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
Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2005 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Public Health Service Act to prohibit a group health plan or group health coverage that provides both medical and surgical benefits and mental health benefits from imposing treatment limitations or financial requirements on the mental health benefits unless comparable limitations or requirements are imposed on medical and surgical benefits. Excludes such requirements for plans and coverage for small employers. Allows a plan or coverage that provides in-network mental health benefits to provide out-of-network mental health benefits using treatment limitations or financial requirements that are not comparable to those applied to medical-surgical benefits if the in-network mental health benefits are provided at parity with medical-surgical benefits and with reasonable access. Requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to: (1) study the effects of this Act on health insurance costs and access and quality of health care; and (2) provide a cost estimation of extending such requirements to the treatment of substance abuse and chemical dependency.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2005 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to modify the definition of "religion" for purposes of coverage under that Act by requiring employers to make an affirmative and bona fide effort to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of employees. Defines the term "perform the essential functions" to exclude practices having a temporary or tangential impact on an employee's ability to perform job functions, such as practices relating to clothing or taking time off work. Sets forth factors to consider in determining whether an accommodation causes undue hardship. Defines "employee" to require an ability to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation. Requires removal of the conflict between employment requirements and the employee's religious practices in order for an accommodation to be considered reasonable. Considers an employer's refusal to permit an employee's use of general leave to remove a religious conflict solely because the leave will be used to accommodate religious practices to be an unlawful employment practice. States that the amendments made by this Act do not apply with respect to conduct occurring prior to enactment.
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
Thurgood Marshall Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 Silver Coins emblematic of the tenure of Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall on the Supreme Court of the United States. Requires the Secretary to select the design for the coins after consultation with the Supreme Court Historical Society, Marshall's family, and the Commission of Fine Arts. All sales of coins issued under this Act shall include a surcharge of $10 per coin. Requires prompt payment of all surcharges to the Historical Preservation Committee of the Supreme Court Historical Society for the purpose of collecting and preserving the physical history of the Supreme Court.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Part-time Student Assistance Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide access and assistance to increase college attendance and completion by part-time students. Exempts from student aid need formula determinations earnings up to: (1) $9,000 by dependent students; (2) $12,000 by independent students with no dependents (other than spouse); and (3) $12,000 by independent students with dependents (other than spouse). Provides for a formula for a revised table of income protection allowances. Exempts earned income credits from the calculation of income. Revises and expands a program (child care access means parents in school) which provides grants to institutions of higher education for child care assistance for low-income students. Directs the Secretary of Education to establish a year-round Pell grant pilot program. Authorizes a demonstration program to create a holistic approach to addressing the needs of part-time students. Allows such program to: (1) be at up to 150 associates and bachelors degree-granting institutions; and (2) include grants, leveraging funds from non-Federal sources, comprehensive child care, and better tailored remedial course programs.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Student Aid Reward Act of 2005 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) title IV (Student Assistance) to direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a Student Aid Reward (SAR) Program of payments to institutions of higher education (IHEs) to encourage them to participate in the student loan program under title IV that is most cost-effective for taxpayers. Requires that a SAR payment to an IHE equal at least 50 percent of the savings to the Federal Government generated by the IHE's participation in the most cost-effective student loan program, rather than one not cost-effective for taxpayers. Requires IHEs receiving SAR payments to: (1) provide student loans under that most cost-effective program for five years after the payment date; and (2) use payment funds, where appropriate, to supplement students Pell Grants. Allows such funds to be used also to award need-based grants to lower and middle income graduate students.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Vocational Opportunities and Instruction through Cooperative Education Act of 2005 - VOICE Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to enter into a partnership with a qualified local educational agency to conduct a model school-to-work program. Requires such program to: (1) provide course credits to secondary school students who participate in work-based learning experiences in the public or private sector; (2) ensure that such students are paid at least the minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 for such work; and (3) not require, or give credit for, any such work exceeding 20 hours a week. Requires participating students to have: (1) no criminal background; (2) a grade point average of 2.0 or higher; and (3) a satisfactory record of school attendance.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., $1 Coin Act - Amends Federal law governing coins and currency to require the obverse side of the dollar coin to have the likeness of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the reverse side of the dollar to have a design emblematic of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Entitles a member of the Armed Forces who is adopting a child in a qualifying child adoption to 21 days of leave, to be used in connection with such adoption. Allows only one member per family to such leave.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of marriage and family therapist services generally, and particularly such services provided in rural health clinics and in hospice programs. Authorizes marriage and family therapists to develop discharge plans for post-hospital services. Amends Medicare part C (Miscellaneous) to exclude such services from the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
National Drought Preparedness Act of 2005 - Establishes the National Drought Council which shall: (1) develop a national drought policy action plan; (2) evaluate Federal drought-related programs; (3) coordinate and prioritize enhancement of the national integrated drought system; and (4) provide for the development of a drought information delivery system, drought planning models, and drought preparedness plans. Terminates the Council eight years after enactment of this Act. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the National Office of Drought Preparedness. Establishes within the Department of Agriculture the Drought Assistance Fund, which shall be used to: (1) assist State, local, tribal, and critical service entities with drought-related activities; and (2) expand the technology transfer of drought and water conservation strategies. Requires: (1) the Secretary to publish guidelines for administering a national technical and financial drought assistance program; and (2) the Secretaries of Agriculture, the Interior, and the Army, and other appropriate Federal agency heads to implement integrated drought preparedness plans. Authorizes States, Indian tribes, local governments, and regional, water providers to develop and implement drought preparedness plans.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of tobacco products by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Food and Drug Administration, including through disclosure, annual registration, inspection, recordkeeping, and user fee requirements. Sets forth criteria by which tobacco products are deemed adulterated or misbranded. Allows the Secretary to require prior approval of all label statements. Allows the Secretary to restrict the sale or distribution of tobacco products, including advertising and promotion, if the Secretary determines that such regulation would be appropriate for the protection of the public health. Prohibits such regulations from: (1) limiting product sales or distribution to authorization of a practitioner licensed to prescribe medical products; (2) prohibiting product sales in face-to-face transactions by a specific category of retail outlets; or (3) establishing a minimum age greater than 18 years of age for product purchases. Prohibits cigarettes from containing any artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, cinnamon, or coffee. Requires the Secretary to establish tobacco product standards to protect the public health, but reserves to Congress the power to ban any tobacco products or reduce the nicotine level to zero. Allows the Secretary to take specified actions, including public notification and recall, against unreasonably harmful products. Requires premarket approval of all new tobacco products. Sets forth standards for the sale of modified risk tobacco products. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) judicial review; (2) coordination with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); (3) congressional review of regulations; and (4) state and local authority. Requires the Secretary to establish a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to change cigarette warning label and advertising requirements. Amends the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 to change smokeless tobacco warning label and advertising requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
TRICARE Mental Health Services Enhancement Act - Amends the TRICARE program (a Department of Defense (DOD) managed health care program) to authorize the provision of mental health counseling for TRICARE participants. Authorizes the provision of mental health services in DOD clinical trials. Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 to authorize the Secretary of Defense to enter into personal service contracts with mental health counselors. Includes mental health counselors within DOD licensure requirements for health-care professionals.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income and to exempt from social security, unemployment taxes, and withholding of tax requirements rebates of real or personal property taxes or any other benefit provided by a State or local government to a member of a volunteer emergency response organization providing firefighting or emergency medical services.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Women and Children in Crisis and Conflict Protection Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) develop a comprehensive strategy for the protection of vulnerable populations, especially women and children, who are affected by a humanitarian emergency; and (2) designate an individual within the Department of State or the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as the coordinator for such efforts. Authorizes USAID to establish a fellowship program to increase USAID expertise in carrying out protective activities of vulnerable populations, especially women and children, affected by a humanitarian emergency. Prohibits certain Department or USAID funds for refugees or internally displaced persons to be provided to a primary grantee or contractor unless the grantee or contractor has adopted a code of conduct that is consistent with the six core principles recommended by the United Nations Inter-Agency Standing Committee. Directs the coordinator to seek to provide health services to vulnerable populations, including: (1) prevention of of sexual violence; (2) reduction of HIV transmission; (3) provision of obstetric care; and (4) integrating women's health services into the primary health care services provided during a humanitarian emergency. Amends the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 to seek to extend microcredit program availability to internally displaced persons. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to: (1) include the protection of vulnerable populations within military education and training; and (2) authorize the President to provide assistance for programs to protect vulnerable populations during humanitarian emergencies. Directs the United States Executive Director of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) to ensure that World Bank disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programs provide benefits to former combatants that are comparable to benefits provided to other individuals. Expresses the sense of Congress that the UN should strengthen the ability of its Department of Peacekeeping Operations to protect civilians, especially women and children, from sexual exploitation by peacekeeping personnel.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Clean Water Authority Restoration Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to replace the term "navigable waters," throughout the Act, with the term "waters of the United States," defined to mean all waters subject to the ebb and flow of the tide, the territorial seas, and all interstate and intrastate waters and their tributaries, including lakes, rivers, streams (including intermittent streams), mudflats, sandflats, wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows, playa lakes, natural ponds, and all impoundments of the foregoing, to the fullest extent that these waters, or activities affecting them, are subject to the legislative power of Congress under the Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Requests the President to transmit to the House of Representatives information in his possession providing specific evidence for the following statement he made on February 16, 2005, at a meeting in Portsmith, New Hampshire: "And by the way, there is not a Social Security trust."
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Water for the World Resolution - Declares that Congress: (1) recognizes that government policies should ensure that all individuals have equitable access to water and that no one is cut off from water for survival due to economic constraints; and (2) upholds the principle that governments should engage all members of society in direct participation in overseeing decisions about the conservation, distribution, use, and management of water in their communities. Recognizes that more sustainable agricultural practices are necessary to protect water resources. Affirms that Congress firmly commits itself to met the Millennium Development Goals, especially as they pertain to universal access to water and sanitation. Asserts that Federal policies should ensure that in the United States direct and indirect sources of water pollution, including factories, refineries, commercial agriculture, and wastewater treatment plants, are adequately regulated and those responsible held accountable for the pollution they cause.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2005
College Loan Assistance Act of 2005 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise student aid requirements for student loans and Pell Grants. Allows refinancing of student consolidation loans under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program. Reduces the amount of a cap on interest rate under the FFEL program. Extends authority for the Pell Grant program. Increases the maximum amount of an individual Pell Grant award to $7,000 for each of academic years 2005-2006 through 2010-11. Prohibits eligible lenders or the Secretary of Education from collecting origination fees from borrowers, under the FFEL or the Federal direct loan program, for any loan made on or after the first July 1 after the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2005
Veterans Employment and Respect Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers a work opportunity tax credit for hiring certain: (1) veterans of military service in Afghanistan or Iraq; and (2) dependents of deceased members of the Armed Forces who served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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 · 15 March 2005
Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to issue a Combat Medevac Badge to each person who served in combat on or after June 25, 1950, as a pilot or crew member of a helicopter medical evacuation ambulance.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2005
Emergency Retiree Health Benefits Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide emergency protections for retiree health benefits. Prohibits group health plans from making post-retirement reductions of retiree health benefits. Requires group health plans to adopt provisions barring post-retirement reductions in retiree health benefits. Requires group health plans to restore benefits reduced after retirement. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to waive or vary such requirements, if a plan sponsor applies for such exemption, upon finding that compliance would: (1) be adverse to the interests of plan participants in the aggregate; (2) not be administratively feasible; and (3) cause substantial business hardship to the sponsor. Establishes the Emergency Retiree Health Loan Guarantee Program and its Board. Authorizes the Program, through its Board, to guarantee loans provided by private banking and investment institutions to eligible plan sponsors to assist them in meeting obligations under this Act to restore benefits reduced after retirement. Authorizes the Secretary to assess civil penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2005
Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2005 - Reinstates for ten years repealed criminal provisions regarding assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices (the assault weapons ban). Revises the definition of "semiautomatic assault weapon" to include conversion kits (for converting a firearm to such a weapon) and any semiautomatic rifle or pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and that has specified characteristics, including a telescoping stock. Prohibits the transfer of such a weapon except through a licensed dealer or a State or local law enforcement agency, subject to specified requirements. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish and maintain a record of the make, model, and date of manufacture of any such weapon which the Attorney General is made aware has been used in relation to a crime, and of the nature and circumstances of the crime involved; and (2) annually submit the record to Congress and make it available to the public. Prohibits: (1) the transfer of any assault weapon with a large capacity ammunition feeding device; and (2) a licensed manufacturer, importer, or dealer who transfers such a device that was manufactured on or before this Act's enactment from failing to certify to the Attorney General, within 60 days of the transfer date, that the device was manufactured on or before that date. Sets penalties for violations. Prohibits: (1) the transfer of such a weapon or device to a juvenile; and (2) the importation of such a device.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2005
Protection of Civil Liberties Act - Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to make the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (Board) an independent agency within the Executive branch. (Currently, such Board is established within the Executive Office of the President.) Requires the Board to be composed of a full-time chairman and four additional members, all to be confirmed by the Senate. Prohibits Board members, while so serving, from being an elected official, officer, or employee of the Federal Government. Provides six-year terms. Gives the Board subpoena power. Requires the Board to: (1) receive and review reports from privacy and civil liberties officers; and (2) report at least semiannually to specified congressional committees on Board activities and other appropriate matters. Directs the heads of specified Federal agencies to designate at least one senior officer for appropriate assistance with respect to privacy and civil liberties concerns as they relate to terrorism prevention. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security complies with the protections for human research subjects in research conducted or supported by such Department.
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
Access and Equity in Higher Education Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise title IV student assistance programs with respect to: (1) higher maximum amounts for subsidized and unsubsidized student loans under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program; (2) existence or amount of origination fees under FFEL and Federal Direct Loan programs; (3) loan-flex programs with income-sensitive repayment plans; (4) consolidation loan interest rate variation based on income; and (5) loan forgiveness for public service employees. Extends through FY 2010 the authorization of appropriations for programs for Historically Black colleges and universities, under HEA title III part B.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2005
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Improvement Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise provisions of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Specifies how loss of earning is to be calculated for vaccine-related injuries to individuals under the age of 18. Increases the award for vaccine-related deaths. Allows compensation under the Program for expenses for family counseling and for establishing and maintaining a guardianship, conservatorship, or trust for an individual with a vaccine-related injury. Allows a special master to make an interim award of attorneys' fees and costs under certain circumstances. Allows such award to be payable directly to the petitioner's attorney. Extends the statute of limitation for vaccine-related injury or death to six years after the date of injury or onset of symptoms. Specifies who is to be a member of the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines. Provides that the Commission shall meet at the call of the Chair (currently, the Commission must meet not less than four times a year). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the amount of expenses for administering the Program that are allowed to be paid from the Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund. Allows the payment from the Trust Fund of administrative and personnel expenses that the Bureau of Public Debt incurs for financial services for the Trust Fund. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to include a public service announcement in efforts to inform the public about the Program.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2005
Constitutional Amendment - States that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2005
Expresses support for: (1) the designation of a National Autism Awareness Month (April); and (2) increasing Federal funding for autism research. Commends the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the implementation of the Children's Health Act of 2000. Stresses the need to begin early intervention services soon after an individual has been diagnosed with autism. Expresses support for the Federal Government funding 40 percent of the costs needed to educate children with disabilities. Recognizes the shortage of appropriately trained teachers and the importance of worker training programs that meet the needs of developmentally disabled individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2005
Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and implement a plan for the prevention, control, and management of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) implement programs to increase awareness of HCV; and (2) support activities to promote the early detection of HCV infection, identify risk factors for infection, and conduct surveillance of HCV infection trends. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC and the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to: (1) conduct epidemiologic research to identify best practices for HCV prevention; (2) establish a Hepatitis C Clinic Research Network to conduct research related to the treatment and medical management of HCV; and (3) conduct basic research to identify new approaches to prevent and treat HCV. Requires the Secretary to: (1) promote State, local, and tribal programs to provide referrals for medical evaluation and management to HCV-positive individuals; (2) examine whether the HCV programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) should be part of the Federal plan; and (3) develop benchmarks for evaluating the programs and activities conducted under this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to States, political subdivisions of States, Indian tribes, or nonprofit entities to carry out activities under this Act. Requires the Director of NIH to establish a Liver Disease Research Advisory Board.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2005
College Aid Made EZ Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise and simplify the Federal student aid application process, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Provides for: (1) a FAFSA-EZ form with fewer pages and questions; (2) a pre-FAFSA process, allowing application for HEA student assistance one year earlier, in junior year of high school; (3) greater Internet access to FAFSA forms; (4) more students qualifying for using a simplified form; and (5) automatic qualification for a simplified form for those students eligible for specified Federal programs, including school lunches. Reduces the types of income and benefits which are considered untaxed for purposes of student assistance need analysis. Removes specified requirements relating to suspension of student aid eligibility due to drug-related offenses. Revises requirements relating to income protection allowances and student contributions from available income.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Connecting the Operations of National Networks of Emergency Communications Technologies for First Responders Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, in cooperation with State and local governments, Federal agencies, public safety agencies, and the private sector, to develop a national strategy to achieve communications interoperability and to report to Congress annually on progress toward achieving such interoperability. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to create an interoperable communications technology grant program for eligible States (those States lacking adequate interoperability that have submitted a communications interoperability plan to the Secretary) and local governments and public safety agencies within such States. Sets forth considerations for awarding grants, including the nature of the threat to the eligible State or local jurisdiction and the location, risk, or vulnerability of critical infrastructure and key national assets. Limits the Federal share of costs associated with grant-funded activities to 75 percent of the total. Prohibits the award of grants to reimburse recipients for past expenditures, except that public safety agencies may be reimbursed for funds expended after September 11, 2001, and before the date of enactment of this Act if such expenditures support an approved agency plan.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Medical Bills Interest Rate Relief Act - Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) no American family or individual should be forced to choose between the health and life of a loved one and the financial constraints of medical care; (2) financial institutions, including credit card issuers, should not take financial advantage of unforeseen, nonpreventive, or catastrophic medical situations; and (3) individuals or families saddled with large medical bills should receive a fair and equitable credit rating that disregards off-schedule medical bill payments. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to prescribe guidelines governing the obligations of credit card issuers for credit extended to pay medical expenses. Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit a hospital or other medical treatment facility from submitting to a consumer reporting agency during a five-year period any negative information regarding the failure of a consumer to maintain full payments for medical expenses if the consumer continues in good faith to make partial payments on the outstanding balance on prescribed payment schedule due dates.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Best Help for Rape Victims Act - Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to require the Attorney General to include within the national protocol on sexual assault forensic examinations a recommendation that a victim of sexual assault who is at risk of pregnancy from rape should be: (1) offered information about emergency contraception; and (2) provided with such contraception on site at the victim's request. Requires the Attorney General to revise any existing protocol in accordance with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act of 2005 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide funds to States to enable them to increase the wages paid to targeted direct support professionals in providing services to individuals with disabilities under the Medicaid program. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, to audit a sample from among the States in order to assess the effectiveness of progress made in reducing or eliminating the wage gap between targeted and reference direct support professionals through funds under this Act. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the wage equalization and recruitment and retention of direct support professionals who are providing services and supports to individuals with disabilities.
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
Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to make Alzheimer's disease research a priority within the National Institute on Aging. Requires the Director of the Institute to: (1) undertake an Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Initiative to accelerate the discovery of new risk and protective factors, to rapidly identify therapies and preventive interventions, and to implement effective prevention and treatment strategies; (2) conduct and support cooperative clinical research regarding Alzheimer's; and (3) conduct research concerning early detection and diagnosis, the relationship between Alzheimer's and vascular disease, and interventions designed to help caregivers. Authorizes the Director to establish a National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center to facilitate collaboration among Alzheimer's Disease Centers and Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to educate the public and public health community regarding Alzheimer's disease. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants or cooperative agreements to develop coordinated respite care programs on a statewide basis. Defines "respite care" to mean planned or emergency care provided to a child or adult with a special need in order to provide temporary relief to the family caregiver of such child or adult. Directs the Secretary to award a grant or cooperative agreement to a public or private nonprofit entity to establish a National Resource Center on Lifespan Respite Care.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2005 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Public Health Service Act to expand the prohibition against discrimination by group health plans and health insurance issuers in the group and individual markets on the basis of genetic information or services to prohibit: (1) enrollment and premium discrimination based on information about a request for or receipt of genetic services; and (2) requiring genetic testing. Sets forth penalties for violations. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit issuers of Medicare supplemental policies from discriminating on the basis of genetic information. Extends medical privacy and confidentiality rules to the disclosure of genetic information. Makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or training program to discriminate against an individual or deprive such individual of employment opportunities because of genetic information. Prohibits the collection and disclosure of genetic information, with certain exceptions. Establishes a Genetic Nondiscrimination Study Commission to review the developing science of genetics and advise Congress on the advisability of providing for a disparate impact cause of action under this Act.
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
Latin America Military Training Review Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of the Army to suspend operation of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (Institute). Suspends the authority of the Secretary of Defense to operate such an education and training facility until submission of a report containing the results of an investigation in response to violations of human rights to which training at such Institute contributed. Establishes: (1) a joint congressional task force to assess appropriate education and training for DOD to provide to military personnel of Latin American nations; and (2) a commission to investigate activities of the United States Army School of the Americas and its successor institution, the Institute.
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
Removing Impediments to Students Education Act - RISE Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to repeal provisions which make persons convicted of drug offenses ineligible to receive student financial assistance for a certain period.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2005
Rockies Prosperity Act - Designates the following lands in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System (System): (1) Greater Glacier/Northern Continental Divide ecosystem; (2) Greater Yellowstone ecosystem; (3) Greater Salmon/Selway ecosystem; (4) Greater Cabinet/Yaak/Selkirk ecosystem; (5) Islands in the Sky Wilderness; and (6) Blackfeet Wilderness. Designates: (1) specified wild land areas as Biological Connecting Corridors to protect the life flow of the Northern Rockies Bioregion; (2) the inventoried roadless areas identified as part of the Corridors as components of the System; and (3) certain biological connecting corridors as special corridor management areas. Establishes the Hells Canyon/Chief Joseph National Park and Preserve as a National Park System unit. Repeals Federal law provisions that establish the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) implement a program of ecosystem restoration in the Preserve; and (2) study the feasibility of creating a Flathead National Park and Preserve in the area generally known as the Glacier View Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest. Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of specified rivers and creeks in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Establishes the National Wildland Restoration and Recovery System and the National Wildland Recovery Corps. Requires the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to assure nonexclusive access to the specified areas and corridors designated by this Act by Native Americans for traditional cultural and religious purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2005
Prohibit Predatory Lending Act - Amends the Truth in Lending Act in connection with consumer credit cost disclosure to redefine: (1) high-cost mortgage; (2) the formula used to adjust certain percentage points in connection with a consumer credit transaction secured by the consumer's principal dwelling; and (3) related points and fees. Sets forth a formula to calculate: (1) points and fees for open-end loans; and (2) bona fide discount points and prepayment penalties. Revises requirements for: (1) prepayment penalties; (2) balloon payments; and (3) extension of credit without regard to consumer's payment ability. Prohibits in connection with high-cost mortgages: (1) a lender from recommending a default on an existing debt prior to and in connection with the closing of a high-cost mortgage that refinances all or any portion of such existing loan or debt; (2) specified late fees; (3) certain accelerations of debt; (4) certain evasions, structuring of transactions, and reciprocal arrangements; (5) certain modification and deferral fees; and (6) mandatory arbitration or other nonjudicial procedures. Mandates pre-loan counseling as a prerequisite for a high-loan mortgage. Revises guidelines governing lender liability for correction of errors. Prohibits a lender from knowingly or intentionally engaging in the unfair act or practice of flipping (the making of a loan or extension of credit to a consumer which refinances an existing mortgage when the new loan or credit extension does not have reasonable, tangible net benefit to the consumer, considering all of the circumstances, including the terms of both the new and the refinanced loans or credit, the cost of the new loan or credit, and the consumer's circumstances). Prohibits single premium credit insurance. Doubles civil money penalties for certain violations. Extends to three years the statute of limitations for violation of certain statutory disclosure requirements.
![Official portrait of Rep. Wexler, Robert [D-FL-19]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/w000314_200.jpg)