United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2005
Youth Worker Protection Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to revise requirements relating to child labor and to set forth new requirements for the employment of minors. Establishes FLSA requirements for employment of minors, including those for: (1) work permits; (2) working-hour restrictions for minors in specified age groups, and in relation to school attendance; (3) notification of serious work-related injuries; (4) data compilation, retention, and reporting by state agencies; (5) prohibition of youth peddling; (6) civil actions for bodily injury, illness, or death; (7) public disclosure of violations; and (8) civil penalties. Revises FLSA child labor requirements to: (1) set the same minimum age for children in agricultural employment as for those in nonagricultural employment; (2) impose a uniform minimum age for employment in all hazardous occupations; (3) eliminate the Secretary of Labor's authority to issue waivers with respect to certain hand harvest labor by children; (4) eliminate an exception for scrap paper balers and paper box compactors; and (5) declare that youth peddling affects commerce (and thus is subject to Federal regulation). Directs the Secretary of Labor to promulgate: (1) a rule relating to particularly hazardous occupations for children between the ages of 16 and 18, based on a specified report and recommendations of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); and (2) a rule prohibiting employment of minors in seafood processing or in jobs requiring them to handle or dispose of oil or other liquids from fryers. Requires the Secretary to review: (1) restricted occupation and hazardous occupation orders at least once every five years; and (2) health and safety data on employment of minors in activities involving certain repetitive motions, or lifting, or working alone or late at night in retail establishments with public contact and cash handling, or entertainment industry work detrimental to them, and report with appropriate rules to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2005
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend until 2015 the tax deduction from gross income for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers and to include the expenses of preschool teachers, instructors, counselors, or aides as deductible expenses. Changes the amount of such deduction to allow $250 for a preschool, elementary, or secondary school teacher, instructor, counselor, principal, or aide working in a school for at least 450 hours during a school year and $500 for such school employees working at least 900 hours.
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
Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act or PREEMIE Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand and coordinate NIH research on preterm labor and delivery, infant mortality, and low birthweight infants. Establishes the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network and the Neonatal Research Units Network within NIH. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to: (1) expand and coordinate CDC activities on preterm labor and delivery and infant mortality; (2) conduct a study on the relationship between prematurity, birth defects, and developmental disabilities; and (3) review the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Survey. Requires the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's national longitudinal study of environmental influences on children's health and development to consider the impact of assisted reproduction technologies. Requires the Director of NIH to contract with the Institute of Medicine to study the health and economic consequences of preterm birth. Directs the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to assess certain core performance and outcome measures utilized under the Social Security Act for purposes of expanding such measures to include known risk factors of low birthweight and prematurity. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) conduct a demonstration project to improve the provision of information on prematurity to health professionals and the public; (2) conduct projects to support the informational and emotional needs of families during the stay of an infant in a neonatal intensive care unit, during the transition of the infant to the home, and in the event of a newborn death; and (3) establish an Interagency Coordinating Council on Prematurity and Low Birthweight.
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 · 8 June 2005
Repairing Young Women's Lives Around the World Act - Authorizes appropriations to be used only for U.S. voluntary contributions to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for prevention and repair of obstetric fistula.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
HIPAA Recreational Injury Technical Correction Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit a group health plan or health insurance issuer offering group health coverage from denying benefits or coverage otherwise provided under the plan for the treatment of an injury solely because it was sustained while a person was engaged in any particular mode of transportation specified in the plan, consisting of the use of a motorcycle, snowmobile, all-terrain vehicle, or other similar recreational vehicle or horseback riding, unless such mode of transportation or its use was illegal.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
Recognizes: (1) African descendants for their contributions to the economic, social, and cultural fabric of the countries in the Americas, particularly in Latin American and Caribbean societies; and (2) that as a result of their skin color and ancestry such descendants have experienced economic, social, and political injustices. Urges the President to encourage the remembrance of the achievements of African descendants in the Americas and a resolution of such injustices. Urges the United States and the international community to work to ensure that poverty is eradicated, universal education is achieved, quality healthcare is made available, environmental resources are provided, and equal access to justice is granted in Afro-descendant communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2005
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) World Refugee Day is dedicated to recognize and honor refugees throughout the world; (2) within the framework of international solidarity, there should be better refugee protection; and (3) all refugees should be treated with respect for their human rights and dignity.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Affordable Housing Tax Credit Enhancement Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase to $3.70 the per capita amount for determining the state housing credit ceiling; and (2) rename the low-income housing credit as the affordable housing credit.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Safe Housing Identity Exception for the Lives of Domestic Violence Victims Act - SHIELD Act - Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to prohibit disclosure of the personally identifying information of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
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
Vision Preservation Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to expand and intensify programs to increase awareness of vision problems, including: (1) activities to establish a solid scientific base of knowledge on the prevention and control of vision problems and related disabilities; (2) research within CDC on the prevention and management of vision loss; and (3) programs targeted to prevent vision loss, treat eye and vision conditions, and rehabilitate people of all ages who are blind or partially sighted in underserved and minority communities. Amends the Social Security Act to include within the maternal and child health service block grant program the introduction of core performance measures on eye health by incorporating vision screening standards into state programs. Requires the Director of NIH to expand, intensify, and coordinate programs for the conduct and support of research with respect to vision loss prevention and vision rehabilitation. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for vision rehabilitation services. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study on barriers faced by medically underserved populations to vision services that are covered under the medicare program, including vision rehabilitation and other vision-related services; and (2) enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine to study the cost benefit of providing a universal dilated eye exam under the medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Office of Correctional Public Health Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of Correctional Public Health (OCPH) within the Office of Public Health and Science. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of OCPH, to carry out public health activities for individuals who are employees in federal, state, or local penal or correctional institutions or who are incarcerated in such institutions. Includes among such activities disease prevention, health promotion, service delivery, research, and health professions education activities. Authorizes the Secretary to make matching grants to states to provide for correctional populations screenings, immunizations, and treatment for hepatitis A, B, and C. Requires a portion of each grant to be expended to carry out such activities at penal or correctional facilities that are not facilities in which individuals serve terms of imprisonment, including remand facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Community Economic Development Expertise Enhancement Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make grants to increase the capacity and expertise of qualifying community-based economic development organizations. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct an assessment of such organizations' capability needs; and (2) establish the Advisory Council on Community Economic Development. Directs the President to include with each annual budget request a report regarding Federal financial support for community economic development. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a limited housing infrastructure business credit for qualified housing infrastructure property placed in service. Defines such property as property located in an empowerment zone, enterprise community, or renewal community, when substantially all of the use of which is to provide water, sewer, electricity, or natural gas service to residents. Doubles, and extends through 2009 (currently 2005), for employment beginning after the enactment of this Act, the: (1) work opportunity credit; (2) welfare-to-work credit; (3) empowerment zone employment credit; and (4) renewal community employment. Increases, through 2009, the Indian employment credit. Increases and extends, through 2009, deductions for expensing the cost of certain depreciable business assets, commercial revitalization, and environmental remediation. Extends, through 2009, the special deduction for property used on Indian reservations.
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
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
No More Tulias: Drug Law Enforcement Evidentiary Standards Improvement Act of 2005 - Prohibits a state from receiving for a fiscal year any drug control and system improvement (Byrne) grant funds under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, or any amount from any other law enforcement assistance program of the Department of Justice, unless the state does not fund any drug task forces for that fiscal year or the State has in effect laws that ensure that: (1) a person is not convicted of a drug offense unless the facts that a drug offense was committed and that the person committed that offense are supported by evidence other than the eyewitness testimony of a law enforcement officer (officer) or individuals acting on an officer's behalf; and (2) an officer does not participate in a drug task force unless that officer's honesty and integrity is evaluated and found to be at an appropriately high level. Provides for reallocation of sums not allocated by reason of this provision to states not so disqualified. Requires state recipients of funds to collect data for the last year funds were allocated regarding: (1) the racial distribution of charges made during that year; (2) the nature of the criminal law specified in the charges; and (3) the city or law enforcement jurisdiction in which the charge was made.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2005
Campus Fire Safety Right-to-Know Act of 2005 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution participating in any program under the Act to provide to all current students and employees, and to any applicant for enrollment or employment upon request, an annual fire safety report containing specified information about the campus fire safety practices and standards of that institution. Requires such institutions to: (1) record all on-campus fires, including the nature, date, time, and general location of each fire and all false fire alarms; and (2) open such information to public inspection. Requires the institutions to report on such information annually to the campus community in a manner that will aid the prevention of similar occurrences. Requires the institutions to request their fraternities and sororities to collect and report such information for each building and property they own or control. Requires the Secretary of Education to report to Congress on fire safety systems in college and university facilities and on fire safety standards in all such facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2005
Innocent Check Depositor Protection Act - Amends the Expedited Funds Availability Act to provide that, in the case of a check drawn on an account at an originating institution which is dishonored by that institution due to lack of sufficient funds, a receiving depository institution may not impose any fee on the depositor, in connection with such check, due to such dishonorment. States that this Act shall not be construed as affecting any intervening depository institution or the costs of services it provides.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2005
Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish in the Treasury the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund for the deposit of income, gift, and estate taxes paid by or on behalf of taxpayers: (1) who are designated conscientious objectors opposed to participation in war in any form based upon the taxpayer's deeply held moral, ethical, or religious beliefs or training (within the meaning of the Military Selective Service Act); and (2) who have certified these beliefs in writing. Requires that funds in the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund be allocated annually to any appropriation not for a military purpose. Expresses the sense of Congress that any revenue increase resulting from the creation of the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund shall be allocated in a manner consistent with the purposes of the Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007 - Authorizes appropriations to the Department of State for FY 2006 and 2007 for the administration of foreign affairs, international organizations and conferences, certain international commissions, and migration and refugee assistance. Amends federal criminal law to prescribe criminal penalties for interfering with the protective functions of special agents of the Department of State and the Foreign Service. Amends specified Foreign Service and State Department law regarding: (1) retention of medical reimbursements; (2) the Buying Power Maintenance account; (3) no obligation of the Secretary of State to convene an Accountability Review Board pertaining to certain destructive incidents at U.S. government missions in Afghanistan and Iraq; and (4) repeal of the prohibition against the eligibility of persons doing business with Libya for contracts under the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986. Revises requirements for the organization and personnel of the Department of State, including: (1) education allowances, official residence expenses, increased limits applicable to post differentials and danger pay allowances, and an overseas equalization and comparability pay adjustment; (2) home leave after 12 (currently 18) months of continuous foreign service; (3) a Fellowship of Hope Program; (4) suspension without pay of a foreign service member when reasonable cause exists to believe the member has committed a crime liable to imprisonment; (5) death gratuity for the surviving dependents of a Foreign Service employee; (6) repeal of the recertification requirement for members of the Senior Foreign Service; and (7) limited appointments in the Foreign Service. Expresses congressional support for proposed changes to the career development program for members of the Senior Foreign Service. Urges the Secretary of State to make best efforts to establish U.S. consular posts in Pusan, South Korea, and Hat Yai, Thailand. Authorizes the Secretary to provide for U.S. participation in the Regional Emerging Disease Intervention (REDI) Center in Singapore. Extends the authorization of appropriations for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Repeals the mandate that the United States retain ownership of the Palazzo Corpi building in Istanbul, Turkey, where the International Center for Middle Eastern-Western Dialogue is located. International Broadcasting Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007 - Amends the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 to make annual grants available to the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. Makes broadcasting to Cuba independent of the Voice of America, and allows such broadcasts to use, under leasing agreements, the Amplitude Modulation (AM) band (currently prohibited), the Frequency Modulation (FM) band, and the Short-wave (SW) band. Establishes permanent authority for Radio Free Asia. Authorizes the Broadcasting Board of Governors to provide for payment of school expenses for dependents of broadcasting personnel stationed in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Declares statements of policy relating to democracy in Iran, the dual gateway policy of the Government of Ireland, and a Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorism Initiative. Requires certain reports on Haiti, protection of refugees from North Korea, U.S. actions to encourage respect for human rights, services for children with autism at overseas missions, Internet jamming, and Department of State employment composition. Declares the sense of Congress on Korean Fulbright programs and the location of international institutions in Africa. Prohibits State Department participation in commemorations relating to leaders of Imperial Japan connected to the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
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 · 24 May 2005
Improving Access to Workers' Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act - Amends the Federal Employees' Compensation Act to include within the definition of "physician" physician assistants and nurse practitioners.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
Supports the establishment of September as Campus Fire Safety Month. Encourages administrators and municipalities across the country to: (1) provide educational programs to all students during September and throughout the school year; (2) evaluate the level of fire safety being provided in both on- and off-campus student housing; and (3) take the necessary steps to ensure fire-safe living environments through fire safety education, installation of fire suppression and detection systems, and the development and enforcement of applicable codes relating to fire safety.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to contract with qualified cord blood stem cell banks to assist in the collection and maintenance of human cord blood to be made available for transplantation through the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program. Requires the Secretary to require that recipients of such contracts: (1) acquire and store donated units of human cord blood acquired with the informed consent of the donor in a manner that complies with applicable Federal and State regulations; and (2) make collected cord blood units available for stem cell transplantation or, if not appropriate for clinical use, available for peer-reviewed research. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to establish and maintain the Program to increase the number of transplants for recipients suitably matched to biologically unrelated donors of bone marrow and cord blood. Requires the Secretary to establish an Advisory Council to advise the Secretary on matters related to Program activities. Requires the Program to: (1) operate a system for identifying, matching, and facilitating the distribution of donated cord blood units; (2) allow transplant physicians, health care professionals, and patients to search by electronic means for available cord blood units; (3) support studies and demonstration and outreach projects for the purpose of increasing cord blood donation to ensure a genetically diverse collection of cord blood units; and (4) carry out information and educational activities for the purpose of increasing cord blood donation and promoting the availability of cord blood units as a transplant option. Requires the Secretary to establish and maintain a scientific database of outcome information relating to patients who have been recipients of stem cell therapeutics product from a biologically unrelated donor (replacing provisions establishing a bone marrow scientific registry).
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Martin Luther King, Jr., Records Collection Act of 2005 - Directs the National Archives to commence establishment of a collection of records to be known as the "Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Records Collection" at the National Archives. Requires the Archivist of the United States to enter into an agreement with an entity outside the National Archives for the establishment of a secondary location for copies of such part of the Collection as considered appropriate. Instructs the National Archives to ensure the security of the records in the Collection that qualify for postponement of public disclosure pursuant to this Act. Sets forth provisions for the: (1) review, identification, transmission to the National Archives, and public disclosure of records related to the life and assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by Government offices; and (2) postponement of public disclosure of related records or particular information in such records. Establishes the Martin Luther King Records Review Board. Provides for the appointment of an Executive Director to such Board. Sets forth requirements for the review of all assassination and related records for public disclosure or postponement of public disclosure by the Review Board. Grants Presidential authority over such disclosure or postponement of executive branch related records or information, or of any information in a related record obtained or developed solely within the executive branch.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Profiting from Access to Computer Technology (PACT) Act or the Child PACT Act - Directs each Federal agency to: (1) safeguard and identify potential educationally useful Federal equipment that it no longer needs or that has been declared surplus; and (2) transfer such equipment, either directly or through the General Services Administration (GSA), to educational recipients or nonprofit refurbishers.
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 · 23 May 2005
Tick Borne-Disorders Advisory Committee Act of 2005 - Establishes the Tick-Borne Disorders Advisory Committee in the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Directs the Committee to advise the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for Health regarding how to: (1) assure interagency coordination and communication in efforts to address tick-borne disorders; (2) identify opportunities to coordinate efforts with other federal agencies and private organizations; and (3) develop informed responses to constituency groups regarding HHS efforts and progress. Authorizes appropriations for FY2006-FY2007 to fund the Committee in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Authorizes appropriations for FY2006-FY2010 for: (1) research and educational activities concerning Lyme disease and other tick-borne disorders; and (2) efforts to prevent such illnesses. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should consider carrying out a five-year plan to: (1) develop a diagnostic test for Lyme disease and other tick-borne disorders for use in clinical testing; (2) determine the prevalence of such illnesses in the United States; and (3) develop the capabilities at HHS to design and implement improved strategies for the prevention and control of such illnesses.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2005
Foster Opportunities for Success Through Higher Education Reform - FOSTER Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish a program of foster care youth outreach and housing services. Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to institutions of higher education to provide: (1) technical assistance and supportive services to foster care youth who are prospective students to prepare for, enter, and remain in such institutions; and (2) basic housing during the regular academic school year, including interim housing during regular periods of dormitory closing other than summer break, for those foster care youth living in college dormitories. Requires program coordination with: (1) the John H. Chafee foster care independence program under the Social Security Act; and (2) TRIO and GEAR UP programs under HEA. Revises HEA financial need analysis to provide fair treatment for foster care youth. Provides, for foster care youth and other students with special circumstances, a simplified determination of independence and a tailoring of electronic applications.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2005
National Amusement Park Ride Safety Act of 2005 - Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to expand the definition of consumer product to include amusement rides permanently fixed to a site (thereby granting the Consumer Product Safety Commission jurisdiction over such rides).
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2005
Amends Federal civil service law to provide for the indexation of deferred annuities, including survivor annuities, under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS), and for individuals becoming subject to FERS by election. Terminates for remarriage before age 55 (currently remarriage at any age) a survivor's entitlement to an annuity based on the service of a deferred annuitant who dies before establishing a valid claim for annuity under CSRS (conforms with requirements under FERS).
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2005
Observes the memory of the fallen heroes of the Battle of Crete, and honors the living men and women of Crete who fought an oppressive invader to preserve freedom in World War II. Commends the PanCretan Association of America for preserving and promoting the history of Crete and its people.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2005
Recognizes the historical significance to the Nation, and supports the continued celebration, of Juneteenth Independence Day (June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved African Americans were free). Declares the sense of Congress that: (1) history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and solving the challenges of the future; and (2) the celebration of the end of slavery is an important and enriching part of the history and heritage of the United States.
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 · 18 May 2005
Crack-Cocaine Equitable Sentencing Act of 2005 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to eliminate specified mandatory minimum penalties relating to the trafficking in, and possession, importation, or distribution of, crack cocaine.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation Act - Prohibits any federal or state government agent from: (1) killing, hazing, or capturing any buffalo on federal land or land held under federal conservation easements; or (2) using any form of bait to lure buffalo from any federal land onto private land until specified duties are accomplished by the Secretary of the Interior and certain other federal agencies. Provides exceptions for: (1) legally-authorized, state-managed buffalo hunts; (2) hazing if a person is physically endangered or property is damaged; (3) National Park Service employees moving buffalo to address physical public safety threats; and (4) certain non-lethal federal research. Establishes criminal penalties and fines for violations of this Act. Sets forth duties of the the Secretary relating to grazing and other matters affecting the Yellowstone buffalo herd that must be accomplished within three years after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Expresses the sense of the House that the President should: (1) mobilize necessary economic and scientific support for the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise (an alliance of the world's leading scientists and independent organizations committed to accelerating the development of an HIV vaccine by enhancing coordination, information sharing, and collaboration globally); and (2) urge members of the Group of Eight (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) to garner support from their own communities for the development of an HIV vaccine. Calls for such countries to: (1) take further measures to explore and implement Enterprise initiatives; (2) leverage financial contributions from the international philanthropic community to provide funding to promote the development of an HIV vaccine; (3) include the scientific and political leadership of the countries most affected by the pandemic of HIV and AIDS; and (4) develop a plan for furthering such efforts prior to their June 2005 meeting. Urges the President to generate global support for the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise by carrying out an initiative that: (1) coordinates and partners with member countries, the private sector, and other countries; (2) encourages Group of Eight countries to act swiftly to mobilize resources; (3) includes a strategic plan to prioritize challenges to the development of an HIV vaccine, to coordinate research and product development, and to encourage greater use of information-sharing networks and technologies; (4) encourages the establishment of coordinated global HIV vaccine development centers; and (5) increases cooperation and communication among regulatory agencies on issues related to AIDS and HIV.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Calls for the adoption of a Sensible, Multilateral American Response to Terrorism (SMART) security platform for the 21st century that: (1) prevents future acts of terrorism by strengthening international institutions and respect for the rule of law; (2) reduces the threat and stops the spread of weapons of mass destruction and reduces the proliferation of conventional weapons; (3) addresses root causes of terrorism and violent conflict; (4) shifts U.S. budget priorities to more effectively meet U.S. security needs; and (5) pursues to the fullest extent alternatives to war.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Safe Communities and Safe Schools Mercury Reduction Act of 2005 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a grant program for projects to: (1) reduce free-flowing elemental mercury and mercury-added products from the environment; (2) safely dispose of or recycle mercury; (3) educate communities and citizens about mercury's harmful effects; (4) develop and carry out a plan for eliminating free-flowing mercury and instruments containing mercury from K-12 public and private schools; (5) carry out a mercury thermometer exchange program; or (6) facilitate the recovery, and safe disposal and management, of mercury-added components from automobiles. Directs the Administrator to encourage States to develop programs that facilitate the recovery and safe disposal and management of mercury-added component parts from automobiles when components are being replaced or removed from scrapped vehicles. Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to: (1) prohibit the sale or supplying of mercury fever thermometers to consumers except by prescription; and (2) require manufacturers of such prescribed thermometers to provide instructions on careful handling to avoid breakage and proper cleanup in the event of breakage. Requires contractors who replace building thermostats in residential or commercial buildings to dispose of replaced thermometers through recycling programs established or participated in by building thermostat manufacturers as required by this Act. Requires the Administrator to publish guidance to assist State and local governments in removing elemental free-flowing mercury and mercury-added instruments from public and private schools. Directs the Administrator to issue regulations requiring dentists to capture 90 percent or more of mercury-laden amalgam when administering amalgam to or recovering amalgam from patients. Sets forth considerations that such guidelines shall take into account.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
College 529 Invest in Education Savings for Tomorrow Act of 2005 - Makes permanent the provisions relating to qualified tuition programs enacted by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA).
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
Children's Access to Vision 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 · 12 May 2005
Meth-Endangered Children Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out demonstration projects to provide comprehensive services for children who have been removed from environments in which methamphetamine is unlawfully manufactured, distributed, or dispensed.
![Official portrait of Rep. Payne, Donald M. [D-NJ-10]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/p000149_200.jpg)