United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2006
Ethics and Lobbying Reform Act of 2006 - Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) to include among lobbying activities any paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying, but not grassroots lobbying itself. Amends Rule XXV (Limitations on Outside Earned Income and Acceptance of Gifts) of the Rules of the House and Rule XXXV (Gifts) of the Standing Rules of the Senate to exempt from the restrictions on gifts to Members of Congress, Senators, and House and Senate officers and employees the fair market value for a flight on an aircraft not licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate for compensation or hire. Requires public disclosure of such flights. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to exclude from the definition of contribution any travel expense for a flight on such aircraft, but only if it is paid for within seven days under specified conditions. Amends Rule XXV to repeal the permission for Members of the House to accept gifts of a nominal value. Deems a gift any payments or disbursements for an event in honor of a Member, officer, or employee that is held at a national party convention. Amends the Rules of the House to consider as gifts reimbursements to Members, officers, and employees for official travel-related expenses from nongovernmental organizations that retain or employ registered lobbyists or agents of a foreign principal. Prohibits such individuals from accepting transportation or lodging on trips arranged or financed by a lobbyist or agent of a foreign principal, or in which a lobbyist participates. Sets forth reporting requirements for lobbyist campaign contributions. Amends the federal criminal code to impose a two-year moratorium on lobbying of Congress by former Members, officers, or employees. Establishes within the legislative branch the Office of Public Integrity.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2006
Federal Election Administration Act of 2006 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to replace the Federal Election Commission with the Federal Election Administration (FEA) as an independent establishment to enforce federal campaign finance laws. Requires enforcement proceedings for violations of campaign finance laws to be conducted before administrative law judges. Allows any final determination made by an administrative law judge to be appealed to the FEA for final agency action, subject to judicial review. Authorizes the FEA to impose civil penalties, issue cease-and-desist orders, and report apparent criminal violations to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. Allows the FEA to conduct audits and field examinations of campaign committees. Prescribes criminal penalties for violations. Directs the Comptroller General to examine and report to Congress on the Attorney General's enforcement of the criminal provisions of federal campaign finance laws.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2006
Declares that it is U.S. policy to oppose any effort by the Iraqi government to grant amnesty to anyone known to have attacked, kidnapped, wounded, or killed members of the U.S. Armed Forces or U.S. citizens. Calls for the President to notify the Iraqi government of such opposition.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2006
Urges: (1) the International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), the Inter-American Development Bank, and other multilateral financial institutions to cancel Haiti's debts to them under the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative; and (2) the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct U.S. Executive Directors at such institutions to use U.S. influence to accomplish this goal.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2006
Safe Climate Act of 2006 - Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate: (1) targets for a 2% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions each year from 2010-2050 ; and (2) regulations requiring reductions to meet such targets, including by setting caps on emissions of sources and sectors with the largest emissions or the best opportunities to reduce them, by issuing and authorizing trading of emission allowances, and by imposing penalties for excess emissions. Requires relevant federal agencies to finalize a rule to carry out the National Academies' recommendations for regulatory action needed to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations or explain their reasons for declining to act. Requires the President to submit to Congress a plan for the distribution of emission allowances (including through auctions) and the use of proceeds (to be deposited in a Climate Reinvestment Fund) for specified goals, including mitigating the effects of energy cost increases and climate change. Requires the EPA to ensure that emissions and allowances are accurately tracked, reported, and verified. Authorizes the emission reduction regulations to include: (1) additional requirements for any source or sector; and (2) performance standards, best management practices, and technology-based requirements. Requires such regulations to set standards for the reduction of greenhouse emissions from motor vehicles at least as quickly as the standards adopted by the California Air Resources Board at its September 2004 hearing. Requires the EPA to revise such standards in 2014 and every five years thereafter to further reduce emissions. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to direct the Secretary of Energy to: (1) require, beginning in 2009, an annual increase in the percentage of electric energy generated from renewable sources that is sold at the retail level in the United States and to require such percentage to be at least 20% of the total electricity sold by 2020; and (2) set end-user savings targets for retail electric-energy and natural gas suppliers. Authorizes DOE to: (1) increase the required percentage of end-user savings for years after 2020; and (2) allow suppliers to achieve the targets through a market-based trading system.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2006
Guarantee of Medical Accuracy in Sex Education Act - Prohibits a federal agency from providing funds or assistance to an entity for the development of course material or the provision of instruction on human development and sexuality if such material or instruction will include medically inaccurate information. Directs such an agency to require a sufficient assurance that such material or instruction will not include medically inaccurate information. Defines "medically inaccurate information" as information related to medical, psychiatric, psychological, empirical, or statistical statements that is unsupported or contradicted by peer-reviewed research by leading medical, psychological, psychiatric, and public health organizations and agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2006
No Special Tax Subsidies for Gas Guzzlers Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose: (1) depreciation limits applicable to luxury automobiles on certain heavy vehicles (rated at 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight or less) and sport utility vehicles; and (2) the gas guzzler excise tax on such heavy vehicles and sport utility vehicles.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2006
Veterans Identity Protection Act or VIP Act - Establishes as an independent office in the executive branch the Office of Veterans Identity Protection Claims, headed by a Director, to receive, process, and pay claims for injuries suffered as a result of the unauthorized use, disclosure, or dissemination of identifying information stolen from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Authorizes judicial review of claim determinations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2006
Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to restore Medicare treatment of ownership of oxygen equipment that existed prior to the enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Repeals: (1) the limitation of Medicare payment to the supplier for such equipment (including portable oxygen equipment) to 36 months of continuous use; and (2) the requirement that the equipment supplier transfer title to the individual at the end of such period, with payments continuing at specified monthly rates.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2006
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive, for two-year periods, requirements for awarding breast and cervical cancer grants to states if certain conditions are met, including that granting such a waiver will not reduce the number of women in the state receiving examinations and screening for breast or cervical cancer or the quality of such services. Requires the Secretary to review performance under the waiver and allows the Secretary to extend such waivers. Authorizes appropriations for breast and cervical cancer grants through FY2012.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2006
Calls for legislation to be enacted by October 1, 2008, to guarantee that every person in the United States is entitled to receive all medically necessary care under a system of care that meets specified requirements, including that: (1) the system provides a single universal standard of excellence in care; (2) such care is affordable to all and there are no financial barriers to needed care; (3) the system provides comprehensive benefits and promotes prevention and early intervention; and (4) the system maximizes consumer choice of health care providers.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2006
Expresses supports for: (1) a national campaign to help all women, regardless of income, avoid unintended pregnancy and abortion through access to contraception; and (2) programs and policies that make it easier for women to obtain contraceptives and use them consistently and correctly.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2006
Bioenergy Innovation, Optional Fuel Utilization, and Energy Legacy (BIOFUEL) Act of 2006 - Amends the Clean Air Act to revise the schedule for the volume of renewable fuels, the volume for cellulosic biomass, and the volume of biodiesel. Amends federal transportation law to require manufacturers of new dual fueled automobiles to ensure that the percentage of the total of such automobiles, manufactured and distributed in commerce for sale in the United States, meets prescribed percentages for specified model years. Directs the Secretary of Energy to require motor fuel retailers in each geographic region the Secretary establishes, when flexible-fuel vehicle market penetrations reach a certain level, to install an E-85 fuel pump or pumps at their retail fuel facilities. Establishes in the Treasury a Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Fund to implement a related grant program. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a renewable energy strategic feedstock reserve program to purchase and store agricultural commodities with their producers. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to: (1) redefine bioenergy as ethanol derived from cellulosic feedstocks; and (2) reauthorize the Department of Agriculture bioenergy program. Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to make loans to enable eligible farmers, ranchers, and certain domestic entities controlled by them to create or expand facilities designed to convert agricultural commodities into fuel. Prohibits the Secretary from requiring a lender to obtain an unsubordinated interest in a borrower's farming or ranching operation as a prerequisite to a federal loan guarantee. Amends the Farm Credit Act of 1971 to declare eligible for credit assistance certain associations of farmers, producers, or harvesters of aquatic products engaged in commercial activities related to renewable energy products. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to establish a research and development program related to: (1) ethanol production; (2) extraction of energy from biological sources; (3) biomass gasification; and (4) new vehicle efficiency technologies. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to establish a biofuels production facility grant program. Expresses the sense of Congress that Congress should enact policies that: (1) reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and (2) encourage systems that compensate American agricultural producers for the beneficial role that they play in reducing greenhouse gases and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend tax credits for ethanol and biodiesel; (2) increase tax credits for refueling property for ethanol and biodiesel; and (3) increase the small ethanol producer credit. Revises requirements for infrastructure bonds for facilities producing motor vehicle fuel from biomass.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2006
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of Mental Health Month; and (2) President Bush's Commission on Mental Health's finding that the failure to prioritize mental health is a national tragedy.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2006
Medicare Teaching Anesthesiology Funding Restoration Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) to set forth a special payment rule of 100% of the fee schedule amount for teaching anesthesiologists involved in the training of physician residents, if certain presence and availability requirements are met.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2006
Energy Fairness for America Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to terminate: (1) the tax deduction for oil and gas intangible drilling and development costs; (2) the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas wells; and (3) the tax credit for enhanced oil recovery costs. Repeals provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 relating to: (1) oil and gas royalties in-kind; (2) marginal property production incentives; (3) incentives for natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico; (4) royalty suspension for deep water production; (5) the inventory of Outer Continental Shelf oil and natural gas resources; (6) the ultra-deepwater and unconventional natural gas and other petroleum resources program; (7) Alaska offshore royalty suspension; (8) accelerated depreciation of electric transmission property, natural gas distribution lines, and natural gas gathering lines and expensing of liquid fuel refinery property; (9) the exemption of small oil refiners from limitations on the oil depletion allowance; and (10) two-year amortization of geological and geophysical expenditures. Requires certain large integrated oil companies to revalue their LIFO inventories of crude oil, natural gas, or other petroleum productions using a specified formula. Limits or denies the foreign tax credit and tax deferrals for dual capacity taxpayers (taxpayers receiving economic and tax benefits from certain foreign jurisdictions), foreign oil and gas income, and foreign oil and gas extraction income.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2006
Oil and Gas Industry Antitrust Act of 2006 - Amends the Clayton Act to make it unlawful for any person to refuse to sell, or to export or divert, existing supplies of petroleum, gasoline, or other fuel derived from petroleum, or natural gas, with the primary intention of increasing prices or creating a shortage in a geographic market. Directs the Attorney General (AG) and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to study whether section 7 of the Clayton Act (prohibiting certain mergers or acquisitions) should be amended to modify how that section applies to persons engaged in the business of exploring for, producing, refining, or otherwise processing, storing, marketing, selling, or otherwise making available petroleum, gasoline or other fuel derived from petroleum, or natural gas. Requires the Comptroller General to study the effectiveness of divestitures required under certain prior oil and gas industry consent decrees. Directs the AG and FTC Chairman to establish a joint federal-state task force to investigate information sharing among persons in the oil and gas industry. No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2006 or NOPEC - Amends the Sherman Act to make it illegal for any foreign state or instrumentality thereof to act collectively with any other foreign state or instrumentality to: (1) limit oil production or distribution; (2) set or maintain the price of oil; or (3) take any other action in restraint of trade for oil, natural gas, or any petroleum product.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2006
Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 - Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to revise requirements for: (1) the use of election examiners and observers; (2) declaratory judgment on the issue of voting qualifications or standards intended to diminish the ability of U.S. citizens to elect preferred candidates; and (3) award of attorney fees in enforcement proceedings to include expert fees and other reasonable costs of litigation. Extends bilingual election requirements through August 5, 2032. Revises the requirements for determining states and political subdivisions covered by them to require use of 2010 American Community Survey census data. Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with respect to the prohibition against the use of tests or devices to deny the right to vote in any federal, state, or local election. Extends both the prohibition and the date for mandatory congressional reconsideration of it.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2006
Health Centers Renewal Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for FY2007-FY2011 for health centers to meet the health care needs of medically underserved populations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2006
National Defense Enhancement and National Guard Empowerment Act of 2006 - Expands the: (1) authority of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau (Bureau) to include membership on the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) (and raises the grade of the Chief from lieutenant general to general); and (2) functions of the Bureau to include facilitating and coordinating, with other federal agencies and the states, the use of Guard personnel and resources for, and in, contingency operations, military operations other than war, natural disasters, and support of civil authorities. Directs the Chief to: (1) identify gaps between federal and state capabilities to prepare for and respond to emergencies; and (2) make recommendations to the Secretary of Defense on Guard programs and activities to address such gaps. Requires annual Department of Defense (DOD) budget justification documents to include separate amounts for Guard training and equipment for military assistance to civil authorities and other domestic operations. Establishes within the JCS an Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Reserve Matters. Expresses the sense of Congress calling for consideration of eligible reserve officers for promotion to the grades of lieutenant general or vice admiral on the active duty list. Requires the position of Deputy Commander of the U.S. Northern Command to be filled by a qualified Guard officer eligible for promotion to the grade of lieutenant general.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Allows the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to accept an application for an extension of the term of a patent which claims a product, a method of using a product, or a method of manufacturing a product if: (1) such application is filed no more than 5 days late; and (2) the applicant files a petition showing that the delay in filing the application was unintentional. Deems such petition to be denied if no determination has been made on the petition within 30 days of filing. Establishes the fee for filing such a petition. Applies this Act to any application for patent term extension which: (1) is pending on the date of enactment; (2) is the subject of a request for reconsideration of a denial of a patent term extension; or (3) has been denied a patent term extension in a case in which the period for seeking reconsideration of such denial has not yet expired.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
American Dream Act - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to such state residence. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who: (1) entered the United States prior to his or her sixteenth birthday, and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; and (4) at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education, or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma. Sets forth the conditions for conditional permanent resident status. Authorizes an alien who has satisfied the appropriate requirements prior to enactment of this Act to petition the Secretary for conditional permanent resident status. Sets forth requirements respecting: (1) exclusive jurisdiction; (2) confidentiality; (3) fee prohibitions; (4) higher education assistance; and (5) a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report respecting the number of aliens adjusted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
STEM Scholarship Database Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to establish and maintain, on the public website of the Department of Education, a database of information on public and private programs of financial assistance for the study of postsecondary and graduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Requires that such database: (1) provide separate information for each field of study; (2) be searchable by category and combinations of categories; (3) indicate programs targeted toward specific demographic groups; and (4) provide searchers with program sponsor contact information and hyperlinks.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2006
College Debt Alleviation Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to: (1) extend the tuition and related expenses tax deduction through 2010; (2) increase the maximum eligible adjusted gross income (AGI) threshold from $65,000 to $80,000 (from $130,000 to $160,000 for a joint return); and (3) increase the deduction from $3,000 to $8,000. Revises the formula for determining the AGI for the purposes of this deduction. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reduce student loan interest rates on federal PLUS loans and consolidation loans under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and Direct Loan programs.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2006
Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women's Services Act - Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to: (1) promulgate rules prohibiting persons from advertising with the intent to deceptively create the impression that such persons provide abortion services; and (2) enforce violations of such rules as unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2006
Ensuring Implementation of the 9/11 Commission Report Act - Homeland Emergency Response Operations Act or the HERO Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to complete assignment of the electromagnetic spectrum for public safety services to permit operation by January 1, 2007. Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant program to assist state and local governments in achieving essential capabilities for terrorism preparedness. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish an Office of the Comptroller within the Office for Domestic Preparedness, a First Responder Grants Board, and a Task Force on Terrorism Preparedness for First Responders; and (2) promulgate national voluntary standards for first responder equipment. Requires reports by: (1) DHS on a unified incident command system, a national critical infrastructure risk and vulnerabilities assessment, the comprehensive screening system, a biometric entry and exit data system, international collaboration on border and document security, and standardization of secure identification; (2) the Comptroller General on private sector preparedness, federal first responder training programs, and terrorist watch list consolidation; (3) the Secretary of Transportation on a national strategy for transportation security and on airline passenger screening; (4) the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center on collection and analysis of intelligence on terrorist travel; and (5) the Commissioner of Social Security on social security card security enhancements. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require fingerprints in passports. Requires specified reports on the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and the policy goals of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. Requires certification by the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense as to whether the federal government has implemented the policy goals and the recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States regarding homeland and airspace defense. Requires semiannual reports by the Secretary of Defense describing the plans and strategies of the U.S. Northern Command. 9/11 Commission Civil Liberties Board Act - Revises provisions concerning the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. Provides for the designation of privacy and civil liberties officers. Revises provisions concerning the House and Senate intelligence committees. Requires public disclosure by the President of certain intelligence funding. Expresses the sense of Congress respecting: (1) Afghanistan; (2) Pakistan; (3) Saudi Arabia; (4) coalition strategy against Islamic terrorism; (5) the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI); (6) the Proliferation Security Initiative; and (7) nuclear weapons and materials security standards. Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) terrorist sanctuary elimination; (2) standards for detention and humane treatment of captured terrorists; (3) economic policies to combat terrorism; (4) terrorist financing; and (5) public diplomacy, scholarship, exchange, and library programs in the Islamic world, and international broadcasting; Omnibus Nonproliferation and Anti-Nuclear Terrorism Act of 2006 - Establishes the Office of Nonproliferation Programs in the Executive Office of the President. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) removal of certain restrictions on cooperative threat reduction and energy nonproliferation programs, and modification of such programs' fund use outside the former Soviet Union; (2) the Global Threat Reduction Initiative; (3) Russia's nuclear weapons; (4) research and development of alternative use of weapons of mass destruction expertise; and (5) strengthening the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2006
Stop Tuberculosis (TB) Now Act of 2006 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require (currently, authorizes) the President to furnish assistance for tuberculosis (TB) prevention, treatment, and elimination. Gives priority to activities described in the Stop TB Strategy (as defined by this Act). Revises related fund use provisions. Authorizes the President, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to provide increased resources to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Stop Tuberculosis Partnership to improve the capacity of countries with high TB rates and other affected countries to implement the Stop TB Strategy. Authorizes appropriations for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) TB activities.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2006
Disaster Assistance Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 2006 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to prohibit the termination or demotion of, or other discrimination in the terms and conditions of employment against, an employee who, when activated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a disaster assistance employee reservist, is absent from or late to work. Makes this provision inapplicable if such person is absent for more than 90 days per calendar year. Allows an employer to: (1) charge against the employee's regular pay any time that an employee loses from employment because of such activation; and (2) request the employee to provide written verification from FEMA of the time and dates of such activation. Requires any such employee to make a reasonable effort to notify his or her employer of such absences or lateness. Authorizes a person who has been terminated, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against in violation of this Act to bring a civil action in U.S. district court if the action is commenced within one year after the violation.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2006
9/11 Commission Civil Liberties Board Act - Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to make the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (Board) an independent agency within the Executive branch. (Currently, such Board is established within the Executive Office of the President.) Requires the Board to be composed of a full-time chairman and four additional members, all to be confirmed by the Senate. Prohibits Board members, while so serving, from being an elected official, officer, or employee of the Federal Government. Provides six-year terms. Gives the Board subpoena power. Requires the Board to: (1) receive and review reports from privacy and civil liberties officers; and (2) report at least semiannually to specified congressional committees on Board activities and other appropriate matters. Directs the heads of specified Federal agencies to designate at least one senior officer for appropriate assistance with respect to privacy and civil liberties concerns as they relate to terrorism prevention. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security complies with the protections for human research subjects in research conducted or supported by such Department. Requires within the President's annual budget submission to Congress a separate statement of the amount of appropriations requested for the Board.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2006
Military Retirees' Health Care Protection Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Department of Defense (DOD) and the nation have a committed health benefits obligation to retired military personnel that exceeds the obligation of corporate employers to civilian employees; and (2) DOD has many additional options to constrain the growth of health care spending in ways that do not disadvantage beneficiaries, and should pursue such options rather than seeking large fee increases for beneficiaries. Prohibits an increase after December 31, 2005, in: (1) a premium, deductible, copayment, or other charge prescribed by the Secretary of Defense for medical and dental health care coverage for military personnel; and (2) the dollar amount of a cost-sharing requirement under the DOD pharmacy benefits program. Prohibits: (1) charges for DOD inpatient care from exceeding $535 per day; and (2) after December 31, 2005, an increase in premiums under TRICARE (a DOD managed health care program) for certain members of the Selected Reserve.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2006
Commends the Africa Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) in monitoring the N'Djamena Ceasefire Agreement in Darfur and its role in diminishing some acts of violence. Condemns: (1) the continued genocide against civilians in Darfur by the government of Sudan and government-sponsored militias; and (2) the continued violations by both parties to the Agreement. Calls on both parties to the Agreement to abide by its terms and engage in good-faith negotiations to end the Darfur conflict. Calls on the government of Sudan to: (1) withdraw all military aircraft from the region; and (2) cease support for the Janjaweed militia and rebels from Chad; and (3) disarm the Janjaweed militias. Calls on: (1) the African Union (AU) to work closely with the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to strengthen its capacity to deter violence and instability until a U.N. peacekeeping force is fully deployed in Darfur; and (2) NATO to extend its AU advisor mission. Calls on the U.N. Security Council to approve a trained and adequate Darfur peacekeeping mission. Urges the President to take steps to improve the security situation in Darfur, including by: (1) proposing that NATO implement an interim civilian protection force; and (2) requesting supplemental funding to support AMIS and a NATO mission in Darfur.
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
Infant and Toddler Durable Product Safety Act - Instructs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to: (1) promulgate a consumer product safety standard for durable infant or toddler products; and (2) establish an Infant and Toddler Product Review Panel to advise the CPSC on guidelines and standards for such products. Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to declare the limitation on maximum civil penalties inapplicable to this Act.
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 · 28 February 2006
Foreign Investment Security Improvement Act of 2006 - Directs the President (or the President's designee) to investigate, under the Defense Production Act of 1950, the acquisition by Dubai Ports World (DP World), an entity owned or controlled by the Emirate of Dubai, of the Peninsular and Oriental (P&O) Steam Navigation Company, a national of the United Kingdom. Requires such investigation to be completed within 45 days after enactment of this Act. Directs the President to suspend any decision, under provisions of the Defense Production Act of 1950 permitting the President to stop the acquisition because it will impair national security, with respect to such acquisition made before the completion of the investigation, including any decision made before enactment of this Act. Specifies requirements for the investigation. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide information for the investigation, including: (1) relevant information on DP World from the Automated Targeting System maintained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and (2) port assessments at foreign seaports where DP World operates. Requires the President to: (1) report to Congress within 15 days after completion of the investigation; and (2) provide certain Members of Congress a detailed briefing on the contents of the report. Requires the President to take action necessary to prohibit the acquisition if the President does not stop the acquisition under the provisions of the Defense Production Act of 1950 permitting the President to stop the acquisition because it will impair national security if a joint resolution of disapproval is enacted into law within 30 days after Congress receives a report from the President that an acquisition will not be stopped. Requires, if such acquisition has been already been completed, the President to direct the Attorney General to seek divestment or other appropriate relief in US district courts.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to: (1) advance from FY2007 to FY2006 the fiscal year for which funds are appropriated for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP); and (2) repeal the limitation on such funds as a one-time only obligation and expenditure. Bars use of the funds for certain state planning and administration purposes. Accelerates the termination of such appropriation and related allocations and conditions from September 30, 2007, to September 30, 2006.
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 · 16 February 2006
Supports the goals and ideals of Anti-Slavery Day. Calls on the U.S. people to observe such day on February 27, 2006. Encourages the Department of State to increase cooperation with foreign governments to combat slavery, provide legal protections to victims of slavery, and provide social services to assist in repatriation, family reunification, and exit from slavery.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Amends rule XIII (Calendars and Committee Reports) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to make it out of order, with certain exceptions, for the House to consider a measure or matter until 72 hours after its text (and any accompanying reports) have been made available to Members and the general public (excluding Saturdays, Sunday and holidays when the House is not in session). Requires such text to be posted continuously, during the 72 hours, on the Internet in an accessible, searchable format. Prohibits the House from considering a general appropriations bill, with certain exceptions, until at least 72 hours (currently, three calendar days) after the printed hearings of the Committee on Appropriations related to it have been available to Members. Requires privileged reports to be made available to the general public before their consideration in the House. Amends rule XXII (House and Senate Relations) to require, before House consideration, the same 72 hour availability to Members and the general public, including Internet accessibility, of the text of conference reports, accompanying joint explanatory statements, and Senate amendments reported by a conference committee in disagreement. Declares that nothing in this resolution shall be interpreted to require or permit the declassification or posting on the Internet of classified information. Requires such classified information to be made available to Members in a timely manner. Expresses the sense of the House that the House Committee on Rules should develop standardized policies and procedures to require that proposed amendments major in size, scope, or cost (except those offered under an open rule) be posted on the Internet for an appropriate number of hours.
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
Royalty Relief for American Consumers Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to suspend relief from any federal requirement to pay royalty (thus requiring the payment of royalties to the federal government) for production of oil or natural gas from federal lands (including submerged lands) during any period in which average prices of either crude oil or natural gas exceed specified amounts. Instructs the Secretary to seek to renegotiate certain existing leases authorizing production of oil or natural gas on federal land to conform with this Act. Conditions eligibility for renewal of such leases or new leases for existing lessees upon compliance with this Act.
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 · 8 February 2006
Home Energy Assistance Tax Credit Act of 2006 - Allows individual taxpayers a refundable tax credit for 25% of of their home energy costs (i.e., electricity, natural gas, propane, and heating oil) incurred between October 1, 2005, and March 31, 2006. Limits the amount of such credit to $200 ($400 for joint returns) and reduces the credit for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income exceeds $30,000 ($60,000 for joint returns).
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2006
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2006 - Extends from one to two years the lobbying ban for former senior executive personnel, former Members of Congress, and legislative branch officers and employees. Denies floor privileges to any former Members and House officers if he or she is a registered lobbyist or agent of a foreign principal. Requires public disclosure by Members of Congress and senior congressional staff of employment negotiations. Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) to revise requirements for lobbying disclosures reports. Amends the Rules of the House of Representatives to: (1) exclude gifts from lobbyists from the gift ban exceptions; and (2) prohibit privately funded travel by a Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee. Establishes the Office of Public Integrity within the Office of Inspector General of the House. Amends the LDA to increase the penalty for failure to comply with lobbying disclosure requirements. Requires certification that congressional travel meets certain conditions, subject to civil fines for false certifications. Establishes mandatory annual ethics training for House employees. Makes it out of order to consider any reconciliation legislation which has the net effect of reducing the surplus or increasing the deficit compared to the most recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate for any fiscal year. Limits recorded electronic votes to 20 minutes, except in certain circumstances. Makes requirements for earmarks in funding measures. Makes it out of order to consider a resolution providing for adjournment sine die unless, during at least 20 weeks of the session, a quorum call or recorded vote was taken on at least four of the weekdays (excluding legal public holidays). Makes it out of order, with certain exceptions, for the House to consider a bill or joint resolution until 24 hours, or in the case of legislation containing a district-oriented earmark or limited tax benefit, until three days after copies of such measure are available. Makes a motion to request or agree to a conference on a general appropriation bill in order only if the House expresses its disagreements with the Senate in the form of numbered amendments. Requires all provisions on which the two chambers disagree to be open to discussion at any meeting of a conference committee. Prescribes minimum requirements for political appointees holding public safety positions. Amends the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (OFPPA) to require an executive agency, after awarding a contract, to make specified information regarding it available to the public, including over the Internet in a searchable database. Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (FPASA) to prohibit awarding of a monopoly federal contract to a single contractor. Specifies conditions under which such contracts may be awarded. Amends the FPASA to require revision of the Federal Acquisition Regulation to require competition for certain multiple award contracts. Provides for suspension and debarment of unethical contractors. Amends the federal criminal code to impose fines and penalties on cheating taxpayers and wartime fraud. Revises requirements and prohibitions regarding contractor conflicts of interest. Requires disclosure of certain government contractor overcharges. Subjects individuals to penalties for improper sole-source contracting procedures. Prescribes disclosure requirements for organizations established to raise funds for creating, maintaining, expanding, or conducting activities at a former or existing presidential archival depository or its facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2006
Amends rule XXV (Limitations on Outside Earned Income and Acceptance of Gifts) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to require Members, Delegates, Resident Commissioners, officers, or employees of the House, before accepting payment of travel expenses, to obtain a written certification from the sponsoring organization or person: (1) stating that no registered lobbyist has been invited to participate in the transportation, lodging, or any associated meetings; and (2) disclaiming specified lobbying activities and connections. Amends rule IV (The Hall of the House) to deny floor privileges to any former Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner, former Parliamentarian, former elected officer or former minority employee of the House, and to heads of departments and state governors, unless the individual signs a lobbying disclaimer each time he or she is admitted to such location. Amends rule XVIII (The Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union) to make it out of order to consider any reconciliation legislation which has the net effect of reducing the surplus or increasing the deficit compared to the most recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate for any fiscal year. Amends rule XX (Voting and Quorum Calls) to limit recorded electronic votes to 20 minutes, except that the time may be extended with the consent of both the majority and minority floor managers of the legislation involved or both the majority and minority leaders. Amends rule XXIII (Code of Official Conduct) to prohibit a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner from conditioning the inclusion of language to provide funding for a district-oriented earmark, a particular project which will be carried out in a Member's congressional district, or a limited tax benefit in any bill or joint resolution (or accompanying report) or in any conference report on such measure (or accompanying joint statement of managers) on any vote such individual casts. Requires a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner to disclose in writing to the chairman and ranking member of the relevant committee certain information about any district-oriented earmark such individual advocates in any measure or accompanying report or managers' joint statement. Requires each committee to make such information available to the general public for any earmark included in any reported measure. Requires the Joint Committee on Taxation to review any revenue measure, reconciliation bill, or joint resolution for limited tax benefits, and identify them and their beneficiaries, including their sponsors. Amends rule XV (Business in Order on Special Days) to make it out of order to consider a resolution providing for adjournment sine die unless, during at least 20 weeks of the session, a quorum call or recorded vote was taken on at least four of the weekdays (excluding legal public holidays). Amends rule XIII (Calendars and Committee Reports) to make it out of order, with certain exceptions, for the House to consider a bill or joint resolution until 24 hours, or in the case of legislation containing a district-oriented earmark or limited tax benefit, until three days after copies of such measure (and any accompanying report) are available (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays when the House is not in session). Makes a motion to request or agree to a conference on a general appropriation bill in order only if the Senate expresses its disagreements with the House in the form of numbered amendments. Requires all provisions on which the two chambers disagree to be open to discussion at any meeting of a conference committee. Amends rule XXV (Limitation on Outside Earned Income and Acceptance of Gifts) to exempt from the restrictions on gifts to Members of Congress or Senators, officers, or employees of the House the market value for a flight taken in connection with official duties (charter flight fair market value) on an airplane not licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate for compensation or hire. Requires the individual to publish certain flight related information in the Congressional Record within 10 days of such a flight.
![Official portrait of Rep. Meehan, Martin T. [D-MA-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m000627_200.jpg)