United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Calls upon the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan to: (1) hold free and fair parliamentary elections in November 2005; (2) guarantee opposition party participation; and (3) guarantee freedom of speech and assembly. Calls upon the opposition parties to peacefully participate in such elections. Supports Council of Europe recommendations on amendments to the Unified Election Code of Azerbaijan to ensure equitable election commission representation of opposition and pro-government forces. Urges the international community and domestic nongovernmental organizations to provide sufficient election observers. Recognizes the need for establishment of an independent media.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) individuals diagnosed with bone marrow failure diseases and their families should have access to a variety of treatment and counseling options; and (2) such families should be linked to support networks and counseling information serviced provided by nonprofit organizations like the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation. Calls for the federal government to: (1) raise awareness about the importance of early detection of and proper treatment for such diseases; (2) provide adequate funding for research on such diseases; (3) engage in such public health initiatives as surveillance, education, and awareness of such diseases; and (4) continue to consider ways to improve health care services for such diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Violence Against Women Act of 2005 - Amends the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994, VAWA of 2000 (VAWA-2000), the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (OCCSSA), the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), the Social Security Act (SSA), the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, the Safe Homes for Women Act of 1994, the United States Housing Act of 1937, the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000, and the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to reauthorize, revise, and establish various programs for prevention and treatment of violence against women, including domestic violence, child abuse, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (violence). Provides for specified VAWA judicial and law enforcement programs, including STOP grants, a stalker database, cyberstalking prevention, and dating violence prohibitions. Establishes VAWA grant programs: (1) by the Department of Justice (Justice) for assisting children and youth exposed to violence, and for engaging men, women, and youth in preventing violence; and (2) by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for services, education, protection, and justice for young victims of violence, and for research on effective interventions in the healthcare setting. Revises OCCSSA requirements for Justice grants for violence against women programs, and establishes programs for sexual assault services and for assistance for victims of abuse. Requires grants for public information campaigns relating to violence prevention. Requires a National Domestic Violence Hotline study. Revises and reauthorizes: (1) grants under the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 to reduce violence against women on campus; (2) safe havens for children under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. Reauthorizes PHSA rape prevention and education programs, including the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Establishes PHSA grants by HHS for: (1) training and education of health professionals in domestic and sexual violence; (2) fostering public health responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and (3) identification and treatment services at community health centers. Revises SSA requirements for Federal health programs' response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Establishes VAWA grant programs to address the housing needs of victims of violence. Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to require: (1) public and Indian housing authority plans to report on programs offered to victims of violence; and (2) certification and confidentiality with respect to victims of violence in the low-income housing assistance voucher and public housing programs. Requires emergency leave, under VAWA, for employees experiencing domestic or sexual violence. Sets forth provisions relating to the safety of Indian women. Supporting Teens through Education and Protection Act of 2005 - STEP Act - Authorizes the Attorney General through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (Justice) to make grants to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in middle and high schools. Immigrant Victims of Violence Protection Act of 2005 - Revises the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000 (under VAWA-2000) with respect to victims of violence, including victims of crimes of human trafficking, VAWA petitioners, and children.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Act for Lyme Education and Research and Tick-Borne Diseases or the ALERT Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a five-year plan that provides for activities to be carried out to meet goals related to Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, including to: (1) develop a sensitive and definitive test for the diagnosis of Lyme disease capable of distinguishing active infection from past infection; (2) accurately determine the prevalence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne disorders in the United States; (3) provide and promote access to a comprehensive, up-to-date clearinghouse of peer-reviewed information on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); and (4) establish epidemiological research goals to determine the long term course of illnesses for Lyme disease. Directs the Secretary to request that the Institute of Medicine study chronic Lyme disease. Authorizes additional appropriations for research and educational activities and prevention efforts for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Requires the Secretary to establish the Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution - Calls upon the President: (1) to ensure that U.S. foreign policy reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the U.S. record relating to the Armenian Genocide and the consequences of the failure to realize a just resolution; and (2) in the President's annual message commemorating the Armenian Genocide to characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide, and to recall the proud history of U.S. intervention in opposition to the Armenian Genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2005
Louis Braille Bicentennial--Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins emblematic of the life and legacy of Louis Braille, whose design: (1) on the obverse shall bear a representation of the image of Louis Braille; and (2) on the reverse shall emphasize Braille literacy and include the word for Braille in Braille code. Authorizes the Secretary to issue such coins only during 2009. Subjects all coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin. Requires all surcharges to be promptly paid by the Secretary to the the National Federation of the Blind to further its programs to promote Braille literacy.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2005
Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2005 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) phase out the waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare benefits under SSA title XVIII (Medicare); and (2) eliminate the waiting period for individuals with life-threatening conditions to become eligible for such benefits. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to request the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to study the range of disability conditions that can be delayed or prevented if individuals receive access to health care services and coverage before a condition reaches disability levels.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act or PREEMIE Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand and coordinate NIH research on preterm labor and delivery, infant mortality, and low birthweight infants. Establishes the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network and the Neonatal Research Units Network within NIH. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to: (1) expand and coordinate CDC activities on preterm labor and delivery and infant mortality; (2) conduct a study on the relationship between prematurity, birth defects, and developmental disabilities; and (3) review the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Survey. Requires the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's national longitudinal study of environmental influences on children's health and development to consider the impact of assisted reproduction technologies. Requires the Director of NIH to contract with the Institute of Medicine to study the health and economic consequences of preterm birth. Directs the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to assess certain core performance and outcome measures utilized under the Social Security Act for purposes of expanding such measures to include known risk factors of low birthweight and prematurity. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) conduct a demonstration project to improve the provision of information on prematurity to health professionals and the public; (2) conduct projects to support the informational and emotional needs of families during the stay of an infant in a neonatal intensive care unit, during the transition of the infant to the home, and in the event of a newborn death; and (3) establish an Interagency Coordinating Council on Prematurity and Low Birthweight.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins emblematic of the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln in commemoration of the bicentennial of his birth. Permits issuance of such coins only during 2009. Subjects the coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Includes third-party insurance providers participating in the Medicare program and any department or agency of the United States other than the Department of Veterans Affairs among the entities from which the Department shall be authorized to recover payments for the costs of providing certain non-service-connected medical care to veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD), or the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), to establish a grant program for joint ventures, composed of both Israeli and U.S. private business entities or of U.S. and Israeli academic persons, to implement projects to encourage cooperation between the United States and Israel on research, development, or commercialization of alternative energy, improved energy efficiency, or renewable energy sources. Establishes in the Department of Energy an International Energy Advisory Board to advise the Secretary on the grant program and grant recipients.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Amerasian Naturalization Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to confer automatic citizenship on aliens residing in the United States in lawful permanent resident status: (1) pursuant to a classification petition approved under a provision that gives preferential treatment to persons born in Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea, or Thailand after 1950 and before October 22, 1982, and fathered by a U.S. citizen; or (2) who were born in Vietnam after January 1, 1962, and before January 1, 1976, and fathered by a U.S. citizen.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Vision Preservation Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to expand and intensify programs to increase awareness of vision problems, including: (1) activities to establish a solid scientific base of knowledge on the prevention and control of vision problems and related disabilities; (2) research within CDC on the prevention and management of vision loss; and (3) programs targeted to prevent vision loss, treat eye and vision conditions, and rehabilitate people of all ages who are blind or partially sighted in underserved and minority communities. Amends the Social Security Act to include within the maternal and child health service block grant program the introduction of core performance measures on eye health by incorporating vision screening standards into state programs. Requires the Director of NIH to expand, intensify, and coordinate programs for the conduct and support of research with respect to vision loss prevention and vision rehabilitation. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for vision rehabilitation services. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study on barriers faced by medically underserved populations to vision services that are covered under the medicare program, including vision rehabilitation and other vision-related services; and (2) enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine to study the cost benefit of providing a universal dilated eye exam under the medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require Medicaid drug utilization review programs to deny coverage of erectile dysfunction drugs for individuals registered (or required to be registered) as sex offenders.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Veterans Health Care Full Funding Act - Requires each fiscal year budget submitted to Congress by the President to include requests for amounts for veterans health care programs. Requires amounts appropriated for such programs to be available for two consecutive fiscal years. Establishes the Veterans Health Care Funding Review Board within the Department of Veterans Affairs. Directs the Board, beginning with FY2008, to determine the level of funding needed for such programs for that fiscal year and the next and to publish such determination in the Federal Register. Outlines veterans' health care needs factors to be considered by the Board in arriving at such determination. Repeals requirements for certain congressional notifications in connection with a funding request for a Department major medical facility project or lease. Provides a 30-day standard for access to medical care for veterans seeking primary or specialized care, as measured from: (1) the time the veteran contacts the Department seeking an appointment until the date a visit is completed (primary care); and (2) the date on which the veteran is referred to a specialist until the date a visit is completed (specialty care). Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop a standard of waiting time during a visit and to periodically review the performance of Department facilities compared to that standard.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) Congress is committed to achieving domestic hunger goals and ending hunger by 2015; (2) federal food and nutrition programs should receive adequate funding; and (3) the entitlement nature of the child and adult care food program, the food stamp program, the school breakfast and lunch programs, and the summer food service program should be preserved. Directs: (1) the American Communities Survey to collect and submit food security information to the Secretary of Agriculture; and (2) the Secretary to conduct an annual study of hunger in the United States and develop recommendations on reducing domestic hunger. Directs the Secretary to make: (1) hunger-free communities collaborative grants to eligible public food program service providers or nonprofit organizations; (2) hunger-free communities infrastructure grants to eligible emergency feeding organizations; and (3) hunger-free communities training and technical assistance grants to eligible national or regional nonprofit organizations. (States that such grants' federal share shall not exceed 80 %.) Sets forth grant priorities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Pet Animal Welfare Statute of 2005 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to revise the definition of dealer (in animals) to include: (1) sellers of dogs imported from outside the United States; and (2) persons who sell more than 25 dogs or cats or who whelp for sale more than six litters of dogs or cats annually. Defines "retail pet store" for purposes of the Act as a public retail establishment that sells animals commonly kept as pets in U.S. households (e.g., dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and hamsters). Excludes from such definition: (1) a person breeding animals to sell to the public as pets; (2) a person selling hunting, security, or breeding dogs; or (3) a person selling wild animals. Requires dealers and retail pet stores to provide the Secretary of Agriculture with source records relating to the purchase or acquisition of dogs and cats. Authorizes the Secretary to extend the period for the temporary suspension of a dealer license for a violation of the Act from 21 to 60 days, if the Secretary believes that such violation will continue past the initial 21-day period and will jeopardize the health of any animal. Authorizes the Secretary to apply directly to a U.S. district court for a temporary restraining order or injunction to address violations of the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Condemns the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for the abduction and continued captivity of citizens of the Republic of Korea and Japan as acts of terrorism and violations of human rights. Calls upon the U.S. government not to remove the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from the Department of State's list of State Sponsors of Terrorism until North Korea renounces state-sponsored kidnapping and provides a full accounting of all abduction cases. Admonishes the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the forced repatriation to North Korea of Han Man-taek, a South Korean prisoner-of-war and comrade-in-arms of the United States, and for its failure to exercise sovereign control over North Korean agents operating freely within its borders.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007 - Authorizes appropriations to the Department of State for FY 2006 and 2007 for the administration of foreign affairs, international organizations and conferences, certain international commissions, and migration and refugee assistance. Amends federal criminal law to prescribe criminal penalties for interfering with the protective functions of special agents of the Department of State and the Foreign Service. Amends specified Foreign Service and State Department law regarding: (1) retention of medical reimbursements; (2) the Buying Power Maintenance account; (3) no obligation of the Secretary of State to convene an Accountability Review Board pertaining to certain destructive incidents at U.S. government missions in Afghanistan and Iraq; and (4) repeal of the prohibition against the eligibility of persons doing business with Libya for contracts under the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986. Revises requirements for the organization and personnel of the Department of State, including: (1) education allowances, official residence expenses, increased limits applicable to post differentials and danger pay allowances, and an overseas equalization and comparability pay adjustment; (2) home leave after 12 (currently 18) months of continuous foreign service; (3) a Fellowship of Hope Program; (4) suspension without pay of a foreign service member when reasonable cause exists to believe the member has committed a crime liable to imprisonment; (5) death gratuity for the surviving dependents of a Foreign Service employee; (6) repeal of the recertification requirement for members of the Senior Foreign Service; and (7) limited appointments in the Foreign Service. Expresses congressional support for proposed changes to the career development program for members of the Senior Foreign Service. Urges the Secretary of State to make best efforts to establish U.S. consular posts in Pusan, South Korea, and Hat Yai, Thailand. Authorizes the Secretary to provide for U.S. participation in the Regional Emerging Disease Intervention (REDI) Center in Singapore. Extends the authorization of appropriations for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Repeals the mandate that the United States retain ownership of the Palazzo Corpi building in Istanbul, Turkey, where the International Center for Middle Eastern-Western Dialogue is located. International Broadcasting Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007 - Amends the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 to make annual grants available to the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. Makes broadcasting to Cuba independent of the Voice of America, and allows such broadcasts to use, under leasing agreements, the Amplitude Modulation (AM) band (currently prohibited), the Frequency Modulation (FM) band, and the Short-wave (SW) band. Establishes permanent authority for Radio Free Asia. Authorizes the Broadcasting Board of Governors to provide for payment of school expenses for dependents of broadcasting personnel stationed in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Declares statements of policy relating to democracy in Iran, the dual gateway policy of the Government of Ireland, and a Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorism Initiative. Requires certain reports on Haiti, protection of refugees from North Korea, U.S. actions to encourage respect for human rights, services for children with autism at overseas missions, Internet jamming, and Department of State employment composition. Declares the sense of Congress on Korean Fulbright programs and the location of international institutions in Africa. Prohibits State Department participation in commemorations relating to leaders of Imperial Japan connected to the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
Antifreeze Bittering Act of 2005 - Requires engine coolant or antifreeze that is manufactured six months after the enactment of this Act, and that contains more than 10 percent ethylene glycol, to include denatonium benzoate at a minimum of 30 parts per million and a maximum of 50 parts per million as a bittering agent so as to render the coolant or antifreeze unpalatable. Requires a coolant or antifreeze manufacturer to maintain records of compliance with this Act. Limits the liability of manufacturers, distributors, recyclers, or sellers of engine coolant or antifreeze who are in compliance with the requirements of this Act for personal and property loss or damage to the environment that results from the inclusion of denatonium benzoate in any coolant or antifreeze. Declares this Act inapplicable to: (1) the sale of a motor vehicle that contains engine coolant or antifreeze; or (2) wholesale containers of engine coolant or antifreeze containing 55 gallons or more of engine coolant or antifreeze.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
Expresses support for the goals of : (1) Acadian Heritage Week (third week in September); and (2) A Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval (July 28) as established by Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Proclamation in which the sufferings of the Acadian people were acknowledged.
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
Joe Testaverde Adult Stem Cell Research Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH activities regarding qualifying adult stem cell research. Defines "qualifying adult stem cell" to mean a human stem cell obtained from a human placenta, umbilical cord blood, an organ or tissue of a living or deceased human being who has been born, or an organ or tissue of unborn human offspring who died of natural causes (such as spontaneous abortion). Requires the Director to award grants and contracts to plan, establish, improve, and provide basic operating support for no less than five centers of excellence regarding such research. Requires each center to conduct basic and clinical research, including investigations into the cause, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, control, and treatment of disease. Allows a center to: (1) make individuals aware of opportunities to participate as subjects in research; and (2) provide referrals for health and other services. Requires the Director to provide for: (1) a program under which samples of tissues and genetic materials that are of use in qualifying adult stem cell research are donated, collected, preserved, and made available for such research; and (2) means through which the public can obtain information on NIH programs and activities related to such research and through which the Director can receive comments from the public.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Combating Autism Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish: (1) a program to provide information and education on autism and its risk factors to health professionals and the general public; and (2) the Autism Coordinating Committee to coordinate autism related activities within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award grants or cooperative agreements to develop statewide autism screening, diagnosis, and intervention programs and systems. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants or cooperative agreements to provide technical assistance to state agencies to conduct applied autism research.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
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 · 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 the opportunity for the Republic of Albania to take the next steps in European and Euro-Atlantic integration by holding July 2005 parliamentary elections that meet the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) election standards. Supports commitments by Albanian political parties to adhere to campaign and election laws. Supports U.S. assistance to help the people of Albania establish a democratic system and a free market economy. Encourages the President to communicate to the government of Albania, to all Albanian political parties and candidates, and to the people of Albania the importance attached by the U.S. government to this parliamentary election in determining the future U.S.-Albanian relationship.
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 · 16 May 2005
Welcomes the first democratically-elected President of Afghanistan, His Excellency Hamid Karzai, as an honored guest and friend upon his May 2005 visit to the United States. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) a democratic and prosperous Afghanistan is a vital U.S. security interest; and (2) a strategic partnership between the United States and Afghanistan should continue to be a primary objective of both countries.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Preserving Patient Access to Physicians Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to payment for physicians' services to: (1) eliminate the sustainable growth rate payment update system; and (2) establish in its place an update to the single conversion factor for 2006 of at least 2.7 percent, and a formula for an update to the single conversion factor for years beginning with 2007. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in calculating the formula for the single conversion factor, to establish an input price index and estimate annually a productivity adjustment factor.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2005
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) Syria should complete its withdrawal of all remaining intelligence and security forces from Lebanon in accordance with United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 1559; (2) Lebanon should hold free elections in May 2005; and (3) the United States should aid the Lebanese people to restore the rule of law. States that it should be U.S. policy to: (1) support free elections in Lebanon by encouraging international election assistance; (2) urge the development of democratic institutions to foster sovereign democratic rule in Lebanon; and (3) call for the immediate release of all political prisoners and detainees held in Lebanese and Syrian prisons.
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
Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants to public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of not more than eight centers to conduct multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research on environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer. Requires each such center to: (1) be known as a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Center of Excellence; (2) establish ongoing collaborations with community organizations; (3) be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions; (4) be supported under this Act for a period of not more than five years with additional periods allowed after review and recommendation; and (5) use innovative approaches to study unexplored areas of the environment and breast cancer. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Panel to make recommendations for and to review grants awarded under this Act.
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 · 4 May 2005
Kristen's Act Reauthorization of 2005 - Directs the Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, to make grants to public agencies and/or nonprofit private organizations to: (1) maintain a national resource center and information clearinghouse for missing and unidentified adults; (2) maintain a national, interconnected database for tracking missing adults who are determined by law enforcement to be endangered due to age, diminished mental capacity, or the circumstances of disappearance, when foul play is suspected or circumstances are unknown; (3) coordinate public and private programs that locate or recover missing adults or reunite missing adults with their families; (4) provide assistance and training to law enforcement agencies, State and local governments, elements of the criminal justice system, nonprofit organizations, and individuals in the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and treatment of cases involving missing adults; (5) provide assistance to families in locating and recovering missing adults; and (6) assist in public notification and victim advocacy related to missing adults. Directs the Attorney General, through the Director, to: (1) coordinate Government-funded programs relating to missing adults; and (2) provide the public agencies or nonprofit private organizations receiving grants to maintain a national resource center and information clearinghouse for missing and unidentified adults with access to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Crime Information Center.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2005
Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act of 2005 - Requires a manufacturer of a motor vehicle sold or introduced into commerce in the United States to disclose to the vehicle owner or to a repair facility of the motor vehicle owner's choosing the information necessary to diagnose, service, or repair the vehicle. Sets forth protections for trade secrets. Instructs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prescribe a uniform methodology for manufacturer disclosure in writing and on the Internet. Prohibits the FTC from prescribing rules that interfere with the authority of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding motor vehicle emissions control diagnostics systems. States that manufacturer noncompliance with this Act constitutes an unfair method of competition and an unfair or deceptive act or practice affecting commerce within the purview of the Federal Trade Commission Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2005
District of Columbia Fairness in Representation Act - Considers the District of Columbia as a congressional district for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives. Provides, until the taking effect of the first reapportionment occurring after the regular decennial census conducted for 2010, that: (1) the membership of the House shall be increased by two Members; and (2) each such Representative shall be in addition to such current membership; and (3) the State identified by the Clerk of the House in a specified report by the President to Congress shall be entitled to one additional Representative. Prohibits the temporary increase from: (1) increasing or decreasing the permanent membership of the House; (2) affecting the basis of reappointment established by Federal law; or (3) being taken into account in determining the number of electors with respect to the 2008 Presidential election. Amends the District of Columbia Delegate Act to eliminate the office of District of Columbia Delegate. Amends the District of Columbia Statehood Constitutional Convention Initiative of 1979 to eliminate the office of Statehood Representative.
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
Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2005 - Amends the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998 to authorize appropriations for FY2006-FY2007 to: (1) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide grants to programs in the United States to cover the costs of services provided by domestic treatment centers in the rehabilitation of victims of torture (including treatment of the physical and psychological effects of torture), social and legal services, and research and training of health care providers outside of treatment centers or programs to enable them to provide such services; (2) the President for grants to treatment centers and programs in foreign countries that carry out projects and activities specifically designed to treat victims of torture for the physical and psychological effects of torture; and (3) the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.
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
Saudi Arabia Accountability Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the Government of Saudi Arabia must immediately and unconditionally: (1) cooperate fully with the United States in the investigation of terror groups and individuals; (2) close permanently all organizations in Saudi Arabia that fund, train, encourage, or in any way aid terrorism anywhere in the world; (3) end funding for terror organizations outside Saudi Arabia; and (4) block funding from private Saudi citizens and entities to Saudi-based or offshore terror organizations. Directs the President to prohibit certain exports to Saudi Arabia and restrict travel of certain Saudi diplomats if the President cannot certify to the appropriate congressional committees that the Government of Saudi Arabia: (1) is fully cooperating with the United States in investigating and preventing terrorist attacks; (2) has closed permanently all Saudi-based terror organizations; (3) has ended funding for any offshore terror organization; and (4) has made all efforts to block funding from private Saudi citizens and entities to offshore terror organizations. Allows the President to waive such sanctions for national security reasons.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Directs the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to review the Chief's report on the Delaware River to determine whether any modifications of report recommendations are advisable in the interest of flood damage reduction, ecosystem restoration, and other related problems.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Recognizes the ongoing abuse by the People's Republic of China of the most basic of human rights. Urges the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to change the venue of the 2008 Olympic Games unless China makes significant progress to end human rights abuses, including by: (1) ending its one-child policy; (2) halting its persecution of North Korean refugees and releasing humanitarian workers that it has jailed; (3) discontinuing its intimidation of Taiwan's citizens; (4) making public the number of execution that are carried out each year; (5) halting the practice of parading prisoners through the streets prior to executing them; and (6) no longer holding public executions in stadiums filled with spectators.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2005
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend, through December 31, 2009, the duty on certain vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2005
Health Coverage for the Uninsured Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a tax deduction for high deductible health plan premiums; (2) small employers (100 or fewer employees) a refundable tax credit for contributions to a health savings account of an employee who is covered by a high deductible health plan; and (3) a refundable tax credit for certain health insurance costs of uninsured taxpayers and their spouses and dependents. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a program for making advance payments of tax credit amounts for uninsured individuals to health insurance providers.
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 · 21 April 2005
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2005 - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin; (2) Zion and Mojave Desert; (3) the Grand Staircase and the Escalante Canyons; (4) Moab-LaSal Canyons; (5) Henry Mountains; (6) Glen Canyon; (7) San Juan-Anasazi; (8) Canyonlands Basin; (9) San Rafael Swell; and (10) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. Sets forth administrative provisions regarding: (1) filing by the Secretary of the Interior of a map and a legal description of each designated wilderness area with appropriate congressional committees; (2) the exchange of State-owned lands within such areas; (3) Federal reservation of water rights; (4) measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness; (5) authorized livestock grazing; and (6) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
Stop Senior Hunger Act of 2005 - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to extend through FY 2010 the authorization of appropriations for nutrition services for older individuals through congregate programs at local senior centers and through home-delivery programs.
![Official portrait of Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000522_200.jpg)