United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal to the next of kin or personal representative of each passenger or crew member on board United Airlines Flight 93 who is identified by the Attorney General as having aided in the effort to resist the hijackers on board the plane, in recognition of heroic service to the Nation. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions. Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such gold medal. Declares such medals to be national medals. Requires that proceeds from the sale of duplicate bronze medals be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2006
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) Modernization and Reform Act of 2006 - Amends the firearms provisions of the federal criminal code to revise the civil penalties for violations of firearms law and the procedures for assessing such penalties. Requires fines to be based upon the nature and severity of the violation, the size of the firearms business involved, and the prior record of the firearm's licensee. Requires the Attorney General to make a preliminary determination on federal firearms license applications and to notify applicants in writing of intent to deny an application. Grants applicants the right to a hearing for license denials. Directs the Attorney General to establish guidelines for Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigations of firearms violations. Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Justice to review the operations of ATF relating to the gun show enforcement program and blanket residency checks of prospective and actual firearms purchasers. Limits the authority of federal agencies to disclose information on firearms purchasers. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to repeal the authority of the Attorney General to delegate to ATF responsibility for investigating violent crimes and acts of domestic terrorism. Grants a firearm licensee whose license has expired or has been suspended or revoked 60 days to liquidate inventory. Allows purchasers of existing firearms businesses the right to cure firearms violations attributable to such businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2006
Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation to carry out a program of awarding grants to high-need local educational agencies to establish partnerships for access to laboratory science to improve laboratories and to provide instrumentation as part of a comprehensive program to enhance the quality of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology instruction at the secondary school level.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2006
Military Spouses Employment Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include spouses of members of the Armed Forces on extended active duty (more than 90 days or for an indefinite period) as members of a targeted group for purposes of the work opportunity tax credit (thus giving employers a tax incentive for hiring military spouses).
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2006
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) taxpayers making charitable contributions of real property for conservation purposes (qualified conservation contributions) to deduct up to 50% (currently, 30%) of their income for such contributions (100% for certain farmers or ranchers); and (2) a 15-year carryover of excess tax deduction amounts for such contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2006
Recognizes the Golden (50th) Anniversary Year of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways (Interstate Highway System).
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2006
Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act - Prohibits a person from carrying out a demonstration: (1) at a cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration or at Arlington National Cemetery, unless the demonstration has been approved by the cemetery superintendent or director; or (2) within 500 feet of a cemetery at which a funeral or memorial service is to be held, for a period beginning 60 minutes before and ending 60 minutes after the funeral or service, if such demonstration includes any individual making noise or a diversion that disturbs the peace or good order of the funeral or service. Amends the federal criminal code to provide criminal penalties for violations of such prohibitions. Expresses the sense of Congress that each state should enact legislation to restrict demonstrations near any military funeral.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2006
Honors the goals and ideals of Lemonade Stand Days (designated as the second weekend in June by the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, which was established in the memory of Alexandra Scott, a pediatric cancer patient). Commends the Foundation's fundraising efforts for childhood cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2006
Supports the goals and ideals of Financial Literacy Month, including raising public awareness about the importance of financial education in the United States and the serious consequences that may result from a lack of understanding about personal finances.
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 · 9 March 2006
Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the National Cancer Institute, to establish special programs of research excellence in the area of pediatric cancers. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a grant mechanism for the establishment of Research Fellowships in Pediatric Cancer to support adequate numbers of pediatric focused clinical and translational investigators. Requires the Director to award a grant for the operation of a population-based national childhood cancer database, the Childhood Cancer Research Network. Requires the Secretary to award grants to recognized childhood cancer professional and advocacy organizations to raise public awareness of currently available information, treatment, and research with intent to ensure access to best available therapies for pediatric cancers.
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
Legislative Line Item Veto Act of 2006 - Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to authorize the President to propose the rescission of any dollar amount of discretionary budget authority or the rescission, in whole or in part, of any item of direct spending. Sets forth requirements for the President's transmittal to Congress of a special message regarding a proposed rescission. Requires any rescinded budget authority or items of direct spending to be dedicated only to deficit reduction, and not to be used as an offset for other spending increases. Provides for adjustment of: (1) committee allocations resulting from such rescission; and (2) applicable limits, as appropriate, under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). Sets forth procedures for expedited congressional consideration of a proposed rescission.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2006
Maritime Terminal Security Enhancement Act of 2006 - Directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard (CG) to require: (1) the security plan for a maritime facility that the Secretary of the department in which the CG is operating believes may be involved in a transportation security incident to be resubmitted for approval by the Secretary upon the transfer of ownership or operation of such facility; and (2) the qualified individual having full authority to implement security actions for the facility be a U.S. citizen.
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 · 2 March 2006
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) rename the low-income housing tax credit as the affordable housing credit; (2) revise the applicable percentage rates for the credit; (3) increase the credit for low-income buildings that are part of state-designated projects; (4) allow the credit for buildings eligible for moderate rehabilitation assistance under the U.S. Housing Act of 1937; (5) repeal certain repayment requirements for qualified mortgage revenue bond issues; (6) qualify displaced homemakers, single parents, and certain disaster victims for mortgage revenue bond-financed first-time home loans; (7) repeal rules requiring recapture of income from sales of low-income buildings that are reasonably expected to be operated on a low-income basis; (8) impose recapture reporting requirements on owners of qualified low-income buildings eligible for housing credits; (9) exempt affordable housing tax credit amounts from the alternative minimum tax; and (10) exempt interest on certain exempt private activity bonds, qualified mortgage revenue bonds, qualified veterans' mortgage bonds, and certain exempt facility bonds used for residential rental projects from the alternative minimum tax.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2006
Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of items and services under a cardiac rehabilitation program and a pulmonary rehabilitation program.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2006
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 215 West Industrial Park Road in Harrison, Arkansas, as the "John Paul Hammerschmidt Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2006
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) pluralistic and geographic expansion is necessary for its continued effectiveness and relevance; (2) Israel's demonstrated commitment to uphold democracy and to combat terrorism, in addition to its strategic and military capabilities, make Israel deserving of NATO membership; (3) the United States, as Israel's strong ally, should take the lead in supporting an upgrade in Israel's NATO relationship to that of a leading member of NATO's Individual Cooperation Program as a first step toward Israel's full NATO membership; and (4) Israel's deepened relationship with NATO would be mutually beneficial to both Israel and NATO member states, including the United States.
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
Global Online Freedom Act of 2006 - States that it is the policy of the United States to: (1) promote the ability of all to access and contribute information, ideas, and knowledge via the Internet; (2) use all instruments of U.S. influence, including diplomacy, trade policy, and export controls, to support, promote, and strengthen the free flow of information; and (3) prohibit any U.S. business from cooperating with officials of Internet-restricting countries in effecting potential censorship of online content. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should commence international negotiations to obtain the agreement of other countries to enact legislation similar to this Act and to pursue the development of international agreements protecting Internet freedom; and (2) some U.S. businesses, in assisting or empowering an authoritarian foreign government to restrict online access to websites such as the Voice of America and other broadcasts and information, are working contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests and undercutting efforts to promote freedom of information for all people. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require, in reports relating to foreign economic and security assistance, assessments of the freedom of electronic information in each foreign country. Establishes in the Department of State the Office of Global Internet Freedom to take specified actions to strengthen global freedom of electronic information. Directs the President to designate Internet-restricting countries. Provides minimum standards for U.S. businesses with respect to the protection of online freedom in foreign countries. Authorizes the establishment of export controls against Internet-restricting foreign countries.
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
Establishes as an independent office within the legislative branch the Office of Public Integrity to: (1) oversee financial disclosure and other reports filed by Members of Congress, congressional officers and employees, and registered lobbyists; (2) investigate alleged violations of any applicable rule or other standard of conduct; (3) present a case of probable ethics violations to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct or the Senate Select Committee on Ethics (ethics committees); and (4) make recommendations about reporting to the appropriate federal or state authorities any substantial evidence of a violation. Amends rules XI (Procedures of Committees and Unfinished Business) and rule X (Organization of Committees) of the Rules of the House of Representatives, as well as the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (EGA of 1978), the Ethics Reform Act of 1989, and the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA), to conform to this Act.
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
Savings for Working Families Act of 2006 - Allows certain low-income individuals between age 18 and 61 to establish tax-exempt individual development accounts (IDAs) to pay for certain qualified expenses, including education expenses, first-time homebuyer costs, and business capitalization or expansion costs. Sets forth rules for the establishment, maintenance, and termination of IDAs. Permits tax-free withdrawals from IDAs for qualified expenses, but requires IDA beneficiaries to complete one or more financial education courses prior to making an IDA withdrawal. Allows certain financial institutions, tax-exempt organizations, and Indian tribes to sponsor and administer IDAs. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow such entities a business-related tax credit for the cost of administering IDAs and for making matching contributions to IDAs in parallel accounts. Provides that IDA amounts shall be disregarded for purposes of determining eligibility for assistance under certain means-tested federal programs.
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
Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act of 2006 - Amends the Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act of 2005 to extend for three years the annual cap exemption for returning H-2B aliens (temporary nonagricultural worker).
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2006
Recognizes: (1) the importance of military recruiting in ensuring national security; and (2) the essential role of U.S. Armed Forces in protecting the nation and providing valuable resources and life experiences for future leaders. Condemns: (1) municipal and university actions which defy federal statutes regarding military recruiters, including recruiter access provisions; and (2) those who denigrate military service as less significant or valuable than higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2006
Urges: (1) the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to continue to take a leadership role in identifying a cure and developing safer, more effective treatments for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis; and (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to convene, by August 2006 (Psoriasis Awareness Month), a special panel to study and make recommendations regarding access to care for individuals with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
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 · 1 February 2006
Restoring Trust in Government Act - Establishes an independent commission on lobbying and ethics in the legislative branch. Requires monthly online lobbying disclosure reports to the commission, available to the public on the Internet. Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) to subject individuals to criminal penalties for noncompliance with lobbying disclosure requirements. Denies floor privileges to former Members, Delegates, Resident Commissioners, Parliamentarians, and elected officers and minority employees nominated as elected officers of the House of Representatives who are registered lobbyists. Amends the federal criminal code to revise the one-year prohibition on lobbying contacts by former elected officers and employees of the legislative branch with any Member, officer, or employee of the entity in which such person served before his or her tenure terminated. Extends such ban to contacts with any officers or employees of either chamber or other congressional legislative office. Applies the prohibition to acts by former personal, committee, and leadership staff who had responsibilities a significant portion of which related to the development of policy. Places a four-year prohibition on lobbying Congress for foreign governments, subject to criminal penalties, for former senior and very senior executive branch personnel, Members of Congress, and legislative officers and employees. Requires random audits of Members of Congress' annual financial disclosure statements. Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to impose criminal penalties for intentionally misrepresenting facts on financial disclosure statements. Requires the commission to affirmatively approve all privately funded travel by Members of Congress and staff. Revokes the federal pension of a Member of Congress or congressional employee if he or she is convicted of any federal offense related to bribery. Amends the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to revise background investigation requirements to require the National Indian Gaming Commission to conduct or cause to be conducted background investigations on the 10 persons or entities with the highest financial interest in each gaming operation it regulates. Requires Commission background investigations of tribal class II gaming commissioners and their employees. Grants the Chairman of the Commission authority to approve the 10 persons or entities with such highest financial interest. Doubles from $8 million to $16 million the aggregate limitation on fees paid annually to the Commission by each gaming operation that conducts a regulated class II or III gaming activity. Allows an Indian tribe to engage in class II and III gaming activities on lands taken into trust for the tribe after enactment of this Act only if the application requesting that the land be taken into trust stated that the tribe intended to conduct such gaming activities. Revises the exceptions to the prohibition on gaming on Indian lands acquired in trust under the Act after October 17, 1988. Permits an Indian tribe to conduct gaming on lands acquired after October 17, 1988, on only one contiguous parcel of Indian lands located where the tribe has its primary geographic, social, and historical nexus and within the state or states where the tribe is primarily located. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to: (1) treat members of an unincorporated Indian tribe in the same manner as the stockholders of a corporation; and (2) prohibit section 527 organizations from disbursing funds for electioneering communications.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2006
Limitation on Assistance to the Palestinian Authority Act of 2006 - States that it shall be U.S. policy to promote the emergence of a democratic Palestinian government that: (1) denounces and combats terrorism; (2) is actively working to disarm and dismantle terrorist agencies, networks, and facilities; (3) is actively working to eliminate terrorist incitement and the commemoration of terrorists in Palestinian society; (4) respects its neighbors' boundaries and sovereignty; (5) recognizes Israel's existence and its right to secure borders; and (6) upholds the human rights of all people. Amends 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 that the PA: (1) is not controlled by a foreign terrorist organization; and (2) recognizes Israel's right to exist, disarms all militias, renounces violence against Israel, takes definitive steps to be an active and willing participant in peace negotiations, and removes people with ties to terrorist organizations from its security services. Directs the President to make and transmit such certifications to Congress every six months.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2006
Amends rule XXI (Restrictions on Certain Bills) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to require that general appropriation bills contain a separate list of all earmarks in the accompanying report and the name of the sponsoring Member of each such earmark.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2005
Future Fuels Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to set forth an investment credit for eligible manufacturers for an advanced technology motor vehicle. Amends federal transportation law to revise the fuel economy calculations for manufacturing incentives for dual fueled and gaseous fuel dedicated automobiles. Sets forth a calendar schedule for an increased percentage of alternative fueled automobiles or flexible fuel vehicles. Instructs the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) to: (1) establish an incentives program for insurance providers to sell automobile insurance policies on a per-mile basis; (2) designate, in urbanized areas, at least 20 transit-oriented development corridors by 2015, and 50 transit-oriented development corridors by 2025; (3) award transit grants to construct or improve transit facilities, bicycle transportation facilities, and pedestrian walkways in transit-oriented development corridors, including capital projects; and (4) establish a transit-oriented development corridors research and development program for best practices and performance criteria for transit-oriented development corridors. Directs the Secretary to develop and carry out a national tire fuel efficiency program for tires designed for use on passenger cars and light trucks.
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 · 16 December 2005
Lobbying Transparency and Accountability Act of 2005 - Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require: (1) quarterly instead of semiannual filing of lobbying disclosures reports; (2) electronic filing; (3) maintenance of certain lobbying disclosure information in an electronic data base, available to the public free of charge over the Internet; (4) disclosure by registered lobbyists of all past executive and congressional employment; (5 ) disclosure of grassroots lobbying activities by paid lobbyists; (6) disclosure of registered lobbyists contributions and payments; and (7) an increased penalty for failure to comply with lobbying disclosure requirements. Revises criteria, with regard to disclosure requirements, for determining a coalition or association of groups that retain a person to conduct lobbying or grassroots lobbying activities. Extends from one to two years the ban on lobbying contacts by former very senior executive personnel, former Members of Congress, and officers and employees of the legislative branch with any officer or employee of the entity in which such person served before his or her tenure terminated. Amends the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to grant a current or former employee or officer assigned to an Indian tribe to perform services pursuant to self-governance contracts or compacts formerly performed by them for the United States to communicate with and appear before any department, agency, court, or commission on behalf of the Indian tribe with respect to any matter relating to the contract or compact. Requires public disclosure by Members of Congress of employment negotiations. Exempts from the restrictions on gifts to Members of Congress or Senators, officers, or employees the market value for a flight on an airplane not licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate for compensation or hire. Declares that such market value is the fair market value of a charter flight. Requires public disclosure of such flights. Requires increased disclosure of travel by Members of Congress. Requires the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and the Select Committee on Ethics to develop and revise guidelines on reasonable expenses or expenditures for official government travel. Declares that a gift to a covered executive branch official, or to an officer, employee, or Member of the House or of the Senate, of a ticket to a sporting or entertainment event shall be the face value of the ticket; and if there is no face value, then the highest cost of a ticket with a face value for the event. Calls for reviews and semiannual reports by the Comptroller General on activities carried out by the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate under the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2005
Honors: (1) the Hispanic Americans who have served in the Armed Forces; and (2) the life of Captain Felix Sosa-Camejo, U.S. Army, in recognition of his achievements and sacrifice during service, including during the Vietnam War, and ending with his death in combat on February 13, 1968.
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 · 15 December 2005
Medicare Prescription Drug Late Enrollment Penalty Repeal Act of 2005 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare prescription drug benefit late enrollment penalty and to extend the initial enrollment period for 2006 through July 15, 2006.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2005
Prohibits the Secretary of Transportation from issuing any final rule that would change the Department of Transportation's (DOT) interpretation of what constitutes "actual control" of an airline with respect to requirements prohibiting foreign interests from exercising actual control over all airline operations. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on the impact of DOT's proposed change of allowing foreign interests to control economic and competitive decisions while requiring U.S. citizens to control decisions concerning commitments to the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, transportation security, safety, and organizational documents. (Under current law, only an airline that qualifies as "a citizen of the United States" may provide service between U.S. cities or on international routes obtained by the United States through international agreements. Defines "a citizen of the United States" as an individual who is a citizen of the United States, a partnership each of whose partners is an individual who is a citizen of the United States, or a corporation or association in which at least 75% of the voting interest is owned or controlled by persons that are citizens of the United States).
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2005
Congressional Pension Forfeiture Act of 2005 - Requires the Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations that prohibit eligibility in the governmental retirement system 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) committed during the 110th Congress or later. 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." Forfeits Thrift Savings Plan contributions made by the government for the benefit of an individual and all earnings attributed to such contributions as a result of the Member's conviction.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2005
Congressional Integrity and Pension Forfeiture Act of 2005 - Requires the Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations that prohibit eligibility in the governmental retirement system 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. Authorizes the Executive Director of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Management System to prescribe necessary regulations with respect to the Thrift Saving Plan and which include provisions requiring the return of all vested amounts attributable to periods of service rendered by the individual as a Member. 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 · 14 December 2005
Congressional Pension Accountability Act - Prohibits a Member of Congress, or a survivor or beneficiary, from receiving an annuity or retired pay if such Member is: (1) convicted of bribery of public officials and witnesses, conspiracy either to commit any offense against the United States or to defraud the United States, perjury, or subornation of perjury; or (2) indicted or has outstanding charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Defines "Member of Congress" 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 · 14 December 2005
Condemns the vile assertions concerning Israel and the Holocaust made by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and again demands that he disavow his remarks. Calls upon the U.N. Security Council and all civilized nations to censure Iran for its government's dangerous attempt to rewrite history. Reiterates the House of Representatives' pledge to prevent Iran from procuring nuclear weapons and its steadfast bonds with Israel. Affirms its understanding of all of the lessons of World War II, including that the millions murdered in the Holocaust must never be forgotten and such atrocities should never happen again.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2005
America's Brownfield Cleanup Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business tax credit for 50% of expenditures for the abatement or control of any hazardous substance, the demolition of any structure, the removal and disposal of property, and the reconstruction of utilities at certain contaminated sites. Allows a tax exclusion for certain contributions made for the remediation of contaminated sites.
![Official portrait of Rep. Gerlach, Jim [R-PA-6]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/113_rp_pa_6_gerlach_jim_200.jpg)