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United States · Official source
2,465 records where Rep. Meehan, Martin T. [D-MA-5] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2005
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Epidermolysis Bullosa Awareness Week (last week of October).
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2005
College Opportunity for All Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise and reauthorize requirements relating to: (1) Pell Grants and other student aid amounts and access to higher education for all students; (2) elimination of borrower origination fees; (3) allowance of refinancing of consolidation loans; (4) student loan forgiveness for certain public service employment; (5) termination of government payment of special allowances at excessive interest rates to lenders and holders of student loans; (6) simplification of the student aid process; (7) an initiative to enhance college graduation rates and accelerate time to degree; (8) reduction of guaranty agency payments; (9) teacher preparation and recruiting programs of TEACH grants and for teachers of mathematics, science, and languages; (10) TRIO, GEAR UP, LEAP outreach programs to disadvantaged students pursuing a postsecondary education; (11) postbaccalaureate opportunities at Hispanic-serving institutions; and (12) support and educational opportunities for students at historically Black colleges and universities and at other minority-serving institutions, including centers of excellence for teacher education.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2005
Honors former President William Jefferson Clinton on the occasion of his 59th birthday on August 19, 2005, and extends best wishes to him and his family.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Withdrawal of United States Armed Forces From Iraq Resolution of 2005--Homeward Bound - Declares that it is U.S. policy to: (1) announce, not later than December 31, 2005, a plan for the withdrawal of all U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq; (2) turn over, at the earliest possible date, all military operations in Iraq to the elected government of Iraq and provide for the prompt and orderly withdrawal of all U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq; and (3) initiate such a withdrawal as soon as possible but not later than October 1, 2006. Requires the President to implement that policy by: (1) taking steps to ensure the completion of Iraq's political transition to a constitutionally elected government by December 31, 2005; (2) establishing a plan for the withdrawal of all U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq limited only by steps to ensure the safety of such forces; (3) establishing a plan for a transition of responsibility for internal security activities to the military forces of the Iraqi government and a transition of U.S. military personnel to an advisory and support role; (4) accelerating the training and equipping of the military and security forces of the Iraqi government; and (5) accounting for any missing members of the U.S. Armed Forces or U.S. citizens in Iraq prior to completion of the withdrawal.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Honors the spiritual leadership of Archbishop Iakovos to Greek Orthodox Christians in the Western Hemisphere.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2005
Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act - Prohibits any federal funds from being provided to a hospital unless the hospital meets certain conditions related to a woman who is a victim of sexual assault, including that the hospital: (1) provides the woman with accurate and unbiased information about emergency contraception; (2) offers emergency contraception to the woman; (3) provides the woman such contraception at the hospital on her request; and (4) does not deny any such services because of the inability of the woman or her family to pay.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Violence Against Women Act of 2005 - Amends the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994, VAWA of 2000 (VAWA-2000), the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (OCCSSA), the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), the Social Security Act (SSA), the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, the Safe Homes for Women Act of 1994, the United States Housing Act of 1937, the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000, and the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to reauthorize, revise, and establish various programs for prevention and treatment of violence against women, including domestic violence, child abuse, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (violence). Provides for specified VAWA judicial and law enforcement programs, including STOP grants, a stalker database, cyberstalking prevention, and dating violence prohibitions. Establishes VAWA grant programs: (1) by the Department of Justice (Justice) for assisting children and youth exposed to violence, and for engaging men, women, and youth in preventing violence; and (2) by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for services, education, protection, and justice for young victims of violence, and for research on effective interventions in the healthcare setting. Revises OCCSSA requirements for Justice grants for violence against women programs, and establishes programs for sexual assault services and for assistance for victims of abuse. Requires grants for public information campaigns relating to violence prevention. Requires a National Domestic Violence Hotline study. Revises and reauthorizes: (1) grants under the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 to reduce violence against women on campus; (2) safe havens for children under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. Reauthorizes PHSA rape prevention and education programs, including the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Establishes PHSA grants by HHS for: (1) training and education of health professionals in domestic and sexual violence; (2) fostering public health responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and (3) identification and treatment services at community health centers. Revises SSA requirements for Federal health programs' response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Establishes VAWA grant programs to address the housing needs of victims of violence. Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to require: (1) public and Indian housing authority plans to report on programs offered to victims of violence; and (2) certification and confidentiality with respect to victims of violence in the low-income housing assistance voucher and public housing programs. Requires emergency leave, under VAWA, for employees experiencing domestic or sexual violence. Sets forth provisions relating to the safety of Indian women. Supporting Teens through Education and Protection Act of 2005 - STEP Act - Authorizes the Attorney General through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (Justice) to make grants to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in middle and high schools. Immigrant Victims of Violence Protection Act of 2005 - Revises the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000 (under VAWA-2000) with respect to victims of violence, including victims of crimes of human trafficking, VAWA petitioners, and children.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Detainee Treatment Accountability Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to transmit a copy of any confidential or exclusive report provided to the Department of Defense (DOD) by an entity outside the U.S. government concerning treatment of DOD detainees held at any location in connection with an armed conflict, including the war on terror, within 15 days of receipt to: (1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and (2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution - Calls upon the President: (1) to ensure that U.S. foreign policy reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the U.S. record relating to the Armenian Genocide and the consequences of the failure to realize a just resolution; and (2) in the President's annual message commemorating the Armenian Genocide to characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide, and to recall the proud history of U.S. intervention in opposition to the Armenian Genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
New Apollo Energy Act of 2005 - Establishes the New Apollo Energy Act Performance Goals, which the President shall consider when formulating and enforcing national energy policy. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to coordinate the participation of National Laboratories, universities, commercial industry, and other organizations in implementing this Act. Sets forth technology research programs concerning: (1) clean energy; (2) energy efficiency; (3) fusion energy; and (4) ultra-deepwater and extended reach drilling and carbon sequestration technologies. Creates tax incentives, in the form of tax credits and deductions from grosss income, for new technologies. Sets forth a federal framework for support of diverse energy technology initiatives. Directs the President to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to full capacity and ensure that the fill rate minimizes impacts on petroleum markets. Amends the Commodity Exchange Act to grant the Commodity Futures Trading Commission jurisdiction over energy trading markets and metals trading markets. Sets forth federal assistance programs covering weatherization and energy efficient housing. Sets forth a national net metering requirement for utilities and interconnection standards for distributive energy generation. Sets forth initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases including: (1) federal climate change research; (2) national greenhouse gas database; (3) market-driven greenhouse gas reductions; and (4) emission reduction requirements and allocation and use of tradeable allowances. Establishes the Climate Change Credit Corporation to use the tradeable allowances, and proceeds derived from its trading activities in tradeable allowances, to reduce costs borne by consumers as a result of the greenhouse gas reduction requirements. Amends the Clean Air Act to set forth a renewable fuel program. Sets forth a program of loan guarantees for biorefineries and renewable electricity generation facilities. Balanced Energy Supply Tax Policy Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to: (1) limit tax reductions to revenue raised by tax offsets; and (2) deny treaty benefits for certain deductible payments. Prescribes guidelines governing the: (1) doctrine of economic substance; (2) penalty for understatements attributable to transactions lacking economic substance; and (3) understatement of taxpayer's liability by income tax return preparer.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
Teacher Excellence for All Children Act of 2005 - Revises and establishes programs relating to recruitment, preparation, distribution, and retention of public elementary and secondary school teachers and principals. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish: (1) teacher education assistance for college and higher education (TEACH ) grants for undergraduate and graduate students who agree to serve as teachers in high-need schools or fields; and (2) grants to recruit teachers with mathematics, science, or language majors. Extends the authorization of appropriations for HEA teacher quality enhancement grants for states and partnerships. Revises HEA student loan forgiveness requirements to: (1) extend permanently additional amounts for teachers in mathematics, science, or special education provided by the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act of 2004; (2) increase other amounts, making reading specialists eligible for such forgiveness; and (3) apply forgiveness in annual increments rather than in a lump sum at end of service. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, to establish grant programs to improve teaching at high-need schools. Requires states to provide assurances of their reasonable progress toward equitable access to teacher quality as a condition of assistance under ESEA. Amends the Education Sciences Reform Act to direct the Statistics Commissioner to publish results of certain schools and staffing surveys. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) exclude from gross income up to $15,000 for compensation of teachers and principals in certain high-need schools or teaching certain high-need subjects; and (2) increase to a maximum of $500 and make permanent the above-the-line deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary schoolteachers.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
Commends W. Mark Felt (the former Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Watergate whistleblower known as "Deep Throat") for his uncommon courage in exposing major government corruption that warranted Senate Watergate Committee hearings and a House Judiciary Committee impeachment investigation. Encourages FBI employees aware of wrongdoing to follow Felt's example and come forward with relevant information. Recognizes the important role that anonymous sources play in honest and accurate reporting by journalists and the importance of respecting that anonymity and freedom of speech.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins emblematic of the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln in commemoration of the bicentennial of his birth. Permits issuance of such coins only during 2009. Subjects the coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Attorney General to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that: (1) constitutes a crime of violence under federal law or a felony under state or Indian tribal law; and (2) is motivated by prejudice based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of the victim or is a violation of the hate crime laws of the state or tribe. Directs the Attorney General to give priority for assistance to crimes committed by offenders who have committed crimes in more than one state and to rural jurisdictions that have difficulty covering the extraordinary investigation or prosecution expenses. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to assist state, local, and Indian law enforcement officials with such extraordinary expenses. Directs the Office of Justice Programs to: (1) work closely with funded jurisdictions to ensure that the concerns and needs of all affected parties are addressed; and (2) award grants to state and local programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles. Prohibits specified offenses involving actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Amends the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to require the crime data to be collected and published by the Attorney General to include data about crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on gender and gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
College Affordability and Accountability Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to require state maintenance of effort in providing funding to public institutions of higher education (IHEs). Requires all IHEs to plan, engage in, and report on cost containment strategies. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to conduct research on such strategies. Directs the Secretary to publish an annual report on college affordability and to disseminate certain data, including the net price tuition index (NTPI) for each IHE through a college price calculator on an enhanced college opportunities on line (COOL) website. Establishes a Pell Plus program to provide an increased award to each Pell Grant recipient at IHEs that maintain specified types of: (1) low tuition; (2) guaranteed tuition; or (3) affordable tuition. Establishes a program of grants for cooperative education for IHEs that restrain tuition increases. Authorizes grants and contracts for cooperative education demonstration and innovation projects, training and resource centers, and research. Directs the Secretary to commission the National Research Council to study the viability of developing and implementing standards in environmental, health, and safety areas to provide for differential regulation of: (1) industrial laboratories and facilities; and (2) research and teaching laboratories. Authorizes the Secretary to select IHEs, IHE systems, or IHE consortia for voluntary participation in an articulation agreement demonstration program to specify the acceptability of courses in transfer toward meeting specific degree requirements, as a means to lower tuition prices for students. Directs the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance to convene a task force of experts to: (1) determine the best methods to finance higher education in the long-term; (2) help public institutions utilize long-term budgeting; (3) review the trends of financing of higher education; and (4) define the role played by the states, the federal government, families, and outside entities in financing higher education, and determine the best methods to strengthen this partnership.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) Congress is committed to achieving domestic hunger goals and ending hunger by 2015; (2) federal food and nutrition programs should receive adequate funding; and (3) the entitlement nature of the child and adult care food program, the food stamp program, the school breakfast and lunch programs, and the summer food service program should be preserved. Directs: (1) the American Communities Survey to collect and submit food security information to the Secretary of Agriculture; and (2) the Secretary to conduct an annual study of hunger in the United States and develop recommendations on reducing domestic hunger. Directs the Secretary to make: (1) hunger-free communities collaborative grants to eligible public food program service providers or nonprofit organizations; (2) hunger-free communities infrastructure grants to eligible emergency feeding organizations; and (3) hunger-free communities training and technical assistance grants to eligible national or regional nonprofit organizations. (States that such grants' federal share shall not exceed 80 %.) Sets forth grant priorities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Pet Animal Welfare Statute of 2005 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to revise the definition of dealer (in animals) to include: (1) sellers of dogs imported from outside the United States; and (2) persons who sell more than 25 dogs or cats or who whelp for sale more than six litters of dogs or cats annually. Defines "retail pet store" for purposes of the Act as a public retail establishment that sells animals commonly kept as pets in U.S. households (e.g., dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and hamsters). Excludes from such definition: (1) a person breeding animals to sell to the public as pets; (2) a person selling hunting, security, or breeding dogs; or (3) a person selling wild animals. Requires dealers and retail pet stores to provide the Secretary of Agriculture with source records relating to the purchase or acquisition of dogs and cats. Authorizes the Secretary to extend the period for the temporary suspension of a dealer license for a violation of the Act from 21 to 60 days, if the Secretary believes that such violation will continue past the initial 21-day period and will jeopardize the health of any animal. Authorizes the Secretary to apply directly to a U.S. district court for a temporary restraining order or injunction to address violations of the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Clean Water Protection Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to define "fill material" to mean any pollutant that replaces portions of waters of the United States with dry land or that changes the bottom elevation of a water body for any purpose and to exclude any pollutant discharged into the water primarily to dispose of waste.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Approves the renewal of certain import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Reaffirms President Bush's support for the United Nations (UN) Millennium Declaration and supports a sustained U.S. commitment to work with other nations to advance the policy reforms, leadership, and resources necessary to reduce extreme poverty and promote human dignity. Urges the President, the Secretary of State, and other executive branch officials to use every opportunity, including at the forthcoming G-8 Summit in Scotland and the UN Summit on the Millennium Declaration in New York, to provide U.S. leadership and resources to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Expresses gratitude for the compassion and generosity of the American people and their desire to promote global security and prosperity while striving to eliminate poverty and human suffering.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2005
Prohibits additional Cuban travel restrictions to be placed on per-diem allowances, family visits, accompanied baggage, and household remittances.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
Haitian Compassion Act - Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate Haiti as a country whose qualifying nationals may be eligible for temporary protected status. Provides for: (1) an initial 18-month designation period; and (2) authorization for temporary travel abroad.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Responsible Education About Life Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to States for family life education, including education on abstinence and contraception, to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Expresses the sense of Congress that States are encouraged but not required to provide matching funds. Requires the Secretary to provide for a national evaluation of a representative sample of such programs for effectiveness in changing adolescent sexual behavior, including delaying sexual and high-risk activity, preventing pregnancy and disease (including HIV/AIDS), and increasing contraceptive knowledge. Requires States receiving such grants to provide for an individual evaluation of the State's program by an external, independent entity.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2005
Condemns bigotry, violence, and intolerance against any religious group, including persons of Islamic faith. Declares that the civil rights and liberties of all individuals should be protected. Recognizes that the Quran should be treated with dignity and respect. Calls upon local, state, and federal authorities to work to prevent bias-motivated crimes and acts against all individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Combating Autism Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish: (1) a program to provide information and education on autism and its risk factors to health professionals and the general public; and (2) the Autism Coordinating Committee to coordinate autism related activities within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award grants or cooperative agreements to develop statewide autism screening, diagnosis, and intervention programs and systems. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants or cooperative agreements to provide technical assistance to state agencies to conduct applied autism research.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2005 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (3) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day. Makes federal minimum wage requirements applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sets forth a transition period during which a specified minimum wage there shall be gradually increased to equal the federal minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Matthew Voisbert Help Extend Respect Owed to Every Soldier (HEROES) Act - Requires: (1) the Secretary of Defense to establish minimum uniform standards for postdeployment medical examinations; (2) that such examinations include screening for mental health and substance abuse disorders; and (3) follow-up services in appropriate cases. Directs the Secretary of Defense to foster the early identification and treatment of mental health and substance abuse disorders experienced by members of the Armed Forces, with special emphasis on members who have served in a theater of combat operations within the preceding 12 months. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to employ at least one psychiatrist and a complementary medical team at each Department of Veterans Affairs (Department) medical center to conduct a specialized program for the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, and to employ additional mental health services specialists at such center. Authorizes such Secretary to contract for mental health and substance abuse treatment services in non-Department facilities when such services are not available in Department facilities. Requires the Secretary of Defense to transmit to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs: (1) within seven days the medical records of all military personnel being discharged, released from active duty, or retired; and (2) a roster of all personnel who have served in the theater of operations during Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom. Directs the Secretary of Defense to assist eligible persons in obtaining employment in stable and permanent positions. Requires individualized transitional services to be provided to separating military personnel. Includes additional elements within a program under which the Secretary of Labor provides services and information to separating military personnel and their spouses. Requires the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to: (1) ensure that transition programs are provided at each military installation, National Guard armory and military family support center, and inpatient medical care facility; (2) ensure that military and veterans' service organizations and representatives are permitted to participate in such transition programs; and (3) facilitate the access of such State organizations and representatives to provide preseparation counseling and services to separating members. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to facilitate the access of such organizations and representatives to provide member information on the care and services available. Requires the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to facilitate the sharing between their respective departments of information concerning member duties and assignments, exposures to toxic or hazardous substances, and illnesses or injuries incurred or aggravated in the course of such duties and assignments. Rescinds a Department Memorandum entitled "Status of VHA Enrollment and Associated Issues." Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide mortgage assistance to members who are seriously injured during military service. Repeals the $1,200 reduction in basic pay currently required for participation in the Montgomery GI Bill educational assistance program.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Depleted Uranium Munitions Study Act - Requires the Director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to study and report jointly to Congress on: (1) the health effects of exposure to depleted uranium munitions upon veterans and their children born after such exposure; and (2) a public health assessment of persons thought to have an epidemiological link to any U.S. military installation or production facility at which depleted uranium munitions have either been, or currently are being, used or produced. Instructs the Secretary of Defense to provide to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency a list of all sites in the United States where depleted uranium munitions have been used or produced, and a site-specific map of each site. Directs the Administrator to report to the Secretary and to certain congressional committees on the results of a comprehensive environmental evaluation of possible contamination of the soil, air, water, and vegetation by depleted uranium at the listed sites. Requires the Secretary to develop and implement a plan for the mitigation and cleanup of depleted uranium at the pertinent sites.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Special Interest Lobbying and Ethics Accountability Act of 2005 - Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require: (1) quarterly instead of semiannual filing of lobbying disclosures reports; (2) electronic filing; (3) maintenance of certain lobbying disclosure information in an electronic data base, available to the public free of charge over the Internet; (4) identification of each executive official and Member of Congress with whom lobbying contacts are made; (5) disclosure by registered lobbyists of all past executive and congressional employment; and (6) disclosure of grassroots lobbying communications by paid lobbyists. Extends from one to two years the ban on lobbying contacts by former senior and very senior executive personnel, former Members of Congress, and officers and employees of the legislative branch with any officer or employee of the entity in which such person served before his or her tenure terminated. Requires public disclosure by Members of Congress of employment negotiations. Subjects to fines and penalties a Member of Congress or an employee of the House who wrongfully influences, on a partisan basis, an entity's employment decisions or practices. Amends the Code of Official Conduct in the House to prohibit favoritism. Requires certification that congressional travel meets certain conditions, and establishes civil fines for false certifications. Requires the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to develop and revise guidelines on reasonable expenses or expenditures for official government travel. Calls for reviews and semiannual reports by the Comptroller General on activities carried out by the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate under the Act, subject to congressional committee hearings. Increases the penalty for failure to comply with lobbying disclosure requirements. Requires appointment of a bipartisan ethics task force to make recommendations on: (1) strengthening ethics oversight and enforcement in the House; and (2) providing the resources necessary to accomplish this goal.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2005
Honor Our Fallen Prisoners of War Act - Requires the Secretary concerned to award the Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces who die in captivity under circumstances not otherwise establishing eligibility for the Purple Heart. Makes this Act effective as to members of the Armed Forces who die on or after December 7, 1941, including those who die prior to enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Loan Forgiveness for Head Start Teachers Act of 2005 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend to certain Head Start teachers eligibility for cancellation of repayment obligations for specified types of student loans.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Imposes a six-month moratorium on terminations of certain pension plans, instituted under specified provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), in cases in which reorganization of contributing sponsors is sought in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month (requested to be November by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network).
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2005
Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants to public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of not more than eight centers to conduct multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research on environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer. Requires each such center to: (1) be known as a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Center of Excellence; (2) establish ongoing collaborations with community organizations; (3) be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions; (4) be supported under this Act for a period of not more than five years with additional periods allowed after review and recommendation; and (5) use innovative approaches to study unexplored areas of the environment and breast cancer. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Panel to make recommendations for and to review grants awarded under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2005
Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, with respect to abatement actions because of the release of recycled oil and liability for costs or damages resulting from such oil's release in the course of disposal or transport, to limit liability of a service station dealer with respect to any period between November 8, 1986, and the effective date of certain corrective action regulations or standards promulgated under the Solid Waste Disposal Act if the dealer complied with all applicable laws and regulations relating to disposal.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2005
Children's Vision Improvement and Learning Readiness Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants to states for providing: (1) comprehensive eye examinations for children, with priority given to children under nine years old; (2) subsequent vision treatment or services to correct vision problems; and (3) educational materials to parents, teachers, and health care practitioners on recognizing signs of visual impairment in children. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop criteria to collect data related to vision assessment and the utilization of follow-up services; and (2) coordinate the grant program with appropriate federal and state child services programs. Requires states to annually submit to the Secretary a program evaluation.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community Act of 2005 - Establishes the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community to develop a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of the American Latino Community in Washington, D.C.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
United States Cadet Nurse Corps Equity Act - Deems service of a person as a member of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps between July 1, 1943, and December 15, 1945 (qualified service), to be active military service for purposes of all laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Requires: (1) the Secretary of Defense to issue an honorable discharge to each person whose qualified service warrants one; and (2) the discharge to be issued before the end of the one-year period beginning on the enactment of this Act. Prohibits benefits from being paid to persons as a result of such enactment for any period before the enactment date.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century Act - Revises, expands, or provides new rights and benefits for members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their dependents and survivors, including, among others: (1) an FY 2006 increase in funding for veterans' medical care; (2) a prohibition until the end of FY2006 on medication copayments and on the imposition of a health care system enrollment fee; (3) an extension until 2010 of Vietnam veterans' eligibility for readjustment counseling services; (4) the collection of data from pre- and post-deployment health assessments, and preventive maintenance post-deployment intervention; (5) the prevention, early detection, and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for returning troops; (6) a Department of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs Council on Post-Deployment Mental Health; (7) survivors' and dependents' eligibility for family and bereavement counseling; (8) certain educational initiatives; (9) a National Steering Committee on PTSD Education and a PTSD public awareness program; (10) certain benefits and outreach services for disabled veterans; (11) an increase in survivors' dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC); (12) certain pay increases and bonuses for active-duty members; (13) an expansion of benefits under under both the active-duty and reserve Montgomery GI Bill programs; (14) employment assistance for homeless veterans; (15) expanded reserve member eligibility under the TRICARE program (a Department of Defense managed health care program); (16) certain recruitment and retention incentives for Selected Reserve members; and (17) certain pay matters with respect to Federal employees performing active-duty reserve service. Repeals the: (1) DIC offset from Survivor Benefit Plan surviving spouse annuities; (2) pay reduction and high school graduation requirement for participation in the Montgomery GI Bill educational assistance program; (3) delimiting date for entitlement to basic educational assistance under such program; (4) time limitation on the exclusion of combat zone compensation by reason of hospitalization; (5) tax cut (implemented in 2001) for high-income taxpayers; (6) scheduled termination of the phaseout of personal exemptions; and (6) scheduled phaseout of the overall limitation on itemized deductions.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
Student Bill of Rights - Directs the Secretary of Education to make annual determinations as to whether each state's public school system provides all its students with educational resources to succeed academically and in life. Requires such education to enable students to: (1) acquire knowledge and skills necessary for responsible citizenship; (2) meet challenging academic achievement standards; and (3) compete and succeed in a global economy. Requires each system to do so through: (1) providing specified fundamentals of educational opportunity to students at each public elementary and secondary school; (2) providing educational services in school districts that receive funds for disadvantaged students that are, taken as a whole, at least comparable to educational services provided in school districts not receiving such funds; and (3) complying with any final federal or state court order in any matter concerning the adequacy or equitableness of the system. Requires withholding of specified portions of its federal funding for administrative expenses if a system: (1) fails to meet a yearly interim goal; (2) does not remedy, after two school years, a failure to provide comparable educational services to schools that receive funds for disadvantaged children; or (3) does not comply with a court order. Allows students or parents aggrieved by violations of this Act to bring civil actions for enforcement in federal district courts. Directs the Commissioner of Education Statistics to study the effects of educational disparities on economic growth and on national defense.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
Healthcare Enhancement for Local Public Safety Retirees Act of 2005 or the HELPS Retirees Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow retired public safety officers to elect an annual exclusion from gross income up to $5,000 for distributions from governmental retirement plans for the payment of accident or health insurance or long-term care insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
Honors the victims of the 1975 through 1979 genocide in Cambodia. Welcomes the establishment of an international criminal tribunal to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Cambodian genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2005
Gas Price Spike Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a windfall profit tax on crude oil, natural gas, or products of crude oil or natural gas. Defines "windfall profit" as so much of the profit on a sale of crude oil, natural gas, or related products as exceeds a reasonable profit. Establishes the Reasonable Profits Board to determine levels of reasonable profit from the sale of such products. Allows a tax credit for the purchase of certain fuel-efficient, American-made passenger vehicles. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to operators of mass transit systems, including bus and commuter rail systems, to reduce passenger fares on such systems.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2005
FamilyCare Act of 2005 - Renames the State Children's Health Insurance program (SCHIP) under title XXI of the Social Security Act (SSA) as the FamilyCare program. Provides for: (1) FamilyCare coverage of parents and pregnant women under Medicaid (SSA title XIX) as well as under new SSA title XXI; (2) optional FamilyCare coverage of parents of targeted low-income children; (3) automatic eligibility for FamilyCare coverage of children born to a parent on FamilyCare assistance; (4) optional coverage of legal immigrants and of children through age 20 under Medicaid and FamilyCare; (5) authorization of a State to use simplified procedures under Medicaid for families under Family care; (6) revision of the transitional medical assistance program; (7) limitations on specified conflicts of interests under Medicaid and FamilyCare; (8) a limitation on cost-sharing to 2.5 percent for families with income below 150 percent of the poverty level; and (9) increased Federal reimbursement for language services under Medicaid and FamilyCare. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on funding under SSA title XXI. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award demonstration grants to up to seven States (or other qualified entities) to conduct innovative programs designed to improve outreach to enroll homeless individuals and families and provide them services under specified programs for the homeless (including Medicaid and FamilyCare).
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2005
Medicare Early Access Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to add a new part E (Purchase of Medicare Benefits by Certain Individuals 55 to 65 Years of Age). Provides access to Medicare benefits for individuals 55 to 64 years of age who do not have coverage under a Federal health insurance program or under a group plan. Requires enrollees to pay a premium to receive Medicare coverage. Requires the Secretary to base the premium on the Secretary's estimate of the average, national annual per capita amount of the cost of providing services to the population. Allows early retirees with access to retiree coverage to enroll under this part while keeping their Federal or State COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) continuation coverage. Allows an employer that offers employment-based retiree health coverage to an individual who enrolls under this part to modify such coverage to provide for: (1) employer payment of items and services for which payment may not be made under Medicare; and (2) employer payment of 25 percent of the monthly premium applicable to the individual after enrollment. Creates in the Treasury the Medicare Early Access Trust Fund to hold the premiums collected under this Act and to support the new program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow program enrollees to receive a 75 percent advance, refundable credit to offset Medicare early access premium costs (thus requiring program enrollees in the Medicare early access program to be responsible for 25 percent of the monthly premiums).
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2005
Small Business Health Insurance Promotion Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain small employers (not more than 50 employees) a business tax credit equal to 50 percent of amounts paid by such employers for the health care coverage of their employees under a qualified health pooling arrangement. Limits the period during which the tax credit may be taken to four years from the date the employer begins participating in a qualified health pooling arrangement. Defines "qualified health pooling arrangement" as a national or state arrangement that provides health benefits coverage substantially similar to that of the four largest health benefit plans offered to Federal employees. Directs the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Labor to provide for the offering and oversight of qualified State and national health pooling arrangements and to conduct a study, through the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, of the operation of such arrangements.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2005
Recognizes the bravery, sacrifice, and patriotism of the soldiers, airmen, sailors, and Marines who participated in Operation Eagle Claw (the April 24, 1980, rescue attempt of the American hostages in Iran). Commends all of the Special Operation Forces currently in service.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2005
Congratulates Disneyland and the Walt Disney Company on the 50th Anniversary of the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Medicare Adult Day Care Services Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of substitute adult day care services.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
San Francisco Old Mint Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 100,000 $5 gold coins and 500,000 $1 silver coins emblematic of the San Francisco Old Mint Building, its importance to California and U.S. history, and its role in rebuilding San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire. Requires that all surcharges received by the Secretary from such coin sales be promptly paid to the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society for purposes of rehabilitating the Historic Old Mint in San Francisco as a city museum and an American Coin and Gold Rush Museum.