United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to contract with qualified cord blood stem cell banks to assist in the collection and maintenance of human cord blood to be made available for transplantation through the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program. Requires the Secretary to require that recipients of such contracts: (1) acquire and store donated units of human cord blood acquired with the informed consent of the donor in a manner that complies with applicable Federal and State regulations; and (2) make collected cord blood units available for stem cell transplantation or, if not appropriate for clinical use, available for peer-reviewed research. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to establish and maintain the Program to increase the number of transplants for recipients suitably matched to biologically unrelated donors of bone marrow and cord blood. Requires the Secretary to establish an Advisory Council to advise the Secretary on matters related to Program activities. Requires the Program to: (1) operate a system for identifying, matching, and facilitating the distribution of donated cord blood units; (2) allow transplant physicians, health care professionals, and patients to search by electronic means for available cord blood units; (3) support studies and demonstration and outreach projects for the purpose of increasing cord blood donation to ensure a genetically diverse collection of cord blood units; and (4) carry out information and educational activities for the purpose of increasing cord blood donation and promoting the availability of cord blood units as a transplant option. Requires the Secretary to establish and maintain a scientific database of outcome information relating to patients who have been recipients of stem cell therapeutics product from a biologically unrelated donor (replacing provisions establishing a bone marrow scientific registry).
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Rural Access to Emergency Services Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to: (1) cost-based critical access hospital ambulance services; (2) appropriate coverage of rural ground ambulance services; and (3) payments to retain emergency and other capacity for ambulances in rural areas. Amends SSA title XI to provide for expanding the work of Medicare quality improvement organizations to include ambulance providers. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 with respect to including ambulance providers in the definition of health care provider for purposes of the Universal Service Fund. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to States to encourage them to make improvements to their emergency medical services systems.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to make federal provisions which prohibit the obligation or expenditure of funds either in excess of appropriated amounts or in violation of sequestration orders under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1986 inapplicable to: (1) any amount collected or received as federal universal service contributions; or (2) the expenditure or obligation of amounts attributable to such contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2005
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through December 31, 2010, the income tax credit for biodiesel used as fuel and the excise credits for biodiesel mixtures and biodiesel used to produce biodiesel mixtures.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2005
Recognizes the historical significance to the Nation, and supports the continued celebration, of Juneteenth Independence Day (June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved African Americans were free). Declares the sense of Congress that: (1) history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and solving the challenges of the future; and (2) the celebration of the end of slavery is an important and enriching part of the history and heritage of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Jacob Wetterling, Megan Nicole Kanka, and Pam Lychner Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act or the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act - Repeals existing provisions governing state registration programs for persons convicted of a criminal offense against a minor or of a sexually violent offense. Directs the Attorney General to carry out a Jacob Wetterling, Megan Nicole Kanka, and Pam Lychner Sex Offender Registration and Notification program under which a "covered individual" (an individual convicted of a listed offense against a minor) shall, for that individual's life, provide to the Attorney General specified information, including any change of address and employer. Lists exceptions. Sets penalties for violations. Requires the Attorney General to prescribe regulations to ensure that every covered individual wears and maintains a device that transmits information about that person's whereabouts to the domicile state, subject to specified requirements. Sets penalties for violations. Lists the responsibilities of the Attorney General and State or tribal actors. Provides for specified community notification by law enforcement. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) maintain a National Sex Offender Registry database to track the whereabouts and movements of covered individuals; (2) develop a software application that can be used by state and tribal actors; (3) establish and maintain a database to manage DNA information regarding covered individuals; and (4) carry out a Sex Offender Management Assistance program for awarding grants to states or tribal actors to offset costs associated with implementing this Act. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to subject to deportation any alien who is a covered individual and who fails to provide registration information under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act of 2005 - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prescribe regulations to establish a set of requirements or obligations on providers of IP-enabled voice service (Internet protocol-enabled service for real-time two-way or multidirectional voice communications) to ensure that 911 (emergency) services and E-911 services (services that automatically delivers a 911 call to the appropriate public safety answering point) are available to customers of IP-enabled voice service. Requires: (1) nondiscriminatory IP provider access to 911 and E-911 services; (2) IP providers to provide to customers a clear and conspicuous notice of the unavailability of 911 and E-911 services; and (3) IP provider and user immunity in the provision and use of 911 and E-911 services to the same extent as local exchange companies and other persons, respectively. Amends the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to require the E-911 Implementation Coordination Office to develop and report to Congress on a national plan for migrating to a national IP-enabled emergency network capable of receiving and responding to all citizen activated emergency communications.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
College 529 Invest in Education Savings for Tomorrow Act of 2005 - Makes permanent the provisions relating to qualified tuition programs enacted by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA).
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Pledge Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal judicial code to deny jurisdiction to any Federal court, and appellate jurisdiction to the Supreme Court, to hear or decide any question pertaining to the interpretation of the Pledge of Allegiance or its validity under the Constitution. Makes this limitation inapplicable to: (1) any court established by Congress under its power to make needful rules and regulations respecting the territory of the United States; or (2) the Superior Court of the District of Columbia or the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Welcomes recent attempts by the U.N. Secretary General to address the issue of anti-Semitism, and calls on the United Nations to condemn anti-Semitic statements in its meetings and hold member states accountable for such statements. Urges the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to develop and implement Holocaust education programs as part of an effort against anti-Semitism and racial, religious, and ethnic intolerance. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should direct the Secretary of State to: (1) include in the Department of State's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and annual Report on International Religious Freedom information on activities at the United Nations and its constituent bodies relating to anti-Semitism by each of the countries included in these reports; and (2) use projects funded through the Middle East Partnership Initiative and U.S. overseas broadcasts to educate Arab and Muslim countries about anti-Semitism, religious intolerance, and incitement to violence.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2005
Honor Our Fallen Prisoners of War Act - Requires the Secretary concerned to award the Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces who die in captivity under circumstances not otherwise establishing eligibility for the Purple Heart. Makes this Act effective as to members of the Armed Forces who die on or after December 7, 1941, including those who die prior to enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2005
Condemns the vote by the British Association of University Teachers (BAUT) on April 22, 2005, to boycott Bar-Ilan University and Haifa University. Calls on BAUT to overturn this vote at its hearing on May 26, 2005. Denounces BAUT's call for professors from these universities to take loyalty oaths disavowing the Israeli Government. Urges governments and educators throughout the world to generate dialogue regarding their differences and not bar students and professors from engaging with and learning from each other.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Health Care Choice Act of 2005 - 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 if the coverage and issuer comply with this Act. Exempts health insurance issuers from any laws of the secondary state 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 the primary state and any secondary state. Prohibits a health insurance issuer that provides individual health insurance coverage in a primary or secondary state from: (1) upon renewal, taking certain actions based on health-status related factors, including increasing premiums assessed; and (2) offering coverage in a secondary state that is not currently offered for sale in the primary state. 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 both primary and secondary States state to submit to the insurance commissioner of each state: (1) a copy of a plan of operation, a feasibility study, or similar statement; (2) written notice of any change in designation of its primary state; and (3) quarterly financial statements. Sets forth requirements (regarding determination of capital and an independent review process) that must be met by primary states in order for an issuer to provde insurance in a secondary state. Gives sole jurisdiction to primary states to enforce the covered laws in primary and secondary states.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Rural Community Hospital Assistance Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) provide for establishment of a rural community hospital (RCH) program; (2) remove certain barriers to establishment of distinct part units by RCH and Medicare critical access hospital (CAH) facilities; and (3) revise the CAH program.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2005
India-Pakistan Peace Resolution - Congratulates India and Pakistan on taking monumental steps toward achieving a comprehensive peace agreement, and applauds Prime Minister Singh and President Musharraf for their leadership in bringing their two nations together.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2005
Recognizes the independence of the State of Israel as a significant event in providing refuge and a national homeland for the Jewish people, and congratulates the people of Israel as they celebrate the 57th anniversary of Israel's independence. Praises the efforts of President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to create the conditions for Middle East peace. Commends the bipartisan commitment of all administrations and Congresses since 1948 to stand by Israel and work for its security and well-being.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2005
Children's Vision Improvement and Learning Readiness Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants to states for providing: (1) comprehensive eye examinations for children, with priority given to children under nine years old; (2) subsequent vision treatment or services to correct vision problems; and (3) educational materials to parents, teachers, and health care practitioners on recognizing signs of visual impairment in children. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop criteria to collect data related to vision assessment and the utilization of follow-up services; and (2) coordinate the grant program with appropriate federal and state child services programs. Requires states to annually submit to the Secretary a program evaluation.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community Act of 2005 - Establishes the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community to develop a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of the American Latino Community in Washington, D.C.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2000 McDonough Street in Joliet, Illinois, as the "John F. Whiteside Joliet Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
Healthcare Enhancement for Local Public Safety Retirees Act of 2005 or the HELPS Retirees Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow retired public safety officers to elect an annual exclusion from gross income up to $5,000 for distributions from governmental retirement plans for the payment of accident or health insurance or long-term care insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress in support of a national bike month and in appreciation of cyclists and others for promoting bicycle safety and the health, transportation, recreational, and environmental benefits of cycling.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2005
Veterans' Heritage Firearms Act of 2005 - Provides a 90-day amnesty period during which veterans and their family members can register in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record any firearm acquired before October 31, 1968, by a veteran while a member of the armed forces stationed outside the continental United States. Grants such an individual limited immunity under the Federal criminal code and the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the acquisition, possession, transportation, or alteration of such firearm before or concurrent with such registration. Extends such immunity to a veteran who attempts to register a qualifying firearm outside of the amnesty period if the veteran surrenders the firearm within 30 days after being notified of potential criminal liability for continued possession. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) transfer each firearm qualifying as a curio or relic which has been forfeited to the United States to the first qualified museum that requests it; and (2) publish information identifying each such firearm which is available to be transferred to a museum. Prohibits the Attorney General from destroying any such firearm which has been forfeited until five years after the forfeiture. Requires that any firearm transferred to a qualified museum be registered to the transferee. Makes a prohibition against transfer or possession of a machine-gun inapplicable to a transfer to or by, or possession by, a museum which is open to the public and incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation under applicable State law.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2005
Meat Promotion Act of 2005 - Amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to replace current mandatory country of origin labeling requirements with a voluntary country of origin labeling program for meat and meat products. Sets forth: (1) limitations on use of United States country of origin labels; and (2) civil penalties for program violations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2005
Condemns the attacks on U.S. citizens by Palestinian terrorists and demands that the Palestinian Authority (PA) work with Israel to protect all innocent individuals, regardless of citizenship, from terrorist atrocities. Offers condolences to the families of U.S. citizens killed by Palestinian terrorist attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2005
Community Banks Serving Their Communities First Act, or the Communities First Act - Sets forth regulatory relief measures for community banks, including amendments to: (1) the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act to increase from $10 million to $250 million the asset levels of depository institution and home mortgage lenders that are exempt from disclosure requirements; (2) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to permit certain insured depository institutions to submit a short form report of condition; and (3) the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to exempt certain small-sized depository institutions from management assessment of internal controls requirements. Directs the Federal Reserve Board to publish proposed revisions to the Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement on Assessment of Financial and Managerial Factors that provide that: (1) the policy shall apply to a bank holding company with pro forma consolidated assets of less than $1 billion that meets specified criteria; and (2) the debt-to-equity ratio allowable for a small bank holding company to remain eligible to pay a corporate dividend and for expedited processing procedures would increase from 1:1 to 3:1. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to increase from $250 million to $1 billion the asset size of institutions eligible for Federal banking examinations conducted at intervals subject to discretion of the appropriate Federal banking agency. Amends the Federal Reserve Act to increase from $1 million to $1 billion of total assets the size of small banks exempt from the limitation placed on extensions of credit to executive officers, director and principal shareholders. Amends the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 to increase from $250 million to $1 billion the size of financial institutions eligible for a less frequent examination schedule. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to direct the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to prescribe regulations authorizing a consumer to waive the statutory three-day right of rescission in connection with a consumer credit transaction when the creditor is an insured depository institution. Amends the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act to exempt from its recordkeeping and public disclosure requirements a depository institution that makes fewer than 100 reportable loans annually. Amends the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to exempt specified financial institutions from the requisite annual disclosure of privacy policy. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to direct the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to review reports of condition periodically and reduce filings of related information or schedules pursuant to specified determinations. Amends the Federal Reserve Act to prohibit the aggregate amount of credit extensions that a member bank may make to an executive officer of the bank from exceeding $250,000. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide reduced tax rates and deferral of income recognition on long-term certificates of deposit; (2) exclude from gross income interest received by a qualified lender on any qualified real estate loan; (3) increase from $10 million to $30 million the cap on qualified small issue bonds; (4) provide limited liability company tax treatment for FDIC-insured limited liability companies; (5) provide a tax reduction on a C corporation which is a community bank; and (6) exempt community banks from the alternative minimum tax..
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2005
Railroad Competition Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 - Amends federal transportation law to specify the primary objectives of U.S. rail transportation policy. Requires a rail carrier, upon shipper request, to establish a rate for transportation and provide requested service between any two points on the carrier's system where traffic originates, terminates, or may reasonably be interchanged. Prohibits the Surface Transportation Board (STB) from issuing a certificate authorizing construction and operation of railroad lines, or exempting a person, class of persons, or a transaction or service from the certificate requirement, if such an activity involves a transfer of interest in a line of railroad from a Class I rail carrier to a Class II or III rail carrier, and the activity directly or indirectly would restrict: (1) the ability of the Class II or Class III rail carrier to interchange traffic with other carriers; or (2) competition of rail carriers in the region affected by the activity in a manner that would violate federal antitrust laws. Prescribes a procedure for shipper petition and STB review of any activity alleged to have resulted in a restriction of competition for at least ten years. Changes from discretionary to mandatory the STB's authority to require: (1) a rail carrier's terminal facilities to be used by another rail carrier subject to certain conditions; and (2) rail carriers to enter into reciprocal switching agreements. Prohibits the STB, in either instance, from requiring evidence of anticompetitive conduct by a rail carrier from which such access is sought. Requires the STB to designate any state or substantial part of a state as an area of inadequate rail competition after finding that: (1) it encompasses rail shipping origins and destinations served exclusively by one Class I railroad; and (2) persons that ship by rail or receive rail shipments in it pay rates exceeding a certain mark, or have experienced competitive disadvantage in the marketplace or other economic adversity because of high cost or poor rail service quality. Specifies actions the STB may take to resolve such anti-competitive conditions. Requires submission to arbitration of rail rate disputes. Requires the STB to adopt new methods for determining the reasonableness of rail rates. Establishes within the Department of Transportation (DOT) the Office of Rail Customer Advocacy. Requires the STB, in a proceeding involving the merger or control of at least two Class I railroads, to consider among other things the safety and environmental effect of the proposed transaction on local communities and rail passenger transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to carry out the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide assistance to private landowners for voluntary projects to benefit Federal trust species by promoting habitat improvement, restoration, enhancement, and establishment. Defines "Federal trust species" to include migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, interjurisdictional fish, marine mammals, and other species of concern.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
San Francisco Old Mint Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 100,000 $5 gold coins and 500,000 $1 silver coins emblematic of the San Francisco Old Mint Building, its importance to California and U.S. history, and its role in rebuilding San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire. Requires that all surcharges received by the Secretary from such coin sales be promptly paid to the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society for purposes of rehabilitating the Historic Old Mint in San Francisco as a city museum and an American Coin and Gold Rush Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Water for the Poor Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to U.S. water and sanitation assistance programs. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to furnish assistance for programs in developing countries to provide affordable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation. Directs the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to develop a strategy to further the U.S. foreign assistance objective of providing affordable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation in developing countries.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Authorizes the Secretary of Defense, upon request of the Secretary of Homeland Security, to assign members of the Armed Forces to assist: (1) the Bureau of Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security in preventing the entry of terrorists, drug traffickers, and illegal aliens into the United States; and (2) the U.S. Customs Service in the inspection of cargo, vehicles, and aircraft at U.S. points of entry to prevent the entry of weapons of mass destruction and their components, prohibited narcotics or drugs, or other terrorist or drug trafficking items. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to certify that such request is necessary to respond to a threat to national security. Requires the Secretaries to establish a training program that must be completed by military personnel serving in such capacity. Requires any member so serving to be accompanied by a civilian law enforcement officer from the agency concerned. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish ongoing joint task forces to respond to threats to national security posed by the entry of terrorists, drug traffickers, or illegal aliens. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to notify the governor and local governments of the State involved of the deployment of such members and the types of tasks to be performed. Prohibits any such assignment after September 30, 2007.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
End Demand for Sex Trafficking Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to states and political subdivisions to: (1) establish model law enforcement programs that promote the effective prosecution of persons who solicit an unlawful commercial sex act, persons who purvey others to engage in such an act, and sex traffickers; and (2) assist victims of such an act. Amends the federal criminal code to modify prohibitions against transportation for illegal sexual activity and related crimes (generally) and for coercion and enticement to engage in prostitution or criminal sexual activity to explicitly cover purchasers of commercial sexual activities and acts. Directs federal agencies involved in combating sex trafficking and providing services to victims of commercial sex acts inside the United States to coordinate their activities with the Senior Policy Operating Group established by the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) report annually to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees regarding grants and evaluating success in enhancing the prosecution and conviction of purchasers, sex traffickers, and exploiters and in reducing demand for commercial sexual activity; (2) disseminate best methods and practices for training state and local law enforcement personnel involved in enforcing laws prohibiting commercial sexual acts at each annual conference conducted by the Department of Justice; and (3) carry out a biennial comprehensive statistical review and analysis of commercial sexual acts in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2005
Telephone Excise Tax Repeal Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the excise tax on communication services (i.e., local telephone service, toll telephone service, and teletypewriter exchange service).
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2005
Export Freedom to Cuba Act of 2005 - Prohibits the President from regulating or prohibiting, directly or indirectly, travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or legal residents, or any of specified transactions incident to such travel. Declares that: (1) this prohibition does not authorize the importation into the United States of any goods for personal consumption acquired in Cuba; and (2) the restrictions on authority contained in this Act do not apply in a case in which the United States is at war with Cuba, armed hostilities between the two countries are in progress, or there is imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of U.S. travelers.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
India-Pakistan Peace Resolution - Congratulates India and Pakistan on taking monumental steps toward achieving a comprehensive peace agreement, and applauds Prime Minister Singh and President Musharraf for their leadership in bringing their two nations together.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2005
Rural Veterans Access to Care Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a FY 2006 through 2008 pilot program to improve health care access for rural veterans. States that: (1) the program shall be conducted in three geographic service regions (Veterans Integrated Service Networks) of the Veterans Health Administration; and (2) medical services shall be provided by non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) providers for acute or chronic symptom management, non-therapeutic medical services, and other medical services as determined by the director of the appropriate geographic service region. Obligates program funds.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2005
Korean Immigration Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 silver coins emblematic of the immigration of Koreans into the United States and the significant contributions of Korean Americans to this Nation. Restricts such issuance to the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Second Chance Act of 2005: Community Safety Through Recidivism Prevention or the Second Chance Act of 2005 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reauthorize, rewrite, and expand provisions regarding adult and juvenile offender reentry demonstration projects, including by authorizing funds to: (1) provide structured post-release housing and transitional housing; (2) facilitate specified collaboration to promote the employment of people released from prison and jail; (3) carry out programs that support children of incarcerated parents; and (4) establish or expand the use of reentry courts. Sets forth grant priorities and requirements, including that each state, territory, tribe, or local government recipient establish a Reentry Task Force or other authority. Authorizes the Attorney General to make a grant to provide for the establishment of a National Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Resource Center. Directs the Attorney General to establish an interagency task force on federal programs regarding offender reentry. Authorizes the National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics to conduct research on offender reentry. Directs: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review the role of state child protective services at the time of arrest and establish services for the preservation of families impacted by the incarceration of a family member; and (2) the Secretary of Labor to implement a program to educate employers about one-stop centers, existing incentives for the hiring of former prisoners, and tax credits, and to make grants to nonprofit organizations to provide transitional services. Amends the federal criminal code to direct a court to revoke a term of supervised release or a sentence of probation for a defendant who commits a crime of violence against, or an offense of unlawful sexual contact with, a person who has not attained the age of 16 years.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Recognizes America's Blood Centers and its members for providing blood to patients, ensuring the safety of the blood supply, and promoting blood donor initiatives.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to require the Director of the Office for Victims of Crime to ensure that all sums in the Victims of Crime Fund in a fiscal year are in fact obligated in the subsequent fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Workforce Health Improvement Program Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of employees: (1) the value of any on-premises employer-provided athletic facility; and (2) fees or membership expenses paid to an athletic or fitness facility by an employer for its employees. Allows employers a tax deduction for fees or dues paid to an athletic or fitness facility.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Energy Policy Act of 2005 - Sets forth an energy research and development program, including: (1) energy efficiency; (2) renewable energy; (3) oil and gas; (4) coal; (5) Indian energy; (6) nuclear matters and security; (7) vehicles and motor fuels, including ethanol; (8) hydrogen; (9) electricity; and (10) energy tax incentives. Amends the National Energy Conservation Policy Act to: (1) institute grant programs for low-income community energy efficiency and energy efficient public buildings; and (2) revise energy conservation standards for additional consumer products. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to prescribe incentive payments for renewable energy production facilities. Amends the Federal Power Act to prescribe guidelines for hydroelectric licensing proposals for alternative conditions and requirements governing project works within a federal reservation. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to make incentive payments to promote hydroelectric production. Amends the Natural Gas Act with respect to: (1) construction, expansion, or operation of liquefaction or gasification natural gas terminals; and (2) natural gas market transparency. Prescribes procedural guidelines for the Secretaries of the Interior and of Agriculture to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding regarding oil and gas leasing on federal lands. United States Refinery Revitalization Act of 2005 - Prescribes procedural guidelines for: (1) designation of refinery revitalization zones; and (2) coordination and expeditious review of permitting process for such zones. Sets forth a Clean Coal Power Initiative campaign that includes grants to universities to establish Centers of Excellence for Energy Systems of the Future. Authorizes federal loan guarantees for designated coal gasification projects. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to prescribe implementation guidelines for a clean air coal program. Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act of 2005 - Amends the Department of Energy Organization Act and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to establish the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs to promote Indian tribal energy resource development through grants and loans. Prescribes guidelines for energy efficiency in federally assisted housing on Indian lands. Price-Anderson Amendments Act of 2005 - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to modify and extend indemnification authority and liability limits for Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensees and Department of Energy (DOE) contractors. Prohibits assumption by the U.S. Government of liability for certain foreign incidents. Directs the NRC to establish a training and fellowship program for individuals with critical nuclear safety regulatory skills. Revises requirements for: (1) uranium sales; (2) special demonstration projects for the uranium mining industry; (3) whistleblower protection requirements; (4) medical isotope production; (5) uranium enrichment facilities; and (6) the national uranium stockpile. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to establish an Advanced Reactor Hydrogen Co-Generation Project. Provides for disposal of: (1) Fernald uranium processing facility byproduct material; and (2) greater-than-class C radioactive waste. Establishes programs to promote: (1) hybrid vehicles; (2) hybrid retrofit and electric conversion technologies for combustion engine vehicles; and (3) alternative fuels for dual-fueled vehicles. Sets forth implementation guidelines for pilot programs that target: (1) alternative fueled vehicles; (2) fuel cell buses and alternative fuel and altra-low sulfur diesel fuel (clean) school buses; (3) advanced vehicles; and (4) hybrid vehicles. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to conduct programs that address: (1) production of hydrogen from diverse energy sources; and (2) solar and wind technologies. Directs the Secretary to conduct: (1) a secondary electric vehicle battery use program; and (2) a Next Generation Lighting Initiative. Directs the Secretary of Energy to implement initiatives regarding: (1) energy efficiency; (2) distributed energy and electric energy systems; (3) renewable energy; (4) nuclear energy; (5) fossil energy; (6) ultra-deepwater and unconventional natural gas, and other petroleum resources; (7) energy sciences; (8) energy and environment; (9) United States-Israel cooperation; and (10) Department of Energy management. Electric Reliability Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Power Act to grant Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulatory jurisdiction over an Electric Reliability Organization. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to: (1) require electric utilities to make net metering and smart metering available upon consumer request; and (2) terminate mandatory purchase and sale requirements pertaining to cogeneration and small power production utilities. Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 - Repeals the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935. Amends the Federal Power Act to: (1) direct FERC to promulgate market transparency rules governing wholesale electric energy and transmission services; and (2) prohibit round trip trading. Authorizes the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to issue rules that prohibit in the absence of consumer consent: (1) the change of selection of an electric utility ("slamming"); and (2) the sale of goods and services to an electric consumer ("cramming"). Revises Federal Power Act requirements for electric utility mergers. Directs FERC to convene a joint board to study the issue of security constrained economic dispatch for a market region. Retains the effect of Department of Energy Order No. 202-03-2 (August 28, 2003) regarding transmission security. Extends the attainment date for certain downwind ozone nonattainment areas. Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (Administrator) to promulgate regulations ensuring that domestic motor vehicle fuel consumption includes renewable fuel containing ethanol. Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to make grants to provide assistance to merchant producers of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in making the transition from producing MTBE to producing iso-octane, iso-octene, alkylates, or renewable fuels. Prohibits the use of MTBE in motor vehicle fuel by December 31, 2014, in any state that does not specifically authorize it. Authorizes the President to determine by June 30, 2014, that this prohibition against the use of MTBE in motor vehicle fuel shall not take place and that the legal authority to prohibit its use in motor vehicle fuel shall become null and void. Eliminates the oxygen content requirement for reformulated gasoline. Conditions the Administrator's approval of state fuel restrictions upon a finding that they will neither cause fuel supply or distribution interruptions nor have a significant adverse impact on fuel producibility. Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to: (1) make loan guarantees for private sector construction of facilities for the processing and conversion of municipal solid waste and cellulosic biomass into fuel ethanol and other commercial byproducts; and (2) provide grants for construction of ethanol production facilities. Underground Storage Tank Compliance Act of 2005 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Administrator to distribute specified fund percentages from the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund to states to pay costs for regulation of underground storage tanks (USTs). Amends the Clean Air Act to cite conditions under which the Administrator may waive the prohibition against the use of extreme and unusual fuel or fuel additive supplies ("boutique fuels").
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act - Amends the Consumer Credit Protection Act to prescribe consumer protection guidelines for rental-purchase transactions, including: (1) the determination of rental-purchase cost; (2) disclosure requirements; (3) prohibitions against confessions of judgment, wage assignments, and waiver of consumer claims or defenses; (4) furnishing of statements of account; (5) point-of-rental disclosures; and (6) rental-purchase advertising disclosures. Establishes civil and criminal liability for violations of this Act. Grants enforcement powers to the Federal Trade Commission and to state attorneys general.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2005
Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Reform Act of 2005 - Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to repeal the authorization that certain moneys in the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund may be used: (1) by the Secretary of Agriculture for reclamation of rural lands; and (2) by the Department of the Interior for studies by contract with organizations for advice and research and development projects technical assistance. Reduces the reclamation fee required to be paid by operators of coal mining operations. Revises Fund allocation requirements with respect to reclamation fees. Repeals Fund objectives concerning: (1) protection , construction, or enhancement of public facilities affected by coal mining practices; and (2) development of publicly owned land adversely affected by coal mining practices, including land acquired for recreation and historic purposes, conservation, reclamation, and open space. Expands certification guidelines to prescribe payments to: (1) qualified States and Indian tribes; and (2) non-qualified States and Indian tribes. Prescribes procedural guidelines for transfers of interest earned by the Fund to: (1) the United Mine Workers of America Combined Benefit Fund; (2) the United Mine Workers of America 1992 Benefit Plan; and (3) a specified multiemployer health benefit plan.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2005
Taxpayer Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal provisions enacted by the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to enter into contracts with private collection agencies for the collection of taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2005
Joins the Secretary of Defense in honoring the children of members of the Armed Forces and recognizes that they share in the burden of protecting the Nation. Urges Americans to join the military community in observing April as "National Month of the Military Child." Recognizes with great appreciation the contributions of private sector organizations in providing resources and assistance to military families and their communities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations to make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to certain tax-exempt social clubs (e.g., college fraternities and sororities) so long as all of the active members of such clubs are full-time students at the college or university with which such clubs are associated. Defines "collegiate housing and infrastructure grants" to include grants to provide, improve, operate, or maintain collegiate housing.
![Official portrait of Rep. Shimkus, John [R-IL-15]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000364_200.jpg)