel by a Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee. Establishes the Office of Public Integrity within the Office of Inspector General of the House. Amends the LDA to increase the penalty for failure to comply with lobbying disclosure requirements. Requires certification that congressional travel meets certain conditions, subject to civil fines for false certifications. Establishes mandatory annual ethics training for House employees. Makes it out of order to consider any reconciliation legislation which has the net effect of reducing the surplus or increasing the deficit compared to the most recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate for any fiscal year. Limits recorded electronic votes to 20 minutes, except in certain circumstances. Makes requirements for earmarks in funding measures. Makes it out of order to consider a resolution providing for adjournment sine die unless, during at least 20 weeks of the session, a quorum call or recorded vote was taken on at least four of the weekdays (excluding legal public holidays). Makes it out of order, with certain exceptions, for the House to consider a bill or joint resolution until 24 hours, or in the case of legislation containing a district-oriented earmark or limited tax benefit, until three days after copies of such measure are available. Makes a motion to request or agree to a conference on a general appropriation bill in order only if the House expresses its disagreements with the Senate in the form of numbered amendments. Requires all provisions on which the two chambers disagree to be open to discussion at any meeting of a conference committee. Prescribes minimum requirements for political appointees holding public safety positions. Amends the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (OFPPA) to require an executive agency, after awarding a contract, to make specified information regarding it available to the public, including over the Internet in a searchable database. Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (FPASA) to prohibit awarding of a monopoly federal contract to a single contractor. Specifies conditions under which such contracts may be awarded. Amends the FPASA to require revision of the Federal Acquisition Regulation to require competition for certain multiple award contracts. Provides for suspension and debarment of unethical contractors. Amends the federal criminal code to impose fines and penalties on cheating taxpayers and wartime fraud. Revises requirements and prohibitions regarding contractor conflicts of interest. Requires disclosure of certain government contractor overcharges. Subjects individuals to penalties for improper sole-source contracting procedures. Prescribes disclosure requirements for organizations established to raise funds for creating, maintaining, expanding, or conducting activities at a former or existing presidential archival depository or its facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2005
Thanks Bono, Bill Gates, and Melinda Gates for their charitable efforts. Congratulates each of them on their selection as Time Magazine's Persons of the Year.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2005
Creates the Select Committee on Administration Predetermination to Go to War and Manipulation of Intelligence to investigate all relevant government agency actions and decisions relating to the Administration's: (1) intent to go to war before congressional authorization; (2) manipulation of pre-war intelligence; (3) encouragement and countenancing of torture; and (4) retaliation against critics. Requires the Committee to report to the House of Representatives on: (1) the results of its investigation; and (2) any substantial and credible information which the Committee receives in carrying out its responsibilities that may constitute grounds for possible impeachment.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2005
Clean Alternatives for Energy Independence Act of 2005 - Repeals certain tax benefits relating to oil and natural gas enacted by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase: (1) the tax credit for investment in residential and business fuel cell property; (2) the tax credit for investment in fuel cell motor and advanced lean burn technology motor vehicles; (3) the number of hybrid and advanced lean burn technology vehicles eligible for the alternative motor vehicle tax credit; and (4) the tax credit for investment in commercial and residential alternative fuel vehicle refueling property. Extends through 2012 the tax credit for business fuel cell property. Extends through 2019 the tax credits for: (1) investment in qualified fuel cell motor vehicles; (2) investment in alternative fuel vehicle refueling hydrogen-related property (through 2011 for other fuel-related property).
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2005
Teachers for Tomorrow's Careers Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend through 2006 the tax deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses; and (2) allow an unlimited deduction for the expenses of certified science, technology, engineering, or math teachers and professionals.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2005
Poverty Impact Trigger Act of 2005 - Amends Rule XXI (Restrictions on Certain Bills) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to make it out of order to consider a public bill or joint resolution authorizing an appropriation of $10 million or more, unless: (1) the accompanying committee report includes a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Poverty Impact Division impact statement; or (2) the chairman of the committee reporting the legislation submits such statement for publication in the Congressional Record before consideration of the measure. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to establish the CBO Poverty Impact Division to prepare and submit poverty impact statements to the chairmen of House committees.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2005
Code Talkers Recognition Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a congressional gold medal: (1) to persons, including specified individuals, who served as Sioux or Comanche Code Talkers during World War II; (2) honoring the Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I; and (3) to any other Native American member of the armed forces, identified by the Secretary of Defense, who served as a Code Talker in any foreign conflict in which the United States was involved during the 20th Century. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medals struck under this Act and to deposit the proceeds in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund to pay for the costs of the medals awarded under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2005
Disproportionate Share Hospital Assistance Act of 2005 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to make the Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments for states for FY2005 and FY2006 the same as the allotment for FY2004 (thus providing a cost-of-living increase).
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2005
National Hepatitis B Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a plan for hepatitis B prevention, control, and medical management. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) support the integration of testing, counseling, immunization, and medical referral activities into existing clinical and public health programs at state, local, and tribal levels; and (2) provide hepatitis B coordinators to health departments in order to ensure the success of such integration. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to implement programs to increase awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of hepatitis B. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, to: (1) support the establishment of a national hepatitis B surveillance program; and (2) report on population-based seroprevalence studies and hepatitis B's economic and clinical impact and its impact on quality of life. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Directors of CDC, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to conduct research on hepatitis B. Requires the Secretary to give priority in carrying out this Act to individuals with limited access to health education, testing, and health care services and groups that may be disproportionately affected by hepatitis B.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2005
The Fourteenth Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal Act - 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 of appropriate design to Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, in recognition of his many contributions to peace and religious understanding.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2005
Directs the Joint Committee on the Library to accept the donation of a bust depicting Sojourner Truth and display it in a suitable permanent location in the rotunda of the Capitol. Expresses the sense of Congress that the most suitable location for the placement of the bust is one adjacent to the statue known as the Portrait Monument.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2005
Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide that the update to the single conversion factor in the formula for payment of physicians' services for 2006 and 2007 shall not be less than 1.5%. Directs the Medicare Payment Assessment Commission (MEDPAC) to report to Congress on approaches to controlling aggregage spending for physician services in order to maximize efficiency and maintain beneficiary access to high-quality care under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Repeals Medicare cost containment provisions under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2005
Congratulates Don Ho on his splendid musical career, recognizes his efforts to share Hawaii's Aloha Spirit, and conveys best wishes for his continuing success.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2005
Energy Consumer Relief Act of 2005 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal oil and gas tax subsidies including: (1) the election to expense certain refineries; (2) treatment of natural gas distribution lines as 15-year property; (3) treatment of natural gas gathering lines as 7-year property; (4) the new rule for determining small refiner exception to oil depletion deduction; and (5) amortization of geological and geophysical expenditures. Repeals certain oil and gas production incentives, including those with respect to: (1) royalty relief for deep water production; (2) the Alaska offshore royalty suspension; (3) oil and gas leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska; (4) management of federal oil and gas leasing programs; (5) oil and gas research programs); and (6) ultra-deepwater and unconventional natural gas and other petroleum resources. Instructs the President to suspend royalty relief for production of crude oil or natural gas from federal lands during periods in which the average price has risen over specified amounts. Requires that specified increased revenues received in the Treasury as the result of the enactment of this Act be made directly available to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for obligation and expenditure under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a refundable tax credit for energy cost assistance for farmers and ranchers. Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to establish an Energy Emergency Grant Program to make grants to small business concerns that have suffered substantial economic injury as a result of a significant increase in the price of heating oil, natural gas, gasoline, transportation fuel, propane, or kerosene.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2005
Global Democracy Promotion Act of 2005 - Declares that foreign nongovernmental organizations: (1) shall not be ineligible for assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 solely on the basis of health or medical services (including counseling and referral services) provided by them with non-U.S. government funds if such services do not violate the laws of the country in which they are being provided, and would not violate U.S. federal law if provided in the United States; and (2) shall not be subject to requirements relating to the use of non-U.S. government funds for advocacy and lobbying activities other than those that apply to U.S. nongovernmental organizations receiving such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2005
10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act - Directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish programs of grants to institutions of higher education for: (1) undergraduate scholarships and academic programs to recruit and educate elementary and secondary school mathematics and science teachers; and (2) master's degree scholarships and part-time graduate programs for inservice mathematics and science teachers. Requires the NSF Director to: (1) increase the number of awards under the Teacher Institutes for the 21st Century program and allow its grantees to operate one- to two-week summer teacher institutes; (2) add to the Teacher Professional Continuum Program a grants component for preparing to teach Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate science and mathematics courses; and (3) with a national panel and the Secretary of Education, disseminate effective materials and support development of new materials for K-12 science and mathematics teaching. Authorizes, or extends the authorization of, appropriations for NSF programs established or revised under this Act, including NSF Instructional Materials Development, as well as for the Department of Energy's Laboratory Science Teacher Professional Development program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2005
Establishes the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) within the Department of Energy to reduce the amount of energy the United States imports from foreign sources by 20% over the next 10 years. Establishes the Energy Independence Acceleration Fund, administered by the ARPA-E Director for the award of competitive grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts to institutions of higher education, companies, or consortia, including federally funded research and development centers, to achieve specified goals through targeted acceleration of: (1) energy-related research; (2) development of resultant techniques, processes, and technologies, and related testing and evaluation; and (3) demonstration and commercial application of the most promising technologies and research applications. Directs the Secretary to establish procedures and criteria for recoupment of the federal share of each project supported under this Act. Requires the President's Committee on Science and Technology to evaluate for Congress and the public how well ARPA-E is achieving its goals and mission.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2005
Medicaid Indian Health Act of 2005 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to: (1) apply 100% of the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) to services furnished to an Indian by an urban Indian health program; (2) prohibit the imposition of premiums, deductibles, copayments, and other cost-sharing on Indians; (3) prohibit recovery against estates of Indians; (4) require consultation with Indian tribes prior to approval of "Section 115" waivers; (5) provide for the treatment of medical expenses paid by or on behalf of an Indian by an Indian health program as medical care costs for purposes of determining medically needy eligibility; and (6) give states the option to exempt Indians from reductions in eligibility or benefits. Requires a Medicaid managed care organization contracting with an Indian Health Service (IHS) facility or program that is not a federally-qualified health center or a rural health clinic to provide payment at the highest level and amount that it would make for the services if they were furnished by a provider that is not an IHS facility or program.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Balancing Trade Act of 2005 - Requires the President, if in three consecutive calendar years the United States has a trade deficit with another country of $10 billion or more, to take the necessary steps to create a trading relationship that would eliminate or substantially reduce that trade deficit, by entering into an agreement with that country or otherwise.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Revises basic educational assistance for veterans' survivors and dependents to: (1) eliminate the present 45 month cap on benefit payments and set an aggregate limit of $80,000; (2) extend from a dependent's 26th to 30th birthday the delimiting age for the use of such assistance; (3) increase the amount of such assistance for survivors and dependents pursuing certain types of education; and (4) authorize the provision of tutorial assistance to such individuals without charge to their educational assistance entitlement.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
States that: (1) the deployment of U.S. forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is hereby terminated and the forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date; (2) a quick-reaction U.S. force and an over-the-horizon presence of U.S. Marines shall be deployed in the region; and (3) the United States shall pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2005
Bringing America Home Act - Declares that it is a national goal to fulfill the basic human need of shelter by ending homelessness in the United States. Establishes in the Treasury the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) incremental rental assistance; (2) housing program funding; (3) rural housing and economic development; and (4) veterans homeless comprehensive services programs. Federal Homelessness to Housing Mutual Mortgage Association Act - Establishes the Federal Hopelessness to Housing Mutual Mortgage Association (Hollie Mae) which may develop mutual housing (generally, a nonprofit cooperative ownership housing association) that is affordable for low-income individuals and families. Provides for: (1) use of federal property to assist the homeless; (2) preservation of HOPE VI public housing units; and (3) establishment of an Emergency Rent Relief Fund. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a temporary ex-offender low-income housing credit. Revises assistance provisions under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, including establishing a continuum of care program. Expresses the sense of Congress respecting the need to expand Medicaid and keep it affordable to beneficiaries. Authorizes appropriations, and sets forth program provisions, for mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness programs.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2005
Steve McWilliams Truth in Trials Act - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to establish as an affirmative defense for any person facing prosecution or a proceeding for any marijuana-related offense that the marijuana-related activities in question were in compliance with state law regarding the medical use of marijuana. Allows a finder of fact to find a defendant guilty of a lesser offense if the defendant's marijuana-related activity was found to be primarily, but not exclusively, for medical purposes. Provides for the return of any property with respect to which an individual successfully makes a defense under this Act. Amends provisions concerning the seizure and custody of marijuana to limit seizure authority of marijuana authorized for medical use and provide for the retention of seized plants pending resolution of a case involving an affirmative defense for the medical use of marijuana.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2005
End the War in Iraq Act of 2005 - Prohibits funds appropriated or otherwise made available under any provision of law from being obligated or expended to deploy, or continue to deploy, U.S. Armed Forces to the Republic of Iraq. Excepts from such prohibition funds used to: (1) provide for the safe and orderly withdrawal of U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq; or (2) ensure the security of Iraq and its transition to democratic rule by carrying out consultations with the Government of Iraq and other foreign governments and international organizations or by providing financial assistance or equipment to Iraqi security forces and international forces in Iraq. Permits the use of funds to carry out social and economic reconstruction activities in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2005
Child Support Enforcement Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a custodial parent (a parent entitled to receive child support) a refundable tax credit for unpaid child support; and (2) include in the gross income of any taxpayer who is delinquent in the payment of child support the amount of such unpaid child support. Prohibits the Internal Revenue Service from selecting a tax return for audit based upon any discrepancy between the tax returns of a custodial parent and a taxpayer delinquent in the payment of child support.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2005
Medicaid Preservation Act of 2005 - Prohibits reductions in authorized federal funding under the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act until full consideration has been given to the recommendations of the Bipartisan Commission on Medicaid. Establishes the Bipartisan Commission to review and make recommendations about: (1) each of Medicaid's major functional responsibilities; (2) issues that either threaten or could improve the long-term financial condition of Medicaid; (3) the way Medicare payment policies impact Medicaid, and ways to address specific payment problems that such policies may create in service delivery to populations typically not covered by Medicare, such as children and pregnant women; and (5) payments to safety net providers. Requires each recommendation to include an analysis of its effect under Medicaid and, if applicable, Medicare and other federal health programs, on: (1) federal and state expenditures; (2) provider payment rates; (3) beneficiary out-of-pocket expenditures; (4) beneficiary access to covered items and services; and (5) coverage of items and services.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2005
Child Health Investment for Long-term Development (CHILD and Newborn) Act of 2005 - Amends the the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to furnish assistance to improve the health of newborns, children, and mothers in developing countries, including activities relating to: (1) health systems and medical and health personnel training; (2) health access; (3) pharmaceutical supplies; (4) health education; (5) HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis counseling and treatment; and (6) safe water and sanitation access. Directs the President to develop a comprehensive strategy to improve the health of newborns, children, and mothers, including reducing newborn, child, and maternal mortality, in developing countries. Establishes the Interagency Task Force on Child Survival and Maternal Health in Developing Countries.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2005
Haiti Economic Recovery Opportunity Act - Amends the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act to provide, beginning on October 1, 2004, and for each of the seven succeeding one-year periods, duty-free treatment for apparel items wholly assembled or knit-to-shape in Haiti (without regard to the country of origin of the fabrics, components, or yarns) if the President certifies to Congress that Haiti: (1) has established or is progressing toward specified political, economic, and social reforms; (2) does not engage in activities that undermine U.S. security or foreign policy; (3) does not engage in gross violations of human rights or activities in support of international terrorism; and (4) is meeting specified enforcement conditions aimed at preventing tariff or quota avoidance, customs evasion, unlawful transshipment, or false information or false document use in order to obtain such preferential treatment. Applies such provisions to goods entered or withdrawn from a warehouse for consumption on or after October 1, 2004, including a retroactive application to certain warehouse entries or withdrawals made between such date and the date of enactment of this Act.
![Official portrait of Rep. Fattah, Chaka [D-PA-2]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/f000043_200.jpg)