United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005
Recognizes the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima. Recognizes and commends the members of the U.S. Marine Corps and other U.S. Armed Forces who participated in such Battle, especially those who gave their lives there.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2005
Makes technical corrections to provisions of Titles 10 (Armed Forces), 23 (Highways), 28 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure), 36 (Patriotic and National Observances, Ceremonies and Organizations), and 40 (Public Buildings, Property, and Works) of the United States Code.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2005
Continuity in Representation Act of 2005 - Amends Federal law concerning the election of Senators and Representatives to require States to hold special elections to fill vacancies in the House of Representatives within 45 days after a vacancy is announced by the Speaker of the House in the extraordinary circumstance that vacancies in representation from the States exceed 100. Waives the 45-day requirement if a regularly scheduled general election for the office involved is to be held at any time within a 75-day period beginning on the date of the vacancy announcement. Permits the political parties of a State that are authorized to nominate candidates by State law to each nominate one candidate to run in the special election not later than ten days after the Speaker announces that the vacancy exists. Sets forth requirements for judicial review of any action which is brought for declaratory or injunctive relief to challenge an announcement made under this Act. Requires a final decision in an action to be made within three days of filing of such action. Makes a final decision non-reviewable. Provides that in conducting a special election under this Act to fill a vacancy in its representation, the State is required to ensure to the greatest extent practicable (including through the use of electronic means) that absentee ballots for election are transmitted to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters not later than 15 days after the Speaker of the House announces that the vacancy exists. Provides that in the case of an individual who is an absent uniformed services voter or an overseas voter, a State is required to accept and process any otherwise valid ballot or other election material from the voter so long as the ballot or other material is received by the appropriate State election official not later than 45 days after the State transmits the ballot or other material to the voter.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2005
Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 with respect to national dairy market loss payments to extend, by two years, program sign-up and contract periods.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2005
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that judicial interpretations of the U.S. Constitution should not be based on judgments, laws, or pronouncements of foreign institutions unless such judgments, laws, or pronouncements inform an understanding of the original meaning of the Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2005
Great Lakes Restoration Act of 2005 - Establishes the Great Lakes Advisory Board to: (1) develop a biennial comprehensive Great Lakes management plan; (2) coordinate Great Lakes restoration efforts; and (3) implement a public awareness campaign. Establishes a scientific working group to evaluate the scientific integrity of the Great Lakes restoration effort and assist the Board in its decisionmaking. Requires the management plan to be submitted to the President, appropriate congressional committees, the governor of each Great Lakes State, and the Great Lakes mayors. Includes as possible Great Lakes ecosystem goals: (1) the cleanup of toxic hot spots; (2) the elimination of invasive species; (3) decreased pollution from nonpoint sources and the elimination of all forms of toxic deposition; (4) the restoration and conservation of wetlands and critical coastal habitat; (5) the elimination of dead zones caused by hypoxia and harmful algal bloom; (6) the sustainable use and management of Great Lakes water resources; and (7) public participation in Great Lakes restoration. Requires each Great Lakes State to have in effect a State Great Lakes Management Plan, approved by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and updated every two years, in order to be eligible for assistance apportionments authorized under this Act. Provides apportioned funding to Great Lakes States for restoration activities. Authorizes the Administrator to appoint a special master to direct the remediation of an area of concern.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2005
Fair Care for the Uninsured Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable tax credit for health insurance paid for the benefit of a taxpayer, his spouse, and dependents (no more than two). Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make advance payments of credit amounts to the provider of the taxpayer's health insurance. Requires each health insurer, health maintenance organization, and health service organization to participate in a State-established health insurance safety net to assure the availability of health insurance to uninsurable individuals. Funds such safety nets through assessments against such insurers and organizations. Permits such insurers and organizations to add the costs of such assessments to the costs of their insurance or coverage. Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow health benefits coverage through individual membership associations (IMAs). Sets forth IMA requirements, including that the IMA be an organization operated under the direction of an association and that IMA health benefits coverage only be provided through contracts with health insurance issuers. Requires IMAs to include a minimum of two health insurance coverage options.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2005
Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 - Amends Federal bankruptcy law governing: (1) conversion of bankruptcy petitions; (2) abusive creditor practices; (3) domestic support obligations; (4) consumer protections, including protection of personally identifiable information; (5) measures to discourage bankruptcy abuse, including reduction of the homestead exemption for fraud; (6) guidelines for general and small business bankruptcies, including appointment of a committee of retired employees; (7) bankruptcy data dissemination and bankruptcy tax provisions; (8) ancillary and other cross-border cases to incorporate the Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency; and (9) financial contracts and transfers entered into with an insolvent insured depository institution before its conservatorship or receivership. Reenacts Chapter 12, Adjustment of Debts of a Family Farmer with Regular Annual Income. Brings family fishermen within the purview of Federal bankruptcy protection. Prescribes guidelines for insolvent health care businesses and related patients' rights. Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Judicial Code to mandate appointments for additional temporary bankruptcy judgeships in designated States. Prescribes additional consumer credit disclosures, including open end credit plans and introductory rates.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2005
First Amendment Restoration Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to repeal: (1) a requirement that persons making disbursements for electioneering communications file reports on such disbursements with the Federal Election Commission; (2) a prohibition against the making of disbursements for electioneering communications by corporations and labor organizations; and (3) a provision treating coordinated communications as contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act - Prohibits new and dismisses pending civil actions by any person against a manufacturer or seller of food or a trade association for any injury resulting from a person's consumption of food and weight gain, obesity, or any associated health condition, excluding actions alleging: (1) a knowing and willful violation of a Federal or State statute applicable to the manufacturing, marketing, distribution, advertisement, labeling, or sale of food where the violation was a proximate cause of injury related to a person's weight gain, obesity, or related health condition; (2) a breach of express contract or express warranty in connection with the purchase of food; or (3) a violation under the Federal Trade Commission Act or the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Requires, in any action alleging such a violation of an applicable Federal or State statute or a breach of express contract or express warranty: (1) a stay of discovery during the pendency of any motion to dismiss, unless necessary to preserve evidence or to prevent undue prejudice; and (2) document preservation during the stay. Requires the complaint in an action alleging such a violation of an applicable statute to plead with particularity the Federal and State statutes that were allegedly violated and the facts that are alleged to have proximately caused the injury claimed.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Milk Import Tariff Equity Act - Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to impose tariff-rate quotas (quantitative import limits) and provide various duty rates on certain casein, caseinates, milk protein concentrate, and other casein derivatives and glues imported into the United States (except imports from Mexico). Authorizes the President to: (1) enter into a trade agreement with a foreign country to grant new concessions as compensation in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions; and (2) proclaim any necessary modification or continuance of any existing duty, or continuance of existing duty-free or excise treatment, or any quantitative limitation. Sets forth certain limits on the reduction of duties on such products.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for establishment and governance of association health plans (AHPs), which are group health plans whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations, and which meet certain ERISA certification requirements. (Thus, through ERISA preemption of State laws, certified AHPs are exempted from State regulation of health insurance providers, including State consumer protection laws and State requirements for health care benefits to be offered by such entities, with certain exceptions.)
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services: (1) to develop and implement a National Arthritis Action Plan; and (2) acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct, support, and promote the coordination of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases research. Requires the Secretary to award grants to: (1) support arthritis-specific research projects at the Centers for Prevention Research by the CDC; (2) support State comprehensive arthritis control and prevention programs and public health surveillance, prevention, and control activities; and (3) assist in the implementation of a national strategy for arthritis control and prevention. Requires the Secretary to coordinate a national education and outreach program on arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Requires the Secretary to establish an Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee to: (1) improve coordination of Federal research activities related to arthritis and rheumatic diseases; and (2) convene a summit to provide a detailed overview of such current Federal research. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand and intensify juvenile arthritis research. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to support juvenile arthritis data collection. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to support the development of a National Juvenile Arthritis Patient Registry. Requires the Secretary to promote and support pediatric rheumatology training, including by allowing the Secretary to establish a loan repayment program. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on the economic impact of arthritis in the workplace.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal judicial code to specify the calculation of contingent and other attorney's fees in proposed class action settlements that provide for the award of coupons to class members. Prohibits a Federal district court from approving: (1) a proposed coupon settlement absent a finding that the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate; (2) a proposed settlement involving payments to class counsel that would result in a net monetary loss to class members, absent a finding that the loss is substantially outweighed by nonmonetary benefits; (3) a proposed settlement that provides greater sums to some class members solely because they are closer geographically to the court; or (4) a proposed settlement that provides for the payment of a greater share of the award to a class representative versus other class members. Grants district courts original jurisdiction of any civil action in which the matter in controversy exceeds $5 million, exclusive of interest and costs, and that is between citizens of different States or between citizens of a State and a foreign State or its citizens or subjects. Lists those factors pursuant to which a district court may decline to exercise jurisdiction over a class action. Sets forth provisions governing the removal of interstate class actions to Federal district court and the review on appeal of remand orders. Grants the Federal courts of appeals jurisdiction to hear appeals of class action certification orders if notice of appeal is filed within 10 days of entry of such an order. Requires discovery and other proceedings to be stayed during the pendency of an appeal unless the court finds that specific discovery is necessary to preserve evidence or to prevent undue prejudice.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2005
Small Business Healthcare Savings Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to repeal the requirement that each health insurance issuer in the small group market in a State must accept every small employer in the State that applies for such coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $500 for the purchase of a qualified hearing aid for an individual who is either: (1) age 55 or older; or (2) is claimed as a dependent of the taxpayer.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Education Improvement Tax Cut Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a tax credit up to $3,000 per year for contributions to a school tuition organization which distributes at least 90 percent of its annual gross income for elementary and secondary school scholarships; and (2) a tax credit up to $3,000 per year for contributions to a school materials organization which distributes at least 90 percent of its annual gross income to elementary and secondary schools for instructional materials and equipment and for materials and equipment for extracurricular activities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005 - Amends Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Signing of Pleadings, Motions, and Other Papers; Representations to Court; Sanctions) to: (1) require courts to impose sanctions on attorneys, law firms, or parties who file frivolous lawsuits (currently discretionary); (2) disallow the withdrawal or correction of pleadings to avoid Rule 11 sanctions; (3) require courts to award parties prevailing on Rule 11 motions reasonable expenses and attorney's fees, if warranted; (4) authorize courts to impose Rule 11 sanctions that include reimbursement of a party's reasonable litigation costs in connection with frivolous lawsuits; and (5) make the discovery phase of litigation subject to Rule 11 sanctions. Makes Rule 11 applicable to state civil actions where the court determines, upon motion, that the action affects interstate commerce. Requires personal injury claims (defined to exclude class actions) filed in State or Federal court to be filed in the county or Federal district in which: (1) the person bringing the claim resides at the time of filing or resided at the time of the alleged injury; (2) the alleged injury or circumstances giving rise to the claim occurred; or (3) the defendant's principal place of business is located. Directs the trial court to determine which county or Federal district is the most appropriate forum in those situations where the alleged injury occurred in more than one county or district.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
REAL ID Act of 2005 - Amends Immigration and Nationality Act provisions concerning asylum to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security, in addition to the Attorney General, to grant asylum; (2) require asylum applicants to prove that race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion was or will be (if removed) the central reason for their persecution; and (3) provide that an applicant's testimony may be sufficient to sustain this burden of proof only if the trier of fact determines that it is credible, persuasive, and fact-specific. Gives the trier of fact discretion to require corroborating evidence. Lists factors relevant to credibility determinations in asylum cases. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive laws as necessary to ensure expeditious construction of certain barriers and roads at the U.S. border. Expands grounds of inadmissibility and deportability due to terrorist or terrorist-related activity. Modifies the provision defining "engage in terrorist activity" to eliminate the possibility of discretionary waivers of inadmissibility for material support of organizations or individuals that have engaged in terrorist activity. Expands the definition of "terrorist organization." Prohibits Federal agencies from accepting State issued driver's licenses or identification cards unless such documents are determined by the Secretary to meet minimum security requirements. Sets forth issuance standards for such documents that require: (1) evidence that the applicant is lawfully present in the United States; and (2) issuance of temporary driver's licenses or identification cards to persons temporarily present that are valid only for their period of authorized stay (or for one year where the period of stay is indefinite). Authorizes the Secretary to impose additional requirements. Requires States, as a condition of receiving financial assistance, to participate in the interstate compact regarding the sharing of driver's license data. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to States to assist them in conforming to the document standards of this Act. Repeals overlapping provisions of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Hope Plus Scholarship Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include qualified elementary and secondary education expenses within the definition of the term qualified tuition and related expenses for purposes of the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Family Education Freedom Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit of up to $3,000 per student per year for the cost of attendance at any educational institution (including any private, parochial, religious, or home school) organized to provide elementary or secondary education, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2005 - Exempts provisions expanding the adoption tax credit and adoption assistance programs enacted by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 from the general terminating (sunset) provisions of that Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Individual Investment Account Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an individual taxpayer a tax deduction from gross income (whether or not the taxpayer itemizes deductions) for cash contributions to an individual investment account. Permits tax free distributions up to $15,000 from such accounts for the purchase of a principal residence by a first-time homebuyer. Allows an annual inflation adjustment to the $15,000 limit beginning in 2006. Excludes individual investment accounts from the calculation of the gross estate for estate tax purposes. Excludes from gross income gain from the sale of a principal residence if such gain is reinvested in an individual investment account.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2005
Iran Freedom Support Act - States that: (1) U.S. sanctions, controls, and regulations relating to weapons of mass destruction with respect to Iran shall remain in effect until the President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that Iran has permanently and verifiably dismantled its weapons of mass destruction programs and has committed to combating such weapons' proliferation; and (2) such certification shall have no effect on other sanctions relating to Iranian support of international terrorism. Amends the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996 to: (1) eliminate mandatory sanction provisions respecting Libya; (2) impose mandatory sanctions on a person or entity that aids Iran acquire or develop weapons of mass destruction or destabilizing types and numbers of conventional weapons; (3) revise multilateral regime reporting requirements, including provisions respecting sanctions on individuals aiding Iranian petroleum development; (4) enlarge the scope of sanctionable entities; and (5) eliminate the sunset provision. Authorizes the President to provide financial and political assistance to eligible foreign and domestic individuals and groups that support democracy in Iran and that are opposed to the Government of Iran. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should appoint a special assistant on Iranian matters; (2) contacts should be expanded with democratic Iranian opposition groups; and (3) the President should designate at least one such eligible group within 90 days of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2005
Condemns the consistent pattern of gross human rights violations by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic. Calls on the international community to adopt a resolution at the upcoming session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on Human Rights which details the dismal human rights record of Syria. Expresses congressional support for the Syrian people in their struggle for freedom, respect for human rights and civil liberties, democratic self-governance, and the establishment of the rule of law. Encourages the President and the Secretary of State to assist dissidents, human rights activists, and the nonviolent democratic opposition in Syria. Urges the adoption and pursuit of these and other policies to seek a democratic government in Syria that will: (1) bring freedom to the Syrian people; (2) cease the illegal Syrian occupation of the Lebanese Republic; (3) abandon Syrian support for terrorism; (4) not pursue development or transfer of biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons, and permit international observers to verify such assurances; and (5) live in peace and security with the international community.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to mint and issue: (1) ten dollar gold coins; (2) five dollar gold coins; (3) one dollar silver coins; and (4) half-dollar silver coins emblematic of the 50 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of NASA and JPL. Directs each Federal agency and U.S. instrumentality that has in its possession any craft or any part of a craft that flew in space to: (1) retrieve any gold, silver, copper, and other precious metal that may be used in the production of any coins under this Act from such craft or part; and (2) deposit such metals with the Director of the United States Mint. Requires that all sales of coins minted under this Act include a surcharge of : (1) $75 per coin for the ten dollar coin; (2) $35 per coin for the five dollar coin; (3) $10 per coin for the one dollar coin; and (4) $3 for the half-dollar coin, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the NASA Family Assistance Fund for the purposes of providing financial assistance to the families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries suffered in the performance of their official duties.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Social Security Protection Act of 2005 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to require inclusion of encrypted machine-readable electronic identification strips on Social Security cards. Requires the Commissioner of Social Security to: (1) develop the strip in a manner that enables employers to access the Employment Eligibility Database (EED) established by this Act; and (2) transmit to the Secretary of Homeland Security necessary information from an individual's application for a Social Security card or number (as determined by the Secretary) for inclusion in the EED. Directs the Secretary to establish and maintain the EED. Requires the EED to include data on the citizenship status and work and residency eligibility of noncitizens authorized to work in the United States. Restricts access to EED information. Prohibits individuals from commencing employment with a U.S. employer absent a Social Security card that meets the requirements of this Act and presentation of such card to the employer. Prohibits employers from hiring individuals absent verification of identity and work authorization. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) assess penalties against employers who knowingly hire unauthorized workers or fail to comply with verification procedures; and (2) bring civil actions against those who fail to pay assessments or otherwise violate this Act. Establishes criminal penalties for such violations. Mandates integration of Border Patrol and Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint databases. States that nothing in this Act shall be construed to establish a national identification card.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Citizens and Legal Immigration Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to bar inadmissible arriving aliens from seeking judicial review of removal orders through habeas corpus, mandamus, or other extraordinary petitions. Imposes a similar bar on denials of discretionary relief and orders against criminal aliens with an exception for petitions for review concerning constitutional claims or pure questions of law. Establishes the INA's judicial review provisions as the sole avenue for challenging removal orders and reviewing claims arising under the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Renames the basic employment eligibility verification pilot program established under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 as the Employment Eligibility Verification System. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide for permanent nationwide implementation of the System. Requires entities hiring individuals for employment in the United States to participate in such System. Phases in compliance requirements over a seven-year period according to the number of persons employed by the entity. Establishes sanctions for noncompliance. Provides for voluntary participation by entities not required to participate.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Health Care Freedom of Choice Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the tax deduction for medical expenses without the gross income percentage limitation.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Health Insurance Affordability Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a deduction from gross income for premiums paid under a high deductible health plan by an individual eligible for a deduction for amounts paid into a health savings account, for months when such taxpayer is not covered under any other plan.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that American small businesses are entitled to a Small Business Bill of Rights which includes the right to: (1) join together to purchase affordable employee health insurance; (2) tax laws that allow such businesses to survive; and (3) be free from frivolous lawsuits and restrictive regulations and paperwork.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2004
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should seek an European Union (EU) commitment that it will not lift its arms sale embargo to the People's Republic of China (PRC); and (2) the 2005 Department of Defense military report on the PRC should include an analysis of such embargo's lifting on U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region and a review of U.S. steps taken to address such EU action.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2004
Boutique Fuels Reduction Act of 2004 - Amends the Clean Air Act (CAA) to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to temporarily waive controls or prohibitions on the use of a fuel or fuel additive regulated under specified provisions of that Act or prescribed in an applicable State Implementation Plan (SIP) if the Administrator determines that: (1) extreme and unusual circumstances exist in a State or region that prevent distribution of an adequate supply of the fuel or fuel additive to consumers; (2) such circumstances are the result of a natural disaster, an Act of God, a pipeline or refinery equipment failure, or another unforeseeable event; and (3) it is in the public interest to grant the waiver. Permits such a waiver only if it: (1) applies to the smallest necessary geographic area; (2) is effective for 20 days or the shortest practicable time period; (3) permits a transitional period after the termination of the temporary waiver to allow wholesalers and retailers to blend down their inventory; (4) applies to all persons in the motor fuel distribution system; and (5) is preceded by public notice to all parties in the distribution system, local and State regulators, public interest groups, and consumers in the State or region covered by the waiver. States that the Administrator shall have no authority, when considering a SIP or SIP revision regarding State controls or prohibitions on motor vehicle fuel or fuel additives, to approve any fuel: (1) if doing so would increase the total number of approved and fully implemented fuels as of September 1, 2004, in all SIPs; and (2) unless that fuel was approved and fully implemented in at least one SIP in the applicable Petroleum Administration for Defense District (with the exception of fuels with a specified summertime Reid Vapor Pressure). Requires the Administrator and the Secretary of Energy jointly to study and report to Congress on the effects on air quality, number of fuel blends, fuel availability, fuel fungibility, and fuel costs of SIPs adopted pursuant to CAA provisions regarding State controls or prohibitions on motor vehicle fuel or fuel additives.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2004
9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act - National Security Intelligence Improvement Act of 2004 - Establishes a National Intelligence Director (Director) to, among other things: (1) serve as the head of the intelligence community (IC); (2) act as principal adviser for intelligence matters related to national security; and (3) manage, oversee, and direct the execution of the National Intelligence Program (formerly the National Foreign Intelligence Program). Establishes a National Intelligence Council to produce national intelligence estimates for the U.S. Government and evaluate the collection and production of intelligence by the IC. Establishes a National Counterterrorism Center to: (1) analyze and integrate all U.S. intelligence pertaining to terrorism and counterterrorism; (2) conduct strategic operational planning for counterterrorism activities; and (3) ensure that intelligence agencies have access to and receive all intelligence needed to accomplish their missions. Establishes a: (1) Civil Liberties Protection Officer; and (2) Joint Intelligence Community Council. Authorizes the: (1) Secretary of Defense and the Director to jointly establish a program to advance foreign languages skills in languages critical to the capability of the IC to carry out U.S. national security objectives; and (2) assignment of IC personnel as language students. Requires the Director to conduct a pilot project to establish a Civilian Linguist Reserve Corps. Establishes the National Security Agency Emerging Technologies Panel to advise the Director on the research, development, and application of existing and emerging science and technology advances, advances in encryption, and other topics. Stop Terrorist and Military Hoaxes Act of 2004 - Provides criminal and civil penalties for false information concerning terrorist activities and military hoaxes. Material Support to Terrorism Prohibition Enhancement Act of 2004 - Provides criminal penalties for: (1) receiving military-type training from a foreign terrorist organization; and (2) providing material support to terrorism. Weapons of Mass Destruction Prohibition Improvement Act of 2004 - Expands the jurisdictional bases and scope of the prohibition against weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Includes chemical weapons within the definition of WMDs. Provides criminal liability for participation in nuclear and WMD threats against the United States. Money Laundering Abatement and Financial Antiterrorism Technical Corrections Act of 2004 - Provides additional funding to combat crimes involving terrorist financing. Criminal History Access Means Protection of Infrastructures and Our Nation - Requires the Attorney General to establish and maintain criminal history information checks for use by employers. Provides for the use of biometric technology in airport access control systems. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to prepare and update a transportation security strategic plan for defending aviation assets. Provides for: (1) next-generation airline passenger screening systems; (2) the deployment and use of explosive detection equipment at airport screening checkpoints; and (3) a pilot program to evaluate the use of blast-resistant cargo and baggage containers. Requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to establish a: (1) comprehensive intelligence program for FBI intelligence analysts and intelligence production, sources, and operations; and (2) national security workforce of agents, analysts, linguists, and surveillance specialists. Increases the number of full-time border patrol agents and immigration and customs enforcement investigators. Provides: (1) for expedited deportation of alien terrorists and supporters of terrorism; (2) minimum documentation requirements and issuance standards, for Federal recognition purposes, for driver's licenses, identification cards, and birth certificates; and (3) measures to enhance the privacy and integrity of social security numbers. Establishes within the State Department an Office of Visa and Passport Security. Requires specified reports concerning terrorist sanctuaries, including a priority list of countries providing such sanctuaries. Afghanistan Freedom Support Act Amendments of 2004 - Provides for the coordination of assistance to Afghanistan for various freedom support activities, and requires a long-term U.S. strategy with respect to such country. Authorizes assistance for counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan. Outlines provisions concerning appropriate U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Requires the President to pursue international diplomatic and cooperative efforts to limit the availability, proliferation, and transfer of man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) (individual-fired surface-to-air missiles). Commends the use of multilateral organizations for fighting terrorist financing. Establishes an International Terrorist Finance Coordinating Council. Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2004 - Authorizes grants to improve first responder capabilities and to establish essential capabilities for emergency preparedness. Provides for congressional oversight over the Department of Homeland Security. Establishes an Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement. Requires public financial disclosure with respect to certain IC employees. Authorizes the FBI Director to establish an FBI Reserve Service for the temporary reemployment of former FBI employees during periods of emergencies. Revises security clearance requirements and procedures. Federal Agency Protection of Privacy Act of 2004 - Requires Federal agency rulemakings to take into consideration rule impacts on individual privacy. Requires the establishment of chief privacy officers for agencies with law enforcement or antiterrorism functions. Mutual Aid and Litigation Management Authorization Act of 2004 - Authorizes: (1) mutual aid agreements for utilities and services support during an emergency or public service event; and (2) litigation management agreements for limiting legal action against emergency response providers. Calls for adoption of the National Incident Management System. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should regularly assess the adequacy of the United States Northern Command to respond to all military and paramilitary threats within the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2004
Justice for All Act of 2004 - Scott Campbell, Stephanie Roper, Wendy Preston, Louarna Gillis, and Nila Lynn Crime Victims' Rights Act - Amends the Federal criminal code to grant crime victims specified rights, including: (1) the right to be protected from the accused, to be heard at any public proceeding involving release, plea, or sentencing, and to be treated with fairness and respect; (2) the right to timely notice of any public proceeding involving the crime or any release or escape of the accused and to proceedings free from unreasonable delay; (3) the right to confer with the Government attorney; and (4) the right to full and timely restitution. Debbie Smith Act of 2004 - Amends the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to name the program of grants to States for DNA analysis of samples from convicted individuals as the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program, to expand the program to include grants to local governments, and to authorize appropriations through FY 2009. Amends: (1) the DNA Identification Act of 1994 (Identification Act) to expand the scope of DNA samples to be included in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS); and (2) the Violence Against Women Act to authorize grants to increase the availability of legal assistance to victims of dating violence. DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2004 - Amends the Identification Act to prescribe audit and certification standards for laboratories from which DNA identification records and analyses may be included in CODIS. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) make DNA analysis training grants, sexual assault forensic exam program grants, DNA research and development grants, grants to promote DNA identification of missing persons, and grants to tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions; and (2) appoint a National Forensic Science Commission. Authorizes appropriations for DNA programs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation through FY 2009. Innocence Protection Act of 2004 - Sets forth conditions under which a Federal prisoner asserting innocence may obtain post-conviction DNA testing of specific evidence and, if test results would establish the applicant's innocence, a new trial or resentencing. Requires the preservation of biological evidence if a defendant is under a sentence of imprisonment. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish the Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Grant Program; and (2) award grants to improve the quality of legal representation of indigent defendants, and the ability of prosecutors to represent the public, in State capital cases.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2004
Veterans' Employment Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers a business tax credit for employing a veteran as a full-time employee for a three-year period. Sets the amount of such credit at $1,000 and allows the credit to be taken in the taxable year in which the veteran's three-year employment period ends. Allows an inflation adjustment to the credit amount beginning after 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Federal Regulatory Improvement Act of 2004 - Revises the purpose of the Administrative Conference of the United States to include: (1) promoting more effective public participation and efficiency in the rulemaking process; (2) reducing unnecessary litigation in the regulatory process; (3) improving the use of science in the regulatory process; and (4) improving the effectiveness of laws applicable to the regulatory process. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2005 through FY 2007.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to mint and issue: (1) ten dollar gold coins; (2) five dollar gold coins; (3) one dollar silver coins; and (4) half-dollar silver coins emblematic of the 50 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of NASA and JPL. Directs each Federal agency and U.S. instrumentality that has in its possession any craft or any part of a craft that flew in space to: (1) retrieve any gold, silver, copper, and other precious metal that may be used in the production of any coins under this Act from such craft or part; and (2) deposit such metals with the Director of the United States Mint. Requires that all sales of coins minted under this Act include a surcharge of : (1) $75 per coin for the ten dollar coin; (2) $35 per coin for the five dollar coin; (3) $10 per coin for the one dollar coin; and (4) $3 for the half-dollar coin, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the NASA Family Assistance Fund for the purposes of providing financial assistance to the families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries suffered in the performance of their official duties.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2004
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise the tax credit for household and dependent care services necessary for gainful employment by: (1) allowing a credit amount of $3,000 for each qualifying individual; (2) increasing to $125,000 the adjusted gross income threshold amount at which credit amounts are reduced; (3) providing for an inflation adjustment to such credit and threshold amounts; and (4) making the credit refundable.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2004
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an exclusion from gross income of student loan payments made for an employee by an employer. Imposes upon such an employer a tax for failure to make comparable payments on certain education loans of employees.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2004
Health Care Choice Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide that the laws of the primary State (as designated by the health insurance issuer) apply to individual health insurance coverage offered by that issuer both in the primary State and in any secondary State. Exempts health insurance issuers from any State law or regulation that would: (1) regulate the operation of the health insurance issuer in the secondary State, except for certain activities, including paying taxes and registering with the State insurance commissioner; (2) require any individual health insurance coverage issued by the issuer to be countersigned by an agent or broker residing in the secondary State; or (3) discriminate against the issuer issuing insurance in both primary and secondary States. Allows States to require brokers to obtain a license from that State, but not to impose any requirements that discriminate against nonresident brokers. Requires health insurance issuers offering coverage in more than one State to submit to the insurance commissioner of each State a copy of a plan of operation or a feasibility study, written notice of any change in designation of its primary State, and an annual financial statement. Declares that this Act does not affect the authority of Federal or State courts to enjoin the sale of health insurance coverage to any person or group who is not eligible for such insurance or by a health insurance issuer that is in hazardous financial conditions. Sets forth requirements for primary States. Gives sole jurisdiction to primary States to enforce the covered laws in primary and secondary States. Sets forth procedures for resolving disputes.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2004
Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2004 - Amends Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to: (1) require courts to impose sanctions on attorneys, law firms, or parties who file frivolous lawsuits (currently discretionary); (2) disallow the withdrawal or correction of pleadings to avoid Rule 11 sanctions; (3) require courts to award parties prevailing on Rule 11 motions reasonable expenses and attorney's fees, if warranted; (4) authorize courts to impose Rule 11 sanctions that include reimbursement of a party's reasonable litigation costs in connection with frivolous lawsuits; and (5) make the discovery phase of litigation subject to Rule 11 sanctions. Makes Rule 11 applicable to state civil actions where the court determines, upon motion, that the action affects interstate commerce. Requires personal injury claims (defined to exclude class actions) filed in State or Federal court to be filed in the county or Federal district in which: (1) the person bringing the claim resides at the time of filing or resided at the time of the alleged injury; (2) the alleged injury or circumstances giving rise to the injury occurred; or (3) the defendant's principal place of business is located. Directs the trial court to determine which county or Federal district is the most appropriate forum in those situations where the alleged injury occurred in more than one county or district.
![Official portrait of Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000244_200.jpg)