United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2006
Preserve Historic America Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the tax credit for rehabilitation of older and historic buildings by: (1) increasing from 20 to 25% the tax credit rate for certified historic structure rehabilitation expenditures; (2) permitting a building at least 50 years old to qualify for the rehabilitation tax credit (currently, a building must have been placed in service before 1936); (3) permitting qualified rehabilitated buildings to be used for lodging purposes; (4) limiting to 50% the basis reduction for buildings qualifying for the low-income housing and rehabilitation tax credits; (5) allowing an increased rehabilitation tax credit for certain buildings in difficult development areas or which qualify as small rehabilitation projects; (6) exempting tax credits for rehabilitation of certified historic structures from the calculation of the passive activity credit; and (7) permitting the assignment of rehabilitation tax credits. Allows a new tax credit for 20% of the cost of rehabilitating a qualified historic home. Defines "qualified historic home" as a certified historic structure which has been substantially rehabilitated and which is owned by the taxpayer and is or will be used as the taxpayer's principal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2006
Expresses supports for: (1) a national campaign to help all women, regardless of income, avoid unintended pregnancy and abortion through access to contraception; and (2) programs and policies that make it easier for women to obtain contraceptives and use them consistently and correctly.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2006
National Emergency Management Reform and Enhancement Act of 2006 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for the establishment within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of a Directorate of Emergency Management (DEM) (replacing the Directorate of Emergency Preparedness and Response). Requires DEM to be headed by an Under Secretary for Emergency Management and to include Deputy Under Secretaries for: (1) Emergency Preparedness and Mitigation; and (2) Emergency Response and Recovery. Directs the Under Secretary to serve as a Cabinet Officer during an Incident of National Significance. Establishes within DEM: (1) an Office of State, Local, and Tribal Government Coordination and an Office of Public and Community Preparedness; (2) a National Citizen Corps Council; (3) a National Incident Management System and National Response Plan Integration Center; and (4) a National Urban Search and Rescue Response System. Establishes in DHS Offices of Grants and Planning, Training and Exercises, Emergency Communications, Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity and Telecommunications. Establishes the Emergency Communications Preparedness Center. Directs the Secretary of DHS to: (1) regularly update, revise, or replace essential capabilities for state, local, and tribal government emergency preparedness; (2) require any state or urban area that applies for federal homeland security assistance to maintain a catastrophic emergency plan; (3) establish the National Advisory Council on Emergency Management, a System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders Program, a Homeland Security Education Program in the National Capital Region, a Prepositioned Equipment Program, and a National Asset Inventory Program; (4) develop an integrated national public alert and warning system; and (5) establish within DHS a Gulf Coast Long-Term Recovery Office. Redesignates the Directorate for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection as the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. Requires the Secretary to: (1) ensure that all programs within DEM administering federal assistance maintain proper internal management controls to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse; and (2) annually certify that such controls are in place. Provides for the establishment within DHS of a Deputy Inspector General for Response and Recovery.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2006
Department of Energy Contractor Employee Equitable Treatment Act of 2006 - Prohibits any funds from being expended to implement, administer, or enforce the guidance of the Department of Energy (DOE) relating to contractor employee pension and medical benefits policy. (DOE will no longer reimburse contractors for new employees' pension and medical costs under defined benefit plans, but will now reimburse only such costs under defined contribution, market-based plans that vary from the average cost of such market-based plans by no more than 5%.) Requires the Secretary of Energy to: (1) withdraw such guidance not later than one day after enactment of this Act; and (2) reinstate eligibility or reimbursement for benefits or reinstate reimbursement for benefits if the Secretary has acted on such guidance.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2006
Medicare Teaching Anesthesiology Funding Restoration Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) to set forth a special payment rule of 100% of the fee schedule amount for teaching anesthesiologists involved in the training of physician residents, if certain presence and availability requirements are met.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2006
Reform of National Security Reviews of Foreign Direct Investments Act - Amends the Defense Production Act of 1950 to direct the President, upon receiving written notification by any party involved of a possible merger, acquisition, or takeover which could result in foreign control of any person engaged in interstate commerce in the United States (covered transaction), or upon a motion of a member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), to review the covered transaction to determine whether it threatens to impair U.S. national security and whether such threat can be mitigated. Requires CFIUS, if it determines that the covered transaction is a foreign government-controlled transaction, to conduct its own investigation. Requires the President, in his investigation, to take necessary action to protect national security with respect to the covered transaction. Makes any review final and complete only after its findings and report are approved and signed by both the Secretaries of the Treasury and Homeland Security. Requires the Director of National Intelligence to carry out an analysis of the threat to national security of any covered transaction. Makes CFIUS a statutory committee under the Defense Production Act of 1950, with a revised membership. Requires the consideration, as additional factors in determining whether it should be investigated, of whether a covered transaction: (1) has a security-related impact on critical infrastructure; and (2) is a foreign government-controlled transaction. Authorizes CFIUS to: (1) negotiate, impose, and enforce any agreement or condition with any party to a covered transaction in order to mitigate any threat to national security; (2) track withdrawn notifications; and (3) monitor the enforcement of any agreements. Requires reports to Congress by the President and CFIUS concerning investigations of covered transactions.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2006
Expresses gratitude to Mrs. Deloris Jordan and the James Jordan Foundation for improving the lives of inner city youth in the United States and initiating a public-private collaborative to establish a women's and children's hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. Supports the current Nairobi Women's Hospital, including its operators, staff, and personnel, for its dedication and commitment to the residents of Nairobi. Encourages the development of the new Nairobi Women's Hospital to assist in the social development of Nairobi's health infrastructure and the economic development of the East Africa region.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2006
Library of Congress Employee Transition Assistance Act of 2006 - States that any employee of the Library of Congress who at any time before or after this Act's enactment has satisfactorily completed a probationary period with the Library under a nontemporary appointment acquires a competitive status for appointment to any position in the competitive service for which such employee possesses the required qualifications. Prohibits an employee who acquires a competitive status under this Act from being required to complete a probationary period upon appointment to a position in the competitive service. Treats a displaced Library of Congress employee as an employee of an executive department, government corporation, or independent establishment who is eligible for a special selection priority under the career transition assistance program for surplus and displaced federal employees administered by the Director of the Office Personnel Management (OPM). Defines such employees as certain employees, or former employees, of the Library of Congress who were separated from employment not more than 90 days prior to the date of the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2006
Access to Better Choice in Dialysis Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement a five-year pilot project to measure the impact of increasing the payment amount otherwise provided under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, based upon the provision of hemodialysis treatment more frequently than three times per week.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2006
Energy Fairness for America Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to terminate: (1) the tax deduction for oil and gas intangible drilling and development costs; (2) the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas wells; and (3) the tax credit for enhanced oil recovery costs. Repeals provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 relating to: (1) oil and gas royalties in-kind; (2) marginal property production incentives; (3) incentives for natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico; (4) royalty suspension for deep water production; (5) the inventory of Outer Continental Shelf oil and natural gas resources; (6) the ultra-deepwater and unconventional natural gas and other petroleum resources program; (7) Alaska offshore royalty suspension; (8) accelerated depreciation of electric transmission property, natural gas distribution lines, and natural gas gathering lines and expensing of liquid fuel refinery property; (9) the exemption of small oil refiners from limitations on the oil depletion allowance; and (10) two-year amortization of geological and geophysical expenditures. Requires certain large integrated oil companies to revalue their LIFO inventories of crude oil, natural gas, or other petroleum productions using a specified formula. Limits or denies the foreign tax credit and tax deferrals for dual capacity taxpayers (taxpayers receiving economic and tax benefits from certain foreign jurisdictions), foreign oil and gas income, and foreign oil and gas extraction income.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2006
Recognizes and honors the 30th Anniversary of the California victory at the 1976 Paris Wine Tasting and recognizes the historical significance of this event to the U.S. wine industry.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2006
Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize the Assistant Secretary for Aging to make grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations experienced in administering volunteer programs to provide $1,000 scholarships to older individuals who perform at least 600 hours of volunteer service with such agencies or organizations within a 12-month period. Allows the proration of such scholarships when an individual, due to compelling personal circumstances, cannot perform 600, but performs at least 300, hours of service within such period. Allows a scholarship recipient to designate another individual to use such scholarship.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2006
Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) extend the 2006 and 2007 initial enrollment periods for the Medicare prescription drug benefit; (2) suspend the late enrollment penalty through December 31, 2007; and (3) permit Medicare beneficiaries to change enrollment in a prescription drug plan during the first 12 months of enrollment. Prohibits a PDP sponsor, beginning with 2006, from removing a covered part D drug from the plan formulary, or imposing a restriction or limitation on the coverage of such a drug, other than at the beginning of each plan year, except as the Secretary may permit to take into account new therapeutic uses and newly covered part D drugs. Requires each PDP sponsor to furnish to each plan enrollee, at the time of each annual coordinated election period, a notice of any changes in the formulary or other part D drug coverage restrictions or limitations that will take effect for the upcoming plan year.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2006
Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 - Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to revise requirements for: (1) the use of election examiners and observers; (2) declaratory judgment on the issue of voting qualifications or standards intended to diminish the ability of U.S. citizens to elect preferred candidates; and (3) award of attorney fees in enforcement proceedings to include expert fees and other reasonable costs of litigation. Extends bilingual election requirements through August 5, 2032. Revises the requirements for determining states and political subdivisions covered by them to require use of 2010 American Community Survey census data. Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with respect to the prohibition against the use of tests or devices to deny the right to vote in any federal, state, or local election. Extends both the prohibition and the date for mandatory congressional reconsideration of it.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2006
Recognizes the 40th anniversary of Guyana's independence and extends best wishes to Guyana for peace and further progress, development, and prosperity.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2006
Recognizes that African American spirituals are a poignant and powerful genre of music that have become one of the most significant segments of American music in existence. Requests that the President issue a proclamation that reflects on the important contribution of African American spirituals to American history and that names the African American spiritual as a national treasure.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2006
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring) that: (1) Joey Cheek is a great American who espouses the principles of democracy and support for human rights; and (2) Joey Cheek represents the best that the United States has to offer in its citizenry through his accomplishments as an athlete and through his principles and respect for human life. Recognizes: (1) the difficulties the displaced and orphaned children of the Darfur region of Sudan encounter and supports the actions of Joey Cheek in bringing their suffering to the attention of the international community; and (2) the need to work with international partners to help bring an end to the ongoing genocide in Darfur and the suffering of children in Chad.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2006
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to eliminate adjustments in Medicare payments for imaging services made by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2006
Housing Choice Voucher Funding Fairness Act of 2006 - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to allocate certain funds for renewal of expiring annual contributions contracts for tenant-based rental assistance for each public housing agency (other than an agency with a special funding agreement under the Moving To Work demonstration program) based on the most recent leasing and cost data for certain funding cycles. Prescribes implementation guidelines, including agency reserves for housing choice vouchers. Requires the Secretary to provide to Congress and make publicly available specified budget information. Sets forth guidelines for maximized leasing that prohibit the Secretary from: (1) taking into consideration the extent to which the number of families assisted in the preceding year by an agency exceeded the authorized level; or (2) establishing or enforcing any limitation on the number of families, vouchers, or units or unit-months that may be assisted with amounts provided for tenant-based rental assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2006
Diabetes Prevention Access and Care Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to: (1) conduct, coordinate, and support research and other activities with respect to pre-diabetes and diabetes in minority populations; and (2) conduct and support programs to treat diabetes in minority populations. Requires the Director of NIH, through the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, to provide for: (1) health care professionals' mentoring; and (2) minority health professionals' participation in diabetes-focused research programs. Directs the Diabetes Mellitus Interagency Coordinating Committee to develop and implement a federal plan to address diabetes mellitus within communities of color. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) conduct and support research and other activities with respect to diabetes in minority populations; (2) direct the Division of Diabetes Translation to conduct and support programs to educate the public on diabetes in minority populations; and (3) carry out diabetes health promotion and prevention programs for minority populations. Directs the Secretary to carry out: (1) education and awareness programs designed to increase participation of minority populations in clinical trials; and (2) mentorship programs for minority researchers who are conducting research on diabetes in minority populations. Provides for studies on the shortage of adult and pediatric endocrinologists specializing in diabetes and on outcomes of minority children with diabetes compared to non-minority children.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2006
Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act - Establishes an Unsolved Crimes Section in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and an Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Investigative Office in the Civil Rights Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Requires the Chief of the Section (Chief) and the Chief Investigator of the Office to be responsible for investigating violations of criminal civil rights statutes in which the complaint alleges that such a violation occurred not later than December 31, 1969, and resulted in a death. Requires the Chief Investigator to refer complaints determined to have violated a criminal rights statute to the Chief, who shall be responsible for prosecuting such violations. Requires the Chief to: (1) consult with state or local officials regarding the appropriate venue for a case where there has been a violation of a criminal civil rights statute that is also a violation of a state or local law; and (2) refer cases to the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division if the Chief determines that the subject of the complaint has violated a criminal civil rights statute but the violation does not meet the requirements for the Unsolved Crimes Section. Requires the Chief, annually, to determine and report on the cases under his or her jurisdiction for which there is sufficient evidence to prosecute violations of criminal civil rights statutes. Authorizes additional appropriations to the Community Relations Service of DOJ to provide technical assistance by bringing together law enforcement agencies and communities in the investigation of criminal civil rights statutes.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2006
Health Centers Renewal Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for FY2007-FY2011 for health centers to meet the health care needs of medically underserved populations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2006
Fair and Speedy Treatment (FAST) of Medicare Prescription Drug Claims Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require prompt payment of clean claims to pharmacies by prescription drug plans (PDPs) and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans (MA-PD Plans). Defines prompt payment as within 14 calendar days from submission for claims submitted electronically, and within 30 calendar days for claims submitted otherwise. Requires payment of interest, also, if a payment is not issued, mailed, or otherwise transmitted within the applicable number of calendar days. Makes it unlawful for a PDP sponsor of a prescription drug plan to display on the prescription drug card the name, brand, or trademark (co-branding) of any pharmacy. Requires each PDP sponsor to charge not less than the minimum dispensing fee, $14, adjusted annually for inflation, for generic covered Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drugs. Revises requirements for a covered medication therapy management service, allowing it to be furnished by a health care provider, other than a pharmacist, with advanced training in medication management. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to specify: (1) the population of part D eligible individuals appropriate for services under a medication therapy management program, based on certain characteristics; and (2) a minimum defined package of medication therapy management services that shall be provided to each enrollee. Revises requirements for pharmacy fees. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a two-year demonstration program to examine the impact of medication therapy management furnished by a pharmacist in a community-based or ambulatory-based setting on quality of care, spending, and patient health; and (2) a Best Practices Commission to develop a best practices model for medication therapy management.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Earning and Living Opportunities Act - Amends the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 to set forth as a condition of federal housing and community development assistance that: (1) a public or Indian housing agency or contractor shall require that at least 20% of employee hours be performed by low- or very low-income persons; and (2) a recipient of assistance for housing rehabilitation, construction, or other public construction projects and their contractors shall require that at least 20% of new employee hours be performed by low- or very low-income persons. Directs the Secretary to require a public or Indian housing agency and other recipients of federal housing and community development assistance to: (1) establish a section 3 committee of interested parties to oversee all aspects of compliance with section 3 of such Act; (2) advertise training and employment opportunities generated by development assistance; and (3) maintain a registry of eligible low- and very low-income persons who express interest in those opportunities. Prescribes requirements for: (1) contractor compliance and job training; and (2) agency recruitment and referral. Establishes fines for noncompliance.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006 - States as the purpose of this Act the establishment of the Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative to identify, protect, and enhance sites within the Long Island Sound ecosystem with significant ecological, educational, open space, public access, or recreational value through a bi-state network of sites. Establishes the Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative Region within Connecticut and New York. Establishes the Long Island Sound Stewardship Advisory Committee, which shall: (1) identify 20 initial Long Island Sound stewardship sites; (2) recommend an equal distribution of funds between Connecticut and New York for the initial sites (authorizes site owners to apply to have the sites identified as stewardship sites); (3) identify additional recreation areas and natural areas with ecological value as potential stewardship sites; (4) publish a list of sites that further the purposes of this Act; (5) apply an adaptive management framework to the process of updating the list; and (6) report annually on recommended sites and recommended grants for securing and improving sites. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to review the Committees recommendations, approve stewardship sites, award grants, and report annually on the Initiative. States that nothing in this Act requires private property owners located within the Region to participate in the Initiative.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Eastern Sierra Rural Heritage and Economic Enhancement Act - Designates as wilderness areas and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System certain lands in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which shall be deemed part of the Hoover Wilderness and Emigrant Wilderness. Authorizes appropriations for management and enforcement of snowmobile use on such lands. Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate specified segments of the the Amargosa River, California, as a component of the national wild and scenic rivers system.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2006 - Amends the National Housing Act to: (1) modify guidelines governing the maximum principal loan obligation; (2) extend the mortgage term; and (3) revise requirements for cash payment by the mortgagor in the eligibility criteria for mortgage insurance. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Secretary) to establish a mortgage insurance premium structure involving a single premium payment collected prior to the insurance of the mortgage that may vary during the mortgage term as long as the basis for determining the variable rate is established before the execution of the mortgage. Permits the Secretary to insure any mortgage covering a one-family unit in a condominium project if the project has a certain blanket mortgage insured by the Secretary. Revises requirements for the Mutual Mortgage Insurance (MMI) Fund. Sets limitations upon the Secretary's authority to enter into commitments for loan guarantees. Makes insurance of a Native Hawaiian or Indian reservation mortgage the obligation of the MMI Fund (instead of the General Insurance Fund). Eliminates the limitation placed upon the aggregate number of home equity conversion mortgages insured under the Act. Authorizes the Secretary to insure a home equity conversion mortgage when its primary purpose is to enable an elderly mortgagor to purchase a 1-to 4 family dwelling in which the mortgagor will occupy one of the units. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements to insure temporarily certain mortgages for a single family residence located within a presidentially declared major disaster area.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
American Dream Act - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to such state residence. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who: (1) entered the United States prior to his or her sixteenth birthday, and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; and (4) at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education, or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma. Sets forth the conditions for conditional permanent resident status. Authorizes an alien who has satisfied the appropriate requirements prior to enactment of this Act to petition the Secretary for conditional permanent resident status. Sets forth requirements respecting: (1) exclusive jurisdiction; (2) confidentiality; (3) fee prohibitions; (4) higher education assistance; and (5) a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report respecting the number of aliens adjusted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the income-related increase in Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) premiums that was enacted as part of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, as amended by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Equal Access to Social Security Act of 2006 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to provide for entitlement to dependents' and survivors' benefits under the OASDI program based on permanent partnership as well as marriage. Provides for: (1) determination of permanent partner status; and (2) lump sum death payments for surviving permanent partners.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal to the next of kin or personal representative of each passenger or crew member on board United Airlines Flight 93 who is identified by the Attorney General as having aided in the effort to resist the hijackers on board the plane, in recognition of heroic service to the Nation. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions. Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such gold medal. Declares such medals to be national medals. Requires that proceeds from the sale of duplicate bronze medals be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Tax Equity for Children and the Working Poor Act of 2006 - Repeals provisions of the Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004 and the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005 relating the the uniform definition of child. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise eligibility rules for dependent children for purposes of the tax exemption for dependents, the child tax credit, and the earned income tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Recognizes the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans).
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Honors: (1) Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African-American nurse, for an outstanding nursing career and exemplary contributions to professional nursing organizations; and (2) other African-American nurses who practice nursing with distinction. Expresses support for: (1) the goals and activities of National Nurses Week; and (2) the strategies of the American Nurses Association to counteract the shortage of nurses.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Expresses the sense of Congress that it: (1) recognizes the importance of preserving the constitutional right to vote of citizens displaced by Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters or states of emergency; and (2) asserts that every election in Louisiana must be fair, free, transparent, and satisfy the requirements of the Voting Rights Act. Encourages the state of Louisiana and the Department of Justice to establish satellite voting outside the state of Louisiana for the New Orleans elections scheduled for April 22, 2006.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2006
Medicare Drug Formulary Protection Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit removal of covered part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drugs from a prescription drug plan formulary, or imposition of a restriction or limitation on the coverage of such a drug, during the plan year: (1) except at the beginning; or (2) for an individual enrollee, from the date of enrollment until December 31 of the immediately succeeding plan year. Specifies exceptions to such prohibition. Requires an annual notice to enrollees of changes in formulary and other restrictions or limitations on coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2006
Henry J. Hyde Scholarships for Haiti Act of 2006 - Directs the President, acting through the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, to provide undergraduate scholarships, in the form of student loans followed by loan forgiveness, to needy Haitian students who, upon completion of their studies in the United States, promptly return to Haiti for a period at least one year longer than the duration of such scholarships. Authorizes appropriations for FY2007-FY2009. Reserves a specified minimum amount of certain authorized development assistance appropriations under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for literacy and basic education programs in Haiti. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President, acting through the Director of the Peace Corps, should make available again to the Government of Haiti qualified Peace Corps volunteers who would serve under hardship conditions to: (1) assist the people of Haiti to improve literacy rates and meet other basic needs so that they can become economically self-sufficient; and (2) promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and of Haiti. Urges the President to: (1) design a program to match scholarship contributions from private and public sectors in either country; (2) seek to engage domestic and international businesses in Haiti to maximize the opportunities of returning scholarship recipients for the development of Haiti; and (3) provide the scholarships through existing scholarship programs, such as the Cooperative Association of States for Scholarships program.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2006
Trade Preference Extension and Expansion Act of 2006 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Program from December 31, 2006, through December 31, 2007. Amends the Andean Trade Preference Act to extend from December 31, 2006, through December 31, 2007 the duty-free treatment or other preferential treatment for beneficiary countries under the Act. Amends the African Growth and Opportunity Act to change from mandatory to discretionary the authority of the President to terminate the designation of an eligible beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for failing to continue compliance with such Act. Requires the President to notify Congress, and allows him to proceed with termination only if Congress fails to prohibit it. Authorizes the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to provide grants to U.S. nongovernmental organizations and private sector representatives to host the annual United States-Sub-Saharan African Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum. Amends the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to revise the designation for preferential treatment of apparel articles wholly assembled in one or more beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries from certain regional fabric or yarns. Specifies for such duty-free treatment apparel articles that are both cut (or knit-to-shape) and sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more such countries. Directs the President to develop a comprehensive plan addressing specified issues to promote economic reforms and development in sub-Saharan Africa. Requires the President to establish additional duty-free access for beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries for agricultural products governed by current tariff-rate quotas. Authorizes the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to make grants to governmental and nongovernmental entities in beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries that can provide assistance, consultation, and equipment to local agribusinesses to enable their products to meet U.S. import requirements. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to direct the Foreign Agriculture Service to work with national African agricultural organizations to identify needs and implement programs that strengthen member ability to fulfill these needs in conjunction with export credit guarantee programs. Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to specify the use of resources of the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation to encourage industrial and agricultural development in beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries. Expresses the sense of Congress for USAID technical assistance in development of domestic tax policies in such countries to replace lost trade tax revenues resulting from trade liberalization. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury and the USTR to seek negotiations with such countries for income tax treaties and bilateral investment agreements, respectively, with the United States. Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to sub-Saharan Africa development and trade capacity. Requires U.S. infrastructure and industry-building assistance needed for sustainable economic development of sub-Saharan Africa. Sets forth the sense of Congress regarding the October 2005 election of Ms. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as President of Liberia.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2006
Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to hire additional full-time non-supervisory import specialists of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection so that the number of such specialists during FY2007 and each subsequent fiscal year is at least 1,080. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Secretary to certify to specified congressional committees, annually, that this requirement has been met.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2006
Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act - Prohibits a person from carrying out a demonstration: (1) at a cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration or at Arlington National Cemetery, unless the demonstration has been approved by the cemetery superintendent or director; or (2) within 500 feet of a cemetery at which a funeral or memorial service is to be held, for a period beginning 60 minutes before and ending 60 minutes after the funeral or service, if such demonstration includes any individual making noise or a diversion that disturbs the peace or good order of the funeral or service. Amends the federal criminal code to provide criminal penalties for violations of such prohibitions. Expresses the sense of Congress that each state should enact legislation to restrict demonstrations near any military funeral.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2006
Cesar Estrada Chavez Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete a special resource study to determine: (1) appropriate methods for preserving and interpreting certain sites in Arizona, California, and other states that are significant to the life of Cesar Estrada Chavez and the farm labor movement in the western United States; and (2) whether any of the sites meets the criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places or designation as a national historic landmark.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2006
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to repeal the amendments made by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 requiring documentation evidencing citizenship or nationality as a condition for receipt of medical assistance under the Medicaid program.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2006
Elder Justice Act - Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new title XXII (Elder Justice) to establish: (1) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Office of Elder Justice (OEJ); (2) within the Office of the Secretary the Elder Justice Coordinating Council to make recommendations to the Secretary and the Attorney General for the coordination of activities of HHS, the Department of Justice, and other relevant federal, state, local, and private agencies and entities, relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation and other crimes against elders; and (3) the Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation. Prescribes requirements for uniform collection, maintenance, and dissemination of national data relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including an Elder Justice Resource Center in OEJ. Authorizes the HHS Secretary to award grants for: (1) prevention of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (2) five Centers of Excellence nationwide specializing in research, clinical practice, and training relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (3) six diverse communities to examine various types of elder shelters and test various models for establishing safe havens; (4) nonprofit organizations and faith-based organizations to establish or continue volunteer programs focusing on the issues of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, or providing related services; and (5) various multidisciplinary elder justice activities. Provides for: (1) reporting to law enforcement of crimes occurring in federally-funded long-term care facilities; (2) revising the quality of long-term care; and (3) increasing consumer information about long-term care, including an HHS long-term care consumer clearinghouse. Amends: (1) the Older Americans Act of 1965 with respect to the long-term care ombudsman program; (2) part A (General Provisions) of SSA title XI to establish an adult protective services grant program; (3) SSA titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) to assure safety of residents when nursing facilities close; and (4) part E (Miscellaneous) to apply skilled nursing facility preventive abuse requirements to long-term care facilities and providers. Establishes within the Department of Justice an Office of Elder Justice. Authorizes the Attorney General to award: (1) victim advocacy grants; and (2) grants for specified support to local and state prosecutors handling elder justice-related cases. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for a long-term care facility worker employment tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2006
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 100 Pitcher Street in Utica, New York, as the "Captain George A. Wood Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2006
Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2006 - States that Congress reaffirms the inherent authority of the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to call, and hereby expressly authorizes the calling of, a constitutional convention through the election of delegates for the purpose of establishing a mechanism for self-determination. Provides that, upon the approval by a constitutional convention in the Commonwealth of a self-determination option, the convention shall submit a self-determination proposal to Congress for approval. Requires submission of the proposal, upon approval by Congress with or without modifications, to the people of the Commonwealth for appoval or rejection in a referendum. Requires enactment of a joint resolution of Congress approving the terms of the proposal, including implementing provisions, if the people of Puerto Rico approve the proposal in the referendum. Provides that, if a self-determination proposal is not approved by Congress or by the people of Puerto Rico in a referendum, the Government of the Commonwealth should call for a new constitutional convention, including an election by the people of Puerto Rico of new delegates to the convention, for the purpose of formulating and submitting to Congress a new self-determination proposal.
![Official portrait of Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-15]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000053_200.jpg)