United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Recognizes the University of Pittsburgh on the fiftieth anniversary of the milestone discovery of the Salk polio vaccine, and the pioneering achievement of Dr. Jonas Salk and his University research team in the vaccine's development. States the appreciation of the House of Representatives to: (1) the University of Pittsburgh for the elimination of a disease that caused countless deaths and disabling consequences; (2) the members of Dr. Salk's research team; (3) the individuals, a majority of whom were Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, residents, who generously agreed to participate in the vaccine clinical trials; and (4) the family members of Dr. Salk for their participation in medical history.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that the government of the Russian Federation should issue an unambiguous admission and condemnation of the illegal occupation and annexation by the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1991 of the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Chinese Currency Act of 2005 - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 regarding countervailing duty investigations to revise the definition of countervailable subsidy to include exchange-rate manipulation. Defines "exchange-rate manipulation" as protracted large-scale intervention by an authority to undervalue its currency in the exchange market that prevents effective balance-of-payments adjustment or that gains an unfair competitive advantage over any other country. Specifies factors for determining whether exchange-rate manipulation is occurring and a benefit thereby conferred. Applies the definition of "exchange-rate manipulation" to the Government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) or any other public entity within its territory. Specifies: (1) factors for determining whether exchange-rate manipulation is occurring in the PRC; (2) actions to be taken, if a petition for an investigation alleges and reasonably documents that it is occurring; and (3) the standard for presidential action to prevent or remedy the market disruption at issue (including import relief and its modification and extension). Directs the Secretary of Defense, upon proper request or resolution, to report to the U.S. International Trade Commission any determination as to whether or not the articles of the PRC that are the subject of the investigation are like or directly competitive with domestically produced articles critical to the U.S. defense industrial base. Prohibits the Secretary from procuring, directly or indirectly, such products if the Commission or the President or the U.S. Trade Representative makes an affirmative determination that the Secretary's determination is accurate. Provides for presidential waiver of the prohibition in the national security interests of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Jessica Lunsford Act - Amends the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act to direct that State procedures include a process under which the State mails a nonforwardable verification form at least twice a year to the last known address of the person required to register as a sexually violent offender, to be returned within ten days after receipt, with failure to return the form within the period allowed punishable in the same manner as a failure to register. Requires a State prison officer, the court, or another responsible officer or official, if a person required to register is released from prison or placed on parole, supervised release, or probation, to: (1) notify the agency responsible for supervising the person that such person is required to register; and (2) provide that agency with the registration information relating to that person. Provides that a person required to register who has two or more convictions for failing to register or failing to keep such registration current shall, upon release from imprisonment, be required to wear a location-transmitting device (such as an anklet) at all times for not less than five years (ten years if the person is a sexually violent predator). Requires the State to frequently monitor the information transmitted. Sets forth provisions regarding compliance dates and loss of Federal funding for failure to implement this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Social Security Benefits Tax Relief Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the 85 percent maximum tax rate on Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits enacted by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993. Appropriates, from the general fund, to the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund amounts equal to the reduction in revenues resulting from this repeal.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Recognizes the 60th anniversary of the Liberation of Western Bohemia during World War II which culminated in an Allied victory that assured the defeat of Nazi Germany and ended the war in Europe two weeks later. Honors those individuals who gave their lives during the Liberation of Western Bohemia. Reaffirms the bonds of friendship between the United States and the citizens of the Czech Republic.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2005
Services for Ending Long-Term Homelessness Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to design national strategies for providing services in supportive housing that will assist in ending chronic homelessness and to implement programs that address chronic homelessness. Requires the Secretary to make matching grants to eligible entities to provide services that promote recovery and self-sufficiency and that address barriers to housing stability to chronically homeless individuals in, or who are scheduled to become residents of, permanent supportive housing and to other individuals and families who have voluntarily chosen to seek other housing opportunities after a period of tenancy in supportive housing. Directs the Secretary to require grantees to report data regarding the performance outcomes of projects carried out under this Act, which shall include measuring and reporting specific performance outcomes related to the long-term goals of: (1) increasing stability within the community for people who have been chronically homeless; and (2) decreasing recurrence of periods of homelessness.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2005
Hydrogen Liberty Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) establish an Advanced Reactor Hydrogen Cogeneration Project; (2) establish a national steering committee to advise the Secretary and the Director of the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology on the project; (3) seek international cooperation, participation, and financial contribution in the project; and (4) establish cost-shared partnerships with domestic industry or international participants for the research, development, design, construction, and operation of the research facility. Grants the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing and regulatory authority for any reactor authorized under this Act. Instructs the Secretary to: (1) prepare a detailed roadmap to implement certain recommendations related to advanced nuclear reactor technologies, solar energy technologies, and wind energy technologies; and (2) provide for the establishment of five projects in diverse geographic areas to demonstrate the commercial production of hydrogen at existing nuclear power plants, including one demonstration project at a national laboratory or institution of higher education using an advanced gas-cooled reactor. Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to direct the NRC to give priority to the licensing of a utilization facility that is collocated with a hydrogen production facility. Directs the Secretary to support research programs at institutions of higher education for the development of advanced nuclear reactor energy technologies, solar energy technologies, and wind energy technologies for the production of hydrogen.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Darfur Genocide Accountability Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide. Directs the President to: (1) block the property and assets of civil and military officials of the Government of Sudan and their family members implicated in the Darfur atrocities, and property and assets controlled by the National Congress Party; and (2) prohibit an entity engaged in any commercial activity in Sudan from raising capital in the United States, or from trading its securities in any capital market in the United States. Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) prohibit visas for civil and military officials of the Government of Sudan, and militia members and others implicated in the Darfur atrocities; (2) reduce the Sudanese diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C., and restrict or control the remaining staff's movement within the United States; and (3) instruct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) to oppose any UN or other international conference from being held in Sudan. Authorizes the President to: (1) use force to stop the Darfur genocide, including establishment of a no-fly zone and use of unmanned armed planes; and (2) deny U.S. port entry to ships doing business in the Sudan oil sector and /or with the Sudan armed forces.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to provide assistance, including through nongovernmental or international organizations, for basic care for orphans and other vulnerable children in developing countries, including assistance for: (1) community-based care; (2) school food programs; (3) education and employment training; (4) psychosocial support; (5) protection of inheritance rights; and (6) HIV/AIDS care. Directs the Secretary of State to appoint a Special Advisor for Assistance to Vulnerable Populations. Directs the President to: (1) establish a system to evaluate such assistance's effectiveness; and (2) develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a coordinating strategy for such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005 or FAIR Act of 2005 - Establishes within the Department of Labor the Office of Asbestos Disease Compensation, to be headed by an Administrator responsible for processing claims for compensation for asbestos-related injuries and managing the Asbestos Injury Claims Resolution Fund (Fund) (established within such Office). Authorizes the Administrator to establish a Medical Advisory Committee. Requires the Administrator to: (1) establish an Advisory Committee on Asbestos Disease Compensation; (2) establish a comprehensive asbestos claimant assistance program that includes legal assistance; and (3) appoint physicians to claim-specific Physicians Panels. Establishes: (1) procedures for handling claims of asbestos-related disease and injury; (2) medical evidence auditing and review procedures and applicable medical criteria; and (3) award amounts and payment methods. Imposes a general four-year statute of limitations for filing claims, with special provisions for pending claims and multiple injuries. Allows certain asymptomatic claimants to receive medical monitoring reimbursement. Specifies the funding allocation for asbestos defendants required to pay into the Fund. Establishes the Asbestos Insurers Commission to determine Fund payment obligations of insurers up to a specified aggregate amount. Vests exclusive jurisdiction to review: (1) final determinations regarding fund obligations and actions for declaratory and injunctive relief under this Act in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia; and (2) award decisions in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the circuit in which the claimant resides. Amends the criminal code to prohibit and establish penalties for fraud and false information in connection with Fund claims. Amends the bankruptcy code to state that Fund contribution obligations are not subject to an automatic stay or dischargeable in bankruptcy. Requires remedies provided by this Act to be the exclusive remedy for asbestos claims. Addresses the effect of this Act on insurance and reinsurance contracts. Requires the sunset of specified provisions of this Act if the Administrator determines that the Fund has insufficient resources. Requires the Administrator to refer possible violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Clean Air Act, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to specified officials for possible civil or criminal penalties. Requires the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review Federal sentencing guidelines to ensure that environmental crimes relating to asbestos are sufficiently punished. Prohibits discrimination in health insurance coverage against persons who participate in medical monitoring programs under this Act. Amends the TSCA to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate regulations prohibiting the manufacture, processing, or distribution in commerce of asbestos containing products, subject to specified exemptions.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Consumer Assurance of Radiologic Excellence Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to prohibit certain payments to States for expenditures for medical imaging procedures or radiation therapy procedures, unless the State meets specified requirements for State medical radiation licenses, including minimum licensing standards the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit any person or entity, in or affecting interstate commerce, from knowingly: (1) performing or attempting to perform human cloning; (2) participating in such an attempt; (3) shipping or receiving an embryo produced by human cloning or any product derived from such embryo; or (4) importing such an embryo or derived product. Sets forth criminal and civil penalties. Provides that nothing in this Act restricts areas of scientific research not specifically prohibited above, including research in the use of nuclear transfer or other cloning techniques to produce molecules, DNA, cells other than human embryos, tissues, organs, plants, or animals other than humans.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2005
Medicare Patient Access to Physical Therapists Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to authorize qualified physical therapists to provide services for Medicare beneficiaries without the requirement of a physician referral. Provides for treatment of outpatient speech-language pathology services separately from outpatient physical therapy services.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Government of the Republic of Belarus should: (1) cease its violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including persecution of political opponents and independent journalists; (2) release political opponents, including Mikhail Marynich, Valery Levonevskiy, and Aleksandr Vasilev; and (3) investigate the disappearance of Victor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, Yuri Zakharenka, and Dmitry Zavadsky. Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. Government should continue to insist that Belarus respect its citizens' fundamental human rights, and should pursue such insistence at international fora, including the United Nations (UN) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2005
Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) grant full coverage of dialysis access procedures in the ambulatory surgical center setting for individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who are entitled to benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) and enrolled under Medicare part B (Hospital Insurance); and (2) structure the relative value units applicable to physicians' services for vascular access procedures to encourage clinically appropriate placement of natural vascular access for dialysis patients. Directs the Secretary to establish demonstration projects for an outcomes-based ESRD financial incentives reimbursement system to evaluate methods that improve the quality of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease. Sets forth required training for patient care dialysis technicians. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for the: (1) establishment of annual update framework for the Medicare end stage renal disease composite rate; and (2) extension of Medicare as secondary payer. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the impact of the temporary codes (G-codes) for nephrologists' services applicable under the Medicare fee schedule for physician's services. Requires the Secretary to establish demonstration projects to: (1) increase public awareness about chronic kidney disease; (2) enhance surveillance systems and expand chronic kidney disease research; and (3) enable individuals with ESRD to develop self-management skills. Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for Medicare coverage of kidney disease patient education services. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish blood flow monitoring demonstration projects; (2) provide for appropriate incentives to improve the Medicare home dialysis benefit; (3) arrange with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate the barriers to increasing the number of individuals with ESRD who elect to receive home dialysis services under Medicare; and (4) establish an independent, multidisciplinary, nonpartisan End-Stage Renal Disease Advisory Committee.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2005
Acknowledges and recognizes the significant achievements and contributions of African American women scientists, mathematicians, and inventors and supports the establishment of a special day on which these great minds may be honored and esteemed.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2005
District of Columbia Personal Protection Act - Amends specified law prohibiting the killing of wild birds and wild animals in the District of Columbia to declare that nothing in it or any other provision of law shall authorize or be construed to permit the Council, the Mayor, or any governmental or regulatory authority of the District to prohibit, constructively prohibit, or unduly burden the ability of persons otherwise not prohibited from possessing firearms under Federal law from acquiring, possessing in their homes or businesses, or using for sporting, self-protection or other lawful purposes, any firearm neither prohibited by Federal law nor subject to the National Firearms Act. Denies the District any authority to enact laws or regulations that discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms. Amends the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 to repeal the definition of a machine gun as any firearm which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily converted or restored to shoot semiautomatically, more than 12 shots without manual reloading. (Thus repeals the ban on semiautomatic weapons.) Redefines "machine gun" to include the frame or receiver of any such weapon, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun, and any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person. Repeals the District's: (1) registration requirement for possession of firearms; (2) prohibition on possession of handgun restricted pistol bullets; and (3) requirement that, under certain conditions, firearms in the possession of certain individuals must be kept unloaded, disassembled, or with the trigger locked. Repeals the definition of restricted pistol bullet as any bullet designed for use in a pistol which, when fired from a pistol with a barrel of five inches or less in length, is capable of penetrating commercially available body armor with a penetration resistance equal to or greater than that of 18 layers of kevlar. Maintains the current ban on the possession and control of a sawed-off shotgun, machine gun, or short-barreled rifle. Eliminates criminal penalties for possessing an unregistered firearm. Amends Federal law to eliminate criminal penalties for carrying a pistol whether loaded or unloaded in one's dwelling house, place of business, or on land possessed by such person. Amends the District of Columbia Code to extend to firearms generally (currently, only to pistols) the prohibition against carrying such a weapon either openly or concealed within the District without a license issued pursuant to D.C. law. Specifies exceptions to the prohibition against carrying concealed weapons in the District.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2005
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 332 South Main Street in Flora, Illinois, as the "Robert T. Ferguson Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2005
Social Security Right to Know Act of 2005 - Amends the Social Security Act to require Social Security account statements to contain additional information, such as a statement of the current Social Security tax rates applicable to wages and self-employment income, including an indication of the combined total of such rates of employee and employer taxes with respect to wages.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act of 2005 or Johanna's Law - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national campaign to increase the awareness and knowledge of women with respect to gynecologic cancers, which shall include: (1) maintaining a supply of written materials to provide information to the public on gynecologic cancers; and (2) developing and placing public service announcements to encourage women to discuss their risks of gynecologic cancers with their physicians. Requires the Secretary to award grants to nonprofit private entities to test different outreach and education strategies for increasing such awareness among women and health professionals.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal collectively to the Tuskegee Airmen in recognition of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2005 - Provides collective bargaining rights for public safety officers employed by States or local governments. Directs the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) to determine whether State law provides specified rights and responsibilities for public safety officers, including: (1) granting public safety employees the right to form and join a labor organization which excludes management and supervisory employees, and which is, or seeks to be, recognized as the exclusive bargaining agent for such employees; and (2) requiring public safety employers to recognize and agree to bargain with the employees' labor organization. Requires the FLRA to issue regulations establishing collective bargaining procedures for public safety employers and employees in States that do not substantially provide for such public safety employee rights and responsibilities. Directs the FLRA, in such cases, to: (1) determine the appropriateness of units for labor organization representation; (2) supervise or conduct elections to determine whether a labor organization has been selected as an exclusive representative by a majority of the employees in an appropriate unit; (3) resolve issues relating to the duty to bargain in good faith; (4) conduct hearings and resolve complaints of unfair labor practices; and (5) resolve exceptions to arbitrator's awards. Grants a public safety employer, employee, or labor organization the right to seek enforcement of such FLRA regulations and authority through appropriate State courts. Prohibits public safety employers, employees, and labor organizations from engaging in lockouts or strikes. Provides that existing collective bargaining units and agreements shall not be invalidated by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Amends the Clean Air Act to establish critical use exemptions for methyl bromide for 2006 and 2007, incorporating critical use exemptions approved by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol and submitted by the U.S. State Department at the first Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Children's Hospitals Education Equity and Research (CHEER) Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make payments through FY 2010 (currently, through FY 2005) to children's hospitals for expenses associated with operating approved graduate medical residency training programs. Excludes reductions for unused resident positions when calculating the number of full-time residents in a children's hospital's approved training program for purposes of reimbursing direct expenses. Requires the Secretary to adjust the proportion of such a hospital's costs attributable to wages for differences in hospital wage levels by geographic area. Authorizes appropriations through FY 2010 for direct and indirect expenses associated with operating such programs. Requires that funds appropriated for such programs for a fiscal year remain available for obligation through the end of the succeeding fiscal year. Limits the ability to recoup funds unless a demand for recoupment is made by the end of the fiscal year. Sets forth an appeals procedure and limitations on retroactivity for decisions affecting the amount of payments to a hospital for such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2005
Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area Act - Establishes the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area in Illinois. Designates the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition as the management entity for the Area. Allows the Coalition, using funds made available under this Act, to prepare a management plan for the Area and reports, studies, interpretive exhibits and programs, historic preservation projects, and other activities recommended in the plan. Prohibits the Coalition from using Federal funds received under this Act to acquire real property. Directs the Coalition to submit to the Secretary of the Interior a management plan reviewed by participating units of government within the Area's boundaries which shall, among other things: (1) contain a comprehensive program for conservation, interpretation, funding, management, and development and historical, cultural, and natural resources and recreational and educational opportunities of the Area; and (2) include a business plan detailing the functions of the local coordinating entity and of activities included in recommendations contained in the plan. Requires the Secretary to approve or disapprove the proposed plan not later than 90 days after receiving it. Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical and financial assistance to the Coalition for the development and implementation of the management plan. Requires the Coalition to provide assistance and encouragement to State and local governments, private organizations, and persons to protect and promote the Area's resources and values.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2005
Condemns the ongoing abductions and murders of young women in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua City, Mexico, and expresses condolences to the victims' families. Urges the President and Secretary of State to: (1) incorporate the investigative efforts of the Mexican Government in the bilateral Mexico-U.S. agenda; and (2) continue to support the efforts of the victims' families to seek justice. Encourages the Secretary to: (1) include in the annual Country Report on Human Rights all instances of improper investigatory methods, threats against human rights activists, and the use of torture with respect to such cases; (2) urge the Government of Mexico and the State of Chihuahua to review the cases of murdered women in which the accused or convicted have credibly alleged they were tortured or forced by a state agent to confess; and (3) urge the Government of Mexico to ensure fair judicial proceedings. Supports the work of the special commissioner to prevent violence against women in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua City. Expresses the solidarity of the people of the United States with the people of Mexico in the face of these tragic acts.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2005
Software Accuracy and Fraud Evaluation Rating Act or the SAFE Rating Act - Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to study the video and computer game rating system of the Entertainment Software Rating Board that was adopted by the video game industry to determine if that system: (1) accurately characterizes video game content; or (2) constitutes an unfair or deceptive act or practice affecting parents and other consumers in making purchasing decisions. Requires the FTC, if such rating system is determined to constitute an unfair or deceptive act or practice, to conduct a hearing and issue and serve a complaint against any persons, partnerships, or corporations that have used or are using such system.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2005
Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a scholarship and loan repayment program to alleviate the shortage of medical laboratory personnel. Requires the Secretary: (1) when awarding grants and contracts under programs designed to increase the number of allied health professionals, to give preference to assisting entities in expanding or establishing programs to increase the number of individuals trained as medical laboratory personne; and (2) to issue public service announcements that promote medical laboratory personnel careers. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) and in collaboration with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants for training to increase the number of cytotechnologists available for cervical cancer screening. Provides for giving emphasis in the training of allied heath professionals, for which Federal payments may be provided under a cooperative agreement or grant from the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, to the training of medical laboratory personnel in disciplines in which more personnel are needed.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2005
Incapacitated Persons Legal Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal judicial code to extend habeas corpus protections to persons who are subject to a court order authorizing or directing the withholding or withdrawal of food, fluids, or medical treatment necessary to sustain the person's life. Deems persons having custody in such cases to encompass parties so authorized or directed. States that there shall be no requirement to produce the body of the incapacitated person at the hearing. Exempts from this Act those cases in which the incapacitated person indisputably executed a written advance directive while having capacity that clearly authorized the withholding or withdrawal of food, fluids, or necessary medical treatment. Defines "incapacitated person" to mean an individual presently incapable of making relevant decisions concerning the provision, withholding, or withdrawal of food, fluids, or medical treatment under applicable State law.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2005
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of Rotary International Day (February 23, 2005) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Rotary International. Recognizes Rotary International's service to improving the human condition in communities throughout the world.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award one-year grants to each approved State to establish or improve a State controlled substance monitoring program. Requires the Secretary to develop minimum standards for States to ensure security of information collected and to recommend penalties for the provision or use of information in violation of applicable laws or regulations. Requires each approved State to: (1) require dispensers to report to the State within one week of each dispensing of a controlled substance to an ultimate user or research subject; and (2) establish and maintain an electronic searchable database containing the information reported. Allows a State to provide information from the database in response to certain requests by practitioners, law enforcement, narcotics control, licensure, disciplinary, or program authorities, the controlled substance monitoring program of another State, and agents of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), State Medicaid programs, State health departments, or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Requires the Secretary to: (1) specify a uniform electronic format for the reporting, sharing, and provision of information under this Act; (2) give preference to approved States in awarding any grants related to drug abuse; and (3) study and report to Congress on such programs, including on interoperability between programs, the feasibility of a real-time electronic controlled substance monitoring program, privacy protections, and technological alternatives to centralized data storage.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
Constitution Restoration Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal judicial code to prohibit the U.S. Supreme Court and the Federal district courts from exercising jurisdiction over any matter in which relief is sought against an entity of Federal, State, or local government or an officer or agent of such government concerning that entity's, officer's, or agent's acknowledgment of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government. Prohibits a court of the United States from relying upon any law, policy, or other action of a foreign state or international organization in interpreting and applying the Constitution, other than English constitutional and common law up to the time of adoption of the U.S. Constitution. Provides that any Federal court decision relating to an issue removed from Federal jurisdiction by this Act is not binding precedent on State courts. Provides that any Supreme Court justice or Federal court judge who exceeds the jurisdictional limitations of this Act shall be deemed to have committed an offense for which the justice or judge may be removed, and to have violated the standard of good behavior required of Article III judges by the Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
Declares that the steel import licensing and monitoring program established by the Secretaries of the Treasury and of Commerce shall remain in effect and be established by the Secretary of Commerce as a permanent program. Requires the Secretaries to expand the program to include all iron and steel, and all articles of iron and steel, specified in this Act. Requires release of the import and licensing data made available to the public as part of this program, based upon classifications at the tenth digit level of the Harmonized Schedule of the United States. Grants the Secretaries authority to maintain the program and to expand it as necessary and appropriate in accordance with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise the definition of certain small crude oil refiners eligible for the exemption from limitations applicable to the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas wells to provide that such refiners will qualify for the exemption if their average daily refinery runs do not exceed 75,000 barrels (currently, 50,000 barrels).
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to classify automatic fire sprinkler systems as five-year depreciable property. .
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
Full Funding for IDEA Now Act of 2005 - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-446), to set forth a mandatory minimum level of Federal grant payments to States for assistance for education of all children with disabilities under IDEA part B. Entitles a State to receive such a minimum grant allotment in an amount determined by current formulas for maximum authorization levels in specified fiscal years (which such minimum entitlement replaces). Eliminates the current authorization of appropriations for specified fiscal years for such grants.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
RU-486 Suspension and Review Act of 2005 - Deems the approved application for the drug mifepristone (marketed as Mifeprex, commonly known as RU-486, and used for the chemically induced termination of intrauterine pregnancy) to have been withdrawn. Deems the drug misoprostol to be misbranded under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) if it bears labeling providing that the drug may be used for the medical termination of intrauterine pregnancy. Directs the Comptroller General to review and report on the process by which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mifepristone. Provides for the reinstatement of the approved application for such drug if the report determines the approval to have been in accordance with FFDCA.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
House Democracy Assistance Commission Resolution - Establishes in the House of Representatives a House Democracy Assistance Commission to: (1) work with the parliaments of selected countries that have established or are developing democratic parliaments which would benefit from assistance under this resolution; (2) enable Members, officers, and staff of the House of Representatives and congressional support agencies to provide expert advice to members and staff of the parliaments of such countries, including visits to the House and support agencies to observe their operations first-hand; and (3) make recommendations to the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regarding the provision of needed material assistance to such parliaments to improve the efficiency and transparency of their work. Requires the Commission to study and report to Congress annually on the feasibility of such assistance programs to the countries selected. Declares the sense of the House that the countries studied should reflect a geographic diversity and, over time, include countries from each of the following regions: Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
Declares the sense of the House of Representatives that if the Government of Japan continues to delay in meeting its obligations under the understanding reached with the United States on October 23, 2004, to resume beef imports from the United States, the U.S. Trade Representative should immediately impose retaliatory economic measures on Japan.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2005
Ombudsman Reauthorization Act of 2005 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to reestablish the Office of the Ombudsman within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Specifies the Ombudsman's duties and authorities. Requires the Ombudsman to appoint a Deputy Ombudsman for each EPA region. Provides employee protections for persons complying with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2005
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit: (1) Federal civilian and military retirees to pay Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and TRICARE supplemental premiums on a pretax basis (i.e., exclude premiums from gross income); and (2) a tax deduction (available to itemizers and nonitemizers) for TRICARE supplemental premiums or enrollment fees. Directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Secretary of Defense to ensure that the option of paying FEHBP and TRICARE supplemental premiums on a pretax basis is available to Federal civilian and military retirees for the first open enrollment period beginning not less than 90 days after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2005
Local Emergency Radio Service Preservation Act of 2005 - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to revise its regulations to provide that digital audio radio satellite service (DARSS): (1) licensees shall not provide services that are locally differentiated or that result in programming being delivered to consumers in one geographic market that is different from programming delivered in any other geographic market; and (2) repeaters shall be restricted to simultaneously retransmitting the programming transmitted by satellite directly to DARSS subscribers' receivers. Requires the FCC to complete a rulemaking proceeding to determine whether DARSS licensees should be permitted to provide locally oriented services on nationally distributed channels, taking into account, among other things, the ability of such licensees to afford listeners the same emergency and other information as is afforded listeners of local broadcast stations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2005
English Language Unity Act of 2005 - Declares English to be the official language of the United States. Establishes the affirmative obligation of the representatives of the Federal Government to preserve and enhance the role of the English language as the Government's official language. Requires the official functions of the Government to be conducted in English. Requires: (1) a uniform English language testing standard for U.S. naturalization; and (2) all naturalization ceremonies to be conducted in English. Sets forth exceptions to, and rules of construction for, such requirements. Authorizes persons injured by violations of this Act to obtain appropriate relief in civil actions. Declares, as a general rule of construction, that English language requirements and workplace policies, whether in the public or private sector, shall be presumptively consistent with the laws of the United States. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue for public notice and comment a proposed rule for uniform testing of the English language ability of candidates for naturalization based upon the principles that: (1) all citizens should be able to read and understand generally the English language text of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Laws of the United States; and (2) any exceptions to this standard should be limited to extraordinary circumstances, such as asylum.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2005
Cross-Border Cooperation in Northern Europe Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should support a wide-ranging strengthening of democratic and civic institutions in Northern Europe (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) to provide a foundation for political stability and investment opportunities. Obligates funds from assistance available to Eastern Europe, the Baltic States, and the Independent States of the former Soviet Union for United States Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (e-PINE) projects. Repeals The Cross-Border Cooperation and Environmental Safety in Northern Europe Act of 2000.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2005
Critical Access to Clinical Lab Services Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide that clinical diagnostic laboratory services furnished by a critical access hospital shall be treated as being furnished as part of outpatient critical access services without regard to whether: (1) the individual for whom the services are furnished is physically present in the critical access hospital at the time the specimen is collected; (2) such individual is registered as an outpatient on the records of, and receives such services directly from, the critical access hospital; or (3) payment is available for such services under the fee schedule established for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2005
Post Office Community Partnership Act of 2005 - Modifies Federal postal law to revise requirements for the closing or consolidation of a post office and apply them, as well, to its proposed closing, consolidation, relocation, or construction. Requires a 60-day notice, under certain conditions, to persons (including local government officials) who are (or would be) served by the post office involved to allow such individuals an opportunity to present their views before such proposed action. Requires the notice: (1) by the deadline, to be hand delivered or delivered by mail and published once a week for at least four weeks in one or more newspapers regularly issued and of general circulation within the zip code areas which are (or would be) served by the post office involved; and (2) to include a description of the proposed action, a summary of the reasons for it, and the date on which the action is to be taken (or, in the case of the construction of a post office, the proposed timetable). Revises the factors to be considered in deciding whether or not to take such proposed actions. Requires the Postal Service to follow a community's public participation procedures to address the relocation, closing, consolidation, or construction of buildings in the community if such procedures are more stringent than those provided in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2005
Congratulates the Jewish students and teachers of the Daf Yomi program on their completion of the 11th cycle of the Daf Hayomi. Wishes them well on their beginning the 12th cycle of such daily study of the Talmud.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005
Supporting Emergency Responders Volunteer Efforts Act of 2005 or the SERVE Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a $1,000 refundable tax credit for bona-fide volunteer members of a qualified volunteer fire department (an organization providing firefighting or emergency medical services). Prorates the credit for part-year active members.
![Official portrait of Rep. Shimkus, John [R-IL-15]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000364_200.jpg)