United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2005 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2006-FY2011 for: (1) Amtrak capital and operating grants, including state capital grants; (2) the Federal Railroad Administration; (3) Amtrak repayment of long-term debt and capital leases; (4) excess Amtrak railroad retirement payments to the Railroad Retirement Account; (5) the rail cooperative research program; and (6) grants to Amtrak and states participating in the Next Generation Corridor Train Equipment Pool Committee. Amends federal transportation law to make certain Amtrak reforms and operational improvements, including: (1) state funding of Amtrak rail routes; (2) establishment of improved financial accounting system; (3) development of a five-year financial plan; (4) improvement of passenger train performance; (5) establishment of an alternative passenger rail service program; (6) employee transition assistance; and (7) development of a Northeast Corridor state-of-good-repair plan. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to an applicant state, Interstate Compact, or public agency to assist in financing the capital costs of facilities and equipment necessary to provide intercity passenger rail transportation. Establishes: (1) a Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee; and (2) a rail cooperative research program. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to Amtrak for certain systemwide security upgrades. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to Amtrak for fire and life-safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades to tunnels on the Northeast Corridor. Directs Amtrak to submit to the National Transportation Safety Board a plan to address the needs of families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to report to Congress an assessment of the current system for preclearance and screening of rail and airline passengers and baggage, as well as freight railroad traffic, between the United States and Canada. Allows a tax credit to holders of rail infrastructure (intercity rail facility) bonds issued by a state, interstate compact, or Amtrak to finance or refinance certain rail improvement projects.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2005
NOAA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Monitoring, Education, Training, and Restoration Act - Requires the Director of the Chesapeake Bay Office, within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to establish a Chesapeake Bay Integrated Observing System. Directs the System to coordinate existing monitoring and observing activities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, identify new data collection needs, and deploy new technologies to provide a complete set of environmental information needed to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Requires the Director to establish programs for: (1) watershed education and training; and (2) watershed stock enhancement and habit restoration. Authorizes the Director to make grants and enter into contracts with an institution of higher education to support education in Chesapeake Bay aquaculture sciences and technologies, including to develop aquaculture processes and technologies to improve production of disease-free oyster spat and submerged aquatic vegetation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2005
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Nutrient Removal Assistance Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to provide grants to states and municipalities to upgrade municipal wastewater treatment plants of a specified capacity and located within the Chesapeake Bay watershed with nutrient removal technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2005
Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization and Environmental Accountability Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) complete a plan for achieving the nutrient and sediment reduction goals described in the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement; (2) publish and circulate an annual tributary health report card to evaluate progress made in achieving and maintaining nutrient and sediment reduction goals for each major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay; and (3) make annual reports to Congress on nutrient and sediment reduction in the Chesapeake Bay. Requires the states of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia and the District of Columbia to submit information to the Administrator annually on actions taken by such states to achieve nutrient and sediment reductions in the Chesapeake Bay. Directs the Office of Management and Budget to report to Congress on the funding of restoration activities in the Chesapeake Bay. Increases and extends through FY2010 the authorization of appropriations for the Chesapeake Bay Program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2005
Chesapeake Bay Environmental Education Pilot Program Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to establish a Chesapeake Bay Environmental Education Grant Pilot Program of matching grants for developing, demonstrating, or disseminating information on practices, methods, or techniques relating to environmental education and training in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Makes eligible for such grants public elementary or secondary schools and nonprofit environmental or educational organizations located in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, or West Virginia.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2005
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Forestry Program Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Forest Service and the program Coordinator, to carry out a Chesapeake Bay watershed forestry program under which the Secretary shall make grants and provide technical assistance to eligible entities to restore and conserve forests in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, including grants and assistance to: (1) promote forest conservation, restoration, and stewardship efforts; (2) accelerate the restoration of riparian forest buffers; (3) assist in developing and carrying out projects and partnerships; (4) promote the protection and sustainable management of forests; (5) develop public communication and education resources; (6) conduct forest research, assessment, and planning activities; and (7) contribute to the achievement Chesapeake Bay Agreement goals. Directs the Secretary to designate a Forest Service employee as program Coordinator. Sets forth the Coordinator's responsibilities. Defines an eligible entity as: (1) a Chesapeake Bay state (Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia), or a political subdivision thereof; (2) a university or other institution of higher education; (3) a tax-exempt organization operating in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; or (4) any other person in the Chesapeake Bay watershed determined by the Secretary as eligible. Directs the Secretary to: (1) make grants (75% federal maximum) to such entities to carry out specified program projects; (2) conduct a study of urban and rural forests in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; and (3) establish a watershed forestry research program for the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Authorizes the use of funds under this Act to employ a state watershed forester to work with the Coordinator.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2005
Recognizes and honors the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and salutes all people whose efforts contributed to its enactment. Encourages all Americans to celebrate the advance of freedom and the opening of opportunity made possible by its enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2005
Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act - Authorizes the President to award a medal to be known as the "Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Congressional Medal," to the personal representative or next of kin of individuals killed as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in recognition of their sacrifice and to honor their deaths. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike three medals, to be representative of and in honor of, respectively: (1) victims of the attack at the World Trade Center, including civilians, public safety officers, emergency workers, and hijack victims; (2) victims aboard United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania; and (3) victims at the Pentagon, including the hijack victims. Declares eligible for such medal any individual who died on or after September 11, 2001, as a direct result of that act of terrorism within the United States. States the medals are national medals.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2005
Free Flow of Information Act of 2005 - Prohibits a federal entity from compelling a "covered person" (i.e., a newspaper, television broadcast station, wire service, or other media outlet, and specified employees and contractors) to testify or produce any document unless a court determines that: (1) the party seeking to compel has unsuccessfully attempted to obtain such testimony or document from all other non-covered persons; (2) in a criminal matter, there are reasonable grounds to believe a crime has occurred and the testimony or document sought is essential to the investigation, prosecution, or defense of the crime; (3) in a non-criminal matter, the testimony or document is essential to a dispositive issue of substantial importance; and (4) in any matter in which testimony or a document could reveal the source's identity, disclosure is necessary to prevent imminent and actual harm to national security and such harm outweighs the public interest in protecting the free flow of information. Requires the content of compelled testimony or documents to be limited and narrowly tailored. Exempts certain commercial or financial information. Makes this Act applicable to testimony or documents that a third party or federal entity seeks from a communications service provider relating to business transactions with a covered person. Sets forth notice requirements. Permits a court to delay notice to a covered person upon determining that such notice would pose a substantial threat to the integrity of a criminal investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2005
Declares August 31, 2005, to be Solidarity Day in the United States to recognize the 25th anniversary of the establishment in Poland of the Solidarity Trade Union. Honors the people of Poland who risked their lives to restore liberty in Poland and to return Poland to the democratic community of nations. Calls on the people of the United States to remember the struggle and sacrifice of the people of Poland and that the results of that struggle contributed to the fall of communism and the ultimate end of the Cold War.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2005
Designates the federal building in Kingston, Jamaica (formerly known as the Crowne Plaza and now a staff housing facility for the U.S. mission in Jamaica) as the "Colin L. Powell Residential Plaza."
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2005
Controlled Substances Export Reform Act of 2005 - Amends the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to authorize the Attorney General to allow any controlled substance that is in schedule I or II or that is a narcotic drug in schedule III or IV to be exported from the United States to a country (first country) for subsequent export to another country (second country) if: (1) both such countries are parties to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, and the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971; (2) each of such countries has maintained an adequate system of substance import controls; (3) the substance is consigned to a holder of permits or licenses required under the first country's laws and a permit to import the substance has been issued; (4) substantial evidence that the substance is to be consigned to a permit holder as required under the second country's laws is furnished, a permit to import it is to be issued, the substance is to be applied exclusively to legitimate uses within that country, and it will not be re-exported; (5) within 30 days after export from the first country, the person who exported it from the United States certifies that re-export has occurred; and (6) the Attorney General has issued a permit to export the substance from the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2005
Rail Security Act of 2005 - Directs the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security to complete, and make prioritized recommendations regarding, a vulnerability assessment of freight and passenger rail transportation for identification of: (1) critical assets and infrastructures and the threats to them; (2) vulnerabilities specific to the transportation of hazardous materials via railroad; and (3) security weaknesses in passenger and cargo security, transportation infrastructure, protection systems, procedural policies, communications systems, employee training, emergency response planning, and any other area. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to review existing Department of Transportation (DOT) rail regulations to identify areas for revision to improve rail security. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to specified congressional committees on the rail passenger transportation security programs in Japan, member nations of the European Union (EU), and other foreign countries in order to identify effective rail transportation security measures. Directs the Under Secretary to: (1) analyze the cost and feasibility of requiring security screening for passengers, baggage, and cargo on passenger trains; and (2) conduct a pilot program of random security screening of passengers and baggage at a specified number of passenger rail stations served by Amtrak. Authorizes appropriations for certain fire and life-safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades to Amtrak tunnels on the Northeast Corridor. Amends federal transportation law to direct Amtrak to submit to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Secretary of Transportation a plan to address the needs of families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents. Authorizes the Under Secretary to make grants for certain system-wide Amtrak security upgrades and freight and hazardous materials transportation and passenger rail security upgrades. Establishes a research and development (R&D) program to improve freight and intercity passenger rail security. Directs the Federal Railroad Administration to prescribe standards for welded rail and tank car safety improvements. Requires the Under Secretary to report to specified congressional committees: (1) an assessment of the current system for preclearance and screening of rail and airline passengers and baggage, as well as freight railroad traffic, between the United States and Canada; and (2) information on progress toward finalizing a protocol with Canada on preclearance of rail passengers between the two countries. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to study and report to Congress on the impact of blocked highway-railroad grade crossings on the ability of first responders to perform their duties in the event of a terrorist attack. Sets forth certain whistleblower protections for rail employees or other persons providing information about perceived security threats.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2005
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Gaylord A. Nelson, a former member of the United States Senate from Wisconsin. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on July 11, 2005, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Nelson.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2005
Declares that the Senate: (1) expresses deepest sympathies and condolences to the people of the United Kingdom and the victims and their families for the heinous terrorist attacks that occurred in London on July 7, 2005; (2) condemns these barbaric and unwarranted attacks on the innocent people of London; (3) expresses strong and continued solidarity with the people of the United Kingdom and pledges to remain shoulder-to-shoulder with them to bring the terrorists responsible for these brutal attacks to justice; and (4) calls upon the international community to renew and strengthen efforts to defeat terrorists by dismantling terrorist networks and exposing the violent and nihilistic ideology of terrorism, increase international cooperation to advance personal and religious freedoms, ethnic and racial tolerance, political liberty and pluralism, and economic prosperity, and combat the social injustice, oppression, poverty, and extremism that breeds terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2005
Disapproves the rule submitted by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on March 15, 2005, relating to the removal of coal- and oil-fired electric generating units from the list of major sources of hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2005
Multilateral Debt Relief Act of 2005 - Authorizes: (1) the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. executive director of each international financial institution (the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Inter-American Development Bank, the African Development Bank, and the African Development Fund) to reach an agreement among the shareholders to permanently cancel 100 percent of the debts owed to each such institution by an eligible country (as defined by this Act); and (2) appropriations for the U.S. contribution to such agreement if other members of the international financial institutions contribute funds for such purpose. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should pursue additional bilateral and multilateral debt relief for each country eligible for International Development Association grants. Amends the International Development Association Act to authorize, and authorize appropriations for, the U.S. Governor of the Association to contribute necessary sums to the fourteenth replenishment of the Association. Amends the African Development Fund Act to authorize, and authorize appropriations for, The U.S. Governor of the Fund to contribute necessary sums to the tenth replenishment of the Fund. Authorizes appropriations to fulfill U.S. commitments to the Enhanced HIPC Initiative (as defined by this Act).
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2005
Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants or cooperative agreements to a recommended agency, organization, or political subdivision to develop respite care programs at the state or local level or to evaluate the effectiveness of such care. 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. Instructs the Secretary to work cooperatively with existing federal respite program officers to ensure coordination of services for family caregivers. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a review panel to make recommendations on applicants; and (2) give priority to applicants with the greatest likelihood of implementing or enhancing lifespan respite care statewide. Permits the use of funds for respite care services and training programs for volunteers and family caregivers. Limits grants to five years. Directs the Secretary to award a grant or cooperative agreement to a public or private nonprofit entity to establish the National Resource Center on Lifespan Respite Care to: (1) maintain a national database on lifespan respite care; (2) provide training and technical assistance to state, community, and nonprofit respite care programs; and (3) provide information, referral, and educational programs to the public on lifespan respite care.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Hazardous Materials Vulnerability Reduction Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to issue regulations for the rail shipment and storage of extremely hazardous materials by railroad owners and operators, including requirements relating to high threat corridors and protocols for the coordination of federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities in creating a plan to respond to a terrorist attack, sabotage, or accident involving a rail shipment of extremely hazardous materials that causes the release of such materials. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to local governments and owners and operators of railroads to conduct training in safety procedures for handling and responding to emergencies involving extremely hazardous materials. Amends federal transportation law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to experienced national nonprofit employee organizations to train railway HAZMAT workers. Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on the benefits and availability of technology and procedures that may be utilized to: (1) reduce the likelihood of a terrorist attack on a rail shipment of extremely hazardous materials; (2) reduce the likelihood of a catastrophic release of extremely hazardous materials in the event of a terrorist attack; and (3) enhance the ability of first responders to respond to a terrorist attack on a rail shipment of extremely hazardous materials. Prohibits discrimination against any employee of a railroad for disclosing to the Secretary, the Attorney General, or any federal supervisory agency a possible violation of this Act by a railroad owner or operator. Allows any state or local government to bring a civil action in a U.S. district court for redress of injuries caused by a violation of this Act against any person (other than an individual) who transports, loads, unloads, or is otherwise involved in the shipping of extremely hazardous materials by rail. Provides for administrative penalties of up to $1 million for each failure to comply with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Reiterates Senate support for the 1998 Good Friday Agreement as the blueprint for a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the Irish Republican Army (IRA) must complete its decommissioning and cease to exist as a paramilitary organization; (2) the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Ireland must share power with all parties according to the democratic mandate of the Agreement; (3) Sinn Fein must work with the Police Service of Northern Ireland; (4) the leadership of Sinn Fein must insist that those responsible for, and witnesses to, Robert McCartney's murder cooperate with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and be protected from IRA retaliation; and (5) the government of the United Kingdom (UK) must restore democratic institutions, complete demilitarization, and advance equality and human rights in Northern Ireland.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2005
Student Fairness Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to rebate the amount of aid lost to students whose Pell Grants were reduced or eliminated for academic year 2005-2006 as a result of the update to the tables for state and other taxes in the student aid need analysis determination of expected family contribution.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2005
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable J. James Exon, former United States Senator for Nebraska. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on June 13, 2005, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Exon.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act of 2005 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to prohibit a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer providing group coverage, from: (1) excluding or restricting benefits for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, and outpatient services if the plan provides benefits for other outpatient prescription drugs, devices, or outpatient services; (2) denying eligibility based on use or potential use of such items or services; (3) providing monetary payments or rebates to a covered individual to encourage acceptance of less than the minimum protections available; (4) penalizing, reducing, or limiting a professional's reimbursement because the professional prescribed such drugs or devices or provided such services; or (5) providing incentives to a professional to induce the professional to withhold such drugs, devices, or services. Applies such prohibitions to coverage offered in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Program to protect the environmental integrity of undeveloped coastal and estuarine areas. Authorizes the Secretary to make program grants to coastal States, except to ones that have lost less than one percent of their wetlands to development or conversion to other land uses, for the purpose of acquiring property that will further the goals of an approved Coastal Zone Management Plan or Program, a National Estuarine Research Reserve management plan, or a regional or state watershed protection plan.. Prohibits any more than 75 percent of the grant funding from being derived from Federal sources. Authorizes the Secretary to provide $5 million for a regional watershed protection demonstration project that: (1) leverages land acquisition funding from other Federal conservation or acquisition programs; (2) involves partnerships with Federal, State, and non-governmental entities; (3) creates conservation corridors; (4) protects habitats under imminent threat of development or conversion; (5) provides water quality protection for areas under the National Estuarine Research Reserve program; and (6) provides a model for future regional watershed protection projects. Reserves 15 percent of program funds for acquisitions benefitting the National Estuarine Research Reserve. Specifies that when property is acquired under this program, the grant recipient shall provide assurances that: (1) title will be held by the grant recipient; (2) property will be managed consistent with the purpose of the program; and (3) funds will be returned to the Secretary for redistribution if the property is sold, exchanged, or divested. Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to allow the Secretary to enter into contracts or other arrangements with other Federal agencies (including interagency financing of Coastal America activities) as well as any other qualified person for the purposes of carrying out technical assistance and research to support coastal zone management. (Current law allows the Secretary to enter into such arrangements only with any qualified person).
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
Violence Against Women Act of 2005 - Reauthorizes and increases funding under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 for grants to combat violence against women. Authorizes the Attorney General, through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, to award grants to improve court responses. Reauthorizes provisions of the Violence Against Women Acts of 2000 and 1994 concerning training and services for the elderly and the disabled and provisions of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act regarding funding for the national domestic violence hotline. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prevent cyber-stalking. Provides increased penalties for repeat domestic violence offenses and protection order violations. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to: (1) fund programs serving domestic violence victims ages 12 to 24; (2) develop collaborative responses and services to families where there is both child maltreatment and domestic violence; (3) strengthen home visitation and health care system responses; and (4) develop long-term housing options for domestic violence victims who are homeless. Directs the Attorney General to award grants to reduce violence against women on college campuses. Authorizes limited emergency leave for a public employee who is a victim of domestic violence. Grants the Secretary of Homeland Security (currently, the Attorney General) authority to determine whether an alien is or has been a victim of a severe form of trafficking. Makes inapplicable a provision finding an alien inadmissible upon demonstrating a connection between the alien being a victim of a severe form of trafficking and that alien's unlawful presence in the United States. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) permit Indian law enforcement agencies to enter into, and obtain information from, federal criminal information databases, in cases of domestic violence; and (2) develop a national tribal sex offender registry and a tribal protection order registry. Establishes in the Office a Deputy Director for Tribal Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2005
Waives passport fees for the widow, widower, child, parent, grandparent, brother, or sister of a deceased member of the armed forces traveling abroad to visit such member's grave or to attend such member's funeral or memorial service. (Current law does not provide such benefit for a widower or grandparent, and limits such benefit to visits to the grave.)
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 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 · 26 May 2005
Medicare Mental Health Copayment Equity Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide, by a gradual increase in the percentage of expenses considered incurred expenses, for a gradual reduction (from 50% to the standard 20%) by 2011 of copayment rates for outpatient psychiatric services under the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Attorney General to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that: (1) constitutes a crime of violence under federal law or a felony under state or Indian tribal law; and (2) is motivated by prejudice based on the race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability of the victim or is a violation of the hate crime laws of the state or tribe. Directs the Attorney General to give priority for assistance to crimes committed by offenders who have committed crimes in more than one state and to rural jurisdictions that have difficulty covering the extraordinary investigation or prosecution expenses. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to assist state, local, and Indian law enforcement officials with such extraordinary expenses. Directs the Office of Justice Programs to: (1) work closely with funded jurisdictions to ensure that the concerns and needs of all affected parties are addressed; and (2) award grants to state and local programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles. Prohibits specified offenses involving actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to study and provide sentencing enhancements for adult recruitment of juveniles to commit hate crimes. Amends the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to require the crime data to be collected and published by the Attorney General to include data about crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on gender.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Development Bank Reform and Authorization Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to seek the creation of a pilot program that establishes an Anti-Corruption Trust at the World Bank, whose purposes shall include: (1) assisting poor countries in investigations and prosecutions of fraud and corruption related to a Bank loan, grant, or credit; and (2) determining whether such a pilot program should be carried out at other multilateral development banks. Directs the Secretary to monitor pilot program fund use. Amends the International Financial Institutions Act to direct the Secretary to use U.S. influence to promote goals at multilateral development banks (the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, and their subsidiaries or affiliates) relating to: (1) transparency; (2) financial disclosure; (3) anti-corruption; (4) enhanced auditing; (5) compensation for people negatively affected by bank projects; (6) borrower country qualifications; and (7) resource dependent country revenue transparency. Expresses the sense of Congress in support of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative and the 2003 and 2004 G-8 agreements. Amends the International Development Association Act to authorize the contribution of specified sums on behalf of the United States to the fourteenth replenishment of the International Development Association. Amends the African Development Fund Act to authorize the contribution of specified sums on behalf of the United States to the tenth replenishment of the Fund. Amends the Asian Development Bank Act to authorize the contribution of specified sums on behalf of the United States to the eighth replenishment of the Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should designate the week beginning September 11, 2005, as National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week.
United States · United States Congress · 25 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 · 24 May 2005
College 529 InvEST Act of 2005 - Makes permanent the provision relating to qualified tuition programs enacted by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA).
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Welcomes the first democratically-elected President of Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai, as an honored guest and friend upon his May 2005 visit to the United States. Supports: (1) a democratic and prosperous Afghanistan as vital to U.S. security; and (2) a strategic partnership between the United States and Afghanistan as a primary objective of both countries.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Honors the life and work of Sister Dorothy Stang, an advocate for the rights of rural workers and peasants in Brazil's Amazon rain forest who was murdered in February 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2005
Jacob Wetterling, Megan Nicole Kanka, and Pam Lychner Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act or the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act - Repeals existing provisions governing state registration programs for persons convicted of a criminal offense against a minor or of a sexually violent offense. Directs the Attorney General to carry out a Jacob Wetterling, Megan Nicole Kanka, and Pam Lychner Sex Offender Registration and Notification program under which a "covered individual" (an individual convicted of a listed offense against a minor) shall, for that individual's life, provide to the Attorney General specified information, including any change of address and employer. Lists exceptions. Sets penalties for violations. Requires the Attorney General to prescribe regulations to ensure that every covered individual wears and maintains a device that transmits information about that person's whereabouts to the domicile state, subject to specified requirements. Sets penalties for violations. Lists the responsibilities of the Attorney General and State or tribal actors. Provides for specified community notification by law enforcement. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) maintain a National Sex Offender Registry database to track the whereabouts and movements of covered individuals; (2) develop a software application that can be used by state and tribal actors; (3) establish and maintain a database to manage DNA information regarding covered individuals; and (4) carry out a Sex Offender Management Assistance program for awarding grants to states or tribal actors to offset costs associated with implementing this Act. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to subject to deportation any alien who is a covered individual and who fails to provide registration information under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2005 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (3) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day. Makes federal minimum wage requirements applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sets forth a transition period during which a specified minimum wage there shall be gradually increased to equal the federal minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Transportation Security Improvement Act of 2005 - Amends Federal transportation law to authorize appropriations for FY2006-2008 to: (1) the Transportation Security Administration (TSA); and (2) the Department of Transportation (DOT). Authorizes the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security (Under Secretary), acting through the TSA, to establish the position of Intermodal Manager throughout regions of the nation to: (1) serve as regional coordinator of the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security's response to terrorist incidents and threats to maritime and land assets; and (2) coordinate efforts related to maritime and land security with other Department officials, state and local law enforcement, and other public and private entities. Prohibits the Under Secretary from imposing a passenger security service fee in FY2007 and later unless: (1) such fee is imposed by rule promulgated by the Under Secretary; and (2) Congress approves. Requires the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (TSA) to: (1) report to Congress on the adequacy of training for TSA screeners; and (2) establish an employee internship program for training students to perform screening of passengers and property at airports. Rail Security Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a task force (including the TSA, the DOT, and other appropriate agencies) to complete a vulnerability and risk assessment of freight and passenger rail transportation. Requires the Secretary, based on the assessment, to develop specific prioritized recommendations for improving rail security. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to Amtrak for certain systemwide security upgrades. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to Amtrak for certain fire and life-safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades to Amtrak tunnels on the Northeast Corridor. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to freight railroads (including Amtrak), hazardous materials shippers, universities and research centers, and state and local governments for freight and passenger rail security upgrades to prevent or respond to acts of terrorism or sabotage. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a research and development (R&D) program to improve freight and intercity passenger rail security. Directs Amtrak to submit to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Secretary of Transportation a plan to address the needs of families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents involving an Amtrak intercity train and resulting in a loss of life. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Transportation to develop and issue guidance for a rail worker security training program to prepare front-line workers for potential threat conditions. Sets forth certain whistleblower protections for rail employees or other persons who have provided information regarding a perceived threat to security to the employer, Federal Government, or Congress, or who have refused to violate or assist in the violation of any regulation related to rail security. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to require rail carriers transporting high hazardous materials to develop high hazard material security threat mitigation plans containing appropriate measures to address assessed risks to high consequence targets. Directs the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to set forth certain standards for welded rail and tank car safety improvements. Requires certain rail security studies, including one on the rail passenger transportation security programs in Japan, European Union (EU) member nations, and other foreign countries. Prohibits a commercial motor vehicle operator registered to operate in Mexico and Canada from operating a commercial motor vehicle transporting a hazardous material in U.S. commerce until the operator has undergone a background records check similar to the background records check required for commercial motor vehicle operators licensed in the United States to transport hazardous materials in commerce. Sets forth provisions requiring: (1) written route plans for hazardous material motor carriers; (2) the equipping of certain commercial motor vehicles that transport high hazardous materials with wireless terrestrial or satellite communications technology; (3) the review of hazardous materials security plans of shippers or carriers of hazardous materials; (4) the development of a Pipeline Security and Incident Recovery Protocols Plan; (5) the review of pipeline operator adoption of certain recommendations, including pipeline security plans and critical facility inspections; and (6) the development of a national public sector response system to respond to accidents, threats, and other safety and security risks or incidents. Directs the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to private operators of over-the-road buses for certain system-wide security improvements to their operations. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish joint operational centers for port security at all Tier 1 ports in order to improve interagency cooperation and sharing of intelligence information so as to provide greater protection for port and intermodal transportation systems against terrorism. Amends federal shipping law to require the Administrator of the Maritime Administration to identify foreign assistance programs that could facilitate implementation of port security antiterrorism measures in foreign countries. Requires importers shipping goods to the United States via cargo container to supply entry data under an advance notification system. Increases the number of overseas U.S. Customs Service inspectors for inspecting intermodal shipping containers being shipped to the United states. Calls for random inspection of shipping containers. Requires the promulgation of standards and procedures for the inspection and screening of cargo in foreign ports intended for shipment to the United States. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to promulgate a strategic plan for transportation R&D. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish within the Directorate of Science and Technology of the Department of Homeland Security a competitive research program that supports projects related to homeland security research.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 - Amends Federal monetary law to set forth requirements for the redesign and issuance of circulating $1 coins emblematic of each President of the United States. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary) to issue bullion coins emblematic of the spouse of each such President during the same period in which the $1 coins are issued. Expresses the sense of Congress about the issuance of such coins. Instructs the Secretary to strike and issue for sale $20 gold bullion coins initially bearing the original designs by James Earle Fraser, which appear on the 5-cent coin commonly referred to as the "Buffalo nickel" or the "1913 Type 1." Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue 1-cent coins during the year 2009, whose obverse design continues to bear the Victor David Brenner likeness of President Abraham Lincoln, and whose reverse design bears four different designs each representing a different aspect of Lincoln's life.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Calls upon the President to issue a proclamation: (1) recognizing the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe; (2) reasserting the U.S. commitment to full implementation of the Helsinki Final Act; and (3) urging all participating countries to abide by their Helsinki obligations. Calls upon the President to convey to all Helsinki signatories that respect for human rights, democratic principles, and economic liberty continue to be vital elements in promoting a new era of democracy, peace, and unity in the region covered by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) at the 57th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission the United States should remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling (including any linking of a Revised Management Scheme (RMS) to the lifting of the commercial whaling moratorium), and take other specified related steps; and (2) the United States should make full use of all appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, federal law, relevant international laws and agreements, and other appropriate mechanisms to implement these goals.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2005
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the thousands of innocent people murdered at Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 1995, along with all individuals who were victimized during the conflict and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995, should be remembered and honored; (2) the Serbian policies of aggression and ethnic cleansing meet the terms defining genocide; (3) foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens, who have risked, and in some cases lost, their lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina should be remembered and honored; (4) the United Nations (UN) and its member states should accept their share of responsibility for allowing the Srebrenica massacre and genocide to occur; (5) it is in the U.S. national interest that the responsible individuals should be held accountable for their actions; (6) persons indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) should be apprehended and transferred to The Hague without further delay, and countries should meet their obligations to cooperate with the ICTY; and (7) the United States should support the independence and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and peace and stability in southeastern Europe.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Providing Reliable Officers, Technology, Education, Community Prosecutors, and Training In Our Neighborhoods Act of 2005 or the PROTECTION Act - Modifies provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 regarding public safety and community policing ("cops on the beat" program, COPS) to authorize the Attorney General to use COPS grants to: (1) increase prosecutor presence and to enhance law enforcement access to new technologies; (2) pay overtime to existing career law enforcement officers to the extent that such overtime is devoted to community-oriented policing; and (3) promote higher education among in-service State and local law enforcement officers by reimbursing them for certain educational costs. Includes among permitted additional grant projects: (1) specialized integrity and ethics training; and (2) innovative proactive crime control and prevention programs involving school officials and religiously-affiliated organizations. Authorizes the Attorney General to use up to five percent of funds available for technical assistance and training grants in any fiscal year to States, local governments, Indian tribal governments, and other entities. Allows grants to be used to assist: (1) police departments in employing specified professional, scientific, and technological advancements; and (2) State, local, or tribal prosecutors' offices in implementation of community-based prosecution programs that build on local community-oriented policing efforts. Reserves specified funds for local governmental units with a population of less than 50,000. Authorizes the Attorney General to use no more than 50 percent of grant renewal funds to award grants targeted for police officer retention.
![Official portrait of Sen. Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [D-DE]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b000444_200.jpg)