United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Independent Pharmacy Protection Act of 2006 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require each prescription drug plan contract entered into with a plan sponsor to provide for: (1) the availability of direct deposit payments; (2) an increased dispensing fee for generic drugs; and (3) payments within 10 days for certain pharmacies. Requires the dispensing fee paid to a participating pharmacy for a generic covered part D drug therapeutically equivalent and bioequivalent to a brand name covered part D drug dispensed through the pharmacy to be at least 50% greater than the dispensing fee for the brand name drug. Limits to $10 the dispensing fee paid to a participating pharmacy for a generic covered part D drug. Prohibits a prescription drug plan, subject to exception by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, from decreasing the dispensing fee paid to a participating pharmacy for a brand name drug to an amount less than the dispensing fee paid for it on the date of enactment of this Act. Applies this Act to contracts with a Medicare Advantage organization in the same manner as they apply to those with a prescription drug plan sponsor.
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
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1213 East Houston Street in Cleveland, Texas, as the "Lance Corporal Robert A. Martinez Post Office Building."
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 · 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 · 29 March 2006
Recognizes the 100th anniversary of the historic congressional charter of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). Honors SAR for its work to perpetuate and honor the memory of the men who fought to gain our freedom during the Revolutionary War and for its devotion to our nation's youth.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2006
Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act of 2006 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to prohibit any U.S. officer or employee, or person operating under color of federal law, under control of a federal official, or providing services to such person, while acting in support of relief from a major disaster or emergency, from: (1) seizing or authorizing seizure of any firearm the possession of which is not prohibited under federal or state law, other than for forfeiture in compliance with federal law or as evidence in a criminal investigation; (2) requiring registration of any firearm for which registration is not required by federal or state law; (3) prohibiting possession of any firearm in any place or by any person where such possession is not otherwise prohibited; or (4) prohibiting the carrying of firearms by any person otherwise authorized to carry firearms, solely because such person is operating under the direction, control, or supervision of a federal agency in support of relief from a major disaster or emergency. Authorizes any individual aggrieved by a violation of this Act to seek relief by bringing an action for redress and by bringing a civil action in U.S. district court for return of a confiscated firearm.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2006
Authorizes the President, upon making specified determinations, to exempt a certain proposed cooperation agreement with India from requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (AEC) regarding: (1) mandatory maintenance of International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards for nuclear materials in peaceful nuclear activities; (2) certain additional export criteria and procedures; and (3) conduct resulting in termination of nuclear exports. Renders any such determinations without effect if the President finds that India has detonated a nuclear explosive device after enactment of this Act.
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 · 2 March 2006
Childhood Obesity Reduction Act - Establishes a Congressional Council on Childhood Obesity to engage in the following activities to encourage every U.S. elementary and middle school to develop and implement a plan to reduce and prevent obesity, promote improved nutritional choices, and promote increased physical activity: (1) work with outside experts to develop the Congressional Challenge to Reduce and Prevent Childhood Obesity; (2) develop and maintain a website on best practices for reducing and preventing childhood obesity; (3) assist schools in establishing goals for the healthy reduction and prevention of childhood obesity; (4) consult and coordinate with the President's Council on Physical Fitness and other federal initiatives that are conducting activities to reduce and prevent childhood obesity; (5) reward elementary schools, middle schools, and local educational agencies promoting innovative, successful strategies; (6) provide information to secondary schools; and (7) designate model plans for reducing and preventing childhood obesity that are submitted by schools as Congressional Challenge winners. Establishes the National Foundation for the Prevention and Reduction of Childhood Obesity as a nonprofit private corporation to support and carry out activities to prevent and reduce childhood obesity, including by: (1) establishing a fund to provide endowments for positions within the Council and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) associated with reducing childhood obesity; (2) evaluating model plans used by schools; and (3) making Challenge awards to schools and local agencies for developing and implementing such plans. Requires creation of a committee to incorporate the Foundation under state laws, establish its policies and bylaws, provide for its initial operation, and appoint members of its board of directors.
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 · 15 February 2006
Domestic Energy Production through Offshore Exploration and Equitable Treatment of State Holdings Act of 2006 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to revise the determination of adjacent zones and planning areas in the subsoil and seabed of the outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Prescribes guidelines for: (1) lease administration; (2) lease grants; (3) lease receipts ; and (4) allocations to states and coastal municipal political subdivisions. Modifies review guidelines for OCS exploration plans and drilling permits. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to include in each five-year program lease sales that offer at least 75% of the available unleased acreage within each OCS Planning Area for oil and gas or natural gas leasing. Revises requirements for review of OCS development and production plans. Establishes the Federal Energy Natural Resources Enhancement Fund. Declares without force or effect all provisions of existing federal law that prohibit spending appropriated funds for OCS oil and natural gas leasing and preleasing. Prohibits a federal agency from permitting certain activities on federal OCS or in state waters that are incompatible with either oil or natural gas leasing, or with exploration and production of tracts that are geologically prospective for oil or natural gas. Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to revise regulation of surface-disturbing activities. Redesignates the Minerals Management Service as the National Ocean Resources and Royalty Service. Rigs to Reefs Act of 2005 - Amends the OCSLA to prescribe requirements for the use of decommissioned offshore oil and gas platforms for mariculture, artificial reef, and scientific research. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal the requirement for: (1) a comprehensive inventory of OCS oil and natural gas resources; and (2) payments for oil shale and tar sands leases. Establishes the Federal Energy And Mineral Resources Professional Development Fund. National Geologic Data and Mapping Fund Act of 2006 - Establishes the National Geologic Data and Mapping Fund. Prescribes implementation guidelines for leasing areas located within 100 miles of California or Florida. Amends the OCSLA to repeal the coastal impact assistance program.
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
Celebrates the 40th anniversary of Texas Western's 1966 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball championship. Recognizes the groundbreaking impact of the title game victory on diversity in sports and civil rights in America.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2006
Idling Reduction Tax Credit Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business tax credit for 25% of the cost of a qualifying idling reduction device, up to $1,000. Defines "qualifying idling reduction device" as any device that is: (1) installed on a heavy-duty diesel-powered on-highway vehicle to provide services that would otherwise require the operation of the main drive engine while the vehicle is temporarily parked or stationary; and (2) certified by the Secretary of Energy to reduce long-duration idling. Directs the Secretary to publish standards for certifying such devices.
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 · 15 December 2005
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8624 Ferguson Road in Dallas, Texas, as the "Francisco `Pancho' Medrano Post Office Building."
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 · 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.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2005
Legislative Branch Officer Appointment Act of 2005 - Establishes a uniform appointment process and term of service for the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), the Comptroller General, and the Librarian of Congress. Prohibits the annual compensation paid to such officers from exceeding the annual salary of a Member of Congress. Reduces the term of service of the Comptroller General from 15 to 10 years. Repeals federal law regarding the Comptroller General's retirement annuity.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Border Law Enforcement Act of 2005 - Establishes a Designated County Law Enforcement Assistance program jointly within the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide financial assistance and authorization for the law enforcement operations of sheriffs in counties adjacent to the southern U.S. border. Authorizes the sheriffs in these counties to: (1) coordinate law enforcement operations in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement; (2) conduct law enforcement operations in their counties in order to enforce criminal laws and protect lives, property, and security; (3) transfer aliens detained or taken into custody who are not lawfully present in the United States to appropriate federal law enforcement officials; (4) enforce state and federal laws relating to controlled substance trafficking and other criminal laws other than immigration laws (except as provided in an agreement with DHS); and (5) be paid for the costs of performing such duties or functions by the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security. Creates the Designated County Law Enforcement Account in the Treasury. Requires the Attorney General and the Secretary to jointly issue regulations that govern the distribution of funds under this Act and provide uniform standards that all other federal law enforcement officials shall follow to cooperate with such sheriffs.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2005
Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 to exclude manure from the definition of "hazardous substance" or "pollutant or contaminant" under that Act. Amends the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 to exempt releases associated with manure from the emergency notification requirements under that Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2005
Outer Continental Shelf Natural Gas Relief Act - States that all provisions of federal law that prohibit the expenditure of appropriated funds to conduct natural gas leasing and preleasing activities for any area of the Outer Continental Shelf are without any force or effect. Revokes all withdrawals from leasing of federal submerged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf, including withdrawals by the President under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. States such withdrawals are no longer in effect with respect to the leasing of areas for natural gas exploration, development, and production. Prohibits granting a gas lease for any area of the Outer Continental Shelf located within 20 miles of a state's coastline unless the Governor grants state approval. Directs the Secretary of Energy, in each five-year oil and gas leasing program, to include lease sales that when viewed as a whole propose to offer for gas leasing at least 75% of the available unleased acreage within each Outer Continental Shelf planning area. Sets forth a scheme for bonus bids and royalties that affects: (1) new and existing gas leases; and (2) leased tracts lying partially within the seaward boundaries of a state. Permits leases that authorize development and production solely of natural gas and associated condensate, including leases for program years 2002-2007, and for program years 2007-2012.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2005
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8135 Forest Lane in Dallas, Texas, as the "Dr. Robert E. Price Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2005
Border Security Enforcement and Detention Act of 2005 - Requires the mandatory detention of illegal aliens apprehended at a U.S. port of entry or along the U.S. land or maritime borders. Permits release with notice to appear only if the alien: (1) is not a security risk; and (2) provides a bond of at least $5,000. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) utilize all available DHS detention facilities; (2) conduct a analysis of all options to increase detention capacities, including the use of state and local correctional facilities, temporary detention facilities, private space, and detention alternatives; (3) expand the use of temporary detention facilities; and (4) report annually on repatriation costs. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to deny admission to the nationals of a country that refuses or delays acceptance of its nationals ordered removed from the United States. Authorizes FY2007-FY2010 appropriations for border patrol increases.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2005
American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to allow U.S. manufacturers that use products subject to countervailing or antidumping duty proceedings or use domestic like products (industrial users) to participate in such proceedings. Requires the U.S. International Trade Commission, when deciding whether an antidumping or countervailing duty should be imposed or continued, to weigh harm to industrial users from such imposition or continuation, as well as (under current law) the potential benefits to the industry in the United States materially injured or threatened with material injury by a foreign countervailing subsidy.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2005
Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to develop research protocols for collecting and analyzing scientific information about the effectiveness and ecological impacts of catastrophic event recovery projects and emergency stabilization treatments undertaken as part of a burned area emergency response to increase the long-term benefits of management activities and to decrease short-term impacts. Requires such Secretaries to enter into cooperative agreements with land-grant colleges and universities to form forest health partnerships to utilize their education, research, and outreach capacity to address the recovery of forested land after a catastrophic event. Requires such Secretaries to conduct catastrophic event recovery evaluations of damaged federal lands. Directs such Secretaries to prepare a list of pre-approved management practices that may be immediately implemented as part of catastrophic event recovery projects or catastrophic event research projects. Requires determinations of whether or not to: (1) use any pre-approved management practices that can be immediately implemented; and (2) develop and carry out a recovery or research project or part of such a project using the alternative arrangements authorized by this Act. Directs such Secretaries to clarify agency-wide guidance regarding reforestation in response to catastrophic events. Provides for assistance to restore landscapes and communities affected by catastrophic events. Provides for the availability and use of pre-approved management practices and alternative arrangements on National Forest experimental forests.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to add a new title II part D (Health Information Technology). Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services an Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Directs the National Coordinator to: (1) maintain, direct, and oversee the continuous improvement of a strategic plan to guide the nationwide implementation of interoperable health information in both the public and private health care sectors; and (2) serve as the coordinator of federal government activities relating to health information technology. Prescribes conditions under which any nonmonetary remuneration (in the form of health information technology and related training services) made by a hospital or a critical access hospital to a physician shall not be considered a prohibited payment (subject to civil and criminal penalties) made as an inducement to reduce or limit services to certain individuals. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study and report to Congress on whether pertinent state laws and current federal standards should be conformed to create a single set of national standards to preserve and protect the security and confidentality of patient health information. Amends SSA title XI to provide for establishment of uniform confidentality and security standards with respect to individually identifiiable patient health information. Directs the Secretary to: (1) promulgate a final rule for upgrading specified Accredited Standards Committee X12 (ASC X12) and National Council For Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) Telecommunications standards and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes; and (2) develop a strategic plan related to the need for coordination in the area of health information technology.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to prohibit any state or political subdivision from establishing or continuing in effect for any food in interstate commerce: (1) any requirement that is not identical to specified FFDCA provisions (that would result in materially different requirements), including those related to adulterated foods, unsafe food additives, and new animal drugs; or (2) any notification requirement that provides for a warning concerning the food's safety that is not identical to FFDCA provisions. Allows a state to petition for an exemption or to establish a national standard regarding any requirement under FFDCA or the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act relating to food regulation. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Service to provide such an exemption if the requirement: (1) protects an important public interest that would otherwise be unprotected; (2) would not cause any food to be in violation of any federal law; and (3) would not unduly burden interstate commerce. Allows a state to establish a requirement that would otherwise violate FFDCA provisions relating to national uniform nutrition labeling or this Act if the requirement is needed to address an imminent hazard to health that is likely to result in serious adverse health consequences and if other requirements are met. Declares that this Act does not preempt certain state and local laws relating to labeling or a consumer advisory relating to food sanitation imposed on a food establishment or recommended by the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Idling Reduction Tax Credit Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business tax credit for 50 percent of the cost of a qualifying idling reduction device, up to $3,500. Defines "qualifying idling reduction device" as any device that is: (1) installed on a heavy-duty diesel-powered on-highway vehicle to provide services that would otherwise require the operation of the main drive engine while the vehicle is temporarily parked or stationary; and (2) certified by the Secretary of Energy to reduce long-duration idling. Directs the Secretary to publish standards for certifying such devices.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Expresses support for the goals of Red Ribbon Week (October 23-October 31). Encourages: (1) children and teens to live a drug-free life; and (2) the promotion of drug-free communities and participation in drug prevention activities.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2005
Declares that new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) hours of service regulations with respect to property-carrying commercial motor vehicles equipped with sleeper berths shall become enforceable on January 1, 2006. Continues the effectiveness and enforceability until such date of the hours of service regulations in effect as of January 4, 2004, and any compatible state law.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2005
Hurricane Relief Bonds Act of 2005 - Amends federal money and finance law to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to designate one or more series of savings bonds or certificates issued as Hurricane Relief Bonds in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and the subsequent flooding and displacement of residents along the Gulf Coast.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the national pledge of allegiance recited by public school students is constitutional under the First Amendment to the Constitution; and (2) the Supreme Court, accordingly, should uphold the constitutionality of such practices.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2005
Methamphetamine Epidemic Elimination Act - Amends the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to: (1) reduce the retail sales threshold for the sale of products containing pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine from nine grams to 3.6 grams in a single transaction; (2) eliminate the "regulated transaction" exemption for any over-the-counter sale of such products (including blister packs) by retail distributors; (3) grant authority to establish production quotas for pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine; and (4) penalize violators of such quotas. Amends the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (CSIEA) to: (1) restrict the importation of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, with an exception; and (2) require a registered person importing such chemicals to include all information known regarding the chain of distribution. Authorizes the Attorney General to prohibit the importation of such chemicals in cases where a distributor refuses to provide such information. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to: (1) require the President, annually, to identify the countries that are the five largest exporters of methamphetamine precursor chemicals and the five largest importers with the highest rate of diversion of such chemicals to the illicit production of methamphetamine; and (2) include those countries among drug-producing or drug-transit countries from which foreign assistance funds may be withheld. Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) submit to Congress a comprehensive plan to address such diversion; and (2) take steps to prevent methamphetamine smuggling into the United States from Mexico. Amends CSA to lower the threshold for amounts of methamphetamine the manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, importation, or exportation of which is subject to specified penalties. Directs the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate as hazardous materials or hazardous waste specified byproducts of the methamphetamine production process. Expands the scope of provisions regarding restitution for the cleanup of clandestine laboratory sites.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2005
Military Family Assistance Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to make an emergency adjustment in the rates of the basic allowance for housing in a particular military housing area in response to a sudden increase in energy costs resulting from higher charges for utilities or other causes. Allows such increase to remain in effect for up to six months. Requires the Secretary to notify Congress of such an adjustment and the reasons for such adjustment. Authorizes the Secretary to make an emergency adjustment in the cost-of-living allowance and establish temporary high cost areas during a fiscal year in response to a sudden increase in gasoline prices in an area. Provides the same six-month limitation and congressional notification requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2005
Gynecological Resolution for Advancement of Ovarian Cancer Education - Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (September 2005).
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to expand, intensify, and coordinate the Institute's research activities on inflammatory bowel disease, with an emphasis on: (1) genetic research on susceptibility for inflammatory bowel disease; (2) research targeted to increase knowledge about the causes and complications of inflammatory bowel disease in children; (3) animal model research; (4) clinical research; (5) expansion of the Institute's Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centers program with a focus on pediatric research; and (6) other research initiatives identified in specified documents. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prepare a National Inflammatory Bowel Disease Action Plan to: (1) address the burden of inflammatory bowel disease in both adult and pediatric populations; (2) address strategies for determining the prevalence of the disease in the United States and the unique demographic characteristics of the patient community; (3) focus on strategies for increasing awareness about the disease within the general public and the health care community; and (4) address mechanisms designed to prevent the progression of the disease and the development of complications.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Border Protection Corps Act - Authorizes the governor of a state to establish and command a militia, to be known as the Border Protection Corps, for that state. Allows such a Corps to include only U.S. citizens with no criminal history and no history of mental illness. Requires such militia to be called into service to patrol and defend its international border to prevent individuals from entering the United States at any location other than an authorized port of entry. Requires militia members to work in cooperation with state and local law enforcement officials and the U.S. Border Patrol. Allows militia members to take individuals into custody, but requires individuals taken to be promptly delivered to a federal law enforcement authority. Provides reimbursement through the Department of Homeland Security for a state's militia costs.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Medicare Value-Based Purchasing for Physicians' Services Act of 2005 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for value-based purchasing in the payment for physicians' services under the Medicare program. Establishes updates to the single conversion factor for 2006 through 2009 and succeeding years for such services. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) provide, as part of the rulemaking process, for the selection of quality measures (Q-measures) and efficiency measures (E-measures) meeting specified general requirements; and (2) determine a single rating of each billing unit based on Q and E measures, and disclose to the public whether a particular billing unit met performance objectives. Requires the Secretary to establish such performance objectives, and base upon them any increased updates in the payment for physician services.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Medicare Durable Medical Equipment Access Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from awarding any contracts under the competitive durable medical equipment items and services acquisition program unless: (1) the quality standards have been implemented; and (2) the Secretary has received advice from the program oversight committee. Requires the Secretary (who currently is authorized), in carrying out competitive acquisition programs, to exempt: (1) rural areas and areas with low population density within urban areas that are not competitive, unless there is a significant national market through mail order for a particular item or service; and (2) items and services for which the application of competitive acquisition is not likely to result in significant savings. Adds to such exemptions smaller metropolitan statistical areas. Modifies requirements for the protection of small suppliers in bidding and contracting. Requires the Secretary to permit suppliers classified as small businesses to continue to participate as suppliers at the selected award price so long as they submit bids at less than the fee schedule amount otherwise applicable to the items and they otherwise comply with applicable program requirements. Provides for appeal rights (currently denied). Requires the Secretary to exempt from competitive acquisition requirements items and services for which the application of competitive acquisition is not likely to result in significant savings of at least 10%. Prohibits the Secretary from implementing a program with respect to an item or service unless the Secretary demonstrates a probability of achieving significant savings of at least 10%, compared to the fee schedule in effect on January 1, 2006, by including the item or service in the program. Prohibits the Secretary from implementing certain requirements for the payment basis for covered items furnished after January 1, 2009, with respect to the application of rates in an area that is not a competitive acquisition area, unless the Secretary has completed and published in the Federal Register a comparability analysis to ensure the application is appropriate. Requires application of the comparability analysis requirement to certain other part B items and services.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2005
Commends U.S. and coalition forces for liberating the Iraqi people from the repressive regime of Saddam Hussein and for their ongoing efforts in support of Iraq's freedom and stability. Recognizes: (1) the Iraqi people's progress toward establishment of a representative democratic government; (2) the importance of ensuring women in Iraq have equal rights under the law and in society; and (3) the Administration's commitment to ensuring that the Iraqi constitution grant full rights to women. Encourages Iraq's Transitional National Assembly to adopt a constitution that grants women equal rights under the law and to work to protect such rights. Expresses support for the efforts of Iraqi women to fully participate in a democratic Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
Preserving Patient Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals Act of 2005 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services, during the period between July 1, 2005, and the date two years after the enactment of this Act, from: (1) requiring a compliance rate, pursuant to the criterion (commonly known as the "75 percent rule") used to determine whether a hospital or hospital unit is an inpatient rehabilitation facility, that is greater than the 50 percent compliance threshold that became effective on July 1, 2004; (2) changing the designation of any inpatient rehabilitation facility in compliance with the 50 percent threshold; or (3) conducting medical necessity review of inpatient rehabilitation facilities using any guidelines other than the national criteria established in the Medicare Benefits Policy Manual. Directs the Secretary to establish procedures for: (1) making any necessary retroactive adjustment to restore the status of a facility as an inpatient rehabilitation facility as a result of this Act; (2) making any necessary payments to inpatient rehabilitation facilities based on such adjustment for discharges occurring on or after July 1, 2005, and before enactment of this Act; and (3) developing and implementing an appeals process that provides for expedited review of any adjustment to the status of a facility as an inpatient rehabilitation facility made during such period Directs the Secretary to establish the National Advisory Council on Medical Rehabilitation to provide advice and recommendations to: (1) Congress and the Secretary concerning the coverage of rehabilitation services under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act; and (2) appropriate federal agencies on how best to utilize available research funds and authorities focused on medical rehabilitation research.
![Official portrait of Rep. Granger, Kay [R-TX-12]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/6a3edc807d3b72f27fb69f3d_200.jpg)