United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2005
Prohibits the Secretary of Transportation from issuing any final rule that would change the Department of Transportation's (DOT) interpretation of what constitutes "actual control" of an airline with respect to requirements prohibiting foreign interests from exercising actual control over all airline operations. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on the impact of DOT's proposed change of allowing foreign interests to control economic and competitive decisions while requiring U.S. citizens to control decisions concerning commitments to the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, transportation security, safety, and organizational documents. (Under current law, only an airline that qualifies as "a citizen of the United States" may provide service between U.S. cities or on international routes obtained by the United States through international agreements. Defines "a citizen of the United States" as an individual who is a citizen of the United States, a partnership each of whose partners is an individual who is a citizen of the United States, or a corporation or association in which at least 75% of the voting interest is owned or controlled by persons that are citizens of the United States).
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2005
Calls on the Board of Directors of the National High School Mock Trial Championship to: (1) accommodate the religious beliefs of students participating in the competition; and (2) restructure the competition's rules to allow qualifying students of all faiths to compete fully without betraying their religious beliefs.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2005
Directs the Joint Committee on the Library to accept the donation of a bust depicting Sojourner Truth and display it in a suitable permanent location in the rotunda of the Capitol. Expresses the sense of Congress that the most suitable location for the placement of the bust is one adjacent to the statue known as the Portrait Monument.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2005
Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to restore federal aid for the repair, restoration, and replacement of private nonprofit educational facilities damaged or destroyed by a major disaster.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2005
Nursing Home Fire Safety Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish programs of direct loans and grants for retrofitting nursing facilities with automatic fire sprinkler systems. Gives priority to grant applications that demonstrate a need or hardship.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2005
Superfund for Hurricane Accountability and Recovery Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent: (1) the Hazardous Substance Superfund financing rate; and (2) the corporate environmental income tax. Increases by 50%, between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2008: (1) such financing rate; and (2) the excise tax per ton for certain chemicals. Increases the corporate environmental income tax rate from .12% to .18% during the same period. Establishes a Gulf Hurricanes Cleanup Account in the Hazardous Substance Superfund. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer to such Account the temporary tax increases imposed by this Act. Provides that amounts in such Account shall be made available for remediation of hazardous substance releases (or threatened releases) caused or exacerbated by Hurricanes Katrina or Rita. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to report to Congress on Hurricane Katrina and Rita cleanup activities.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2005
Directs the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Attorney General, and requests the President, to provide to the House of Representatives all documents and records in their possession relating to the rendition, transfer, or return to a foreign country of any foreign person who has been imprisoned, detained, or held for transfer to another country by, or has otherwise been in the custody of, a department, agency, or official of the U.S. government, or any contractor of any such department or agency.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2005
Commends: (1) the people of the Republic of Liberia for holding peaceful national elections in 2005, and congratulates President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on her victory and on becoming the first female president of any African country; (2) the government and people of Liberia for their commitment to Liberia's democratic renaissance; and (3) the Liberian National Election Commission for conducting the elections in a free and fair manner. Applauds the candidates and their supporters, the United Nations, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the U.S. government for their role in helping Liberia carry out the elections. Acknowledges the strong and long-standing relationship between the United States and Liberia, and pledges continued support for Liberia's democracy and further development.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2005
Educators in Military Service Act of 2005 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to extend the deadlines by which state and local educational agencies are required to ensure that teachers or paraprofessional educators are highly qualified in order to account for their applicable periods of military service. Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Act to extend similar deadlines with respect to new special education teachers.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2005
College Life Safety and Fire Prevention Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a demonstration program to award grants to eligible entities for the purpose of contracting with fire alarm companies to install professionally fire alarm detection systems or other fire detection and prevention technologies in student housing, dormitories, and other buildings controlled by such entities.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2005
Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2005 - Amends the Revised Statutes and federal criminal law to prohibit any person, whether acting under color of law or otherwise, from knowingly deceiving any other person regarding: (1) the time, place, or manner of conducting any federal election; or (2) the qualifications for or restrictions on voter eligibility for any such election. Creates a private right of action for any person aggrieved by a violation of such prohibition. Prescribes a criminal penalty for such deceptive acts. Authorizes any person to report a deceptive act to the Assistant Attorney General (AAG) of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (or a designee). Requires the AAG to investigate such a report within 48 hours after its receipt and provide correct information to the voters if it is determined that an act of deception occurred. Requires an immediate investigation if such a report is received within 72 hours before an election. Directs the AAG, in such an instance, to: (1) undertake immediately all effective measures necessary to provide correct information to voters affected by the deception; and (2) refer the matter immediately to the appropriate federal and state authorities for criminal prosecution. Directs the Attorney General to study the feasibility of providing such corrective information through public service announcements, the emergency alert system, or other forms of public broadcast.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2005
Global Democracy Promotion Act of 2005 - Declares that foreign nongovernmental organizations: (1) shall not be ineligible for assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 solely on the basis of health or medical services (including counseling and referral services) provided by them with non-U.S. government funds if such services do not violate the laws of the country in which they are being provided, and would not violate U.S. federal law if provided in the United States; and (2) shall not be subject to requirements relating to the use of non-U.S. government funds for advocacy and lobbying activities other than those that apply to U.S. nongovernmental organizations receiving such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2005
10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act - Directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish programs of grants to institutions of higher education for: (1) undergraduate scholarships and academic programs to recruit and educate elementary and secondary school mathematics and science teachers; and (2) master's degree scholarships and part-time graduate programs for inservice mathematics and science teachers. Requires the NSF Director to: (1) increase the number of awards under the Teacher Institutes for the 21st Century program and allow its grantees to operate one- to two-week summer teacher institutes; (2) add to the Teacher Professional Continuum Program a grants component for preparing to teach Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate science and mathematics courses; and (3) with a national panel and the Secretary of Education, disseminate effective materials and support development of new materials for K-12 science and mathematics teaching. Authorizes, or extends the authorization of, appropriations for NSF programs established or revised under this Act, including NSF Instructional Materials Development, as well as for the Department of Energy's Laboratory Science Teacher Professional Development program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2005
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the nonimmigrant U.S. entry of an alien on a tourist or business visa (B-visa) or student visa (F-visa) who: (1) is the spouse or child of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States; and (2) seeks admission for purposes of visiting the permanent resident spouse or parent or for studying in the United States. States that the fact that a petition has been filed on such nonimmigrant alien's behalf for classification as an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence shall not constitute evidence of intention to abandon a foreign residence.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Authorizes an individual who is a family member of a public safety officer killed in the line of duty to enroll in an approved federal employee health benefits plan as an individual or for self and family. Specifies the individual's and the government's contributions toward the enrollment charge.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Congratulates Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for winning the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize. Commends the IAEA on its past accomplishments and commitment to its mission, and recognizes its importance in promoting multilateral approaches to nuclear nonproliferation.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Energy For Our Future Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, relating to alternative motor vehicle credit, to: (1) repeal the limitation on the number of new qualified hybrid and advanced lean-burn technology vehicles eligible for the credit; and (2) allow a composite energy efficient motor vehicle manufacturing tax credit consisting of an initial investment credit, a fuel economy achievement credit, and an eligible components research and development credit. Instructs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) designate transit-oriented development corridors in urban areas; and (2) award grants to a state or local governments to construct or improve transit facilities, bicycle transportation facilities, and pedestrian walkways in such a corridor. Amends federal transportation law to prescribe phased increases in automobile fuel economy standards. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to subject sports utility vehicles (SUVs) to the limitation on the depreciation of certain luxury automobiles. Instructs the Secretary of Transportation to implement a national passenger car and light truck tire efficiency program. Amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to double the appropriations authorized for weatherization assistance. Authorizes appropriations for the Energy Star program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the credit for: (1) renewable electricity production; and (2) residential energy efficient property. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to prescribe: (1) efficiency resource standards for retail electricity and natural gas suppliers; (2) federal renewable portfolio standards; and (3) a revised standard for net metering. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal requirements for: (1) oil and gas royalties in-kind; (2) marginal property production incentives; (3) incentives for natural gas production from deep wells in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico; (4) royalty relief for deep water production; (5) comprehensive inventory of OCS oil and natural gas resources; (6) ultra-deepwater and unconventional natural gas and other petroleum resources; and (7) specified tax incentives. Repeals the Alaska Offshore Royalty suspension. Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to declare certain preemptions of state law inapplicable to state regulation of energy consumption or water use during a specified time period. Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to restore the former procedure for appeals from consistency determinations revised by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Amends the Federal Power Act to repeal provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 governing the siting of interstate electric transmission facilities. Amends the Natural Gas Act to repeal the authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to coordinate federal permits and other authorizations and compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Amends federal transportation law to repeal the preemption of state law relating to automobile fuel economy standards.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
States that: (1) the deployment of U.S. forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is hereby terminated and the forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date; (2) a quick-reaction U.S. force and an over-the-horizon presence of U.S. Marines shall be deployed in the region; and (3) the United States shall pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Calls on the President to seek to convene an international conference on the threat of methamphetamine and synthetic drug precursor chemicals to intensify and coordinate an effective international response to prevent methamphetamine production. Calls on: (1) the countries in which the precursor chemicals and pharmaceutical products used in the manufacture of methamphetamine are produced and those most affected by methamphetamine trafficking to establish an effective international system to monitor and control these products to prevent their diversion to illegal purposes; and (2) the Secretary of State to take steps to establish such an international system by seeking to negotiate, draft, and ratify any necessary multilateral or bilateral agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Declares that Congress believes that: (1) the failure of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to protect intellectual property is inconsistent with its obligations under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, and denies the benefits of this agreement to the United States; and (2) China's failure to adequately fulfill its obligations to enforce intellectual property rights is unjustifiable and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce under the Trade Act of 1974. Urges the U.S. Trade Representative to: (1) take action under the Act to combat rampant intellectual property violations in China (including the imposition of bilateral tariffs); and (2) use all additional means available, including filing of a complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO), to ensure that China complies with such obligations.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Urges The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Greece to honor the 1995 agreement under which both countries agreed to determine a mutually acceptable official name for the FYROM. Supports U.N. efforts to determine a mutually acceptable official name for the FYROM. Calls upon the U.S. government to exercise its influence in encouraging the FYROM to fully abide by the 1995 interim agreement and to redouble its efforts to reach a mutually acceptable solution.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2005
School Building Enhancement Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to provide grants to: (1) state educational agencies and local educational agencies for providing intensive technical assistance for, and assisting the implementation of, the EnergySmart Schools Program of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Star for K-12 School Districts program of the Environmental Protection Agency; and (2) state educational agencies for use in the development, in partnership with DOE, of state-level school energy efficiency quality plans. Requires the Secretary to give priority to projects to provide assistance to school districts with a demonstrated need for energy efficiency improvement. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2005
Iraq Contracting Fraud Review Act of 2005 - Directs The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Director of the Defense Contract Audit Agency, to review of each covered contract to determine if the contract has been the subject of fraud or any other contracting impropriety. Defines a covered contract as a contract or subcontract entered into on or after March 1, 2003, by the Department of Defense (DOD), if the contract or subcontract: (1) relates to reconstruction or troop support in Iraq; and (2) involves any contractor, subcontractor, or federal employee that has been indicted or convicted for fraud with respect to another DOD contract relating to such reconstruction or troop support in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2005
Bringing America Home Act - Declares that it is a national goal to fulfill the basic human need of shelter by ending homelessness in the United States. Establishes in the Treasury the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) incremental rental assistance; (2) housing program funding; (3) rural housing and economic development; and (4) veterans homeless comprehensive services programs. Federal Homelessness to Housing Mutual Mortgage Association Act - Establishes the Federal Hopelessness to Housing Mutual Mortgage Association (Hollie Mae) which may develop mutual housing (generally, a nonprofit cooperative ownership housing association) that is affordable for low-income individuals and families. Provides for: (1) use of federal property to assist the homeless; (2) preservation of HOPE VI public housing units; and (3) establishment of an Emergency Rent Relief Fund. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a temporary ex-offender low-income housing credit. Revises assistance provisions under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, including establishing a continuum of care program. Expresses the sense of Congress respecting the need to expand Medicaid and keep it affordable to beneficiaries. Authorizes appropriations, and sets forth program provisions, for mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness programs.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2005
Patient Safety Act of 2005 - Requires any provider under the Medicare program (title XVIII of the Social Security Act ), as a condition of continued participation in such program, to make publicly available information regarding nurse staffing and patient outcomes as specified by the Secretary. Requires the public availability of data regarding complaints filed with the state agency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or an accrediting agency, compliance with the standards of which have been deemed to demonstrate Medicare participation compliance, and data regarding investigations and findings as a result of those complaints and the findings of scheduled inspection visits. Requires the Secretary to provide for the auditing of such information for accuracy as a part of the process of determining whether a provider is eligible for continued participation in the Medicare program. Amends SSA title XVIII and XIX (Medicaid) to provide for public disclosure of accurate data on nursing facility staffing. Creates a staffing quality measure for consumers to compare nursing facilities. Prohibits adverse employment actions by Medicare providers against their employees for notifying the provider, or any federal or state agency or accreditation agency, of conditions which are dangerous or potentially dangerous to patients.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2005
Commends the mediation efforts of the government of the Gabonese Republic in Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Kinshasa), and Cote d'Ivoire. Calls on the Gabonese government to: (1) hold free presidential elections in November 2005; (2) guarantee full participation of opposition parties in the upcoming elections; and (3) guarantee all Gabonese citizens the freedom of speech and the freedom of assembly. Calls on the government of the United States and the international community to support the institutionalization of democratic processes and the establishment of conditions for good governance in Gabon and the sub-region.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2005
Reiterates the House of Representatives' support for the Good Friday Agreement as the blueprint for a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. Commends: (1) the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair and the Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern for their leadership in seeing to a peaceful resolution in Northern Ireland; (2) the Sinn Fein leadership in successfully urging the Irish Republican Army (IRA) to end its armed struggle and put its weapons beyond use; and (3) the leadership of Sir Hugh S. Orde, Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) all groups and organizations should end their involvement in paramilitary activity; (2) all Northern Ireland political parties should agree to share power according to the democratic mandate of the Good Friday Agreement, commit to work in good faith with all the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, and work toward participating with the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and (3) the government of the United Kingdom and the government of Ireland should work to fully implement the Good Friday Agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2005
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Lung Cancer Awareness Month (November). Urges Congress to: (1) work to increase the federal commitment to lung cancer research and early detection to the amount necessary to bring the 5-year survival rate to 50 percent within 10 years; and (2) work with all relevant federal agencies to develop a coordinated road map for accomplishing that goal.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2005
Nursing Home Staffing Act of 2005 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate standards for minimum nurse staffing levels in nursing facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid payments. Reinstitutes (Boren amendment) payment methodology, providing for payment of Medicaid services through the use of rates determined pursuant to the criteria under state Medicaid plan requirements as in effect on August 1, 1997. Establishes safe harbor rates. Provides a permanent 1.5% increase of the Medicaid federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for a state beginning with FY 2006. Authorizes inclusion of: (1) financial accountability requirements in the survey and certification process with respect to facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid payments; and (2) professionals trained in financial accounting and auditing in the multidisciplinary survey teams of professionals under Medicare and Medicaid.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2005
Recognizes the religious and historical significance of Diwali, an annual festival celebrated by many South Asians that is particularly significant to Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains. Requests the President to issue a proclamation recognizing Diwali.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress respecting steps to be taken to address the investigation and prosecution of so-called "honor crimes," to provide refuge and rehabilitation for victimized women and their children, and to encourage public awareness and education of human rights and women's rights.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2005
Community Partners Next Door Act of 2005 - Amends the National Housing Act to provide: (1) a 50% discount for teachers, teacher assistants, administrators, and public safety officers purchasing certain eligible asset properties for use as their primary residence; (2) a $100 downpayment on any related insured mortgage; and (3) a higher Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan limit for such purchases in high-cost areas. Authorizes such sales directly to a qualifying individual or to a unit of local government or a nonprofit organization for resale to such individual. Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out a program to inform teachers and public safety officers about such program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2005
Calls on the international community to condemn the Laogai, the system of forced labor prison camps in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Calls on the U.S. government to: (1) fully implement U.S. laws prohibiting the importation of forced labor products made in the Laogai; and (2) review implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Prison Labor in 1992 and the Statement of Cooperation in 1994 with respect to the Laogai. Calls on the government of the PRC to release information about the Laogai, including information about the number of executions at the camps, and the extent of the harvesting and transplantation of organs of executed prisoners. Urges the government of the PRC to allow unrestricted visits by international human rights inspectors to Laogai camps. Urges the Congressional-Executive Commission on China to investigate the Laogai system and to make U.S. policy recommendations to help protect human rights for Chinese citizens.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2005
Calls for the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend, and the United States Postal Service to issue, a commemorative postage stamp honoring the late Rosa Parks.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2005
End the War in Iraq Act of 2005 - Prohibits funds appropriated or otherwise made available under any provision of law from being obligated or expended to deploy, or continue to deploy, U.S. Armed Forces to the Republic of Iraq. Excepts from such prohibition funds used to: (1) provide for the safe and orderly withdrawal of U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq; or (2) ensure the security of Iraq and its transition to democratic rule by carrying out consultations with the Government of Iraq and other foreign governments and international organizations or by providing financial assistance or equipment to Iraqi security forces and international forces in Iraq. Permits the use of funds to carry out social and economic reconstruction activities in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2005
Child Support Enforcement Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a custodial parent (a parent entitled to receive child support) a refundable tax credit for unpaid child support; and (2) include in the gross income of any taxpayer who is delinquent in the payment of child support the amount of such unpaid child support. Prohibits the Internal Revenue Service from selecting a tax return for audit based upon any discrepancy between the tax returns of a custodial parent and a taxpayer delinquent in the payment of child support.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2005
Expresses condolences to the people and government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the tragic loss of life suffered in the crash of Bellview Airlines Flight 210 on October 22, and the tragic death of Stella Obasanjo, wife of Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, at a hospital in Spain on October 23, 2005. Urges the government of the United States to provide assistance to the government of Nigeria in the investigation to determine the cause and responsibility of such crash.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2005
Medicaid Preservation Act of 2005 - Prohibits reductions in authorized federal funding under the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act until full consideration has been given to the recommendations of the Bipartisan Commission on Medicaid. Establishes the Bipartisan Commission to review and make recommendations about: (1) each of Medicaid's major functional responsibilities; (2) issues that either threaten or could improve the long-term financial condition of Medicaid; (3) the way Medicare payment policies impact Medicaid, and ways to address specific payment problems that such policies may create in service delivery to populations typically not covered by Medicare, such as children and pregnant women; and (5) payments to safety net providers. Requires each recommendation to include an analysis of its effect under Medicaid and, if applicable, Medicare and other federal health programs, on: (1) federal and state expenditures; (2) provider payment rates; (3) beneficiary out-of-pocket expenditures; (4) beneficiary access to covered items and services; and (5) coverage of items and services.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2005
Child Health Investment for Long-term Development (CHILD and Newborn) Act of 2005 - Amends the the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to furnish assistance to improve the health of newborns, children, and mothers in developing countries, including activities relating to: (1) health systems and medical and health personnel training; (2) health access; (3) pharmaceutical supplies; (4) health education; (5) HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis counseling and treatment; and (6) safe water and sanitation access. Directs the President to develop a comprehensive strategy to improve the health of newborns, children, and mothers, including reducing newborn, child, and maternal mortality, in developing countries. Establishes the Interagency Task Force on Child Survival and Maternal Health in Developing Countries.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2005
Advancing FASD Research, Prevention, and Services Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a research agenda for the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and facilitate surveillance and prevention of such disorders. Requires the Secretary to award grants for individuals with FASD, including to: (1) establish programs of surveillance, prevention, and treatment for such individuals; (2) identify best practices for educating affected children, educating officials in the criminal justice system on coping with such individuals, and educating adoption or foster care agency officials about services for children with FASD; and (3) provide for transitional services for such individuals, for respite care for their caretakers, and for increased awareness and identification of FASD at community health centers. Requires: (1) the Secretary to provide for continuation of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; and (2) the Comptroller General to evaluate and make recommendations regarding appropriate federal FASD activities. Requires the Secretary to issue public service announcements to raise awareness of the risks associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Requires the National Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders to identify and describe the ten most important actions that must be taken to reduce prenatal alcohol exposure and all its adverse outcomes. Requires the Secretary of Education to direct the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to take certain actions with regard to individuals with FASD, including implementing screening procedures and introducing curricula on how to educate children with such disorders. Requires the Attorney General to direct the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to take certain actions with regard to individuals with FASD, including educating officials on how to treat such individuals, studying the inadequacies of the current system for dealing with such individuals, and developing transition programs for such individuals who are released from incarceration.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2005
Hurricane Katrina Recovery, Reclamation. Restoration, Reconstruction and Reunion Act of 2005 - Hurricane Katrina Victim Restoration Fund of 2005 - Provides for the determination of eligibility for compensation for any individual (or relatives of a deceased individual) who sustained economic or noneconomic losses as a result of Hurricane Katrina so that the individual (or relatives) are restored as nearly as possible to their condition before Hurricane Katrina. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a Comprehensive Environmental Sampling and Toxicity Assessment Plan. Provides for federal and state government to notify hurricane survivors of health risks they may face upon returning to their domiciles. Provides for the offer of alternative land and/or housing as compensation to residents whose homes or businesses have been destroyed or terminally compromised. Revises the TANF Emergency Response and Recovery Act of 2005 to provide for reimbursement of states for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) benefits provided under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to families from other states affected by Hurricane Katrina. Sets forth requirements relating to emergency extended unemployment compensation. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program of emergency health coverage continuation relief. Sets forth housing and education requirements. Displaced Citizens Voter Protection Provisions of 2005 - Prescribes requirements for the protection of voting rights of Katrina evacuees. Prescribes requirements for: (1) regulatory relief for financial services; and (2) disaster loans and small business relief. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for: (1) a tax credit for an eligible homebuyer who purchases a principal residence in the Hurricane Katrina disaster area; (2) an increase in the housing credit dollar amount; and (3) tax-exempt bonds for qualified Gulf Coast recovery projects. Hurricane Katrina Bankruptcy Relief and Community Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the federal bankruptcy code to exempt victims of natural disasters, including small businesses, from certain requirements for debtors seeking relief. Directs the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a temporary flood insurance buy-in program. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should present, within six months, a plan to eradicate poverty in the United States by 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2005
Recognizes the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-142). Acknowledges the many and varied contributions of children with disabilities and their parents, teachers, related services providers, and other educators. Reaffirms the support of Congress for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act so that all children with disabilities have access to a free appropriate public education.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2005
Focus on Family Health Worldwide Act of 2005 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to provide assistance for voluntary family planning programs in developing countries, including activities to: (1) improve public knowledge of voluntary family planning programs; (2) support public and private voluntary family planning programs, including networks for community-based and subsidized commercial distribution of contraceptives; (3) expand training for health care providers and educators; (4) provide improved coordination between voluntary family planning programs and programs that receive U.S. assistance for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections; and (5) strengthen supply chain logistics for the procurement and distribution of safe contraceptives, including coordination with the supply chain for HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment. Gives priority to developing countries with acute family planning and maternal health needs. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2005
Recognizes the need for every child to be vaccinated against polio. Urges all appropriate federal departments and agencies to immediately educate: (1) Americans about the need for polio vaccination; and (2) U.S. polio survivors and medical professionals about the cause and treatment of post-polio sequelae. Expresses support for the goals and ideals of observing the Year of Polio Awareness (the year beginning November 1, 2005).
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2005
Honors the memory of, and identifies, 2,249 members of the Armed Forces who died in service to the United States in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom as of October 25, 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Family Asthma Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to award grants to eligible entities to conduct pilot projects to prevent and control asthma symptoms and to reduce asthma attacks in families. Requires the Secretary to give: (1) priority to entities that serve a medically underserved population; and (2) consideration to an adequate rural-urban distribution, so as to gain better information about asthma at the national level. Authorizes additional appropriations to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to develop a National Asthma Action Plan and to fund a report to Congress by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) collaborate with state and local health departments to conduct activities to inform and educate the public regarding asthma; (2) conduct asthma surveillance activities to collect data on the prevalence and severity of asthma, the effectiveness of public heath asthma intervention, and the quality of asthma management; and (3) compile and annually publish asthma data. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to establish Dr. Irving J. Selikoff individual and institutional training grants for education and training of health care providers on the role of environmental factors in the development and prevention of asthma and recurrent asthma attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Urges: (1) the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to observe its 1995 Interim Accord obligations and take steps to halt the proliferation of negative propaganda toward Greece and review textbooks, maps, and teaching aids to ensure their accuracy; and (2) FYROM to work within the U.N. process to reach a mutually acceptable permanent name.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that the portion of tax cuts enacted in or after 2001 that benefited the wealthiest 5% of Americans should be repealed and the revenues from such repeal should be used to alleviate poverty in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2005
Directs the Architect of the Capitol to enter into an agreement to obtain a statue of Rosa Parks and to place the statue in the Capitol in a suitable permanent location in National Statuary Hall.
![Official portrait of Rep. Payne, Donald M. [D-NJ-10]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/p000149_200.jpg)