United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2007
American Veterans Disabled for Life Commemorative Coin - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 silver coins emblematic of the design selected by the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, in commemoration of disabled American veterans. Expresses the sense of Congress that, to the greatest extent possible, the coins should be struck at the U.S. Mint at West Point, New York. Limits the period for coin issuance to the calendar year beginning on January 1, 2010. Imposes a $10 surcharge per coin, to be distributed to the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation for the purpose of establishing an endowment to support the construction of American Veterans' Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, D.C.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that a day should be established as Dutch-American Friendship Day to celebrate the historic ties of the United States and the Netherlands.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2007
Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to restore Medicare treatment of ownership of oxygen equipment that existed prior to the enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Repeals the limitation of Medicare payment to the supplier for such equipment (including portable oxygen equipment) to 36 months of continuous use.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Amends the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to detain for examination, testing, or the taking of evidence: (1) any horse at any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction which is sore or which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is sore; and (2) any horse or other equine which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is being shipped, transported, moved, delivered, received, possessed, purchased, sold, or donated in violation of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
States that Congress will not cut off or restrict funding for units and members of the Armed Forces that the Commander in Chief has deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2007
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Public Health Service Act to expand the prohibition against discrimination by group health plans and health insurance issuers in the group and individual markets on the basis of genetic information or services to prohibit: (1) enrollment and premium discrimination based on information about a request for or receipt of genetic services; and (2) requiring genetic testing. Sets forth penalties for violations. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit issuers of Medicare supplemental policies from discriminating on the basis of genetic information. Extends medical privacy and confidentiality rules to the disclosure of genetic information. Makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or training program to discriminate against an individual or deprive such individual of employment opportunities because of genetic information. Prohibits the collection and disclosure of genetic information, with certain exceptions. Establishes a Genetic Nondiscrimination Study Commission to review the developing science of genetics and advise Congress on the advisability of providing for a disparate impact cause of action under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2007
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 · 11 January 2007
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax deductions for state and local sales taxes, for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers, and for tuition and related expenses. Exempts certain provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 relating to the child tax credit, marriage penalty relief, repeal of the estate tax, and the tax deduction for higher education expenses from the general terminating date of that Act (i.e., December 31, 2010).
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Working Families Wage and Access to Health Care Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to incrementally increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25. Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for establishment and governance of association health plans (AHPs), which are group health plans whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations, and which meet certain ERISA certification requirements. Establishes the Association Health Plan Fund to be used by the Secretary of Labor to make payments to an insurer to maintain coverage for a plan, if there is a reasonable expectation that, without such payments, claims would not be satisfied by reason of termination of coverage. Requires the Secretary to establish a Solvency Standards Working Group. Allows a state to impose a contribution tax on an association health plan, if the plan commenced operations in such state after the date of enactment of this Act. Preempts any state law that may preclude a health insurance issuer from: (1) offering health insurance coverage in connection with a certified AHP; or (2) offering health insurance coverage of the same policy type to other employers operating in the state which are eligible for coverage under such AHPs, whether or not such other employers are participating employers in such plan. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2011 the increased expensing allowance for small business assets. Revises the definition of "qualified restaurant property" to eliminate the requirement that improvements to restaurant property must be placed in service more than three years after the original building is placed in service.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Condemns Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statements and policies aimed at Israel's destruction. Calls on the U.N. Security Council to charge President Ahmadinejad with violating the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and Article 2, Section 4, of the U.N. Charter. Calls on the Security Council and all U.N. member states to consider measures to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, which would be a dangerous violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a potential means of carrying out President Ahmadinejad's threats against Israel. Reaffirms the strategic U.S.-Israel partnership and reasserts the U.S. commitment to defend Israel's right to exist as a free and democratic state.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Revises the effective date for mandatory deposit in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts of any amount derived from proceeds of the surcharge on the sale of the Thomas Alva Edison Commemorative Coin, under the Thomas Alva Edison Commemorative Coin Act, which remains unpaid to a designated recipient organization solely by reason of a specified matching fund requirement. Postpones the effective date of such requirement until July 1, 2007.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Paterson Great Falls National Park Act of 2007 - Establishes in the city of Paterson in the county of Passaic in New Jersey, the Paterson Great Falls National Park as a unit of the National Park System. Requires the Park to be administered in partnership by the Secretary of the Interior, the state of New Jersey, the city of Paterson and its applicable subdivisions, and others. Establishes the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park Partnership to coordinate the activities of federal, state, and local authorities and the private sector in the development, for the Secretary's approval, and implementation of an integrated resource management plan. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to establish a Paterson Great Falls National Park Advisory Council. Authorizes the Secretary to acquire land or interests within the boundaries of the Park by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
David Shick Honesty in Campus Justice Act - Amends the General Education Provisions Act to require an institution of postsecondary education to disclose to the alleged victim of any crime of violence or a nonforcible sex offense (or to a deceased victim's next of kin) the final results of any disciplinary proceeding conducted by such institution against a student who is the alleged perpetrator. (Current law states that such disclosure is not prohibited.)
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Requires the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to designate New Jersey Task Force 1 as part of the National Urban Search and Rescue System.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Congressional Integrity and Pension Forfeiture Act of 2007 - Amends federal civil service law, with respect to both the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS), to require the Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations that deny eligibility under CSRS or FERS for a Member convicted of certain offenses that are: (1) committed by the individual while a Member, (2) related to the individual's service as a Member, and (3) after enactment of this Act. Refunds annuity contributions and deposits, excluding interest earned, to a convicted individual. Defines Member as the Vice President, a member of the Senate or the House of Representatives, a Delegate to the House of Representatives, and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) sponsoring or exhibiting a bird in a fighting venture in a state where it would not otherwise be in violation of the law, only if the person knew that any bird in the venture was knowingly bought, sold, delivered, transported, or received in interstate or foreign commerce for such purpose; or (2) knowingly sponsoring or exhibiting in an animal fighting venture any other animal that was moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Prohibits knowingly: (1) selling, buying, transporting, delivering, or receiving, for purposes of transportation in interstate or foreign commerce, any dog or other animal to participate in an animal fighting venture; (2) using interstate mail service for commercial speech promoting an animal fighting venture except as performed outside the limits of the states (with an exception for bird fights in states whose laws allow them); or (3) selling, buying, transporting, or delivering in interstate or foreign commerce a knife, gaff, or other sharp instrument to be attached to the leg of a bird for use in an animal fighting venture. Increases the penalties to a fine and up to three years' imprisonment for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2007 - 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 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 · 4 January 2007
Smarter Funding for All of America's Homeland Security Act of 2007 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a State and Regional First Responder Grant Program under which the Secretary may make grants to states and eligible regional entities on the basis of the threat to a state or region's population and critical infrastructure, as determined by the Under Secretary for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary, to evaluate and prioritize grant applications, considering factors such as threats to the population, specific economic sectors, major communications nodes and transportation systems, specific elements of the food supply, the water and energy supplies, civic infrastructure and emergency response capabilities, and specific structures of symbolic national importance. Bars the use of grant funds to supplant state or local funds that would otherwise be available for homeland security or first responder projects. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish the Advisory Council on First Responders, which shall report to the Secretary through the head of the Office of State and Local Government Coordination; and (2) revise the Homeland Security Advisory System to require that any designation of a threat level or other warning be accompanied by a designation of the geographic regions and economic sectors to which it applies. Directs the Under Secretary for Science and Technology to conduct a study of whether there is a need to assign additional bands of frequencies of electromagnetic spectrum to assist first responders.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
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 2007
Social Security Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal: (1) government pension offset requirements 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 requirements with respect to computation of an individual's primary insurance amount.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2006
Recognizes the men and women who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program under the Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections of the U.S. Armed Forces for their heroic role in the preservation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and other artifacts of inestimable cultural importance in Europe and Asia during and following World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2006
Mourns the passing of Doctor Milton Friedman and extends deepest condolences to his family, including widow Rose Friedman, who is herself an accomplished economist and was instrumental in co-authoring some of his major works. Honors Doctor Friedman's lifetime of achievements and recognizes his outstanding contributions to freedom, the study of economics, the United States of America, and the world.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2006
Revises the nonfederal matching requirements conditioning payment to a designated recipient organization of certain proceeds from any surcharges on the sale of Thomas Alva Edison Commemorative Coins. Makes July 1, 2007, the end of the two year period after which there must be deposited in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts any amounts deriving from such surcharge proceeds which have not been paid to a designated recipient organization solely because of the organization's failure to submit an audited financial statement demonstrating that all matching requirements have been met.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2006
Authorizes appropriations for FY2007 to carry out title XXVI of the Public Health Service Act (popularly known as the Ryan White Care Act). Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in determining the amounts of formula grants for FY2007, from using a methodology for counting the number of AIDS or HIV cases that is different than the methodology used by the Secretary for FY2006.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2006
Paterson Great Falls National Park Act of 2006 - Establishes in Paterson, New Jersey, the Paterson Great Falls National Park as a unit of the National Park System. Requires the Park to be administered in partnership by the Secretary of the Interior, the state of New Jersey, the city of Paterson and its applicable subdivisions, and others. Establishes the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park Partnership to coordinate the activities of federal, state, and local authorities and the private sector in the development, for the Secretary's approval, and implementation of an integrated resource management plan. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to establish a Paterson Great Falls National Park Advisory Council. Authorizes the Secretary to acquire land or interests within the boundaries of the Park by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2006
Thomas J. Manton Prostate Cancer Early Detection and Treatment Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants to states to carry out: (1) prostate cancer prevention programs (including screening and referrals for treatment); and (2) demonstration projects to provide preventive health services with respect to prostate cancer (including blood pressure and cholesterol screenings). Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow states to provide medical assistance to individuals who have been screened for prostate cancer under this Act and who need treatment for prostate cancer. Applies provisions related to breast and cervical cancer programs to programs under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2006
Margaret Thatcher Congressional Gold Medal Act - Provides for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Margaret Thatcher in recognition of her dedication to the values of free markets and free minds.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2006
Recognizes the historical significance of the Washington-Rochambeau march through New Jersey in 1781 as part of the march of American and French forces from Rhode Island to Virginia that culminated in the American victory at Yorktown, Virginia, in October 1781.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2006
Men's Health Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the Office of Men's Health to coordinate and promote the status of men's health in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2006
Commends the American Council of Young Political Leaders for working for 40 years to prepare young political leaders to play a leadership role in international relations and world affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2006
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, with respect to inpatient hospital service payments to certain hospitals (subsection (d) hospitals) on the basis of prospective rates, to exclude certain cancer hospitals from the meaning of subsection (d) hospital.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2006
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) it remains a priority for further improvement in U.S.-Libya relations that the government of Libya make a good faith effort to resolve all outstanding claims of U.S. victims of Libyan-supported terrorism; (2) the Secretary of State should not accept the credentials of any representative of the government of Libya until the government of Libya has met its financial commitments to each of the personal representatives of U.S. victims of Pan Am Flight 103 who accepted the settlement with the government of Libya; and (3) the President should urge the government of Libya to make a good faith effort to resolve the claims of those killed or injured in the LaBelle Discotheque bombing, and all other outstanding cases of U.S. victims of Libyan-supported terror.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2006
Gang Elimination Act of 2006 - Directs the Attorney General to report to Congress on a national strategy to eliminate the illegal operations of National Threat Drug Gangs (i.e., the top three international drug gangs that present the greatest threat to law and order in the United States). Sets forth criteria for the Attorney General to consider in identifying a National Threat Drug Gang, including (1) ties to international terrorist organizations or state-sponsored terrorism; (2) the volume of controlled substances imported or distributed by such gangs; and (3) the threat to children and schools in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2006
Federal Energy Price Protection Act of 2006 - Declares that it shall be an unfair or deceptive act or practice in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act for any person to sell crude oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, home heating oil, or any biofuel at a price that constitutes price gouging. Instructs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to promulgate enforcement rules within six months after enactment of this Act. Grants enforcement authority exclusively to: (1) the FTC; (2) the Attorney General of the United States; or (3) state attorneys general. Prescribes guidelines for enforcement of civil actions by state attorneys general. Preempts state action while federal action is pending. Subjects violations of this Act to specified civil and criminal penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2006
Recognizes the 225th anniversary of the American and French victory at Yorktown, Virginia, during the Revolutionary War. Reminds the American people of the debt the United States owes to its Armed Forces and the important role Yorktown and the Commonwealth of Virginia played in securing their liberty.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2006
Amends federal shipping law to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize maritime transportation security grants awarded to port authorities, facility operators, and state and local government agencies required to provide port security based on the risks and vulnerabilities of ports and the proximity of such ports to critical infrastructure or to urban or sensitive areas.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2006
Congressional Tribute to Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Act of 2006 - Authorizes The President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design, to Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, in recognition of his enduring contributions to the United States and the world.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2006
Byron Nelson Congressional Gold Medal Act - Provides for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Byron Nelson in recognition of his contributions to the game of golf as a player, teacher, and commentator.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2006
Directs the Attorney General, at the request of certain state education officials, to conduct fingerprint-based checks of public or private school employees, job applicants, or volunteers for positions involving work with or around children. Restricts the disclosure of information from such checks. Imposes criminal penalties for unauthorized use or release of such information.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Internet Gambling Prohibition Act - Amends the federal criminal code to revise the prohibitions against interstate gambling. Modifies the definition of "wire communication facility" to include all communications, including transmissions by satellite or microwave using fixed or mobile connections (e.g., the Internet or other wireless communications). Expands the definition of "bets and wagers" to include all forms of gambling activity. Modifies existing prohibitions against interstate gambling to prohibit anyone engaged in a gambling business from using a communication facility to transmit: (1) bets or wagers; (2) a communication which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers; or (3) information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers. Imposes a five-year prison term for violations. Prohibits anyone engaged in a gambling business from accepting in connection with the transmission of bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers: (1) credit, or the proceeds of credit; (2) electronic funds transfers; (3) checks, drafts, or similar instruments; or (4) the proceeds of any other form of financial transaction as prescribed by Treasury regulations. Exempts certain instrastate gambling activities. Requires any common carrier who is notified in writing that a user of one of its communication facilities is violating prohibitions against interstate gambling to discontinue service to such user. Authorizes federal, state, tribal, or local law enforcement agencies to obtain injunctive or declaratory relief to restrain persons from violating prohibitions against interstate gambling.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2006
Encourages all Americans to increase their charitable giving, with the goal of increasing the annual amount of charitable giving in the United States by 1%.
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 · 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 · 18 November 2005
Reaffirms the House of Representatives' commitment to the security of Israel. Asserts that: (1) terrorist organizations, such as Hamas, should not be permitted to participate in Palestinian elections until such organizations recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, cease incitement, condemn terrorism, and disarm and dismantle their terrorist infrastructure; and (2) Hamas' or any other terrorist group's inclusion into the Palestinian governing structure will inevitably raise serious U.S. policy considerations, potentially undermining the ability of the United States to provide financial assistance and conduct normal relations with the PA. Calls on the Palestinian Authority (PA) President Abbas before the election to declare openly his intention to dismantle the terrorist organizations. States that progress in the peace process requires sustained Palestinian effort to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2005
Influenza Preparedness and Prevention Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to stockpile antivirals, pandemic influenza vaccines, and essential supplies for a pandemic influenza. Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit any cause of action for liability related to a qualified pandemic or epidemic product or a security countermeasure, with an exception for willful misconduct. Requires the Secretary to establish a buyback protocol to purchase excess stocks of influenza vaccine. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop a regulatory roadmap to address issues surrounding emergency use authorization of influenza vaccine. Establishes the Office of Safety Evaluation and Pandemic Preparedness. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop a public education campaign about pandemic influenza and preparedness. Requires the United States Geological Survey to carry out an interagency effort to detect avian influenza in wild birds. Provides for the expansion and intensification of influenza research. Requires the Director of CDC to expand and intensify Global Disease Detection Initiative efforts. Requires the Secretary to submit to the Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) a proposal to study the feasibility of establishing a Pandemic Fund to support pandemic influenza control and relief activities. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to expand and intensify efforts to prevent pandemic influenza. Requires states, as a condition of receiving funds from CDC or the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to have a Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Plan.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Urges: (1) the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to observe its 1995 Interim Accord obligations and take steps to halt the proliferation of negative propaganda toward Greece and review textbooks, maps, and teaching aids to ensure their accuracy; and (2) FYROM to work within the U.N. process to reach a mutually acceptable permanent name.