United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Free Flow of Information Act of 2005 - Prohibits Federal entities from compelling covered persons (specified media outlets or their employees) to testify or produce any document unless a court determines by clear and convincing evidence that: (1) the entity has unsuccessfully attempted to obtain such testimony or document from all non-covered persons; and (2) in a criminal matter, based on information from a non-covered person, there are reasonable grounds to believe a crime has occurred and the testimony or document is essential to the investigation, prosecution, or defense; or (3) in a non-criminal matter, based on information from a non-covered person, the testimony or document is essential to a dispositive issue of substantial importance. Requires the content of compelled testimony or documents to be: (1) limited to the purpose of verifying published information; and (2) narrowly tailored in subject matter and time period covered. Excludes certain commercial or financial information from coverage under this Act. Prohibits compelled disclosure, notwithstanding this Act's conditions for such disclosure, of: (1) the identity of a confidential source; or (2) information reasonably expected to lead to the discovery of such identity. Makes this Act applicable to testimony or documents sought from third parties that are related to business transactions with covered persons. Authorizes compelled disclosure in such cases only where the covered person has received notice and an opportunity to be heard. States that publication or dissemination of testimony or documents does not waive the requirements for compelled disclosure set forth in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act - Prohibits new and dismisses pending civil actions by any person against a manufacturer or seller of food or a trade association for any injury resulting from a person's consumption of food and weight gain, obesity, or any associated health condition, excluding actions alleging: (1) a knowing and willful violation of a Federal or State statute applicable to the manufacturing, marketing, distribution, advertisement, labeling, or sale of food where the violation was a proximate cause of injury related to a person's weight gain, obesity, or related health condition; (2) a breach of express contract or express warranty in connection with the purchase of food; or (3) a violation under the Federal Trade Commission Act or the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Requires, in any action alleging such a violation of an applicable Federal or State statute or a breach of express contract or express warranty: (1) a stay of discovery during the pendency of any motion to dismiss, unless necessary to preserve evidence or to prevent undue prejudice; and (2) document preservation during the stay. Requires the complaint in an action alleging such a violation of an applicable statute to plead with particularity the Federal and State statutes that were allegedly violated and the facts that are alleged to have proximately caused the injury claimed.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, for purposes of eligibility for veterans' disability compensation and benefits, to accept the sworn affidavit of a veteran who served on or before July 27, 1953, as proof of a service connection of a disease or injury alleged to have been incurred in or aggravated by such service, if there is no clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Authorizes and requests the President to award the Medal of Honor posthumously to Gary Lee McKiddy of Miamisburg, Ohio, for acts of valor while serving in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, notwithstanding otherwise application time limitations.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Guard and Reserve Readiness and Retention Act of 2005 - Makes an individual eligible for retired pay for non-regular (reserve) military service if such individual: (1) satisfies one of specified combinations of minimum age (between 53 and 60) and years of service (between 20 and 34); (2) performed the last six years of qualifying service in currently authorized categories of military service, but not while a member of a regular component, the Fleet Reserve, or the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve; and (3) is not entitled to any other retirement pay from an armed force or as a member of the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Corps Reserve. Authorizes a member of the Selected Reserve to enroll for self or self and family coverage under the TRICARE program (a Department of Defense managed health care program).
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member of the Armed Forces entitled to military retired or retainer pay; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member; and (5) a family member. Directs the Secretary to reimburse such eligible persons for pharmacy benefits received from a pharmacy that is not a TRICARE (Department of Defense managed health care plan) network pharmacy in the same manner as the Secretary would reimburse such person for such benefits received from a TRICARE network pharmacy. Requires such persons, in order to receive such reimbursement, to submit a certification from their physician stating that the person does not have access to a TRICARE network pharmacy due to physical or medical constraints. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to waive the monthly part B premium (Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits for the Aged and Disabled) with respect to: (1) an individual who is entitled to military retired or retainer pay based upon service that began before December 7, 1956; and (2) the spouse, widow, or widower of such individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Milk Import Tariff Equity Act - Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to impose tariff-rate quotas (quantitative import limits) and provide various duty rates on certain casein, caseinates, milk protein concentrate, and other casein derivatives and glues imported into the United States (except imports from Mexico). Authorizes the President to: (1) enter into a trade agreement with a foreign country to grant new concessions as compensation in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions; and (2) proclaim any necessary modification or continuance of any existing duty, or continuance of existing duty-free or excise treatment, or any quantitative limitation. Sets forth certain limits on the reduction of duties on such products.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Right-to-Ride Livestock on Federal Lands Act of 2005 - Amends Public Law 91-383 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to preserve and facilitate the continued use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on parts of National Park System lands where there is a historical tradition of such use. Directs that as a general rule, all trails, routes, and areas used by such animals shall remain open and accessible for such use. Allows the Secretary of the Interior to implement a proposed reduction in the use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on such lands only after complying with the full review process required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Makes the same amendments to other laws regarding other public lands as follows: (1) the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, with respect to Bureau of Land Management lands; (2) the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, with respect to National Wildlife Refuge System lands; and (3) the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, with respect to National Forest System lands (with the Secretary directed to act in this case being the Secretary of Agriculture). Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to issue final rules to define the meaning of a historical tradition of use of pack and saddle stock animals on federal lands for purposes of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2005 - Amends the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 to extend the Act through FY2013. Revises requirements regarding the merchantable material contracting pilot program. Requires counties participating in county projects to submit a specified notification for each project for which the participating county obligated county funds. Provides for the review of such notifications.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for programs, functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration for FY 2007 130 percent of the amount obligated during FY 2005. Adjusts the amount provided for fiscal years after FY 2007 based on the number of enrolled veterans and the number of other persons eligible but not enrolled who are provided care, multiplied by the per capital baseline amount for FY 2005, as increased by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index. Prohibits the availability of such funds for: (1) construction, acquisition, or alteration of veterans' medical facilities (other than for repairs provided for before the date of enactment of this Act); or (2) grants for the construction of State home facilities for the furnishing of veterans' domiciliary, nursing home, and hospital care.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Right to Life Act - Declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being. Defines "human being" (and "human person") to encompass all stages of life, including but not limited to the moment of fertilization or cloning.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to authorize States to enact laws imposing limitations on the receipt and disposal of foreign municipal solid waste. Declares that no State action taken pursuant to such authorization shall be considered to impose an undue burden on, or to otherwise impair, restrain, or discriminate against, interstate and foreign commerce. Lists those materials included and excluded from the definition of municipal solid waste.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services: (1) to develop and implement a National Arthritis Action Plan; and (2) acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct, support, and promote the coordination of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases research. Requires the Secretary to award grants to: (1) support arthritis-specific research projects at the Centers for Prevention Research by the CDC; (2) support State comprehensive arthritis control and prevention programs and public health surveillance, prevention, and control activities; and (3) assist in the implementation of a national strategy for arthritis control and prevention. Requires the Secretary to coordinate a national education and outreach program on arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Requires the Secretary to establish an Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee to: (1) improve coordination of Federal research activities related to arthritis and rheumatic diseases; and (2) convene a summit to provide a detailed overview of such current Federal research. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand and intensify juvenile arthritis research. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to support juvenile arthritis data collection. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to support the development of a National Juvenile Arthritis Patient Registry. Requires the Secretary to promote and support pediatric rheumatology training, including by allowing the Secretary to establish a loan repayment program. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on the economic impact of arthritis in the workplace.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Amends the Federal Law Enforcement Pay Reform Act of 1990 to revise the special pay adjustments for (percentage differentials payable to) Federal law enforcement officers in specified consolidated metropolitan statistical areas. Includes Capitol Police as law enforcement officers under such Act. Eliminates the limitation on the aggregate of basic pay and premium pay with respect to availability pay for Federal criminal investigators.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2005
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 · 1 February 2005
Men's Health Act of 2005 - 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 · 1 February 2005
National Science Education Incentive Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) certain science, engineering, math, or technology teachers who teach in elementary or secondary schools a refundable tax credit for ten percent of their undergraduate tuition costs, up to $1,000 ($1,500 for teachers in high-needs school districts); and (2) a general business tax credit for certain contributions of property or services to elementary and secondary schools and for teacher training to promote instruction in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM contributions).
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2005
Reaffirms the U.S. arms embargo on the People's Republic of China (PRC), and finds that policies by the United States and other countries which promote democratic rather than military development in the PRC will help assure a stable and peaceful Asia and Pacific region. Deplores the recent increase in arms sales by member states of the European Union (EU) to the PRC and the European Council's decision to finalize work toward lifting its arms embargo on the PRC. Declares that such a development in European security policy is inconsistent with the mutual security interests that lie at the heart of U.S. laws for transatlantic defense cooperation at both the governmental and industrial levels and would necessitate unwelcome constraints in these relationships. Requests the President to urge European leaders to reconsider such course of action and, instead, work to prevent any future sale of arms or related technology to the PRC.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2005
Calls for the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend, and the United States Postal Service to issue, a commemorative postage stamp to promote public awareness of Down syndrome.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $500 for the purchase of a qualified hearing aid for an individual who is either: (1) age 55 or older; or (2) is claimed as a dependent of the taxpayer.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Hearing Health Accessibility Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for direct access to qualified audiologists for Medicare beneficiaries and the coverage of audiology services as a Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) medical service.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Make College Affordable Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers, their spouses, dependents, and grandchildren a tax deduction from gross income for certain higher education expenses and for interest on certain student loans. Includes as higher education expenses undergraduate tuition and fees and reasonable living expenses while attending an institution of higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Encourages: (1) Americans to demonstrate their support for veterans on Veterans Day by treating that day as a special day of reflection; (2) houses of worship and other institutions to ring bells at 11:00 AM on such Day; and (3) people to then observe a moment of reflection in recognition of veterans. Authorizes and requests the President to issue a proclamation each year in connection with the observance of Veterans Day calling on Americans to observe it with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Honors the life and accomplishments of Yogi Bhajan on behalf of the Sikh community. Extends condolences to his wife, children, grandchildren, and the Sikh communities around the world on his death on October 6, 2004.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
States that: (1) the Republic of Lebanon is a captive country; (2) the occupation of Lebanon by Syria represents a long-term threat to the security of the Middle East and to U.S. efforts to promote regional political and economic liberalization; and (3) it should be U.S. policy to support human rights and pro-democracy advocates in Lebanon and seek the full restoration of sovereign democratic rule in Lebanon.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Little Rock Central High School Desegregation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue coins commemorating the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Requires the design of such coins to be emblematic of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School and its contribution to civil rights in America. Specifies the sale price of such coins and applicable surcharges. Requires surcharges collected from sales to be used equally for: (1) the Jefferson National Parks Association for support of the activities and mission of Little Rock Central High National Historic Site; and (2) site improvements.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require an abortion provider, before beginning any abortion of a pain-capable unborn child (defined as an unborn child who has reached a probable stage of development of 20 weeks after fertilization), to: (1) make a specified statement to the pregnant woman that Congress has determined that there is substantial evidence that the process will cause the unborn child pain, and that the mother has the option of having pain-reducing drugs administered directly to the child; (2) provide to the woman an Unborn Child Pain Awareness Brochure (unless she waives receipt) or information on accessing such brochure on the Internet; (3) provide to the woman an Unborn Child Pain Awareness Decision Form; and (4) obtain on the form the woman's signature and her explicit request for or refusal of the administration of drugs to the child. Creates an exception for certified medical emergencies. Establishes penalties for willfully failing to comply with this Act, including civil penalties, medical license suspension, or both. Authorizes: (1) specified officials to bring suit in Federal court; and (2) private rights of action by a parent or guardian of a woman who is an unemancipated minor. Requires each State and State medical licensing authority to promulgate procedures for the revocation or suspension of a provider's license upon a court finding that the provider has violated this Act. Subjects a State that fails to implement such procedures to loss of Medicaid funding.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Amends the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 to require, in order to determine that a democratically elected government exists in Cuba, the Cuban Government to prove its respect for the democratic rule of law by ceasing to provide a safe harbor to individuals who have been legally indicted or convicted of serious criminal offenses, including convicted felon William Morales and all other individuals who have fled from the United States to Cuba for the sole purpose of avoiding U.S. prosecution or confinement.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Act - Amends Federal postal law to extend through December 31, 2007, the U.S. Postal Service's authority to issue special postage stamps to help fund breast cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress that military retired pay should not be reduced because a military retiree is also eligible for veterans' disability compensation awarded for a service-connected disability. Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability (currently, only a disability rated at 50 percent or more). Repeals provisions phasing in the full concurrent receipt of such pay through December 31, 2013. Makes eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay those individuals who were retired or separated from military service due to a service-connected disability.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2005 - Exempts provisions expanding the adoption tax credit and adoption assistance programs enacted by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 from the general terminating (sunset) provisions of that Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Joins with the European Parliament to call on the European Council and the European Union (EU) not to lift the embargo or weaken national limitations on arms sales to the People's Republic of China (PRC). Expresses concern over the PRC's unacceptable human rights conditions. Urges the Federal Government and the EU to: (1) develop a common human rights strategy for the PRC, promote regional stability, and seek to improve Taiwan-PRC political relations; and (2) discuss strengthening the European code-of-conduct to ensure that safeguards are in place to make military sales or transfers to the PRC difficult, and to consider negotiating a new transatlantic agreement on future military sales or transfers to "countries of concern."
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Recognizes the sacrifices, service, and dedication of Allied soldiers and partisans and underground fighters that resulted in the defeat of the Nazi regime and the liberation of Auschwitz and other World War II concentration camps. Expresses gratitude to individuals and organizations that assisted survivors of Nazi brutality. Commends countries marking the 60th anniversary (on January 27, 2005) of the liberation of Auschwitz, as well as the United Nations General Assembly and other international organizations, for honoring Holocaust victims and increasing awareness of the Holocaust. Urges all countries to strengthen efforts to fight racism, intolerance, bigotry, prejudice, discrimination, and anti-Semitism. Urges governments and educators to teach the lessons of the Holocaust so that future generations will understand that racial, ethnic, and religious intolerance and prejudice can lead to the genocide carried out in camps such as Auschwitz.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Declares the sense of Congress that the U.S. Air Force should continue to honor and learn from the example provided by the Tuskegee Airmen as it faces the challenges of the 21st century and the war on terror.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Recognizes the contributions of Jibreel Khazan (Ezell Blair, Jr.), David Richmond, Joseph McNeil, and Franklin McCain, known as the Greensboro Four, to the civil rights movement (through their lunch counter sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1960).
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the people of the United States should observe the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a Nazi death camp during World War II, and honor all of the victims of the Holocaust; (2) the American people should express their gratitude to the Allied soldiers whose service and sacrifice helped to defeat Adolf Hitler and destroy the genocidal Nazi regime; and (3) U.S. teachers should educate their students about what happened at Auschwitz and stress the importance of the collective responsibility of humanity to ensure that what happened at Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps is never allowed to happen again.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2005
Iran Freedom Support Act - States that: (1) U.S. sanctions, controls, and regulations relating to weapons of mass destruction with respect to Iran shall remain in effect until the President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that Iran has permanently and verifiably dismantled its weapons of mass destruction programs and has committed to combating such weapons' proliferation; and (2) such certification shall have no effect on other sanctions relating to Iranian support of international terrorism. Amends the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996 to: (1) eliminate mandatory sanction provisions respecting Libya; (2) impose mandatory sanctions on a person or entity that aids Iran acquire or develop weapons of mass destruction or destabilizing types and numbers of conventional weapons; (3) revise multilateral regime reporting requirements, including provisions respecting sanctions on individuals aiding Iranian petroleum development; (4) enlarge the scope of sanctionable entities; and (5) eliminate the sunset provision. Authorizes the President to provide financial and political assistance to eligible foreign and domestic individuals and groups that support democracy in Iran and that are opposed to the Government of Iran. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should appoint a special assistant on Iranian matters; (2) contacts should be expanded with democratic Iranian opposition groups; and (3) the President should designate at least one such eligible group within 90 days of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2005
Montgomery GI Bill Enhancement Act of 2005 - Authorizes an individual, during the year following enactment of this Act, to make an irrevocable election for entitlement to basic educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill if such individual: (1) first became a member of the armed forces or entered active duty before July 1, 1985; (2) has served on active duty without a break in service and continues to serve for some or all of the year before enactment of this Act; (3) has completed requirements of a secondary school diploma or the equivalent of 12 semester hours in a program leading to a standard college degree; and (4) is discharged or released from active duty honorably. Requires such individual's basic pay to be reduced, over an 18-month period, until the total reduction is $2,700, as a contribution toward such educational assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2005
Expresses support for Israel's accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), including through coordination of efforts with Mexico, Great Britain, and other countries supportive of Israel's OECD membership.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2005
Commends the people and the Governments of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the State of Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Republic of Yemen for their progress toward political and economic liberalization. Expresses hope that such countries' progress toward democratization will continue and will serve as a model for other Arab countries. Reaffirms the friendship between the people of the United States and the peoples of such countries. Supports enhancing bilateral congressional-parliamentary exchanges with Arab and Muslim countries.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2005
Condemns the consistent pattern of gross human rights violations by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic. Calls on the international community to adopt a resolution at the upcoming session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on Human Rights which details the dismal human rights record of Syria. Expresses congressional support for the Syrian people in their struggle for freedom, respect for human rights and civil liberties, democratic self-governance, and the establishment of the rule of law. Encourages the President and the Secretary of State to assist dissidents, human rights activists, and the nonviolent democratic opposition in Syria. Urges the adoption and pursuit of these and other policies to seek a democratic government in Syria that will: (1) bring freedom to the Syrian people; (2) cease the illegal Syrian occupation of the Lebanese Republic; (3) abandon Syrian support for terrorism; (4) not pursue development or transfer of biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons, and permit international observers to verify such assurances; and (5) live in peace and security with the international community.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
First Responders Funding Reform Act of 2005 - Amends the USA PATRIOT Act to require: (1) that each State be allocated in each fiscal year not less than .5 percent (currently, .75 percent) of the total amount appropriated for domestic preparedness grants; (2) such grants to be awarded based on a quantitative risk assessment for threat, vulnerability, and consequences; and (3) the Office for State and Local Domestic Preparedness Support of the Office of Justice Programs, by March 1 of each year, to submit that assessment to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Parental Consent Act of 2005 - Prohibits Federal funds from being used to establish or implement any universal or mandatory mental health screening program. Prohibits Federal education funds from being used to pay any local educational agency or other instrument of government that uses the refusal of a parent or legal guardian to provide consent to mental health screening as the basis of a charge of child abuse or education neglect until the agency or instrument demonstrates that it is no longer using such refusal as a basis of such charge. Defines universal or mandatory mental health screening as any mental health screening program in which a set of individuals is automatically screened without regard to whether there was a prior indication of a need for mental health treatment, including: (1) any program of State incentive grants to implement recommendations in the July 2003 report of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health; and (2) any student mental health screening program that allows mental health screening of individuals under 18 years of age without the express, written, voluntary, informed consent of the parent or legal guardian of the individual involved.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish a program of student loan forgiveness for borrowers who agree to remain employed, for at least three years, as public attorneys who are: (1) State or local criminal prosecutors; or (2) State, local, or Federal public defenders in criminal cases. Directs the Secretary of Education to provide such student loan repayment benefits for such public attorneys on a first-come, first-served basis, and subject to the availability of appropriations. Requires priority to be given to borrowers who received repayment benefits for the preceding fiscal year and have completed less than three years of the first required service period. Allows the borrower and the Secretary to enter into an additional agreement, after the required three-year period, for a successive period of service which may be less than three years. Limits the amount paid under such program on behalf of any borrower to $6,000 per calendar year and $40,000 total. Includes public defenders among those eligible under a current HEA program of cancellation of student loans for certain public service.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Redesignates the: (1) Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps; and (2) Secretary of the Navy as the Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps. Makes similar redesignations with respect to Department Assistant Secretaries and the General Counsel.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to mint and issue: (1) ten dollar gold coins; (2) five dollar gold coins; (3) one dollar silver coins; and (4) half-dollar silver coins emblematic of the 50 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of NASA and JPL. Directs each Federal agency and U.S. instrumentality that has in its possession any craft or any part of a craft that flew in space to: (1) retrieve any gold, silver, copper, and other precious metal that may be used in the production of any coins under this Act from such craft or part; and (2) deposit such metals with the Director of the United States Mint. Requires that all sales of coins minted under this Act include a surcharge of : (1) $75 per coin for the ten dollar coin; (2) $35 per coin for the five dollar coin; (3) $10 per coin for the one dollar coin; and (4) $3 for the half-dollar coin, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the NASA Family Assistance Fund for the purposes of providing financial assistance to the families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries suffered in the performance of their official duties.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Amends the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to make grants in support of cluster-based economic development efforts in regions with low per capita income, high unemployment, or economic adjustment problems. Limits the maximum assistance for any one region to $1 million. Sets Federal cost sharing for projects carried out using funds authorized by this Act at 50 percent. Authorizes in-kind contributions for the non-Federal share of project costs.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Amends the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to make grants supporting the advancement of high-speed telecommunications in regions with low per capita income, high unemployment, or economic adjustment problems that have populations of no more than one million. Limits the maximum assistance for any one region to $1 million. Sets Federal cost sharing for projects carried out using funds authorized by this Act at 50 percent. Authorizes in-kind contributions for the non-Federal share of project costs.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
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").
![Official portrait of Rep. McCotter, Thaddeus G. [R-MI-11]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m001147_200.jpg)