United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2006
Surveillance Activities Commission Act of 2006 - Establishes in the legislative branch the National Commission on Surveillance Activities and the Rights of Americans to conduct an investigation and to study governmental operations with respect to warrantless surveillance conducted inside the United States and intelligence activities, and the extent, if any, to which illegal, improper, or unethical activities were engaged in by any federal, state, or local government agency or employee.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2006
Border Tunnel Prevention Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the construction or financing of an unauthorized tunnel or subterranean passage that crosses the international border between the United States and another country. Imposes a 20-year prison term for such offense. Imposes a 10-year prison term on any person who recklessly permits the construction or use of such a tunnel or passage on land that such person owns or controls. Doubles penalties for persons who use such a tunnel or passage to unlawfully smuggle an alien, illegal goods, controlled substances, weapons of mass destruction, or members of a terrorist organization. Subjects to forfeiture any property involved in, or traceable to, the construction or financing of such a tunnel or passage. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to promulgate or amend sentencing guidelines to provide for increased penalties for persons convicted of criminal offenses related to the construction or financing of such a tunnel or passage.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2006
Consumer Assurance of Radiologic Excellence Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards to ensure the safety and accuracy of medical imaging studies and radiation therapy treatments. Imposes such standards on personnel who perform, plan, or evaluate, or verify patient doses for, medical imaging studies and radiation therapy procedures and not on the equipment used. Exempts physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Directs the Secretary to ensure that individuals demonstrate compliance with such standards. Requires the Secretary to provide a method for the recognition of individuals whose training and experience are determined to equal or exceed that of: (1) a graduate of an accredited educational program in that specialty; or (2) an individual who is regularly eligible to take the licensure or certification examination for that discipline. Directs the Secretary to certify qualified nonprofit organizations as approved bodies to provide accreditation to individuals that demonstrate compliance with such standards. Deems state standards for licensure or certification of personnel, accreditation of educational programs, or administration of examinations to be in compliance with the standards under this Act. Requires the Secretary to ensure that all programs under the authority of the Secretary meet such standards. Authorizes the Secretary to develop alternative standards for rural areas or health professional shortage areas as appropriate to assure access to quality medical imaging.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2006
Louis Braille Bicentennial--Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins emblematic of the life and legacy of Louis Braille, whose design: (1) on the obverse shall bear a representation of the image of Louis Braille; and (2) on the reverse shall emphasize Braille literacy and include the word for Braille in Braille code. Authorizes the Secretary to issue such coins only during 2009. Subjects all coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin. Requires all surcharges to be promptly paid by the Secretary to the the National Federation of the Blind to further its programs to promote Braille literacy.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2006
Condemns the continued attacks on civilians in Darfur by the government of Sudan and violations of the N'Djamena Ceasefire Agreement by the government and rebels in Darfur (particularly the Sudan Liberation Army). Commends the Africa Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) in monitoring the Agreement in Darfur and its role in diminishing some acts of violence. Calls on: (1) all parties to abide by the terms of the Agreement and engage in good-faith negotiations to end the conflict in Darfur; (2) the government of Sudan to withdraw all military aircraft from the region, to cease all support for the Janjaweed militia and rebels from Chad, and to disarm the Janjaweed; and (3) the African Union to request assistance from the United Nations (U.N.) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to deter violence and instability until a U.N. peacekeeping force is deployed in Darfur. Urges the President to take steps to help improve the security situation in Darfur, including calling upon NATO allies, led by the United States, to support a NATO mission in Darfur and the AMIS.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Social Security Number Protection Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Service to establish procedures to change the numerical identifier used to identify individuals entitled to benefits under part A (Hospital Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act or enrolled under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), so that the Social Security account number is not displayed on the individual's Medicare identification card, or on any explanation of Medicare benefits mailed to the individual.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to repeal the amendments made by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 requiring documentation evidencing citizenship or nationality as a condition for receipt of medical assistance under the Medicaid program.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2006
Responsible Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act - Repeals the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (Division C of the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006). Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Biodefense Injury Compensation Program to provide compensation for death or any injury, illness, disability, or condition that is likely to have been caused by the administration of a covered countermeasure pursuant to a declaration by the Secretary of Health and Human Services that an actual or potential bioterrorist incident or public health emergency makes such administration to a category of individuals advisable. Requires the Secretary: (1) after making such a declaration, to enter into a contract for the Institute of Medicine to provide its recommendations on the injuries, disabilities, illnesses, and conditions likely to have been caused by the countermeasure; and (2) after receiving such recommendations, to specify those injuries, disabilities, illnesses, and conditions deemed to be included in the Vaccine Injury Table. Sets the effective date for such Program as November 25, 2002. Extends liability protection for health professionals administering small pox countermeasures to include covered countermeasures under this Act. Excludes from such protection the administration by a qualified person of a covered countermeasure to an individual who was not within a category of individuals covered by the declaration where such qualified person did not have reasonable grounds to believe such individual was within a category. Makes the United States liable for any claims arising out of the manufacture, distribution, or administration of a covered countermeasure, including claims brought by U.S. military personnel.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2006
Prohibits, effective October 1, 2006: (1) rent charges established by the Administrator of General Services for accommodations provided to the judicial branch from exceeding the actual costs of operating and maintaining such accommodations by the General Services Administration (GSA); and (2) any amounts for shell rent, capital costs, real estate taxes (except for taxes paid by the Administrator to lessors), or administrative fees from being included in such rent charges. Requires the judicial branch's repayment to the Administrator of the cost of repair and alteration projects performed by GSA on judicial branch accommodations after October 1, 2006, to be recovered over time in a manner agreed upon by the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts and the Administrator.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2006
Medicare Drug Formulary Protection Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit removal of covered part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drugs from a prescription drug plan formulary, or imposition of a restriction or limitation on the coverage of such a drug, during the plan year: (1) except at the beginning; or (2) for an individual enrollee, from the date of enrollment until December 31 of the immediately succeeding plan year. Specifies exceptions to such prohibition. Requires an annual notice to enrollees of changes in formulary and other restrictions or limitations on coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2006
Congressional Tribute to Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Act of 2006 - Authorizes The President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design, to Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, in recognition of his enduring contributions to the United States and the world.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2006
Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to offer the 181 Area of the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas leasing. Prohibits the Secretary from offering for oil and gas leasing: (1) any area east of the Military Mission Line, unless the Secretary of Defense agrees in writing before the area is offered for lease that it can be developed in a manner that will not interfere with military activities; or (2) any area within 100 miles of the coastline of Florida.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2006
Indian Youth Telemental Health Demonstration Project Act of 2006 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a demonstration project to award up to five grants, of up to four years each, for the provision of telemental health services to Indian youth who have expressed suicidal ideas, have attempted suicide, or have mental health conditions that increase or could increase the risk of suicide. Makes eligible for such grants any Indian tribes and tribal organizations that operate one or more facilities: (1) located in Alaska and part of the Alaska Federal Health Care Access Network; (2) reporting active clinical telehealth capabilities; or (3) offering school-based telemental health services relating to psychiatry to Indian youth.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2006
Home and Community Services Copayment Equity Act of 2006 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to eliminate part D cost-sharing for certain non-institutionalized full-benefit dual eligible individuals with income below 135% of the poverty line who: (1) reside in an assisted living facility, a resident care program facility, or any other appropriate licenced facility, including a psychiatric health facility, a mental health rehabilitation center, and a mental retardation developmental disability facility; or (2) receive home and community-based services in a home setting under a home and community-based waiver.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2006
Medicare Prescription Drug Emergency Guarantee Act of 2006 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to assure uninterrupted access to medicines under the Medicare prescription drug program. Requires each prescription drug plan sponsor offering a prescription drug plan, and each Medicare Advantage organization offering an Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug Plan (MA-PD plan), to: (1) provide minimum standard transition coverage; (2) furnish each enrollee with annual notices of any changes in formulary or other restrictions or drug coverage limitations; and (3) require application of intermediate sanctions to protect against fraud and abuse. Amends SSA: (1) title XVIII part C (Medicare+Choice) to allow changes of enrollment in prescription drug plans and MA-PD plans to be made once each year outside the annual coordinated election period, or twice a year; and (2) title XIX (Medicaid) to prohibit conditioning Medicaid eligibility on enrollment in Medicare part D or any other creditable coverage. Directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) to study and report to Congress on the extent to which full-benefit dual eligible individuals were enrolled (by assignment or otherwise) in the most appropriate part D prescription drug plans. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to reimburse covered third parties during 2006 for 100% of covered part D drugs which a prescription drug plan or MA-PD plan enrollee reasonably expected would have been covered but were not because the enrollee was unable to access on a timely basis prescription drug benefits to which he or she was entitled. Directs the Secretary to establish a process for recovering such reimbursed costs from prescription drug plans and MA-PD plans if they should have incurred them.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2006
Expresses admiration for Mrs. Coretta Scott King's lifelong commitment to social justice and peace. Recognizes her role as a leading participant in the American civil rights movement and her support to democracy movements worldwide.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2006
Federal Aviation Administration Fair Labor Management Dispute Resolution Act of 2006 - Amends federal transportation law to revise certain federal aviation administration personnel management system requirements to prohibit the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from implementing any proposed change to the FAA personnel management system in cases where the services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service do not lead to an agreement between the Administrator and FAA employees unless a bill is enacted into law by Congress that authorizes the change during the 60-day period beginning from the time Congress received the proposed change. (Current law does not require congressional action.) Requires the Administrator and FAA employee bargaining representatives to submit the proposed change to binding arbitration if Congress does not enact a bill into law within the 60-day period.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2006
Protecting America's Competitive Edge Through Tax Incentives Act of 2006 or the PACE-Finance Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the tax credit for increasing research activities; (2) increase the rate of such credit from 20 to 40%; (3) expand such credit to include expenses of a research consortia; and (4) allow a business tax credit for the cost of employee continuing education in science or engineering. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) study and make recommendations on methods to expand the scope of the tax credit for increasing research activities; (2) conduct an analysis of the U.S. tax system and its effect on innovation investment and related activities; and (3) report on such studies to the President and Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2006
Protecting America's Competitive Edge Through Energy Act of 2006 or PACE-Energy Act - Amends the Department of Energy Science Education Enhancement Act to direct the Secretary of Energy to: (1) appoint a Director of Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education with principal responsibility for administering mathematics, science, and engineering education programs of the Department of Energy (DOE); and (2) establish a Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education Fund to carry out provisions under the Act relating to laboratory cooperative science centers and other authorized education activities and education partnerships. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a summer internship program for middle and secondary school students that shall provide them with internships at the national laboratories and promote experiential, hands-on learning in mathematics or science; (2) establish at each of the national laboratories a program to support a Center of Excellence in Mathematics and Science at one public secondary school located in the region of the national laboratory to provide assistance in accordance with this Act; (3) establish or expand summer institute programs at the national laboratories to provide additional training to strengthen the mathematics and science teaching skills of teachers employed at public schools in kindergarten through grade 12; (4) establish a program to support the appointment of distinguished scientists by the national laboratories; and (5) award grants to outstanding eligible early-career researchers to support the work of such researchers in DOE. Establishes the Advanced Research Projects Authority--Energy (ARPA-E). Requires the use of the Acceleration Fund for Research and Development of Energy Technologies established by this Act to award grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts supporting specified advanced energy research activities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2006
Protecting America's Competitive Edge Through Education and Research Act of 2006 - PACE-Education Act - Establishes programs to provide additional mathematics and science teachers in K-12 elementary and secondary education (teachers), including: (1) Department of Education (ED) grants to institutions of higher education (IHE's) for baccalaureate degree programs in mathematics, science, and engineering, with teacher certification, and for master's degree programs in mathematics and science education for teachers; (2) National Science Foundation (NSF) scholarships for recruiting and training new teachers, and fellowships for teachers; (3) ED grants to nonprofit entities to train additional teachers for Advanced Placement (AP), pre-AP, International Baccalaureate (IB), and pre-IB programs; (4) a National Clearinghouse on Mathematics and Science Teaching Materials; (5) Future American-Scientist Scholarships (ED); (6) Department of Energy graduate research fellowships in scientific areas of national need; and (7) NSF early-career research grants for scientists and engineers. Directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy Matters to: (1) coordinate science, mathematics, and engineering education programs; (2) establish a National Coordination Office for Advanced Research Instrumentation and Facilities; (3) establish guidelines for federal agencies to allocate funds for high-risk, high-payoff research; and (4) award a President's Innovation Award. Directs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to award early-career research grants. Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to direct the Department of Commerce to award grants for feasibility studies and plans for science parks, and for revolving loan funds to develop science park infrastructure. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) create a new visa category for doctorate students in mathematics, engineering, technology, or the physical sciences; and (2) exempt from numerical limitations on employment-based immigrants certain aliens who have received such advanced degrees and are working in a related field. Directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to award early-career research grants. Expresses the sense of Senate on: (1) policies to accelerate deployment of access to broadband Internet; (2) the visa process for foreign students at U.S. IHE's and foreign researchers engaging in scientific research in the United States; (3) patent reform; and (4) exemption of certain uses of technology from treatment as exports.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2006
Expresses support for the federal and state missions of the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. Recommends that the Department of Defense (DOD) propose to fully fund the National Guard's equipment needs. Urges DOD to consult with the states' chief executive officers and Congress on any proposed changes to the National Guard force structure. Requests that: (1) any DOD plan regarding force structure take into account the National Guard role in homeland defense and other state missions; (2) DOD prepare budget projections that detail cost savings from any changes in force structure, as well as projected costs in the event large personnel increases are necessary to respond to a national emergency; and (3) DOD assure Congress and the chief executive officers that potential changes in force structure will not impact the safety and security of the U.S. people.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2006
IDEA Full Funding Act - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to reauthorize part B programs of education of all children with disabilities. Authorizes appropriations for part B: (1) for FY2007-FY2011 in specified amounts; and (2) for FY2012 and each fiscal year thereafter in an amount equal to the sum of the maximum amounts of the grants all states may receive under certain IDEA provisions. (Provides phased-in increases of such authorized funding designed to reach a promised 40% federal share by FY2011.) Makes appropriations for part B for FY2007-FY2011, as well as for FY2012 and each fiscal year thereafter, in amounts less than those this Act authorizes to be appropriated.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2006
Advanced Research Projects Energy Act (ARPA-E) Act - Instructs the Secretary of Energy to establish in the Department of Energy the position of Assistant Secretary for Advanced Energy Research, Technology Development, and Deployment to: (1) implement an innovative energy research, technology development, and deployment program; and (2) sponsor a diverse portfolio of cutting-edge, high-payoff research, development, and deployment projects to carry it out. Authorizes the Assistant Secretary to award cash prizes in recognition of outstanding achievements in basic, advanced, and applied research, technology development, and prototype development.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2006
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2006 - Extends from one to two years the ban on former senior and very senior executive personnel, former Members of Congress, and officers and employees of the legislative branch from making lobbying contacts with any officer or employee of the entity in which such person served before his or her tenure terminated. Eliminates floor privileges for a former Senator or Senator-elect who is a registered lobbyist. Requires public disclosure by Members of Congress and senior congressional staff of employment negotiations. Subjects to fines and penalties a Member of Congress or a congressional employee who wrongfully influences, on a partisan basis, an entity's employment decisions or practices. Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) to require: (1) quarterly instead of semiannual filing of lobbying disclosures reports; (2) electronic filing; (3) disclosure of registered lobbyist contributions and payments; (4) disclosure of paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying; (5) disclosure by registered lobbyists of all past executive and congressional employment; and (6) maintenance of certain lobbying disclosure information in an electronic data base, available to the public free of charge over the Internet. Amends the Standing Rules of the Senate to: (1) exclude gifts from lobbyists from the gift ban exceptions; and (2) prohibit privately funded travel by a Member, officer, or employee. Prohibits such individuals from accepting transportation or lodging on trips sponsored by non-profit organizations that are planned, organized, requested, arranged, or financed in whole or in part by a lobbyist or foreign agent, or in which a lobbyist participates. Requires a Member, officer, or employee of the Senate to disclose certain information regarding noncommercial air travel. Requires the Committee on Rules and Administration to develop and revise guidelines on reasonable expenses or expenditures for official government travel. Establishes the Senate Office of Public Integrity. Amends the LDA to increase the penalty for failure to comply with lobbying disclosure requirements. Requires certification that congressional travel meets certain conditions. Establishes civil fines for false certifications. Establishes mandatory annual ethics training for congressional employees. Amends the Standing Rules to require: (1) actual voting in a conference committee meeting on the full text of the proposed conference report; and (2) availability of such report on the Internet for at least 24 hours before its consideration.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2006
Requiring Emergency Pharmaceutical Access for Individual Relief (REPAIR) Act of 2006 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to transition requirements. Authorizes a pharmacy to fill prescriptions on a renewable 30-day basis for full-benefit dual eligible individuals during 2006 when a reasonable search by the pharmacy to locate or verify an individual's enrollment fails. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services and a prescription drug plan or a Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plan under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice) to identify clearly all full-benefit dual eligible individuals in their data records. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to prohibit conditioning Medicaid eligibility for individuals enrolled in certain creditable prescription drug coverage on enrollment in the Medicare part D drug program. Requires the Secretary to establish process to ensure that full-benefit dual eligible individuals are not overcharged. Requires reimbursement to states for 2006 transition costs. Directs the Secretary to provide for outreach and education to every pharmacy participating in the Medicaid program, on the needs of full-benefit dual eligible individuals and the transition from Medicaid prescription drug coverage to part D coverage. Directs the Secretary to ensure that an employee of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is stationed at each state health insurance counseling program to assist Medicare beneficiaries and counselors regarding the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. Authorizes state coverage of non-formulary prescription drugs for full-benefit dual eligible individuals during 2006. Prohibits the Secretary from terminating coverage of a full-benefit dual eligible individual unless such individual has functioning access to a prescription drug plan under part D or an MA-PD plan.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2006
Consumer Telephone Records Protection Act of 2006 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) the obtaining by fraud or other unauthorized means of confidential phone records information from a telecommunications carrier or IP-enabled voice service provider (covered entity); and (2) the sale of such records by any person, including any employee of a covered entity. Exempts law enforcement agencies. Imposes a fine and/or imprisonment for up to five years. Doubles such penalties for violations occurring in a 12-month period involving more than $100,000 or more than 50 customers of a covered entity.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2006
Curtailing Lobbyist Effectiveness Through Advance Notification, Updates, and Posting Act or the CLEAN UP Act - Amends rule XXVII (Conference Committees, Reports, Open Meetings) of the Standing Rules of the Senate to require the joint explanatory statement by a conference committee to identify and explain separately each provision of the report in violation of the rule against inclusion of new or non-germane matter, and, if possible, identify the Member who proposed such provision. Makes it out of order to consider a conference report unless the senior managers from the majority and minority parties on the part of the Senate include in the accompanying statement of managers a signed statement that: (1) all Senate managers have been afforded an opportunity at a meeting of the conference committee to vote on all amendments and other propositions considered; (2) roll call votes have been held in public meetings of the conferees on the matter contained in any motion to instruct conferees passed by the Senate; and (3) the minority was offered an opportunity to submit dissenting or minority views for the joint statement. Declares that the reading in full of any bill, resolution, conference report, or amendment shall not be dispensed with unless such measure is available to all Members and made available to the general public by means of the Internet for at least 72 hours before its consideration. Prohibits consideration of an appropriation bill unless a list of all earmarks in the bill and accompanying reports is available in the same manner. Allows a waiver of such prohibitions by a two-thirds majority vote of Members.
United States · United States Congress · 21 December 2005
Amends the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001 to extend from December 31, 2005, to July 1, 2006, provisions of that Act and the "lone wolf" provision of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. (The lone wolf provision redefined "agent of a foreign power" to permit issuance of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) orders targeting terrorists without a showing that they are members of a terrorist group or agents of such a group or of any other foreign power.)
United States · United States Congress · 21 December 2005
Health and Welfare Relief Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to: (1) the 2006 update to the single conversion factor for physician's services; (2) a three-year transition of hold harmless payments for small rural hospitals under the prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department services; (3) the composite rate component of the basic case-mix adjusted system for dialysis services; and (4) other related matters. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a strategic and implementing plan to address issues regarding physician investment in specialty hospitals. Extends through calendar 2006 the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program under SSA title IV part A, the national random sample study of child welfare and child welfare waiver authority, and transitional medical assistance and abstinence education programs. Provides for emergency health care, including disaster relief Medicaid under SSA title XIX, and other relief for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Amends the TANF Emergency Response and Recovery Act of 2005 with respect to: (1) reimbursement of states for TANF benefits to assist families affected by Hurricane Katrina; (2) an increase in additional TANF funds available for hurricane-damaged states; and (3) rules for receipt of Hurricane Katrina emergency TANF benefits and their application to the child support requirement. Specifies requirements related to disclosure based on valid authorization and emergency procurement authority in support of Hurricane Katrina rescue and relief efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 21 December 2005
Honor Our Fallen Prisoners of War Act - Requires the Secretary concerned, for purposes of awarding the Purple Heart, to treat members of the Armed Forces who die in captivity under circumstances establishing eligibility for the prisoner-of-war medal but not for the Purple Heart as a member who is killed or wounded in action. Applies this Act to members who died on or after December 7, 1941.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2005
Honors the memory of, and identifies, 2398 members of the Armed Forces who died in service to the United States in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom as of December 12, 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2005
Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Act Amendments of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise provisions regarding a research planning conference required to be convened by the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to require such conference to: (1) investigate Parkinson's research funded by NIH; and (2) identify shortcomings and opportunities for more effective treatments and a cure for Parkinson's disease. Requires the result of each conference to be included in a research investment plan that also: (1) provides for measurable results with the goals of better treatments and a cure for Parkinson's disease determining the allocation of research dollars; (2) includes an outline of how to fully utilize the Udall Center program; and (3) includes a budget and implementation strategy. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to ensure adequate funding to carry out activities described in the investment plan. Requires the Director to ensure funding for an additional Morris K. Udall research center to coordinate activities conducted by, and manage the interdisciplinary efforts of, the other centers. Requires each research center to ensure that there is a significant clinical component and ongoing basic research. Requires the Director to establish an application review process for grants to fund such research centers. Directs (currently, allows) the Director to award grants to support qualified investigators with potential for significant future Parkinson's disease breakthroughs. Requires the Director to investigate and report to Congress on the incidence of Parkinson's disease.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2005
National Innovation Act of 2005 - Directs the President to establish the: (1) President's Council on Innovation; and (2) Innovation Acceleration Grants Program to support and promote innovation in the United States. Requires the National Science Foundation (NSF) to: (1) submit a multiyear plan that describes how the funds authorized by this Act for doubling research funding shall be used; (2) study how the federal government should support the new discipline of service science; (3) expand the Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program; (4) establish a clearinghouse for sharing program elements used in successful professional science master's degree programs; (5) award grants for pilot programs to four-year institutions of higher education to facilitate the creation or improvement of such programs; and (6) award grants to local educational agencies to enable implementation of innovation-based experiential learning. Requires the Office of Science and Technology Policy to submit recommendations for an increase in funding for research and development in physical sciences and engineering. Requires the Department of Commerce to: (1) review federal programs that support local economic development and implement a strategy to fund initiatives that improve the ability of communities to participate successfully in the modern economy through innovation; (2) promote economic development opportunities for serving local communities as specified; and (3) coordinate activities focused on promoting innovation through development of regional innovation hot spots. Requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to support research and development for advanced manufacturing systems designed to increase productivity and efficiency and to create competitive advantages for U.S. businesses. Make permanent the research credit for qualified research expenses and provides for an alternative simplified credit for such expenses. Requires studies: (1) to explore methods for managing costs associated with catastrophic healthcare events and with chronic disease; and (2) for establishing lifelong learning accounts for educational or training purposes; and (3) of methods to mitigate new forms of risk for businesses that affect innovation. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) issue regulations relating to private foundation support of innovations in economic development; and (2) establish an advisory group to examine best practices for valuation of intangibles. Makes it the goal of the Department of Defense (DOD) to allocate: (1) at least 3% of the total DOD budget to science and technology; and (2) of such amount, at least 20% to basic research. Extends and expands the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Defense Scholarship Pilot Program. Expands the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) fellowship program. Requires DOD to: (1) award institution-based traineeships in areas of importance to DOD in mathematics, science, or engineering; and (2) undertake specified actions with respect to defense manufacturing research and development.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2005
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable William Proxmire, a former member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on December 15, 2005, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Proxmire.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2005
Amends the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 to include in the Special Exposure Cohort for compensation purposes any employee of the Department of Energy (DOE), or DOE contractor or subcontractor, before 1986 on Enewetak, Bikini, Rongelap, or Utrik Atolls who was exposed to ionizing radiation in the performance of duty, and was also a citizen of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2005
Expresses the sense of the Senate that cancer-related infertility is a serious quality of life issue for cancer patients. Urges the medical community to increase its efforts to ensure that discussions about the risk of infertility and fertility preservation options are an integral part of pretreatment planning and consent for treatment for all reproductive-age patients. Calls for the federal government, acting through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to: (1) encourage research to strengthen fertility preservation technologies; (2) consider ways to improve access to fertility preservation options; and (3) raise awareness about the fertility side effects and preservation options.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2005
Amends the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001 to extend from December 31, 2005, to March 31, 2006, provisions of that Act and the "lone wolf" provision of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. (The lone wolf provision redefined "agent of a foreign power" to permit issuance of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) orders targeting terrorists without a showing that they are members of a terrorist group or agents of such a group or of any other foreign power.)
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2005
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Eugene J. McCarthy, a former member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on December 12, 2005, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator McCarthy.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Medicaid Indian Health Act of 2005 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to: (1) apply 100% of the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) to services furnished to an Indian by an urban Indian health program; (2) prohibit the imposition of premiums, deductibles, copayments, and other cost-sharing on Indians; (3) prohibit recovery against estates of Indians; (4) require consultation with Indian tribes prior to approval of "Section 115" waivers; (5) provide for the treatment of medical expenses paid by or on behalf of an Indian by an Indian health program as medical care costs for purposes of determining medically needy eligibility; and (6) give states the option to exempt Indians from reductions in eligibility or benefits. Requires a Medicaid managed care organization contracting with an Indian Health Service (IHS) facility or program that is not a federally-qualified health center or a rural health clinic to provide payment at the highest level and amount that it would make for the services if they were furnished by a provider that is not an IHS facility or program.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Community and Rural Medical Residency Preservation Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the counting of time spent in outpatient settings by full-time-equivalent residents in approved medical residency training programs, for purposes of indirect medical education and direct graduate medical education payments. Defines all, or substantially all, of the costs for the training program in that nonhospital setting as the residents' stipends and benefits and other costs, if any, as determined by the training hospital and the entity (wholly owned or operated by the hospital) operating the nonhospital setting. Declares that the hospital is not required to pay the entity any amounts other than those determined by the hospital and the entity in order for the hospital to be considered to have incurred all, or substantially all, of the costs for the training program in that setting.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2005 or the DREAM Act of 2005 - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to such state residence. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who: (1) entered the United States prior to his or her sixteenth birthday, and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; (4) at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education, or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma; and (5) from the age of 16 and older, has never been under a final order of exclusion, deportation, or removal. Sets forth the conditions for conditional permanent resident status, including: (1) termination of status for violation of this Act; and (2) removal of conditional status to permanent status. Authorizes an alien who has satisfied the appropriate requirements prior to enactment of this Act to petition the Secretary for conditional permanent resident status. Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) exclusive jurisdiction; (2) penalties for false application statements; (3) confidentiality; (4) fee prohibitions; (5) higher education assistance; and (6) a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report respecting the number of aliens adjusted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Recognizes the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. Acknowledges the many and varied contributions of children with disabilities and their parents, teachers, related services providers, and other educators. Reaffirms the commitment of Congress to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act so that all children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education. .
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Commends U.S., international, Indian, and Pakistani efforts to assist the victims of the October 2005 earthquake in South Asia. Encourages further cooperation between Pakistan and India on relief operations and efforts to expand peace in the region. Urges: (1) the United States and the world community to reaffirm their commitment to additional support for relief and long-term reconstruction efforts in areas affected by the earthquake; and (2) continued attention by international donors and relief agencies to the needs of vulnerable populations in the stricken countries, particularly children who have been left parentless and homeless by the disaster.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Medicaid prospective payment system for the federally-qualified health center program is critical to ensuring that both Medicaid recipients and the nation's uninsured population have access to quality affordable primary and preventive care services. Recognizes the critical role of such health centers as an essential source of care for millions of Medicaid recipients and uninsured Americans, and supports continuation of the prospective payment system in helping to maintain this system of care.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2005
Vehicle and Fuel Choices for American Security Act - Instructs the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to publish in the Federal Register an oil savings target and action plan for specified calendar years. Amends federal transportation law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to develop a national tire fuel efficiency program for passenger cars and light trucks. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a national testing and assessment program to determine the fuel economy of heavy duty vehicles. Instructs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) prescribe average heavy duty vehicle fuel economy standards; and (2) conduct a research and development program for electric drive transportation technology. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a lightweight material research and development program. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary of Energy to accelerate efforts to improve hybrid technologies. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow an advanced technology motor vehicles manufacturing tax credit. Terminates the limitation on the number of qualified hybrid and advanced lean burn technology vehicles eligible for the alternative motor vehicle credit. Directs the Secretary of Energy to issue regulations requiring that by FY2016 each federal agency achieve at least a 30% reduction in its fleet petroleum consumption. Amends the IRC to: (1) establish a fuel-efficient tax credit for private fleets; (2) subject heavy vehicles to the depreciation limitation for certain luxury automobiles; and (3) increase the alternative fuel vehicle refueling property credit. Requires certain minimum percentages of light-duty motor vehicles manufactured for model years 2012 and beyond to use specified propulsion technologies and fuels. Amends federal transportation law to establish the Alternative Fueling Infrastructure Trust Fund. Amends the Clean Air Act to prescribe minimum annual quantities of renewable fuel from cellulosic biomass and sugar. Amends the the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a low-interest loan and grant program for farmer-owned ethanol producers to develop infrastructure, including pump stations, for the retail delivery of any fuel containing at least 85% ethanol. Amends federal transportation law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to develop a program to designate Transit-Oriented Development Corridors. Directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct a national media campaign to decrease oil consumption in the United States over the next decade.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2005
Remote Monitoring Access Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of remote patient management services for chronic health care conditions.
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